Inequality is the disparity of distribution or opportunity and can be looked at through many positions from a sociologist standpoint. This paper will look at the basics of gender inequality within marriage through three different religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Looking at the basics of gender inequality one can ascertain that it is a learned behavior beginning at the developmental stages of childhood. According to Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development under the preoperational period (2-7 years of age) during the intuitive phase (4-7 years of age) a child’s “speech becomes more social…has an intuitive grasp of logical concepts.” In addition “concepts formed are crude and irreversible” which makes a child extremely susceptible to social perceptions set in place by the parents who in-turn are governed by their perceptions according to their particular faith. A part of a child’s upbringing involves what I call “social programming” which adheres to Piaget’s stages of development chart. This social programming happens when the parents pass on their behaviors to their children during the intuitive phase. For example something as simple as religion can be a product of social programming. By taking a child to a specific church consistently he or she will come to identify themselves as a part of that particular religion. Within that religion they will learn what their parents have learned and that is how they are to behave in accordance with their gender.
Without going into specifics on the three religions that will be discussed we can identify some of the obvious commonalities between them. Each of the religions sees the male as the dominant of the two genders and the female of the lesser being of course. Also they all have set in place roles that each gender is assigned to perform. Each of them have the male being placed in the superior role. These roles are especially true within a marriage.
What is marriage? According to Webster’s Dictionary a marriage is “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law.” It can also be stated for those of the same sex, but for the purpose of this paper it will be examined from a heterosexual standpoint.
In a heterosexual marriage you will find conflict between the husband and the wife and this is where religion is supposed to help out.
Gender inequity is caused by old stereotypes that no longer apply in society, but still exist.
To acknowledge inequality without acknowledging the inequality as a result of gender it is simply irresponsible. Gender plays a clear role in inequality, with women being treated worse than men in a variety of aspects including wages, family life, education, and occupations. Though the gap between men and women has steadily decreased, there is still a clear difference. The importance of gender, the existence of a "glass ceiling," the evidence of a "second shift," and gendering of occupations all point to the existence of gender gap. The importance of gender within society starts from birth, with everyone asking whether a newborn is a girl or boy, and the expectation to dress a child in "appropriate" clothing based on their assigned gender.
To understand the theory of gender inequality better, it is necessary to confront the obstacles that have limited prior attempts. Amongst these, one the most important ones is the strong urge to minimize all explanations of gender inequality to some fundamental contrast between the sexes.
Author and feminist Alix Kates Shulman said once: “Sexism goes so deep that at first it’s hard to see, you think it’s just reality” (McEneany). That quote sums up perfectly the way our society runs. There is no class teaching children how to act according the their gender. Yet little boys and little girls learn at a very young age what is expected of them. They get ideas about their gender roles from their parents, their school teachers and subconsciously from the toys they play with and the television shows they watch.
Being a feminist today has altered from a political position to a more general position. Contemporary feminist is shaped by the past, but now is integrated in popular culture by popular figures. The definition of feminism is the belief of social, political, and economic rights, especially with regards of equality of the sexes. There are many dimensions to being a feminist and we have a tremendous number of people supporting the feminist movement. The need for feminist movements is because gender inequality still exist. Gender inequality is very broad and complex topic. Both men and women are unequal in various ways. However, the big question is why? The purpose of this paper is to understand gender inequality in the sociological framework of
The Arab world is traditionally and originally a male-dominated culture, where male authority is the norm throughout most Arab countries. Subsequently, even with the introduction of Islam and the acknowledgement of women’s rights coming about in the early 20th century, as will later be described, there still remain those traditional components that affect male-female interactions and relationships in Arab societies. Gender and gender inequality are present in Arab societies still today and are at the forefront of Arab societies. Aspects of gender inequality, for the most part, appear with respect to those of employment and education opportunities, political rights, and justices in marriage. As a starting point, one can stress that there is a general view, on a large global scale that Arab society is one where gender issues and gender relations exist despite the recent protests/riots.
Throughout history, men have been given superiority and dominance over women in the majority of religious settings. There have been few religions and cultures that do the opposite and see their women as having superiority and dominance over men. On one hand, the cultures and religions that see men as being dominant are patriarch. On the other hand, the cultures and religions that see women as being dominant are matriarch. Every religion and culture has an impact on whether societies tend to follow a matriarch, or a patriarch lifestyle. Hindu and Islam religions and cultures are two religions that tend to follow a patriarch lifestyle, but with few exceptions.
Gender inequality is prevalent in all major societies. The way that I would describe gender inequality is the unequal and unfair treatment between the two sexes. Sex makes up the biological differences of male or female. While gender is learned through social interactions and behaviors applied to the sexes. As a result, from a very early age, we are taught to follow certain gender expectations. For this reason, I agree with the statement that inequality is the result of gendered systems in which we live. I will evaluate certain chapters by Michael Kimmel in his book Gendered Society, to help show how we use certain concepts learned from society to run our lives. In today’s society children are raised to be a certain gender and they are expected to perform certain gender roles.
Darity William A. Inequality, Gender." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 624-627. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
Some’s definition of Marriage is when two souls coming into one soul –still distinct but forming one entity. Being raised in the church, marriage is when two people come together, declaring their wedding vows to each other and to God. Marriage is
The issue of gender inequality will never truly be solved in the United States. This arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through hormonal differences, chromosomes, and brain structures. Gender inequality is defined as unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on gender. One of the reasons for gender inequality is income disparities. Another reason is because of the positions in the workplace. Thirdly, the reason is because of beliefs that one another has. For these reasons is why these situations should be examined to get to the root of the problem.
There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.
According to Maguire (1995:1), “The inequality between the sexes is one of the most intractable features of human culture.”Frankly, it is undeniable that gender inequality exists in every part of the world. Macionis (2006:252) also admits that “In most aspects, men are still in charge.” Nowadays, women keep on fighting for their right, urging for equal opportunity and fair treatment. Gender stratification, which is the unequal distribution of wealth, power, and privilege between men and women, seems to be narrowed, but it actually remains its existence to some extends. (Macionis, John. J. 2006: 256)
Gender inequality has always been connected with patriarchal societies. Since early city-states emerged, males have been the dominant sex of different cultures. Even near the beginning of the 20th Century, gender inequality was a large part of the modern world. A common characteristic of a patriarchal culture is the oppression of women and the common belief was that a woman belonged at home as a wife and mother, and a man belonged in the public sphere. Patriarchy is an example of stratified society, a society that has significant differences in the distribution of goods, services, rights and power. It is based on gender stratification (the unequal