gender and feminist theory - part i sociology of gender conference andrew carvajal
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Contact Info Recap
E-mail: andrew@carvajal.ca Office hours: Mondays 10-11:30 in
Leacock 822A, or by appointment Site: www.soci270.carvajal.ca
Feminism and Gender Studies Why speak about feminism when
studying gender? Is it necessary?
Feminist theories offer many explanations about the origins of gender differences and how they matter?
Feminist movement putting gender theory into practice
Work
Doubleday of labour “Equal access to jobs outside the home, while one of
the preconditions for women’s liberation, will not in itself be sufficient to give equality for women; as long as work in the home remains a matter of private production” Margaret Benston
Childcare and eldercareWomen “opting-out” of work experience
and tenure to start a family Sweatshop labour Different pay for sometimes equal work
38% of the wage gap is not explained by differences in job/experience
Violence
Rape Domestic violence
“The home is the most dangerous place for women and the safest for men”
WarWomen are often the most affected by
war according to the UN
Beauty and Health Different beauty standards
“Thinness norm” Eating disorders Unequal exposure to
cleaning products Birth control
Some methods of birth control available by sex
Female Male BothFemale condom Condom Spermicides
Tubal ligation Vasectomy Rhythm method
Oral contraceptive pill
Abstinence
Morning-after pill
Progestin-only pill
Injection
Implant
Patch
Sponge
Lea contraceptive
Diaphragm
Cervical Cap
IUD
Abortion
Sexuality
“Sexuality as a social construct of male power defined by men and forced on women”
“Woman is defined by what male desire requires for arousal and satisfaction” ---Catharine MacKinnon
Sex-trade Pornography Media representations
Why Feminism Today? Some Very Few Examples
“Women do 2/3 of the world's work, receive 10% of the world's income and own 1% percent of the means of production.” - Richard H. Robbins, Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism
“If women’s work were accurately reflected in national
statistics it would shatter the myth that men are the main breadwinners of the world” - Mahbub ul Haq, UNDP 1995
If you think any of these issues are relevant today and something should be done about them I am afraid to tell you but you might be a feminist
Dealing with Gender Problems: Multiple Feminisms Different approaches
Equal laws and equal opportunity (liberal) Different economic system (Marxist and socialist) New sexual, cultural and socio-political order
(radical) Fight neo-liberalism (global) Battle other sources of oppression (multicultural) Deconstruct gender (postmodern)
Most Important Lesson: Awareness!
Become aware of past and current sources and manifestations of gender inequalities
Identify how gender imbalances have affected knowledge, norms, social roles, institutions and social status
Don’t take gender for granted and question where it might come from (not just sex)
Be aware of how we may personally benefit from power imbalances and try to correct it
Make others aware of what we know and become intolerant of gender discrimination
Some exampleYes: David M. Buss Gender differences reflect adaptive problems faced by
men and women Fertilization occurs internally within women Women, are only fertile during a specific period of
time and for a limited part of their lives There is an asymmetry in the minimum obligatory
parental investment between men and women Pregnancy and lactation is resource-consuming
Men will try to access as many women as possible This will ensure a greater likelihood of paternity, while
decreasing the odds of investing time on children who could possibly not be theirs
Women seek individuals who are successful at securing reliable and replenishable supplies of resources for their survival and that of their offspring
No: Anne Fausto-Sterling Difference between “how” and “why” Evolutionary psychology is based on two
assumptions The traits that we observe in humans today
have been constant over human history Environmental characteristics surrounding
humans have also remained constant Without knowing when these gendered traits
became a permanent art of the human lineage, we can know little about the actual environmental variations at the time
Evidence from animals to assess primal and primitive behaviours of humans is problematic Archeological evidence is better
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