Week 6: Gender Inequality

Week 6:Gender InequalitySarah.kennedy.2009@nuim.ieSarahkennedytutorials.blogspot.comOffice Hour Tues@10 (b2/b4)

HousekeepingFeedback 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 levelsMacro theoryMeso processesMicro empirical data

Gender Inequalityhttp://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26651159

Gender inequality in Ireland:What does it look like?

Percentage of Women in ParliamentIrelandRwandaUnited KingdomAfghanistanSerbiaUkraineSwedenSpain

120th1st91st64th41st4th12th27th Women in Parliament Ctd.http://www.ipu.org/pdf/publications/wmnmap14_en.pdfRwandaSwedenSpainSerbiaAfghanistanUnited KingdomIrelandUkraine

1st (63.8 only country to have over half women)4th (45)12th (39.7)27th (33.6)41st (27.7)64th (22.6)91st (15.7 14.3 in ministerial positions)120th (9.7)Feminism and Gender Inequality?What is feminism?Would you call yourself a feminist?What causes gender inequality?Types of FeminismLiberal 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 intersectionality..

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.

Liberal FeminismRadical FeminismSocialist Feminism