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A Conflict Based Understanding

However, this might not be the underlying issue. From a conflict perspective, we are all manipulated and given a false consciousness of reality to help maintain the system (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.11). Employers might therefore have been brainwashed by the society to think that male managers are more capable than female managers, and  would therefore be more likely to hire male managers. The wom

en might  have been manipulated to think that they should rather be housewives and raise the children or that they are not capable of achieving this status, and that they should therefore not become managers.

In a study made in Japan, it was shown that to the statement “Raising children is mainly women’s responsibility”, 90.2 % of the men agreed and 87.9 % of the women agreed (Koshal et al. 2004). This shows how people are brainwashed into thinking that raising children is women’s responsi

bility, although it is of course also the men’s responsibility, and we can see that more and more societies, especially in scandinavia, are starting to make use of paternity leave (Haataja, 2009).

Firestone states that gender equality will only be achieved when women are freed from pregnancy (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.105). We can see that female workers in Japan also have problems with having to end their career to give birth and raise the children. While 99,2 % of the female work

force took maternity leave in 1996, only 0,8 % of the male workforce took paternity leave (Japan Institute of Workers’ Evolution, 2007). Again we can see how the norm in Japan is that women take care of children while men work. (Statistics Bureau Japan, 2009 chapter. 12 p.131)

From the M-shaped graph, we can see that many Japanese women stop working for many years around the age when women normally give birth. This makes it is difficult for them to reach a managerial position.

Sociobiology states that different reproductive strategies produce different behavior, and this therefore leads different sex’ to occupy different roles. Because a woman is certain that the baby is hers, she is more likely to devote attention to childcare which would justify the gender differentiation. However, several sociologists reject this theory and say that human behaviour is shaped by environment rat

her than instinct (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.95). If this is true, it should be possible to change the environment and hence change the norms and brainwashing of the Japanese women.

Oakley believes that gender roles are produced culturally rather than biologically.  This happens because children are exposed to manipulation, canalization^[1], verbal appellations and different activities for boys and girls (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.97-98). They are being brainwashed to perceive special gender roles. Again we can see a link to how women are brainwashed into perceiving their roles as housewives instead of managers, since they have been XXchanneledXX the female and male roles since childhood.

Sexual diomorphism states that sex marks a distinction between two physically and genetically discrete categories (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.92). Although a person might be a women biologically, she can act like a man. We should therefore note the difference between sex^[2] and gender^[3]. If women can act like men, the only reason why there are gender inequalities for female managers must be the brainwashing and manipulation into thinking that they are different.

Radical-libertarian feminists believe that if gender differences is eradicated, or at least greatly reduced, there would be equality between men and women (Haralambos et al. 2008, p.101). We can see that for the women to be able to become managers, there are several things that need to change. The norm of the women being the one with the responsibility to raise the children, the stereotype of the men as a better manager, and the brainwashing of  women into thinking that they are not as good leaders as men.

Conclusion

It is clear that there is gender inequality for female managers in Japan. Only 9,3 % of all the managers are women, and it seems like the gender inequality can be traced back to the Japanese culture, moral values and norms.

From a functionalist perspective, the gender discrimination continues to exist in Japanese society because it holds a function. This function might be to give stability and order by following social norms and values and having the man as the leader and the women as the housewife.

From a conflict perspective, the women are being manipulated and brainwashed into thinking that they should not be managers and that they are responsible for raising the children.

In a society where this manipulation and brainwashing could be removed, there would no longer be a function of the gender discrimination towards female managers, and the phenomenon would therefore from a functionalist perspective seize to exist.

It is difficult to change norms and cultures. Therefore, braking down gender differences and inequalities is a long and difficult process. By educating children and hence eliminating stereotypes, manipulation and brainwashing, we should be able to see a drastic change. By removing the acceptance of “the male sex as the stronger one” and the reliance on the male sex, there would be no need for gender differences, and the societies should be able to move towards a new social equilibrium where all human beings can be seen as individual persons.

^[2] biologically

^[3] female of male values (H&H, 2007 p.93)