Gender and Race Inequalities - Report Example

Module Gender and Race Inequalities Introduction Race and gender inequalities are issues that have continued to invoke various debates among different people across the United States of America. These controversial issues stem from the practices and customs in the workplaces, political arenas, educational institutions, and sports among other fields. Considering that this is the 21st century, many Americans would like to believe that race and gender inequalities are issues in the past (Weeden and Grusky 1725). Unfortunately, these issues continue to plague the United States of America as illustrated in this paper. It is evident that individuals are treated in different ways depending on their gender and race. This paper will examine race and gender inequalities in the United States. Gender inequalities Gender inequalities pertain to the unequal treatment or prejudicial perceptions and attitudes towards certain people based on their gender. This form of inequality mainly stems from the particular roles that different genders are assumed to play in the society. The notion has led people to designate certain roles to men or women, a process that has resulted to gender inequality in the economic, educational, health and political fields. For example, in America, it is apparent that women are underrepresented in the political arena as the society assumes that politics are mainly for men. For a long period of time, women have not been well-represented in the decision making processes and other significant political activities that determine politics in the country. A report by the Eagleton Institute of Politics shows that women only hold twenty three percent of the elective offices in the state and eighteen percent of the congressional seats (Savitsky 173). Although the number of women engaging in politics is steadily increasing, the low figure apparently shows that there is gender inequality. This can be attributed to the limitations in the political roles through gatekeeping and the social norms held by people in the society (Weeden and Grusky 1723). Women have been negatively affected by gender inequalities in the workplaces. America seems to lag behind when it comes to implementing policies that promote workplaces that are family friendly and flexible. In the contemporary world, women’s roles have increased as they are expected to bear children and also work at the same time. This means that there is an increase in the number of working women who also have to take maternity leaves and take care of their families. However, America still remains as one of the countries that have not implemented parental and fully paid maternal leaves in its laws. This disadvantages the women as they struggle to balance work and family life. It also disadvantages them financially as some are unable to provide for their families during maternity leaves. There is also gender segregation in the workplaces where women are underrepresented when it comes to the high ranking positions in different firms. Studies have also indicated that women in America earn a relatively smaller pay, nineteen percent lower than that of their male counterparts (Savitsky 177). These few illustrations clearly show the gender inequalities in the United States of America. Race inequalities Race inequality is another form of social difference that significantly affects the American society. It refers the disproportional distribution of opportunities and resources, and the unequal treatment of certain people due to their social distinctions grounded on an individual’s characteristics, for example, complexion, culture, place of origin and physical characteristics. In America, racial inequalities can be seen in the unequal distribution of wealth across racial divides, housing patterns, joblessness, educational opportunities, imprisonment rates and poverty rates. There is a wide wealth gap between the white people and the minorities, which can be attributed to factors such as access to education, poverty rates, unemployment, and residential neighborhoods. African Americans and Hispanics have higher poverty rates of twenty seven and twenty six percent, compared to white people having a poverty rating of nine percent. This is due to factors such as low education, poor housing and lack of financial knowledge, hence deterring them from acquiring assets (Greene and Shaun 97). Economic considerations and locations of homes are determining factors to education access for minorities. The African Americans and the Hispanics can only afford public education, which heavily relies upon district schools in the poor neighborhoods. This means that there is poor quality education since the schools rely on funds granted by the local authorities, which provide little financial resources to attract well-trained teachers and good facilities that foster quality education. Without quality education, the minorities are unable to acquire knowledge to help them make better financial decisions and investment. Racial inequality manifests through residential segregation where the white people primarily live in different locations that are better than the minorities’. A big percentage of white people live in the suburbs while many of the racial minorities dwell in the poor inner city locations. Banks tend to favor white people when it comes to lending, therefore, giving them the ability to acquire good homes and pay for mortgages while the minorities struggle to live in the poor neighborhoods. This is because the minorities are financial unstable owing to the poor education background and the high poverty rates, thus proving to be risky ventures for the banks. In the United States, there are high unemployment rates for African Americans and the Hispanics and relatively low unemployment rates among the Asian and White communities (Conyers 249). The illustrations evidently show that there are fewer opportunities for minorities compared to the dominant white race, therefore, resulting to marginalization and an increase in the minorities’ poverty levels. Theories on gender and race inequalities A number of theories have been developed by different researchers, institutions and other relevant people to explicate the issues of race and gender inequalities. The perspectives discussed in this paper include conflict and feminists perspectives to race and gender inequalities. Conflict theory of racial and gender inequalities This theory bases its arguments of racial inequalities on social struggles between groups or individuals from different races owing to the nature of their society’s structure. This theory was formulated by Karl Max and expounded by other enthusiasts who were concerned about social class inequality and conflicts therein. The theory tends to concentrate on the conflicts arising between groups or individuals of different races owing to the unequal treatment and opportunities (Conyers 252). Conflict theory shows that race inequalities segregate the white people from the minorities as the inequalities function to reduce the minorities’ potential, thus limiting their bargaining power. This means that the white people tend to dominate the minorities by maintaining power through disproportionate distribution of wealth, resources and opportunities. The high unemployment and poverty rates, and the low education background keep the African Americans and the Hispanics vulnerable to exploitation as the capitalists enjoy labor at lower wages, therefore, increasing their profit. It is evident that a large percentage of white people have the required resources to create wealth and employment, hence use these resources to further their interests, for example increasing their wealth, and exercise power over the minorities. These differences bring conflicts between the different races as the minorities feel that they are subject to fewer opportunities and resources than the white people. The lower the wages, the bigger the wealth gap created between the minorities and the white people. The minorities lack fundamental resources and education to help them find new means of acquiring wealth, therefore, remaining in the low-paying jobs while others remain unemployed. This process prevents many minorities from improving their financial capabilities, thus retaining the high poverty rates, which translate to low education and less wealth. When recruiting or hiring for high ranking positions, individual employers tend to prefer white employees over the minorities due to some stereotypes, where the minorities are considered less educated than the white people. This creates conflicts between the white people and the minorities as the minority groups feel that they are segregated in their workplaces (Conyers 251). Therefore, the conflict theory shows that the imbalanced distribution of resources and opportunities leads to conflicts fueled by the unequal treatment of minorities in the American society. Conflict theories suggest that different genders are treated differently since men are favored in many aspects of the American society for example in the workplaces, educational field and political arena. The theory suggests that conflict arises between men and women as the women try to fight for equal opportunities with the men. For a long time, women have been repressed and limited by the patriarchal system. Men seem to enjoy many benefits while the women are restricted to household chores (Krajewski & Lisa 27). Currently, women have been able to secure equal rights with men unlike the olden days. Women are able to vote, attain an education and work. However, it is evident that the high level positions are still held by men while many women have not been considered for the jobs. Gender inequality is evident in the political arena as many candidates are men while women are left to play insignificant roles. Women also play the most significant role of caring for their families while men only provide the resources. These conflicts emanating from gender inequalities have forced women to rebel, therefore, bringing change in the American society. Conflict theorists have suggested that women will rebel against the patriarchal system and eventually succeed in overthrowing it. These rebellions are evident as there are many women groups and movements fighting for gender equality in the American society (Krajewski & Lisa 26). Functionalist perspective of race and gender inequality The functionalist theory views the society as a complex structure that is made up of different components that have various functions. For the society to have stability, order and productivity, both men and women have to live interdependently and contribute by playing their roles in the society. Gender inequality results as the society tends to give and associate the roles of motherhood with the women, while the men are expected to play the roles of the providers in the family. Men are also expected to play roles that are objective while the women are associated with subjective roles such as raising children. Although all the functions are equally important in the family and the society, men’s function tend to reward highly than the women’s functions. As children learn these functions through assimilation, they conform to these norms and continue with the gender inequality (Giddens, & Simon 467). The functionalist theory implies that gender inequalities provide an effective way to divide labor and make certain segments of the society bear responsibility for certain kinds of labor. The functionalists believe that the predefined functions assigned to every gender are complementary; therefore, each gender should work towards fulfilling their role to help in the productivity of the society. Functionalists believe that in the United States of America, gender inequality exists to help stabilize the society. Men are seen to be the dominant force in the society while women are seen to be supportive and emotional. This is one reason why women are discriminated in the military by discriminating them hence lowering their chances of joining the military. They are also not allowed to fight in the battle’s frontline. People have the notion that women are more inclined to family matters than war (Giddens, & Simon 468). Functionalists look at racial inequalities for its functions in the American society. They suggest that racial inequalities assists in preserving social class order by maintaining a segregated community. This allows for the separation of social classes, therefore, contributing to the marginalization and seclusion of the minorities both economically and politically. Functionalists say that racial inequalities are meant to fragment social classes, hence making the white race to dominate over the minorities who have low economic and political power (Giddens, & Simon 457). Functionalists view racial inequalities in fields of education where schools are funded per their locality. This means that schools in the poor districts, which are the main residential areas for the minorities, are poorly funded, therefore, contributing to poor education quality. This translates to the fact that a majority of the minorities cannot access good jobs as they do not have a good educational background to match. From the Functionalists’ perspective, racial inequality is meant to give more resources to the dominant race while the minorities work hard to acquire the low wages. This ensures that the minorities remain to pay their roles as the working labor force in the industries while the white people dominate the corporate sector. These roles that are played by the different social classes within the country are as a result of the racial inequality exercised by the dominant race upon the minorities. The policies also tend to favor the dominant race while the correctional facilities seem to target the minorities. This imposes fear upon the minorities, therefore, allowing the dominant race to continue prevailing on them. The minorities are left without any choice but to play their distinct roles in the American society (Giddens, & Simon 457). Conflict Theoretical perspective The conflict theoretical perspective was the most compelling theory in that it attempts to explain racial and gender inequality by showing the various inequalities that lead to conflict and rebellion in the American society. This theory seems to emphasize on the everyday issues that women and the minorities face. The theory has also presented evidence showing the conflicts and the rebellions that emerge. Through the conflict theory, an individual is able to understand how the society works (Greene and Shaun 105). On the other hand, the functionalist theory tends to explain racial and gender inequality by relating them to the different social classes. The functional approach emphasizes on the roles of women and the minorities but does not explain the outcome of the discrimination. It does not offer a solution to the problem and seems to support the inequalities, as it views them as necessary The theory tends to support the fact that women should play traditional roles and the minorities should provide labor for the dominant groups (Giddens, & Simon 467). Works Cited Conyers, James. "Racial Inequality: Emphasis on Explanations." The Western Journal of Back Studies 26.4 (2002): 249-253. Print. Giddens, Anthony, and Simon Griffiths. Sociology. Cambridge, UK.: Polity Press, 2006. Print. Greene, Helen Taylor, and Shaun L. Gabbidon. Race and crime: a text/reader. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE, 2012. Print. Krajewski, Lorraine A, and Lisa A Burke. "A Brief Commentary on Gender Inequality Theory - A Sociological Perspective." Gender and Behaviour 2.1 (2004): 23-28. Print. Savitsky, Zoe. "Inertia and Change: Findings of the Shriver Report and Next Steps." Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice 25.1 (2013): 172-190. Print. Weeden, K. A., and Grusky D. B.. "The Three Worlds of Inequality." American Journal of Sociology 117.6 (2012): 1723-1785. Print. Read More