Geschlecht als Ursache von Ungleichheiten: Frauendiskriminierung und soziale Schließung

At present the analysis of social inequality can be characterized by the polarization of "traditional" and "new" theories. Neither of them can take adequately into account the phenomenon of gender discrimination: it cannot be adequate conceptualized by class and stratification theories, nor can it be seen as "individualized" access to life chances. The main difficulties arise from the fact that gender discrimination is a general phenomenon in society but in its consequences thereare great varieties. to understand the characteristic attributes of gender correctly, it is necessary to go to the level of causes for the access to life chances. Gender as a cause is not reducible to other causes; the consequences of gender vary in different social contexts. the concept "cause" refers to processes of social closure and the distribution of ressources and power positions, which enable such processes of closure. Taking into account this level we get to a differentation of categories, by means of which different aspects of social inequality can be understood more appropriately.