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Feminist Theory Paper

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Gender inequality is a huge issue in American society today. Not only are women treated as the lesser of the sexes, anyone who does not adhere to their ascribed sex role is judged and seen as different in a negative light. Society in the United States has placed constraints on gender and sex. The United States operates under the concept of sexual dimorphism: there are two sexes, male and female (Ryle, 2015). This idea is further restricted when one considers sex roles, or the expectations of an individual based on their ascribed sex (Ryle, 2015). Men are expected to take on more masculine, breadwinning positions in the home and women are expected to be caregivers. A stereotype exists that women are lesser than men in many ways, especially physically. This leads to women receiving lower pay in the workforce. Females who have families are less accepted in the workplace because the opinion that they belong at home taking care of the children still exists in “traditional” subcultures. …show more content…

Feminists advocate for equality among the sexes. One subsect of feminist theory is liberal feminism, which notes inequalities between the sexes are caused by social institutions (Ryle, 2015). A social institution doesn’t always have to be a workforce or school, although those are examples of social institutions. One social institution that might be overlooked is the family household. In all of these settings, gender inequality exists and is both taught and reinforced. The liberal feminist theory argues that basic rights should be afforded to all humans in modern society, no matter what sex they are (Ryle,

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