Chapter 9: Gendered oppression

Patriarch/property marriage

A marriage structure in which men hold dominant power, and women are viewed primarily as property, often with limited legal rights

Breadwinner/homemaker marriage

traditional marriage arrangement in which one partner (typically the husband) works outside the home to financially support the family, while the other partner (typically the wife) focuses on homemaking and caregiving

Family wage

The idea that a wage earned by one family member (typically the male breadwinner) should be sufficient to support the entire family, creating a dependent role for the spouse who stays at home.

Ideology of separate spheres

The belief that men and women have distinct and complementary roles in society, with men working outside the home and women focusing on domestic duties.

Heteronormative

The belief or assumption that heterosexuality is the only natural, normal, or acceptable sexual orientation

Mononormative

The societal assumption that monogamy (one romantic or sexual partner at a time) is the standard or ideal relationship structure

Pro-natal

A societal or political stance that encourages or promotes the bearing of children, often through incentives or policies supporting families with children.

Partnership unions

Relationships in which both partners contribute to decision-making, financial support, and caregiving, based on mutual respect and equality

Sexism

Discrimination based on gender, often manifesting in the belief that one gender is superior to another, typically disadvantaging women

Androcentrism

A worldview that centers men and male perspectives as the default or normative, often marginalizing or neglecting women's experiences and viewpoints.

Subordinated masculinities

Masculine identities that are considered lower in status or power compared to hegemonic masculinity, often linked to marginalized or oppressed groups

Marginalized masculinities

Masculine identities that are devalued or excluded from dominant social norms, such as those held by men from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or non-Western cultures

Hegemonic masculinity

A dominant form of masculinity that is culturally valued and socially rewarded, typically associated with traits such as dominance, heterosexuality, and physical strength.

Second shift

The additional workload (domestic labor and caregiving) that working women often face after their formal workday ends, due to traditional gender roles.

Time-use diary

A record of how individuals spend their time, often used in studies of labor division within households or workplaces.

Ideal worker norm

A cultural expectation that the "ideal" worker is one who is fully dedicated to their job, often leading to the marginalization of workers with family or caregiving responsibilities

Greedy institutions

Organizations or systems that demand excessive time and energy from individuals, leaving little room for personal or family commitments (e.g., demanding work environments

Shared division of labor

family or workplace structure in which domestic and professional tasks are equally shared between partners, often seen as more equitable.

Specialized division of labor

structure in which tasks are divided based on specialized skills or roles, often leading to unequal distribution of power and responsibilities between men and women

Cult of domesticity

A 19th-century ideal that defined women's role as being in the home, focusing on nurturing children, maintaining the household, and supporting their husband's success

Ideology of intensive motherhood

The cultural belief that mothers should devote an excessive amount of time and energy to the care, education, and well-being of their children

Helicopter parenting

A style of parenting where parents are overly involved in their children's lives, often hovering and controlling their decisions and actions.

Feminization of poverty

The phenomenon in which women, particularly single mothers, are more likely to experience poverty due to factors such as wage inequality, caregiving responsibilities, and discrimination

Glass escalator

The phenomenon where men in female-dominated professions (e.g., nursing, teaching) are often promoted faster and to higher positions than their female counterparts

Job segregation

The division of labor where certain jobs are predominantly filled by one gender, often resulting in unequal pay and opportunities

Androcentric pay scale

A pay structure where male-dominated jobs are valued higher and paid more than female-dominated jobs, often due to societal gender biases

Care work

Labor associated with the care and nurturing of others, such as childcare, eldercare, and healthcare, which is often undervalued and underpaid

Male flight

The tendency of men to withdraw from occupations or industries when they become feminized, as seen in professions like nursing or elementary education

Stalled revolution

The idea that while women have entered the workforce in greater numbers, gender equality in the home and workplace has not advanced at the same pace, leaving gender roles largely unchanged

Freedom/power paradox

the tension between the desire for freedom (personal autonomy) and the need for power (control over resources and decisions) in relationships or societal structures.

Domestic outsourcing

The practice of hiring workers (often from marginalized groups or other countries) to perform domestic labor, such as cleaning or caregiving, in middle-class or upper-class households

Global care chains

The interconnected network of care workers (often women) who provide care in one country or region, while their own families are cared for by others in a cycle of migration and labor exploitation