Margrit Eichler

The other Half (or More) of the Story: Unpaid Household and Care Work and Lifelong Learning

Looking at how adult educators see adult learning, we would expect to see family and housework front and center as an area of utmost importance. Consider the following: Informal learning is the truly lifelong process whereby every individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience and the educative influences and resources in his or her environment — from family and neighbours, from work and play, from the market place, the library and the mass media (Garrick, 1996).

Science fiction as desirable feminist scenarios

Synopsis Science fiction books are interpreted as one form of scenario writing which, although at present overwhelmingly sexist, nevertheless holds the promise of developing non-sexist scenarios for the future. Five feminist science fiction scenarios are identified and discussed. Although the fictional societies are maximally different in terms of size, level of technological development, and organizational complexity, they all exhibit a radical equalitarianism. It is suggested that sex equality is only thinkable in a context of overall equalitarianism. This, in turn, suggests that the most fruitful strategy for improving the condition of women consists in a general effort to level social differences rather than in particularistic strategies addressed only at women. It suggests further that there should be a potential (although at present not actual) natural alliance between the feminist movement, civil liberties movements, and the ecological movement (which can be interpreted as equalitarianism in assessing present vs future needs).

Power and Sexual Fear in Primitive Societies

Various aspects of the relationship between power and sexualfear are examined. It is originally hypothesized that female inferiority is positively correlated with the prevalence of taboos concerning female sexuality. This hypothesis is disconfirmed and an alternative hypothesis, that male superiority is positively related with concern for male genitals, is examined. The revised hypothesis is confirmed. It is concluded that in general there is a positive relationship between power and the prevalence of sexual fear evoked by powerful persons. This involves a reinterpretation of taboos concerning female sexuality as indicators of high rather than low status. Finally, the androcentric bias in cross-cultural data collections is discussed and criticized.

The origin of sex inequality. A comparison and critique of different theories and their implications for social policy

Synopsis That the sexes are unequal, nobody will dispute. What precisely the differences between the sexes are is a more difficult question to settle. And how these differences, such as they may be, originated is even more difficult to determine. Nevertheless, theories concerning the origin of sex differences serve as a major vehicle for justifying particular policy recommendations concerning the status of women. It is therefore of crucial importance to critically examine the various competing explanations of the etiology of sex inequality and to determine the relationship between different theories and policy recommendations. This paper will therefore try to: (1) identify and differentiate between the major types of theories concerning the origin of sex inequality; (2) criticize these theories; (3) examine the policy recommendations they lead to, and (4) examine the logical connection between theories concerning the origin of sex inequality and policy recommendations in principle. Any theory concerning the origin of sex differences has at least two components: it identifies what the major sex difference(s) is(are), and it explains its(their) emergence. Both components are, of course, linked to each other. Different identifications of sex differences lead to different explanations of their origin. We can typologize theories concerning the origin of sex inequality either on the basis of the major sex difference whose origin is explained or on the basis of the type of explanation. Here we shall classify the theories on the basis of the logic of the explanation rather than on the basis of the nature of the sex difference that has been defined as most important. The four different theoretical approaches that will be discussed are (a) the evolutionary theory, (b) the biological theory, (c) the economic theory, and (d) the cultural theory. In each instance, we shall draw on at least two major proponents. Any one author, however, might easily fit into more than one category.

The Impact of Labor Force Attachment on Political Participation A Reconsideration

Labor force attachment is currently seen as a major factor in increasing political participation of women. This article critically examines the data and methods of studies that have postulated a causal connection between lábor force attachment and political participation and argues that at present there is no conclusive evidence of such a relationship. It then proposes three sub-hypotheses: (1) Lack of labor force attachment will have a negative effect on mens political participation; (2) housewives with working class husbands will have a lower political participation than female blue-collar workers; and (3) housewives whose husbands are of the professional and managerial class will have the same low level of political participation as housewives whose husbands belong to the working class. All three sub-hypotheses are then tested with some recent Canadian data and shown to be false. It is concluded that we must identify factors other than labor force attachment to explain the level of political participation.

Family Shifts: Families, Policies, and Gender Equality

1: From the Patriarchial Model to the Individual Responsibility Model of the Family. 2: Social, Economic, and Legal Trends Affecting Families. 3: The Blurring of Spousal Roles. 4: Uncertain Parental Roles. 5: Internal Contradictions - Why the Individual Responsibility Model Cannot Work. 6: From Refurbishing the Past to Abolishing the Family - Three Proposed Solutions. 7: The Social Responsibility Model of the Family. 8: Practical Applications of the Social Responsibility Model