gender inequality

Question 1

Adkins - Gender inequality in the workplace (Female)

Answer 1

Found evidence of horizontal and vertical segregation in the workplace disadvantaging the roles of women. In theme parks males worked as ride operators whilst women worked in catering. In these roles women faced regular sexual harassment from other staff and customers.

Gendered jobs- horizontal- men and women occupy certain jobs based on hegemonic gender identities, vertical- men occupy the top positions and women are clustered at the bottom.

Question 2

The Fawcett Society - Gender inequality in the workplace (Female)

Answer 2

The gender pay gap stands at 13.7% in 2019 - In 2015 is was 13.9% showing that the gap has closed but only slightly - Meaning there is little or no change occuring. For every £1 a man earns a woman earns 86p…that equates to 2 months of ‘free labour’ every year. Although in previous years the pay gap reduce, it has not improved since 2015.

Question 3

Beechey - Gender inequality in the workplace (Female)

Answer 3

Women are a cheap ‘reserve army of labour’ brought in during economic booms but thrown out during slumps. Women are often not members of trade unions and are prepared to work for less money as their wage could be a second income.

Question 4

Mac an Ghail - Gender inequality in the workplace (Male)

Answer 4

The Crisis of Masculinity. Deindustrialisation and feminisation of the labour market has led to increased unemployment for men.

Question 5

Benatar - Gender inequality in the workplace (Male)

Answer 5

In his book ‘The Second Sexism’ states that the least desirable and most dangerous jobs, and those with the least pay and security remain largely dominated of men.

Question 6

Dermott - inequality in the workplace (Male)

Answer 6

Argues men work longer hours than women regardless of their status as fathers.

Question 7

Harding - Gender inequality in crime (Female)

Answer 7

Studied girls in gangs in South London - He found that girls took the role as “fixers” and were used by males to hide weapons and drugs. He also found that they were subjected to sexual abuse and harrassment from male gang members.

Question 8

Home Office (2013) - Gender inequality in crime (Female)

Answer 8

Only 6% of rapes reported result in a conviction.

Question 9

Laura Bates - Everyday Sexism Project - Gender inequality in crime (Female)

Answer 9

Over 2 women a week in the UK are killed by a current or former partner.

Question 10

Messerschmidt - inequality in crime (Male)

Answer 10

Argues the gang acts as a location for males to ‘do masculinity’ which has to be accomplished and proved - He calls this ‘accomplished masculinity’.

Question 11

Faludi - Gender inequality in crime (Male)

Answer 11

Males are not ‘deviant’, they are ‘performing their masculinity’ and demonstrated qualities expected from males: toughness, bravery and strength.

Question 12

Campbell - Gender inequality in crime (Male)

Answer 12

Men are denied their masculinity through academic success or being the breadwinner (in a de-industrialised society) therefore they turn to violence and anti-social behaviour to express their masculinity.

Question 13

Ferguson - Gender inequality in the media (Female)

Answer 13

Conducted a content analysis of women’s magazines and counted up the number of times a certain topic was covered. She concluded women’s’ magazines were based around a ‘cult of femininity’ which promotes the idea that excellence is achieved through caring for others, the family, marriage and appearance.

Question 14

Tuchman - Gender inequality in the media (Female)

Answer 14

Argued that the narrow range of role for women lead to their ‘symbolic annihilation’ in the media. This concept refers to the phenomenon where the mass media omit, trivialise, or condemn certain groups that are not socially valued – Such as women.

Question 15

Mulvey - Gender inequality in the media (Female)

Answer 15

Notes that typical examples of the male gaze include medium close-up shots of women from over a man’s shoulder, shots that pan and fixate on a woman’s body, and scenes that frequently occur which show a man actively observing a passive woman. Women in the media are viewed through the eyes of heterosexual men (male gaze). Women are therefore presented as passive objects for male desire.

Question 16

Sewell - Gender inequality in the media (Male)

Answer 16

Found that black Afro-Caribbean boys turned to rapper role models due to a lack of father figure within the home, when they were from matriarchal backgrounds. This negative role model then lead these boys into deviant anti-school subcultures which lead to their lack of achievement.

Question 17

Billington - Gender inequality in the media (Male)

Answer 17

Argues that the media presents masculinity as dominant and femininity as subordinate. Although this more so links to females it could be applied that boys feel pressure to look and act in a particular way.

Question 18

Easthorpe - Gender inequality in the media (Male)

Answer 18

Argues that a variety of media, especially Hollywood films and computer games, transmit the view that masculinity based on strength, aggression, competition and violence is biologically determined and, therefore, a natural goal for boys to achieve.

Question 19

Skelton - Gender inequality in education (Female)

Answer 19

Suggests that the hidden curriculum (such as attitudes of teachers) negatively influences subject choices.

Question 20

Kelly - Gender inequality in education (Female)

Answer 20

Suggests that Science is packaged as a boys subject – Boys are allowed to dominate science classrooms and examples in textbooks are male relates e.g. cars and footballs in examples. This leads to girls being disengaged from the subject.

Question 21

Colley - Gender inequality in education (Female)

Answer 21

Argues that subject choices are negatively influenced by:

• Perception of gender roles
• Subject preferences
• Learning environment

Question 22

Willis - Gender inequality in education (Male)

Answer 22

States that working class ‘Lads’ are fatalistic about their futures due to following in their father’s footsteps – Leading them into low status, low paid, basic manual labour jobs – This means that they developed anti-school attitudes in the workplace as they did not see the value in achievement (they did not need qualifications to get these jobs).

Question 23

Mitsos and Browne - Gender inequality in education (Male)

Answer 23

States that teachers treat males and females differently and that this can cause inequality for boys – They state that teachers are too lenient on ‘laddish’ behaviour of boys and that this can do them a disservice leading to their lack of achievement. Whereas they are hard on girls who are seen as breaking both the school rules and gender norms – ‘doubly deviant’ – This ensures that they achieve.

Question 24

Department of Education - Gender inequality in education (Male)

Answer 24

Statistics show that…
In 2019, 71.9% of female students achieved a C/4 grade or higher in comparison to 62.9% of male students who achieved a C/4 grade or higher in the United Kingdom.