GENDER STUDIES Flashcards
Parsons Functionalist
Parsons (1955) - Women = ‘Expressive’ caring role. Men = ‘Instrumental’ role. Differences are innate, ascribed at birth and contribute to a healthy, smooth-running society.
Parsons found that men have an ‘instrumental’ role and women have an ‘expressive’ role, these roles help to run a smoother society which is why they experience differences in the labour market as men were more suited to employment - biological diferences
Murdock Functionalist
Murdock – Womens place is within the home as they are biologically different to men – Their job is to child rear due to biological functions – Also they are not as physically strong as men, meaning they are not meant to work/physically exert themselves as labour demands. they do not have the correct physique
Rastogi Functionalist
Rastogi - Human Capital Theory - Related to the idea that men and women serve different roles and purposes in society. The pay gap is justified because it reflects the fact that men have more ‘human capital’ than women because of their greater focus on the labour market. Women are less committed to paid work and are more likely to take career breaks or opt for part-time work to continue to care for a family. Many women choose to prioritise their role as homemakers, fitting with their maternal instincts.
Schlafly New Right - for “for” functionalist para
Schlafly - Writing from the 1970s onwards in response to feminist demands for equality, proposes an alternative approach to gender relations that reflects New Right views. She acknowledges that marriage can be difficult but sees it as the most fulfilling role for women.
Engles Marxist
Marxist:
Engles – The exploiter-exploited relationship of capitalism is reflected within the home – Exploiter = Men - Exploited = Women.
Feeley Marxist Feminist
Marxist Feminists:
Feeley: Women emerge from family life preconditioned to accept their place in the capitalist hierarchy – the family is: ‘designed to teach passivity not rebellion’. It socialises family members to accept traditional roles and the view that it is ‘natural’ for them to take responsibilities for different roles.
Benston Marxist Feminist
Benston (1972): Women are used to benefitting the operation of the capitalist economy by carrying out unpaid work in the home.
Beechey Marxist Feminist
Beechey (1986):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.
Barron and Norris Weberian
Barron and Norris (1976) - ‘Dual labour’ market theory focuses on gender inequalities in employment. There are two types of labour market:
Primary labour market = high pay, high status, job security, good working conditions and favourable promotion prospects.
Secondary labour market = lower paid jobs with less security, inferior working conditions and few opportunities for promotion.
Skeggs Postmodern
Skeggs - women are too divided by class, gender, ethnicity and age for the categories of masculinity and femininity to be useful.
The feminist movement is no longer exclusively for women – male feminists have joined in too e.g. Ed Hardy = The considerate constructors scheme (Whistle free builders)
Stanko Radical Feminism
Women’s disadvantage in the labour market stems from the exploitation of women by men and it has little to do with capitalism. Patriarchy is the main cause of female disadvantage. They claim one way that men do this is through sexual harassment.
Stanko (1988) - Sexual harassment in the workplace is used to keep women in their place. Men use their power in the workplace to protect their position. Women in jobs such as bar work and secretarial work are sexualised and are not taken as seriously as male workers or considered for promotion.
