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gender theoretical views - Coggle Diagram
gender theoretical views
functionalism
men & women have separate social roles based on biological differences, & these contribute to the smooth-running of society
murdock (1949) = women were located in the home due to their biological function of bearing children - evident in all societies, therefore universal
parsons & bales (1955) = men have an 'instrumental' role, whilst women have an 'expressive role'
rastogi (2002) = human capital theory
- personal incomes vary according to the amount of investment made in human capital
- used to support the concept of a meritocracy, because as women prioritise their roles as homemakers, gender inequalities in the workplace arise
evaluation
- feminists would argue that gender roles are socially constructed
- hasn't kept pace with social changes in gender roles
marxism
- engels = women's subordinate position is a result of the ownership of private property & the development of the nuclear family
- relationship between bourgeoisie & proletariat is translated into household relationships between men & women
- women support capitalism through unpaid domestic labour
neomarxism
- social structure is based on the dominance of some groups over others
- conflict occurs on a much wider level than just class struggle, eg males & females
evaluation
- postmodernists would argue marxist views are outdated & fails to recognise changes to gender roles
- criticised for over-emphasising impact of class & economic factors on gender
weberianism
- class, status & party = particularly useful when looking at gender inequalities
status
barron & norris (1976) = dual labour market theory
- primary labour market = men
- secondary labour market = women
evaluation
- doesn't explain why some social groups end up in different sectors
- postmodernists would argue there's no longer a consensus about what constitutes high & low status
party
electoral commission (2004) = political activism gap
- women are significantly less likely than men to participate in campaign-orientated activities
- proposed this could be explained by those in paid employment are more likely to be politically active, & the gap is significant among those with children
class
- vertical segregation (lower paid jobs dominated by women)
- link to glass ceiling
- lower pay = less chance of upward social mobility
- savage = men are 40% more likely to be upwardly mobile
feminism
waves of feminism
- 1st wave = mid 1800s to 1920s, focused on women's fight for the vote by the suffragists & suffragettes
- 2nd wave = 1960s-80s, focused on social, sexual & reproductive liberation
- 3rd wave = 1990s, focused on individual identity & acknowledges that women come from many different backgrounds
- 4th wave = 2011 to present, fuelled by social media where movements are started & is a global wave
strands of feminism
marxist
- main cause of inequality = capitalism
- women's position in the family results in exploitation by capitalism
- women are encouraged to accept that inequalities are fair, as capitalism is presented as meritocratic
women support capitalism in 3 ways
- reproduce next gen of workers = feeley (1972) family teaches children to submit to a form of parental authority that is patriarchal
- domestic work is unpaid, so only one wage is paid to husbands = benston, 1972 women keep men in good running order
- women absorb anger = ansley (1976) women take male frustration at capitalist system
sharpe (1994) = found attitudes of young women changed over time from 'love, marriage, husbands & children' to 'job, career & being able to support themselves'
radical
- main cause of inequality = patriarchy
- see family as central to oppression of women (gender division of labour reinforces female oppression)
- believe men will defend their power at all costs
delphy & leonard (1992)
- family plays a major part in the oppression of women
- women work for the male head of household who holds the economic power
- male makes decisions about allocation of roles & tasks
evaluation
- liberal feminists would argue that the position of women in society has changed over time & they ignore this
- talking about the family doesn't acknowledge variations in family life
liberal
- main cause of inequality = gender role socialisation & unfair laws & practices that reinforce discrimination
- believe changes in norms & values that reinforce gender divisions in society will bring about equality
- would point to equal pay and sex discrimination acts as evidence of success
oakley (1974)
- gender role socialisation in the family is an important area where gender inequality takes root from a young age, occurring through processes such as manipulation & canalisation, which teaches children expected norms & values for their sex
- this socialisation is then reinforced & developed by other agents of socialisation eg the education system & the media
evaluation
- radical & marxist feminists would say it fails to explain how men & women come to hold different levels of power in the family & more widely in society
- overly optimistic about achievements, eg there's still a gender pay gap
walby
- intersectionality = complex interplay between different forms of social inequalities eg ethnicity & gender
- believes patriarchy is not fixed & changes over time
- disadvantage occurs through 6 patriarchal structures in society: paid employment, household, state, violence against women, cultural institutions & sexuality
hakim (2006) = preference theory
- critical of feminism & says women aren't victims of unfair employment, but have preferences & make rational choices in terms of the type of work they do
- 3 classifications of women's work-lifestyle preferences: home-centred, work-centered & adaptive
new right
- believe gender roles are biologically determined & nuclear family is essential to an ordered society
- focus on return to traditional family values & gender roles
- men should be decision makers & women should take subordinate role
schafly (2008)
- acknowledges that marriage can be difficult, but claims it is the most fulfilling role for women
- same for other issues, eg motherhood & family
evaluation
- can be seen as dated
- ignores negative effects of gender roles eg dark side of family
- biological argument hasn't been proven