Social Construction As A Contributing Factor To Gender Inequality

For the past hundreds and thousands of years, gender differences had always been dragged into the dispute by the society. In a patriarchal society male always plays in a dominate position, biological determinism was used familiar by people. This theory believes that differences between male and female are biological, they are determined by gene and will always exist. It means that women are born to be weaker than men and act in a more passive position in our society (Oudshoorn 109). Scientist used to believe Biological determinism help promoted a superior position for masculinity and deepened the inequality between male and female.

However, with the development of society and spiritual culture, social construction had entered people's field of vision recently. Social construction theory believes that how people act in the society is the consequence of gene and surrounding environment. Gender is the social construction based on biological sex, people explore their gender identity as they grow up; and they become male and female after going through the construction of the society, the construction could includ “social institutions, culture, history, and individual personality” (Klement Lecture3).

Oudshoorm believes that in order to find out what is real, scientists are more likely to frame what they think is real base on the stereotype of their society(110). She believes that social construction is a good way to explain why biological determinism exists. Scientist used were mostly formed by males, and it was easier for them to find what they would like to know base on some stereotypes about women. Oudshoorn cites Laqueur who clams that “the female body was be seen as a lower version of the male body” (qtd. in Oudshoorn 110). This belief show that social construction exist. In the past, women had less discourse right and they got less chance to receive an education than men. The society believes that men is the dominator, and women should always be in an obey position that is an accessory for men. This kind of stereotype influences scientist who came up with the observation, which cause a lower social status for women—as in the “butterfly effect”. With the enhanced understanding of social construction, affirmative action is recently back on track.

However, there are still a lot of problems we need to go through. The difference in “Race, sexuality, gender presentation, and disability” can still cause people to be treated in different ways (Mckenzie, 63). National Partnership for Women & Families reports that there is the big gap in salaries between different gender and races. In the US, women only earn 77 percent of what man earn, and women of color earn lesser(qtd. in Mckenzie 62). Someone might define this phenomenon by biological determinism that women are biologically weaker than men so that she could not work as well as men do. However, this is not a good argumen; there are lots of women do intellectual works as engineer, lawyer and doctor; there are also big numbers of women do physical work such as fireman and farmer. It is more likely to be define as the outcome of social construction which cause by the stereotype to women and colored people. This facts shows us that affirmative action still seems to bond with political correctness; white, straight and wholesome invariably scale the meaning of success.

When will affirmative action really works is not just keeping eyes on people’s biological features but also accept all kinds of human being with a different background, preference and way they would like to live as(Mckenzie, 64). Social construction theory is a useful approach. Meanwhile, it will help relieve gender differences and inequality. However, social construction theory is mostly prevalent in western society. There are still a lot of cases and controversy base on gender differences in some developing country. As one of the important factor of social construction, institution play a big role in causing gender inequality in many Asian countries. My friend from Japan told me that big numbers of female leave their jobs and become full-time housewives because it is what their mothers used do. Female are encouraged to join work in China. However, their threshold to find a job are higher than male.

Moreover, there are still big numbers of female choose to stay at home and be a housewife—even some of them do not actually want to. A news used reported that some local companies refuse to hire female that hasn’t give birth, because they think it is a kind of wasting money. China has a tradition that female have to stay at home to recover for at least one month after giving birth; although they would like to go back to work, their family wouldn’t allow them. People were so mad when they read this news and so was I, this is not only caused by discrimination but also a kind of social construction. My aunt told me by her own experience that when some new mothers in China would like to go back to work, their salaries will be lesser than before and they have to spend more time to be promoted than men. Under this kind of social construction, women do not own complete autonomy with their own body and life—they have to compare and contrast the price they need to pay for different choices. All in all, I believe that everything is tending to a good direction. The society is continually improving itself, more and more people start to pay close attention to the inequality and differences around them. Although the existence of social construction is not a good sign of equality of human right, the promotion of the idea of social construction theory will help to prevent social construction.