Gender and Feminist Theory - Part I

Sociology of Gender Conference

Andrew Carvajal

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:what often comes to mind

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

Why Feminism Today?

Some Very Few Examples

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

Work

Job segregation and job polarization

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

Gender Theory Discussion

Does evolutionary theory explain psychological sex differences in humans?

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