Sexism Through Language - Essay Example

Sexism Introduction The persistence in gender parity in the world has attracted much research. The world has different ways of treating people and various conditions of treatment based on their sex, either male or female. While gender has been defined as the perceived component of human sexuality, sex refers to the genetic or biological component. Hence, gender would be considered as a social construction. The opportunities and treatment that face people would largely be presented in reference to such a person’s sex, hence a form of discrimination referred to as sexism. Benatar (6) defines sexism as economic and cultural structures that create and propagate rigid and elaborate sex-marking and sex-announcing patterns that cause division of the species based on sex into subordinates and dominators. Sexism would thus be considered as systemic where the system favours those with overall power. It is basically the wrongful discrimination of a person on the basis of such a person’s sex. The wrongfulness of this discrimination could be out of individual beliefs about a particular sex or because such a discrimination would unjustly harm the discriminated persons. The dominance of one sex in any society would imply that there is a sex that is being oppressed. Benatar (12) introduces first sexism in reference to cases where girls have been victimised. These girls and women have been killed due to their female sex in places where there is strong preference for sons, referred to as female infanticide. Widows would also be forced to end their lives in the name of rituals such as the India’s sati. Neglect could also cause deaths of girls and women especially in times of short food supplies in communities where sons would be prioritised as girls would be left to die out of malnutrition. Many millions of girls have been deprived of education as the boys on the other hand would be provided with education. Even in places where girls would be allowed to access primary education, the ladder tilts to favour the boys in higher education. In Saudi Arabia, women have been prohibited from riding motorcycles or bicycles or driving vehicles. Sexism through language Language has perpetuated male dominance through trivialising, ignoring and sexualising women. The use of he in cases of unspecified sex and the generic term mankind in reference to humanity are some example in English that enhance sexism. Additionally, promiscuity would usually be applied to women only. Towards the end of the 20th Century, gender neutral language had been promoted and has been largely attributed to feminism rise. This language avoids gender specific titles and other usage considered to be sexist. Supporters argue that gender specific title and pronouns exhibits systemic bias that excludes people based on their gender. Their proponents however argue that promoting gender neutral language would lead to grammatical distortion of meaning. Other languages around the world, in contrast to the western Indo-European languages had gender specific pronouns arise recently in the early 20th Century. Turkish is one of the examples. Colonialism saw most cultures revolutionise in an attempt to be modernised or westernised through addition of gender specific pronouns. As a result, about a century ago, these gender neutral pronouns became gender specific. Sexism in mass communication media Mass media, including movies, newspapers, television and magazines widely reflect what the society assumes about gender. Movies, particularly pornography objectifies gender by depicting scenes where women would be coerced, humiliated, dominated or even sexually assaulted. It entails psychological, physical or economic coercion of the women folk to perform and model in such movies. But with the modern rise in feminism, magazines have largely been concerned with the achievements of women. Despite this, various magazines still define women in reference to men behind them. Eitzen and Baca-Zinn (268) document studies which have shown that stereotypic behaviour would be present in both adult and children programmes and even in commercials. The roles of men would be more than that for women with exceptions for daytime soap operas where the representation almost balances. In prime time television, men would cast in more serious roles as their female counterparts take up comical roles. Occupational sexism The discriminatory statements, actions or practices that are present at employment base on one’s sex define occupational sexism. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD noted that in 2008, the rate of female employment increased considerably with the wage gaps being narrowed in virtually all places of employment (5). However, women were found to have 20% less chance of employment and would earn 17% less than their male counterparts. The outlook attributed 8% of gender employment variation and 30% of wage gaps in OECD countries to discriminatory practices observed in the labour market. Despite member countries like the US coming up with anti-discrimination laws, enforcement becomes difficult. Gender roles refer to activities linked to a particular sex by the society. With the culture that portrays men as being competitive and ambitious, men would be encouraged to seek leadership positions and be engaged in team sports. With their female counterparts defined as emotional and deferential, they would be expected to give them support. The labour market for women would be defined by learned social and cultural values which could be considered as discriminatory to women by stereotyping work as meant for males or females. Further, the educational choices availed for women dictates the kind of job opportunities available for them. Women that take up jobs that the society reserves for men find themselves in difficult situations. On the other hand, sexism also denies men full human development potential. Occupational segregation motivated by sex denies men employment opportunities in nursing, secretarial work and other similar jobs reserved for women. Women would earn less than their male counterparts performing the same job with the US for example recording 23.5% less earning for women than men. OECD (3) attributes wage gap to difference in workplace and personal characteristics between men and women including working hours, occupation and education. Studies have recorded an unexplained gender wage gap with other factors controlling pay being under control. This has been attributed to gender discrimination. Mothers would generally be less likely to be employed as contrasted to equally qualified fathers; and if employed, then their wages would be lower. Eitzen and Baca-Zinn (281) introduce a term referred to as glass ceiling which describes a perceived barrier to personal advancement due to discrimination, specifically gender discrimination. Despite the great improvement received in academic achievements, the past greatly promoted sexism. In 1995 for instance, the US had about 50% Masters Degrees being received by women but about 97% of senior managers in Fortune 500 Companies and Fortune 100 Industrial and Service Companies were men. Sexism in families The status of women in families reflects their status in social institutions. Gender structured families would assign women maintenance work. The woman would not get any pay for the household chores of cooking, cleaning, ironing and the likes. In spite of being necessary, Eitzen and Baca-Zinn (277) consider this work as being low in prestige and non-paying. Although the husband-wife relationships could be considered as tending towards equality, the men still exercise greater power in families. The greater the occupational status of the husband, the greater would be his power. The opportunities for women to acquire such opportunities have been limited by the society. Other forms in which sexism would be exhibited include domestic violence which could be psychological, physical or verbal abuse. It occurs in unequal proportion between men and women and has a relationship with sexism. The type of violence would also differ across the spectrum of gender. In hate motivated sexual assault such as sex, the perpetrator would always be motivated by the desire to feel powerful over the other because of the sex. In addition, the selection of who to assault would be propagated by what such persons are as opposed to who they are, meaning that a women would be attacked mostly because she is a woman and not who she is in person. Sexism also applies to the male counterparts with Benatar (13) referring to this as second sexism. It is here that this author cites examples such as the US Federal Law that automatically entitles widows to benefits of their husbands in military. But for husbands of women in the military, there has to be proof of over 50% support from such a wife before they could be entitled to such claims. Historically, social and legal pressures have forced men to join the military, fight in war and risk their lives and physiological well being as opposed to their female counterparts. Avoiding such societal demands have led to imprisonments, self-imposed exiles, physical assault or even execution in extreme situations. The British women distributed white feathers during World War I to young men without uniforms to symbolise cowardice (Benatar 27). Those who deny this second form of sexism claim that of the disadvantages that men suffer, it would not be because of sexism but because men are meant to bear such. The argument has been that the hormonal difference between men and women makes men stronger and more resistant to stressors. At about six weeks since conception, androgens in men and oestrogen in females direct sex differentiation. Androgens would make men more muscular, taller and heavier and would trigger secondary sexual characteristics at puberty including facial and body hair, muscular body and broader shoulders. In females, the hips would relatively broaden, pubic hair would grow, breasts would become more prominent and menstruation begins. This hormonal difference partly explains why males would tend to be more dominant, aggressive and active than the females. Though the proponents of this second form of sexism would wish to support this argument, this remains a moral concern as wrongful discrimination remains wrongful. Solution through gender equality Though some forms of sexism could be more serious than others, none remains justifiable. To bring this form of discrimination to an end, there has been proposition for gender equality though at times this gender equality needs to address men’s interests rather than women’s. Benatar (14) refers to those who advocate for equality of sexes as egalitarian feminists while those who would be wholly involved in promoting the interests of girls and women as partisan feminists. The latter could be likened to those advocating for men’s rights with the sole interest of advancing the interests of males and protecting their rights. Promotion of egalitarian feminism would recognise opposition to second sexism as an approach in ensuring overall opposition to sexism and promotion of gender equality. Gender role conservatives believe that men should bear the disadvantages they face simply because of being men. Despite the existence of differential psychological and physiological traits between men and women, this should not be a justification to the differential treatment based on sex endorsed by gender role conservatives. Works Cited Benatar, D. The Second Sexism: Discrimination against Men and Boys. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Eitzen, D. S. & Baca-Zinn, M. Social Problems. 8th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD Employment Outlook – 2008 Edition. Paris, France: OECD, 2008. Read More