Gender Inequality Gender Inequality

Chapter FourChapter Four

By: Melissa Pereira, Melissa Weedon and Ivana PandzicBy: Melissa Pereira, Melissa Weedon and Ivana Pandzic

Agenda• Introduction

• Chapter 4 Summary• Part one: Framing

the Problem by Melissa. P

• Part Two: (De) Constructing Gender by Ivana. P

• Part Three: Gender Inequality By Melissa. W

• Question/Answer Period

• Game

• Treats

Thesis:Thesis:

Gender Constitutes a Gender Constitutes a constructed and contested constructed and contested site of progress and regress site of progress and regress of empowerment and of empowerment and disempowermentdisempowerment

Social constructed ness of Social constructed ness of gender and gender relations gender and gender relations creates social problemscreates social problems

Framing the ProblemFraming the Problem

Gender roles tightly scriptedGender roles tightly scripted Feminism helped women progress Feminism helped women progress

and fight sexist assumptionsand fight sexist assumptions Feminism has helped women Feminism has helped women

“come a long way”“come a long way” Women are now able to assert Women are now able to assert

control over their lives instead of control over their lives instead of having them decided by menhaving them decided by men

Women still have a long way to go Women still have a long way to go The “old boys network” seems to The “old boys network” seems to

have remained in tacthave remained in tactStereotypes still persistStereotypes still persistWomen are expected to perform a Women are expected to perform a

double dutydouble dutySeen as having a rightful place in Seen as having a rightful place in

workforce, also required to take workforce, also required to take care of household chores and care of household chores and childrenchildren

Men, experiencing gender crisisMen, experiencing gender crisisCertainties associated with masculinity Certainties associated with masculinity

has dissolvedhas dissolvedCanada still continues to be governed Canada still continues to be governed

by menby menAugie Fleras notes that the question is: Augie Fleras notes that the question is:

How to analyze and assess a situation How to analyze and assess a situation in which women have made progress, in which women have made progress, but yet continue to be hobbled because but yet continue to be hobbled because of patriarchal biases? (pg 105)of patriarchal biases? (pg 105)

Social constructed ness of gender is Social constructed ness of gender is problematic when:problematic when:

1. perceived differences between 1. perceived differences between men and women are men and women are manipulatedmanipulated

2. competition over scarce 2. competition over scarce resources creates unhealthy resources creates unhealthy friction which invites great friction which invites great interpersonal costs and riskinterpersonal costs and risk

3. scripting of masculinity and 3. scripting of masculinity and femininity leads to rigid roles femininity leads to rigid roles

(De) Constructing Gender(De) Constructing Gender

•Individuals express interest in the Individuals express interest in the cultural meaning of womanhood cultural meaning of womanhood or manhoodor manhood

•Manhood, nor womanhood qualify Manhood, nor womanhood qualify as purely biological attributesas purely biological attributes

•Culture shapes what is perceived Culture shapes what is perceived as male and femaleas male and female

A Gendered SocietyA Gendered Society

Gender is culturally definedGender is culturally defined Children and adults conditioned to Children and adults conditioned to

absorb dominant idealsabsorb dominant ideals Reality in itself is genderedReality in itself is gendered Feminism has helped to redefine Feminism has helped to redefine

the shift in balance of powerthe shift in balance of power Women continue to be portrayed Women continue to be portrayed

as vacuous, vulnerable as vacuous, vulnerable

double standard that prevails double standard that prevails when a man shows his “softer” when a man shows his “softer” sideside

Men are experiencing and Men are experiencing and identity crisis in trying to figure identity crisis in trying to figure out who they are and what is out who they are and what is expected of themexpected of them

Men are From Mars/Women From Men are From Mars/Women From Venus?Venus?

►Some would argue that men and Some would argue that men and women are alikewomen are alike

►Others propose dissimilarity due to Others propose dissimilarity due to the radically different social and the radically different social and cultural experiencecultural experience

►Many believe that gender relations Many believe that gender relations reflect innate and inherited qualitiesreflect innate and inherited qualities

►Biologists argue that brains of Biologists argue that brains of women and men process information women and men process information differentlydifferently

►Similarities and differences in Similarities and differences in gender are the result of social gender are the result of social forcesforces

►Concepts of what it means to be Concepts of what it means to be a man or a women is socially a man or a women is socially constructedconstructed

The Masculine Mystique:Sociology textbooks that deal with gender focus on the social problem that confront womenOne sided look glosses over the male component of gender relationsBoth men and women experience confusion about male rolesMen are now experiencing a crisis of confidenceSupport system for men is not in placeConfusion can erupt into hostilityTake charge guy appropriate at times but so to is the sensitive and thoughtful type

From Ruling the Roost to From Ruling the Roost to Roasting the ChickenRoasting the Chicken

““real” man embodies core cultural valuesreal” man embodies core cultural values Women are unthinkable outside of their Women are unthinkable outside of their

relationships to menrelationships to men Men are entering into new century in Men are entering into new century in

more precarious positions because”more precarious positions because” Women have seized powerWomen have seized power Children are asserting rightsChildren are asserting rights Computers taking their jobsComputers taking their jobs Their value to society is erodedTheir value to society is eroded Their command and control skills becoming Their command and control skills becoming

obsolete obsolete

Men appear unhappy about sharing Men appear unhappy about sharing powerpower

Feminists have argued, women only Feminists have argued, women only and men only are not the same thing and men only are not the same thing because men are trying to because men are trying to monopolize power and women trying monopolize power and women trying to acquire powerto acquire power

Masculine mystique has been Masculine mystique has been unzipped unzipped

Rules of the game are changingRules of the game are changing

Gender Inequality

• Gender inequality is valued in many parts of the world

• Women and men are differently situated in society

• These inequalities are patterned, persistent and resistant

• Women are underrepresented in politics• Women are excluded from the socio-economic

ladder• Women are subject to violence• Patterns of inequality remain entrenched

• Women represent about half of the world’s population

• Canadian women are about four fifths of the way to equality

• Women contributions are undervalued except in their roles as mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters

• Unpaid domestic work remains invisible• Gender is not always the most important

inequality for women• Class, race and ethnicity create intersecting

and interlocking patterns of inequality

Employment StatusEmployment StatusWomen are prominent in the Women are prominent in the labour force and occupy 46.7%labour force and occupy 46.7%Women created 34% of all Women created 34% of all businessesbusinessesGendered division of labour Gendered division of labour restricts women from higher paid restricts women from higher paid male jobsmale jobsProgress in desegregating Progress in desegregating occupations has stalledoccupations has stalledWomen spend more time looking Women spend more time looking after childrenafter childrenMarital breakup due to failure to Marital breakup due to failure to create an equitable division of create an equitable division of household labourhousehold labour

Income EarningsIncome Earnings Women earn 61% of what men earnWomen earn 61% of what men earn Single women earn 95.5% of what Single women earn 95.5% of what

single men earnsingle men earn Married women earn 67.5%Married women earn 67.5% Women between 45-54, single with Women between 45-54, single with

university education earned same as university education earned same as menmen

Gaps in earnings may be misleadingGaps in earnings may be misleading Women tend to work in less Women tend to work in less

progressive and more part-time progressive and more part-time companiescompanies

Prone to jobs which they believe can Prone to jobs which they believe can help individuals or societyhelp individuals or society

EducationEducation

Women are outperforming Women are outperforming men across the board in men across the board in math, writing, and readingmath, writing, and reading

Women represent 58% of Women represent 58% of university graduatesuniversity graduates

Women moving into Women moving into disciplines reserved for malesdisciplines reserved for males

So where is the problem?So where is the problem?

Political StatusPolitical Status

Women represent 20.6% Women represent 20.6% of total seatsof total seats

Few women who do Few women who do make it to Parliament make it to Parliament find themselves on soft find themselves on soft legislative committees legislative committees pertaining to culture or pertaining to culture or welfarewelfare

Domestic Violence Domestic Violence

rates of spousal violence rose from rates of spousal violence rose from 302/100 000 to 344/ 100 000302/100 000 to 344/ 100 000

Men and women display Men and women display aggressiveness within domestic aggressiveness within domestic relationsrelations

Women more likely to suffer Women more likely to suffer injuriesinjuries

Men use violence to control, Men use violence to control, women use it in order to settle women use it in order to settle conflictconflict