Article first published online: 5 NOV 2015
DOI: 10.1111/hypa.12222
© by Hypatia, Inc.
Issue
Contemporary
feminist interest in the persistent underrepresentation of women in top
professions suggests an implicit approval of the competition required
to achieve these posts. Competition, however, seems to be in tension
with feminist opposition to domination and oppression. This paper
outlines the dimensions of this tension and examines three attempts to
resolve the incompatibility. The first two try to separate the
undesirable elements of competition from the positive by way of the
competitiveness/competition and the challenge/scarcity distinctions. I
argue that these distinctions fail to alleviate worries about
competition, particularly in the context of the professions. Meanwhile,
the third reconciliatory attempt offers a pragmatic argument for
compatibilism based on the value of women's participation in the
professions (and their associated competitions). Although this pragmatic
argument has some merit, I argue that it significantly overestimates
the amount of competition acceptable for feminist participation. The end
result is that, within the context of the professions, competition
remains fundamentally in tension with feminism.
