gender inequalities studies Flashcards
1
Q
Liberal feminism - Oakley (1974)…
A
- Gender role socialisation in the family is where gender inequalities take root from a young age through manipulation (encouragement of ‘appropriate’ gender behaviour) and canalisation (appropriate toys for gender).
- Children learn their gender identity through internalising behaviour experienced in the family
2
Q
Marxist feminism - Feeley (1972)…
A
- The family teaches children to submit to patriarchal parental authority and leave the family ready to accept their role in the capitalist hierarchy of power and control
- The socialisation of men and women having different roles in the home supports patriarchy as suggests they should have different roles in society which leads to the insubordination of men and women
3
Q
Marxist feminism - Benton (1972)…
A
- A wife keeps her husband in good running order by feeding and caring for him which is essential to the smooth running of capitalism - unpaid domestic labour supports capitalism.
- A husband must provide for his wife and children meaning he’s less likely to challenge the capitalist system.
- Is critical of the nuclear family and women’s role in it as sees it as a stabilising force in capitalist society
4
Q
Marxist feminism - Ansley (1976)…
A
- Husbands come home from exploitation at work and take it out on their wives. This means women absorb their husbands anger from oppression so women maintain capitalism.
5
Q
Marxist feminism - Bruegel (1979)…
A
- The family is central to women’s oppression as shows how women join the workplace when needed and go back to being a housewife when not needed
- Shows that women are the most affected by redundancies, low pay and job insecurity
6
Q
Radical feminism - Millett (1970)…
A
- Men originally acquired power over women from biological factors (e.g. pregnant women being unable to contribute to society as much) but through modern technology like the contraceptive pill, men can no longer legitimate their power and dominate
7
Q
Radical feminism - Johnson (1995)…
A
- Patriarchal terrorism where men’s control of wives is systematic in use of violence, economic subordination, threats and isolation
8
Q
Radical feminism - Ti-Grace Atkinson…
A
- Men use patriarchal ideology to enforce compulsory heterosexuality as a way of maintaining control with political lesbianism being a choice women make to liberate themselves from men
- ‘Feminism is the theory, lesbianism is the practice’
9
Q
Radical feminism - Delphy and Leonard (1992)…
A
- Family plays a major role in oppression of women with husband exploiting the wife through role allocation, unpaid domestic work etc
- Men benefit from economic arrangements in family when women do more and it’s difficult for them to leave these relationships.
10
Q
Walby (1990)…
A
- Patriarchy is not fixed and has changed over time, evolving from a private patriarchy where women were limited to domestic sphere of life, to public patriarchy where women suffer from disadvantages in employment and politics
- The disadvantages come from 6 patriarchal structures in society: paid employment, household, state, cultural institutions, sexuality and violence against women
11
Q
Walby’s criticisms of other theories…
A
- Radical feminism - ignores impact of class/ethnicity on gender
- Marxist feminism - focuses to much on capitalism and fails to explain women’s exploitation in non-capitalist societies
- Liberal feminism - doesn’t consider the way the structure of society affects gender relations
12
Q
Evaluation of Walby…
A
- Has developed ideas over time and incorporated social changes into analysis
- Stacey - overemphasis on influence of social structure on behaviour, women navigate these systems and are more active than Walby suggests
13
Q
Hakim (2006) - Preference theory…
A
- Women do less well in employment not because of discrimination but because of the choices they make.
- Will be home centred, adaptive or work centred but only a minority of women are work centred as women tend to focus on family life and children, even when combined with paid employment
14
Q
Evaluation of Hakim…
A
- Ginn et al (1996) - it is employers attitudes, not women’s attitudes, that confine women in low paid, part time and insecure work
- Ignores the power patriarchy has to subordinate and oppress women
15
Q
Functionalism - Murdock (1949)…
A
- Studied gender roles in over 200 societies
- Women were located in the home due to biological function of bearing children and physique meant they’re less able than men to perform strenuous tasks - this gender division of labour was found in all societies
