4) Feminist Explanations Of Gender Inequality

Question 1

Liberal Feminists explanations of gender inequality

Answer 1

Liberal feminists want to obtain equal opportunities and equal rights for males and females in society e.g. work, education
- gender inequality is the result of socialisation and unfair laws that reinforce discrimination between males and females
- gender inequality is NOT due to biological differences (e.g. hormone cycles, pregnancy)

• changing norms and values (e.g. laws) that reinforce gender division will help bring about equality
  E.g. equal pay act and sexual discrimination act

Question 2

Oakley’s (Liberal feminist) research on gender role socialisation

Answer 2

Argues gender role socialisation in the family is where gender inequality begins.

Manipulation: encourages behaviour seen as gender appropriate (e..g. Girls dressed in pink and give compliments about their appearance)

Canalisation: children encouraged to play with gender appropriate toys e.g. girls play with cooking stets,

Other agents of socialisation, e.g. media and education, also reinforce these gender appropriate behaviour which could be the root cause of gender inequality

Question 3

Evaluation of Oakley’s work and liberal feminists

Answer 3

(+) Oakley’s ideas are praised as she explains the root cause of the problem of gender inequality, and therefore we now know how to reduce gender inequality in society (e.g. give boys dolls to play with)

(-) criticised by postmodernists who see gender as no longer fixed, so no clear cut of gender roles for children to be socialised into (pick and mix theory by Polemus, can help reduce gender inequality)

(-) Liberal feminists criticised for being too optimistic about their campaigns and changing law/ legislations
E.g. the Equal Pay Act cam into force in 1970, however the gender pay still exists in contemporary society (e.g. pay gap in Ryan Air)

Question 4

Radical Feminist ideas about gender inequality by Millett

Answer 4

• radical feminists see patriarchy as the main source of female oppression in society
  (Society is run by men, with their interests at the centre)

Gender inequality is the outcome of the collective efforts of men to dominate, control and exploit women

Revolutionary change can help offer women liberation from their oppression

Question 5

What does the radical feminist Millett argue?

Answer 5

• men acquire power over women due to biological factors, e.g. pregnancies, so women can’t contribute to society as much as men (e.g. workplace)
• the introduction of the contraceptive pill means men no longer power against women
• men are prepared to defend their power and will use violence against women to control them if they have to — Johnson stated this is ‘patriarchal terrorism’
• the world health organisation stated that 30% of women will face sexual and physical abuse at least once in their life

Question 6

Evaluation of Radical Feminism

Answer 6

(+) supported by Leech’s research on the ‘dark side of the family’ whereby men express their anger, due to frustration at work, by hitting their wives -> domestic violence

(-) Radical feminists ignore factors such as ethnicity and class which explains inequality between women.

(-) over emphasise the differences between males and females, and ignore the fact that males and females can work together to solve gender inequalities and bring about change e.g. changes in laws. Also ignore that males may suffer from gender inequality (e.g. crisis of masculinity)

Question 7

Intersectionality by Sylvia Walby (Marxist and Radical feminist)

Answer 7

Walby looked at effects of patriarchy and capitalism on females

She devised the concept of ‘triple systems of oppression’ and the impact of racism

• intersectionality looks at the interplay of social inequality on gender, religion, class and nationality
  -she is critical of radical feminism as they see patriarchy as universal and unchanging and ignore the impact of class and ethnicity on gender
• patriarchy is at the centre of gender inequality ad changes over time
  It has evolved from ‘private patriarchy’ (women are confided to the sphere of their home’ to public patriarchy (where women have entered the sphere of employment, politics) but still experience disadvantage

There are 6 patriarchal structures in society which restrict women and maintain male domination: household (e.g. triple shift - women exploited at home) , state( acts in the interest of males e.g. property passed onto male heirs), paid employment (e.g. gender pay gap), media (present women in a narrow set of social roles), sexuality (double standards e.g. male applauded for having many sexual partner but a women is shamed), and violence against women (domestic abuse)

Question 8

Evaluation of Walby and intersectionality

Answer 8

(-) over emphasises factors that separate women from men, both genders could potentially come together to bring about change to reduce gender inequality.

(-) ignore the fact that males may also experience inequality (e.g. crisis of masculinity)

Question 9

Postmodernist feminist perspective

Answer 9

End of feminism: Sianne and Wilkinson found that younger generation of women tend to view the gender war as outdated and few of them identify themselves as feminists

Globalisation and the spread of ‘girl power’ movements, allows a sense of sisterhood and community to come together to bring about change in society

Women can now pick and mix and could identify with some male characteristics
E.g. online games where they can identity as male avatars (like in the game ‘second life’)