Equality has been and will always be a problem in our world. Not everyone can choose to have the job they want, do what they want or simply live the life they want. There is inequality in matters of race, sexual orientation, social class and gender. I know that both genders face some sort of gender inequality. While browsing through the internet, I saw four advertisements that depicted women in a sexist and discriminatory way. I chose to do my essay on these advertisements because I find them relatable. These ads are promoting UN Women, a United Nations entity working for the empowerment of women. All of the the ads are similar but also convey different messages. The first thing that the audience will see is the sad, empty look the women have. They seem lifeless and discontented. There is also a google search bar replacing the mouths of all women. At first, I thought the google searches were there just to show discrimination against women. I then read online that the search bar was used to represent silencing the women. The google searches correspond with the hidden message of silencing women. In each image, it is stated what women should or shouldn’t do. Its as if women should simply exist but should not make any decisions or have a say in their own lives. Sadly, the statements on the search bars are genuine google searches, highlighting popular opinions across the world wide web. Of course, the observer can easily recognize that the females come from different
Throughout the semester, we have discussed many different social justice issues. One issue that has stuck with me is gender and racial inequality. Gender inequality is very important to me because I was raised by a single mother and surrounded by women all the time. I do not believe that anyone should be payed or treated differently due to their gender. While growing up, I saw that women are capable for doing anything and often times have to work harder than men to prove themselves. Racial inequality is an issues that is important to me because I feel that all individuals should be equal. I think Dr. King’s idea of color blindness, not today’s definition, should be something that we as a society strive for. We need to move past the idea that
Throughout this course, we have discussed how the differences in the social construction of gender, race, class, and sexuality have led to discrimination and inequality of those classified under a variety of these categories. Through understanding the significance of these social constructs on society it becomes apparent the intersectionality they have when it comes to understanding why certain groups may face discrimination or inequality. This paper examines gender inequality and how the social construction of gender makes it difficult for the pursuit of equality amongst genders.
Social class is a division of a society based on social and economic status which can include levels of wealth, success, power of authority, and influence. Status is can be defined or grouped having common economic, cultural, or political interests.
Sexist ads show that society is dominated by the same masculine values that have controlled the image of women in the media for years. Sexist advertisement reinforces gender stereotypes and roles, or uses sex appeal to sell products, which degrades the overall public perception of women. The idea that sexism is such a rampant problem comes from the stereotypes that are so deeply embedded into today’s society that they almost seem to be socially acceptable, although they are nowhere near politically correct. Images that objectify women seem to be almost a staple in media and advertising: attractive women are plastered all over ads. The images perpetuate an image of the modern woman, a gender stereotype that is reinforced time and time again by the media. These images are accepted as “okay” in advertising, to depict a particular product as sexy or attractive. And if the product is sexy, so shall be the consumer. In the 1970s, groups of women initially took issue with the objectification of women in advertisements and with the limited roles in which these ads showed women. If they weren’t pin-ups, they were delicate
1 a.) As defined by sociology, a minority group is one that is singled out and treated as lesser people, and given less say and resources than those who are of a higher station in society ((Ed.), (n.d)). The importance of having different ‘classes’ in society is that it defines who will be the one who serves those at the top and those who will be at the top. Although the separation of each class gives a clearer definition of who we are in society we should not allow that to stop us from striving to move up the stratification ladder. The poor in the U.S. begin at the door step of the single minority single White mothers, who make up the bottom thirty percent of the population (Meyer, 2014). Black women are even more of a minority than the White woman in today’s society. This is closely followed Black men and the Hispanic population coming in at 27 and 26 percent-respectively (Commerce, 2014). Women are minorities in many areas such as employment, education, and government support. Women are overlooked when it comes to being ‘allowed’ into certain jobs, neighborhoods, colleges and universities. Women are in general paid less for more work, longer hours and with less benefits. The working conditions for women are less stable than those of a man in the same position. The wages that they work for are even lower than that of their White contemparies and the conditions are even worse for them. Women earn about 77 cents for every
There is a differentiation among both social classes and genders in regards to how they
Gender inequality plays a critical role when it comes to social progress. As a woman,
Marxists sociologists, such as Althusser, Bowles and Gintis and Willis argue that education operates in the interests of the ruling class and maintains capitalism. However, other sociologists oppose this by arguing that this is false and education is meritocratic.
Also, advertisement creates certain standards and guidelines for us on how we view an individual because of their sex or gender differences. Advertisements have set us the norms of how we think instead of us trying to understand something else. In addition, in today’s society advertisement plays a huge role in how we define provocative advertisement, and with this in mind it may create various problems in society. This video suggests that sexism creates an awareness and understanding of me on how social stratification is viewed in society. An example of social stratification categorized some individuals due to their gender, and this reason it may affect individuals everyday life.
Women are suppressed and degraded in society. They are merely seen as pets for males or care-takers of the house and children. The advertisement on women’s equality is rhetorically effective due to its connection to the audience, emotional appeal, and how things are positioned in the ad, as well as the misogynistic comments and how society depicts women.
In the chapter, we explore concepts that determine social class and health inequalities. The authors, Julie MuMullin, and Lorraine Davies discusses the link between social class and inequality and an individual's well-being and health. Studies have shown that people who have higher income, higher education, and better jobs are expected to live longer and do not contract sicknesses. On the other hand, individuals that with lower income, lower education, and bad jobs are expected to have shorter lives. This particular concept is consistent to what we see in Canada, a nation that provides universal health care system for all individuals. Prior to this course I was aware of the concept of “the poor are getting poorer, and the rich are getting
In the US, the social class is stratified by how much a person makes and by that we put them into different grids of social class. Social processes can be found through social institutions, social networking, groups, and social roles they are created on how people interact together. All societies that have people in high power create an inequality among the people. Through data that has been concluded by researchers shows us the differences in men and women through race, class and education.
The 21-st century is characterized by the continuous economic downfall. The relationship between race, class and gender should be evaluated to identify the life chances of people to improve their relative position in our socially stratified world. The increased rates of unemployment, homelessness and poverty show that our society requires implementing a transformative approach to reduce social stratification. The term social stratification is applied to identify and asses different forms of inequality that exist in the US society. Patricia H Collins suggests, “while a piece of the oppressor may be planted deep within each of us, we each have the choice of accepting that piece or challenging it as part of the 'true focus of revolutionary change'” (p. 680). Inequality has become a universal feature of our society; therefore, it exists everywhere and concerns race, class, and gender as the key categories of society.
Throughout our semester together, our Social Issues class has discussed many different aspects of race, class and gender. We have had many opportunities to discuss and share our opinions on different topics and problems we face today. During this course, my outlook on life and other people has changed significantly. The use of projects and papers has further enlightened me to understand the perspective of others. The readings that we have been given each week have proven themselves very beneficial and have assisted greatly in furthering my awareness towards different races, classes and genders.
for different social classes or statuses for various individuals within a group or society. It usually refers to people of distinct genders, ages