CH-10 Invisible Workers – A World Full of Women : Exam Guide

Chapter 10 Invisible Workers 1. Which of the following statements about colonialism is false? a. The past 500 years of history has been molded by European colonialism. b. European colonizers believed native people to be inherently inferior and less evolved than themselves. c. European colonizers demonstrated a commitment to women’s work through their expansionist policies. d. Members of formerly colonized states are not necessarily poorer than those in the First World. Answer: C Rationale: The false statement is option C. European colonizers did not demonstrate a commitment to women’s work through their expansionist policies. In fact, colonialism often exacerbated gender inequalities by disrupting traditional gender roles and exploiting local labor forces, including women, for the benefit of the colonizers. 2. Despite the vast variety in women’s work, it generally boils down to the following __________. a. status enhancement, emotional work, healing, and witchcraft b. production, reproduction, status enhancement, and emotional work c. production, reproduction, household and factory labor d. social production, economic production, biological production Answer: B Rationale: Women's work can generally be categorized into production, reproduction, status enhancement, and emotional work. These categories encompass the diverse roles and responsibilities that women undertake within households, communities, and societies, ranging from economic activities to caregiving and social support. 3. Historically, modernization and development projects _________. a. have helped women increase their status but have also increased their workload b. have highlighted the importance of the female workforce c. made women poorer and sicker than before the projects began d. have given women access to the means of production Answer: C Rationale: Historically, modernization and development projects have often made women poorer and sicker than before the projects began. These projects, while aiming for economic growth and progress, have sometimes overlooked or exacerbated gender disparities, leading to adverse effects on women's health and socioeconomic well-being. 4. At the present time, around the world _________. a. women are able to earn the same salaries as men b. few women die in childbirth c. women receive the same education as men d. fewer women are getting married Answer: D Rationale: At the present time, around the world, fewer women are getting married. This trend is observed in various societies and is influenced by factors such as changing social norms, economic opportunities for women, and shifts in family structures and values. 5. Which of the following is no longer a current category of life circumstance? a. Third World b. First Nations c. First World d. Second World Answer: D Rationale: The category "Second World" is no longer a current classification of life circumstance. Historically, it referred to the socialist bloc of countries associated with the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. However, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the term "Second World" has largely fallen out of use in contemporary discourse. 6. Which of the following statements about maternal mortality is true? a. Maternal mortality remains high in many countries even though methods of reducing maternal mortality are well known. b. Maternal mortality does not occur in matrilineal societies. c. In developed countries like the United States, women no longer die during childbirth. d. All maternal mortality deaths are preventable. Answer: A Rationale: The true statement is option A. Maternal mortality remains high in many countries even though methods of reducing maternal mortality are well known. Despite advancements in medical knowledge and technology, maternal mortality rates remain disproportionately high in certain regions, often due to factors such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, lack of access to prenatal and obstetric care, and socio-economic disparities. 7. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) _________. a. are extremely contagious, especially relative to other diseases b. are more dangerous to women than to men c. including AIDS, are the leading cause of death for women of childbearing age in many major cities d. all of the above Answer: D Rationale: All of the statements are true regarding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STDs are indeed highly contagious, particularly through sexual contact. They can pose greater health risks to women due to biological factors and social inequalities. Additionally, including AIDS, STDs contribute significantly to mortality rates among women of childbearing age in many urban areas worldwide. 8. Between 1950 and the 1970s, international development agencies conceived of women as __________. a. equal to men and deserving of the same compensation b. being able work ever-longer hours to shoulder the burden of unavailable social services c. unfit mothers who were passive and in need of major help d. unwilling to work because of wanting to devote their time to care and education of children Answer: C Rationale: Between 1950 and the 1970s, international development agencies conceived of women as unfit mothers who were passive and in need of major help. During this period, prevailing attitudes often depicted women in developing countries as recipients of aid rather than active participants in development processes. Such perceptions disregarded women's agency and contributions to their communities and perpetuated gender stereotypes and inequalities. 9. What does the empowerment approach of development agencies assert? a. Women need to perform in the economy in a more professional, businesslike manner. b. Racial and class prejudices are more significant than sexism. c. Nations will take better care of their poor and sick if they adopt female world leaders. d. Governments should listen to suggestions Western feminists offer about solving inequality. Answer: B Rationale: The empowerment approach of development agencies asserts that racial and class prejudices are more significant than sexism. This perspective acknowledges the intersectionality of gender with other forms of oppression and emphasizes addressing systemic inequalities based on race, class, and other social factors as integral to empowering marginalized groups, including women. 10. The phenomenon known as housewifization __________. a. has been women’s primary role in First World countries since the Middle Ages b. means women are recognized for their contribution to the family income c. could help millions of poor women learn to better care for their children d. uses the Western version of a wife as the model for women’s work in capitalist and postcolonial labor systems Answer: D Rationale: The phenomenon known as housewifization uses the Western version of a wife as the model for women’s work in capitalist and postcolonial labor systems. It reflects the societal expectation that women primarily fulfill domestic roles, mirroring traditional housewife duties, even as they participate in wage labor or other forms of economic activity. This phenomenon perpetuates gender inequalities by devaluing women's labor outside the home and reinforcing patriarchal norms regarding gender roles and responsibilities. 11. Household workers ___________. a. work in other people’s homes, as well as needing to work in their own b. usually do work like cleaning, changing diapers, yard work and cooking c. are fundamentally unequal to their employers, and employment is never secure d. all of the above Answer: D Rationale: Option D is correct. Household workers often work in other people's homes while also needing to manage their own household responsibilities. They typically perform various tasks such as cleaning, childcare, yard work, and cooking. Additionally, their employment is often characterized by inequality and insecurity. 12. The lowest paid members of the Malaysian factory workforce are known as_________. a. invisible workers b. factory daughters c. household workers d. daughters of capitalism Answer: B Rationale: Option B is correct. The lowest paid members of the Malaysian factory workforce are often referred to as "factory daughters," reflecting their low wages and vulnerable position within the workforce. 13. Malaysian factory workers have to obey rules _________. a. about what to wear and what to keep private, especially about matters related to reproduction b. enforced by other poor women who work as managers and disciplinarians c. that commit them to work at these factories for upwards of 20 or 30 years d. all of the above Answer: A Rationale: Option A is correct. Malaysian factory workers are required to follow rules regarding their attire and privacy, particularly concerning reproductive matters. This reflects the control exerted by employers over various aspects of their employees' lives. 14. Lewis Henry Morgan observed the following about land ownership in the Iroquois Nation: __________ a. As in colonial America, only men were allowed to own land, although women farmed it. b. Iroquois women were the first people to be alienated from the products of their labor. c. Matrilineal groups farmed the land jointly, and cultivation not ownership determined userights. d. Women owned land and required men to pay a fee every time they needed to plant something. Answer: C Rationale: Option C is correct. Lewis Henry Morgan observed that in the Iroquois Nation, land ownership was matrilineal, and cultivation, not ownership, determined use-rights. This reflects a communal approach to land use rather than individual ownership. 15. Eleanor Leacock argued all of the following except that _______. a. female subordination results from restricting women’s diets b. food gathering societies are relatively egalitarian in their treatment of women and men c. stratification, monogamy, and private property together create the conditions for female subordination d. childbirth and childcare do not automatically subordinate women to men Answer: A Rationale: Option A is correct. Eleanor Leacock did not argue that female subordination results from restricting women's diets. Instead, she focused on factors such as stratification, monogamy, and private property as contributing to female subordination in societies. 16. The protests at the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina _______. a. were organized by Marxist-feminists b. were organized by women whose family members had been “disappeared” by the government c. convinced the pope to intervene on behalf of Argentinians who disappeared d. advocated peaceful compliance with the military government Answer: B Rationale: Option B is correct. The protests at the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina were organized by women whose family members had been "disappeared" by the government during the Dirty War, demanding justice and accountability. 17. _______ viewed monogamous marriage as the male justification for treating women like property. a. Frederick Engels b. Hillary Clinton c. Karl Marx d. Ela Bhatt Answer: A Rationale: Option A is correct. Frederick Engels viewed monogamous marriage as the male justification for treating women like property, emphasizing its role in reinforcing patriarchal social structures. 18. Grassroots organizations are _________. a. a common form of social cooperation for solving problems that governments neglect b. started by leaders of elite social groups c. factories that produce tea made from grass and roots d. failures in addressing global problems like childcare and chronic illness Answer: A Rationale: Option A is correct. Grassroots organizations are often formed by ordinary people to address social issues or advocate for change, especially when governments fail to address these concerns adequately. 19. What does the acronym SEWA stand for? a. Self-Employed Workers Association b. Sassy Energetic Women Activists c. Self-Employed Women’s Agency d. Sustainable Economics for Women’s Agencies Answer: A Rationale: Option A is correct. SEWA stands for Self-Employed Workers Association, an organization that focuses on empowering self-employed women in India through various initiatives and advocacy. 20. In recent years, international development agencies have started to ________. a. refuse loans to women on the basis that their husbands earn a family wage b. demand that men take an active role in acquiring potable water c. generate better statistics concerning women’s unpaid labor d. reduce the need for grassroots organizations Answer: C Rationale: Option C is correct. In recent years, international development agencies have increasingly focused on generating better statistics concerning women's unpaid labor, recognizing its importance in understanding and addressing gender inequalities. ESSAY QUESTIONS 1. Discuss what we mean when we talk about women’s invisible labor in developing countries. What examples of women’s invisible labor exist in United States society? Answer: Women's invisible labor in developing countries refers to the multitude of unpaid tasks and responsibilities that women undertake, often within the household or community, that are essential for sustaining daily life but are not recognized or valued in economic terms. This includes activities such as childcare, cooking, cleaning, fetching water and firewood, caregiving for the sick and elderly, and agricultural work. In the United States, examples of women's invisible labor include unpaid domestic work such as housekeeping, cooking, and childcare performed within households. Additionally, women often undertake emotional labor, such as managing family relationships and organizing social activities, which tends to go unrecognized and unrewarded in economic terms. 2. Using the work of Eleanor Leacock, discuss how a Marxist-feminist perspective has influenced the way feminists think about women’s work around the globe. Answer: Eleanor Leacock's work has contributed to a Marxist-feminist perspective on women's work globally by highlighting the ways in which capitalism and patriarchy intersect to exploit women's labor. From this perspective, women's work is seen as integral to the functioning of capitalist economies, yet it is often devalued and exploited due to gendered power dynamics. Marxist-feminist analysis emphasizes the importance of understanding women's work within the broader context of economic systems and social structures. It critiques traditional notions of "productive" and "reproductive" labor, arguing that both are essential for the reproduction of society and the accumulation of capital. This perspective has influenced feminists to advocate for the recognition and redistribution of women's labor, as well as challenging capitalist and patriarchal systems that perpetuate gender inequality. 3. Describe the organization known as SEWA, and address the major resources it offers to women. Why are organizations like SEWA so desperately needed? Answer: SEWA, or the Self-Employed Women's Association, is a trade union and social movement based in India that advocates for the rights and empowerment of women in the informal sector. It offers various resources to women, including access to financial services such as microcredit and savings schemes, skill-building and training programs, healthcare services, childcare facilities, and legal aid. SEWA also provides a platform for women to organize collectively and advocate for their rights. Organizations like SEWA are desperately needed because women in the informal sector often face multiple forms of discrimination and exploitation, including low wages, lack of social protection, limited access to resources and opportunities, and gender-based violence. SEWA helps to address these challenges by providing women with the support, resources, and collective voice they need to improve their economic and social conditions. 4. The postmodernist perspective challenges simple cultural typologies like those Margaret Mead proposed. What characterizes the postmodernist perspective? Consider how this perspective influences how international development projects take shape. Answer: The postmodernist perspective challenges essentialist and universalist assumptions about culture, identity, and development. It emphasizes the fluidity, diversity, and complexity of human experiences and rejects grand narratives that seek to impose singular meanings or values onto diverse societies. Postmodernism highlights the importance of recognizing multiple perspectives, voices, and truths, as well as the power dynamics that shape knowledge production and representation. In the context of international development projects, the postmodernist perspective influences how interventions are conceptualized and implemented. Instead of imposing top-down, onesize-fits-all solutions based on Western ideals or expertise, postmodernist approaches prioritize local knowledge, participation, and empowerment. Development projects informed by postmodernist perspectives seek to be more context-specific, inclusive, and reflexive, acknowledging the diverse needs, priorities, and agency of communities and individuals. 5. Female-headed households are the fastest growing family form on the planet. What social and economic consequences does this have for women? Answer: The increasing prevalence of female-headed households has significant social and economic consequences for women. In many cases, women in female-headed households bear the primary responsibility for household maintenance, childcare, and income generation, often with limited support or resources. This can lead to heightened levels of economic vulnerability, as women may face challenges in accessing stable employment, education, healthcare, and social services. Female-headed households are more likely to experience poverty and food insecurity compared to male-headed households. Additionally, women in these households may face stigma and discrimination due to prevailing gender norms and stereotypes. However, femaleheaded households also demonstrate the resilience and agency of women, who often take on multiple roles and responsibilities to ensure the well-being of their families. Efforts to support women in female-headed households should focus on addressing structural inequalities, promoting economic opportunities, and providing social support networks to enhance their resilience and empowerment. Test Bank for A World Full of Women Martha C. Ward, Monica D. Edelstein 9780205957620