The working girl is a passionate jesting film that was produced by Kevin Wade in 1988. It gives some of the experiences that women go through in their daily lives, particularly in the labour market. Tess McGill is depicted as a secretary who is committed to her work. She works in one of the financial institutions, specifically in the mergers and acquisitions section. In the movie, the problems that Tess goes through prove that public places are unfair to many women.
In the labour market, women are expected to play degrading roles. The movie shows that women have never enjoyed their freedom in society due to barriers put in place by men, especially in the labour market. Feminist theorists consider ways in which physical differences between men and women are used to show that women are to be allocated inferior and degrading activities in economic development.
Moreover, women are subjected to stereotypes, which portray them as weak individuals who cannot participate fully in economic development. They are often excluded from public activities and are relegated to the private domain of the home while men are appreciated in the labour market (Bullock 12).
The movie suggests that women are ascribed feminine qualities and identities through the process of socialization, which show that the financial matters and paid labour belong to men. Women grow up knowing that their existence in society depends on the decisions that men make, even in the labour market.
Therefore, women live in a state of false consciousness. Feminists observe that the subjection of women to the power of men in economics and the labour market originated from the rise of private property, the family, and the state. Engels proved that women’s subjection began with the rise of private property. In other words, the emergence of private property subordinated women to men because the law required men to declare their property, including women.
Synopsis
The movie depicts Tess as a young hardworking stockbroker secretary from one of the islands referred to as Staten. She holds a bachelor of business degree from a recognized institution in the city. She realizes her academic dreams through a module two program, which permits individuals to attend evening classes.
Her dreams are even great because she thinks of being an executive one-day. She finds herself in trouble when her boss invites her for a date. She becomes angry because the boss views her as a sex object who should give in to his demands. She insults the boss in front of other colleagues, something that makes the boss transfer her to a different workstation.
Tess seems not to care because she takes up the new responsibility in the new environment. She proposes that one of the customers be authorized to invest in the radio business. Her boss promises to consider the idea. However, the boss claims that the idea was shut down because it is not promising.
Tess takes over as the new boss after her superior, Katherine, breaks her leg. Back at home, Tess finds her boyfriend with another woman in bed. She is frustrated and shifts to her boss’s house to undergo some form of transformation. As an acting boss, Tess sets up a meeting with the company’s executive officer.
She attends the party that was aimed at discussing critical issues affecting the organization. She wears her boss’s clothes to convince the congregation that she is indeed Katherine. In the party, she meets Jack, who tricks her into sleeping together. Tess is disappointed to find herself at Jack’s bed the following morning.
This seems to soften Jack’s standpoint because she accepts Tess’s idea the following morning. In a different party, Jack meets with Tess whereby they plan a wedding. However, things go wrong when Tess realizes that Jack had been moving out with Katherine. One day, Katherine comes home with Jack who claimed to be in love with Tess. Jack fails to confirm that he loves Katherine even though he is pressed so hard.
The relationship between Katherine and Tess turns soar after Katherine accuses Tess of snatching her boyfriend and the idea. She claims that a mere secretary cannot outdo her in everything. Trask sides with Tess after realizing that the new business idea was her brainchild. Katherine is fired after the boss realizes that she was becoming stubborn for no good reason. Tess is promoted to the position that he once held at an acting capacity.
Review
Some women view oppression in the labour market as inevitable in all male dominated societies. Since political and economic power is concentrated in the hands of men, women have little chances of excelling in paid and unpaid labour. Radical feminists observe that a substantial social differentiation between sexes exists.
Functionalist feminists on their part agree that it is impossible to change gender roles in society without revising the social structure since the current one supports the activities of men as far as labour is concerned. In this regard, the main aim of functionalist scholars is to revise the social structure to reflect the interests of women in the labour market (Sangster 18). The main concern of the radical feminists is to incorporate women into economic aspects and the labour market.
For functionalists, if change in the social structure were enhanced, social disorder would be inevitable even in the economic sector and labour market. Therefore, gender equality in paid and unpaid labour ought to be approached cautiously. Conflict theorists on their part observe that no social structure is safe if it is maintained by oppressing a majority of its citizens in one area (Kumar 89). For such feminists, women are to be allowed to participate in economic matters without discrimination.
In this case, women ought to participate in the labour market fully, but not as underdogs. The movie shows that women are viewed as sex objects because they are expected to give in to the demands of their bosses without objection. Moreover, the movie shows that women are not allowed to engage in economic activities that are perceived to belong to men. Right from the pre-industrial epoch, men were authoritative due to their bodily potency and freedom from childbearing obligations.
Feminists are of the view that these factors allowed men to dominate women economically. Women always generate major business ideas, but men take them over or turn them down. This is evident in the movie because the boss turned down the idea of Tess because she is a woman.
History reveals that women have always made important discoveries in society, but their findings are attributed to their husbands. In this regard, the aim of women is to ensure that physical differences are not used to assign responsibilities to individuals (Fox 78).
Cultural viewpoints in society support a societal structure that places men in governing positions in money matters and paid work. From early childhood, children are socialized to accept traditional gender roles as natural and just. Women are against this perception because gender does not dictate economic capability.
In many societies, some businesses are reserved for men while women are advised to take inferior business opportunities, which do not generate adequate wealth. The prestigious positions are believed to belong to men while women are expected to take inferior positions, such as secretary.
Feminists demand that the society ought to appreciate the fact that women have the same capabilities as men and therefore they should be allowed to occupy positions of influence in any organization. Using Marx class analysis, feminists observe that men are like the bourgeoisie while women are the proletariat because they depend on men for economic survival. Men control most of society’s wealth (Boserup 62).
They dominate the labour market and control political opinions, particularly in the trade unions. Women are compared to the proletariat because they are like the workforce that work under the directives of the bourgeoisie in economics. Women are exploited and their culture is always devalued while the culture of men is valued.
Most of the women’s work is devalued. Feminist scholars have challenged the stereotyping of women and argued for a gender-balanced study of society in which women experiences and contributions in the labour market are visible just like those of men. The view of feminists is that women are productive, just like men.
Works Cited
Boserup, Ester. Woman’s Role in Economic Development. London: Earthscan, 2007. Print.
Bullock, Susan. Women and Work. London : Zed Books, 1994. Print.
Fox, Catherine. Seven Myths about Women and Work. Sydney: New South Pub, 2012. Print.
Kumar, Raj. Women and Work. New Delhi: Anmol Publ, 2000. Print.
Sangster, Joan. Transforming Labour: Women and Work in Post-War Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010. Print.