Conflict Theory and Gender Inequality

In mind the Gap: Gender Pay inequality in America (http://youtu.be/mrXKx03QxL0v),  BBC enlightens viewers that even though the Equal Pay Act was passed, gender inequality still exist in the workplace. Furthermore, Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for Education and Employment at the NWLC states that, inequality still exist due to discrimination and the concentration of low-pay jobs. It is absolutely true that discrimination plays a huge role in gender inequality; but understanding how discrimination came to exist is necessary to explain the persistence of inequality, not just in the work place, but within the functions of society. This inequality can be explained in many ways, but my view is going to be concentrated specifically on the conflict theory. For a better understanding of the Conflict Theory, please watch the given light video:

According to Conflict Theory, society is defined by the struggle for dominance between social groups that compete for resources. In relationship to gender, Conflict theory explains that gender inequality came to exist because the men are trying to maintain power and privilege at the cost of the women’s benefit. What do I mean by this? If we take a quick tour of the history of the United States, it is quite obvious that men are continually seen to be the dominant group in society; in a hunter-gather system, being a hunter (i.e. man) indicated the abilities and powers of the male relative to the gatherer (i.e. woman). This allowed for the man to be known as the significant “breadwinner” in the family, as he was able to provide meat onto the table (which was seen as being dominant).

If we travel to the early 20^th century, gender inequality continues to exist, but in a different form. The hunter-gather systems have been replaced by a household system, in which the same ideology of Conflict Theory can be applied. Women can be seen as the submissive (proletariat), while the men can be seen as the dominant (bourgeois). This is due to the static ideology that the women are dependent on men for wages (since men are the breadwinners that provide money for the women).  So, what does all this history tell us about the continuing gender discrimination in the work place (in terms of wages)? As I’ve stated before, men, who have constantly been in power in the past, are continuing to maintain the power that they had. The struggle between the men (trying to maintain power) and the women (trying to gain power) is exactly the cause of the inequality in the workplace. In terms of Conflict Theory, the man is defined as the “thesis”, while the woman is defined as the “antithesis”; the thesis and antithesis are in opposition to one another, and thus struggle pursues. But, eventually the compromise is reached between the two groups, which allows for another “thesis” and “antithesis” to appear.

Take an example to clarify this situation. Before the 1800s, women were not allowed to work for wages; women were in-home housewives that had the duty to take care of the children and prepare a meal for the man, when he came home from work. In this case, the gradual conflict between the “thesis” (working men” and the “antithesis” (housewives) lead to compromises, such as the Women Suffrage Movement that allowed the woman to finally work for her own wages (and vote) in the mid-1800s. However, now that a compromise has been found (i.e. the woman begins to work for her own wages), a new conflict appears: gender inequality in the work place. Gender inequality exists in the workplace due to the ongoing conflict between the man, who wants to express his control, and the woman, who wants to express her equality. In the 21^st century, where the women have found a compromise with the men to obtain her own wages, Conflict theory states that there is a new struggle. This struggle is the difference in wages between men and women, which eventually will also reach a compromise. Such is evident in the case where women are making 90 cent for every dollar a man makes (described in BBC news). So, of course gender inequality persist in society today (not just the workplace); Conflict Theory tells us that there is always a battle between “good-and-evil”, “men-and-women”, and that a compromise will eventually be found. But in the end, another conflict will occur.