Globalization and modern britain - Essay Example

Gender, Feminism and the Family Introduction The global impact of sociological trends on the UK family and the society in which it exists is undeniable. Phenomena such as feminism, the decline of the nuclear family, and the growing demand for gender equality in the workplace and beyond all affect how the family is perceived by its members and how it functions within the culture. This paper examines the impact of these factors as a British phenomenon and assesses their role within the framework of British society. The Impact of Feminism on British Society Social movements and democracy in social and political thought can be argued within the context of gender hierarchies. The role of feminism is such a movement. It is one that has challenged long standing assertions by social and political theorists around the globe “and pointed toward alternative understandings and practices of democracy” (Eschle, 2001: 1). The problems and possibilities involved no doubt have changed the nature of female participation in British society. The more “passive” feminist movement of the Victorian Era (Brown, 2003) has evolved into a cultural insistence on gender equality. With new power of gender, women throughout the country no longer see themselves as housewives and slaves to gender roles formerly attributed to them by the society without. Also gone are the Victorian impressions of the lady of leisure dependent upon husbands for security. The pre-war notion that women should stay in the home, be dutiful to husbands and be the primary caregivers to their children are long gone in most quarters. The modern world has caught up to Britain, and feminism has had an impact on the culture more significant than probably any other sociological movement since the late 1800s and the women’s suffrage movement. The 1960s may have brought the pill and the sexual revolution but as the 1970s dawned equality of the sexes was still a long way off. Women could be paid less than a man for doing the same job, posts were advertised by gender and sexual harassment was an unknown term. The 1970s saw the so-called “second wave” feminist movement motivated by the determination to abolish all sexism wherever they found it. The third wave, as it is currently called, begun in the early 1990s, seeks to challenge or avoid the second waves tendency to define femininity and its focus on the educated professional woman, thus applying the feminist movement to a wider swath of women. It challenges the second waves paradigm about what is or what is not good for women. (Freeman, 2003). In 1997 one-hundred and twenty women were elected to the British Parliament. The effect of this on not only British politics but on society as well might be predicted as affecting a greater voice in the government for women and women’s issues. Yet in order to assume this one must consider whether the women are necessarily “attitudenally feminist” (Childs, 2001:179). In interviews with thirty-three Labour Party MPs [those who would be most likely to respond favourably], twenty-five identified themselves as feminists, five did not and three were ambivalent. (see fig. 1) Summing up responses to questions about what feminism means to them we find while their positions on female equality and autonomy were clear and united, “one should actively promote women’s greater role in society” (Childs, 2001: 180), their willingness to call themselves feminists at the risk of social criticism was interesting. Only one woman in the study included a remark related to feminism and the family, indicating she did not think a woman’s responsibility is necessarily to take care of the children. (Childs, 2001: 180). In fact none of those interviewed even brought up the subject of how their feminist ideals may affect family. Rebecca Walker, daughter of the author Alice Walker, has, on the other hand, very definite views on feminism as it relates to the family. Walker, revered as a trail-blazing feminist, “argued that motherhood is [was] a form of servitude” (Walker, 2008: para. 1-2). Her daughter Rebecca Walker has a lot to say about feminism and the family, none of it very supportive. Citing what she calls “the unfinished business of feminism” (Walker, 2008: para. 42), Walker has some serious issues with the fact that many feminist principles and the problems, real or imagined, causes divorces that ultimately affect not only the lives of children but their ability in many instances to have meaningful relationships of their own in adulthood. Decline of the Traditional Family: Cause for Celebration, Regret, or Both The impact of feminism on the traditional family has been studied and restudied, with feminist conclusions at times at odds with others who see the traditional family as paramount to a stable society and feminism as one reason for its decline. Either way there is no doubt that feminist gains have had their impact on traditional family structure and values. Whether that is good or bad depends largely on the beholder. The fact is, since the advent of feminism there is a better chance of women having children before age 25 than there is the likelihood they will get married. Certainly more women are living independently while the number of traditional families has decreased from 471,000 during World War II to a startling 237,000 in England and Whales. (Wallop, 2009: para. 1,2,10). The number of mothers with children under four who thought that family life would suffer if women worked full-time fell in the years before Tony Blair took office dropped from 43 per cent in 1990 to 21 per cent in 1998. But by 2002 it was rising and in 2006 had soared to 37 per cent. (Hale, 2010). However, the number of women in the same category who agreed that most women want a home and children fell between 1994 and 2002 to 15 per cent. (Hale, 2010). This mixed reaction presents many questions about the impact of feminism on the traditional family versus pure economic realities that prompt women to work outside the home, prompted Britain’s “family friendly” (Dex & Smith, 2002:16) business policies. Although strides made by feminists have no doubt improved working conditions for women, they have also improved them for the men of the family in encouraging company daycares and other perks likely to make dual-careers a lot easier. Speaking of dual-career families, feminism is often blamed for this phenomenon as a situation that many contend leads to family dysfunction. While that may be true in some cases [undoubtedly], it is also a sign of the progress of women that has led to positive benefits such as material gain for both the woman, children and the family itself. “In Britain in 1961, only 2.4 per cent of girl school leavers went on to university as compared with over double that proportion for boys. Since then, the proportions of both have been rising, [a feminist accomplishment] and the gap between them is closing” (Rapoport & Rapoport, 1977: 40). The results of studies present a rather surprising conclusion. “...it implies a conception of pluralism...which allows individuals to create satisfactory solutions for themselves. Dual-worker families would be one form among many...” (Rapoport & Rapoport, 1977: 359). Others interestingly include traditional, single-parent, homosexual, and communal families who seem, based on the study, to show few ill affects of operating outside of the traditional family framework. The conclusion might be that feminism and its struggle for equality for women has not had the debilitating affect purported by some social commentators. And while the traditional family in form may not dominate the British landscape as it did before, according to Hale (2010) it is still favored by many in today’s generation, feminist views of the women notwithstanding. Is the Feminist Goal of Equality Realistic? One of the most common complaints from women regarding equality is that in terms of children, family and the home, there is no such thing. It is particularly true of homes where women and men both work. While the women have been “liberated” to work outside of the home, responsibility for keeping the house, cooking, etc falls to them as well. So rather than liberated, they actually now have added responsibilities. Gender equality also falls short in British schools, manifesting itself in what Myers quoting Foster insists has as much to do with race than gender. “...gender equality often meant [means] equality for white women and girls only” (Myers, 2000:8). Paddy Orr in Myers (2000) presents a different set of problems in discussing educational inequalities brought on by “priority in the allocation of [scarce] resources” (Orr in Myers, 2000: 13.) Inequalities in education, with all of its implications, have much to do with gender inequality that still exists today in the workplace. The responsibility of contraception, despite efforts to the contrary, still falls mainly on women. Given that the responsibility for contraception use is usually taken by women within the context of sexual partnerships, womens experiences of gender equity may affect how they are able to negotiate use of contraception. While in a study conducted of British women figures differed as to the percentage of contraception use based on educational and economic status, the fact remained the responsibility fell mostly to women. (Bentley & Kavanagh, 2008). Though we might like to believe otherwise, sexism still exists in workplaces across the United Kingdom. Despite laws against discrimination, “Statistics estimate that about seventy-two percent of women workers have experienced sexist bullying at work, while eighty-five percent of women workers believe that there is a bias towards males in their workplaces” (Sexism in the Workplace, 2010: para. 1). Though there are laws that protect women’s employment rights, there is still much that must be left up to individuals and companies in order to ensure that fair treatment is extended to all workers. Conclusion Has feminism as a movement improved things for women in terms of gender equality. I would say, yes, to an extent, but certainly not to the specifications of most women who call themselves feminists. The movement as whole has failed to achieve its ultimate goal of complete equality for a variety of societal and cultural reasons. The question, will their ever be complete equality is still unknown. The following quote from Pateman (1989) does not sound promising. "For feminists, democracy has never existed; women have never been and still are not admitted as full and equal members and citizens in any country known as a democracy" (210). However, in a hopeful note Pateman writes, “In response, feminists continue to strive for inclusion on a more equal basis and to construct alternative democratic forms through mobilization in movement politics” (210). Bibliography Bentley, R. and Kavanagh, A.M. (2008). ‘Gender Equity and Womens Contraception Use’. Australian Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 43. 1: 65+. Brown, H. (2003). The Truest Form of Patriotism": Pacifist Feminism in Britain, 1870- 1902. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. Childs, S. (2001). “‘Attitudenally Feminist’: The New Labour Women MPs and the Substantive Representation of Women”. Politics. Vol 21 (3): 178-185. Retrieved May 10 from: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Journal_Samples/PON L0263-3957~21~3~149/149.pdf Dex S. and Smith C. (2002). The Nature and Pattern of Family-Friendly Employment Policies in Britain. Bristol, England: Policy Press. Eschle, C. (2001). Global Democracy, Social Movements and Feminism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Freedman, E. B., (2003). No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women. London: Ballantine Books. Hale, B. (18, Feb. 2010). ‘What Women Want in 2010: A Husband Wholl be the Main Breadwinner’. Mail Online (Web Site). Retrieved 8 May 2010 from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1251873/What- women-want-2010-A- husband-wholl-main-breadwinner.html Myers, K. (2000). Whatever Happened to Equal Opportunities in Schools? Gender Equality Initiatives in Education. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Pateman, C. (1989). The Disorder of Woman: Democracy, Feminism and Political Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press. Rapoport, R. and Rapoport, R. (1977). Dual-Career Families Re-Examined: New Integrations of Work & Family. New York: Harper Colophon. ‘Sexism in the Workplace’. (2010). About Equal Opportunites (Web Site). Retrieved 8 May 2010 from: http://www.aboutequalopportunities.co.uk/sexism-in-the- workplace.html Walker, R. (23 May 2008). ‘How My Mother’s Fanatical Views Tore Us Apart’. Mail Online (Web Site). Retrieved 8 May 2010 from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1021293/How-mothers-fanatical- feminist-views-tore-apart-daughter-The-Color-Purple-author.html Wallop, H. (15 Apr. 2009). ‘Death of the Traditional Family. Harry Wallop, Telegraph.co.uk.(Web Site). Retrieved 8 May 2010 from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/5160857/Death-of-the-traditional-family.html Figure Fig. 1. Childs, 2001, p. 179. Read More