Gender studies .II

Gender Studies Overview

  • Instructor: Monika Kovács

  • Institution: Institute of Intercultural Psychology and Education

Topics Discussed

  • Difference between “sex” and “gender”

  • Ideologies: ambivalent sexism & ambivalent attitudes towards women

  • Four waves of feminist movement

Topics for Today

  • Gender equality goals of UN

  • Different versions of feminist thinking

  • Essentialism

2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development

  • 5th Goal: Gender Equality

    • Adopted in 2015, serves as a shared blueprint by UN Member States.

    • Focuses on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    • Integrates efforts to end poverty while improving health, education, and reducing inequality.

    • Link: SDGs

Targets of the Gender Equality Goal

  • 5.1: End discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

  • 5.2: Eliminate violence against women and girls, including trafficking and exploitation

  • 5.3: End harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation

  • 5.4: Value unpaid care work through public services and shared responsibility

  • 5.5: Ensure women's participation and equal leadership opportunities in decision-making

  • 5.6: Guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health rights

Current Statistics on Gender Equality

  • Achievement Status: On track or off track indicators

  • Current estimates suggest closing gaps in gender equality could take approximately 286 years at current rates.

  • Legislative measures like gender quotas have shown to be effective.

  • Representation data indicates significant gaps in leadership roles for women in politics and workforce.

Feminist Thinking

  • Critical & Utopian/Dystopian:

    • Utopian: Believes in the perfectibility of society.

    • Dystopian: Illustrates dehumanized life in imagined societies.

Types of Feminist Thinking

1. Liberal Feminism

  • Timeframe: 19th century to mid-20th century

  • Key Figures: Mary Wollstonecraft, John Stuart Mill

    • Put emphasis on rationality as a basis for equality.

    • Contends that women's subordination is due to legal and social constraints.

    • Advocates for fair opportunities in public life for women.

2. Radical Feminism

  • Focus on transforming patriarchal structures, not just legal ones.

  • Two branches:

    • Radical-libertarian: Advocates personal sexual freedom and exploration.

    • Radical-cultural: Critiques male control over women's sexuality through various means.

3. Marxist and Socialist Feminism

  • Focus on capitalism as a root cause of women's oppression.

  • Calls for a socialist system for true liberation of all women.

4. Psychoanalytic Feminism

  • Gender identity rooted in infant experiences.

  • Critiques gender norms established through early childhood dynamics.

5. Care-focused Feminism

  • Highlights moral development associated with gender.

  • Advocates for the importance of care ethics over traditional justice ethics.

6. Ecofeminism

  • Recognizes the interconnection between humans and the nonhuman world.

7. Existentialist Feminism

  • Simone de Beauvoir's concept of woman as the 'other'.

8. Post-structuralist & Post-modern Feminism

  • Discusses the advantages of 'otherness' and critiques patriarchal norms.

9. Third Wave and Queer Feminism

  • Emphases plurality and questioning gender binaries.

Feminist Thinking vs. Modern Sexism

  • Modern sexism diminishes awareness of sexism and promotes gender hierarchy.

  • Types include: Liberal, Radical, Marxist, Psychoanalytic, Care-focused, Existentialist, Post-structuralist, and Queer Feminism.

Essentialist Thinking

  • Defined as the belief that all members of a category share essential qualities.

  • Tends to justify social inequalities, particularly in traditional gender roles.

Essentialist Traditions in Science & Religion

  • Historical beliefs have perpetuated notions of inferiority based on sex.

    • Examples: Clark (1873), Darwin (1859), Le Bon (1889).

Gender Essentialism Scale - Key Beliefs

  • Gender differences viewed as discrete, biologically based, and historically invariant.

Implications and Research Findings

  • Higher modern sexism correlates with traditional role preference and gender discrimination acceptance.

  • Essentialism influences perceptions of inequality and can support discriminatory practices.

Strategic Use of Gender Essentialism

  • Can it be employed in a way that promotes equality?

  • Complementarity assumptions: Advocating for distinct roles based on gender.

Conclusion

  • Essentialism is intertwined with social structures and can both uphold and challenge gender inequalities.

  • Essentialist and non-essentialist views can be utilized strategically depending on one's social status.

References

  • Tong, R. and Botts, T. F. (2018). Feminist Thought – A More Comprehensive Introduction (5th Ed.)

  • Skewes, L., Fine, C., & Haslam, N. (2018). "Beyond Mars and Venus: The role of gender essentialism in support for gender inequality and backlash." PloSone, 13(7), e0200921.

  • UN: SDGs