Gender Discrimination in the United States - Report Example

Research Paper Draft

Besides racism and class differences, gender discrimination is the other prevalent social injustices in the United States. Gender inequalities have been evidenced in almost all production sectors besides the service provision ones, where the occurrences no longer seem awkward. At least 60% of every adult American citizen can confess to having experienced or seen instances for gender inequalities more than once (Mullen, 2011). Even though all humans are protected by human rights and are required to be treated equally around various facets of life, these norms have continued to be violated, with no one being concerned about the effects they might induce to the community (Dubbelt et al., 2016). Currently, the advocacy for gender equality has already become a known song to many, and just like a visitor, they come and go, but the host remains the same. However, social justice movements are doing a significant task in ensuring that all genders are treated equally and are provided with equal chances for various posts. This situation has led to the rise of different social groups like feminists fighting for the rights of an oppressed gender. Therefore it is essential to evaluate some of the factors contributing to gender inequality today.

Background

Remarkably, gender inequality issues trace their origin from various cultural aspects of communities. BeforeBefore and after colonization, many communities still held the hierarchical order in families and society whereby women were subject to men, and neither could they engage in any leadership roles nor could they contribute in any decision-making process (Dubbelt et al., 2016). Resultantly, stereotypes are passed from one generation to the other, contributing to the wide prevalence of the phenomenon across the nation (Mullen, 2011). Research has proved that social, economic, and political factors play a significant role in propelling gender inequalities. As a result, women have also been grouped as part of the vulnerable people in society and even privileges to secure some legislative seats exclusively for the women. However, the central area of concern should not be the various ways gender inequalities are depicted, but rather the causes of the social injustice and some areas that require improvements to reduce these occurrences (Dubbelt et al., 2016). Furthermore, it is essential to pinpoint some of the people who play significant roles in precipitating the situation and what needs to be done to change that.

Several behavioral psychologists have associated various characters or behaviors with having their roots from childhood or prolonged exposure to similar actions. Therefore, they agree that most people who undertake activities that contribute to gender-based discrimination must have acquired these practices or norms from their upbringing (Verniers & Vala, 2018). Therefore, the first essential step in curbing the prevalence of gender inequalities should be focusing on how our children are brought up, including the environment surrounding them as they grow or develop (Heilman & Caleo, 2018). Therefore, it is essential to ensure that children-based institutions like schools should be the first to develop programs that are objected to train learners that equality is paramount and helps maintain social order and evade unnecessary injustices. With those kinds of interventions, children will grow up perceiving gender inequalities as a bad thing. Therefore, it will be only at a minimal chance to engage in such practices (Mullen, 2011). Furthermore, a universal consensus on the preferences in education identifies the education sector as having a significant capacity to promote gender justice programs and ensure the inclusion of several students in those schemes to enable them to have passion for such activities (Heilman & Caleo, 2018). Therefore, the first step in solving this global challenge is venturing in the roots where the problem sprouts.

Reports indicate that women comprise approximately half of the world's population in various production activities, including agriculture, manufacturing, education, and several others (Ferrant, 2016). Therefore, it is essential to imagine the extent of the damage or loss caused when a woman is mistreated or discriminated, leading to a reduction in their morale and correspondingly their competence at work. Many people have argued that gender disparities mostly occur in the developing regions, although other reports have exposed the underlying prevalence of gender disparities in the developed areas (Mullen, 2011). Therefore, it is essential to establish mechanisms that can help in monitoring incidences of gender inequalities and ensure that necessary measures are taken against those who engage in these social injustices. Furthermore, engagements like women empowerment programs and gender equality movements should be promoted to ensure that the vulnerable feminine gender is equally acknowledged in the society and that women are subjected to equal opportunities to men without any form of impartialities (SteelFisher et al., 2019). However, the continued globalization and competition initiatives have continued to promote the suppression of women in the entrance to the market as an attribute of discrimination (Heilman & Caleo, 2018). As a result, the production rate is profoundly reduced, following that most of the skills and expertise that would probably be provided by a woman is wasted.

On the other hand, there are certain gender-biased occupations whereby one of the genders dominates by default leading to discrimination of the other due to its minority status (Mullen, 2011). For instance, the nursing occupation is extensively dominated by females rendering their male counterparts susceptible to discrimination, following that they are perceived as if they do not belong to that cohort (Ferrant, 2016). Therefore, gender discrimination can be experienced in many dimensions, following that no group cannot be discriminated against due to gender. However, reports have shown that female discrimination is more prevalent among various settings supporting that they are perceived as the weak gender (Dubbelt et al., 2016). Furthermore, the stereotype identities concerning women as inferior are prevalent, and changing the perception has remained a more significant challenge to many pioneers.

Thesis and Evidence

This research paper will thereby support the thesis that gender inequality is highly precipitated by cultural, political, and social factors that associate specific jobs and responsibilities to a particular gender and undermining the other (Bobbitt-Zeher, 2011). Researchers have contended that some cultures and social configurations uphold beliefs that women should perform domestic labor, and their engagement in economic activities is taboo. As a result, women are limited from exploiting their abilities and using their skills to secure themselves a living (Kübler et al., 2018). Furthermore, some of these cultures also do not support female education, thereby limiting women to knowledge. Thus, only a few women make it contest with their male counterparts while seeking noble occupations like medicine and other prominent professionals (Mullen, 2011). On that note, some of them who qualify for such positions are still deemed illegible following due to gender disparity factors. Several scholars have also argued that some stereotypes consider women to be less competent than their male counterparts in complex disciplines. For instance, males are more associated with pursuing complex subjects like mathematics and science, which makes female students feel as less competitive (Parker & Funk, 2017). Therefore, it is imperative to conclude that gender disparities are more precipitated by the social, cultural and political factors in the society that identify gender with the perceived abilities rather than qualifications and level of competence.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gender inequalities have been depicted as the preferential treatment of a certain gender in formal and casual contexts. However, the female gender is more susceptible to discrimination following that it is perceived to be the weak gender in many communities (Mullen, 2011). Studies have also proven that despite several instances of gender disparities being associated with developing countries, it is more prevalent in the developed ones although most of them are not addressed (Bobbitt-Zeher, 2011). As a result, various social projects like women empowerment programs have been established to help curb the extent of gender disparities in the community and uphold equality among various life aspects especially the economic sector. Furthermore, gender disparities lead to the decline in production rather than increment.

Gender disparities affect the effectiveness and workability in many organizations leading to low production rates due to reduced or limited pool of knowledge. Diversity of workers contributes to ideologies that influence decision-making processes and improving productivity. However, when people from a particular gender are undermined, their motivation lessens and influencing a reduction in the production rate (Dubbelt et al., 2016). The context has proved that it is essential to appreciate the contribution of every member of the society following that everyone is abled differently and the combination of these efforts will probably trigger an improvement in the economy (Bobbitt-Zeher, 2011). Furthermore, most members of the society needs to acknowledge that the world has changed and some of the traditional beliefs no longer apply in the current society. It is essential for everyone to understand that in this era everyone has their role to play and discriminating others only creates a gap that will probably take a lot of time and money to complete.