Gender Inequality In America

Inequality between different groups of people within the United States is concerning for many sociologists and society in general. One of the main inequalities throughout the United States is gender inequality. Gender inequity is found in all past and present societies. It takes the form of patriarchy. From the patriarchal point of view, gender inequality can be traced back to biological differences in early societies (“Steven Goldberg on Patriarchy” 2006). This inequality is present in society through many different forms, including job segregation, the gender pay gap, and a great difference in women’s political representation (Joan Acker, 1989).

Gender inequality has engulfed the United States and placed copious varying roles onto the male and female sexes. According to Leila Aboulela, Minaret, “All through life there were distinctions - toilets for men, toilets for women; clothes for men, clothes for women - then, at the end, the graves are identical.” Discrimination places women into different roles and takes away numerous privileges. However in America today after more than a century of struggles by dedicated activists who fought to alter these ideals and gain further rights, the perception of women in society and their contributions to society have been greatly transformed.

As Quindlen states, "As Americans read..." that tells us right there that she is trying to reach all Americans. As for her purpose, with her references to the treatment of Afghanistan women I am lead to believe that she is trying to bring light to an existence of an example of women inequality in America. Looking at when it was published, only a couple of months after September 11th, it was perfect timing to throw in on this topic. The possibility of a draft was a reality or at the very least many believe it was a possibility. I would have to agree with her thesis, women should also be required to register for the military draft. I have come to stand against any type of inequality, whether it be (to name a few) race, gender, age, religious

Places like the USA have shown great inequality. This can be supported by the fact of unequal job pay, racial inequality and discrimination. Despite this being faced between both genders it is mostly targeted to females. The use of unequal job pay suggests that the USA has not developed its equality, therefore, more uprising and gender wars become more common due to this. Also racial inequality between genders is also a problem in America’s society. It is proven that men earn about 20% more than women. However different coloured women earn 40% less than men. This indicates that not only gender discrimination is happening but also racism within that. This doubles the attacks against women as most women are from foreign countries which differ them in colour from other people. This difference symbolises the difference in women and men. This shows us that

For years, women have been viewed as weak, indecisive, and subjective. Women have become more empowered since their suffrage and earning their rights. Although, they have their rights, women are not equal to men in today’s society because of unequal pay and discrimination. The pay between the two gender in recent college graduates and stabilized jobs opt towards males. Women are discriminated in sports, entertainment , and politics in multiple ways. Also, the ratios between men and women in corporate offices, the entertainment business, and political positions is off balance, in favor of men.

Feminism and gender inequality are not just issues that women face in the US, but the entire world. Comparatively, women in the US are actually treated much better than women of other countries, such as those in the Middle East, where women have no rights and are seen as property. Talk about objectification! Transnational feminism takes a look at the same women’s issues that we have in the US and how they affect women in other countries. Transnational feminism also takes into account the various cultural difference that might also affect these issues and create other issues that women of different origins might face. Likewise, these cultural differences also affect the social construction of gender and maintain gender inequality. For example, Asian and African countries still abide by the very traditional patriarch lifestyle, in which the men are the “breadwinners” and women do the housework and take care of the children. Because many of these countries have corrupt governments, women remain having no rights due to the fear of punishment they would receive for trying to combat these issues. It is hard to fight for rights when some countries don’t even consider women as humans, but this is where transnational feminists come in. They fight for equal rights for all women, regardless of their ethnicity, race, sexuality, size, age, etc. because women are worthy of fair treatment and shouldn’t have to prove that.

All around the world today there is a growing message of positivity and acceptance happening between people of all shapes and sizes. Plus sized models and celebrities have risen from the ground as well as minorities rising up in positions never seen before. Diversity is so greatly praised and welcomed and I personally find it sickening. I want everyone to be, dress, and act the exact same.

Race relations in the United States may not be everything that it can be, but at least mainstream media knows better than to put blatantly racist headlines on the front of their papers or magazines. Even with freedom of speech and the press, restraint in the name of peace and civility is accepted practice in America. Other countries do not have to follow these standards, and sometimes we can be shocked at what shows up in the headlines around the world.

There is supposed to be equal protection for everyone in the United States, but in reality, there isn’t. People who are minority and of color get targeted, because of their race, gender, and class, while wealthy white people are put on a pedal stool and hardly ever get in trouble by the law. In many case the wealthy are not arrested nor are they given a sentence for their wrongful doing, they are allowed to get away with murder (86). In the meantime, poor people are not given the same treatment and can be sentence to 15 years, 25 years, or life in prison for committing minor offense. The Social sphere is inequality that has increased, women who work the same hours as a man are looked down on because they are supposed to be at home with the

Gender has had a repeating effect on the choice of careers for people all throughout the United States. In history, it is taught that males dominated women in many careers, while women dominated males in only a few other minor positions. Males had an upper hand over women in engineering and in the military. One of the reasons males dominated was the idea of dominance over women has been passed down for centuries. It was never common for a women to be an engineer of a home or anything that wasn’t meant for women. Women only dominated in certain areas in the medical field because they were subjected to few positions. In the military, women were put down due their physical ability and laws set blocked many careers and positions in the military. Throughout history women have fought many laws to break gender inequality. And even up to now there are still some laws that prohibit women from doing specific jobs in their desired field.

Do you think the contemporary family structure is the root for gender inequality within the United States today? Why or Why not? Do you feel women are inherently “nurturing” with an instinct toward love and service? Does this instinct interfere with a woman’s ability towards logic, reason, and decision making?

Both within and across different cultures we find great consistency in standards of desirable gender-role behavior. Males are expected to be independent, assertive, and competitive; females are expected to be more passive, sensitive, and supportive. These beliefs have changed over the past twenty years within the United States and apparently around the world as well. Therefore, modern society has been trying for the past decade to eliminate all of these stereotypes and double standards, thus creating equality among genders. However, women are not treated equally with men in developing countries because most women take low-level jobs. Last year, I came back to my hometown and visited some local factories. The industry is about producing textiles and the most labor in it were females who live on lower-wage. Even the circumstance changed, the equality between gender is still an issue.

Throughout my studies, I have come across groundbreaking literature, including: We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay; and Black Looks by Bell Hooks. One of the first authors that had a big influence on me was Naomi Wolf and The Beauty Myth. Wolf argues that women’s bodies are monitored and imprisoned by the myth of beauty. One of my greatest influences was Carla Rice (University of Guelph) who studies equity education, gender and sexual development, and critical psychology. During my Master’s degree, I was a teaching assistant for a Women’s Studies course. This opportunity provided me with an environment that I could thrive in, where I lectured a class of 300 university students. I learned

Our American Society has a pattern of gender stratification. There is an unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women. Gender has been a means of categorization for constructing a hierarchy throughout American history. Gender affects the opportunities and constraints we face throughout our lives. An important pattern of inequality that exists on the basis of gender is profession.

As far advanced as we think we may have become, gender inequality is still a prominent issue in our society today. the topic of gender roles is a very sensitive topic which is not easy to avoid, because it entwines with numerous aspects of our daily lives such as sexual orientation, identification, basic human rights, healthcare, etc. The effect of gender inequality on the magnitude of gender differences in authoritarianism may change depending on the cultural context, in particular whether a society is predominantly individualistic versus collectivistic (Brandt, 2012). There are many aspects that play different roles in gender inequality in the society, and one of them is sex. A lot of people often assume that gender and sex are the same thing, but it is actually not true. Gender is defined as a socially transferred variation of man and women, while sex is the biological difference between human based on their reproductive organs. Norms and values of a society are usually built upon gender roles Gender roles because it increases the influence of these roles.