Social Theories and Gender Stratification
Social theories are essential for supplying the necessary data that illuminates and makes it easier to analyze contemporary social processes. Thus, disagreements over the most reputable and trustworthy procedures as well as the superiority of either a social construct or agency in the past have given rise to social theories. Charlotte Gilman, a well-known feminist theorist who concentrated on the subject of gender stratification, is one such theorist. In the majority of her writings, Gilman made the case that the gendered division of labor, particularly in historical American culture, was primarily caused by economic arrangements. She emphasized that the financial arrangements of the time produced sexuo-economic arrangement in which two classes were present. Men belonged to the master class while women found themselves within the subordinate class. While Gilman acknowledged the role of meaningful work as the core foundation of personal realization, she also viewed the male domination pattern as being founded on their need to be acknowledged by another (Appelrouth & Edles, 2016). This theory is still applicable in the contemporary world today concerning the minority status of women.
Progress and Inequality for Women
In almost all regions of the globe, women have made significant progress towards equality with men. However, women in Europe and America have seen much of the advancements. Previously during the industrialization period, women and children were degraded more so in factories as sources of cheap labor, an occurrence that has so far seen tremendous improvements. Despite these developments, women still experience considerable inequalities that parallel Gilman's theory that illustrates the alienation of women and their subsequent isolation to areas that are relatively non-productive. Although confinement to households has reduced dramatically, isolation to certain work positions and wages are still common occurrences. According to Chu & Posner's (2013) article in the Center for American Progress, the wages women receive are much less compared to that of men, standing at 77 cents for each dollar earned by a man. Likewise, the positions held by women both politically and in the employment sector supports Gilman's theory that men still belong to the master class and women in the subordinate one. As such, only 18.1% of women in Congress were elected as of the year 2012 while the rest were men (Hughes, 2013).
Evidence of Sexuo-Economic Arrangement
In a research conducted by Grant Thornton firm in the year, 2013 showed that women cover 24% of senior management levels. This may be a good sign, but it is tainted by the fact that only 16% of board members in the G7 economies are women. Simply put, in a country like Japan, 93 out of 100 senior positions are men while the figure is 80 in the United States (van der Gaag, 2014). Apparently, the minority status of women has improved significantly although there are still equality challenges that require being addressed promptly. The sexuo-economic arrangement is still evident despite the continuous advancements made over the years as women don't have power in particular areas yet.
Conclusion
Gilman's logical solution concerning the economic emancipation of women through opportunities to work and earn income has worked, and the current situation offers sufficient proof. Likewise, the idea of rearranging the household rationally has also facilitated the women to engage in more productive work outside the home. Although the status of women has gained ground, male dominance is still rooted to the sexuo-economic arrangement, leading to the gendered division of labor as observed in terms of wages, political office and senior management positions held by women versus those held by the men.
References
Appelrouth, S., & Edles, L. D. (2016). Classical and Contemporary Social Theory. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Publishers.
Chu, A., & Posner, C. (2013, September 25). The State of Women in America. Retrieved from Center for American Progress: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2013/09/25/74836/the-state-of-women-in-america/
Hughes, M. M. (2013). The Intersection of Gender and Minority Status in National Legislatures: The Minority Women Legislative Index. Legislative Studies Quarterly, 489-516. doi: 10.1111/lsq.12025.
van der Gaag, N. (2014, September 29). Women are better off today, but still far from being equal with men. Retrieved from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/sep/29/women-better-off-far-from-equal-men
