Gender and Power

Gender
Refers to the different ways men and women play in society, and to the
relative power they wield.
Power
It is a basic fabric of society and is possessed in varying degrees by social
actors in diverse social categories individuality of one person or group of
people becomes so dominant that freedom for the other is compromised.

Women and children have often been on the abusive side of power
Some causes that are often referred to are:
The greater physical strength that men tend to have creates
the imbalance of power between men and women resulting
from social structures and historical practices in regard to
finances, education, roles of authority and decision making.
The abuse of power by men and the failure of cultural
pressures to prevent such abuse.
Distorted view of sexuality and the objectification of the

female.
Max Weber in his Essay in Sociology,
He defined power as the likelihood a person may achieve
personal end despite possible resistance from others.
He also considered ways in which power can be achieved
through justice.
As a group women are at a distinct disadvantage when
considering both power and authority.
Determinants of Power
a. status resources
b. experience
c. self- confidence

Males and female have had differing amounts of power a person.

By virtue of the males greater ascribed status in society, men have
more legitimate power (based on rank or position) than do women.

The issue of womens power, relative to men, is not merely

academic. Gender differences in power have real consequences for
women. For example, although women have made significant gains
in the workplace, with more women working than in the past and
women possessing approximately a third of all management
positions, women continue to experience wage discrimination, be
excluded from the most powerful executive positions, advance more
slowly in their careers and experience fewer benefits from obtaining
education or work experience, and are included in fewer networks
and exert less authority than men in similar positions.

GENDER AND EDUCATION

The past decade has witnessed a significant increase in the importance

accorded to education, with both instrumental as well as intrinsic
arguments made for increasing financial investment and policy attention

to education provision.
Investing in education is seen as one of the fundamental ways in which
nation states and their citizens can move toward long term development

goals and improve both social and economic standards of living.

The education of women is seen as providing the key to securing
intergenerational transfers of knowledge, and providing the substance of

long term gender equality and social change.

School also reinforce gendered social roles. Researchers have
documented the differential treatment accorded males and females in the
classrooms that reinforces a sense of inferiority and lack of initiative
among female students.

Technological University of the Philippines Cavite

CQT Avenue, Salawag, Dasmarias City

Industrial Education Department

In Partial Fulfillment of BTTE 3

Social Dimensions of Education

Submitted By:
Potante, Crizel N.
Submitted To:
Prof. Maria Dolores M. Adrineda