Gender and stratification Flashcards
(18 cards)
Feminism
Feminism argues that women face inequalities within society his is because of the patriarchy this means that women face barriers
Types of Feminism
Radical Feminist
Liberal Feminist
Marxist Feminist
Insectional/Difference/ Black Feminist
Liberal feminism
Concerned with rights of individual for equality (rooted in Enlightenment)
Gradual change and reform is the way forward, through political action to change laws and cultural changes via education and socialisation – not revolution
Legislation which has created greater equality: Equal Pay Act (1974), Sex Discrimination Act (1975), improved maternity and then Shared Parental leave, parental working rights – since 1990s, the Equality Act (2010) – protects against discrimination based on protected characteristics.
‘Gender’ is socially constructed and culturally specific Liberal feminism critiques Functionalism and the idea that the expressive and instrumental roles are natural. Men and women are equally capable of paid work and childrearing and housework.
Greater equality benefits men and women.
Sommerville, Oakley
Sylvia Walby (1990)
Suggested that there were 6 elements to patriarchy:
Paid work: women are likely to be paid less
The household: women are likely to do more housework and raise the children
The state: women are much less likely to have access to formal power
Violence: women are much more likely to be abused
Sexuality: women’s sexuality is more likely to be treated negatively
Culture: women are misrepresented in media and public cultures
Evaluating Liberal Feminism
In sociology, studies conducted by liberal feminists have produced evidence documenting the extent of gender inequality and legitimising the demand for reform in areas such as equal pay, media representation etc.
Liberal feminists are overly optimistic about the progress which can be achieved through legislative and cultural change. They ignore the possibility that there are deep seated structures responsible for women’s oppression. Radical feminist, Walby argues that liberal feminists offer no explanation for the overall structure of gender inequality.
The persistence of sexual and violent crime against women shows that change cannot be achieved through legislative change alone and more radical methods are needed.
Radical Feminism
Patriarchy is universal and its origins lie in women’s role as bearers and carers of children
Patriarchy is the most fundamental form of inequality and conflict
ALL men oppress ALL women because all men benefit from patriarchy eg. unpaid domestic work and sexual services.
The personal is political – power is exercised in personal relationships and affects all women’s lives eg. fear of rape.
Sexuality is patriarchal – sex is focussed on male pleasure
Change comes through new ways of living – separatism (communal living), collective action or consciousness raising e.g. raising awareness ie. Slutwalks, #Metoo movement, and political lesbianism
STRENGTH By arguing that hitherto personal issues such as domestic labour, domestic violence, rape and pornography were political, radical feminists have helped change attitudes. For instance, they campaigned for rape in marriage to be made illegal and for funding of women’s refuges for victims of domestic violence
Evaluating Radical Feminism
By arguing that hitherto personal issues such as domestic labour, domestic violence, rape and pornography were political, radical feminists have helped change attitudes. For instance, they campaigned for rape in marriage to be made illegal and for funding of women’s refuges for victims of domestic violence.
Radical feminists assume all women are in the same position and ignores intersectionality.
Inadequate theory of how patriarchy will be abolished; Somerville argues that heterosexual attraction makes it unlikely that the nuclear family will be abolished.
Marxist Feminism
Women are forced to serve the needs of capitalism, men control economic resources and women lack power. The solution is to end capitalism and live under communism.
Women’s subordination is rooted in capitalism and their role as unpaid homemaker/ bearer of children.
The main beneficiary of women’s unpaid labour is capitalism – they create and raise the next generation of workers, they are more likely to do low paid work as it is assumed they are dependent on husband’s wage, they are a reserve army of labour, they absorb anger felt by men about the unfairness of workplace ‘takers of shit’ (Fran Ansley, 1972)
Barrett and McIntosh – the ‘ideology of familism’ – the idea that happiness comes from motherhood and family life is an illusion which brainwashes women into prioritising and striving for this as a goal and source of esteem.
Evaluating Marxist Feminism
Marxist feminists acknowledge the importance of capitalism in contributing to women’s subordination.
Doesn’t explain women’s subordination in non-capitalist societies.
Doesn’t show the ways in which men including working class men oppress women and benefit from unpaid labour.
Dual systems Feminism
Heidi Hartmann (1979)
Patriarchal capitalism – 2 intertwined systems
The relationship between the domestic division of labour and paid work
Domestic work limits women’s availability to work and lack of work opportunities drive women to marriage
Walby – inter-related and source of conflict – Patriarchy wants women out of work, capitalism wants them in as cheap labour
Intersectional or Difference Feminism
False universality of women’s experience (we can’t generalise all women’s experiences)
Women have very different experiences depending on their ethnicity, race, class, nationality etc.
We need to understand the diversity of women’s experiences.
Essentialism – arguing that all women are essentially the same is problematic
Black feminists point out the difference between middle class white women and working class women often in caring/ domestic roles supporting white women. Many black feminists point out that the black family is a source of strength and resistance against racism
Black Feminism
Black feminism argues that not all women were the same;
Women from ethnic groups experienced sexism differently from white women
‘Double oppression’ – sexism and racism could increase the exploitation experienced by a woman of colour (Patricia Hills-Collins)
There existed a ‘racist bias’ in feminism (Patricia Hills-Collins)
White feminists were accused of being guilty of racism and stereotyping
Intersectionality
This term has now become a widely used idea in the consideration of the multiple disadvantage that women may suffer
The difference between the life chances of a wealthy white middle class woman compared to a poorer working woman from an ethnic minority group
Poststructuralist Feminism
Discourses are ways of seeing, thinking or speaking about something. They are about knowledge and power.
We should seek to de-construct the discourses about women eg. medicalisation of childbirth
However, we can’t generalise about women’s experiences – they are all different and middleclass intellectuals shouldn’t try to do this
Judith Butler
Catherine Hakim (Liberal Feminist)
The five conditions that create a new scenario are:
The contraceptive revolution
The equal opportunities revolution
The expansion of white-collar occupations
The creation of jobs for secondary earners
The increasing importance of attitudes, values and personal preferences in lifestyle choices.
Post Feminism
There has been a backlash against feminism particularly since the 1990’s coming from the New Right
It has become very unfashionable to call yourself a feminist
Post-feminism- a suggestion that all goals of feminism have been achieved
A recognition that many women may not consider themselves to be feminists but expect equality
2017 YouGov Poll- 34% of women said they would call themselves a feminist. But the same poll found that 80% agreed that men and women should have equal rights, and many agreed that sexism is a still an issue
The family
For Radical and Marxist feminists the nuclear family is the site of much oppression for women.
Marriage is a patriarchal institution where traditionally women (and any of their possessions) were the property of men
Wives were exploited by their husbands who expected them to do the majority of the unpaid domestic labour in return for little status or reward.
In turn feminists argued that many women could not be fulfilled or reach their potential because their domestic responsibilities meant that they could not compete equally with men in the public sphere.
Hochschild’s “The Second Shift” (1980’s)
Anti-feminists were quick to blame feminism for increasing the burden upon women, shifting the focus away from men
Education
Feminists highlighted the disadvantages faced by girls in terms of teachers and parental attitudes, and the gendered curriculum.
Sociologists like Sharpe were instrumental in researching this area and campaigning for more equal opportunities in education
They demonstrated how the education system systematically socialised girls into accepting a lower position in society and different aspirations
However, girls now outperform boys in education at all levels therefore it could be argued that many of the classic pieces of feminist research are no longer valid
Girls exam performance outstrips their male peers at all levels
Although subject choice at A level and degree continues to have gender bias
