Rogers 1

Hebert Rogers

Professor Price

Sociology 1

3/16/2017

On Gender

When discussing gender identity, or the extent to which an individual identifies as

masculine or feminine, sociologists frequently look at the role society plays in this construction.

Social construction is a belief that society introduces certain norms and standards of how men

and women are supposed to act through gender roles. For example, the United States is believed

to be a predominantly heteronormal culture in which heterosexual relations are considered to be

the norm. Individuals break this norm through other forms of sexuality such as homosexuality,

bisexuality, or asexuality in which a person is not attracted to either sex.

Feminism is the belief in economic, social, and political equality for women. The first

wave of this movement started in Seneca Falls New York on July 19th, 1848. The early pioneers

in womens rights such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and others attended the first

convention on womens rights. This convention lead to a more powerful movement and

eventually, the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920 to allow women to vote, proving to be a

pivotal point in early feminism.

The second wave of feminism in the United States began in the 1960s and is associated

with a change in class consciousness as women began to reject the notion that they belonged in a

housekeeping or caretaker role. Betty Friedan, a part-time journalist during this time, used social-

imagination to realize that this was a wide-spread issue in which women were denied shared
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access to material, social, and cultural resources. In 1966 she founded the NOW, or National

Organization of Women in order to establish consciousness-raising groups where it would lead

to a collective effort for change. As a result, women began to use their talent and ability as a

gauge as to which career she should pursue.

The third wave of feminism was driven in the 1980s by a generational shift, in which

younger women were discontent with the status quo of feminism and desired change. Girlie

feminism was created where things like makeup, high heels, and other items were considered

important aspects of feminist empowerment. This lead to the development of Standpoint theory,

stating that ones understanding of reality is shaped by the experiences one has or the particular

position they occupy.

Woman face a variety of problems across a multitude of cultures that include sexism,

institutional discrimination, and the aptly named glass ceiling. Sexism is the belief that one sex is

superior to another. Women battle this through their actions of independence and femininity.

Women are beginning to occupy increasingly higher positions within government, media, and

medical fields that have had a tremendous impact in addressing institutional discrimination.

However, society must come together in order to break this glass ceiling and finally end sexism

in an occupational context. Some may argue that there are women who are better politicians,

doctors, or journalists than most men.

In a recent study done in 2013, 98.3% of dental hygienists are female, along with 94.8%

and 92% of childcare workers and receptionists, respectively. While women are stuck doing jobs

associated with their perceived roles, men continue to earn far more in higher level positions

such as CEOs, engineers, architects, and so on. On average, women earn 17% less than men. To

put this in a relative context, the median income for men in 2013 was $50,033 while the median
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income for women was $39,157. Due to the wage differences between typical male or female

jobs, one can see why women earn less than men do. These gaps may be fixed as society realizes

that women can do the same job a man can do and should be compensated accordingly.

In most households, men do less of the housework than women and it results in women

acquiring a second shift in which they must balance the burdens of work with those at home.

This presents itself as an immense challenge that prevents some women from seeking their own

desires. In order to address this, most believe that the government and corporations should get

involved to introduce reform that will bring about greater support for child care as well as more

flexible family leave policies. This is a worldwide issue that needs to be solved collectively with

a unified understanding of the task at hand.