Essentialists have long argued that women’s bodies are more suited to reproduction and domestic work in the private domain. This view of the gendered division of labour as the natural order of society was expounded by the Enlightenment philosopher Kant, and subsequently by sociologists such as Durkheim. It is the case that patriarchy, as a product of modernity, normalised the status-fate of females in nascent capitalism. Scientific arguments consigned women’s bodies to a lower status than males in society, and biologically explained their fate of domestic servitude, child-bearing and the rearing of children in the private sphere. In contrast, the economic modes of 19th century industrialisation demanded the labour of male bodies, whilst neuro-science contended that the larger male brain provided evidence of their suitability to intellectual and political pursuits.
Beck (2010) argues that in the risk society of late modernity females have status-fate freedoms and more choice. Financial capitalism, and work in the service sector, has blurred the division of labour that once regulated gender relationships. Females have new opportunities to improve their occupational status and are free to make individual choices regarding intimate relationships and biological reproduction. However, with more choice comes more risk. Deindustrialisation has contributed to increasing male unemployment, in contrast to rising female employment, and consequently a crisis in masculinity. Reduction of the patriarchal controls that once stabilised society, nurtures the growth of male insecurities and uncertainties about their social status. As a consequence, females have to negotiate their newfound freedoms alongside fears of male violence in the private domain, and risks caused by gender inequality in the public sphere.
Please comment on this post by referring to examples that critique Beck’s notion of status-fate freedom in the modern risk society. Remember that males have also been released from their status-fate roles.
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Crenshaw (1991) contends that females experience interlocking forms of oppressions. Her concept of intersectionality argues that gender inequalities cannot be examined in isolation of class and race, as these concepts overlap. Therefore, women experience patriarchal oppression unevenly trough the prism of their bodies. The concept of intersectionality is demonstrated in Fenton’s (2016) study of British Muslim women, who are attempting to access the labour market. She argues that Muslim females face a double-bind gender discrimination in the employment process. As women, they have to cope with gender and class discrimination. However, their race and culture add another dimension to their embodied oppression, which their White counterparts do not have to cope with.
Please comment on this post by suggesting how other forms of oppression might intersect with those of gender, race and class, and provide examples of the contexts in which they operate.
SOCIAL ACTION SOCIETY C.I.C. 
even after the labour division has been blurred the upper echelons of the labour market is still completely controlled by gender, the pay gap, lack of childcare, lack of opportunity for promotion have all left the labour market still completely in favour of men.
gender, race and class discrimination is apparent in most environments within the labour market and the rest of society, these can intersect with age. as people especially women getting older their power and capital in the labour market weakens and especially if they choose to have a child, this can lead to them loosing more and more status and capital within the workplace.
Louis
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Disability can play a part in oppression in regards to intersectionality as the pay gap will be widened due to the alternating factors outside of gender. This will in turn lead to the discrimination of multiple sectors in society when applying for work as these individuals will be overlooked due to there circumstances which will make the person socialised into the self deprivation as they cannot go further in life which will clearly show the class divide ultimately leading mark theory of bourgeoisie exploiting becoming apparent.
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Beck’s notion of status- fate freedom can be seen in many aspects of society. For example women are now able to work and earn an income for themselves as opposed to relying upon their husband being the sole breadwinner. However coinciding with this empowerment for women has created a new range of risks which have befallen them. For example, due to the individualistic nature of this movement women are financially more vulnerable both in the private and public domain as there has been a growth in domestic abuse arguably due to the emancipation of men and women are also oppressed in the work place as seen by the gender pay-gap. However one may argue that men have also seen a change with status- fate freedom for example as they can now take on the nurturing role and let the woman be the breadwinner.
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Becks notion of status- fate freedom in the modern risk society. Women have more freedoms such a financial freedoms that shift notions of femininity, however this has still got its criticism with the gender pay gap still being an issue in for women. Women also feel the pressure of working and still having to look after the children and the house.
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An important idea in sociology is Ulrich Beck’s concept of “status, fate, freedom” in the context of contemporary risk society. According to Beck, new sources of social distinction associated with risk have taken the place of conventional social hierarchies based on status. Here’s a quick analysis: Value to Contemporary Society: Beck’s theory applies to modern society, when concerns about globalisation, the environment, and technology threats have taken centre stage. Conceptual Ambiguity: Some claim that Beck’s framework has conceptual ambiguities. It’s not always obvious what “status” really means or how “risk” takes its place. Individualization Is Overemphasised: Beck’s theory favours individualization above social institutions. Although individual agency is significant, it may overshadow the function of organisations and group efforts in risk
management. Neglect of Intersectionality: When discussing how class, race, and gender interact with risk, Beck’s theory frequently leaves this aspect out. It might not sufficiently address the ways in which risks disproportionately affect some groups of people.
In conclusion, Beck’s “status, fate, freedom” theory offers insightful perspectives on the problems facing modern society, but it is not without criticism, especially when it comes to conceptual clarity, how it handles social structures, and how it handles intersectionality.
A concept known as intersectionality shows how many oppressions interact and intensify in particular situations. Language, age, immigration status, religion, body size, and sexual orientation are a few examples.
LGBTQ+ people may experience discrimination because of their gender identity, colour, or class in the workplace, housing market, or healthcare system. Because of their disability, race, and class, disabled people—especially those from marginalised backgrounds—may encounter obstacles in the areas of education, work, and healthcare. Because of their age, gender, and class, older women from particular racial and socioeconomic groups may be more vulnerable financially. It is essential to comprehend these various facets of identity in order to challenge structural injustices.
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In today’s lecture we looked at oppressed societies and Becks theory around a risk society.
How women and the body is presented within society? Under a patriarchal bourgeois society the bodies of women contributed to the natural order of social life this was through the private sphere of the household with biological reproduction and domestic work being women’s industrial doings.
Beck used the views around capitalism and the nuclear family to understand a society without these forms of identities and how this could in turn become a society of risk. Beck saw that first modernity with these social identities of the nuclear patriarchal family gave certainty, however, beck identified that second modernity gave uncertainty. This can be argued through the sense that detraditionalisation is creating a society of uncertainty with our social-cultural identities being influenced by the loosening of traditional gender bonds, affecting the ways in which our societies are shaping us.
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Economically essential to post-war Britain, black women were actively recruited from the Caribbean during the Windrush Generation. Despite necessity these women experienced both racial and gendered oppression.
Both white and black females were typically limited to undertaking women’s employment, with many victims of sexism within patriarchal institutions. However, whilst white women shared experiences of gender discrimination, they did not have those which intersect with being considered racially inferior. Black women faced employment and housing discrimination alongside racial abuse.
Within the UK ‘there remains an almost three-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women from black ethnic backgrounds compared to white women.’ (Ox.ac.uk, 2020) This racial bias existing within healthcare is often underrepresented within maternal feminist campaigns.
White women will typically focus on advocacy around their labouring and birth. Concerns often centre towards choices regarding institutional locations and pain relief availability, with lesser, if any, consideration to their morbidity.
Ox.ac.uk. (2020). Maternal mortality 2020-2022 | MBRRACE-UK | NPEU . [online] Available at: http://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/data-brief/maternal-morality-2020-2022
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During the Windrush Generation black women were actively recruited from the Caribbean, economically essential to a post-war British workforce. Despite this necessity, their experiences of both racial and gendered oppression became normative.
Both white and black females were typically limited to undertaking women’s employment, often victims of sexism within a patriarchal institution. While white women share the experience of gender discrimination, they do not have those which intersect with being considered racially inferior. Black women faced employment and housing discrimination alongside racial abuse.
Within the UK ‘there remains an almost three-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women from black ethnic backgrounds compared to white women.’ (Ox.ac.uk, 2020) This racial bias existing within healthcare is often underrepresented within maternal feminist campaigns. White women will typically focus concerns around advocacy on intervention during labouring and delivery. Their considerations are primarily regarding birthing location and pain relief availability with lesser, if any, towards their potential morbidity.
Ox.ac.uk. (2020). Maternal mortality 2020-2022 | MBRRACE-UK | NPEU . [online] Available at: http://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/data-brief/maternal-morality-2020-2022
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During the Windrush Generation black women were actively recruited from the Caribbean, economically essential to a post-war British workforce. Despite necessity experiences of racial and gendered oppression became normative.
Females remained limited to undertaking women’s employment, often victims of sexism within a patriarchal institution. Whilst white women shared the experience of gender discrimination, they did not have those which intersect with being considered racially inferior. Black women faced additional employment and housing discrimination, alongside racial abuse.
Within the UK ‘there remains an almost three-fold difference in maternal mortality rates amongst women from black ethnic backgrounds compared to white women.’ (Ox.ac.uk, 2020) This racial bias existing within healthcare is often underrepresented within maternal feminist campaigns. White women will typically focus concerns around advocacy on intervention during labouring and delivery. Their concerns often centre on birthing location and pain relief availability with lesser, if any, towards their potential morbidity.
Ox.ac.uk. (2020). Maternal mortality 2020-2022 | MBRRACE-UK | NPEU . [online] Available at: http://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk/data-brief/maternal-morality-2020-2022
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