GSWS 101: Mid-term

'modern dad' moment

'modern dad moment' considers men to lack the ability to be primary caregivers. Popular culture has assumptions about what men can or cannot do. There is a stigma that women run the house, and when men try, they fail. For example, if a dad goes to a grocery store and does not know what to buy, he is having a 'modern dad moment.' There is also an assumption that when males take on a female role, they are not 'manly' or not 'working as hard'

Liberal feminism

Addresses unequal access to education, jobs, and income. Roots for education and law policies that will get women into positions of power. In other words, giving women access can change the world. Greater access to power for some women will result in equality for all women.

Anti-suffrage

Argued that women are too emotional to vote, as only men are rational. There was also a fear that voting would "de-sex" women, as they would become more masculine by the experience. As a result, men would not marry them. Also, anti suffragists worried that household harmony would be destroyed, as having women voting would destroy gender hierarchy. In other words, the husband should represent the wife.

Gender/sex binary

Binaries divide on the basis of two opposing categories. Current feminist theory argues that the binary opposition of sex and gender is too simplistic and problematic. It leads to people starting to believe things are "normal" or "abnormal." It also limits imagination and justifies power.

Women's Washroom Problem/gender inclusive washrooms

Both are examples of substantive equality. Ann Tran performed a study and found that in order for washroom regulation to be equitable, the toilet ratio should be 40 for men and 60 for women. This can be due to various factors, but it shows that certain groups of people may require different needs than others. Gender inclusive washrooms allow transgender people to feel safe in public restrooms. Also, it makes it more convenient for others. For example, if a father is with his young daughter, or if an aid is caring for a disabled person of the opposite sex.

Caring labour

Caring labour is looking after and responding to the needs of others. It is traditionally seen as a woman's responsibility. It includes things like housework, looking after infants, and carrying for the elderly. Some may argue that it is "natural" for women to perform such tasks.

commercialized bodies

Commercialized bodies refer to consumer capitalism. People are always looking for ways that they can "improve" their bodies. Therefore, people need to be told and reminded of body ideals. There is a profit made from people's desire for constant improvement, and perfection is often advertised as attainable, so that it becomes seen as "normal" rather than "ideal"

cultural construction of beauty

Cultural construction of beauty refers to beauty and attractiveness as a currency. In other words, if you make it happen you can trade it for something more valuable, like money, fame, status, or love. It considers time, culture, and cultural consensus. It also considers the gender beliefs and socio-economic structures within a society.

disciplined bodies

Disciplined bodies refer to the culturally educated view of what is 'normal.' The norm is constantly changing, and is learned from birth through culture and how we as people are treated. People are disciplined to conform to standards. As a result, there is a fear of stepping outside the standard, as it reminds people that not all bodies are perfect.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity is a common heritage or culture. It was once understood in terms of race. It involves physical attributes, and refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language.

Family economy

Family economy refers to both parental units working together. Paid and unpaid labour is both seen as valuable. Both financial stability and housework are necessary for the survival of the family unit. Home and work were often in thee same location; however, increased dependence on wages separates home and work so that labour that is done for money is now seen as "work"

Gender and power relationships

Femininity is relatively devalued in opposition to masculinity. For example, when men enter so called "female professions" like nursing, wages go up. When women enter so called "male professions" like banking, wages go down. This shows the imbalance between the value of males and females in society.

First Wave Feminism

First wave feminism refers to an organized women's movement for equality in the 19th century. Women advocated for suffrage. They also fought for access to higher education and professions, as women were not able to attend university. In addition, women fought for the right to own property.

Gender and Social construction

Gender socially is considered as including masculinity and femininity. It is shaped by culture and history. It is not inherent, as it can change over time.

Gendered time gap

Gendered time gap is the amount of time women and men spend doing unpaid domestic labour. In the late 1900s, women were spending more than twice the amount of time doing unpaid labour in comparison to men. Although recently the men's time has increased and women's have decreased, women still generally spend more time doing unpaid work. The gap persists but is narrowing. This holds true even when partners are doing full-time jobs.

individual racism

Individual racism is the concise belief in racial superiority of one group over another.

systemic/institutional racism

Institutional racism is a system of power relations. It normalizes differential treatment and is based on group characteristics. For example, Systematic racism is built into social policies, institutions, and everyday life.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is the interconnection of multiple systems of oppression, including race, gender, sexuality, disability, and class. It includes elements of both privilege and oppression, to gain awareness.

Intersex

Intersex references people with reproductive genitalia chromosome markers outside the male-female sexual binary. Only 2 % of people are intersex. It results in shame, secrecy, and guilt, as it violates deeply held cultural beliefs. Medically, an intersex person would be assigned to one sex by doctors and treated with surgery and hormones. Most decisions were based on genital markers.

Substantive Equality

Involves equal benefits of policy, freedoms, and laws. Acknowledges differences in experience and access to resources. The reason behind substantive equality is that treating everyone the same when people have differences in experience or resources might deepen inequality.

Formal Equality

Involves equal protection and treatment, as in everyone is treated the same. Means equal civil rights, freedoms and liberties. Includes equal opportunities in voting, pay, freedom of speech and assembly. It has limitations as everyone is treated like the "norm." For example, the fight for equal pay ignores home makers and people with disabilities.

caregivers

Live in caregivers are mostly female, from the Caribbean or the Philippines, and perform domestic work only. They have to 'live in' with their employers and gain permanent residency after 4 years.

Maternal Feminism

Maternal feminism is the quest to "clean up" the public spheres and give women a chance to bring feminist values to politics. The public spheres refer to the opposite stereotypes between women and men, such as the assumption that men should be public and out in the world and that women should be private and confined at home. Maternal feminism's goal is to better support the values of womanhood and motherhood.

myths of control

Myths of control refers to the preventing of inevitable things like age, illness, disability, and death. It allows people to think that if you work hard you can achieve the ideal body. It is an individual responsibility that people hold within themselves. As a result, people who remind us of realities make us uncomfortable.

objectified bodies

Objectified bodies are bodies which are used and manipulated for another's pleasure. It separates the mind and personhood from the body. Women in particular are often turned into an object or think to be enjoyed by others. For example, women are often seen posing naked or in erotic positions as a way to cater to men's sexual exploration. Objectification leads to alienation, as it pulls people away from seeing humanity.

"personal is political"

Part of Radical Feminism, which addressed that oppression of women by men is the root of all inequality. Personal is political means that personal and individual issues are social problems. For example, domestic violence is a result of women being kept unequal to men, not an individual problem between husband and wife.

"sisterhood is powerful"

Part of Radical Feminism, which addressed that oppression of women by men is the root of all inequality. Sisterhood is powerful means that women work together, separately from men, to combat male oppression. Women held a separate feminist movement. Activism of radical feminism led to things like shelters for women and day-care centres.

Gender as performance

People can learn to display gender through norms and practices that signal masculinity and femininity. Colours can be an example of this, as pink is usually associated with girls and blue with boys. Another example is drag queens. They signal gender by dressing, acting, and presenting themselves in a certain way.

"preferred" vs. "non-prefferred" immigrants

Preferred immigrants were the in the "middle" of the racial hierarchy. They were usually Eastern Europeans, who were assimilated into "Anglo" culture. Non-preffered immigrants were not assimilated, but rather were expected to do short term cheap labour. For example, Chinese immigrants worked on the railways and were charged the 'Head tax" as a way to prevent their families from immigrating. There was also White Women's Labour Laws which prevented sexual relationships between Chinese men and white women.

Race

Race is a socially constructed classification of humans based on skin colour and physical characteristics. It involves unchangeable and inherited behavioural traits. In the 18th century, European imperialism resulted in a racial hierarchy. This hierarchy meant that some people deserve to have power and some people deserve to be ruled. Racial hierarchy conditions politics and immigration policies.

Radical feminism

Radical Feminism is the belief that oppression of women by men is the root of all inequality. Patriarchy exists because men benefit from it. It addresses the oppression enacted through marriage, family, and childbearing. Radical feminists want to smash monogamy and free women from roles they are expected to take over time.

Socialist feminism

Socialist feminism claims that inequality is rooted in capitalism. Capitalism is the main beneficiary of women's inequality.

standardized beauty

Standardized ideals of beauty are a result of narrow vision. For example, women should be thin, feminine, young, white, and healthy, and men should be muscular, masculine, young, white, and healthy. It ignores diversity and change. It also blures the lines between idealistic and realistic representations. As a result, the 'ideal' becomes considered the 'norm'

Temporary Foreign Workers Program

TFWP allows foreign workers to fill jobs that are not being filled by Canadians. They usually are employed as agricultural workers, or as live in caregivers. The two jobs contain the assumption that men are better suited for physical labour, while women are better suited for domestic work.

Indian Act and Indigenous women

The Indian Act was a federal act that made indigenous people 'wards of the state.' Women lost their status if they married non- aboriginal men, but men did not loose theirs if they married a non-aboriginal women. Women also lost the right to vote. Children lost their status, and the Indian Act aided in the creation of Residential Schools. Violence towards indigenous women also became a problem.

Concealment model of care

The concealment model of care allowed Intersex children to undergo surgery and hormones without being told about their procedures. an intersex person would be assigned to one sex by doctors and treated with surgery and hormones. Most decisions were based on genital markers. When activists began to address how unethical this was, the Intersex society of North America was formed.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers

The seasonal agricultural worker program allows temporary workers, usually men, from Mexico and the Caribbean only to work. However, they cannot stay perminately. The assumption remains that men are better suited for physical labour.

Sex-typed occupations

There are evident gender divisions in most occupations. Men and women tend to gravitate towards certain types of work. This brings about controversy as to what is seen as "valuable work." For example, jobs which are seen as extensions of domestic or female roles, such as working with kids, tend to be payed lower wages. What does this say about the value of female-dominated professions such as child care? It is devalued even when it is such an essential part of society.

Transgender and Cisgender

Transgender is when a person's gender identity does not correspond to their assigned gender. Cisgender is when a person's gender identity corresponds to sex assigned at birth. Transgender people undergo a lot of scrutiny, and many are verbally or physically harassed. Transgender activists argued that inequality might come from the inability to acknowledge that there are categories outside of female and male.

Two Spirit

Two spirit is a sex-gender system in some Indigenous communities. Indigenous peoples may use the term two spirit to refer to people who are intersex, and also to feminine males or masculine females. In other words, two spirited people house both a feminine spirit and a masculine spirit. Indigenous communities also may use the term to identify homosexuals.

Income/wage gap

Wage gaps is an issue that is still present in today's society. Historically, women made 50-60% of male wages. Currently, women earn 79% of men's wages. The higher level of education a job requires, the lower the wage gap. Also, jobs with younger employees and union jobs have lower wage gaps. Female-dominated jobs, such as childcare, where 97% of employees are female, the pay remains very poor.

"whiteness"

Whiteness is treated as a social construction rather than a biological category. It is challenged as normative, and is clearly communicated in society as preferable. It refers to the category which confers particular benefits or privileges. Whiteness is not treated as a race, but rather as a norm, where as blackness or brownness are automatically put into racial categories.