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Radical feminism views women's oppression as a fundamental element in human society and seeks to challenge that standard by broadly rejecting standard gender roles. The traditional Radical feminist standpoint may be expressed as viewing the division in all societies as that between men and women and stating that men are the oppressors of women[1] (http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~le1810/femin.htm). These concepts were first developed in the late sixties as a significant part of Second-wave feminism.
Many radical feminists believe that society forces an oppressive patriarchy on women (some masculists claim that patriarchy, amongst other things, oppresses men also) and seek to abolish this patriarchal influence, with some strands advocating replacing it with its opposite. Because of this, some observers believe that radical feminism focuses on the gender oppression of patriarchy as the first and foremost fundamental oppression that women face. However, critiques of the above view have resulted in a different perspective on radical feminism held by some which acknowledges the simultaneity or intersectionality of different types of oppression which may include, but are not limited to the following: gender, race, class, percieved attractiveness, sexuality, ability, whilst still affirming the recognition of patriarchy.
Some strains of radical feminism have been compared to Marxism in that they describe a "great struggle of history" between two opposed polar forces; the struggle between the proletariat and bourgeoisie classes is said to be similar to that of "women" and "men".
See also: Mary Daly, Catharine MacKinnon, Andrea Dworkin, Womyn, List of feminism topics
External links
Women Against Pornography
Men Against Pornography Article about Men Against Pornography (http://the-vu.com/men_against_pornography.htm)
Feminist International Network of Resistance to Reproductive and Genetic Engineering (FINRRAGE) FINRRAGE journal listed (http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Garden/3971/journals.html)
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