Abstract
The subject of this paper is an examination of the relationship between contemporary feminism and the family. First, it summarizes the main questions in contemporary feminism concerning the family. Rather than denying the family, contemporary feminism argues for changing the family structure of gender-based division of labor. This is because a family structure of gender-based division of labor makes the economic independence of women difficult due to excessive roles assigned to women in the household. Second, this paper summarizes questions concerning the norms on separation between public and private spheres in family theory in contemporary feminism as follows: Contemporary feminism is critical of the norms on separation between public and private spheres in modern society that define the family domain as a private domain separate from other social domains and considers the family domain to be a domain that is related to other social domains. In addition, women positioned in the family domain in the modern family are considered to have an essential family-based nature and have not been recognized to have the right of freedom of their own bodies. Looking at the pattern of the modern family from these two points of view, the modern family can be considered to be a family pattern that includes some pre-modern elements from prior to the establishment of women's rights. Lastly, in connection with the questions identified from contemporary feminism's criticism of the norms on separation between public and private spheres, this paper ascertains the primary causes of changes in the family at the habitus level and at the level of social systems and considers the family of the future from the perspective of gender order theory.
