Gender Inequality and Socialisation

Part of a paper I wrote for a sociology class (got a really good mark :-)

Introduction

This paper will discuss what gender inequality is and how the major institutions of media, religion and education contribute to fostering and maintaining the inequality between the sexes. It will also discuss how gender inequality affects women’s health. Inequality in the workplace will be explored, focusing on how different occupations are filled based upon gender, how the law comes into play and how differences in wages apply. Lastly domestic inequalities will be discussed.

What is gender inequality?

Gender inequality is where one sex is treated favourably over the other, we live in a patriarchal society were men dominate. Up until the 1930’s women in the western world were considered so insignificant that they were unable to vote and despite feminist achievements over the years we continue to struggle to achieve equality. Gender inequality is evident today in “the way boys and girls are reared, barriers to equal opportunity in education, paid work and politics, and the unequal division of domestic responsibilities between men and women.” (Furze B. et al 2005, p 19). It is important to recognise that “Male domination and female subordination are determined not by biological necessity but by structures of power and social convention.” (Furze B. et al, p 19)

How does the institution of media impact on gender inequality?

Despite the women’s movement and feminist efforts to improve womens standing in society modern media continues to portray women as sexual objects.  Advertisements continue to use stereotypically ‘attractive’ women to sell products and more often than not women are used to promote products that are used in domestic settings such as washing detergent, non stick cooking pans and babies nappies. It is apparent that “The mass media (television, newspapers, magazines, and movies) reflect society's assumptions about gender.” (Long R 2010, para 20)

How does religion discriminate against women and influence social attitudes?

 Many religious people would defend their religion by saying that “the oppres­sion of women is a mis­in­ter­pre­ta­tion and mis­use of their ‘true’ reli­gion” (Palsule M 2009 para 5). While it is accurate that religion is open to interpretation there are some undisputable aspects of religion that do marginalise women. Women are frequently depicted as temptresses that need to be hidden lest men be swayed to leave the path of righteousness. Eve tempted Adam with an apple, Muslim women wear Burkas in an attempt to hide from male desire (which they have no contro over), women are not permited to enter some places of worship especially when on their period because they are seen as unclean and unholy.     because religion plays a pivotal role in influencing society and individuals attitudes.

What role does the education system play in gender inequality?

In the years prior to 1904 it was largely a foreign concept for women to get an education. The general social attitude was that a woman’s role was to get married, have children and take care of the home. There was no concept of a career woman.

Over the years attitudes have slowly changed and there have been several improvements within the institution of education when it comes to gender equality, however there is still a lot to be desired.  In 1870 there was an Education Act put in place which “provided for elementary education for both boys and girls” (Hill 1991, p 1904). However due to the cost of education parents would choose to send their male children to school over their girls, thus making female education a privilege of the wealthy.

The girls who were able to go to school were taught the skills that were deemed necessary for women to have, the “curriculum for girls included cookery, hygiene, laundry work, sewing and infant care lessons.”  (Hill 1991,p 1904).

In the present century in the western world we have somewhat moved forward from these archaic notions however “almost two thirds of all illiterate people in the world are women. Girls continue to be denied quality education especially in such fields as science and technology.” (Healey K 1995, p1).

Inequality in the work place- roles, laws and wages

Prior to the implementation of the Equal Pay and discrimination acts in 1976 it was “perfectly legal and possible to reject women for jobs or promotion because they were women.”  (Hughes K 1998, p 82).  Nowadays discrimination is more subtle because it is possible for women to appeal to the Equal Employment Opportunity  (EEO) Tribunal if they feel they are being denied job opportunities or discriminated within the work place based upon gender.  Many cases of gender based discrimination are not disputed because it can be an “expensive and frightening thing to take your employer to the tribunal.” (Hughes K, 1998, p 82).

P 8 hughes cartoon

Despite EEO laws and equal pay and Discrimination acts sexual inequality in the workplace is still present worldwide.  It is a fact that “women earn less and hold fewer professional jobs than men. Throughout the world, women earn anywhere from 50 to 92 cents for every dollar earned by men.” (Healey K 1995, p31)

Women generally earn less than men because of the roles which they find themselves in, there are many women working in “hospitality, childcare, teaching, nursing, social work, cleaning, in the retail sector, and as psychologists.” (Hughes, K 1998, p 76. Men on the other hand hold a higher number of positions with status and power such as in architecture, journalism, politics and law, “these are the areas of work which really determine the kind of society we live in, and the ideas that we all have.” (Hughes, K 1998, p 77).

Inequality in domestic responsibilities

In addition to the challenges that women face in the workplace (the public sphere) they are often expected to come home (the private sphere) and do most of the cooking, cleaning and childrearing. The cost and limited availability of childcare means that couples who have children usually have to decide who will stop working or go part time in order to care for the children.  In “August 2003, 45% of women worked part time, compared to only 15% of men” (Healy, J 2005, p 32). These rates are sure to have increased today.

Even women who do not work part time in order to care for children tend to do more domestic work than men because there continues to be the social belief that women are suited to and better at being domestic.

How is female health affected by inequality and what are the ramifications for the Health care system?

In some developing countries the value of a girl child is so insignificant that female babies are killed at birth or allowed to die when they get ill. Female children that do survive are “over four times as likely to suffer malnutrition” (Healey, K 1995, p20) because boy children are given more food with higher nutritional value.

If female children survive childbirth and malnutrition they then risk circumcision in some countries; this is a particularly dangerous practice “affecting 75 million women and children in Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen and at least 25 African countries.” (Healey, K 1995, p20) Female Circumcision has been outlawed in several countries due to the risks of haemorrhaging, serious infection and psychological imbalance. However “religious and cultural pressures perpetuate the practice.”  (Healey, K 1995, p20).

Another threat to female health is prostitution with “800, 000 girl prostitutes under the age of 16 in Thailand alone” (Healey, K 1995, p21). Prostitution increases the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease because a large proportion of this sexual activity is unprotected due to workers being uneducated and/or unable to insist on using protection.

There is another “disease” effecting predominantly women all over the world and it is domestic violence.  In some countries it is seen as a husbands right and responsibility to beat or even kill his wife if she is disobedient or suspected of adultery.  Western countries have laws against domestic violence but still “In the US, one woman is physically abused every eight seconds and one is raped every six minutes”  and  only “5 to 8 percent of adult sexual assault cases are reported to the police” (Healey, K 1995, p21). 

Violence against women can lead to “ psychological trauma, depression, substance abuse, injuries, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection, suicide and murder. This places an enormous financial burden on the national healthcare system.”

 Reference list

Long R 2010, Social Problems: Gender Inequality, retrieved 13 May 2011 from http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/problems/chap-09.htm

Palsule M 2009, Religion vs. gender equality & feminism, Retrieved 15 May 2011 from http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2009/06/24/religion-vs-gender-equality-feminism/

 

Healey, K (ed.) 1995, Women and Development: Gender and Equity, Education, Work, Gender Selection, The Spinney Press, Balmain NSW.

Furze,B, Sary,S, Brym,J,E, Lie,J 2008, Sociology In Todays World, Cengage Wadsworth, China.

Hughes, K 1998, Every Girls Guide to Feminism, Longman, South Melbourne.

Bibliography

Long R 2010, Social Problems: Gender Inequality, retrieved 13 May 2011 from http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/problems/chap-09.htm

Palsule M 2009, Religion vs. gender equality & feminism, Retrieved 15 May 2011 from http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2009/06/24/religion-vs-gender-equality-feminism/

Sawer, M 1990, Sisters in Suits: Women in Public Policy in Australia, Allen & Unwin , North Sydney.

Hughes, K 1998, Every Girls Guide to Feminism, Longman, South Melbourne.

Healey, J 2005, Wealth and Inequality, The Spinney Press, Tirroul NSW.

Healey, J 2005, Women’s Rights, The Spinney Press, Tirroul NSW.

Healey, K (ed.) 1995, Women and Development: Gender and Equity, Education, Work, Gender Selection, The Spinney Press, Balmain NSW.

Healey, J (ed.) 2001, Issues in Society: Sex Discrimination, The Spinney Press, Rozelle NSW.

Hill, M 1991, Women in the 20^th Century, Chapmans, London WC2B 5TB.

Furze,B, Sary,S, Brym,J,E, Lie,J 2008, Sociology In Todays World, Cengage Wadsworth, China.