FEMINIST THEORY ON

STRATIFICATION
By Elbernezer Andrew
 Radical feminists believe that sex and gender are significant factors of social
stratification.
 They argued that patriarchy is the most important concept of in explaining
gender inequalities and women’s social position.
 To them, men are similar to the ruling class where as women are seen as the
subjective class, which continues dominance and subordination.
 Such of oppression brings about unity in among women regardless of social
class.
 Miller, (1970) argued that sex is ascribed and almost impossible to change.

RADICAL FEMINIST VIEWS ON SOCIAL

STRATIFICATION
 Gender is seen as the primary source of identity and people react to others first as men
and women rather than in terms of class membership. This forms the basis for a rigid
system of stratification whereby relationships between men and women are structured by
power since one group ( men) controls the other group ( women). This relationship
reinforced through the economy, family, education and religion.
 Miller purported that women have accepted dominance as given. Such is argument is
supported by the Eichler, 1980 who stated that gender stratification is real and that the
relationship between men and women is that of master and servant where the male is
dominant and benefits most from the relationship and the woman is subservient.
 Women’s subordinate position in society is linked their relationship to the means of
production .

RADICAL FEMINIST
 According to Miller socialisation play a key role in shaping gender
stratification. Men are socialised to have a dominant character, which provides
them with a higher social status.
 This in turn leads them to occupy social roles in which they can exercise
mastery of women.
 The economic dependency of women on men confers upon them a caste like
status, Placing them outside of the class system.

RADICAL FEMINISM
 In capitalist societies men are rewarded higher wages, more prestige and
greater authority in the work place (Bonvillian, 2006)
 Early feminists viewed gender as an individual attribute or as part of the role
that was acquired through socialisation.
 Contemporary feminists defines gender as a system of social practices that
creates and maintains gender distinctions and inequalities.
 They believe that gender is produced and reproduced .
 Gender inequality is seen as a product of a complex set of social forces and is
found in expectations that guide social interaction and in the structures and
practices of the institution.

RADICAL FEMINISM
 Both the socialist and the Marxist feminist criticized Millers work on gender
and stratification.
 According to Shelia Rowbotham, 1979, the term patriarchy suggest universal
or biological cause for male- dominance and fails to explain the particular
circumstances which have produced male domination in its current forms.
 It ignores the multiplicity of the ways in which societies have defined gender.
 The assumption that all men exploit women is questioned by Rowbotham.

CRITICISM OF RADICAL FEMINISM ON

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
 Mustapha, N. ( 2018) Sociology for Caribbean students. (3rd edition). Ian
Randle Publishers.

REFERENCE