Gender difference is not biologically based, but instead it is a social construction because individuals are socialized to behave in a certain manner with specific roles to play. Women have never enjoyed their rights and freedom since time in memorial because of male patriarchy and oppression that society has always perpetrated against them. Feminism emerged in the 16th century following the writings of Wollstonecraft on the suppression of women. Male domination is believed to have started with private ownership of property whereby men were expected to declare their properties, including the number of children and women.
A woman grows up knowing that she is a subordinate to any man and her role is mainly to undertake activities related to the domain of the home, such as taking care of the family. Feminists have been fighting male domination since the beginning of the 17th century, but their interests have been different, with white women demanding for representation in government while blacks have been fighting for recognition and provision of healthcare and reproductive health has been the priority. Through the process of socialization, women are forced to believe that they are not equal to men and they need protection always. In this regard, they are not allowed to participate in activities that are dominated by men, such as politics and economics.
Until recently, Frankel (1995) notes that women were never allowed to take part in the military recruitment exercise since it was a field owned and controlled by men. However, women have engaged the government in discussions to an extent that they are also considered in military recruitments, but they still have a long way to go because no woman has ever held a position of influence in the force. In education, women were initially trained to be nurses and secretaries while men were educated to serve as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and pharmacists. Through the activities of feminists, women are currently allowed to enroll in science related courses, such as medicine and engineering. Unfortunately, few women hold positions of influence in major organizations, such as the Chief Executives, chairpersons of boards, and managing directors.
Apart from social construction, race is an additional factor that affects the way people construe gender. In a recent study conducted in the United States, it was established that gender is understood in broader terms in the sense that inferior races are believed to be more feminine while the perceived superior races are masculine. In the study, Asians were viewed as feminine while whites and blacks were masculine meaning that gender is simply a social construct. Consequently, members of the perceived weaker race undergo various forms of discrimination since they are believed to be incapable of doing the things that men should be doing.
Asian men are rarely employed in factories that engage in heavy production because of misplaced perception that they are weak and they might end up under performing. Gendered race have real-world consequences given the fact that it affects economic and social situations of the perceived inferior races. In marriages, a study conducted recently revealed that over seventy percent of Asian women preferred white or black husbands while few white and black women preferred Asian husbands. In leadership and sports, gendered race is manifested, with studies showing that an Asian was likely to be hired in a job that requires collaboration and relationship building since the position needs an individual with feminist features. Blacks and whites are classically hired into positions that call for a sternly aggressive approach since they are believed to be mannish. In sports, blacks and whites only undertake Masculine games, such as rugby, while Asians participate in indoor games since they possess feminine features.
Similarly, members of the high class, which includes the white race, believe that they have the right of oppressing and subjugating the inferior race and the lower class. Apart from women, blacks and Asians are viewed as weak and therefore they suffer from discrimination, which affects their life chances in society. In the American society for instance, women rarely own property since their husbands force them to surrender their possessions once they are married. Just as women, Smith and Thompson (1998) observe that the lower class has never owned anything apart from their cheap labor and this makes them feminine as far as gender is concerned. Sexuality is one of the issues that elicit a heated debate because some groups claim that an individual is free to choose the type of sexuality while others are opposed to the move.
For those choosing straight as their sexuality, they are viewed as either masculine for the case of men or feminine if they are women while those with other forms of sexualities are never considered normal and are associated with deviance (Rutter, & Schwartz, 2012). Homosexuals are never comfortable exercising their sexuality since they are viewed with contempt. Finally, culture has always been an issue of concern to many feminists and they have been urging various governments, as well as global regimes, to formulate and implement policies that punish the perpetrators of gender discrimination. Traditionally, men have been given the permission over the bodies of women. For instance, a man was never punished in case he performed a degrading and inhuman act against a woman, such as rape. Fortunately, a strong law exists that hands a stern punishment to anyone that forces a woman to engage in sexual activities without her consent.
References
Frankel, N. (1995). Gender, class, race, and reform in the progressive era. Lexington: University of Preston. Web.
Rutter, V., & Schwartz, P. (2012). The gender of sexuality: Exploring sexual possibilities. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Web.
Smith, C., & Thompson, L. O. B. (1998). Race, gender, and human identity in a diverse society: An anthology. Acton: Tapestry Press. Web.