Liberal and Socialist Feminist Approach Towards Wage Gap in the US - Research Paper Example

? Liberal and Socialist Feminist Approach towards Wage Gap in the US Equality is a term that strongly associates with the notions like rights, justice, and cohesion. All terms and phenomena related to equality considered vital for several theoretical movements that have developed in feminism. The argument about equality has been the core concern at variant stages of feminism that have risen in response to gender discrimination in the societies. The main idea behind feminism movement is that to oppose the cultural, social, and political demotion of females` position. Economically, women are paid less in all professional sectors, as compare to men throughout the world. Feminism does not have a single approach, but it includes various theoretical approaches such as social, liberal, and radical and Marxist. This paper aims to highlight the liberal feminism approach towards the wage gap in the United States and its comparative analysis with socialist feminism approach of wage gaps. Liberal feminism says that personal rights should be the foremost priority of individuals and women should possess capability to take stand against every unfair practice around them. The liberal feminist recognizes the injustices that favour males over females. Liberal feminist intend to free females from dominating roles of men in the community (Biber and Leavy). In 1970, feminist movement looked into the matters of females as dependent women and conservativeness of their lives in the United States. Liberal feminism claimed that women are confined to household jobs (Biber and Leavy). In the United States, women are making remarkable achievements in the professional grounds and struggling to work with equal rights. However, it has observed that despite working passionately and dedicatedly women are being paid less as compare to men up to 75% (Wood). Liberal feminism is the most effective approach in the United States that intend to work for the equal rights of women in every aspect of socio-political life. Bandura (1977) has mentioned in his research that previously liberal feminism struggled for females` rights to participate in elections with equal opportunities and to own properties, but current liberal feminists intend to work for gaining equal seats in professional ground with equal salaries for equal jobs (Wood). According to Jagger (1983), philosophy of liberalism is related to traditional historical approaches of attaining equal opportunities in various grounds. He further explained that liberal theory up holds the idea that equal work opportunities and salary packages directly influence cognition of women and motivate them, to hard with more enthusiasm (Biber and Leavy). It should the foremost matter of consideration for the governmental bodies in order, to ensure equal opportunities to men and women both. Theoretical movements of liberal feminism are different from other types of feminism. It is because it intend to take steps for political modifications in order to strengthen females` standings legally (Dickerson, Flanagan and O'Neill). However, other feminist party usually have common goals and similar objectives and strategies, but liberal feminism mainly focuses on individualism and positivism. In the United States, liberal feminism has made great contributions towards workplace environment and wages policies for women (Dickerson, Flanagan and O'Neill). With the contributions and participation of liberal feminists more and more talented women have, got chance to make their specific places in the work place, but the issues related to their wages gaps is still in process (Walters). However, participants of feminism have found that top positions and executive level jobs are kept for men in the US it has been then major reason behind low wages of women. Furthermore, Jagger (1983) discussed that feminist approach focus on individualism, and according to individualism notion, self-satisfaction is very important part. It has observed that working people have so many responsibilities on their shoulders, specifically women, who work outside home to run their bread and butter (Fourie). Nevertheless, it has observed that female workers in the United States do not seem satisfied with their wages and other incentives (Butler). Additionally, when women work in professional grounds with other male employees, and they observed a major difference in their wages, they ultimately started feeling inferior. Psychologically a feeling of anxiety and clear discrimination can result in adverse manner (Roxbury). Either it badly influence women`s performances in the work places or they start using unfair means of achieving what they considered as their fundamental right. Liberal feminism practitioners mainly emphasized the fact that a change is needed in the legislation policies. Additionally, liberals based their debates on the traditional values and positions of the women in society that are low then men in every aspect (Robinson). It is believed that if governmental bodies deeply analyze the clear discrimination with women regarding their unsatisfactory wages and all old-fashioned laws are obsolete, only then women of the United States will be able to enjoy equal work and pay opportunities (Brownley). Moreover, in order to accomplish the mission of observing more women as bosses, judges and top level executive workers it is highly important to notice change at national level in the US. It is because without government co-operation no private or governmental organization can take step to increase reputation level or wages of women, who had been working with low wages since long time (Tong). Nevertheless, the equal pay act 1975 clearly demonstrates the efforts of liberals to gain equal wages and position achievements in the professional grounds. On the contrary, there is another type of feminism known as social feminism or socialism that does not agree with the notions of liberal feminism as they reject the idea of individualism and positivism (Keetley). Difference between socialists and liberals could be understood through an overview of socialists` perspective regarding role of women in workplace and matters of their low wages (Greenberg and Watts). There debate is based on arguments regarding corruption of wages because of class system that exists in our society. According to Mackenzie and Wajcman (1999), capitalism has give rise to class system based on gender roles and innovation of technology has further added complexities for women to participate and acquire reputable position in the professional fields (Fox). Daft (1996) has discussed that when a leftist movement started in 1960, social feminist group come forward along with various issues related to unequal practices in the United States (Fourie, Media Studies: Media History, Media and Society). Unlike liberals, they intend to focus on the core reason behind injustice with the women in the society. However, they agree with the natural equality between role and rights of men and women, but they found the capitalism has given more power to men as compare to women. With the emergent capitalism, men gained more value and executive level positions at work places, while women remain restricted to their traditional positions (Smith). Even though, the concept of attaining equal rights for women has emerged by liberal feminists, but still the socialists have rejected liberals` approaches of theoretical movement (Smith). Their rejection based on the unnecessary demands of that movement specifically those of individualism. They believed that notion of individualism and regulations for supporting self-interests of women could adversely impose economical challenges for the United States (Blair). They strongly believed that women have not devalued intentionally, but capitalism has contributed most to demote women`s value in the organizations that eventually influences their monthly wages (Blair). Apart from these disagreements with liberal feminism, socialists have also rejected the concept of removing or replacing traditional roles and values of women and alterations in the legal standings. Socialist illustrates that naturally women`s activities are different from those of men (Freedman). For instance, many women do only part time work to earn limited amount of money, might be because they are just helping their husbands or brothers in financial terms. May be possibly because they do have other responsibilities of household work to do with that is why they could not do full time job (Freedman). However, on other hand in the organizations where men and women are given equal opportunities to work in the United States, but their wages considerably differs from each other`s. therefore, it could be clearly understood that men usually do fulltime jobs and for this reason they are provided with better salaries and opportunities as compared to female workers (Wayne). Social feminist upholds the idea that a gap in men and women wages does not exists because of biological difference, as liberals believe, but social practices are giving rise to discrimination with the women in social as well as domestic life (Augustin). For instance, domestically patriarchy has enhanced male dominancy over wives while, capitalism has given power to men over women in the organizations and other professional fields. According to Collins and Hook (1992) industrial revolution has provided an initial point to start examination of unequal bonds between men and women. During pre-industrial era domestic and office-work was equally distributed between men and women, but men have strict authorities over their families. A husband or wife did not use to work in different places (Brooks and Heber). However, with the industrial revolution, a prominent difference appears in work places and wage of employees started depending upon their genders. At first place, wives and unmarried young girl were encourage to work in professional industries because women labour was less costly and large number of women had shown interest to work outside home (Brooks and Heber). Nevertheless, technology has further added complexities for men and women both because machines have replaced men labour making it cheaper for industrialists. Moreover, it has observed that as men were given more opportunities to gain IT and computer knowledge as compare to women (Brooks and Heber). Thus, technological replacement did not make a major difference in men`s wages because they acquired top level positions in the workplaces where they get high wages, while women remain confined to their traditional positions in the offices, experiencing a major gap in their wages in relation to men`s salaries (Fox). From the above discussion, it could be understood that the liberal`s feminist approach mainly based on biological differences. They believed that men in every sector dominate women, specifically when it comes to their monthly wages and annual bonuses. According to liberals, entire discrimination based on the gender considering biological factors as foremost. However, on other hand socialist feminists do not believe in prioritizing individualism and eliminating traditional legislations because the wage gap does not occur because of biological factors, but industrial revolution and technological advancements have created such differences. 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