Gender Stratification in Education, Work, and Family

Introduction After class and race, the most important dimensions of inequality in modern societies are gender and age. Gender refers to a set of culturally conditioned traits associated with maleness or femaleness (Kornblum 328). There are two sexes, male and female which are biologically determined statuses and two genders, masculine and feminine which are socially constructed ways of being a man or a woman.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Stratification in Education, Work, and Family specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A gender role is a set of behaviors considered appropriate for individuals of a particular gender. Controversies over whether women in the armed forces can serve in combat or whether men with children ought to be eligible for family leave from work are examples of issues arising out of the definition of gender roles. All human societies are stratified by gender, meaning that males and females are channeled into specific statuses and roles. Comments such as, be a man or she is a real lady, often serve to remind us that our behavior is or is not conforming to the role expectations associated with our particular gender. When women’s roles are thought to require male direction, as is the case in many households and organizations, the unequal treatment of men and women is directly related to gender roles. The roles assigned to men and women are accorded differing amounts of income, power, or prestige, and these forms of inequality contribute to the society’s system of stratification. According to Kornblum, recent research has expanded the understanding of gender in society by demonstrating that gender stratification is a feature of organizations of all kinds, and not merely an attribute of individuals and their roles (329). The advantages of the male gender role in American society have long been noted. Men earn higher salaries and often command more respect th an women do. One reason traditionally male occupations are attractive to women, for example, is that they are more positively valued than women’s occupations. Closely related to the perceived higher status of the male role is the power that accompanies this more valued position. The higher status of the male gender role has been offered as a reason why women’s gender role violation is viewed more positively than men’s similar violations (Unger 224). Gender as Social Construction and Social Structure To sociologists, gender is not simply something that individuals have. It is something that is constantly recreated in individual socialization, in medical and cultural practices, and in social interaction. Similarly, sociologists describe gender as an attribute not only of individuals but also of social structures.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the time th ey are born, girls are treated in one way and boys in another. They are, for example, wrapped in blue blankets or pink, encouraged to take up sports or sewing, and described as cute or as strong before they are old enough to truly exhibit individual personalities (Brinkerhoff et al. 202). In this way, children are made to learn their gender and gender roles from a very early age. Studies have, however indicated that when parents do not exhibit gender stereotype behavior or punish their children for cross gender behavior, we end up with a more civilized society. As a result of this learning process, boy and girls develop strong ideas about what is appropriate for girls and what is appropriate for boys. However, since boys are punished more than girls for exhibiting cross gender behavior, they tend to be especially rigid in their ideas of what girls and boys ought to do. Girls are freer to engage in cross gender behavior than boys. Improvement of Gender Relations over the Years Accord ing to Howe, men are these days living in less gender traditional families unlike in the past (93). In general, men are becoming less gender biased and are looking for something more than what traditional gender expectations can provide for them. The feminist movements have not only benefitted the lives of women, but have changed many men’s lives as well. For example, men no longer think that it is acceptable to beat or rape their wives, actions which were accepted as men’s rights in previous generations. Unfortunately, men are still growing up in a world that expects them to be aggressive, assertive, and accomplished. In addition, men are also expected to be tender, emotional, and open with their partners. The society expects them to be physically strong yet not dominate in the work place. They are expected to play well with others in work teams and listen to their partners at home. However, boys are generally not socialized to practice these skills as they grow up (H owe 94). Over the years, several laws and policies have been created to enhance gender relations. They include Policy on Gender and Development by the African Development Bank, requiring that gender be mainstreamed in all of the Bank’s operations, and Social Protection Strategy that seeks to eliminate any form of discrimination. Predictions about the Future of Gender Relations To improve gender relations even further, organizations such as Promise Keepers bring thousands of men together in large stadiums to discuss how they have let their important role in their families to disintegrate. The goal of these organizations is to help men reclaim their spiritual responsibility as servant leaders in the home.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Stratification in Education, Work, and Family specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though Promise Keepers is a conservative Christian movement, it stemmed from the N ew Age, leftist liberal men’s movement of the 1970s and 1980s when scores of men would go into the woods, beat drums, and openly share about the pain and isolation they felt as boys and men trying to conform to rigid gender role expectations. The liberal men’s movement sought to free men from narrowly defined gender stereotypes and stilted emotional lives. They built a brotherhood of open, caring, sensitive men who wanted to connect emotionally with their families. In a similar vein, the Promise Keepers group attempts to create a brotherhood of men working toward restoring wives’ and children’s love and faith in men as the religious and moral leaders of the home. Promise Keepers seek to tear down the commercialization of masculinity, through belittling macho exploits that objectify sex and violence. They want their members to reject the need for power and money, stop starving for a capitalist dream, and start striving for family harmony and strong marriag es. They encourage men to turn off their television sets and talk to their families. In this brotherhood, men feel safe sharing their fears and deepest feelings, their sense of failure over not achieving high powered careers, and their sense of disconnection from their wives. They aspire to lead but also to serve their wives. As men strive to maintain traditional conservative gender roles, they are also seeking to redefine masculinity and create a sensitive, open, and economically connected modern patriarch. Women often have the responsibility for the spiritual and moral upbringing of the next generation. Some conservative scholars, however, feel that we can not put these important goals in the hands of the government by increasing our use of day care centers for children. They argue that women have high levels of role strain due partly to the media and the public disparaging traditional women’s work and the roles of their stay at home as wife and mother. As noted by Klein, g ender relations may also be enriched through an educational process (539). Feminist Movements within the United States To appreciate the historic significance of the woman suffrage movement, it is necessary to understand the degree to which women expected the vote to lead to a total transformation of their lives. Apparently, this had to do with changes taking place in the family, its relation to society, and woman’s role within it.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Historically, the woman’s role has been shaped by her position in the family. Because the traditional family was the site of production and closely integrated with all forms of community life, women were recognized as participants in the larger world of the society. However, the family’s central importance in social organization meant that the patriarchal relations between men and women that characterized family life were carried into all other aspects of society as well. Until the development of women’s rights and woman suffrage politics, the major approach to improving women’s status came from domestic reformers, such as Catharine Beecher. To retrieve some of the social recognition that women were losing as production and other aspects of social life moved away from the home, domestic reformers called for an elevation of women’s status in the family, and for increased recognition of the contribution that domestic relations made to community life in general. They did not challenge the relegation of women to the domestic sphere, but only the relationship between that sphere and the rest of the society. The demand for suffrage represented a much more advanced program for improving women’s position. Suffragists recognized that the locus of community life had shifted away from the family and that women’s aspirations for a greater voice in the conduct of community affairs could be satisfied only by their moving into the public realm. Moreover, the demand for woman suffrage raised the prospect of sex equality in a way that proposals for domestic reforms never could. Gender in Education, Work, and Family At the work place, being a woman results in lower pay and being left out of important decision making arenas. Women have to fight the assumption that they would rather spend more time with their children than in moving up the career ladder. Women are seen as not taking their jobs as seriously as men while men are expe cted to concentrate on their jobs at the expense of their families. In the same way, gender determines the courses taken during a learning process. Approximately 95 per cent of all domestic violence victims are women. Violent attacks on women occur in almost every area of their daily lives. They are assaulted in their homes, on the streets, in the workplace, and in schools. According to the United Nations, however, all human beings are born equal and qualify to enjoy every right or freedom. Conclusion If gender relations are to be improved in the society, the discussion of cultural roles must be encouraged at different levels in society. Organizations such as Promise Keepers must be empowered to extend their services and spread messages that will drive the society to generational changes regarding gender relations. This study has allowed me to understand that gender stratification often begins from the early days of one’s life and keeps on taking different forms as time goes by. Works Cited Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White and Suzanne Ortega. Essentials of Sociology, Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print. Howe, Tasha. Marriages and Families in the 21st Century: A Bioecological Approach, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, 2011. Print. Kornblum, William. Sociology in a Changing World, Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Unger, Rhoda. Handbook of the Psychology of Women and Gender, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, 2004. Print. 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The Causes Road Rage in Australia.

The Causes Road Rage in Australia. Stress is an inevitable part of life and unfortunately, is a major cause of road rage. Driver stress is usually brought upon in increasing traffic congestion, particularly if they are late for an appointment, have been on the road for a prolonged amount of time or even when competing for a parking space. Stress often leads to other feelings such as, anger, frustration and fear, which may also subsequently create tendencies towards impatience and intolerance amongst drivers. Environmental factors such as weather conditions and poor lighting can also influence road rage as it increases the chances of road accidents.It is quite obvious that accidents on the road will often set off road rage. Most incidents of road rage are usually attributed to mistakes or misunderstandings of others, possibly due to intolerance of others or the neglect of the road rules. Experts point out that road rage is often the result of poor, careless or unsafe driving.Roadrage 2003Behaviours such as, not using i ndicators, driving too slowly, changing lanes, cutting drivers off, or blocking on purpose can regularly lead to road rage, especially if drivers are under stress. Victims of road rage are likely to insult their offenders mainly due to inexperienced driving or behaviours of poor conduct.Some psychologists have reported that road hostility can be due to dysfunctional behaviour. Offenders of road rage tend to be aggressive by temperament and become easily frustrated, especially if stressed or fatigued. They become less tolerant and are unable to control their own impulses. As a result, many offenders are prone to use violence as a solution and will have used violence in previous situations. Even slight damage or threat to their vehicle can infuriate them and set off a road rage incident. Many people feel that being inside a car makes them...

Chinese classroom culture and American classroom culture Thesis

Chinese classroom culture and American classroom culture - Thesis Example A classroom culture of trust and transparency is the foundation for creating an environment where students are empowered with correct and appropriate feedback helping in effective learning along with offering them a chance to learn from their mistakes resulting in the achievement of common goals and objectives in a planned manner. It is important to create a trusting environment as it helps students to learn along with offering learning to others through experiences. However, different countries take different approaches to design their classroom culture based on the goals and objectives formulated by the supervisory bodies. A trusting classroom environment embedded with transparency helps in winning the trust of students along with offering them a robust platform of learning and invaluable experiences through course books and personal learning and sharing (Chalker, Haynes, 1994). The next part of the discussion presents an insight over Chinese classroom culture in terms of ideas and methods used to enhance the learning of students. Chinese Classroom Culture The educational system is China is more of Socialist oriented where sharing of ideas and knowledge is considered as the prime element of learning. Chinese classrooms are often packed with up to fifty students and learning is driven by group activities and discussions that is an element of socialism. Chinese schooling is extremely competitive that means students have to compete at the grade school level by sitting in competitive exams and working hard to ensure high grades in order to het admission in best of schools. The Chinese education system can be considered as a stepping stone for the success of the economy in many ways. Students are compelled to succeed in order to serve the society and any sort of lagging behind may singled them out and thus creating extra amount of pressure that often affects their learning capabilities. The motivation for excellence is quite different in China compared to other co untries as China emphasizes on creating productive citizens who can serve the society and nation along with creating value for the nation. In Western countries, children may have individuals’ goals and dreams to become wealthy but in China, the entire focus is on enhancing the level of productivity so that the nation can be served in a productive manner. This has created extra burden on students in order to be competitive and excel in their fields. China has a large population and often space becomes an issue especially while accommodating 50-60 students in a single class. This is why classes are very near to each other separated only by walls. On the other hand, teachers share common room that mitigates hierarchies across academia and barriers to communicate with other teachers. Hansen, Childs (1998) stated that in Chinese education system, teachers can easily meet and communicate with each other and do not feel isolated as much as American School teachers. This clearly show s that the culture of sharing ideas and beliefs is the top most priority of the Chinese education system that is taken forward in classrooms in a logical way. Redding (1980) believed that Chinese students are often considered as more reverential and memory oriented. They are also very