5) Weberian Explanations Of Gender Inequality

Question 1

What are the three dimensions of stratification, according to Weber?

Answer 1

• class
• status
• party

Status and party are the most applicable to gender inequality

Question 2

Describe and explain occupational segregation
- horizontal vs occupational
- equal opportunities commission

Answer 2

1) Horizontal segregation in the labour market:
Refers to difference in the number of males and females across an occupation e.g. nurses and teachers tend to be female jobs, whilst engineers and architects tend to be male jobs.

The Equal Opportunities Commission (2004) identified 4 reasons for horizontal occupation: differences in human capital, individual career choices based on perception of careers influences by teachers and parent, discrimination by employers, barriers in organisations

Vertical segregation: based on male domination of high ranking jobs in both male and female occupations (e.g. males more likely to get promoted to high respectable job positions than females)
This could be due to the glass ceiling, concrete ceiling, glass elevator ideas

Question 3

What is:
- glass ceiling
- concrete ceiling
- glass elevator

Answer 3

Glass ceiling: explains difference in social mobility between men and women. An invisible barrier prevents women from achieving power and success that equal to that of men, this prevents women from climbing up the career ladder

Concrete ceiling: the inequality in the labour marker has worsened, it is now more difficult for women to reach high job positions in society (could be due to sexism from employers (e.g. media presents women in a sexualised way) , gender stereotypes)

Glass elevator: men rise higher and faster up the career ladder particularly in female based occupations (e.g. teaching).
This is because men have hidden advantages that assist them in getting promotions (e.g. men seen as more assertive, men don’t get pregnant so don’t take maternity leave, women seen as too emotional)

Question 4

Describe concept of social closure

Answer 4

Refers to the exclusion from some people from certain status groups.
Women are excluded from ‘old boy network’ so exclude women from getting opportunities to get promoted (e.g. managerial position, in the government)

Question 5

Evaluation of Weber

Answer 5

(+) considers three factors (status, class, party) that influence gender inequality

(-) postmodernists disagree

(+) neo-weberian sociologists agree with Weber, especially when understanding economy and class structure.
Goldthorpe devised classification scheme which where based on Weber’s ideas of market positions, and this helped locate people into the appropriate social class

Question 6

Barron and Norris: The dual labour market

Answer 6

Dual labour market explains female employment patterns and positions

Employers have stereotypical beliefs about females, e.g. maternity leave or working part time, so not worthwhile to promote women
Employers may have gender bias and dont follow Equality and Human Rights Commission

Thee labour market consists of:
1) Primary sector labour market- this consists of secure, well paid jobs with high chance of promotions. Males tend to have the these types of jobs, especially white males

2) Secondary sector labour market- this consists of low security, low paid jobs, with poor chance of promotions. Females tend to have these types of jobs

The Weberian concept of status helps explain this gender inequality.
Women tend to have the role of housewife and mother which is not held in high esteem in society, but is seen to have low status and little power

Question 7

Evaluation of Barron and Norris and the dual labour market

Answer 7

(-) does not consider differences between women e.g. women from ethnic minority are worse off than white women

(-) Bradley criticises this, because it fails to explain inequalities within the same sector of job (e.g. teaching is a primary sector labour market job, yet females are less likely than males to gain a high status in this profession)