THEORY - Gender

Question 1

Functionalists - PARSONS

Answer 1

Instrumental and Expressive roles are natural and functional

Functionalists argue that gender differences and inequalities are brought about primarily by biological differences

Females naturally suited to the role of caring for young as they give birth

Murdock cites the greater strength of males as making them more suited to being the breadwinner

Parsons believes the seperate gender roles are advantages to society and therefore functional

The view implies that males are more suited to paid employment and females are less motivated to enter the labour market explaining the gender pay gap

Question 2

Functionalist - HUMAN CAPITAL

Answer 2

Some functionalists argue that the gender pay gap is justified as it reflects the fact that males have more human capital

Women are less committed to paid work and are more likely to take career breaks/work part time

Men, on the other hand, build up their skills, experience and qualifications, giving them more human capital.

However, Olsen and Wallaby - challenge this - pay is lower in occupations where there is high concentrations of females (horizontal segregation), These occupations also tend to provide less training and promotion prospects, lowering human capital.

Question 3

MARXISM - AO3

Answer 3

Marx did not address gender believing social class inequality to be key

Question 4

Feminism - Four waves

Answer 4

First Wave - Suffragette - right to vote/ own property/right to education
Second Wave -1960s -equal pay ( splintered into Liberal, Marxist, Radical) - source of inequality positioned in the family
Third Wave - 1990s - sexaul abuse of women/hypersexualisation/ slut walk/domestic abuse e.g New Wave Girls/ Riot Girlz
Fourth Wave - Cochrane - linked to new media technology - using digital technology to destabilise patriarchy e.g Laura Bates/ #Metoo/ Hathaway Cyborg Manifesto.

Question 5

Feminism - OAKLEY

Answer 5

Gender role socialisation within the family is where gender inequality takes root. The processes by which it takes place: verbal appellations/ canalisation/ manipulation

Question 6

Postmodernism AO3 on Oakley

Answer 6

although Oakley’s work has stood the test of time, Postmodernists suggest that gender identities are no longer fixed and that there are a range of masculinities and femininities to choose from . This means that Oakley’s work is out of date and lacks temporal validity

Question 7

FEMINISM - Sharpe (1994) Just Like a Girl

Answer 7

Compared the attitudes of working class girls in the 70’s with those in the 90’s. Main finding was that girls in the 70’s saw their priorities as “ love, marriage, children and husbands”, this compared to the priorities in the 90’s of “ job, career and being able to support themselves”. They also saw education as the main route to a job.

Question 8

Sharpe AO3

Answer 8

Evidence of changing gender roles and therefore supports the views of liberal feminists. However, the study also revealed that equality has not yet been achieved and males and females still occupy different roles in society.has taken place

Question 9

Radical feminism - Andrea Dworkin (1981)

Answer 9

Rape, violence and pornography are methods through which men have secured and maintained their power over women.

Question 10

Rosemarie Tong (1998) distinguishes between two groups of radical feminist:

RADICAL LIBERTARIAN

Answer 10

Radical-libertarian feminists believe that it is both possible and desirable for gender differences to be eradicated, or at least greatly reduced, and aim for a state of androgyny in which men and women are not significantly different.

Question 11

Rosemarie Tong (1998) distinguishes between two groups of radical feminist:

RADICAL CULTURAL FEMINISTS

Answer 11

Radical-cultural feminists believe in the superiority of the feminine. According to Tong radical cultural feminists celebrate characteristics associated with femininity such as emotion, and are hostile to those characteristics associated with masculinity such as hierarchy.

Question 12

The dual burden/triple shift
Oakley, Denscombe, Hoshschild
FEMINISM

Answer 12

Ann Oakley (1974) argues that females are now expected to work full time or almost full time alongside fulfilling the expressive role too. Denscombe classes the burden as a triple shift adding in emotional labour too. Hoshschild classes this the second shift