Gender and Inequality, Essay Example

Gender inequality is a socially constructed concept because individual societies are responsible for defining the characteristics that are typically used to describe men and women. While there are clearly biological differences between members of the opposite sex, stereotyped characteristics cannot be proved. Conflict theory, interactionist theory, and functionalist theory are all used to explain gender inequality, although the conflict theory most accurately accounts for the features we ascribe to each sex. It is essential for people to understand the root cause of gender inequality so that erroneous views of women could be overcome.

The conflict theory is a Marxist based social theory that explains perceived differences of groups on the basis of the material and non-material resources that each group has and that the more powerful group will take advantage of the less powerful group. Although men and women living in modern times have equal resources, men are still considered to be the more powerful group. Since society defines men as dominant compared to women, men are more likely to earn more money for the same jobs as women, get away with treating women poorly, and are typically seen as the leader of families. While there is no reason for this difference in social construction in modern society, these characteristics were likely ascribed to men as a consequence of their biologically attained physical prowess which was considered useful in ancient times.

Since men were more physically capable than women in leading successful hunts, building dwellings, and protecting members of their community, the role of women naturally fell to taking care of children, tending to the house, and other domestic functions. While the role of both men and women were necessary for their survival, men were often given more credit for their tasks because they were more dangerous and seen as more important. When women began to work full time jobs during World War II, society still believed that their proper role was in the home; when men came back from the war, women workers lost their jobs even though their performance was equal to their male counterparts.

In the modern world, we no longer need to hunt or constantly protect ourselves against natural dangers. As such, the jobs available to both men and women today require equal skills and women have exceeded the performance of men in many of these positions. Even though men and women now have equal resources, the conflict theory which led to the rise of men’s power in the past is still assumed to be true in society today. In “Pedagogy of the Opressed”, Paulo Freire says, “Indeed, the interests of the oppressors lie in ‘changing the consciousness of the oppressed, not the situation that oppresses them’” (Freire, 74). It is by this mechanism that women are still considered to be lesser than men.

In “The Sociological Imagination”, Mills argues that “people do not usually define the troubles they endure in terms of historical change and institutional contradiction” (Mills, 1). Yet, we clearly see that the issue of gender inequality is rooted in history. Ancient beliefs and values have survived to the present time, which causes us to believe that women are somehow incapable of certain tasks compared to men. Even in the recent past, when man became civilized and began to live in permanent groups, women were seen as a home keeper and mother, and women who wished to remain unmarried and work for a living were viewed as outcasts. Even today, women who choose to remain at home are commended for their “womanliness”, as if they are doing the correct thing by staying home full time rather than advancing their careers.

Mills continues his argument by saying, “What they need, and what they feel they need is a quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve lucid summations of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves” (Mills, 2). What Mills proposes in this statement is an excellent solution to the problem of gender equality. He claims that we are wrapped up in the belief that men are somehow better than women because instead of thinking freely and developing our own opinions, we continue to use the opinions of the past because we feel more comfortable in doing so. As a consequence, it is important for us all to break free from this convention, and develop our own understanding of what truth is.

If more women are able to put the belief that they will never be as good at men behind them, they will be able to drive social change. Currently, a majority of the population still believes that men are better. We see this every day when we observe which gender typically stays at home with children, has higher positions in corporate companies, and who earns more for the same job. Even though more men are staying home with their children and more women are the family breadwinners, this is an exception to the rule rather than a convention. As such, it is necessary for people to start thinking their own and consider whether our practices of gender equality are really just and rationalizable.

Works Cited

Freire P. “The Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. 1968. Web. Retrieved 8 Dec. 2013.

Mills CW. “The Sociological Imagination”. 1959. Web. Retrieved 8 Dec. 2013.