Development can lead to new ways for previously exploited groups to improve their situation. It can also cause powerful groups to feel threatened by changes and lead them to assert what are seen as traditional attitudes and practices.
Development can affect gender inequalities.Applying material from Item K, analyse two ways in which development can affect gender inequalities.
AQA
A Level
2024
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Essay Outline: Development and Gender Inequalities
This essay will explore the complex relationship between development and gender inequalities, with a focus on how development can both reduce and exacerbate these inequalities. The essay will draw on evidence from Item K and explore two key arguments:
1. **Development can lead to new opportunities for previously exploited groups, including women, to improve their situation.**
2. **Development can also lead to a backlash from powerful groups who feel threatened by these changes, resulting in the reassertion of patriarchal values and practices.**
Introduction:
Introduce the topic of development and gender inequalities. Briefly define key terms such as "development" and "gender inequality." State the essay's argument that development has a complex and often contradictory impact on gender relations.
Body Paragraph 1: Development and Empowerment
* Argument: Development can provide opportunities for women to improve their status and achieve greater equality. * Evidence: * **Education:** Use Item K to discuss how development can lead to increased access to education for girls, which can empower them economically and socially. Refer to sources like Boserup or Van der Gaag, who argue that education is crucial for women's empowerment. * **Economic Opportunities:** Discuss how development can lead to new employment opportunities for women in sectors like manufacturing or agriculture. Refer to examples from specific countries or regions where women have benefited from economic changes. * **Political Participation:** Briefly mention how development can lead to increased political participation for women. Refer to sources like Seager or Pearson, who address the link between development and women's political rights.Body Paragraph 2: Development and Backlash
* Argument: Development can also lead to a backlash from powerful groups who feel threatened by changes to traditional gender roles. * Evidence: * **Traditional Values:** Use Item K to discuss how development can trigger a backlash against women's empowerment, as men may feel threatened by their changing roles and seek to reassert patriarchal values. Refer to sources like Cohen and Kennedy, who argue that development can lead to the "re-traditionalization" of gender roles. * **Violence Against Women:** Discuss how development, particularly in certain sectors, can lead to an increase in violence against women, as they are seen as encroaching on male domains. Refer to sources like Mies or Shiva, who argue that development can exacerbate gender-based violence. * **Cultural Resistance:** Explore examples of how cultural resistance can emerge as a response to development initiatives that challenge traditional gender norms. Refer to sources like Leonard or Hunt, who discuss the cultural dimensions of development and gender.Conclusion:
* **Summarize Key Points:** Restate the argument that development has a complex and contradictory impact on gender inequalities. Highlight the key arguments presented in the essay: development can empower women but can also trigger backlash against their progress. * **Further Research:** Briefly suggest areas for further research, such as the specific impact of different types of development (e.g., industrialization vs. agrarian development) on gender relations. * **Relevance to Item K:** Refer back to Item K and explain how the analysis of the essay supports the claims made in the item.Referencing:
* Ensure all sources are correctly referenced in footnotes, endnotes, or a bibliography, using the appropriate format for your A-Level course. This outline provides a framework for a comprehensive A-Level essay on development and gender inequalities. Remember to use specific examples, detailed evidence, and clear arguments to support your analysis. Incorporate the provided sources, and feel free to refer to other relevant literature to enrich your discussion.Development and Gender Inequalities
This essay will analyse two ways in which development can affect gender inequalities. Firstly, it will examine how development can empower women and challenge traditional gender roles. Secondly, it will discuss how development can also lead to a backlash and reinforce existing inequalities.
Empowerment Through Development
Development can bring about significant improvements in the lives of women, leading to greater gender equality. As societies develop economically and socially, there is often a shift towards greater individualism and a questioning of traditional norms. This can create opportunities for women to challenge patriarchal structures and gain access to education, employment, and political participation.
For instance, Ester Boserup argues that economic development can lead to changes in the sexual division of labour. Industrialisation and modernisation often create new job opportunities, which women can then fill. This can empower women economically and challenge traditional gender roles that confine them to the domestic sphere. Furthermore, development often leads to improved access to education for girls. This can have a transformative effect, equipping women with the knowledge and skills to pursue careers and participate more fully in society. For example, in many developing countries, increased female literacy rates have been linked to improvements in health outcomes for women and children.
Backlash and the Reinforcement of Inequalities
However, development can also lead to a backlash against women's progress and reinforce existing gender inequalities. As women gain more agency and challenge traditional norms, some groups within society may feel threatened. This can lead to attempts to reassert patriarchal control and limit women's freedoms.
Cynthia Enloe highlights how globalization and development can lead to the exploitation of women in new ways, particularly in the global South. For example, the growth of export-oriented industries in developing countries often relies on a cheap and predominantly female workforce, subject to poor working conditions and low wages. This perpetuates gender inequalities and reinforces the idea of women as a source of cheap and disposable labour.
Moreover, development can sometimes be implemented in a way that ignores or even exacerbates existing gender inequalities. If development projects are not designed with a gender-sensitive approach, they can reinforce traditional power structures and further marginalize women. For example, agricultural development programs that focus on cash crops and ignore women's role in subsistence farming can undermine women's economic security and decision-making power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the relationship between development and gender inequalities is complex and multifaceted. While development can create opportunities for women's empowerment and challenge traditional gender roles, it can also lead to a backlash and reinforce existing inequalities. It is crucial to approach development with a critical and gender-sensitive lens, ensuring that it promotes equality and empowers women rather than exacerbating existing disparities.