Feminism

• Background– Biological differences

• Testosterone – majority of violence, criminal acts are committed by men

• Men are– 9x more likely to have been in prison

– 10x more likely to commit a murder

• Brain function

Feminism

• Background– Psychological Differences

• Men tend to identify with work/career

• Women tend to identify with relationships

• Men tend to make decisions through authority structures, women through consensus

• Men are more aggressive, women more relational or social

Feminism

– Sociological Differences• Evolution of gender roles in hunter/gatherer

societies

– History of oppression of women, misogyny– Patriarchy: Rule by men– Changes in the last 150 years

• Industrial revolution

• WW II

• Contraception

Rosie the Riveter

By J. Howard Miller

Positive Impacts of Feminism

• Women’s abilities to do most things as well as men recognized

• More freedom from narrowly prescribed gender roles for both women and men– Women allowed to take initiative in dating– Men take more of a role in childcare and

household tasks

Objections to Feminism

• Denigrates women’s traditional roles as mothers and homemakers

• Is associated with leftist, socialist, statist economic and social policies

• Ignores real differences between men and women

Feminism

• Some studies claim women make 70 cents on the dollar compared to men. – Overt discrimination– Years taken off for child bearing and rearing– Predisposition towards lower paying “helping”

professions (less valued because done by women?)

– Less aggressive/ambitious, “invested” in job?