Chapter 3: gender and inequality Flashcards
what are the 2 processes that social feminists consider as distinct systems that intersect?
production (capitalism) and reproduction (patriarchy)
define essentialism
biological differences explain and justify inequities
EX: women like to nurture
Walby argues that patriarchy is a system of social relations that exist alongside capitalism and racism
true
Acker believes that ___ are the primary ways we can analyse the inequalities in society
lack of wages
define gender
social construction of difference
Silvia Walby also uses a dual-system of theorizing BUT developes it by conceptializing patriarchy as a _____ structure
Multidimensional
radical feminists argue that family is the basic economic unit of society and not the individual
FALSE: social feminists do
Which of the following do NOT belong to Firestone’s analysis on biological families and their characteristically universal features
A) womens biological capacity to reproduce made them dependent on men for their survival
B) men take advantage of womens innate biological differences
C) children take a long time to become independent which thus affects the mother
D) bonds between mother and children are the strongest
E) reproductive capacity of women led to the first categorical division of labor
B
Walby sees patriarchy as a ____
system of social structures and practices
walby argues that patriarchal structures are NOT sites of …
oppression but rather are defined in terms of the social relations in each structure
Joan Acker combines …
relations of production and reproduction
Firestone argues that womens subordinate position in relation to men is rooted in the human
A) psychology
B) selfishness
C) biological family
D) desire to dominate
C) biological family
For acker you need to consider ___ and ___
A) Age and Class
B) Class and Gender
C) Social Stucture and identity
D) sex and class
class and gender
walby avoids 2 things …
- biological essentialism
- simplistic idea that all men want to dominate woman
firestone and radical feminists argue that womens oppression lies in capitalism
FALSE: it lies in woman’s biology
who are dual-systems theorists. who is considered one?
individuals who suggest that patriarchy and capitalism are 2 distinct systems that intersect in relation to teh opression of women
- Hartman
what are the 2 main concepts about radical feminism?
- patriarchy
- domination
women are disproportionately responsible for …
- household labor
- child care
- emotional management
- caring for older members of the family
what are walby’s 6 patriarchal structures?
- patriarchal mode of production
- patriarchal relations in payed work
- patriarchal states
- male violence
- patriarchal relations in sexuality
- patriarchal culture
Candice West and Don Zimmerman hold a ___ perspective
A) Conflict
B) Stuctural Functionalist
C) Symbolic interactionist
D) Critical Theory
C - symbolic interactionist
silvia walby is structures and not ideological
True
which of the following does NOT represent gender
A) oneness
B) identity
C) power
D) exploitation
E) Opression
A) Oneness
sex is an organizing feature of social life
FALSE: gender is
hartman argues that the material base of patriarchy is the control of womens labour power by men
True
what is a criticism of Hardman
- doesnt expand on the idea of reproduction
- doesnt say how its reproduced in society
what are some criticisms of Firestone and Radical Feminism?
- treats the system of male dominance or patriarchy as a universal, transhistorical and transcultural phenomenon (women oppressed by men everywhere and in very similar ways)
- leads ppl to believe that men have an innate desire for power
- ignores social reproduction of material relations
- i.e. capital
for acker distribution of necessities operate thorugh ..
- personal relations
- ability to access a wage at a personal level
- marital relations
- how its distributed within the family
- state relations
- through laws and policies
“The experience of being a man or a women is fundamentally shaped by class and class is informed by gender”. who said this
Acker
what does Heidi Hartman argue
- patriarchy operates by treating production as a male activity and reproduction as a female characteristic
- capitalism and patriarchy adapt and support another
- eg: family wage
- capitalism uses patriarchy to lower costs of women
sex and gender differences are treated as _____ rather than as a _______
Individual characteristics, structural features of social life
describe what Gender does
- introduced to avoid essentialism
- gender enables human nature
- separates biology from how we explain outselves
- opens up possibility for political freedom
whats an example of Hartman’s argument with regards to capitalism and patriarchy?
Male workers and unions
- they opposed womens factory work cuz this would lower wages (through excess supply) and if woman worked for pay, there wouldnt be anyone to take care of the home
“assume that gender inequality is a function of mens control of womens reproduction and sexuality”.
this is the definition of an ___
Radical feminist
Social feminists argue that mens control produces a sexual division of labor.
FALSE: Radical feminists do
Heidi Hardmen is structural and not ideological
False: Silvia Walby is
radical feminists argue that ____ is responsible for the sexual division of labor
The nuclear family
