Gender Discrimination in Korea - Essay Example

SOCIOLOGY (ASIAN STUDIES) Gender Discrimination- A Social Plague Understanding How Korean Women Change and Develop through the Years Introduction In many countries around the world, women are treated as lower and weaker 'section of the society'. Living in such an unequal society has long been a cause of heavy burden for the women population. This is due to the fact that because of the discrimination, women end up to have lower employment positions than men and even lower pay most of the time for the same work they accomplish with that of the men. Back then, hundreds of millions of women work on the land, cultivating crops, tending small family plots, or caring for livestock. When women do have paid employment, they usually earn less than male workers do, simply because they are women. This discrimination is a particularly bitter pill to swallow for a mother who is the family's only breadwinner, a role that is becoming more and more common. A United Nations report estimates that between 30 and 50 percent of all households in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America depend on a woman as their main provider. In addition, even in the more developed lands, an increasing number of women have had to become the main provider. This notion of gender discrimination is driven by the social development theories that explain the truth behind the existence of the capitalist idealism wherein people are more focused in gaining profit than that of providing respect to the ones that are due of the said recognition. (Peet, 1995) Rural poverty throughout much of the developing world is accelerating this trend. A husband who finds it a constant struggle to feed his family may decide to move to a nearby city or even another country to obtain work. He leaves his wife behind to care for the family. If he is fortunate enough to find a job, he sends paychecks home. But despite his good intentions, this often does not continue (Eiu-young, 1987). But difficult as it is, putting food on the table is not the only challenge women face. Why the sudden change on the role of women being at home Why the sudden direction of seeing women to becoming an epitome of a capitalist society that is better focused on the profits they are to gain than that of the morals that they are better able to establish to set a society that is able to withstand the changes of development that the modern human community itself undergoes at present. Through the theory of global capitalism, the growing difference on the gender status known to the human society and the changes happening to the status of women in connection with the recognition that they are receiving from the people of whom they are dealing with in the society that they are living in. (Peet, 1995) In Korea, this gender discrimination is indeed prevalent in the society. Moreover, this view of women has been strongly advertised through the use of media and continuous social display of discriminating attitudes. In fact, there is an implicit culture in the said country that the beautiful appearance and the physical attractiveness in women are essential stepping-stones for success. This culture really places women as a weaker gender having been able to do nothing without the existence of beauty. It is as if the talents and the considerably fine attributes of women are taken in no regard compared to their beauty. In this regard, the researcher aims to further study the issue on women discrimination existing in Korea through the use of survey. By basing the opinions of the people on how they comprehend on the theme sent out by the movie "Vanity Fair" after having them watch the said film. As said earlier, through this experimentation, the researcher hopes to evaluate the real impact of media in the society with regards to the issue of inequality, thus being able to formulate possible solutions to the said social plague. The Issues The theory of Marxian conception on the material conception of life has been the basic source of understanding used by the researcher of this paper in an aim of creating a more considerable process of examining the situations happening to the traditional Korean women towards becoming a more developed part of the society. It could be observed that somehow, this theory could explain how the entire process of advancement that the women are taking into consideration in an aim of following through the progression that the entire society is handling at present. (Desai, 2001) As for example, the magazine "Korean Women Today" has constantly been an enthusiast of the elevation of the status of women in the society. As it is published in Korea, most of the issues tackled in this magazine are related t the actual results of women discrimination in the Korean community. In its June 30, 1988 issue, it featured an article pertaining to how mass media displays women as a weaker gender in the society. The article entitled "Change of the image of women in mass media needed", it said that, "Systematic and joint efforts o correct a distorted image of women shown throughout major mass media such as newspapers and broadcasting systems, are being carried out internationally. In this way, it is hoped that such a campaign will be an important means of further improvement of the status of women" (DiMaggio, 1982). Indeed, the media systems are very influential especially to the views of the society regarding certain matters involving them as stakeholders of the accounts of concern. And among the concerns which may be included herein is women discrimination itself. Aside from the fact that women are discriminated even if they belong to the middle class population of the society, what more discrimination is there when it comes to the lower economic level of Korean Population To be able to meet this problem, the article being discussed further adds: "The following strategies were suggested to utilize the mass media for women's development: Networks should be formed among concerned scholars, women's organization and the mass media people. Audiences should carry out continuous and organized activities to monitor the mass media, and consumer protection movements should be carried out against the mass media as consumer goods. Women's participation should be expanded in the technical staff and the decision-making bodies. (Source: Change of the Image of Women in Mass Media Needed. (June 30, 1988). Korean Women Today. Korea. ) Another article from the same magazine entitled "The first Seoul Film Forum on Women: Discussion on the Role of Mass Media in Women's Development dated December 31, 1988, talks about the role of films or movies in the views of the audiences regarding the society. The forum, which was created to host the different reviews regarding the opinion of audiences with whatever films they are able to watch from the public theaters, have been able to gain results for the purpose it was created. In this forum, one of the images of women known to have displayed in media was being tender. The article adds: "the media transmits the message that women are weak, obedient, and beautiful while men are brave, decisive and dominating" (6). It further adds: " the films on working women clearly showed women's limited employment opportunities, discrimination in wages, women's double duties of domestic labor and outside employment, and how essential the husband's cooperation is " (6), it's as if women could never live without the existence of men beside them . Over all, films usually display that in major social decisions, women have no part in making great changes in the society. Some Queries on the Problem To be able to complete this research work, there are several issues needed to be addressed along with the process of completing this paper. The said issues and expectations of the researcher are as follows: What is the expectation of the researcher regarding the results that would be gained basing from the literatures reviewed in the previous paragraphs Korean Women will be reminded of the inevitability of the gender inequality depending of women's appearances, despite the level of intelligence. They will also relate and sympathize with the main character Becky Sharp and criticize how intelligent and beautiful women have much less chance of social mobility. Korean Men will view the film with disinterest and indifference, failure to evoke significant responses. Regarding the views of men and women towards each other's gender status, what should actually occur after the research Korean Women will sympathize but also disapprove Becky Sharp's way of climbing up the social ladder. Korean Men will evaluate on the appearance of the main character and criticize how Becky Sharp attempts to take advantage of the social and economic status of the male characters she interferes with. With the use of these expectations and questions regarding the study, the researcher would be able to further improve the process of studying the matter in an aim to reach the amiable result for the expected data needed to give the paper a certain level of validity. Testing through theories of Social Knowledge and Media Effects The movie "Vanity fair" portrays how a woman named Becky Sharp [played by Reese Witherspoon] who is characterized as a girl having wit and intelligence to make it to the high level of status in the society. Along with this, her character depicts the idea that women, having the necessary characters of being a successful person in the society should be considered before the existence of beauty in a person. Most likely, the movie "Vanity fair" displays more of a heroine's story than that of a hero's background in the society. After viewing the said film, several opinions regarding women and how they are socially accepted could surely be derived from the audiences. For the sake of this study's purpose, the researcher opted to choose several people who are trusted to give reactive opinions on the themes of films to be able to evaluate "Vanity fair". The said sample population comprises of movie critics and social enthusiasts. In this way, the questions to be answered during the study could be addressed well. After letting them view the film, here are the questions asked to them regarding the film: What do you think is the impact of the film regarding the present situation of Korean women In the present society, what role do women display in reality Is it true that only beautiful women with fine physical appearance survive in the society as a successful and credible person How do you think could the movie influence the present view of the Korean society towards women Conclusion In connection with the past studies performed before this research, it could be seen that a bit of change is already obvious in the Korean community regarding gender discrimination. This is simply because of the fact that the Korean community has been much influenced by the Western culture during the present times. However, several points of concern regarding the matter should still be addressed to be able to gain further social development in connection with the issue discussed in this study. Through deciphering the real meaning and the real effects of gender division and social discrimination with the use of the theoretical explanations utilized by Peet and Hartwick, the creation of a much vivid picture as to how people should be better concerned about the changes that are happening in the societies they are living in has been better presented through this study. Through the developmental procedures forced into the society through the existence of the new theory of social capitalism, it could not be denied that people, no matter what they do, are further dictated by the norms of the societies that they are living in. References: "The First Seoul Film Forum on Women: Discussion on the role of Mass Media in Women's Development" (December 31, 1988). Korean Women Today. Seoul Korea. Paul DiMaggio. Cultural Entrepreneurship in Nineteenth Century Boston. (1982). Media Culture and Society. Sage Publication. Eui-Young Yu. (1987). Korean Women in Transition: At Home and Abroad (Korean-American and Korean Studies Publication Series, No 5). California State Univ Los Angeles. Chun Soonok. (2003). They Are Not Machines: Korean Women Workers and Their Fight for Democratic Trade Unionism in the 1970s. Ashgate Publishing. Peet, Richard, PHD. (1995). Theories of Development. Guilford Press. Desai, Vandana. (2001). The Companion to Development Studies. Hodder Arnold. Oh-Joon Hee. Personal Interview. October 01, 2009 Lee Sol Nae. Personal Interview. October 01, 2009 Read More