Gender inequality Flashcards
Inequality due to horizontal segregation
Workplace
(Different sectors of employment are dominated by either males or females)
- Barron and Norris- dual labour market theory= women are in secondary labour market (low skilled, low paid, part time roles). E.g: cleaning, caring, retail, admin. Results in poorer promotion /career development and less job security (risk of tech replacement)
- Contributes to 15% gender pay gap
Inequality due to vertical segregation
Workplace
(Gender difference in who occupies the most senior positions)- Men overrepresented in senior posts
- Feminists- women face glass ceiling (see top jobs but barriers from entering them). Equalities Act= sex discrimination made illegal, but evidence of it still occuring in the workplace
- McIntosh- nursing study- motherhood comes with career penalty- denied career opportunities due to stereotypes assocuatred with women (less career focused)
- Wilson- relative lack of access to networking opportunities is a barrier to women’s career development- may be due to networking being a barrier to women with primary caring responsibilities
Discrimination- equal pay
Workplace
(Refers to men and women being paid the same amount for the same work)
- Equal Pay Act 1970 established BUT 1000s of cases where women take employers to employment tribunal over unequal pay yearly in the UK
- Samira Ahmed- presenter who took BBC to tribunal in 2020 as she argued she was paid less than her male colleague- received compensation
Male disadvantage in the workplace
Workplace
- Mac an Ghaill- crisis of masculinity. Boys are socialised into seeing their male identity in terms of having a job and being a ‘breadwinner’. Changing economy (industrialisation) means many working class men have lost jobs/negative impact on employment prospects. Failure to be a breadwinner= mental health issues
- Gray- many fathers face pressures from workplaces to work long hours and take limited time off, so spend less time with kids. Shared parental leave is available- only 2% of fathers took leave in 2019
Traditional gender roles
Family
- Oakley- ‘dual burden’= many women work paid shifts and also undertake a second burden when they come home of housework and childcare
- Duncombe and Marsden- many women perform the ‘triple shift’, consisting of paid work, housework, and emotion work (give love, praise and attention to family)- much responsibility for family life falls upon women, causing stress and reduces leisure time
- Gershuny- process of ‘lagged adaptation’ (women’s roles change faster). Women entered workforce in large numbers but gender roles surrounding unpaid work in the home changes slowly
Victimisation puts women at a disadvantage
Crime
- ONS 2021- women more likely to be victims of domestic abuse (73% of victims). Sexual offences recorded by the police were highest on record
- Murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa sparked protests, highlighting women’s feelings of unsafety
- 1 in 2 women feel unsafe walking alone in a quiet street near home vs 1 in 7 men
Offending puts men at a disadvantage
Crime
- Messerschmidt- hegemonic masculinity (competitive, aggressive, violence). Depending on age and income, men accomplish masculinity in different ways. E.g: young, socially excluded teens living in poverty may ‘do masculinity’ by gaining a violent reputation
- Mosher- hypermasculinity (danger, acceptance of violence). Young, unemployed men may display masculinity by joining gangs/carrying knifes (deal with stigma associated with criminality, and impact of criminal record on job prospects)
Girls more likely to outperform boys in school
Education
Male disadvantage=
- Archer- inner-city London boys= found many were anti-school and anti-education. Attached to a ‘bad boy’ image and saw academics as ‘soft’
- Mac an Ghaill- ‘macho lads’ (macho behaviour, hegemonic masculinity)- threat to masculine identity. Bullied academic achievers and formed anti-school subcultures
Female advantage=
- Hannan- girls relate to peers by ‘talking’ vs boys by ‘doing’. Girls develop language skills earlier on
- Burns and Bracey- girls work harder and are more motivated. They put more effort into homework
Offending puts women at an advantage
Crime
- Less likely to commit crime than men- men make up 95% of prison population
- Feminists- answer lies within gender role socialisation
- Oakley- girls are socialised into norms and values of: gentleness, empathy, compassion. Discourages crime. Violent crime= role-distorting (against expectations of femininity)
