Week 6:

Gender Inequality
Sarah.kennedy.2009@nuim.ie
Sarahkennedytutorials.blogspot.com
Office Hour Tues@10 (b2/b4)

Housekeeping

Feedback from mid-term evaluation:

More focus on essay question.

More focus on exam questions.

More of a recap of lecture material.

Essay question:

Many migrants experience a devaluation or non-recognition of

their skills, upon migration. The sociological theoretical literature
provides a number of theoretical explanations for why this is so.
In this essay, you are invited to explain the disadvantages faced
by migrants in Ireland, drawing on empirical studies of migration
in Ireland and the theoretical sociological stratification literature.

3 levels

Macro theory

Meso processes

Micro empirical data

Feminism & Gender Inequality

What is feminism?

Would you call yourself a feminist?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26651159

Gender inequality in Ireland:

What does it look like?

Whats it caused by?

The privileging of masculine traits resulting in

stratification and unequal power relations. Compounded
by gender roles. Patriarchy.

Percentage of Women in
Parliament

Ireland

120th

Rwanda

1st

United Kingdom

91st

Afghanistan

64th

Serbia

41st

Ukraine

4th

Sweden

12th

Spain

27th

Women in Parliament
Ctd.
http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/wmnmap14_en.pdf

Rwanda

Sweden

Spain

1st (63.8
women)

4th (45)

12th (39.7)

27th (33.6)

only country to have over half

Serbia

Afghanistan

41st (27.7)

United Kingdom

64th (22.6)

Ireland

91st

Ukraine

120th (9.7)

(15.7 14.3 in ministerial positions)

Examples of how gender inequality

(patriarchy) affects women and men:
Women

Underrepresented in leadership
roles, positions of power.

Less pay for the same work 72% in

Ireland.

More time spent caring:

Childcare 42.3% vs. 28.4%

Domestic 77.1% vs. 38.0

Mother and baby homes &

Magdalene Laundries.

Restricted access to healthcare.

Risk of sexual assault.

Globally:

Narrow definition of
maleness and masculinity.
Maleness outside of this
definition is devalued e.g.
homosexuality.

Discouraged from being

emotional, sensitive etc.

Pressure to be sole (main)

provider for family.

Discouraged from primary

care roles e.g. restricted
paternity benefits.

Increased risk of suicide.

Shorter average life-spans.

15% Membership of central bank.

Men

Some countries where women cant

vote, drive etc.
Child marriages/ arranged
marriages.
Restricted access to land ownership.
Restricted access to education.

Intersectionality
There is no such thing as a single issue struggle because
we do not live single issue lives" (Audre Lorde)

Resulted from critiques by

black feminists such as bell
hooks, Audre Lorde and Patricia
Hill Collins who felt alienated
from the feminist movement.

Women are not a homogenous

group.

We consist of many different

streets e.g. female, straight,
working class, able-bodied
our identity is the intersection
of these streets (Crenshaw
1994).

Oppressions are not

experienced separately, but
rather have a cumulative
effect.

Types of Feminism

Liberal Feminism:

Add women and stir model.

Equality will be reached when women occupy same position as men.

Socialist Feminism:

Family as a source of womens oppression unpaid labour, and is

economically dependent on men, or else ends up working a second shift.

Solutions could include state-funded childcare, increased paternity leave etc.

Radical Feminism:

Resists the dominance of, and value placed on masculine characteristics e.g.
objectivity, competitiveness can result in war, poverty etc.

Women shouldnt strive to be like men, rather we need to value feminine

traits e.g. caring, sharing, warmth.

Society should be reorganised to allow people to take on values that

transcend traditional definitions of male and female traits.

Multi-ethnic Feminism:

Women do not all experience the same amount of oppression .

Considers multiple strands of oppression e.g. religion, class, ethnicity

Liberal Feminism

Radical Feminism Socialist Feminism