Outline and Assess Marxist explanations of gender inequality

Question 1

Marxist explanation

Answer 1

Gender inequalities are the result of capitalism which exploits them.

Question 2

Beechey (76)

Answer 2

Marxist - Women are less likely to join trade unions and more likely to accept low wages as their income is frequently supplementary to that of the male breadwinner. Relatable to reserve army of labor.

Question 3

Engels (72)

Answer 3

Marxist - men gained control over women through their initial acquisition of private property - many Marxists agree with this however it doesn’t explain why it was mean and not women, who gained control of private property.

Question 4

Radical feminists

Answer 4

Society is patriarchal leading to men being able to exploit and oppress women to their advantage in the labor market.

Question 5

Stanko

Answer 5

RF - Men use sexual harassment to intimidate women who seek to enter into areas of traditional male employment.

Question 6

Stanko criticism

Answer 6

Stanko only looks at one source of inequality in the workplace and doesn’t take into account the operation of the labour market as a whole.

Question 7

Socialist feminists

Answer 7

Argue that women are exploited by both patriarchy and capitalism (dual systems theory). Dual system theory includes that women are exploited both at home and at work.

Question 8

Socialist Feminists Criticism

Answer 8

don’t make it clear how patriarchy and capitalism work together to create inequality for women in the workplace.

Question 9

Black feminists

Answer 9

Critcise the views of radical, Marxists and Social feminists for failing to look at affects of racism.

Question 10

Yual-Davis

Answer 10

BF - The other feminists have forgotten to look at ethnicity as there theories are ethnocentric.

Question 11

Walby

Answer 11

BF criticism - Argued that women were exploited in 3 systems of patriarchy - capitalism and racism showing that ethnicity had not been forgotten.

Question 12

Liberal feminists

Answer 12

Gender role socialization is responsible for reproducing gender inequality in the workplace. They believe this leads to sexual division of labor where masculinity is seen as dominant and femininity subordinate.

Question 13

Oakley

Answer 13

LF - women do less well in the labor market as a result of the mother-housewife role. Women are taught to believe they should work part time, leading to male dominance within the labor market.

Question 14

Post Feminists - Hakim

Answer 14

Argues that gender inequalities in the workplace aren’t due to structural factors but due to the natural choices that women make.

Question 15

Post Feminist Criticism

Answer 15

Other feminists have criticized Hakim for twisting the data to suit her arguments and challenge the statements saying the pay gap can’t be explained that easily.

Question 16

Postmodernists

Answer 16

Patriarchy and inequality can no longer be explained in terms of gender. Women are too divided to be able to draw clear conclusions. Women’s experience in the labor market will vary dramatically depending on the work they do. However, there is still a clear difference in pay between men and women.

Question 17

Weberian (Not 100% necessary)

Answer 17

Dual labor market theory - primary market has highly paid status, good working conditions hobs and secondary market had low paid, insecure, poor condition jobs. Men and women are found in both but fewer women in primary labor market.

Question 18

Beechey - Weberian Criticism

Answer 18

Many women are found in the primary labor market in jobs such as teaching, nursing and social care. this theory only really explains differences within the manufacturing sector.