Feminism and education in Western countries from the Enlightenment to now. Education, difference and inequality

Abstract

In this article I analyze the relationship between Feminism and Education in today's unequal Western societies. I start from the problem of legitimization that all non-egalitarian societies have, that is, how to get the most disadvantaged people to accept their situation and not rebel.

The theory I apply is based on the critical perspectives of Feminism and Marxism. From this theoretical framework I analyze how education acts in relation to social inequality in its different dimensions (class, gender, age, ethnicity). In this work, I focus on gender inequality because it is one of the most hidden and, therefore, its social reproduction is easier. The process of legitimization is gestated early in family socialization, then at school, within the peer group, later at work, through the media, actually, throughout life.

Education, since the Enlightenment, is based, at least in theory, on merit, talent and 'equality of opportunities', although, we should sometimes speak of 'inequality of opportunities'. Gender inequality is increasingly subtle and difficult to investigate, but it must be brought to light, otherwise it may go unnoticed.