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Separate but Equal: Durkheim's Response to the Woman Question *
Author(s) -
Shope Janet Hinson
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1994.tb01087.x
Subject(s) - complementarity (molecular biology) , perspective (graphical) , sociology , feminism , phrase , context (archaeology) , epistemology , gender studies , private sphere , public sphere , law , linguistics , philosophy , politics , political science , history , genetics , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
This article reexamines Durkheim's views on gender relations within the context of nineteenth century French feminism. Durkheim's response to the woman question reflects the sociopolitical discourse on individual rights and responsibilities, the family, and women's roles in the private and public spheres. Durkheim's perspective on gender relations is predicated on a biologically differentiated conception of gender role complementarity that emphasizes the couple, not the individual. This perspective, shared by feminists, is best characterized by the phrase, separate, but equal.