Economics of Race, Gender and Globalization - Term Paper Example

Economics of Race, Gender and Globalization Globalization has been of impact to the globe in economics, social life, political practices, and technological advancements hence enabling the commonness in the globe. This has resulted to bringing different cultures and races together despite their different practices. The spread of cultures has enhanced some of the prohibitive and discriminative cultures erosion from the society. Some of this liberalization brought by globalization on men and women according to their differences in social classes, age, or ethnic groups has enhanced environmental sustainability, democratic practices, poverty reduction, and human development. Globalization on gender equality has enhanced the empowerment of the previously marginalized for example girl children, physically disabled and women (Ilena 1). The purpose of this paper is to discuss how globalization and its effects on economics have brought different races and genders together. It will also check on the different and changing roles of women in different fields within the economy and the roles within the household. In the past years, there has been economic progress with the increasing globalization that criticizes gender-based discriminations and has strategies to eliminate poverty from the society. Gender justice has facilitated the role of women in taking part to fulfilling the goal development and enhanced relations between different sexes. The international community also recognizes the women and hence gender biases are no longer an aspect in the society. Gender relations greatly shaped to enhance achieved of the millennium development goals of improving economic position through the participation of all genders and races within the region. According to the article Hp engineers a mega community 2007 (1), it is achievable by passing of gender knowledge to eliminate gaps that exist between individuals of different. There are economic initiatives that serve by example, accommodate the differences in the society, and influence the implementation of policies that are against gender biases. They may include non-profit organizations, the government, international organizations, and even the governments (Katelyn 1). Liberalization of women gives them the opportunity to access freely quality education and quality jobs that as per merit and not gender status. Trading rights and access to capital should be effective enough to enhance the activities of women in economics to enhance economic development and reduce the state's participation in enhancing the lives of its natives. Households that take part in economic activities are able to live above the poverty line through the incomes earned and therefore, it reduces the dependency levels. The changes in income distribution move down to each individual in the society, increasing the states per capita income, and reducing inequalities especially according to gender. The liberalization policies on gender enhance the development process however; the traditional practices and thinking hamper the effectiveness of the policies by increasing inequalities and extending the poverty levels (Perry 3). Gender bias affects one access to power and priorities hence affecting an individual’s performance to economic activities. The well being and equality of individuals within the society promotes people’s dignity and enhances an individual’s realization of their potentials, efficiencies, and roles of establishing proper social relations in poverty eradication. The government has implemented laws to discourage discrimination in the elimination of workers in institutions. Companies that discriminate workers on bases of race, gender, or religion do not get the best of personnel. Institutions should recruit employees despite the personal originality but according to merit and productivity. Discriminating practices render the institution poor performance of employees, producing poor quality products and affecting the companies’ performance in the market. To survive market competition and other failures institution should hire competitive personnel. The government can implement laws against discrimination to encourage free market for efficiency in economics. The cultural practices inhibit performance in economics (Mirriam 1). The discrimination of qualified personnel is expensive since it has to suppress the well-equipped personnel at the expense of the unqualified individuals. No individuals have protection against discrimination in employment, but through activist movements’; discrimination in the elimination of the work force is eliminated (Sue 1). Factors attached to an individual but do not affect their performance in their jobs should not be the basis for denial in job opportunities. They may include age, nationality, religion, colour, race, or pregnancy status. Discriminating employers make their workers feel unvalued affecting their performance and production levels. Women subjected to discrimination due to cultural stereotypes give them the role of mothers and wives and as always the weaker sex. Women, prevented from activities such as voting, working outside their homes, and holding positions in public offices. Termed as the weaker sex, they become subjects to their husbands and do not get any protection from the laws. They do not get access to rec4ent developments, education, and even employment. Nevertheless, with the globalization of women rights, gender discriminations are termed as illegal. Industrialization activities that led to the immigration of women in search of jobs and hence this aroused the need for regulating working conditions. The government passed hospitable laws to ensure women health and their working environments did not degrade their morals. Globalization has spread norms that give modern women an opportunity to take part in competitive activities in the society. In the U.S, women have been given the chance to join the military, and hence they can defend their states in a patriotic manner just as the men. Women take part in engineering jobs, and they have recorded outstanding achievement. The career advancements and their occupation of leadership roles have facilitated the role of women in enhancing economic progress (Ritu and Joe 1). They have also advanced to developing careers rather than just maintaining their homemaker duties. The practice of poor pay for women has been eroded, and hence women are able to earn as many salaries as men earn. Therefore, the economy progress is not held back by poor relations of women in the society with economic activities. Traditionally, women were subjects to men. In the hunter-gatherer, there was a division of labour and specialization of labour. Women roles involved taking care of children, preparation of food, interacting with neighbors and performing other house chores. Men performed the hard jobs including cultivation, grazing, carrying heavy loads, and hunting too. Tools that women use include digging sticks, hand-woven garments and mortar and pestle compared to bows and arrows tipped with poison for men hinting activities (Sandra 1). In these societies, women only specialized with performing house duties. Compared to men, women perform light tasks due to their vulnerable nature. In the agricultural societies, women experienced miscarriages due to the use of animal driven ploughs and hence men had to switch to farming. They produced more and hence their gods were male. Women dominated private issues like hearth and home duties while men concentrated on production and public issues like politics, religion, and education. People did not play equal roles and therefore, achieving greater specialization. During the agricultural revolution, women played quite a role in promoting horticultural productions. Women realized the possibility for domestication of plants; they recognized nutritious plants they therefore changed from nomads to settled farmers. They transformed to farming since it provided enough foods for the families. Matthew Bruenig in his article “Sex discrimination or not: a great capability approach example” (1), he says that, women used unsophisticated tools for digging but with advancements, men used oxen hence producing more. As time advanced, industrialization emerged and the use of machines made work easier. It triggered the mass migration of women in search for jobs. However, the industrialized communities face a lot of discrimination and women do not get equal opportunities as men. In some cases when the mothers go to work they earn too little only to sustain them from hand to mouth. It separated them from their families. According to the article Gender and social sciences in the midst of a financial crisis” Wake forest magazine 2012, with industrialization, women employed in industrial work were both single and married women. However, as heavy industries developed jobs were only available for the single while the married got majorly few opportunities. A notion came up during industrialization and demanded that married women were supposed to resign (Ghazala and Rosa 1). This rose conflict, and there was a need for the protection of women rights and working conditions. They considered women objects of pity that pushed for better pay and working conditions too. Study has shown that there exist a symmetrical relationship between gender equality and development. Women empowerment also triggers the economic development by giving women education and access to other priorities and hence equipping them with the necessary improvements for their suitability in the labor market. In most labor markets, women earn less compared to men (Katelyn 2). With empowerment from the society, women’s ability increases in political participation, earning opportunities, and access to their rights. Accelerated empowerment gives room for development and therefore, need policy makers to base their plans on these relationships. Inequalities reduce with declining poverty and through enhancing the role of women then chances of poverty go down. By increasing the opportunities of women in the labour market, it will contribute to equality within households (Lindsy 3). Some of the incentives applicable to improve women participation in the labour market include giving them opportunities to get into contact with leaders who can guide and coach them on meritorious performance. Sponsorships can also help to advance women performance in different companies. The article Gender and social sciences in the midst of a financial crisis (4) by Perry Patterson argues that, recognition of their achievements by giving rewards also motivates them to perform. The rewards can be cash bonuses or a paid day off. Women can also get opportunities to grow by leading projects and other vital tasks. The institutions can also organize for skill development programs for the growth of their employees. Women are likely to be motivated by courtesy and respect in their working environments and getting equal and fair rewards for exceptional performance in their jobs (Sue 5). In the United States several black people have risen to notable position and therefore, conquering race and ethnic divisions in the state (Sandra 2). President Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton are examples of the personalities who rose above their gender and ethnic discriminations promoting oneness of all people in the U.S. Despite being a woman, Hillary Clinton found her way all through to her position in the U.S government. This has improved the relations in work places between the different genders and races working together. Stereotypes should not determine how individuals should relate in their working environments, but rather respect should be given on an individual basis (Ritu and Joe 2). Law implementation to deal with crimes related to biases punishes individuals who practice discrimination. Individuals who report of harassment due to their different races, origin, cultures, disability, or religion get protection from the law. Gender and race differences have resulted to the emergence of unfairness in the labour market between blacks and whites and between men and females. The differences since the 1960s did not change significantly and therefore there remains a notable incomes and access to job opportunities (Ilena 1). The backs and women experience higher unemployment rates, hard labor jobs, and unfair treatments at the place of work. With the effects of globalization, the magnitude of race and gender divisions has significantly declined enhancing the output. However, the effects of gender and race discriminations are not measurable, but a change in characteristics is noted. Racial differences noted in most of the institutions revealed less unemployment for the whites. Dismissals done on black personnel were higher, exposing the unfavorable effects of working as blacks. In most institutions, managers are usually white in the U.S because whites hate working under black bosses. According to the article Gender and social sciences in the midst of a financial crisis” Wake forest magazine 2012, the justice attention given to the whites was not same to that which the blacks got they reported their assaults and other crimes. The privileges and inequalities by the whites discourage the performance of the blacks hence affecting the country’s performance economically. In other countries like Chile and Brazil, the inequality levels were recorded to be higher while the levels of inequality were low in countries such as Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Discriminations in the work place and in learning institutions have existed long in the history among various groups. Discriminated individuals face arbitrary terminations of working sessions, access to quality educational services, harassment from place of work and unplanned exclusions from work (Ritu and Joe 1). This has resulted to intensifying activist activities from union groups, the government, and humanitarian organizations both at the national and international level. Some of the institutions may set their policies in a gender discriminating manner or excluding certain individuals from serving in that specific position (Alexandria 2). Such policies tend to discourage individuals from performing and advancing their abilities hence limiting their outputs for the organizations. Individuals should also get the relevant education and learn of the impact of practicing discriminations in a society. There is a need to prevent dividing people in the working environment according to their differences and rather promote their oneness to boost their production (Danniela 1). Educational institutions should offer opportunities for all children regardless of gender, age, race, or economic status. Discriminations of such sought prevent the children’s performance in academics due to the change in attitude affecting their concentration in studies. All administrations should encourage accommodation of all children and promote their peaceful co-relations. According to The end of men: And the rise of women (2), to discourage discrimination in learning institutions the administration should be informed on that gender stereotypes do not affect ones performance in class and by reporting cases of discrimination to the relevant authorities. The law specifies that all children should enjoy same educational opportunities and educational work separated from individual’s stereotypes. Tamara Mose Brown in “Who’s the boss? The political economy of unpaid share work and food sharing in Brooklyn, USA” (`3), says that affirmative action is a controversy about justice for all in the society. It advocates for equal treatment for all individuals unless the morals give reasons why they the treatments are different. This involves minorities such as women, the disabled, and children. People’s skin colour does not give moral excuse for discrimination treatments on them. The issue has lost its diversity among the Americans. The value of diversity cannot be forgone for justice (Sue 3). The white’s claim that it give preference to the blacks and discriminates qualified white competitors. However, the main aim for affirmative action is to enhance the choosing of the best-qualified personnel and should be more effective to help in achieving of set goals economically. Matthew Bruenig in his article “Sex discrimination or not: a great capability approach example” (1), he argues that affirmative action helps in reparation of evils done during the slavery trade. It seems like a way through which whites compensate Africans for treating them unfairly during such times. No race should be favored over another in the access of jobs and educational services. It aims at making us view ourselves as one successful community who focus on doing good for each other and not for individual or ethnic group benefits. It is claimed to be reverse in discrimination from the blacks to the whites by denying them the privileges that they previously enjoyed over blacks. They claim to be discriminated in employment, education, and other areas in life (Sandra 3). Individuals within the family setup work to enhance access to necessities for the family including health services, accommodation, and food needs. The breadwinner in the family supports the rest of the members, and for families were both parents, work they are likely to under better living conditions compared to families, where none of the parents work (Ghazala and Rosa 1). Fathers play a prominent role in managing family needs both physically, emotionally, and materially. Work friendly policies enhance employees’ loyalty and give the harmony on the family-work relations. The salaries that individuals get should be friendly to cater for individual needs and in return motivate maximum production from the workers. High numbers of unemployed persons increases the dependency rates and reduces the states per capita income. With globalization and the improved technological production means readily available access by both family and work and more jobs availability. Interracial marriages take place between individuals from different races and ethnicities. They were traditionally termed as taboo for individuals from different communities to join in wedding union. With the advances in globalization, such marriages have intensified between individuals of different continents and cultures. Such marriages receive negative attention from the societies. They were associated with people of low socio-economic status. Globalization has brought openness and hence reducing the tension existing between different ethnic groups. People engage in inter-racial activities freely. This promotes the exchange of ideas between different communities and promoting better understanding between the two and joint efforts for equal benefits (Danniela 1). The article “Who wears pants in this better?” (2) by Ilena Silverman, race and gender differences are synthesized by globalization enhancing the study of gender and inequalities to help give a solution to the inequalities and its negative efforts. The changes due to globalization have made it possible for peaceful existence by all genders and cultural differences. Behaviors and personal expectations have been shaped by globalization and affecting the progress of the economy in the entire globe. The economic relations have intensified between the different ethnic groups across nations hence promoting the national outcome. In conclusion, globalization has enhanced the spread of cultures all over the globe and hence unifying different ethnic groups. The differences in values and morals do not affect the relations between individuals. Individuals accommodate each other’s differences and hence producing high output through the joint work. The outputs are not for personal gains, but they rather benefit the society. Different races have been molded by globalization and therefore, enhancing oneness in the society (Sue 4). Globalization has promoted inter-racial marriages the emergence of transnational institutions that go beyond cultures and geographical boundaries. Most of the states in the globe have instituted policies against discriminations in the society and in aim of promoting equality. This has significantly reduced cases of racial, sex, gender, and age discriminations. Other organizations and bodies have also risen in support of the government to drive away discriminating practices. Works cited Alexandria McMaster “Economics and discrimination: The economics of discrimination” The widener Journal of Law, Economics & Race November 2012. Web 15 Nov. 2012. Barbara Waugh “HP Engineers a mega community” Strategy + Business November 2007. Web 15 Nov. 2012. Danniela Maria Casale “Indirect taxation and gender Equity: evidence from South Africa” Feminist Economists July 2012. Web 15 Nov. 2012. Ghazala Azmat, Rosa Ferrer “Gender gaps in performance” Center Piece September 2012. Web 15 Nov. 2012. Hanna Rosin “The end of men: And the rise of women” The Economist September 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Ilena Silverman “Who wears pants in this better?” The New York Times September 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Katelyn Beaty “Sex Economics 101” Christianity today February 2011, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Lindsy Van Gelder “The new gender economics” More for women of style and Substance March 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Matthew Bruenig “Sex discrimination or not: a great capability approach example” The Firebrand Magazine Oct 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Mirriam Kennet, Judith Felton, Amana Winchester, and Michele Gale “Green Economics: A gendered green economy! Women’s unequal pay and poverty” Green Economics Institute 2011, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Perry Patterson “Gender and social sciences in the midst of a financial crisis” Wake forest magazine 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Ritu Sharma and Joe Keefe “A Solution for a Struggling Global Economy: Gender Equality2011 Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf” Forbes October 2011, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Sandra Tsing Loh “The weaker sex” The Atlantic. October 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Sue Shellenbarger “The XX factor: What’s holding women back?” The Wall Street Journal May 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012, Tamara Mose Brown “Who’s the boss? The political economy of unpaid share work and food sharing in Brooklyn, USA.” Feminist Economists July 2012, Web 15 Nov. 2012. Read More