FEMINISM TO SOCIOLOGY

Contribution of Feminism to Sociology

Contribution of Feminism to Sociology

Introduction

The topic under study provides an account of the contributions of feminism to sociology. Experts and theories from sociology indicate that men still dominate the field of sociology. The reason for this is not only the low participation of women in this field but, also negligence that women get leaves sociology as male dominant field. For this reason, contributions of feminism to sociology have not been significant in the past. The traditional work of women was limited to housewives to serve the family (Calhoun, 1995, p.173).

In this paper, we attempt to look at the contributions of feminism to sociology. Today, even after several decades of formal establishment of sociology, many of the societies are still dominant by males. However, during recent years, more women in this field have started to contribute a lot.

Discussion

Feminism in Sociology

For the past decades in sociology, the role of women has been transformed. At first, in prehistoric cultures, the role of women was collecting while the man was in charge of the hunt. More recently in sociology, women were considered as just the care taker of children, only bad economic conditions, she looked for work outside the home, which was always lower than men's wages. Changes in the labour market, especially since the industrial revolution and the great wars of the twentieth century allowed women greater immersion in the labour market and work at better places that required a higher educational level. This change has allowed women to make significant contributions in sociology.

Contribution of Feminism to Sociology

Historically, the role of women was confined to household and childbearing activities. Preservation of tribal honour through female modesty and segregation of the sexes contributed important social values. Women maintained a passive role even when the men were absent, when they went pearl diving. In several cases, women owned property that they inherited from their father. During the days of sea trading, the owners of some merchant ships were women, but they were inactive in trade because they always conducted their business through male representatives. Some women who needed an income for themselves and their children engaged in pursuits such as raising chicken and sheep, sewing and healing. Women also engaged in selling honey and woollen cloth that they weaved (MacKinnon, 1989, p.71). Thus, the activities of most women cantered around the home and children, with few exceptions. The preceding description of historical roles is similar to the one that has been reported for women in general.

Contribution of Feminism in the Labour Force

As the educational profile changed, the demand for the labour of women increased concomitantly. The labour force participation rate of women increased sevenfold from 2 percent in 1965 to about 14 percent in 1985. Their percentage in the workforce increased from about 3 percent to 20 percent over the same period. Given the traditional values concerning segregation of the sexes, it was (and still is) considered desirable to employ female teachers in female ...