Gender Flashcards
Functionalism - biological differences
MURDOCK - Women were located in the home because of their biological function of bearing children and because of their physique meant that they were less able than men to perform strenuous tasks. this gender division of labour is evident in all societies because they are functional
PARSONS -
Parsons found that men have an ‘instrumental’ role and women have an ‘expressive’ role are innate, ascribed at birth , these roles help to run a smoother society, Implying that men are more suited to paid employment and women are more suited to domesticity- that’s why women get paid differently
RASTOGI -
Rastogi doesn’t recognise discrimination. He refers to the ‘human capital’- includes knowledge, skills, competency which is embedded in an individual .He supports the belief of meritocracy and that personal income varies depending on the human capital someone has.
New Right - biological and innate differences
SCHLAFLY - Writing from the 1970s onwards in response to feminist demands for equality, proposes an alternative approach to gender relations that reflects New Right views. She acknowledges that marriage can be difficult but sees it as the most fulfilling role for women.
MURRAY - In the UK he said that rising birth rates outside of marriage, crime and youth unemployment were all signs that irresponsible attitudes in the underclass were affecting certain neighbourhoods
Advocates the nuclear family
Blames single parent mothers
It is functional for women to fulfil the housewife role
Marxist - capitalism
ENGLES - Engles’ key argument is that the exploiter- exploited relationship is translated in the household between men and women. He argues that under capitalism men gain control over women as they wanted to pass on private property in the form of inheritance.
Marxist Feminists - patriarchy and capitalism
FEELEY - Argues family teaches children to submit to parental authority that is patriarchy. She argues that family is designed to teach “passivity and not rebellion”It socialises family members to accept traditional roles and the view that it is ‘natural’ for them to take responsibilities for different roles.
ANSLEY - Views women as the ‘takers of shit’ This means that men vent their frustrations at them not at their employers and this prevents a revolution
BEECHEY - Sees women as a cheap reserve army of labour as they are bought in during economic booms and thrown out during slumps
BENSTON - Women are used to benefitting the operation of the capitalist economy by carrying out unpaid work in the home. argues that if women were paid for domestic work it would cause a massive redistribution of wealth
Black Feminist - capitalism, racism and patriarchy
BREWER - Black women suffer from a disadvantage as they are black and women and in working class, which is known as a ‘triple systems theory’.
Weberian - class, status and party
WEBER -
More complex than just patriarchy and also includes class, status and party.
BARRON AND NORRIS - dual labour market; primary labour market; more secure and well paid jobs dominated by men and secondary labour market concentrated by women
Postmodern - they think its irrelevant, too divided to talk about patriarchy
SKEGGS -
Women have an ‘instrumental attitude’ to work as women’s jobs do not influence their identities for them as a job is just a means to an end. Too divided by class, ethnicity and age to discuss patriarchy
radical feminist
STANKO - Sexual harassment in the workplace is used to keep women in their place. Men use their power in the workplace to protect their position. Women in jobs such as bar work and secretarial work are sexualised and are not taken as seriously as male workers or considered for promotion.
