Gender and Feminisms

∂

Outline

Social construction of gender (and sex)Gender inequalityMultiple FeminismsCrisis of Masculinity

∂

Brainstorm gender stereotypesMasculine

Feminine

∂

Gender Inequality

Women tend to be paid less, more likely to work part-time, lower status jobs

∂

Global Gender Gap Index

• The index examines the gap between men and women in four fundamental categories (or sub indexes):

• economic participation and opportunity, • educational attainment, • health and survival, • political empowerment.

• 134 Countries assessed• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdGMz8gN_Pk

∂

Liberal feminism

Neither gender benefits from inequality

Aims for gradual change

Equal opportunities (e.g. Equal Pay Act 1970)

∂

Feminist critiques of malestream sociology1. Sociology has tended to only study men

2. And extrapolate for whole population

3. Areas of life of particular concern to women not studied (e.g. housework)

4. When included, women are studied in distorted way (e.g. female criminality)

5. Sex and gender rarely seen as explanatory variables (focus on class)

∂

Social Construction of Gender

Gender differences presented as natural, this is wrong.

This is fairly contentious, evolutionary psychology/ sociobiology would disagree with this!

Even sex can be socially constructed

Gender role socialisation

∂

Group Activity

In three groups, discuss gender role socialisation across

Family,

School

Media

∂

Problems with gender role socialisation• Ignores other differences (ie class,

ethnicity)• Assumes that there are clear gender roles

• And assumes only two genders (transgenderism)

• Assumes women passively adopt their given roles

• Does not explain the power differences

∂BREAK

∂

Sexual Division of Labour

Masculine jobs Feminine jobs

Public Private/ Domestic

Paid Unpaid

Physical Emotional

Is this natural? Inevitable? Desirable?

∂

Patriarchy and radical feministsPatriarchy is a society dominated and ruled by men.

Family is key institution of oppression.

Radical feminists want to overthrow patriarchy

wide range of views on how to do this, from androgyny to matriarchy

Problems

Patriarchy is descriptive rather than explanatory

Focuses on negative aspects of male-female relationships

Unnecessarily sees men as the enemy

∂

Marxist Feminism

Capitalism is principal source of women’s oppression

Mainly through women’s unpaid labour

production of new workers

Gender differences would be erased in communist society

But this hasn’t happened

∂

Crisis of Masculinity

Decline of traditional male employment

Decline of male power and influence in society (+ rise of women’s)

Underachievement in education

Medical technology, men aren’t even necessary any more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJFeCMTJlv4

∂

Group work

Is there a crisis of masculinity?

What might the following say about it:

Liberal feminists

Radical feminists

Marxist feminists

∂

Are the sexes equal today?