Sexism, Racism, & Liberalism - The Main Ideologies In Society
These are three of many dominant ideologies that exist in society. Ideologies are important for one to have knowledge on because it defines how the world acknowledges different traits from different points of view. Society would not be a society without these and other ideologies as one would not know how to be or act or react to situations. Ideologies shape views of one self, peers, and “the culture”. The culture as in society as a whole in that particular area and the varying ones that coexist in the world. Ideologies help develop and improve old and current ways of thinking (Juric, 2018), they have the power to influence interactions with past, current and future contacts.
The following ideologies mentioned in this discussion are extremely important and have been produced and manipulated over time, however although there has been improvement or new innovations made, there is a strong need for more change. Doug Chunsky introduced the theory of manufactured & consent (Ramsarran lecture 09.13.18 vocal not a pptx). This is the ability of an idea of something to be more superior over another idea, and the world or society agreeing with that theory by turning it into a phenomenon. At the end of the day, ideologies are just ideas that were manufactured, became produced, and now is being executed, yet is constantly changing day by day.
“Sexism; prejudice or discrimination based on sex or gender“ (Masequesmay, 2016 pg. 1). This is the ideology that in layman's terms, explains that one gender is better than the other. In this world particularly, the male gender being more dominant and the female gender being inferior. This particular ideology is the cause of many issues in topics like wage, jobs and availability, sports, politics etc. This term started in the early 21st century during the years of oppression, however this concept has been established prior to this date.
Sexism deals with gender roles and stereotypes that we all should and are expected to follow. For example, the husband must provide for the family by working in a specific career, while the wife stays home to cook, clean and take care of the household and children. Another idea within this ideology is that men cannot have emotions or feelings, and if they do it must be an emotion portraying strength, because crying or moping around only promotes and reflects weakness which is a so-called “female” attribute. This has had a strong influence of the idea of misogyny as well. The formal definition of misogyny is “A hatred for women” (Webster, 2018 pg. 1). Common repercussions of this are rape, assault in all forms (sexual, verbal, physical), abuse etc.
The following link provided is a graph of misogyny in action. The number of rape and sexual assault victims from the years 2000 to 2016 were recorded and compared male to female. The statistics show the drastic differences between them. Note: unfortunately, the graph could not directly be recorded into this discussion. https://www.statista.com/statistics/642458/rape-and-sexual-assault-victims-in-the-us-by-gender/ One who would argue that sexism is one of the ideologies that have ended in society is wrong or in denial. As proven in the chart above, pieces of sexism like misogyny have not been discontinued. On average, there was a negative weak-moderate correlation between time and the issue being continued.
Going back to the grand scheme of sexism, why is it relevant? This ideology is relevant because many people think this is no longer an issue, or it’s an ideology that is solely about women. However, both statements are misconceptions. Women can be subject to this form of discrimination, yet are sometimes the people who push that judgement on society as well. It deepens the issue, instead of unravelling it layer by layer. Sexism is a hefty piece of discrimination. Discrimination needs to be resolved and ended one piece at a time.“Racism, any action, practice or belief that divides humans into biological entities called ‘races’”. “Races, cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different populations” (Smedley, 2017 pg. 1).
In society, there are social structures and institutions, the social structure impacts the social institution, and the structure of one is what other use to judge and determine an inner statement about the individual. Common examples of social structure include race, disability/ability, speech & accents etc. Common social institutions include education, peers, immigration status etc.
Race is one huge social structure,it is usually the first thing someone sees and in some instances has a huge impact on their life. For instance, former President Barack Obama, he will forever be recognized as the first black president. Before he was first elected as president, the one trait that everyone focused on was his race. It managed to empower many, yet attempts to tear him down were also apparent. This is a prime example of why racism is so crucial to acknowledge and understand because Obama being black was the prime reason why a lot of people loved him and hated him. People thought that with him being in office, would help end discrimination and deteriorate the amount of racists in society. Racism has a negative connotation to it, however it is both beneficial and detrimental to society’s growth.This is because like nationalism, there’s a great deal of pride to be a specific race.
Me specifically, I love being black, yes it is difficult due to the stigma about black people, especially black youth, however I like the challenge that it comes with, while embracing black culture. It’s not about one race being more significant than another, it’s about being able to take pride in culture.Finally liberalism, the “positive” end of the ideology spectrum. It enhances the freedom of the individual (Ball, Dagger, Girvetz, Minogue, 2018). This is a negative ideology in the view of politicians, however on average, the world is moving in a liberalist movement. A prime example of liberal views being enforced in Canada is the legalization of marijuana expected to occur October 18 2018.
Many people a part of other government parties like the Conservatives are against this, however there is a huge demand for the legalization and moving forward. The liberalist idea allows one to be free, to speak up, and to be themself. This idea is for movement, empowerment and enlightenment. It reminds one to never look back at oppressive views, but to be conscious of it and move forward with it. This ideology is relevant because it has core values other than freedom such as equality, equity, pluralism, tolerism etc. These are all representatives of the forward movement of transforming society slowly but surely into a positive environment as a whole.
In conclusion, ideologies have shaped society from before they were even introduced as ideas. They have been reconceptualized and are no longer the basic views that people choose to assume. As society continues to change, so with these perspectives, they will be molded and altered to fit the “new normal”. They will forever be significant and have relevance to each and every member of society. These views are what inspires people to ask and figure out who they are, why they believe in certain values, beliefs and traditions. Explains how they act and why they surround themselves with either a specific group of people, or multiple different types of people. To just reflect, so take the time to think to yourself, “Who am I?”.
References:
- Ball T., Dagger R., Girvetz H. K., Minogue K. (2018, Mar 09). Liberalism. Retrieved October 01 2018 from https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberalism
- Masequesmay G. (2016, Apr 10). Sexism. Retrieved October 01 2018 from https://www.britannica.com/topic/sexism N.A (n.d).
- Misogyny. Retrieved October 02 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misogyny N.A (2017, Dec).
- Number of Rape and Sexual Assault Victims in the U.S from 2000-2016, by Gender. Retrieved October 02 2018 from https://www.statista.com/statistics/642458/rape-and-sexual-assault-victims-in-the-us-by-gender/ Smedley A. (2017, Mar 22).
- Racism. Retrieved October 01 2018 from https://www.britannica.com/topic/racism
