Gender Inequality as a Global Societal Problem

Introduction

The process of globalization is rather meaningful for the modern society in all its spheres, including economic, political, and social relations. Globalization has its impact upon the issues, related to gender inequality, prioritizing the need to find universally acceptable solutions to this problem. Such organizations as the World Bank and the United Nations have already made some efforts for overcoming the obstacles, created by gender inequality and existing gender gaps, but the problem is still far from being solved positively. Companies of different sizes differ in their productivity and employees are differentiated not only by skills, but also by gender (Juhn et al., 2014). The current economic transformation, developing on the basis of globalization and its impacts, changes the global markets and global perspectives in social relations. The reduction in tariffs offered by globalization contributes to technological modernization of companies and provide an opportunity to enter the export market. According to researchers, “new technologies involve computerized production processes and lower the need for physically demanding skills” (Juhn et al., 2014). As a result, women face inequality in employment and education. Thesis statement:  Irrespective of the superficial pathos of the idea that all humans were born equal, this idea should be the basic milestone for the global societies, and thus, there is a need to work out the individual and universal mechanisms for reaching gender equality in the sphere of education and employment through the use of the proper strategies like encouraging participation of women in leadership practices, increasing awareness of gender equality through provision of educational opportunities and training, and reducing inequalities between men and women through effective control of their access to resources.  

The purpose of this paper is to explore a global societal problem, provide an argument and present some logical solutions to the unidentified problem. 

Background information on the identified global societal problem 

The problem of gender inequality came into existence long ago, when women experienced intense discrimination. Throughout history, women encountered various problems because of their gender, including the lack of legal rights to participate in social activity and dependence on their husbands. In many ancient societies, women were perceived as men’s possession. In American society, the roles of women are recognized and valued. Due attention is paid to protection of women’s rights. Nevertheless, some men still consider that women are fundamentally differ from men for the reason of their physical ability to bear children. According to researchers, the issue of gender inequality is associated with the “constraints imposed on women by men, usually with the support of prevailing social institutions” (David & Skilogianis, 1999, p. 46).

Defining the societal problem, considering perspectives from multiple disciplines or populations

The identified societal problem, namely the problem of gender inequality, is an acute one. This is a societal problem because it is harmful to society. The problem of gender inequality affects a large number of people in a negative way. This problem is caused by the factors that are out of control of individuals and that are morally unjust because they violate societal order. It is necessary to provide perspectives from multiple disciplines and populations in order to fully represent the opinions of different parts of society regarding gender inequality.

Sociological perspective on gender inequality

From sociological perspective, gender inequality is inevitable because of the complex social system that creates conditions for the growth of unequal treatment. Sociologists view society as a whole, focusing on the social structures that affect its functioning. Functionalism explains gender inequality as a way to establish labour division in order to assign certain roles and responsibilities to certain segments of society. Conflict theory points out to the dominant role of men in society, which allows them to have power and privilege. Men mistreat women because of the lack of balance of power  between two genders. Symbolic interactionists consider that gender is generated and reinforced due to regular interactions and requires using symbols. Existence of gender inequality is explained by the actions of people toward each other, based on the meanings, which they produce for each other in the course of social interaction (Ridgeway, 1997). According to sociologists, “Interactional processes contribute to all forms of inequality” (Ridgeway, 1997, p. 219).

Psychological perspective on gender inequality

From psychological perspective, gender inequality is caused by gender differences and personality formation of individuals. According to psychologists, “gender is increasingly understood as defining a system of power relations embedded in other power relations” (Stewart & McDermott, 2004, p. 519). Psychological research studies on gender inequality show that “sex differences, within-sex variability, and gender roles” affect understanding of gender inequality. Certain psychological processes may have a strong impact on formation of unequal treatment of men and women (Stewart & McDermott, 2004).

Cultural perspective on gender inequality

Culture studies show that there are some cultural influences that lead to rethinking of the nature of the family and gender roles. Differences in gender are considered by different cultures. As a result, there are certain cultural traditions and norms on terms of gender roles. According to researchers, “Gender constitutes an important element of one’s identity, often developed by the social expectations embedded in a given culture” (Safdar & Kosakowska-Berezecka, 2015, p. 2). Gender stereotypes are developed and influenced by culture. 

Feminist perspective on gender inequality

Feminists support social equality and oppose patriarchy which leads to discrimination of women. The feminist movement was launched in 1840s in the United States, when feminists protested against the   sufferings of white women and African American women. Their protests led to winning the voting right for women in 1920. Feminists consider that it is necessary to increase equality in modern society, prevent gender stratification and sexual violence, and promote sexual freedom (Hudson, 2005). Researchers state that “Since gender is intertwined with other identities such as race, class and nationality, the dichotomy between universalism and cultural relativism is overcome by connecting individual experiences in a particular location to wider regional and global structures and processes” (Hudson, 2005, p. 155). This fact means that feminist studies place emphasis on connection of gender inequality problem with identity politics.

Construction of the argument

There is a need for addressing the problem of gender inequality through the use of the proper strategies like encouraging participation of women in leadership practices, increasing awareness of gender equality through provision of educational opportunities and training, and reducing inequalities between men and women through effective control of their access to resources. The proposed solutions will benefit multiple parts of society, because there will be no differences between genders, and people will be able to work collaboratively to achieve the set organizational goals, avoiding interpersonal conflicts.

Review of scholarly sources that support the proposed solutions

The proposed solutions to the problem of gender inequality are viable. There is much evidence taken from academic sources that show the significant role of leadership development in ensuring equal treatment in employment and education (David & Skilogianis,1999; Juhn et al., 2014; Ridgeway, 2014; Williams et al., 2014). The problem of gender inequality is closely related to the financial and career perspectives of both men and women. This fact means that educational opportunities should be provided to help men and women in their self-realization and formation of self-identity. The use of diversity programs in employment helps to address important aspects in employment , such as promotion, hiring, mentoring programs and so on (Ridgeway, 2014; Williams et al., 2014). Statistical data shows that 14.3% of board of directors are women, 0% of CEOs are women and 12.5% of corporate officers are women (Williams et al., 2014). Although status might seem to be to far from the problem of gender inequality, in reality, it is a micro motive for human behaviors and choices, and it is closely related to such aspects, as financial position of an individual and his/her power. In addition, status has greater potential in relation to transforming of this data into cultural beliefs, accepted in the society and contributing to definition of “worthy” and less “worthy” members of the society (Ridgeway, 2014). There is a need for understanding the meaning of gender as the marker of social and economic stratification and in the frames of the existing differences in financial well-being. The degree of inequality is different in different countries, and it is higher in the countries, where males have their financial domination. Thus, the global attention should be paid towards the sphere of education and employment by all governments in order to eliminate the problem of gender inequality (UN Development Program, 2013). It is critical to explain the persistence of gender hierarchy in employment and education. Gender inequality is caused by interactional processes that affect the growth of gender bias and stereotypes. The various effects of gender bias and stereotypes on interactional outcomes should be considered while developing the proper control mechanisms to ensure equal access to resources (Ridgeway, 1997). Operating in employment relations, the processes that conserve inequality should be controlled to avoid   gender-labeling of jobs, prevent constructing employees as gender-interested players, stop employers’ discriminatory preferences, and addressing men’s and women’s attitudes and their willingness to ensure equal treatment (Ridgeway, 1997).

Identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the sources

The strengths of the academic sources selected for supporting the proposed solutions are multiple. These are peer-reviewed articles taken from academe journals. Authors are experienced and educated people who have affiliations in their fields of studies. Besides, these sources provide theoretical frameworks that help to give theoretical explanation to the identified problem and support relevant solutions. The weaknesses of these sources are few, namely limitations in research options, generalization of findings, and biased views on certain issues. The areas for future research include the study of the causes of gender inequality in diverse environment and the use of the proper leadership styles to prevent unequal treatment of women in employment and education.  

Evaluation of the ethical outcomes that result from the proposed solution

The ethical outcomes that may result from the proposed solutions are few. One positive ethical outcome is that both men and women will be focused on ethical decision-making to prevent gender inequality in employment and education. This outcome may contribute to enhanced productivity, increased collaboration, and communication between men and women. One negative ethical outcome that could result from the proposed solution is that men’s rights may be limited. This outcome may contribute to the growth of conflicts and poor communication because of misunderstandings between men and women.

Conclusion

Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the global societal problem discussed in this paper, namely the problem of gender inequality, is an acute one because it affects society in general. Although all humans were born equal, gender inequality is persistent in human society. There is a need to develop the individual and universal mechanisms in order to address the problem of gender equality in education and employment. The following strategies can help to resolve this problem: encouraging participation of women in leadership practices, increasing awareness of gender equality through provision of educational opportunities and training, and reducing inequalities between men and women through effective control of their access to resources.  

References

David, H. P. & Skilogianis, J. (1999). “The Woman Question,” in From Abortion to Contraception: A   Resource to Public Policies and Reproductive Behavior in Central and Eastern Europe from   1917 to the Present, ed. by Henry Philip David, Joanna Skilogianis, Anastasia Posadskaya-     Vanderbeck. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Hudson, H. (2005). ‘Doing’ Security As Though Humans Matter: A Feminist Perspective on Gender and the Politics of Human Security. Security Dialogue, 36(2): 155-174.

Juhn, C., Ujhelyi, G., Villegas-Sanchez, C. (2014). Men, women, and machines: How trade impacts gender inequality. Journal of Development Economics, 106: 179-193

Ridgeway, C. L. (1997). Interaction and the Conservation of Gender Inequality: Considering Employment. American Sociological Review, 62(2): 218-235.

Ridgeway, C. L. (2014). Why Status Matters for Inequality. American Sociological Review, 79(1): 1-16.

Safdar, S. & Kosakowska-Berezecka, N. (2015). “Gender through the Lens of Culture” in Psychology of Gender Through the Lens of Culture: Theories and Applications. London: Springer.

Stewart, A. J. & McDermott, C. (2004). Gender in Psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 55: 519-544.

Tomaskovic-Devey, D. (2014). The Relational Generation of Workplace Inequalities. Social Currents, 1(1): 51-73.

Williams, C. L., Kilanski, K., Muller, C. (2014). Corporate Diversity Programs and Gender Inequality in the Oil and Gas Industry. Work and Occupations, 41(4): 440-476.

UN Development Program. (2013). Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries. http://www.gy.undp.org/content/dam/guyana/docs/HumanityDivided_Full- Report.pdf

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 28, 2024]
close
Haven't found the right essay?
Get an expert to write you the one you need!
print

Professional writers and researchers

quotes

Sources and citation are provided

clock

3 hour delivery

person