PowerPoint Presentation
How the visibility of women determines their
subordinationProblems of Inequality and Power
DEFINING VISIBILITYVISIBILITY IN POLITICSThe Feminist
PerspectiveGetting the Vote A Global ContextA Canadian
ContextVISIBILITY IN THE LABOUR FORCEThe Feminist
PerspectiveOccupational SegregationThe Glass CeilingNonstandard
WorkVISIBILITY IN MEDIAThe Feminist PerspectiveInvisibility Through
CariacturesInvisibility Through NumbersCONCLUSIONREFERENCESTable of
ContentsClick on the headings to following the hyperlinks to the
relevant slides
For the purposes of this presentation, visibility is defined as
the degree to which women are visible, or invisible, in public
positions and the type of presentation.
According to feminist theories, patriarchal structures favour
mens participation in politics, the economy and culture,
establishing womens subordinate positions in these spheres (Brym,
2011).
As will be made evident in this presentation, womens
invisibility in these spheres functions to maintain their
subordinate positions. VisibilityReturn to Table of Contents
Getting the VoteVISIBILITY IN POLITICSIn Canada, women had the
right to vote across all provinces, expect for Quebec and the
Northwest Territories, by 1925 (Brym, 2011). Quebec granted women
the vote in 1940 and the Northwest Territories granted women the
right to vote in 1951 (Brym, 2011). However, this right did not
extend to minorities as late as 1960 (Brym, 2011).Women were
granted the vote on the basis that they would exercise their right
to vote on issues related to the private sphere (as citied in Brym,
2011). Return to Table of Contents
The Feminist PerspectiveWomens participation in politics is
restricted as politics is considered to be a male sphere. Women are
thus discouraged from participating in politics and making the
changes in policy required to elevate them from their
positions.
VISIBILITY IN POLITICSThis maintains the status quo where male
domination is held in place by social conventions that limit female
participation.
A Global ContextIn the U.S., women only comprise 20% of Congress
while making up 51% of the population (Newsom & Acquaro, 2011).
Globally, the more developed a country is, the lower the gendered
difference in voting participation (Henderson & Jeydel, 2010);
women and men vote in equal numbers. VISIBILITY IN POLITICS71
countries have had female heads of states (Newsom & Acquaro,
2011). Overall, womens participation in politics is increasing in
developed and developing nations (Henderson & Jeydel,
2010).
A Canadian ContextIn the mid-70s, women comprised 4% of MPs
compared to 2008 when they comprised 22% of MPs (Brym, 2011).The
NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have the highest number of women
representatives, whereas the Progressive Conservative party has the
lowest number of women representatives. VISIBILITY IN
POLITICSHowever, most women elected occupy the lower ranks in the
party and minorities as still underrepresented (Brym, 2011).
Nancy Pelosi shares a story about her induction as the first
female Speaker of the House of Representatives (Harvard University,
2013).
The Feminist PerspectiveWomens labour is devalued and exploited
in a patriarchal society. Occupational segregation, limiting womens
rise to higher positions and womens participation in nonstandard
work contribute to maintaining an imbalance between the genders
where men enjoy more economical privileges. Because womens labour
is devalued occupations dominated by women, such as nursing, also
have lower pay, prestige and power.
VISIBILITY IN THE LABOUR FORCEReturn to Table of Contents
Occupational SegregationThe top three most common jobs for women
are cashiers, registered nurses, office clerks (Brym, 2011). In
contrast, the top three most common jobs for men are truck drivers,
retail managers, janitors (Brym, 2011). Overall, women are more
likely to be employed in care-giving positions such as teaching,
and nursing than men who are more likely to be employed in labour
intensive occupations and in managerial positions. Occupations with
greater levels of female concentration are often associated with
lower pay, prestige and authority (Brym, 2011). Occupational
sex-segregation occurs as a result gender stereotypes . For
example, women participate in occupations centered around care
giving (nursing) because women are considered to be more
nurturing.VISIBILITY IN THE LABOUR FORCE
The Glass CeilingThe glass-ceiling refers to the invisible
barriers which women face that prevent them from occupying the
higher levels in organizations. In 2012, women were CEOs of 18
companies that were listed on the Fortune 500 (Bosker, 2012).Women
are less likely to supervise men compared to men who are more
likely to supervise both genders (Brym, 2011). VISIBILITY IN THE
LABOUR FORCE
Nonstandard WorkNonstandard work includes part-time work,
part-year employment, contract work, employment through agencies,
holding multiple jobs and self-employment (Brym, 2011). It also
provides less pay, less job security, and fewer fringe benefits
(Brym, 2011). More women are employed in nonstandard work than men
participate because they are more likely to be caretakers for
children and other family members (Brym, 2011). A division of
labour also exists at home where women remain largely responsible
for child care and housework (as cited in Brym, 2011). In fact, men
not only perform fewer childcare duties and housework than their
female companions but married men with children earn more than
married women with children (Steinem, 2014). VISIBILITY IN THE
LABOUR FORCE
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg discusses the different
expectations between men and women regarding child care in her TED
talk (TED, 2010).
The Feminist PerspectiveNowhere is patriarchy as evident as it
is in media. Media is controlled by men and made for male
consumption (Newsom & Acquaro, 2011).Representations of women
are limited not only in their diversity but also the amount of
screen time given to female characters.Women are rendered invisible
by the caricaturized versions of women that are represented in
media instead of real women. Women are literally rendered invisible
by their lack of visual representation in media. As such, media is
a patriarchal social structure that ensures that women remain in a
subordinate position by controlling the type of representation and
amount of representation.
VISIBILITY IN MEDIAReturn to Table of Contents
Invisibility Through Caricatures Women in the media are often
objectified as sexual objects, and represented in limited roles,
ages and ability (Newsom & Acquaro, 2011). Women are rarely
portrayed as protagonists and when they are, they are sexualized
for the male viewer; take Catwoman for example (Newsom &
Acquaro, 2011). Womens stories are dependent on the men in their
lives whereas male characters follow their own destiny (Newsom
& Acquaro, 2011). By adhering to stereotypes, the media ensures
the invisibility by displaying a caricature of women instead of
representing women as complex characters with diverse abilities,
agency and goals that do not center around men.
VISIBILITY IN MEDIA
Invisibility Through NumbersWomen are represented in fewer
numbers than men. More men are invited as guests on news and talk
shows than women; on average 67% guests are men (as citied in
Gibbons, 2012). 81% of experts that appear on news outlets are male
(as citied in Gibbons, 2012). This under-representation isnt
surprising when you consider the number of women in higher
positions in the industry. Women comprised 9% of directors and 15%
of film writers in the top 250 grossing films of 2012 (Newsom &
Acquaro, 2011). Women also only comprise 36% of newspaper staff and
14% of radio staff (Sneed, 2014).
VISIBILITY IN MEDIA
ConclusionPolitics, the labour market and media intertwine with
each other. Womens participation in the political sphere is limited
by their labour and the stereotypes represented in the media.
Labour participation is determined by public policies and media
stereotypes. Media stereotypes are maintained by the lack of women
participating in politics or progressing in the labour
marketAccording to feminist theory, equality between the genders
will not be achieved until the social structures maintaining the
inequality are addressed. What can we do? From a feminist
perspective, the social structures that maintains patriarchy have
to be changed. Affirmative action, policies that support equal pay,
policies that support care-giving, and policies that control the
exploitation of womens bodies in the media all serve to rectify
existing patriarchal conventions. Return to Table of Contents
ReferencesBosker, B. (2012, May 7). Fortune 500 list boasts more
female CEOs that ever before. Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/07/fortune-500-female-ceos_n_1495734.html
Brym, R. (2011).New society. (6th ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson
Education.
Gibbons, S. (2012). Industry statistics. Media Report to Women.
Retrieved from http://www.mediareporttowomen.com/statistics.htm
Harvard University. (2013, October 31). House Democratic Leader
Nancy Pelosi on Women in Politics. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE80bAw_Y-8
Henderson, S., & Jeydel, A. (2010).Women and politics in the
global world. (2nd ed.). New York. NY: Oxford University Press.
Newsom, J. (Director) & Acquaro, K. (Director). (2011). Miss
Representation [Documentary]. USA: Girls' Club Entertainment
Sneed, T. (2014, February 19). Women underrepresented in media
across platforms, report finds. US News. Retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/02/19/women-under-represented-in-media-across-platforms-report-finds
Steinem, G. (2014). Our revolution has just begin.Ms.
Magazine,24(1), pg 27-31.
TED. (2010). Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4Return to
Table of Contents
