4b - gender theory Flashcards
functionalist explanations of gender inequality
Parsons
Rastogi
Davis and Moore
Young
Parsons gender inequality
biological differences:
nature over nurture
women: expressive roles (nurturing, caregiving, emotional)
men: instrumental roles (money-making, financial responsibilities, competitive, achieving)
Rastogi gender inequality
Human Capital Theory
human capital = knowledge, competency, attitude and behaviour embedded in an individual
wage gap explained through amount of human capital people develop through knowledge and training
personal income varies based on investment in human capital
WOMEN less likely to invest in human capital and training due to expectation that they’re less committed to paid employment than men. choosing different priorities.
e.g. degree choice, maternity leave
Davis and Moore gender inequality
Role Allocation theory 1945
— Stratification is permanent, universal, and FUNCTIONALLY NECESSARY
— Every society faces the task of ‘placing’ people on a hierarchy: ROLE ALLOCATION, according to abilities + effort
— 2 principles that dictate the hardest/best jobs:
— FUNCTIONAL UNIQUENESS (no other occupation can substitute for them, innate ability and training needed)
— DEGREE OF DEPENDENCY ON OTHERS (other positions dependent on them)
Women choose less functionally unique jobs due to functional uniqueness of parenting
40% of women choose part time
Young (gender inequality)
— MERITOCRACY: people with merit rewarded with higher status and money
— in 50s, could foresee arisotcracy depleting and making way for equal opportunities (NOT INEQUALITY)
Theresa May: “I want to be a place where advantage is based on merit not privilege”
Most UK residents think this is the society we live in or would like to live in.
women have less merit than men in the workplace as they are suited for parenting
Marxist Feminist/Marxist explanations of gender inequality
Friedman
Feeley
Skeggs
Bourdieu
Friedman gender inequality
reserve army of labour
–> MAINLY WOMEN
married women = secondary workers, main responsibility: children and home
dependent on husband’s wages
should be more willing to leave work when demand drops: ‘familist ideology’
Feeley gender inequality
family props up the capitalist system
family = patriarchal institution, women being exploited in role of wife and mother
capitalist ideology promotes nuclear family is ideal type + gender inequalities are natural and legitimate
children brainwashed by nuclear family unit to become next generation of workers
teaches conformity to parental control and acceptance of hierarchy
segregated conjugal roles taught
bride price
Skeggs gender inequality
working class women particularly oppressed
feminists advance ‘individualist’ values and overlook discrimination against working class
working class women retraining to become health care workers. Dressing style changed: more demure, less makeup, to FIT IN with new role.
working class women oppressed by dual system of patriarchy and capitalism
Bourdieu (gender inequality)
capital theory: social, cultural, material
men hold cultural hegemony so have more cultural capital, disadvantaging women
discussing sport, playing golf etc
women in London banking sector complained they were excluded from the ‘in-crowd’ because they didn’t go late night drinking in strip clubs
Weberian explanations of gender inequality
Weber
Barron and Norris
Parkin
Hutton
Weber gender inequality
2 class model = OVERSIMPLIFICATION
— Life chances influenced by 3: CLASS, STATUS, PARTY
fits in middle class groups better than Marx, who faces a boundary problem
CAN EXPLAIN DIFFERNECES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SAME CLASS
Barron and Norris gender inequality
work sector consists of 2 sectors, primary and secondary
PRIMARY: secure, well-paid jobs, good prospects
SECONDARY: poor pay, insecurity, no ladder of promotion, gig economy, zero hour contracts
working class more likely secondary sector
inequality caused by DUAL LABOUR MARKET
secondary sector disproportionately women: glass ceiling
Parkin gender inequality
EXCLUSION STRATEGY: groups anxious to protect privileges from new recruits so certain criteria used to restrict. E.g. elite private schools (Eton costs 37,000 a year, reccommendation, interview and test)
King and Smith Jack Wills culture maintains elite social groupings
USURPATION STRATEGY: less privileged groups try grab others’ privilege e.g. trade unions, strikes
Usurpation strategies against patriarchy: suffragettes, bra burners, equal pay act 1970, sex discrimination act 1975
Hutton gender inequality
DISADVANTAGED: Bottom 30% of unemployed, economically inactive,, part-timers, insecure employment.
MARGINALISED: middle 30% structurally insecure employment , part timers on contracts, zero hour contracts
PRIVILEGED: 40% tenured jobs, security, trade union agreements like teachers, doctors, lecturers
disadvantaged/marginalised disproportionately women: glass ceiling
New right explanations gender inequality
Schlafly
Schlafly
positive freedom
traditional gender roles are FREEING for women
“liberation” only leads to bondage
campaigned against Equal Rights Amendment in USA 1970
Inequality exists and benefits women as traditional gender roles gives them special privileges e.g. chivalry
e.g. wife dependent benefits under social security, freedom from financial responsibility and army drafting,
Feminist explanations of gender inequality
Liberal feminism
Marxist feminism
Triple systems / intersectional feminism
Radical feminism
Postmodern feminism
Liberal feminism
Wants equal opportunities and rights in all areas which have been breached due to unfair laws and discriminatory practices. Must change norms and values
Oakley
Sommerville
Oakley gender inequality (liberal)
primary socialisation
manipulation
canalisation
Sommerville gender inequality (liberal)
we should introduce new policies to help working parents
Marxist feminism
social class impacts womens’ life chances
capitalism leads to patriarchy
nuclear family supports capitalist AND patriarchal exploitation and oppression:
1. reproduction of next brainwashed generation of workers
2. women domestic work unpaid
3. women soothe stress and frustration of proletariat men, stultifying revolution. wives = ‘safety valve’ / ‘takers of shit’
Friedman
Feeley
Skeggs
Triple systems/intersectional feminism
three interacting systems: racism, capitalism, PATRIARCHY!
liberal feminism fails to relate to many women of minority groups/low social class
e.g. Kurdish women in Syria, minority group women in Afghanistan
Bell hooks - liberal feminists ignore multiple oppressions faced by black women. murdered, attacked, poor, unemployed in higher numbers.
radical feminism
conflict between men and women is THE MOST fundamental divide in society
male supremacy is ensured at the expense of women
women all have shared interests as they are all exploited by men
men seize control of social privileges, material rewards, cultural power, and inflict physical and sexual violence against women
cultural dominance allows ‘justification’
SEPARATISM: women can free themselves by cutting themselves off from men
Dworkin
Dworkin
patriarchy based on sexual exploitation
critical of porn
porn encourages rape and sexual violence
tried to get porn outlawed
all heterosexual sex is like rape, as consent is given by women without true understanding of patriarchal implications
postmodern feminism
importance of language and symbols in media subtly reinforcing gender inequality
Walter - hypersexuality
Ros Coward
Messerschmidt (toxic hegemonic masculinity)
Benetar (most dangerous jobs with least pay and security are left to men)
Ros Coward
attacks ‘sacred cows’ of feminism (fundamental ideas)
there is no overarching patriarchal system with men always oppressing women
men also oppressed: 90s unemployment, feminisation of economy, crisis of masculinity (Mac an Ghail)
Social changes create a new ‘gender landscape’ where men are also oppressed
Post feminism
‘after feminism’ - we have gender equality now
new development of feminist ideas, sometimes even rejection of feminist ideas?
Hakim - Preference theory
Hakim
women now have genuine freedom to choose their own destinies. patriarchal obstacles have largely been removed by leglislation
women given a rational free choice, and many simply choose to prioritise childcare
gender differences in orientations to work
PREFERENCE THEORY: some women (especially highly educated) are work-oriented
others have more traditional views, are home oriented
some believe in PRIMARY gender roles but also fluidity between them (adaptive orientation)
both men and women should use sexual capital to get on in life
