Historically, traditional social stratification theories, particularly classical approaches like those of Karl Marx and Max Weber, have been criticized for being largely 'gender-blind.' These theories primarily focused on class (economic position), status (social honor), and power as the main axes of inequality, often overlooking or implicitly subsuming gender as a distinct and fundamental principle of stratification.

Arguments for Gender-Blindness in Traditional Theories:

1. Economic Determinism (Marx): Marx's theory of class stratification centered on the ownership and control of the means of production. While powerful, this framework largely ignored the gendered division of labor, the economic value of unpaid domestic work, and the specific forms of exploitation faced by women within and outside the capitalist system. Women's economic contributions were often rendered invisible or secondary to those of male 'breadwinners.'
2. Public Sphere Bias (Weber): Weber's analysis of class, status, and party primarily focused on the public spheres of work, politics, and market relations, where men historically held dominant positions. The private sphere, including family and household dynamics, where gender inequalities are often most pronounced, received less attention as a site of stratification.
3. Functionalist Assumptions: Early functionalist theories often justified traditional gender roles as 'natural' or 'functional' for societal stability, rather than analyzing them as a system of power and inequality. This perspective tended to normalize existing gender hierarchies rather than critically examining their origins and consequences.
4. Lack of Conceptual Tools: Traditional theories lacked specific concepts to analyze gender as a system of power, privilege, and disadvantage distinct from, yet intersecting with, class. They did not adequately theorize patriarchy as a pervasive social structure.

Feminist Critiques and Revisions: Feminist sociology emerged precisely to address this gender-blindness, arguing that gender is a fundamental and pervasive principle of social stratification. Key contributions include:

1. Patriarchy as a System: Feminist theorists introduced and elaborated on the concept of patriarchy – a system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress, and exploit women. This framework highlights how gender shapes access to resources, power, and opportunities across all social institutions.
2. Gender as a Social Construct: Feminists emphasized that gender roles, expectations, and identities are socially constructed, not biologically determined. This understanding allows for an analysis of how these constructions create and maintain inequalities.
3. Intersectionality (Crenshaw): This concept demonstrates that gender does not operate in isolation but intersects with other axes of inequality such as race, class, sexuality, and disability, creating unique and compounded experiences of oppression and privilege.
4. Unpaid Labor and Care Economy: Feminist analyses brought attention to the immense economic and social value of women's unpaid domestic and care work, which is crucial for the functioning of society and the capitalist economy but is systematically devalued and excluded from traditional economic and stratification models.
5. Gendered Labor Markets: Research highlighted occupational segregation, gender pay gaps, the 'glass ceiling,' and other forms of discrimination that demonstrate how gender structures access to and rewards within the labor market.

In conclusion, while traditional social stratification theories provided foundational insights into class and power, they were indeed largely gender-blind. Feminist critiques have successfully exposed this limitation, integrating gender as a central analytical category and demonstrating its profound and independent role in shaping social hierarchies, leading to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of social stratification in contemporary societies.