Why have gender categories? could we eliminate them?
Do gender categories serve the purpose of identifying dominant/subordinate
genders?
Oppression: Iris Young's categories
class exploitation: transfer of results of labor from one group
to another
Marxist view: if everything exchanges
at its value, profit is not possible
profit is made possible
because worker sells labor power to capitalist
does not sell labor
power at its value because of power differentials
no real choice: must
work for capitalist because of relations of production.
Existence of this form of exploitation depends on
idea that your work is worth more than you are paid.
marginalization: people the system of labor cannot or will not use; dependency becomes a reason to deny respect
powerlessness: lacking authority, status and sense of self that professionals have; denial of respect
cultural imperialism: dominant groups have more access to mass media; define their experience as universal, experience of others in relation to theirs
violence: committed by individuals, but occurs because of social context in which some groups are despised.
Individual vs. institutional racism: any individual can have racist ideas, but only dominant group can act effectively to oppress others on basis of those ideas.
Discussion: Do these forms of oppression describe our society?
Are they inevitable, or can we do something to change them?
Do racism/sexism benefit anyone? Do we need the category of race?
Why do we find it central to defining 'who we are'?