Charlotte Perkins Gilman And Gender Inequality

Gilman:
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one the first theorist to explore the role of females in society. Gilman sought to explain the development of gender inequality, from both a biological and sociological standpoint. With a multidimensional approach and a sociobiological perspective, Gilman maintained that political factors, economic factors, and the process of socialization lead to gender inequality within the human race. Gilman was concerned with the traditional family structure, where men were the sole provider’s and women stayed at home to care for their children. Gilman believed that this division of labor, caused women to become isolated and economically dependent on men. In one of her most famous works, Women and Economics, Gilman sought to explain how the division of labor within a traditional family structure was a key factor leading to gender inequality. Gilman viewed the relationship of a wife and her husband as being similar to the relationship between a horse and his master. Just like a horse depends on his master for food, women also depend on their husbands for survival. Gilman saw the domestic industry of women as being significantly flawed, because women did not receive the proper economic
While wealthy women who are able to split their labor among maids and nannies would receive the least amount of money. In reality, women receive no compensation for their work and much of their labor continues to be exploited. With no economic compensation for contributions made to her family or society, a woman’s labor no longer belongs to herself. Whether rich or poor, a woman’s social status relies on her husband. She loses the ability to survive and live successfully through her own labor and is no longer considered an equal