Feminist theories on gender inequality.

Feminists on gender inequality.

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To delve into the depths of feminists theories on gender inequality firstly we must clear up what a feminist is (and it’s not one of those man-hating feminazis that we so often seem to hear about). A feminist is someone who believes that within today’s society women are oppressed through social stratification and strives to achieve equality within our culture. To gain a further understanding of feminist theory this article will compare three explanations of gender inequality – biology, language and socialisation.

Shulamith Firestone refers to women as being less privileged due to biology. Men and women are biologically different, an undeniable fact, which firestone explains results in a division through a sexual class system. Women’s reproductive organs give them an instant disadvantage, having to bear the responsibility of menstruation and childbirth. These burdens result in over dependency on males during pregnancy and the nurturing of the child, which Firestone believes “produce[s] unequal power relationships” (2000). This explanation holds value  as men do not have the same physical responsibility to reproduce that women endure but if this the true explanation for gender inequality then the first stage of overcoming it would to gain equality in terms of biology, which in today’s society seems impossible. Firestones theory is also not applicable to all societies and cultures, where men hold primary responsibility for child care and nurture.

Due to having a male dominated society our social construction is a vital part of controlling females and encouraging males to prevail. Through primary socialisation females and males are moulded into their gender roles, taught how to behave act and feel (Fulcher and Scott, 2001). Through my own experience these are further encouraged through secondary socialisation where schools teach children what their aims should be in life after education. Media is also a major influence within secondary socialisation. From a young age you are exposed to media every day. Whether it be television, music or magazines. Girl’s magazines focus on hair, make up and sex; whilst boy’s magazine focus on cars, science and the rough and tumble. You cannot deny that this media exposure creates an underprivileged realm for women when they are taught from so young that they must judge themselves through their image and the type of male they can acquire. Women are taught that their main attributes to offer the world is their reproductive organs, nurturing skills and the ability to please a man. Men are taught that women are beneath them, as they have always had an advantage. Although they may deny the knowledge of this our selfish human nature will typically not challenge something helping us to achieve. This theory can hold validity to most females within the culture of the 21^st century in the UK. To be able to gain inequality, our whole society and culture must be stripped down and recreated which seems a very unlikely occurrence right now (maybe in the future?).

Language is supposedly the intellect that divides humans from other mammals – but does it also divide males and females? Karen Atkinson (1993) explains that sexism is predominantly visible within today’s language, whether it be verbal or written. The language that we so unobservable use was created by men and is dominated by men. Terms such as ‘Mankind’ are used frequently to refer to all gender of human but unexplainably uses the word ‘man’. Women are being oppressed through this ‘manmade’ language that our patriarchal society has empowered men with. With such contrasting labelling such as ‘stud-slag’ and such vulgar and offensive terms used to describe the vagina, it is undeniably sexist.

Overall each theory does hold some validity and explanation for gender inequality, although the only obvious way to achieve true equality will either be through years (or maybe centuries) of change or a revolution.

 

References

Haralambos, M., Holborn, M. and Heald, R. (2000) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. Hammersmith: HarperCollins Publishers Limited. P 139-140.

Atkinson, K. (1993). Language and Gender. In: Jackson, S. Womens Studies: A reader. Hemel Hampstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf. p403-407.

Fulcher, J. and Scott, J.(2001) Sociology. New York:Oxford University Press Incorporated. Pg 154-155