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The growth of capitalism and the decline in government help with social reproduction along with cuts to social serves within Canada have lead to many issues within the privet sector. These cut backs leave families struggling, and while the family struggles the main care taker who is majority of the time the women, they are also the ones struggling with more responsibilities in the privet sphere of life. However, the home is not the only place that deteriorates when cut backs take place. When the individual struggles in the privet sector, the public sector along with employment and work take a toll as well. While the women tend to be the care givers of the home they skill contribute to a capitalist society meaning they are now working two jobs. They take care of the home, and still tend to a job in the public aspect of life. Until improvements are made in both privet and public sectors through social reproduction many areas in Canada will continue to suffer. The book Social Reproduction focuses on specific issues that are happening in Canada. Chapter four is specific to the topic on social reproduction and the issues that it causes to Canadian individuals, along with how unions are working to change the government to better help the people of Canada. I will focus on how chapter four entitled Bargaining for Collective Responsibility for Social Reproduction by Alice Wolff, deals with the material at hand and also if I believe Wolff presents the material in a well mannered argument. I will start off by looking at what issues Wolff presents in this chapter, and move on to the difficulties it is causing individuals, while finishing off with a critique of the chapter.
Social reproduction to Alice Wolff is an important issue that is ...
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... would have brought a real life situation at hand for those who are reading about this topic for the first time. I enjoy how the entire chapter focuses specifically within Canada which gives us as Canadians who are reading it a realisation of where Canada stands on this issues and where we possibly need to go. Another area I think she could have spent some more research on would have been how social reproduction differs between the different cultures we have represented in Canada. Canada especially has many different cultures and nationalities represented throughout; it would have been interesting to see how things differed from each culture. Overall I believe Wolff did a great job with the topic and I agree with what she has stated and how it is important to get this message out to others so that possibly soon we can find a way to help relive work-life tensions.
During the late nineteenth century, the notion of ?separate spheres? dictated that the women?s world was limited to the home, taking care of domestic concerns. Women were considered to be in the private sphere of society. Men on the other hand were assigned the role of the public sphere, consisting in the participation of politics, law and economics. Women in the meantime were to preserve religious and moral ideals within the home, placing children on the proper path while applying valuable influence on men. The idea was that the typical middle class woman would teach children middle class values so that they too will enjoy the luxuries and benefits in the future that the middle class has to offer (Lecture, 10/17).
Canadian workplaces today seem to be a fairly diverse place, with a blend of many religions, ethnicities, and genders present. However, although people preach affirmative action and melting pots in current times, many inequality and power issues still abound. One strikingly noticeable example is gender discrimination. Women in the workforce face many challenges like smaller wages, harassment, male privilege in hiring or promotions, and lack of support when pregnant or raising children. One half of the planet is women, and it can be assumed the same for Canada, but they still face judgment at work because they lack the authority to dispute against big corporations or even their male supervisor. It cannot be argued that Canadian women’s status has worsened over the past hundred years, of course, thanks to feminism and activism. However, their status is not as high as it could be. Women as a group first started fighting for workplace equality during the second wave of feminism, from the 1960s to the 1990s. Legislation was approved during the second wave to try to bring gender equality to the workplace. Feminists both collided and collaborated with unions and employers to ensure women received fair treatment in an occupation. Quebec had the same issues, only the province approached the conflict differently than English Canada with its own unique viewpoint. It became clear that women were entering the workplace and did not plan on leaving. Second-wave feminism in Canada shifted power from the government and businesses to women in order to try to bring equality, although the discrimination never completely disappeared.
Developed countries have often pride themselves as role models on issues of social equality to developing countries; however, gender, ethnic, and class disparity is prevalent in ‘wealthy’ countries. More importantly, it is implicit in that citizens believe that social equality exists, but in actuality disadvantaged individuals and groups still face several obstacles in reaching such equality. This paper will specifically focus on gender inequality in Canada. Canada is a country that has deemed itself as a progressive society due to its multicultural and hospitable character in which legislati...
Social reproduction is the reproduction of cultural, human, and social capital in society. Therefore languages, traditions, cultural values, education, food security, and social circles are passed down from one generation to the next through Karl Mannheim’s concept of “fresh contact” and through society as a whole. Social reproduction is effective when social structures and equality within society are maintained. Inequality, poverty, and social changes that force society to adapt can impede the process of social reproduction causing what is known as a “crisis in social reproduction” (Wells, 2009). Born into Brothels demonstrates a crisis of social reproduction that negatively impacts the lives of children living in Sonagachi as a result of globalization, neoliberal policies, poverty, lack of adequate education and social structures to pass down capital, and the stigma of prostitution. Additionally, it shows the need for children to make economic contributions to their families that prevent them from leaving the brothel.
However, social conditions made it less feasible for families to live this way. As the 1960s approached and consumption was in high demand, women were yet again, forced to join the work force; but only a quarter of the women joined the workforce, whereas in the 1990s about “two-thirds of women who had children were in the work force (Coontz 55). Coontz (1997) explains how by 1973, “real wages were falling for young families, and by the late 1970s, government effectiveness had decreased (Coontz 54). It was because of economic factors that the nuclear bread-winning family could only be a lifestyle a few can afford. Nonetheless, women joining the workforce created a new understanding of women-hood, changed women’s status in society, and created conflict within the household. Women did not have the time to complete all the household tasks which contributed to the increased divorce rates, but left women happier due to the fact that they had that ultimate
This chapter discusses The Evolutionary Perspective, Genetic Foundations, reproductive Challenges, and Heredity-Environment Interactions. Natural selection is the process by which those individuals of a species that are best adapted survive and reproduce. Darwin proposed that natural selection fuels evolution. In evolutionary theory, adaptive behavior is behavior that promotes the organism’s survival in a natural habitat. Evolutionary psychology holds that adaptation, reproduction, and “survival of the fittest” are important in shaping behavior. Ideas proposed by evolutionary developmental psychology include the view that an extended childhood period is needed to develop a large brain and learn the complexity of human social communities. According to Baltes, the benefits resulting from evolutionary selection decrease with age mainly because of a decline in reproductive fitness. At the same time, cultural needs increase. Like other theoretical approaches to development, evolutionary psychology has limitations. Bandura rejects “one-sided evolutionism” and argues for a bidirectional lin...
Karen Bridget Murray’s article, “Governing ‘Unwed Mothers’ in Toronto at the Turn of the Twentieth Century”, is a valuable reference into the struggles and triumphs of social welfare for unwed mothers. For me the article highlighted how government ideologies influence social welfare, how important the change from religious reformers practices to social work was and finally how appalling it is that the struggles and barriers these women faced are still relevant to single mothers today.
The social problem underlying childcare in Canada is the operation of childcare providing agencies. Most agencies in the childcare sector operate illegally without approval of the respective government agencies such as the state or the federal government. The death of a two-year-old girl in Vaughan, Ontario was a revelation on how illegal daycare homes could be of serious consequences to the lives of many children. After the Vaughan incident, it was clear that Canada needed an elaborate childcare policy and universal program that prioritize the safety and well-being of children in childcare agencies. Childcare in Canada is also a social problem in a manner with which families handle the matter. The poor outcomes fr...
McDonald, P 1984, Can The Family Survive? - Change in Australia, Discussion Paper no. 11, Australian Institute of Family Studies, accessed 10 April 2012 http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/dp11.html
Patricia Hyjer Dyk talks about poverty and how it complicates the family life. On the other hand, Stephanie Coontz focuses on how families have changed from the 20th century to the 21st century; focusing on the negative and positive aspects of both. Dyke doesn’t talk much about how the family system and the earning system has changed, while Coontz focuses on that; however, in both the authors’ articles, women and their role in the society are significantly covered.
This essay will explore the socio-economic background affecting Regina and the circumstances she faces within her life. In addition to this, I will examine the Sociological model of Social class in comparison to why Regina finds herself in the specific social position that she is in, as well investigating the contributing factors that are associated with social class and health issues. The definition of Sociology described together with the Social Class Model itself. Firstly I will provide a brief picture of Regina’s situation; Regina is a 23 year old single mother of a two year old son. She lives on her own in council accommodation in Bridgeton. Since the age of 8 she has suffered from arthritis, this can be extremely painful at times and needs on-going help from her mother and best friend to care for her child. Due to her health conditions Regina is unable to work therefore receives state benefits. The benefit reform is causing worry for Regina. Additionally Regina and her ex-partner are disputing child visitation issues. Although Regina receives multi-disciplinary help for her arthritis, she is concerned about the instability of her illness and now feels socially isolated and depressed.
The women of Canada are still working hard at home but there are their men, following right behind with a basket a laundry. Researchers report that the idea of the "women’s job" is losing common interest as both the wife and her husband challenge the ancient rules about gender-based roles. Research shows that lots of fatherly parents are doing the diaper duty more now than ever. And in the number of relationships in which the females are usually the primary source of support is now three in ten. Even though the idea of the mothering continues to spread thru-out cultural messages related to parenthood, the Canadian house household, little by little, is enclosing on the idea that "gender doesn’t define domestic destiny". "There
Today, many women choose their own lifestyle and have more freedom. They can choose if they want to get married and have kids or not. Coontz said “what’s new is not that women make half their families living, but that for the first time they have substantial control over their own income, along with the social freedom to remain single or to leave an unsatisfactory marriage” (98). When women couldn’t work, they had no options but to stay with their husband for financial support. Working is a new way of freedom because they can choose to stay or leave their husband and make their own decisions.
As claimed by the editors of our Anthology, “The forces of Urbanization and Industrialization that led to the decline of slavery also undermined traditional roles for women”. Men and women have been viewed as totally playing different roles in the society, women who are deemed to be the weakest of the two sexes and also more vulnerable should be relegated to the home where she’ll only play the roles of a wife,mother and reproductive item.
Women’s subordination within the labour market is seen by Marxist feminists as suiting the needs of capitalism as women are considered a ‘reserve army of labour’ as they are a more disposable part of the workforce. According to Beechey (1986) women are a cheap ‘reserve army of labour’ that are brought in during economic booms but then thrown out during slumps. Women are often not members of trade unions and are prepared to work for less money as their wage could be a second income. This benefits capitalism as a group of unemployed people looking for work creates competition and exploitation. Employers are given an advantage which allows them to reduce wages and increase the rate of exploitation. Benston (1972) supports this as women are used to benefitting the operation of the capitalist economy by carrying out unprepared work in the home. This proves that patriarchy dominates women which leads to women’s subordination. Hartmann (1981) believes that patriarchy and the economy both play a crucial role in explaining and understanding gender inequality. Historically, men have controlled women especially by control of labour power. This can come through legislation that operates economically to the benefit of men, for example Maternity and Paternity Rights. This proves that patriarchy and economics together explains gender inequality. However, Walby (1986) argues that women staying at home can actually harm capitalism because if women were to compete for jobs with men this would lower wages and increase profits. Women who earn also have superior spending power which would boost the economy and benefit