To understand the prevalence of modern biases in the relations between men and women, two theories are essential to explore – the gender conflict theory and Martineau’s approach to social analysis. The former views gender as a system of unjust distribution of power and privilege, which puts women at a disadvantage (CrashCourse, 2017b, 6:06). The latter explores the unjust treatment of women, which is evident in the retrospective downplaying of women’s contributions to society (Lengermann & Niebrugge-Brantley, 1996). Both theories provide insight into the current state of women’s position in society and ways of its alleviation.
Despite emancipation and the alleged equality, many women still live in conditions dominated by patriarchal values. In India, girls are sold into prostitution by their parents because of the old Devadasi tradition (VICE, 2012, 6:15). However, women also feel the pressure to conform to patriarchal standards in Brazil, where the practice of plastic surgery flourishes. One of the Brazilian women explained this phenomenon by saying: “we must be beautiful” – which is also a sign of patriarchal dominance (Unreported World, 2018, 1:30). Finally, the emergence of TERF groups is an extreme expression of opposition to patriarchial society (Burns, 2019). All of these examples showcase the still ongoing oppression of women.
However, all of these examples also showcase another problem – women are also responsible for the perpetuation of patriarchy. Devadasi girls in India, women seeking surgery in Brazil, and TERF activists are all performing the gender social roles attributed to women (CrashCourse, 2017a). In most cases, it is unconscious, yet this ignorance is precisely the reason why intersectionality persists and women fail to unite and dismantle toxic patriarchy (Montgomery College, 2017). As a result, these theories are the appropriate starting points for educating oneself on unconscious gender-related biases and changing society.
References
Burns, K. (2019). The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained. Vox. Web.
CrashCourse. (2017a). Harriet Martineau & gender conflict theory: Crash course sociology #8 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
CrashCourse. (2017b). Theories of gender: Crash course sociology #33 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Lengermann, P. M., & Niebrugge-Brantley, J. (1996). Early women sociologists and classical sociological theory: 1830-1930. In P.A. Lengermann & G. Niebrugge (Eds.), Classical sociological theory (pp. 299-318). Wiley.
Montgomery College. (2017). Black feminism, intersectionality and democratic possibilities [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Unreported World. (2018). Brazil’s plastic surgery obsession | Unreported World [Video]. YouTube. Web.
VICE. (2012). Prostitutes of God (documentary)[Video]. YouTube. Web.