Conflict Theory?

Question

How can conflict theory and symbolic interaction theory help us to comprehend why we do not have a female president in the US and female priests in Catholic Church.

Answer 1

Conflict theory would state that the sexes are always engaged in a struggle with each other.  With capitalism, the work that women did in the household became devalued (money = power in capitalism, and men were bringing in the money), and men were therefore able to assert greater authority.  As a consequence, women became devalued and haven't had access to the roles that men have occupied in business, conservative religions and politics.  Engels wrote a great deal about this.

With symbolic interactionism, gender roles are created from the interactions of the social world.  As such, constructions of gender can influence performative behaviour...  Women are equated with beauty, men are equated with brawn.  If men are those we see in power, than our behaviour would ultimately reflect this, and we would bias the ability of women to hold these positions of power.  The key author here would be Goffman.

Answer 2

Both situations are completely different from each other. There are no catholic priestesses because when God instituted priesthood he laid down that only men could receive that sacrament. He chose twelve male apostles and made them his priests.

With regard to why we America hasn´t had a female president yet, I think it has to do with the traditional idea of politics being a male-domianted world.