The number of women in executive positions is increasing. Feminist literature tried to analyse the way they get to power and how their politics support women. Margaret Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister in Britain and her agendas evoked a certain ambivalence. The goal was a globally competitive Britain through a liberal market and this affected the majority of women. This paper is going to reflect published article and books concerning the Thatcherism and women in the changing British society. Gender and class are determining factors for every individual and their dependancy on the family, the work and the state. Thatcher's policies were not directed at women, but they are mostly affected by cuts in welfare state and this caused collateral damage.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. A women as Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher
3. Thatcherism and women
3.1 Thatcher and her priority
3.2 Family role, responsibility and structure
3.3 The welfare state
3.4 Work, capitalism and gender
4. Consequences for women
4.1 Lone mothers as an example for the most affected women in Britain
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Core Themes
This paper explores whether Margaret Thatcher, as Britain's first female Prime Minister, supported the interests of women or if her economic policies disproportionately negatively affected them. It examines the interplay between Thatcher's conservative family ideology, the restructuring of the welfare state, and the realities of women's lives in the changing British society.
- The impact of Thatcherism on traditional family structures and roles.
- The relationship between conservative economic policies and the welfare state.
- The intersection of gender, class, and labor market participation.
- The consequences of welfare cuts for vulnerable groups, particularly lone mothers.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Family role, responsibility and structure
The family is a special place for the household, where work capacity for the labour market is reproduced, because housewives produced and maintained healthier workers than wage-earning wives (Kraemer at al 2012: 34-35). It is clear that Thatcher's priority of economic development had a beneficial and convenient idea of the family structure for the state.
Pascall's (1997: 291) paper review Women and the Family in the British Welfare State discussed Thatcherism and made clear that “It is taken here as an ideology and a programme [...]out of an authoritarian conservative tradition“. This traditional perspective played an important role and formed the bases for the Conservative Party government in Thatcher's era, which gave particular attention to privatisation and the internal market in her economic policies. They were related to policies to assert the family responsibility (Pascall 1997: 291). The following statement demonstrated the importance of family for the Tories:„There is no such thing as society; there are only individuals, and families“ (Thatcher 1987 cited in Pascall 1997: 292). What is the meaning of traditional family values? And how could be the impact of women described? Is there a certain ambivalence between conservative philosophy and a modern development of economy?
The postwar welfare state imagined the family and their roles through the male breadwinner/female-carer model into the structure of social security and policy for children. That described the National Insurance with full employment for men. The married women turned out to be housewives and motherhood was important work for the empire, because the "married women's status as dependents of men was entrenched in benefit policy" (Pascall 1997: 294). National Insurance to cover periods of unemployment for men and the married women would be housewives who look after them and the children. This was gender separation between the public and the private sphere. This model, which was a key feature for the social policy structure, at the time of election of Thatcher in 1979 no longer the exact reflection of the reality of many families. There were many
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research question regarding whether Margaret Thatcher supported women's interests and outlines the approach of analyzing her impact on British society.
2. A women as Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher: This section reflects on Thatcher's path to power and her political career, highlighting her role as an exceptional figure in a male-dominated political domain.
3. Thatcherism and women: This chapter explores the theoretical and ideological foundations of Thatcherism and its direct impact on women’s issues.
3.1 Thatcher and her priority: This section details Thatcher's primary focus on the economy and market-driven reforms, noting how these priorities often marginalized women's issues.
3.2 Family role, responsibility and structure: This part examines how Thatcher’s conservative government reinforced traditional family structures and roles in an attempt to handle economic changes.
3.3 The welfare state: This chapter analyzes how reforms to the welfare state influenced labor market behavior and gender dynamics.
3.4 Work, capitalism and gender: This section discusses the relationship between class, gender, and the labor market within the context of Thatcher's privatization and deregulation policies.
4. Consequences for women: This chapter evaluates the overall negative outcomes for women, specifically regarding their double burden of family and work.
4.1 Lone mothers as an example for the most affected women in Britain: This section provides a case study on how state policy changes, such as the Child Support Act, disproportionately impacted lone mothers.
5. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming that while Thatcher was a successful woman in an executive position, her policies were generally disadvantageous for the majority of women.
Keywords
Thatcherism, Margaret Thatcher, gender politics, welfare state, British society, conservative ideology, family roles, labor market, feminism, economic policy, privatization, lone mothers, class relations, gender discrimination, patriarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The work analyzes Margaret Thatcher's political career and her policies, specifically examining whether she supported the interests of women or if her agenda caused them collateral damage.
What are the core thematic areas discussed?
The key themes include the impact of Thatcherism on traditional family structures, the restructuring of the welfare state, the relationship between capitalism and gender, and the economic conditions of women during the 1980s.
What is the main research question of the paper?
The paper explores the question: "Margaret Thatcher: A successful woman, but not successful for women?"
Which scientific methodology does the author apply?
The author conducts a literature review, analyzing published articles and books to reflect on Thatcherism within the changing context of British society and feminist political analysis.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers Thatcher's rise to power, her economic and social policies, the reinforcement of traditional family roles, the reform of the welfare state, and the specific socio-economic consequences for women and lone mothers.
What are the primary keywords characterizing this study?
Essential keywords include Thatcherism, gender politics, welfare state, family roles, and economic policy.
How does the author define the "Thatcherite" view on family?
The author describes it as an authoritarian conservative tradition that prioritized individual and family responsibility over the state, often creating tension with modern labor market realities.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Thatcher’s impact on women?
The author concludes that although Thatcher was a pioneering female leader, her policies were generally disadvantageous for women, leading to a "double burden" and increased financial vulnerability.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2014, Women in Executive Positions, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/985291
