The Concept of Gender Discrimination - Research Paper Example

Gender Issues: Introduction Nothing portrays our society fruitfulness and completeness as the general survey on the stability of the family. It is the basic unit that forms the backbone of our social interactions and organization structures that run the country. Pew Research Center attributes social ills to the disintegration of the family unit in the society. The authors emphasizes on the importance of family in the well-being of the country. They also emphasize the importance of making nation building through social inclusion of every group of people. Most people perceive themes of discrimination, gender, and roles among men and women as those that influence our day-to-day activities and what traits we pick to interact with other people. Gender Discrimination Gender is the state of being either male or female; hence, discrimination in gender refers to the prejudicial treatment of someone because of his or her gender. Gender discrimination, according to most researchers, is most likely to be experienced at place of work rather than anywhere else. Gender discrimination at work place includes in hiring, promotion, demotion, unequal pay or benefits, harassment, hostile work environment or firing. The New York Times relates to gender issue the fact that Hillary Clinton was not appointed the Vice President, but Joe Biden appointed. Her backers and supporters seemingly perceived this as gender discrimination. That remains largely arguable. Even so, some authors, such as Wollstonecraft, have argued that women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions, which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact, men are insultingly supporting their own superiority." Such feelings elaborate the masculine discrimination that cleverly elevates the stature of men in the society. Sex is commonly used by men degrade women and make them feel inferior to them while still making sure that they do not rise above them. Acceptance for LGBTQ People Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people have not yet been openly accepted by the society. Pew Research Center shows that, 92% of the LGBTQ persons say that today society has become more accommodating and more than half of them believe that by the end of the decade, more people will accept them. Recent legislation passed in different states in the country, allowing and legalizing these groups of people, is a sign that finally the society is embracing them. The church, which has been a strong advocate against them, is finally warming up to them. The recent appointment of a gay clergy has shown that the groups’ advocacy efforts are paying off. Acceptance of LGBTQ people will mean more to them and as Jacques Danton, in his Speech to the Legislative Assembly [August 28, 1792], stated, “Everything belongs to the fatherland when the fatherland is in danger”; it is only them that understand the value of acceptance. 39% of them testified that at one point in their lives to have been stigmatized, 30% to have been physically attacked, 29% made to feel unwelcomed in their place of worship, 21% been unfairly treated in their place of work while 56% have been victims of slur jokes. Women in Politics/the Workplace Yoko Ono Song (1972) title, ‘Woman Is the Nigger of the World,” clearly defines today’s state of the girl child all over the world. In Liberia, the president is a woman, in Germany, the chancellor is a woman, in Malawi, and until recently, the president was a woman, while women head different international organizations. This turn of women empowerment in the society to major political and organization position has been a major turn of the 21st century stand on equality. The success stories in women in these positions of power are resonating everywhere, even in conservative communities. (Power Magazine) quotes Oprah Winfrey, probably the most influential woman worldwide, as advising other women to learn to embrace their power. Attitudes changes on women roles in the society as Helen Reddy quoted that ‘if I have to, I can do anything. I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman’, are clearly defining the way and their positions in the society. They have ceased being the home caretakers to being the breadwinners. Gender Roles Every religious discursion and faith has a set of rules and regulations that clearly defines what roles are for a woman and those for a man. Even in the most retrogressive societies, gender roles are well defined. Men are the breadwinners while women are the homebuilders. Today these roles have changed dramatically, both in the society, at home and even in the bedrooms. This change in gender roles has seen issues of harassment, discrimination and gender parity, increase in the society. Hyper-Masculine Men Vokey et al. attribute advertisement as the main cause to the increment in hyper-masculinity in the society. Hyper-masculine refers to those men that show an exaggerated male stereotypical behavior characterized by physical strength and boldness. Scholars characterize these men as being callous to women, perceiving danger as interesting and believe that violence is an attribute of being a man. Indifference to emotion is perceived as one trait that makes a man hyper-masculine, and while this is perceived as a good thing to such men, many people ascribe this silence and composure to violence (Nivette et al. 67). Researchers have observed that most teenagers who are engaged in aggressive games such as basketball, and American football are violent. The quote by Rap Brown “Violence is as American as cherry pie” depicts America communities that have youths in gangs and promote masculinity as a virtue. It is so rampant that during a report in the New York Times, Mr. Batton stated ‘the violence they engage in is so much part of their world’, just to show rival groups their masculinity and dominance. Femininity in Women Gentleness, empathy and sensitivity are traits attributed to women. (Femininity 1) says that women ‘create themselves as objects, rather than subjects’ showing how cultural gender roles and expectations have forced them to adapt to the masculinity. With the rise of the girl child, feminine characters are being strongly exhibited by the modern woman. She is able to utilize these traits to her benefit to rise up the social ladder. Gender Binary The contrast of men and women characteristic are apparent in any society. From the dress code, roles, looks, behavior, outlook, to even how they related to one another, men and women are distinctively different. Gender binary intends to define men difference from women and their roles in accordance to femininity and masculinity. Fuller statement that "Unity is plural and, at minimum, is two" elaborates binary perspective held by many communities and faith; they believe gender attributes to either male or female and their roles well and clearly defined. Gender binary defines sex roles meant for men and those for women. Transgender People/Non-Binary Folk Non-binary folks have no clear definition of either being men or men. It questions society role in constructing gender as one that is of male and female without putting into consideration the existence of transgender persons. Sexual dimorphism is being erased and replaced with that beyond 2-gender parity. Factors that are associated with transgender discrimination are geographic context, gender, low socioeconomic status as well as being a racial and ethnic minority. Others include gender transition signs, and health care, violence-physical and sexual, personal variability (Judith et al, 34). Kylie’s assertion that “Social constructionism gives a definition of gender and sex that is unified and elegant, founded entirely in identity rather than limited by biology” clearly defines our society perspective has and the need to address the issue of identity among the transgender folk Kylie (357). Confusing Sex with Gender Researchers agree that when many people are discussing issues relating to gender, they are mostly in their mind referring to sex. They attribute this to difficulty existing in understanding language disparity. While sex refers to physiological attributes of being either male female or male, gender refers to the characteristics that the society attributes to being male or feminine. Goodman (1) agrees that despite the variation, gender and sex terms, interact and interchange along a certain variability. Conclusion Every system has a self-adjusting system that it powers every time it encounters change in the program instructions. Social changes in a society have adverse effects on those that are part of it. Re adjustments into our society has made normal accepted behavior to change to accommodate this changes. Gender is a broad issue that needs be addressed from many perspectives as it affects every member of our society, whether one wants it or not Works Cited "Femininity." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 11, 2014). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045300809.html Goodman David J. “Dozens of Gang Suspects Held in Raids in Manhattan”. New York Times. 4 June 2014. Web. Accessed from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/nyregion/dozens- of-suspected-gang-members- arrested-in-raid-of-2-harlem-housing-projects.html?_r=0 Judith, Bradford, Sari Reisner L., Julie Honnold A., and Jessica Xavier. "Experiences of Transgender-Related Discrimination and Implications for Health: Results from The Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study." American Journal of Public Health 103.10 (2013): 1820. Web. Accessed from http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/90147811/experiences-transgender-related- discrimination-implications-health-results-from-virginia-transgender-health-initiative- study Kylie Byron. Natural Law and Bona Fide Discrimination: The Evolving Understanding of Sex, Gender and Transgender Identity in Employment. Washington University Jurisprudence Review, 343 (2014). Accessed from http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_jurisprudence/vol6/iss2/4 Nivette, Amy, Manuel Eisner, Malti Tina and Ribeau Denis. "Sex Differences in Aggression Among Children Of Low And High Gender Inequality Backgrounds: A Comparison Of Gender Role And Sexual Selection Theories." Aggressive Behavior 40.5 (2014): 451– 464. Accessed from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ab.21530/abstract Pew Research Center. A Survey of LGBT Americans: Attitudes, Experiences and Values in Changing Times. 2014. Web. Accessed from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/ Power Women Magazine. Women Power. 2014. Accessed from http://www.powerwomenmagazine.com Stephens Rand L., and Koss Richard. San Francisco Bay Area Gender Discrimination Attorneys Fight Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassmen.t http://www.jobdiscrimination.org/practice-areas/gender- discrimination/#sthash.eE7s7pzm.dpuf Vokey, Megan, Tefft Bruce and Tysiaczny Chris. An Analysis Of Hypermasculinity In Magazine Advertisements. Sex Roles Vol. 68, Issue 9-10 (2013): 562-576. 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