Gender Inequality
How were women seen?
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Male property
Rape in marriage- dismissed
Woman’s place- in the kitchen, b/w the sheets
Working women- irresponsible or embarrassment
Unwed mothers- stigmatised/shunned
University- where to find a man
And now…
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Decide if and when to have children
Raise children on their own or with partner
Suing employers for harassment/discrimination
Exerting pressure on hidebound institutions
- embrace female realities or risk credibility
The change from then and now is referred to as
the:
Reality
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Women still have a long way to go before
attaining, economic parity, social equality,
agenda setting powers and political power
sharing. Progress – yes Equality –no
Stereotypes still exist:
women are perceived as passive, emotionally
soft, and obsessed with appearances
Men are perceived as assertive, ambitious,
competitive and goal oriented
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GENDER
(Characteristics according to Fiske)
Masculine
Feminine
active
passive
presence
absence
independent
dependent
organized
scattered
rational
emotional
logical
illogical
intellectual
intuitive/imaginative
Gender as a Social Problem
Gender relations are unequal relations with respect
to: power, privilege, and property.
Gender is a social problem when inequities
continue to persist in a society that espouses
gender equality
Gender is problematic because of the growing
estrangement is not without consequence
-When the scripting of masculinity and
femininity into rigid roles and stereotypical rules
restrict personal choice, foster sexism and create
unequal outcomes
(De) Constructing Gender
• Fleras argued that, due to the feminist movement and changes in the
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workplace the interest in the politics that define male /female relations has
been escalated in recent years.
Women in male dominated domains have drawn public attention.
Individuals express interest in meaning of womanhood/ manhood while
sociologists argued that neither is biologically constructed; it is socially and
culturally constructed.
Masculinity is based on the attributions of a typical male. While femininity
exemplifies the cultural characteristics that define the blueprint for female.
A Gender Society
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Gender culturally defines who and what we should be in society. It is a
label that is assigned to us and this varies culturally. It has shaped our
thoughts about how we see ourselves and our relationship with the world.
Media images and sanctions have conditioned the minds of children and
adults with dominant ideals of masculinity and femininity likewise how
they should act as man and a woman.
Gender determines pattern of entitlement and engagement of inequality,
hierarchical distinctions and advantages.
Public perceptions of gender have been altered by 30 years of social
upheaval.
a)
Women were no longer dismissed as inferior or submissive in status
b)
Roles are not nearly as rigidly scripted as before
c)
Rules defining masculinity and femininity are increasing contested
d)
Differences among women are accepted as empowering.
Double Standard
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Men have to renegotiate their relationship with women
on the basis of equality.
Men are not permitted to show emotions; they will be
precluded from female- dominated professions.
Discouraged from working with children and criticized
by his male counter parts for being wimpy.
Females are no longer seen as weak and vacillating
rather seen as valuable team worker within the
workplace. This has created an identity crisis, because
men have lost their spot in the lime-light and they have
to find themselves and what is expected of them.
The Masculine Mystique
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Focus is on social problems confronting women, with emphasis on women
and inequality, the devaluation of women’s experiences, violence against
women, etc.
Not only are male contributions to gender equation excluded, but also
ignored is how men are undergoing transformation in terms of status, roles,
expectations, and responsibilities- in ways both empowering and
disempowering.
The Masculine Mystique cont’d…
What does it mean to be a man in today’s rapidly changing environment?
Masculine Mystique Cont’d…
Men are entering the new century in a more uncertain position
because of disempowerment at home and the workplace as
a)
women have seized more power,
b)
children are asserting rights,
c)
computers are taking their jobs,
d)
their value to society is eroded by technological advances,
and
e)
their command and control skills are becoming obsolete in a
global economy that emphasizes female skills.
Question: Why is it
that violence by
women in domestic
relations is treated
less harshly by the
legal system than
male violence?
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Employment Status
46.7% of Canada’s labour force is comprised of women
 Nearly 58% of all adult women were in paid
employment compared to only 24% in 1950
 Gendered division of labour restricts women from
higher paid “male” jobs. As a result women have a lower
status and lower paid jobs
Common trends in female jobs:
 Women are usually in occupations such as elementary
teaching, nursing/health related jobs, secretaries and
office clerks, or retail sales/service (including cashiers)
 Even though women have and continue to make
advances in their careers they still spend more time than
men in childcare and housework
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Income Earnings
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Women earn 61% of what men earn
Women in full time employment earn around 70 cents
for every dollar a man makes
Overall the most common occupations held by women
are lower paying
Men are more likely to ask for a raise while women tend
to not ask for what they deserve
Education
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Women are outperforming
men in math, writing and
reading in Ontario primary
schools
Women make up 58% of
university graduates
Faculties such as Computer
Science and Engineering
remain predominantly male
Women are predominantly
in Arts and Social Sciences
Political Status
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Very little representation of
women in politics:
Out of 63 seats in
Parliament- women
Represent 20.6% of the total
None of the federal political
party leaders in B.C are
female
Even the few women who
make it into Parliament are
delegated to the “soft”
issues such as welfare or
culture
Domestic Violence
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90% of domestic
violence victims are
women
Criminal harassment
by a spouse increased
by 53% between 19952001
Explaining Gendered Inequality
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Some may blame gender differences to be the cause of
inequality
Some say that the structure of inequalities tends to accentuate
differences among men and women
Men’s perceptions and women’s experiences differ in how
each sees gender inequality. i.e. sexual harassment (p.117)
Capitalism and patriarchy may partially explain gendered
inequality. The structure of capitalism inscribes women as a
disposable and cheap workforce and maintains that women
should secure the domestic life for nurturing male labour.
Patriarchy reinforces male dominance. Masculinity is valued
more over femininity and males have preferential access to
the social, political, economic and cultural opportunities.
Questions
What does it mean to be
masculine or
feminine?
How and why has the
concept of
masculinity changed?
What is meant by the
expression that
gender and gender
relations are socially
constructed?
By: Curlena, Sheila, Jen, and Magda