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Understanding Gender and Social Inequality

Core Concepts and Definitions

Gender inequality is rooted in how societies define roles and allocate power based on perceived sex differences.

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Gender

Social/cultural meanings attached to male, female, or other identities beyond the binary.
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Social Inequality

Arises from differences in power, status, and resources between gender categories.
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Social Construct

Gender is shaped by norms, expectations, and institutions, distinct from biological sex.

The Sociological Focus

Manifestation of Inequality

These inequalities manifest in access to education, employment, income, political power, health, and social roles. Sociology focuses on gender as a social construct that influences men’s and women’s positions in society.

Economic Inequality: The Gender Pay Gap

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Key FactorsThe pay gap results from occupational segregation (different sectors/roles), part-time work prevalence, career interruptions (childcare), and discrimination.
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Persistent BarriersProgress towards closing the gap has been slow. The largest pay gaps appear in senior roles and high-paying industries.

Occupational Segregation

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Vertical Segregation (The 'Glass Ceiling'): Refers to the underrepresentation of women in senior or managerial positions. Horizontal segregation means women are overrepresented in caring, teaching, and service roles, which tend to be lower paid.

Work-Life Balance: Division of Labour

Inequality Factor = Unpaid Domestic Labor / Paid Work Contribution
Women generally perform a disproportionately large share of housework and childcare, even when employed full-time. This unequal division limits women’s ability to fully engage in paid work or climb the career ladder.

Other Patterns and Trends

Inequality is evident across education, politics, and health outcomes:

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Education

Girls generally outperform boys at secondary and tertiary levels, but success has not always translated directly into workplace equality.
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Political Power

Women remain underrepresented in political institutions globally, requiring changes like gender quotas for parity.
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Health

Women tend to live longer but report higher levels of ill health and mental health issues.

Theoretical Perspectives on Gender Inequality

Sociological theories provide different frameworks for understanding the root causes of gender inequality.

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Liberal Feminism

Focuses on achieving equality through legal and political reforms (equal opportunities).
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Radical Feminism

Patriarchy is a system of male domination that permeates all social institutions.
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Marxist/Socialist

Links gender inequality to capitalism, exploiting women’s labor in the home and workplace.
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Intersectionality

Gender intersects with other oppressions (ethnicity, class) producing diverse experiences of inequality.

Violence and Discrimination

Gender-based violence remains a serious social problem that reinforces inequality.

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Core Issue

Gender-based violence (domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and assault) disproportionately affects women.
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Increasing Awareness

Awareness of these issues has increased rapidly in recent decades, with social movements playing a key role.

Recent Developments and Contemporary Issues

Global events and activism continuously redefine gender inequality challenges.

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The #MeToo movement has highlighted sexual harassment and assault in workplaces globally.
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The impact of COVID-19 has influenced gender inequalities, disproportionately affecting women through increased care responsibilities and job losses in service sectors.
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Gender Inequality in Sociology Deck
Term
Gender

What is gender in sociology?

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Definition

Gender is the social and cultural meanings attached to being male, female, or other identities beyond the binary.

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Gender Pay Gap

What causes the gender pay gap?

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Causes

Occupational segregation, part-time work, career interruptions, and discrimination.

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Horizontal Occupational Segregation

What is horizontal occupational segregation?

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Definition

Differences in types of jobs men and women hold, with women overrepresented in lower-paid caring and service roles.

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Vertical Occupational Segregation

What is vertical occupational segregation?

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Definition

Women's underrepresentation in senior or managerial positions, often called the glass ceiling.

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Unpaid Domestic Labor

How does unpaid domestic labor contribute to gender inequality?

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Impact

Women usually do more housework and childcare, limiting their paid work and career advancement.

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Educational Achievements

How do educational achievements differ by gender?

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Differences

Girls generally outperform boys overall, but boys dominate in technical/STEM courses.

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Women in Politics

Why are women underrepresented in politics?

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Barriers

Barriers include cultural norms, discrimination, lack of support, and work-family balance issues.

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Intersectionality

What is intersectionality?

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Concept

The concept that gender inequality intersects with other oppressions like ethnicity and class, leading to diverse experiences.

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#MeToo Movement

What impact has the #MeToo movement had on gender inequality?

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Impact

It raised awareness and addressed sexual harassment and assault in workplaces globally.

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Feminist Perspectives

Name three feminist perspectives on gender inequality.

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Perspectives

Liberal feminism, radical feminism, and Marxist/socialist feminism.

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🌸 Understanding Gender and Social Inequality Quiz

1. Which of the following is NOT a cause of the gender pay gap?

Equal pay legislation has helped reduce pay gaps but has not completely eliminated them.

2. What does vertical occupational segregation refer to?

Vertical segregation involves the glass ceiling effect where women are less represented in senior roles.

3. Girls generally outperform boys in overall educational attainment. (True or False)

Girls tend to achieve higher levels of education overall, though boys dominate some STEM-related subjects.

4. Which feminist perspective links gender inequality to capitalism?

Marxist and Socialist feminism see capitalism as exploiting women’s labor and reinforcing gender inequality.

5. Name one major social movement that has increased awareness of gender-based violence.

The #MeToo movement.

6. Which factor contributes most to women’s greater share of unpaid domestic labor?

Persistent cultural expectations about women’s role in family caregiving largely contribute to this imbalance.

📊 Results

  • Notes and Quiz
  • Sociology
  • AS Level
  • Social Inequality
  • OCR