The evaluation of the family institution from the perspective of radical feminism and socialist feminism

Historically, women, who make up half of human society, have been marginalized in every period of history just because of their gender. Pushed into a secondary position by the patriarchal structure that dominates every area of human life, women have been exposed to a number of injustice in every area of life, starting with the family, which is the smallest building block of society. Although there are some regulations and improvements regarding to women's rights today, unfortunately, this situation has not disappeared during the first quarter of the 21st century. The inequality of the genders, which is a historical injustice that has been going on since the past, and the reproduction of this inequality all the time, most clearly appears in the family, which is considered the basic building block of society. In this context, the aim of the study is to subject the institution of the family, which is the most important unit of society, to a comparative analysis from a radical and socialist feminist perspective that has different orientations. Radical feminism and socialist feminism have very different perspectives on the institution of the family. Radical feminism argues that the oppression of women is not based on capitalism, but on patriarchy or male domination. According to radical feminism, it is possible to get rid of the inequality between the genders caused by the patriarchal structure by eliminating the institution of the family. Socialist feminism, which explains the social position of women through Marxist feminism's critique of capitalism and radical feminism's view of the patriarchal structure, wants the family to be cleansed of patriarchy, not abolished. Key Words: Radical Feminism, Socialist Feminism, Patriarchy, Capitalism, Family, Women.