narutobirama said:I heard women are paid less than men. In what kind of jobs?
Jobs that are often done by a lot of men are paid better, because they're either very physically demanding, or even dangerous. For instance, construction work.
Jobs done by a lot of women pay less, because they require more social skills and are (relatively) less physical intense. For instance, being a nurse.
Of course, if either sex works in either jobs, they get paid the same.
Also, are they paid less because they work less or are they paid less for same work?
They can be paid less because they work less (for whatever reason that may be), but it can also be a matter of skill (experience), education, or just how long they've been working for the company.
Does majority of feminists want to erase concepts of sex or gender differences?
I think most feminists (especially the third-wavers) believe that anything a man can do, a woman can do, too, and that men and women are more alike than we're led to believe.
Does majority of feminists believe that there are no relevant differences between males and females, anatomy aside?
I think this depends on the type of feminist you're talking about. I think that the 'older' feminists (like Christina Hoff-Summers) are well aware that there are significant differences between men and women beyond the anatomical differences.
However, the current group of feminists (the ones that get talked about a lot) are firmly convinced that there is no difference between a man and a woman at all (aside from the obvious). For example, to them there is no such thing as a 'female brain' (kin the sense that women think and behave differently than men).
Does majority of feminists want women to be treated in the same way as men?
The previous generations of feminists do, The third-wavers are more in favor of female dominance over men, and some are quite open about that.
Are there things they don't won't women and males to be equal in?
I don't really know, and some contradict each other. One half would want women to do the same work as men, no matter how physically demanding it is, but the other half would want things to be the same as it is now, and still get all the benefits they claim they do not have now.
Why do feminists believe this inequality started and lasted so long? Were they manipulated physically, mentally or in some other way?
It is a fact that women have been oppressed for a very long time. Up until the mid-20th Century, women were seen and treated as being the mothers and caretakers, while men were the hard workers and the ones being taken care of by the women. Women didn't even have the right to vote.
This ultimately got a lot of women angry, thus the feminism movement was born (or rather, got more recognition [I think the movement existed long before that]). They started fighting for equal rights, and over the course of a few decades, they pretty much got everything they wanted – they got the right to vote, they got the right to apply for almost any job they wanted (except for [some parts of] the military, and perhaps a few other jobs, too), and women eventually made it into powerful positions (like, being the CEO of a company, or a political leader).
In which case, should women really be treated like males?
I think each sex/gender should be treated as people, first and foremost. No side is either inferior or superior, and thus, they should be treated as equal. There is little value in treating people as something they are not, or treating them beyond their capabilities.
However, this also means that the people themselves need to be clear on what this treatment entails, and that if someone doesn't do that, they should be allowed the chance to correct that first, before any tougher means are sought out (e.g., a lawsuit). |