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Chapter 15. A Feminist Future: Goals, Actions, and Attitudes. __________________________. Feminist Goals. Goal one: Gender equality in organizational power Gender differences in organizational and interpersonal power continue to limit women’s advancement in the workplace
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Chapter 15 A Feminist Future: Goals, Actions, and Attitudes __________________________
Feminist Goals Goal one: Gender equality in organizational power • Gender differences in organizational and interpersonal power continue to limit women’s advancement in the workplace • More and more women must attain levels of power currently held by men ___________________________
Feminist Goals Goal two: Gender equity in relationship power • Men continue to hold more interpersonal power relative to women • Women would benefit by having a greater voice in dating decision making and a more balanced division of household labor ___________________________
Feminist Goals Goal three: Gender equality in power for all groups of women • Women are disadvantaged by gender inequality of power and also by differences within genders • We must ensure that increases in female power benefit all women, regardless of ethnicity, class, disability/ability, sexual orientation, or age ___________________________
Feminist Goals Goal four: Greater flexibility in the social construction of gender • Most gender behaviors and roles are shaped by interpersonal, societal, and cultural expectations, not by biology • Power imbalances also guide the social construction of gender (Howard & Hollander, 1997) • More flexibility in the construction of gender is needed ___________________________
Actions to Achieve these Goals Research and teaching • Greater knowledge of differences in interpersonal and societal power can help clarify the role that power imbalance plays in women’s lives • Understanding the psychology of women enlightens us about the ways we construct gender in our lives • Research and teaching about the experiences of diverse women can help dispel myths and stereotypes • Research and teaching must include a broader scope of topics and attention to diverse women’s experiences _____________________________
Actions to Achieve these Goals Socialization of children • Parents can bring up children so that preferences and skills, rather than gender, are the defining characteristics that guide development • Allows for expansion of the range of activities, behaviors, and roles from which the child, and later the adult, could choose • Leads boys to develop a greater understanding and respect for behaviors and roles traditionally associated with females • Minimizes the extent to which people view and evaluate others on the basis of a rigid construction of gender ___________________________
Actions to Achieve these Goals Institutional procedures • Institutions can initiate practices that reduce gender inequality and create hospitable environments for both women and men • Educational institutions • Religious institutions • Media • Health care institutions ____________________________
Actions to Achieve these Goals Individual actions • Individual efforts are used by many women to achieve success and better their own lives • Work hard • Assert one’s rights • Seek out opportunities for advancement • Make sacrifices if necessary ___________________________
Actions to Achieve these Goals Collective action • Women, both individually and in groups, should strive to empower all women, not just themselves • Advocate for social change • Address the concerns of diverse groups of women • Examples of collective action • Enhancing women’s motivation for social activism ___________________________
Feminist Beliefs Feminist identification • Support for women’s movement has increased since the 1970s, but proportion of American women who identify as feminists remains low (Houvouras & Carter, 2008) • Ethnicity and feminist identification • “Egalitarians” (Zucker, 2004): Reject the feminist label but support the goals of feminism • Concerns with negative images associated with feminism and feminists • Perception that gender equality has already been achieved (Houvouras & Carter, 2008) • Think feminist identification implies collective action, but themselves prefer individual efforts ___________________________
Feminist Beliefs Emergence of feminist beliefs • Women’s studies courses • Grow up with feminists in family • Personal experiences that highlight awareness of living in sexist society ____________________________
Feminist Beliefs Men and feminism • Men’s movements • Pro-feminist men ___________________________
Postscript Two cautionary notes • Knowledge about psychology of women is situated in a particular time in history • Teaching does not take place in an ideological vacuum ____________________________