Women's Studies and Communication Studies: Key Concepts

Women's Studies: Key Concepts

There are a number of evolving key concepts which continue to help Women's Studies develop as an academic discipline. First, there is a general consensus that American society, as well as many others throughout the globe, is dominated by male-driven power. This has created a patriarchal hegemony, where men dominate society and in turn oppress women in a number of differing ways.

A double standard is a concept referring to a different set of standards held by society regarding the behavior of men and women. Research suggests that "in feminist analysis, men's power to define the content of formal and informal behavioral cultures means that the criteria or standards used to evaluate and regulate women often differ from those used for men" (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004, p. 51). Because our society is dominated by a male-driven hegemony, double standards typically restrict the behaviors of women in comparison to men. There is a negative stigma and a sense of marginalization associated with the gender role of females.

Gender itself is a term thought to be a culturally constructed concept, in contrast to sex, which denotes the physical sexual attributes of an individual. Gender is a societal term, and thus gender roles are generated by the cultural norms of a particular society. This reinforces stereotypes in that women are socialized to embody particular roles that are feminized.

Feminization is another major key term, especially in discussions of the feminization of poverty. Research suggests that "since the 1960s in the United States, the poor have been more likely to be single females, members of female-headed households, and elderly females than their male counterparts" (Tierney, 1999, p. 489). This has contributed to the growth of what is known as the feminization of poverty, where the male-dominated society has come to associate limited financial capability with women through persistent stereotyping. Thus, male dominance has subjugated women based on these restricted gender roles.

Women's Studies: Current Theories

Most of the current theories within Women's Studies are organized into three general categories: psychodynamic theories that consider early attachment problems, conflict, and/or sexual repression as primary; learning theories that favor a conditioning model; and social/cultural feminist theory, which tends to recognize a general cultural praise for certain feminine traits (Tierney, 1999, p. 65).

Feminist theory is one of the oldest frameworks at work within Women's Studies. It outlines the concept of society as a patriarchal one, in which women hold a marginalized role based on their perceived inferiority as deemed by the male elite. It provides a foundation for understanding why gender discrimination and inequality are so prevalent in our society and others.

Queer theory is a major theory that was born out of Women's Studies. It essentially agrees with the key concept that gender is a socially constructed element. However, queer theory further posits that gender is not fixed — it represents a fluid and changeable role constructed of a myriad of various elements. The ultimate goal of the theory is to help dismantle conventional gender roles and identities that are restrictive to those who do not fit directly within a labeled category.

Additionally, there is now what is known as postmodern feminist theory. According to the research, "postmodern feminists have emerged as academic feminists who deconstruct the category 'woman' in order to show how gender is a performance rather than an essential characteristic of an individual body" (Tierney, 1999, p. 480). Essentially, this theory builds upon the growing concept that gender is a socially constructed topic and that it rarely reflects the actual biology of sex.