Paradox Of Gender Equality Research Articles

The Gender-Equality Paradox: Class and Incongruity Between Work-Family Attitudes and Behaviors

Most women and men at the upper end of the social-class continuum express greater desire to share paid and unpaid labor equally, whereas less educated couples with less skilled occupations and less money tend to voice more enthusiasm for specialized gender roles. But the behavior of many couples does not align fully with their attitudes, thus leading them to live unexpectedly egalitarian or nonegalitarian lives. I argue that this gender-equality paradox is explained by social structures related to the organization of work and family that act as potent counterforces to attitudes. After reviewing the literature on social class, gender-egalitarian attitudes, and behavior, I develop a theory of lived and spoken gender egalitarianism to explain these patterns.

The paradox of gender equality: an entrepreneurial case study from Sweden

PurposeInformed by socialist feminist theory, the purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of societal factors such as governmental policies, labor market structure, social norms, and gender ideology on the experiences and practices of women small business owners in Sweden.Design/methodology/approachUsing qualitative data gathered during four months of fieldwork in Sweden, the analysis focuses on the case of Malin Andersson, the founder of a domestic services company, to show how individual situations are intimately connected to the larger social, political, and economic environments.FindingsThe analysis demonstrates how the complexities of gender and class dynamics interact with business endeavors in a capitalist society with a strong social democratic political system. In particular, the paper shows how Malin Andersson's experience of entrepreneurship is at the nexus of many social forces, creating many contradictions and paradoxes to understanding her experience.Originality/valueThe theoretical framework and empirical evidence suggest that paying attention to the socio‐economic‐political context is vital to illuminate the contradictions inherent, but often overlooked, in women's experience of entrepreneurship in different situations.

Social Forces Shape Math Attitudes and Performance

Debate has continued throughout the last decade over the existence and possible causes of differences between males' and females' mathematical skills. Several observations recur as the focus of this controversy. First, adolescent boys have been found to score higher than girls on standardized mathematics achievement tests.' Second, males are more likely than females to engage in a variety of optional activities related to mathematics, from technical hobbies to careers in which math skills play an important role.2 Third, adolescent males typically perform better than their female