Race, Class, and Gender - Research Paper Example

Race, Class, and Gender Before going into the details of how race, class, and gender shape human experiences, let us get a better understanding of the concepts of race, class, and gender differences. Andersen and Collins (2004) assert, “Understanding the intersections between race, class, and gender, and how they interrelate with ethnicity and sexuality, requires knowing how to conceptualize each” (p. 62). The concept of race is related to the individual differences based on different factors, which include skin color, nationality, language, and religion. Gender discrimination and racial inequality are two of the most daunting issues all over the world. People differentiate among one another because of racial and gender differences that exist among the people of any specific society. According to Healey (2010), “Race, along with gender, is one of the first things people notice about one another” (p. 19). The Concept of Race The concept of race is a social construction according to the sociologists’ view. Sociologists also believe that this social construction of race has been because of various social, political, and historical processes. Healey (2010) asserts, “As a biological concept, race has been largely abandoned, but as a social category, race maintains a power influence on the way we think about one another” (p. 40). Race of a person provides the judgment about a person’s background such as nationality, culture, and the society to which the person belongs. Skin color is one of the key factors of racial differences and people use this factor to determine the nature or characteristics of other people although it is a wrong approach towards character determination. It is because people having any specific skin color do not have the same characteristics because of cultural differences. Characteristics of a person do not depend on the skin color rather they depend on the society and the culture in which a person grows up. It is not possible that all Black people belonging from America and Africa possess the same nature or behavioral characteristics. Similarly, there are many behavioral differences between the American and European White community. Understanding characteristics of the people from different cultural and social backgrounds plays a vital role in shaping the personal experiences of a person. Andersen and Collins (2004) found that the culture encompasses both material and symbolic components and it is one of the important dimensions of understanding human life (p. 11). Analysis of a culture is very helpful in understanding the values and traditions of that culture. If we discuss economic impacts of race in relationship to differences in occupations, we can say that racial discrimination has a great influence on the economy of a country. In some countries, minorities are sometimes subjected to hiring discrimination due to which they are compelled to adopt less desirable occupations where income is very less as compared to the income that comes from prestigious occupations. This results in economic instability because skills and abilities do not depend on the color, language, or cultural background of a person. Therefore, when jobs are given based on race, economic instability occurs as a result. Economic stability of a country depends on the country’s industrial and organizational success, which can only be achieved when the jobs are given on merit. None of the individuals should be given priority over other candidates just because of racial differences. If we talk about the United States of America, we come to know that the government of US has taken considerable steps to eradicate racial discrimination from the country. The government of US believes in the concepts of equality and justice, and provides equal opportunities to all people regardless of race, sex, and religion. If we talk about relationship between race and economy, various evidences reveal that Black and Hispanic households hold a considerably higher percentage of their net worth in housing than the Whites, whereas White households hold a higher proportion in financial assets such as stocks and fund shares as compared to Blacks and Hispanics. The Concept of Class The concept of class also plays an important role in shaping personal experiences. The way a person interacts with other persons belonging to different classes is very important in understanding the behaviors and attitudes of different people. In our world, financial position of a person represents the social class of that person. People are divided into classes according to their financial positions. A person with strong financial status represents upper or elite class whereas a person having weak financial status belongs to lower societal class. Apart from upper and lower classes of people, there is another class known as the middle class, which represents nearly 48 percent of the total American population according to the 2002 NORC General Social Survey. Working class of a country is the most practical class and it greatly influences the industrial advancement of the country. The dilemma is that the working class does not get the required financial benefits or appreciation by the governments. The wages are also less as compared to the chief executive officers and other upper management posts. Another problem for the working class is that of discrimination. The factor of discrimination exists based on the skin color. Andersen and Collins (2004) asserts, “Women of color and working class women often shrink from challenging white middle class-class women” (p. 28). Wright (2000) asserts, "The Marxist concept of class is rooted in a polarized notion of antagonistic class relations: slave masters exploit slaves, lords exploit serfs, capitalists exploit workers" (p. xiii).This discrimination factor needs to be eradicated from the minds of people in order to make the working class feel socially equivalent and praised. The Concept of Gender Gender is a social construction of men and women and is one of the most important criteria for socio-cultural analysis. Healey (2010) asserts, “Gender has both a biological and a social component and can be highly visible and convenient way of judging and sorting people” (p. 19). If we compare the issue of gender to the issue of race and class, we come to know that in most of the societies, men are expected to work outside whereas women are expected to remain at home in order to manage the household and to take care of the children. If we talk about economic impacts of gender differences in relationship to differences in occupations, we can say that the gender differences, which are involved in various occupations, affect the financial power of the individuals and the economic progress of a country. Men are often given priority over women because it is assumed that women are less consistent with jobs as they have to take care of their kids too. That assumption affects productivity of the organizations because skills and abilities have no relation with the gender of a person. Many women are more skillful and productive than their male colleagues. The issue of gender differences even exists between the people belonging to the same gender. For example, the wages of minority women are set lower than that of White females. Black female employees face greater gender and wage discrimination than White women or Black men. Andersen and Collins (2004) found that within Black communities where racism is a real reality, differences among them often seem dangerous and suspect (p. 56). In various occupations, female employees receive lower wages as compared to male employee while performing the same tasks that require the same level of skills, experience, and educational background. This gender wage-gap in different occupations discourages female labor force and puts a direct negative effect on the women’s financial strength. Those countries, where gender discrimination is at the peak, face the problems of greater poverty, weaker governance, slower economic growth, and a poor quality of life. Another problem related to the issue of gender differences is that of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a kind of unwanted behavior shown by a person, which makes the victim feel intimidated, uncomfortable, and embarrassed. Some cases of sexual harassment involve such men who are at higher positions and they sexually harass their colleagues and subordinate women just because the women are less powerful as compared to men and cannot show high resistance to the sexual advancements of men. Healey (2010) asserts, “Gender and inequality have usually been closely related, and men typically claim more property, prestige, and power” (p. 20). It rarely happens that the victims of sexual harassment make complaint to the higher officials because the women do not want to loose their dignity in front of their colleagues and relatives. Another issue related to the gender differences is that of freedom to select the life partner. Traditionally, a man and a woman marry to form a couple. On the other hand, there exist some men, who want to have sexual relationship with other men while some women also want to have relations with other women. The basic civil rights of this community, also known as GLBT community, are denied and generally, their relationships are not socially accepted in any part of the world. Conclusion Summing it up, we can say that the racial, class, and gender inequalities are some of the most critical issues being faced by almost every nation of the world. Race, class, and gender are those factors, which have a deep economic and social impact on the progress of any specific country. Laws and regulations need to be made and implemented in order to deject and discourage such discriminations in every field of life. References Andersen, M., & Collins, P. (2004). Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Healey, J. (2010). Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender. California: Pine Forge Press. Wright, E. (2000). Class Counts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More