Gender Inequality - Feminist Theory Flashcards
Define ‘stratification’.
The hierarchical layering of society into distinct groups with different levels of wealth and status.
Identify the Functionalist views of gender.
- Parsons stated that there are biological differences between the genders that causes other differences to arise, such as women taking on the expressive role and men taking on an instrumental role
- Murdock argued that women are there to gratify the male sex drive
- They view men as the breadwinners
Identify the New Right views of gender.
- Women cause a problem for men with a crisis of masculinity (a less patriarchal society has developed a ‘new’ male that threatens the stereotypical male ego)
- Feminisation of society with coursework in education and other factors that disadvantage men
Identify the Marxist views of gender.
- Engels argued that the nuclear family is set up so that men can pass down their inheritance, controlling females by ensuring sin is their own
- Women experience the same problems as men under a capitalist society
- Men are exploited as submissive workers and females are exploited as the reserve army of labour
- Men and women are treated the same in the same class identity
Identify the 4 main types of Feminism.
1) Liberal
2) Radical
3) Marxist
4) Black
What do all these different types of Feminisms agree on?
That society is patriarchal and functions to suppress and cause inequality for women.
State what Liberal Feminists state cause gender inequality for women.
Men being socialised to exploit women in a patriarchal society through agents such as the family, education, and the media.
- e.g. the media objectifying women due to a ‘cultural lag’
State what Liberal Feminists state is the way forward to reducing gender inequality.
- Further changes in the law (e.g. more equal rights legislation)
- Changes in education
- Changes in socialisation that will lead to changes in society
Identify 2 Liberal Feminists and their views.
1) Ann Oakley (1974) argued that the main reason for subordination of women in the labour market is the continuity of dominance of the housewife role
2) Sue Sharpe (1994) found that in the 1990s the stereotypical housewife role had become less desirable as women were more likely to focus on their career in light of changes to legislation (Equal Pay Act 1970)
State what Marxist Feminists state cause gender inequality for women.
- Women being forced to serve the needs of capitalism by playing the role of reproducing the next generation of workers and acting as a reserve army of labour
- Men controlling economic resources ultimately disadvantaging women due to their lack of power
Give evidence for the Marxist Feminist view of men controlling economic resources.
Only 6/100 CEOs are women.
- High Pay Centre Report (2017)
State what Marxist Feminists state is the way forward to reducing gender inequality.
- Overthrowing capitalism
- Introducing communism in its place to introduce more equality
Identify 2 Marxist Feminists and their views.
1) Ansley (1976) argued that women function to soak up male workers frustration to enable them to continue complacent work for the ruling class
2) Benston (1972) argued that women reproduce and maintain productivity of labour force
State what Radical Feminists state cause gender inequality for women.
- Men dominating and exploiting women
- Patriarchal ideologies operating to keep women oppressed
- Men’s power being reinforced through the submission of women and the physical ways of enforcing that
Give evidence for the Radical Feminist view that men reinforce their power through physical means.
1/4 of women will experience domestic abuse at some stage in their life, compared to 1/6 of men.
- British Crime Survey (2004)
State what Radical Feminists state is the way forward to reducing gender inequality.
- Separating men and women to empower women
- Reproduction without men is achievable
- Lesbianism as a lifestyle choice of heterosexual relations
Identify a Radical Feminist and their views.
Sylvia Walby (1990) argued that there are 6 elements of patriarchy that causes inequality for women:
1) Lower pay
2) Housework
3) Less access to formal power
4) Abuse
5) Sexuality viewed as negative
6) Misrepresentation in the media
State what Black Feminists state cause gender inequality for women.
- Having a double burden from being an ethnic minority and female
- Racial discrimination in social institutions combined with sexism
State what Black Feminists state is the way forward to reducing gender inequality.
- To tackle racial discrimination primarily
Identify 2 Black Feminists and their views.
1) Hill-Collins argued that there existed a racial bias in Feminism in which white feminists were guilty of racism
2) Rose Brewer (1993) argued that Black women suffer disadvantages because of their multiple characteristics and each inequality reinforces the other
Identify a strength of Feminism.
It has contributed towards our understanding of gender issues in society and has helped women’s experiences and position through legislation.
Describe post-colonial Feminism and how this criticises Feminism.
- The oppression of women in LDCs has been created through historical experiences with colonialism
- Imposed Western culture has introduced and reinforced patriarchy
- Critical of Western Feminism for viewing all women’s position as the same when in fact it is worse in developing countries
How do the New Right criticise Feminism?
- Blame them for the decline in nuclear families which are viewed as the most functional to society
- Male underachievement in school due to feminisation of the education system
- Crisis of masculinity
Identify 2 sociologists who criticise the message of Feminism.
1) Faludi (1992) suggests that it went too far in its criticisms of society and created a backlash that undermines the message
2) Brooks (1997) argues that there needs to be a shift from the old debates about inequality to new debates as they are outdated (e.g. not all women experience patriarchal oppression)
Describe how Labelling Theory can explain gender inequality.
- Stereotypes of a genders place labels on their behaviour (e.g. women being a housewife)
- These labels lead to gender inequality as expectations of what they should do limit their opportunities (e.g. women being denied high positions for fear of maternity leave due to expectation of having a child)
Describe intersectionality as a conclusion to gender inequality.
It is not just gender that dictates how much inequality a person experiences as many other factors (such as ethnicity and age) can affect this, showing that the relationship is more complex.
