Division of labor occurs not only in the formal workplaces of the world, but also in the informal spheres of work. Domestic duties are often sharply divided by gender, with women commanding the bulk of domestic chores, duties, roles, and corresponding positions of power. The power of women in the domestic sphere is limited, though, confined to that realm and not transferable to the public domain. Men's power in the public, political, and economic dimensions is far more transferable. Therefore, women's power and influence in households is distinct from the power and influence of men in the economic and political spheres. Women remain marginalized in public and formal positions of power. In societies in which the public and private divide is less clear, and when there are more blurred lines between the public and private domains, women do enjoy a higher overall status in the society ("Domestic Worlds and Public Worlds"). When the public and private spheres are sharply divided, women are relatively isolated not only from the "outside" world but also from each other. Their power is also restricted to the domestic dimension, conferring a great deal of authority on the men in those women's lives due in part to lack of access to other social and hierarchical models. In societies in which public and private are woven together, women have higher status partly because they are able...
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now