Gender Inequality Essay Example for Free

Gender Inequality Essay Gender can be defined as the socially constructed roles and duties society constructs, assigns and expects of males and females on the basis of their biological and physical characteristics. Gender is learnt, not permanent and differs from one community to another. Gender roles and responsibilities are found in all spheres of society be it economic, social, political or religious. Gender roles are affected by age, social class, ability, ethnicity and race. The gender roles help society to determine men and women access to rights, resources and opportunities. Gender in this perspective is not just a concept, but about perceptions and understanding concerning the affiliation between males and females in society and how gender influences their attitudes, behavior and responsibilities. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment of men and women that are against the legal and constitutional requirement such as the human rights provisions as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 The Convention on the Eradication of all forms of discrimination against females (1979). Most countries have, however, fallen short of entitling human rights and freedoms to everyone in society regardless of their sex (Michael 12). Gender inequality varies from developed countries to developing countries. Also considering that the world is comprised of different tribes and races that have distinct values and beliefs, gender inequality will vary with the same intensity. Such inequalities include the professional obstacles that women encounter in their workplaces. It is evident that women’s lack of leadership positions because such roles are considered to be meant for men. Those who are mothers may be penalized or discriminated for taking time off to attend to their children. The controversial issue concerning gender inequality is the need to acknowledge the unequal power relations between men and women in society and to work for greater gender equality and the advancement of women. It does not only mean the identification of specific areas that are important for women’s advancements, but also attempts to introduce a dimension of gender in all activities. It also means there is recognition of how important it is to work with both men and women to change the existing gender relations. According to the United States Census data, there is a gender wage gap in which women earn 77 cents for each dollar earned by a man. The gap is a matter of concern that has prompted  President Obama to announce the Paycheck fairness Act on Equal Pay Day. However, according to the one of the lead economist the statistics behind the gender wage gap are flawed. The flawed statistics have acted hindrance and distracter to the legislator and concerned public from finding the solutions that would solve the real problem-the gender jobs gap. The Census data that give the 77 cents on dollar comparison is based on aggregate earning of men and women thus ignoring job choice, education, experience, industry, and other factors that contribute to a person’s wage. If a comparison is made between men and women with the same background such as education and experience, same employer, among other the gender gap disappears. The reasons why the gender job gap exists is the due to low number of female occupying high executive levels and director positions. Men also are earning higher than women despite being in the same senio r-level jobs. The choice of work is a major that determine potential earnings. Men tend to take relatively high-paying jobs in engineering and IT, while women take low-paying jobs like education and human resources. The gender gap persists because men and women choose to pursue different careers (Autor et al, 2008). The gender job gap can be closed, if women are encouraged to pursue high-paying career in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Legislation should be formulated to bridge the gap in men and women career choice. An enabling environment should create in the workplace where women can be empowered and helped to rise to top executive positions. Comparing the job to job is not tenable solution in addressing the gender wage gap; more need to be done to bring women earning close to that of men (Juhn et al, 2014). Gender inequality also involves feticide and infanticide. For instance, in India and China, a male child is more appreciated than a female child. Parents have to find out the sex of the baby they are carrying so as to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or kill the child after its birth (Kristoff, 69). One of my family members in China, my cousin who has a bias th at boys better than girls. I was very angry that he convinced his wife went to abortion because his wife pregnant with a girl when I knew he did that. He explained that China has the birth control policy and he just want to a boy to continue his family name. In the legal area at China, it wasn’t involve in crime for what he did. However, in the ethical area, he deprive his wife’s thought and the  baby who didn’t has chance come to the world. I think he against the humanity and nature. There are also a number of organizations in society that play key roles in the construction of gender. These organizations need to be gender sensitive so as to ensure they continue in the positive construction of gender equality. Such organizations include the family, the most imperative socializing proxy, school, media and religion. Several theoretical perspectives exist that tend to explain the origin of gender inequalities. Radical feminists argue that the gender inequalities arise from the biological differences among individuals that produce a form of social organization that equip men and women with the different roles they play in society. For example, women are handicapped by their biology in terms of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding that makes them dependent on men. This dependence creates an une qual power relationships and power psychology. They also argue that, in every society, a high value is placed on culture rather than nature. Through culture, supernatural forces can be sought in order to achieve success, hence it is considered a means by which humanity governs and regulates nature. Women are seen closer to nature than men because of their social roles as mothers and reproduction (Hekman 52). Men, on the other hand, participate in activities such as warfare, politics that involve culture. This makes them better to women. From a Marxist perspective, gender inequality arose during the earlier stages of development when there was ownership of private property. Men gained control over the women and property hence the patriarchal system of family where property was passed down through the male’s line. Marxists thought this would change with the capitalist system but women still continue to be disadvantaged compared to men. On the contrary, liberal feminists approached gender inequality in a more elaborate way. They argued that nobody benefits from the existing gender inequalities since both men and women are harmed by inequalities. While women do not get opportunities to develop their talents and become successful and skilled members, men are also denied the o pportunity of having a close relationship with their children. Gender inequality is caused by the general credence that males are superior to females; because of this idea, women have spent some significant amount of years suffering under their counterparts. Males also tend to be more emphatic and absolute because of their natal hormones or intuitive  intellect. Sexual discrimination is also another major cause of gender inequality where women are viewed by men as just sex objects rather than real human beings with standards and morals. Other general contributing factors of gender inequality include unequal power relations, assumptions about male and female behavior, insufficient laws against gender inequality, cultural, traditional and religious practices. I became aware of this problem through the campaigns that the government and other Non-Governmental Organizations have held. Their efforts are directed towards ensuring that gender inequality is minimized all over the world. Awareness is being created among women where they get to be educated on their rights and freedoms (Hurst, 96). The women are being empowered through sponsoring women projects as a way of generating income that makes them less dependable on women. The media is al so playing a vital role on the sensitization of ways of minimizing gender inequality in the societies. Higher education in universities and colleges also promotes women support and all levels of society. The government is doing everything in its power to increase the productivity of women by initiating income generating projects. However, they do not take into account that women are already overburdened with work, they do not control family budgets and many of them have difficulties of freedom and movement. It is evident that the informal sector has limited employment opportunities and these projects will not be taken with the seriousness it deserves despite having the ability to empower the women. It is also easy to mobilize individuals or groups for a specific goal such as a political action or assisting members who are in need. In this case curbing, the menace of gender inequality in the society will be of great help. This is because it has charged most nations more harm than good. Most people have depicted that certain duties and tasks are to be performed by certain persons making gender imbalance. Heavy duties are usually dedicated to men while the simple ones are left to the females creating a huge difference in genders. Until all these issues are addressed there is no way that the nation and the globe will ever achieve gender balance. Work cited Michael G. Peletz, Gender, Sexuality and Body Politics in Modern Asia. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Asian studies, 2011. Kristoff, Nicholas D. (August 23, 2009). â€Å"The Women’s Crusade. New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2011. Burstein, Paul. â€Å"Equal Employment Opportunity: Labor Market Discrimination and Public Policy.† Edison, NJ: Aldine Transaction, 1994. Hekman, David R.; Aquino, Karl; Owens, Brad P.; Mitchell, Terence R.; (2009) An Examination of How Racial and Gender Biases Influence Customer Satisfaction. Autor, D. H., Katz, L. F., Kearney, M. S. (2013). Trends in US wage inequality: Revising the revisionists. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 90(2), 300-323. Juhn, C., Ujhelyi, G., Villegas-Sanchez, C. (2014). Men, women, and machines: how trade impacts gender inequality. Journal of Development Economics, 106, 179-193.

Analysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorn :: essays research papers fc

Ld be at my very elbow" symbolizes that the forest is a mysterious and frightful place (244). With the words, "staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake" (244) and "The moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up as with a week’s sunshine" symbolizes the devil (246). Another important literary element that Hawthorne uses is characterization. He also uses symbolism to represent his characters. For instance, Faith is the wife of Young Goodman Brown and is represented as a beautiful, faithful, and pleasant person. When Hawthorne writes, "the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap", symbolizes Faith to be a beautiful and pleasant person (244). Also Hawthorne writes, "as the wife was aptly named, and she’s a blessed angel on earth" symbolizes that Faith is faithful and honest (243). In contrast to Faith is the mysterious travellar. He represents the devil in the forest which represents hell. Hawthorne writes, "his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake" (244) and "The moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up, as with a week’s sunshine" (246) symbolizes the hellish powers of the devil. Young Goodman Brown plays the middle man within the story. He is married to a beautiful wife and is urged to become bad in the hellish forest. He also finds that his religion teacher, Goody Cloyse, and the church minister, Deacon Gookin, was in this forest. Young Goodman Brown faces an internal conflict with good and evil. Hawthorne writes, "With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil" lets you know that Young Goodman Brown is strongly against evil (247). Also within the story Hawthorne writes, "My Faith is gone, there is no good on earth, and sin is but a name. Come, devil for to there is this world given" which shows that Young Goodman Brown has come to realize that he can no longer trust anyone (248). In this allegory, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses dual settings, along with mood, conflict and characterization to create his theme. That mankind possesses both good and evil within each individual. This is represented by the internal conflict by Young Goodman Brown to be a good individual, but realizing that everyone possess bad.

Machiavelli: Fear

According to Nicolo Machiavelli, fear should play a very significant role when it comes to the world of politics because it is the central driving vehicle to success as well as power, control, and reliability; it is because of fear that societies agree to justice and security. He believed that fear was an essential aspect to politics because of its relation to love, control, and hatred. When taking in Machiavelli’s perceptions of both the concepts of fear and love, it is clear that fear takes precedence over love in his opinion. This is shown in his book, The Prince, when he wrote â€Å"since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved† (The Prince, 1994). Essentially Machiavelli is stating that although it is desired by many to be both feared and loved, it is very difficult to be both feared and loved by everyone, and that fear is more reliable since one of them must be lacking in some aspect (The Prince, 1994). In addition, Machiavelli argued that a Prince himself should not show fear, since it would weaken his appearance and/or his reputation which, according to Machiavelli, should be carefully monitored (The Prince, 1994). Machiavelli also argued that fear keeps the people of a society in line; it â€Å"preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails† (The Prince, 1994). Furthermore, Machiavelli believed fear to be an instrument that can provide a prince with great power because of its reliability and stability. In addition, Machiavelli argued that a person should only trust the things that he or she can control. That being said, a person cannot be forced or commanded to love another person. Therefore, a ruler should only rely on things he or she can control. This is because fear is a necessary means to being respected as a leader, and it is the responsibility of a leader to have control over his or her society; fear leads to obedience, a key aspect to having control over a society (The Prince, 1994). Furthermore, one thing a ruler (prince) can have control over is fear. This is because the people in a society are afraid of punishment and they are intimidated by the ruler, so they act in accordance with the ruler’s laws. Furthermore, fear is a necessary and a key aspect to being successful and powerful in the political sphere. Machiavelli was not someone who was interested in what was morally correct, but rather what was politically beneficial. That being said, just because Machiavelli argued that a Prince should be feared by society, he is not arguing that he should also be hated by his society. This is shown in The Prince when he wrote â€Å"Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred† (The Prince, 1994). This quotation is significant because it shows that Machiavelli viewed the concept of hatred as a very bad thing; he saw hatred as the end. That being said, in his view, it is important if a ruler is not loved by the people that they are also not hated by the people. Furthermore, through the eyes of Machiavelli, a ruler (prince) should be feared by the people, but never hated by the people (The Prince, 1994). In the mind of Machiavelli, fear is an important element of politics, not just for its own sake, but for many other reasons. Fear is an emotion of reliability, as well as an instrument for control over a society. Fear is necessary for the sake of the greater good of a society. Furthermore, fear ought to be used appropriately and it is not to be taken lightly, as it should not lead to hatred. In conclusion, Machiavelli viewed fear to be a means to effective leadership; he argued that it pushes people together and it results in security and stability of society (The Prince, 1994). Fear is a way to maintain power and authority over society, and thus it should play an important role in politics according to Machiavelli.

The Civil War On American History - 1206 Words

country divided, the Civil War left a huge impact in history as it helped form what our nation is today. An inevitable conflict that was due in time to transform into a war, the Civil War was influenced by societal interests, economic changes along with political disagreements. Together, these influences sparked a nation into a great divide that ended in what is known as the deadliest war in American history. Just In the aftermath of the industrial revolution, the Civil War was ignited due to economic changes. By 1830, the most profitable crop known was cotton. Representing the south, cotton was the most exported crop in the Union at the time. An economic booster for the south, it essentially lead to the south’s dependence on plantations. With cotton in high demand, demanded the need for more labor. Those who worked the fields, mainly slaves, endured hard labor and harsh environments. Many slaves were imported, or needed, to meet the high demands for the most important exported crop. However, by this time, the north was already established as an industrial economy. In the north, there was a need for labor, but not necessarily the need for slaves. As an industrial economy, more factories were opened and more ways of transportation were needed to be built such as railroads and steamboats. Coming to a land of opportunity, many immigrants migrated from foreign countries looking for a b etter life. Having better civil rights and liberties than most slaves, these immigrant workersShow MoreRelatedAmerican History : The Civil War1138 Words   |  5 PagesWar makes us what we are. It changes our lives and makes our past into the future. One of the most important events in American history was the Civil War (1861 to 1865). The Civil War changed thousands of lives and our nation. At the beginning the Civil War, it divided our country but at the end of the Civil War, it brought our country back together recreating the United States. â€Å"But the Civil War defined us as what we are and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It was theRead MoreThe Civil War And American History890 Words   |  4 Pages In American History many significant events took place that reflected religious faith of multiple Americans and has shaped the world we live in today. Throughout the 1800s, the most memorable times in America took place throughout the Civil War. Events that escalated before, during and even following the Civil War resulted in a chain of reactions from many people within that period. After analyzing the events of the Civil War, I was able to draw a connection to the actions of the soldiers, womenRead MoreThe Civil War And American History1528 Words   |  7 Pages Before we discuss the Civil War, we need to discuss how and what lead to this major turning point in American History. Both sides, the Union and the Confederate had its reasons to attack each other. Whether it be the lack of contribution towards the government by the South, or the constant disturbance to free slaves from the North, tempers flared years before the first shots were ever fired. The disagreements between the North and the South were too much for the South to endure, they felt forcedRead MoreAmerican History And The Civil War Essay1287 Words   |  6 PagesOne of American history’s famous battles involves the diverging of Northern and Southern states . Even when this time period itself is taught, at least from my experience learning it, that divide between Northern and Southern ideology seems even more pronounced. As United States territory expanded, so did hesitations of citizens on both sides—both Northerners and Southerners thought strongholds were put in place to sway governmental opinion, and consequently, actions. In order to bring the nationRead MoreHistory And The American Civil War Essay1927 Words   |  8 PagesIn the history of the United States, African Americans have always been discriminated against. When Africans first came to America, they were taken against their will and forced to work as laborers. They became slaves to the rich, greedy, lazy Americans. They were given no pay and often badly whipped and beaten. African Americans fought for their freedom, and up until the Civil War it was never given to them. When the Civil War began, they wanted to take part in fighting to free all slaves. TheirRead Mor eThe Civil War And American History2238 Words   |  9 PagesRachel Lee Professor Salazar History 141 4 December 2014 The Civil War The Civil War is a war that happens within a country and in this case, the Civil War took place in the United States between the North and the South. The Civil War happened between the North and the South for various reasons. Both sides expected a short war with few casualties, and instead a little over 1 million soldiers died in the Civil War. After the war was over, the war left a huge impact on the modern world through theRead MoreAmerican History And The American Civil War1610 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout American history, the United States Mint has coined several denominations that would now be considered â€Å"odd† or â€Å"strange† by the general public: the half cent, two-cent piece, three-cent piece, half dime, twenty-cent piece, quarter eagle, three dollar piece, half eagle, eagle, and double eagle. At the time, however, many of these were seen in everyday circulation, a completely normal denomination. Each of them had a purpose behind its inception and a practical use after mintage. For exampleRead MoreU.s History : American Civil War1423 Words   |  6 PagesOmer Bhatti U.S History I Professor Ojserkis U.S History I: Final Paper In early April 1861, the attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the American Civil War. However, the belligerence of both sides of the war began long before the first shot. There is a great deal of possible causes of the Civil War, and in much disagreement with popular belief the war was not solely fought about the existence of slavery. Unfortunately, there is no simple reason why the war began because there were manyRead MoreThe Civil War Is The Deadliest War Of American History Essay1853 Words   |  8 PagesThe Civil War is the deadliest war in American History. Between 1861 and 1865, over 600,000 brave souls lost their lives at nearly 10,500 battles. By the end of the war, there were nearly 200,000 African-Americans that fought on the side of the North, with 80 percent recruited from slave states (Half Slave and Half Free, 240). Wars are fought over irreconcilable differences. There may not be one specific cause. Directly or indirectly, slavery was intertwined in many of these differences and the physicalRead More History of The American Civil War Essay1540 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of The American Civil War The Civil War was a brutal war between the North and South of America over the issue of slavery, which was spurred on by the secession of the southern states from the Union of a America. At the time slavery was one of the main issues in America that caused a disagreement between the north and south and these disagreements about humanity and slaves added to the tension that would finally lead to the out break of war. Slavery was almost totally abolished in