Sociological Perspective on Gender Stratification: Conflict Theory

Conflict Theory

• Conflict theory posits that social stratification is dysfunctional and harmful, with inequality perpetuated to benefit the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor.
• In patriarchal societies, men's perspectives and contributions are considered more valuable, leading to the silencing and marginalization of women.
• Radical feminism evaluates the role of patriarchy in perpetuating male dominance.

Feminist Perspective

• Intersectionality suggests that biological, social, and cultural categories, including gender, race, class, and ethnicity, interact and contribute to systematic social inequality.
• The oppression and marginalization of women are shaped not only by gender but also by other factors such as race and class.

Conflict Perspective

• Conflict theory argues that men, as the dominant gender, subordinate women to maintain power and privilege in society.
• Men can be seen as the dominant group, and women as the subordinate group, with men working to maintain their power and status.
• Social problems are created when dominant groups exploit or oppress subordinate groups.

Friedrich Engels

• Engels studied family structure and gender roles from a Marxist perspective.
• He suggested that the same owner-worker relationship seen in the labor force could also be seen in the household, with women assuming the role of the proletariat.
• When women become wage earners, they gain power in the family structure and create more democratic arrangements in the home.

Interactionist Perspective

• From a symbolic interactionist perspective, gender is produced and reinforced through daily interactions and the use of symbols.
• Meaning is produced through the interactions of individuals, and these meanings are derived through social interaction.

Erving Goffman and Control

• Social interaction is a face-to-face process that consists of actions, reactions, and mutual adaptation between two or more individuals.
• Goffman emphasized the importance of control in social interactions, with individuals attempting to control the behavior of others.

Symbolic Interactionism

• Symbolic interactionism aims to understand human behavior by analyzing the critical role of symbols in human interaction.
• The meanings attached to symbols are socially created and fluid, rather than natural and static.

Gender as Performance

• Gender is performed through daily interactions, and gender identities are socially constructed, reproduced, and reinforced.
• The sociologist Charles H. Cooley developed the theory of the "looking-glass self," which argues that an individual's perception of themselves is based on how society views them.
• Gender is maintained through accountability, with men and women expected to perform their gender roles to the point that it is naturalized.