EVIDENCE - Gender Flashcards
WORK AND EMPLOYMENT 1
- 38% of women in employment worked part-time, compared with 14% of men (UK parliment) - functionalism + biological determinism.
- By the time their first child is aged 12, mothers’ average hourly wages are a third below fathers (GOV.UK) - marxist feminism
- A survey from 2016 revealed that there are still many people who believe it is unacceptable for a woman to have a paid job outside the home: 20% of men and 14% of women globally, to be exact. (ILO-Gallup survey) - the new right
- Women are 50% more likely than men to work in low paying jobs and 20% more likely than men to be stuck in such jobs (GOV.UK) - Webarian dual labour market theory
WORK AND EMPLOYMENT 2
- 4% of employees said they had been sexually harassed at work over the past three years. Around one in nine mothers (11%) reported that they were either dismissed, made compulsorily redundant (where others in their workplace were not), or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their job (CIPD research) - radical feminism (men dominate with their physicality).
- The gap between the male and female employment rates was 6.0 percentage points (UK parliment) - marxist feminism
- UK now second in international rankings for women’s representation on boards at FTSE 100 level, with nearly 40% of positions now held by women, compared with 12.5% 10 years ago (GOV.UK) - liberal feminism
- The analysis shows that around 1 in 8 (12.1%) BME women working in the UK are employed in insecure jobs compared to 1 in 16 (6.4%) white women (Trades Union Congress) - Black feminism
POVERTY
- The figures show that women continue to be more likely to live in poverty than men (20% compared to 18%) (Women’s budget group) - Marxist feminist
- More than one fifth of women, 22%, have a persistent low income, compared to approximately 14% of men (National Education Union) - Marxist feminist
SOCIAL MOBILITY
- The social mobility commission’s 2023 report found that women have lower social mobility then men due to various systematic factors such as being more likely to enter part time roles and career interruptions - webarian ‘iron cage’
- Lily Allen abandoned music in 2011 due to her ‘duities as a mother’ - marxist feminism
INCOME AND WEALTH
- Men have on average £92,762 more in total wealth than women, a gap of 35% (Women’s budget group) - Radical feminism + men dominating in marriage.
- Over the last decade the gender pay gap has fallen by approximately a quarter among full-time employees, and in April 2023 it stands at 7.7% (ONS) - liberal feminism?
HEALTH
- 60% of women feel that they’ve had a health issue not taken seriously by a medical professional (Benenden Health) - webarian + life chances
- In maternity wards, 48% were rated as inadequate or requiring improvement with around a quarter receiving a lower overall rating than when last inspected. On the single issue of safety, 65% were judged to be failing. (BBC - harm at risk of being normalised in maternity care) - webarian lack of status which affects life chances.
FAMILY
- Around 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime (ONS) - radical feminism and men dominating with their physicality.
- Research shows that mothers spend about three times as many hours on childcare as fathers. A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicated that mothers are responsible for around 73% of all childcare duties - marxist feminism
- Women are more likely to reduce their working hours or take career breaks to manage family responsibilities.Over 60% of women in part-time work cite caring responsibilities as a key reason for their employment status. (Trades Union Congress) - Marxist feminism
Functionalist arguements on gender inequality
Functionalists would argue that gender inequality in work and employment is essentail (this would be a good AO3 of marxist feminism) because women better suit the expressive role biologically.
- More than two fifths (43%) of respondents said that they have experianced symptoms of stress, anxiety or burnout brought on by poor work-life balance (Bloom UK)
- 38% of women in employment worked part-time, compared with 14% of men (UK parliment)
The New Right arguements on gender inequality
They argue that the nuclear family is best for society as it socialises children better and prevents deviancy.
- There’s been a 10% increase in the percentage of children living in single-parent homes leads typically to a 17% increase in juvenile crime (The Heritage Foundation)
- “The mother’s strong affectionate attachment to her child is the child’s best buffer against a life of crime.” (The Heritage Foundation).
Marxist feminist arguements on gender inequality
Marxist feminists argue that working class women are doubly oppressed and that they contribute to capitalism due to their unpaid domestic labour enforced on them by the patriarchy.
- Research shows that mothers spend about three times as many hours on childcare as fathers. - Institute for Fiscal Studies
- 79% of women and only 34% of men do cooking and housework every day for one hour or more (European institute for gender inequality).
Liberal feminist arguements on gender inequality
They argue that although gender inequality is still relevant, there has been much more progression for women. They also consider how men suffer from inequality as well.
- Equality act of 2010 prevents women from being discriminated in work for their gender, the abortion act of ‘67, a growth in contraceptive pills, and the right to vote.
- The gender pay gap has been declining slowly over time, and falls a quarter over the last decade among full time and all employees (ONS)
- Men are less likely to access psychological therapies than women: only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men (ONS).
Radical feminist arguements on gender inequality
They argue that it is the patriarchy is the main scource of opression for women, society is run by men with the interests of men. Gender inequality is the result of men physically dominating and controling women.
- Around 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime (ONS).
- There’s 889,918 recorded cases, however there’s also an estimate of 2,124,000 cases (ONS) - this shows how men dominate over women and prevent them from seeking help.
Black feminist arugements on gender inequality
Black feminists take the intersectional approach and they argue that black women are opressed much more then white women due to their ethnicity.
- Almost one third (31%) of Black women report being unfairly passed over for or denied a promotion at work (Inclusive employers).
-1 in 8 (12.1%) Black women working in the UK are employed in insecure jobs compared to 1 in 16 (6.4%) white women (Inclusice Employers).
Webarian arguements on gender inequality
They argue that women lack status due to their gender which creates inequality (eg, having less money economically and not being in high positions as often).
- Three-quarters of the members of FTSE 350 executive committees are men and a quarter are women. 70% of companies have no female executive directors at all on their main boards of directors (Its Women Count report 2022.
- Men have on average £92,762 more in total wealth than women, a gap of 35% (Women’s budget group).
Counter evidence for functionalist arguements
Functionalists ignore external factors (such as socialization) that could influence women to be ‘weaker’ then men. Their logic of roles in a family is flawed because women are just as captable to do the instrumental role.
- Mead’s study on the tchambuchi tribe. She found that the gender roles were completely switched and women took on the dominant roles such as hunting wheras the men were more decilate and dressed themselves up for the women.
- Emma Walmsley is a sucessful female CEO, and she is the first woman to run a pharmaceutical company. She has been recognized for her leadership in the company as has an estimated net worth of $3.7 million dollars (she grew up in the UK don’t worry)
