Introduction
The debate of gender inequality, discrimination, and bias has been going on for a long time and men and women alike have contributed to the sensitive issue with the latter contributing significantly to the subject. The main theme in all discussions, researches, seminars, writings, and interviews related to gender discrimination is fundamentally common and addresses the equality of the sexes. This paper explains whether innate gender differences exist and how they determine the abilities, choices, and aptitudes that differentiate men from women in both personal and professional lives. This explanation forms its basis articulately on several literary works included in chapter six of American vision and values of the Kirkpatrick Signature series.
Almost all articles explain how women have been misunderstood, mistreated, and discriminated against throughout the years in the male-driven society. One of the articles also presents an opposing ideology by implying that feminism is overrated and has harmed women rather than providing any benefits (Mansfield, 2006). The study of all articles reveals that innate gender differences exist today as they existed several years ago with the only difference being the way these differences affect decision-making, abilities, and perceptions of individuals. The gender differences highly impact the decisions made by males and females both in personal as well as professional lives.
The study of Mary Wollstonecraft
The study of the article by Mary Wollstonecraft reveals her ideology of ordained gender equality the male-driven society manipulates resulting in inequality and misinterpretation of equality both by men and women. Men already deem themselves superior to females and view them as objects of satisfaction and imply that the objectives of all females are to serve males. She implies that in the male-driven society women are taught and educated to become subordinates of men and seek satisfaction by providing satisfaction to men. Due to this very education and impregnation of falsified ideas of subordination in women’s minds, they start thinking like the male and determine their objectives based on beauty, appearance, and providing love instead of intelligence and intellect (Wollstonecraft, 1792).
The discrimination women face
The ideology then impacts decisions made by women who under this influence tend to lead their lives attending to issues such as beautification of appearance, completing daily household chores, producing and raising children, and satisfying their male counterparts believing this is the primary objective of women and there are no choices. This idea is also presented in another article which identifies that women are inclined to believe that they are just housewives and do not have a productive part in society. This article also explains the discrimination women face in the workplace and the barriers which they face in seeking top management positions and the fact that women are more compromising than their male counterparts when it comes to careers and taking time out for family (Kamen, 1991).
Why women have this innate behavior and perception about their life objectives are explained through an article by Elizabeth Cady Stanton where she reflects in her writing all activities and impositions enforced by men in the male-driven society. She explains in her article how men exploit women by imposing several ideas onto women and depriving them of several basic needs such as the right of owning property, earning wages, legal rights of married women, right of citizenship, and voting (Stanton, 1848).
Another misconception pointed out by one of the articles is that modesty is misunderstood for prudery both by males and females alike. This article also outlines how society as a whole has shifted from being modest to being liberal in expressionism. The article implies that a person cannot simply choose to be modest and not be blamed for prudery as the two are mistakenly taken to be synonymous. This choice is further criticized when implemented by a female as people interpret her to be conservative or state that these people feel insecure about themselves which signifies the fact that gender differences highly impact choices people make (Shalit, 2001).
Conclusion
The profession for women by Virginia Wolf is a major highlight in the perspective as it points out the experiences of a woman in the profession of literature. She explains how she is content about receiving compensation for writing in different forms such as book reviews and novels. She also expresses how her being a woman poses barriers in her work. She explains how women experience lesser freedom as writers than male writers who enjoy a great deal of freedom and expressionism while excessive use of freedom by female writers is condemned by male writers which cause women to remain on the defensive and not let their minds wander (Wolf, 1931).
The article reiterates the fact that innate gender differences do exist and affect professional lives to a very large extent either due to personal perception and beliefs or due to pressure from the opposing sex. The last article highlights how feminists criticize a fellow feminist on remarks and comments which differ from established norms and oppose the very core of feminist values. The author gives an example of a review she wrote and the harsh criticism by members of the fellow gender. She explains how a false ideology is presented against her interpretation and women blindly accept this ideology based on their innate feminist (Sommers, 2006).
Thomas Sowell implies in a video that pays inequality among genders is based on the choices they make. He states that women who work continuously without taking time off for family obligations earn more than men who work continuously. He implies that pay differences exist due to choices made by men and women. The video also gives strength to the implication that gender differences determine and impact choices that differentiate the two genders from each other (Sowell, 2008). Gender differences and their impact on the freedom of individuals are identified by other authors and practitioners as well. Kate Chopin a novelist from the 1800s also presents an ideology of freedom of women and equality of rights in her novels (Washington State University, 2008).
Reference
Kamen, P. (1991). Feminist Fatale: Voiced from The “Twenty Something” Generation Explore the Future of the “Women’s Movement”. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 414). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Mansfield, H. C. (2006). New Feminism. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 434). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Shalit, W. (2001). Modesty Revisited. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 432). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Sommers, C. H. (2006). Who Stole Feminism. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 454). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Sowell, T. (Director). (2008). Gender Bias and Income Disparity: A Myth? [Motion Picture].
Stanton, E. C. (1848). Declaration of Sentiments. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 411). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Washington State University. (2008). Kate Chopin: The Story of an Hour. Web.
Wolf, V. (1931). Professions for Women. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 442). Bellevue: Bellevue University.
Wollstonecraft, M. (1792). The Vindication of The Rights of Women. In B. University, Kirkpatrick Signature Series: American Vision and Values (p. 400). Bellevue: Bellevue University.