{"id":134850,"date":"2022-01-19T12:10:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T11:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=134850"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:04","slug":"gender-inequality-ignites-fiery-discussion-in-lecture-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/01\/19\/gender-inequality-ignites-fiery-discussion-in-lecture-hall\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender inequality ignites fiery discussion in lecture hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sociology master\u2019s students explore ideologies behind gender inequality in family life. “We like to think that our Western society is so emancipated regarding gender equality. In fact, we still have a lot of gender patterns to break through.”<\/p>\n

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The division of labour in family life depends on a number of factors.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Lecturer Renske Verweij is in the C1-1 lecture theatre. She is preparing a PowerPoint presentation and is checking once more whether her wireless microphone is working properly. Everything is in order. Twelve students trickle in, an impressive number compared to other hybrid lectures that EM<\/em> has attended in recent months.<\/p>\n\t

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Lecture: <\/strong>Families and Inequalities (Wednesdays 1pm in C1-1)<\/p>\n

Lecturer: <\/strong>A team of lecturers comprising Pearl Dykstra, Bonnie French and Renske Verweij. Verweij delivers the lecture today.<\/p>\n

Subject: <\/strong>Why and how the difference in the division of labour based on gender came about.<\/p>\n

Audience: <\/strong>Master students of Sociology. Twelve enthusiastic students are in the audience, the rest watches from home.<\/p>\n

Reason to follow: <\/strong>The lecture is interactive and dynamic. Students are given plenty of space to share and discuss their opinions.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Traditional gender ideology<\/h2>

Verweij starts the lecture with a drawing of a female hunter from prehistoric times. \u201cTraditionally, women are almost always relegated to a caring role by society. But recent research shows that prehistoric women did not fit into that image at all,\u201d she says. \u201cLike men, women also hunted. So, the division of labour was different from what we are familiar with today.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Like men, prehistoric women also hunted.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The lecturer then explains that the division of labour that they are discussing today covers household tasks, care for the children and paid work. \u201cActually, in most heterosexual relationships, the division of labour is fairly equal until children come into the picture,\u201d she states. After a couple has children, the caring role tends to fall on the shoulders of women. From an economic point of view, this is fairly logical, as men usually earn more and they are often better educated than women. \u201cHowever, the gender ideology that society has also plays a major role here,\u201d Verweij adds.<\/p>\n

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Internalisation of the gender role happens early in the upbringing.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPauline Wiersema<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

A student raises her hand. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting that you say something about gender ideology,\u201d she says. \u201cJust look at what your nephews and nieces get for their birthdays. Girls are almost always given play kitchens or baking stuff, pink or not \u2013 cute, but very gender-affirming. My nephews, on the other hand, always get something cool and technical, like cars or machines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d Verweij responds. \u201cGood point. Your story is one example of the internalisation of the gender role. I must say that I do see small changes taking place. Toy shops, for example, are starting to offer toys gender-neutrally in brochures. You therefore see girls playing with cars and boys with dolls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Also a nice lecture<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t