A woman’s position in society
For many centuries, a woman’s societal position consisted only of a successful marriage. Thus, her status depended on her husband’s position, which deprived the wives of independence. However, in the nineteenth century, the movement for the struggle for education, work, and development of the female sex as a person and a full-fledged unit of society began. It was defined as the protection and introduction of awareness that women should have an independent place in society. Thus, getting an education and further development could give this sex a position independently of men.
Until the first half of the nineteenth century, the Constitution of the United States of America did not mention the rights of American women anywhere. They had a minimum number of basic rights, which did not even include the right to own real estate or have a voice in political issues or elections. With the development of society, US legislation recognized the prohibition of slavery, giving African Americans the right to vote. However, not providing such opportunities did not in any way affect the female part of the population and, conversely, worsened their position in the society of that time.
American women were not given the opportunity to participate in the political life of society. Only in 1946, there were changes during the Truman government. By that time, about forty percent of the total number of employees were women. In the 50s and 60s, the ideology of feminism began to develop, which was a movement for women’s civil rights. Thus, it has contributed to a rise in the number of female representatives in universities and colleges. However, feminism did not stop there, opening the doors to women in the political life of the country.
Over the following years, the process of female involvement in such areas as economic, educational, and political intensified even more. More and more women became employed in various positions. This was influenced by the increased level of their education, which became the main motivation to participate in labor activity. In addition, women began to make progress in the field of scientific and technological progress. A rather negative consequence was the reduction in the size of families. Moreover, the sphere of trade and services received its impetus in its development. Despite these achievements, most women were still forced to work for purely economic reasons and not of their own volition.
The increased popularity and success of the goods and services sector are due to the attraction of a larger female workforce. This was due to the special policy which gave women a chance to be employed on a part-time basis, which helped them to gain partial economic independence and continue to take care of the house and family. Another industry providing women with a substantial number of jobs was retail trade. In it, women made up a third of all employees, and in the service sector, their percentage was almost sixty. Moreover, the female population was employed in such industries as health care, social security, education, and culture.
The main problem of those times, as well as modern ones, is the uneven remuneration of representatives of different sexes. There are a large number of studies on gender pay differences between men and women. They note that the high salary level largely determines the economic situation and status of these employees. However, despite the fact that this aspect is important for both sexes, the problem still remains a purely female gender issue. In addition to the fact that women were initially not taken seriously and were subjected to gender stereotypes, race and class also had an even greater influence on this fact (Gooden, 2015). Therefore, representatives of the colored community were treated especially negatively and looked at them only as service personnel.
It is noted that there is an explanation for this phenomenon. Thus, the inequality between male and female wages can also be explained in terms of compensating differences. According to this point of view, those positions where less hard physical labor is required and the working week is less occupied by more women than men. Moreover, in such workplaces, allowances are provided in the form of compensations for the maintenance of children. The negative side of this aspect is just the same low wages. Most studies show that gender segregation explains the differences in wages and employment of the sexes. It is characterized by the peculiarities of the labor behavior of employees of different sexes and the actions of employers in relation to them.
Solving the problem of inequality among different genders
A correct and balanced society is one where democratic political movements prevail, and a strategy is being implemented to solve the problem of inequality of different genders. This is interpreted by the fact that both of these issues can contribute to the formation of a sustainable society. Feminism as a women’s movement is an integral element of civil society. It can be important and useful because it is a reflection of the ideals and values of female representatives of society (Alkadry & Tower, 2014). After all, without taking into account all components of society, especially minorities, the State will not be able to establish a successful policy. Since development is the main goal of any country, it means that the guideline should be aimed at the formation of citizens. This is done through direct material and non-material investments in people and their formation, as well as their involvement in political life. Striving for a stable society, the State should pay considerable attention to gender equality in all spheres of activity.
Modern women can have a significant impact on political decision-making. This can be done if representatives of the given sex either have the opportunity to choose or be elected themselves. Over the past centuries, women have managed to achieve a lot in many areas of society. However, the area still suffers from a shortage of female representatives in politics. Their involvement in this aspect is especially valuable since women are important carriers of political and economic changes.
Furthermore, if there are more women in parliament, then the probability of the adoption of force on some bills will be greater. These include such topics as domestic and sexual violence, the fight against labor discrimination, and many other problems. In addition, the rooting and balancing of the female presence and the male in politics can become a role model for the younger generation. Moreover, it will contribute to the destruction of such gender stereotypes as the prejudice that the best leaders are exclusively men.
Various methods can be used to increase the share and influence of women in the political sphere of society. One of the most effective is the introduction of special quotas. A quota is defined as a numerical goal that represents a target minimum or maximum (Hughes et al., 2019). Quotas imply that women should make up a certain percentage of the number of members of a political body or government. In politics, such quotas are considered gender-specific and are set to determine the minimum threshold for women’s participation. This is an effective and one of the easiest ways to combat the problem of the underrepresentation of women in politics.
Gender and sex concepts
For many people, the reduction of gender and sex does not have any significant differences. However, it is necessary to understand how different and important these aspects are for improving not only people’s relationships but the development of many spheres of social life. Therefore, sex is characterized as innate biological differences between men and women. Mainly, it determines which reproductive function a person will be able to realize. The main characteristics of sex are attributed to the number of chromosomes, genitalia, and primary and secondary sexual characteristics.
Separate sources interpret the concept of gender in different ways. Thus, it can be defined as the social characteristics of men and women or the behavior and roles they occupy in society. There are three main expressions of gender identity: femininity, masculinity, and androgyny. Gender is a social concept; therefore, its definitions and characteristics may vary depending on the society in question. Moreover, representatives of the transgender or intersex community may not identify themselves with a certain gender. Thus, it can be concluded that the two concepts under consideration, gender, and gender, are different concepts that have their own characteristic features. It is important to distinguish them since all individuals independently determine their gender, regardless of how they were born. It is important to treat this with respect and understanding.
Such a concept as gender stereotypes represents rooted in stable ideas about behavior, appearance, and self-representation of the sexes. They are in a direct relationship with maintaining the functioning of gender roles. One of the negative consequences of this phenomenon may be that stereotypes of images of men and women are emphasized to a much greater extent than they actually are and limit their capabilities. Thus, there are different interpretations and attitudes to people and events, depending on which gender they belong to. Moreover, gender biases contribute to the formation of distorted ideas about the possibilities of the sexes in the professional environment.
The influence of privileges in modern society
Privilege is defined as a special attitude towards representatives of society, which, under equal conditions, gives them a position that is objectively more advantageous compared to other people. Thus, often this concept applies to whites in relation to race and to men in relation to gender. Therefore, many studies raise the issue of “white privilege” where, for example, when hiring representatives of the Black community may be less likely to get a position in the presence of white rivals. In relation to gender, such privileges are dominated by men, who are more willing to hire than women.
The problem of privilege stands firmly as one of the main ones in modern society. In research, several types of this concept are distinguished. The first, as already mentioned, is white privilege, where white people benefit in some spheres of life more than people of color. McIntosh (2020) emphasizes that in most cases, “whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege” (p. 7). The second type concerns religion (religious privilege), which is reflected in the spread of various religions and the level of comfort of people associated with a sense of connection between religious traditions and beliefs and society. One of the most prominent ones is gender and heterosexual privileges. The first type usually concerns usually a male advantage, and the second emphasizes the superiority granted to someone due to their sexual orientation. Erikson & Verge (2020) state that “gender inequality in the workplace is still pervasive with regards to access to opportunities, resources, influence and recognition for the duties carried out, even in female-dominated workplaces” (p. 1). Socio-economic privilege means having enough resources to take advantage of the opportunities provided throughout life.
The first step to eliminating the influence of privileges in modern society is to realize their presence in general. Many people do not even realize how much they are in the black compared to the rest without having strikingly different characteristics. The next step can already be considered the involvement of various measures and activities. It should be understood that solving this problem can take a long time since privileges are deeply ingrained in people’s lives.
The era of feminism
The so-called era of feminism is one of the most significant and socially important phenomena in the history of the United States of America. It carries with it not only changes in the social, economic, or political status of women. This movement focuses on the role of the female sex in society. Feminism can be defined as an ideology that has as its main goal the fight against sexism and the establishment of equal rights for women in all spheres of life (Phipps, 2020). This implies achieving success in a career and obtaining a particular position, which is considered to be purely masculine.
Today, the feminist movement has an undeniable and immeasurable influence on the formation of society and how it will look in the future. Before completing the course, I had knowledge about this movement but did not delve into them. Now, I understand that feminism is a very valuable and important aspect of people’s lives. I believe that every person, regardless of gender and gender, should have equal rights with others. However, I cannot call myself a person who will actively impose this point of view on someone. Despite the growing spread of the concept of equal rights and freedoms, I believe that every person has the right to decide for himself what to do, how to do and what ideology to adhere to.
In my opinion, thanks to the development of feminist theory, serious and significant changes have taken place in society concerning all spheres of life and will continue to occur for a long time. The ideology of feminism can directly affect my future life and profession. Thanks to it, many female representatives have the chance to get professions with a salary comparable to men’s. Moreover, feminism has promoted such expansions of rights as filing for divorce, having control over one’s own body, and the right to decide what medical intervention is permissible.
References
Alkadry, M., & Tower, L. (2014). Women and public service: Barriers, challenges, & opportunities. ME Sharpe.
Erikson, J., & Verge, T. (2020). Gender, power and privilege in the parliamentary workplace. Parliamentary Affairs. Web.
Gooden, S. T. (2015). Race and social equity: A nervous area of government. Routledge.
Hughes, M. M., Paxton, P., Clayton, A. B., & Zetterberg, P. (2019). Global gender quota adoption, implementation, and reform. Comparative Politics, 51(2), 219-238. Web.
McIntosh, P. (2020). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see correspondences through work. Privilege and prejudice: Twenty years with the invisible knapsack, 7-18.
Phipps, A. (2020). Me, not you: The trouble with mainstream feminism. Manchester University Press.