feminism

• Itzin


  • Women face a double standard
  • Men's status is directly related to employment, whereas women's status is linked to their reproductive cycle
  • In a patriarchal society, womens status devalues after childbearing age.
  • Older women, regardless of their wealth and background, have a lower status
  • So, older women feel immense pressure to fight the signs of aging (known as cosmeticisation) which is capitalised on by many industries. Ageing men do not find the same pressures
• Daly


  • women are made to comply with many global practices, e.g. genital mutilation, and women are expected to conform to certain physical standards. no such expectations are placed on men
• gannon


  • male scientists have labelled the menopause as a disease and because it is seen as a disease, it is attributed a range of "problems" from low sex drive to osteoporosis. there is a lack of research demonstrating that menopause causes a low sex drive & research shows that in most cases, it increases
  • labelling menopause as a disease advances patriarchal ideology by rendering all women over 50 as sick and in need of self-reinforcing their status throughout life
  • it also disguises the real causes of women as they age (economic and political oppression of women)
• Grandy & Henretta

  sandwich generation - middle aged women are disadvantaged because they have to look after grandparents, parents and children