Gender Inequality- The New Right

Question 1

What does the new right believe about changing gender roles and traditional families?

Answer 1

• Led to social problems like lone parent families headed by women who don’t socialise their children properly.
• Gender inequality is necessary and natural.
• Women should take a subordinate role supporting men and children so will not have the same experiences within the public sphere.

Question 2

Who said ‘a flight from home is a flight from self’?

Answer 2

Schalfly

Question 3

Who talks about preference theory?

Answer 3

Hakim

Question 4

What is preference theory?

Answer 4

• The idea that women choose what they prioritise.
• Women are not victims of unfair employment, instead they make preferences in the work they do.

Question 5

What % of women work:
a) part time
b) full time
c) work primarily in the home

Answer 5

part time = 60%
full time = 20%
home based = 20%

Question 6

What are the two new right thinkers?

Answer 6

Hakim - preference theory
Schlafly - marriage and the domestic sphere

Question 7

What is preference theory hakim discusses?

Answer 7

• Women choose to experience gender inequality as they make preferences in the work they do.
• Men and women have different attitudes towards labour.

Question 8

How can the new right be critiqued?

Answer 8

• Employers attitudes often discriminate and keep women in low pay and part time jobs.
• Ignore institutions like the patriarchy.
• Biological argument is challenged by Oakley and most feminists.
• Ignores the negative effects of gender roles (domestic violence).
• Lone parenting had always existed.