Women's life and leisure in an Australian rural community

Abstract

In this paper it is shown that men living in an Australian rural community use their superior power to exclude women from much of their work and leisure activity. The activities examined include organized sport, drinking, friendship and service club activity. Women are expected to use their domestic skills both privately and publicly to facilitate men's pursuit of glory and community status and to applaud their achievements. The study confirms the research of Deem, Green, Woodward, Hebron, Dixey and Talbot in showing that men's leisure is often achieved at the expense of women's. In the second part of the paper the sources of men's ability to exclude and oppress women are examined. Their superior power is related to their advantageous position in the market labour force, women's economic dependence and a community belief system which stereotypes women as inferior, advocates that women's proper place is in the home, and argues that men are entitled to greater freedom than women to pursue their own leisure activities. Instances of rebelliousness among some of the younger women are examined, but it is argued that there is little chance of significant change occurring in the near future.

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