Stereotypical Gender Roles: How Men And Women Are Treated Differently In Law, Media, And Social Interactions
The struggle to have equality has been going on for a long time, yet equal representation is still in dire need. Advocates of the rights of women have been instrumental in ensuring that there is the provision of fair opportunities to all genders, but it is yet to be satisfied. The political, social, media, religious, and legal perspectives depict the disparity between men and women since the treatment is not the same. Notably, there are multiple forms of violence and discrimination against women, although there is minimal that can be done to change the situation. Many women have shown interests in the affirmation of favorable chances to females, but their success rate is significantly low. On the other hand, men and boys have a significant advantage in the world since they receive favors and unprecedented privileges that make their lives easier. Thesis statement: Thus, men and women are treated differently in social interactions, media and law as affirmed by their underrepresentation, discriminative regulations, laxity to change laws, media innuendos, stereotypes and gender discrimination.
Law
The constitution provides a level playing ground where all the rules should protect individuals irrespective of their gender, social class, political affiliation, and religious background. For instance, the bill of rights in the United States affirms that all people have inalienable rights that should be protected by the government. For this reason, any citizen that feels aggrieved should use the courts to ensure that the issue is addressed and the perpetrators should be punished. However, there are high chances that men and women are treated differently despite the streamlining of laws to avoid discrimination. For instance, men are likely to receive harsh prison sentences when they rape women.
On the other hand, women that are involved in the same transgression may not receive the same treatment since society treats women differently from men (Friebel et al., 2013). Under such conditions, it is imperative to state that the law is discriminatory in that gender is a determinant in the dispensation of justice. Nevertheless, the judiciary always seeks different ways to align the law so that it serves the interests of all the citizens.
Historical View
Since the era of slavery, women have been treated differently from men, and this may have affected their social standing in the world. During this time, women were considered the weaker sex, and they had limited rights. For instance, many women were not allowed to own property while others did not have the freedom to make personal decisions. In such a view, it is apparent that the laws have been coined to ensure that there is the protection of the women since they are vulnerable. The rise of feminism has played a huge role in the reinstating of the position of women in the world. The struggles that the women have instituted have been vital in changing the laws so that they are treated in a fair manner (Macarie & Moldovan, 2012). Other institutions, such as the United Nations have also been involved in the protection of women. For instance, the institutionalization of the commission on the status of women was ostensibly made to focus on gender equality.
In contrast, some countries have failed to execute the laws and regulations, and this has worked against the annihilation of discrimination. In addition to this, there was the institutionalization of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1979, and it has been instrumental in the provision of the bill of rights that can protect women in the whole world. As a global policy, it has affirmed that women and men are treated differently, and this should be stopped.
Gender Discrimination
Several perspectives that exist in the world have led to different treatment between men and women. Ideally, the laws that are instituted should protect all people, but this is not the case when women are involved (Oláh, Richter, & Kotowska, 2014). For instance, more men are involved in leadership positions as compared to women. At the same time, the promotions favor men over women since they are thought to have strong leadership capabilities. The origin of the problem is linked to the ambiguity in some of the laws. For instance, labor laws do not provide extra protection that will limit discrimination against females. It is apparent that men earn more than women in the corporate world do, and the situation does not seem to change over time (Friebel et al., 2013). The same applies to the positions that men hold while women occupy most of the lower cadre. These conditions are dictated by the laws, and there is a need to reflect on the situation as it will continue to affect the women in the world.
The laws in many countries favor men over women in the political sphere. Ideally, all the presidents of the United States have been men, and the inclusion of women in the process has been minute. The origin of the problem is linked to the laws that make it almost impossible for women to be fairly represented in the procedures. Although Hillary Clinton was virtually elected, the president, the regulations of the primaries led to the inauguration of Donald Trump as the president. In such a situation, it can be postulated that the constitution may have worked in support of the male candidate while disadvantaging the female contestant.
Limited Changes in Law to Favor Women
Numerous laws have been instituted to enhance the position of women, although the execution may not be at its best. For instance, the institutionalization of affirmative action ensures the involvement of women in all aspects of running the country. It affirms that they should be given an equal chance as men, and this will uplift their stance. At the same time, the execution of the two-thirds gender rule stratifies that men and women should be involved in the aspects that affect the entire nation. For instance, the representation of a single gender should not exceed 66%, and this leads to the fair representation of men and women.
Nevertheless, there is little that has been achieved through this regulation since men seem to have more representation when compared to women. For instance, it is stated that in the United States in 2015, it is estimated female national parliamentarians were only about 22%. A reflection of the statistics suggests that 20 years from 2015, women represented an estimated 11% of the federal parliamentarians. Although there is a steady rise in the representation of females, there is a need to do more to affirm equality.
Media
The media plays a significant role in the United States since it disseminates information to the citizenry. The values of the stakeholders may reshape society through the way they broadcast the news to the nation. The critical aspects that could affect the behavior of the community include the fair representation of men and women. The other element that could have an impact on the country is social media since a large part of society uses it. For instance, it is estimated that over 80% of the population in the United States has access to computers at their homesteads, and a majority use broadband connectivity. Thus, there is a high chance that many people can interact on the websites. Nevertheless, these sites could have significant repercussions to the people as they can be used to propel various aspects that can affirm that men and women are treated differently.
Underrepresentation of Women
The media stakeholders place men and women in movies and films in different capacities depending on the achievements that they want to satisfy. On this note, studies have indicated that men are likely to succeed in the industry at a faster rate as compared to women. The females are likely to struggle to get noticed, and they may take years to be recognized as pivotal forces. At the same time, many women are highly unlikely to be given the leading roles in the media, yet men are overrepresented. In such a scenario, it is apparent that men and women are treated differently due to the perceived contribution that they bring to the industry. Similarly, remuneration in the industry is significantly different between men and women. While men are given the priority in the earnings, there is a significant disparity in their earnings, and this affirms the other aspects that could affect the position of women in the country.
Stereotypes and Sex Appeal
The media is driven by stereotypes that could have significant negative implications for women. In many instances, women are objectified to satisfy the reflections of society. For example, women are used to augmenting the sex appeal in adverts with the intent of attracting more people to appreciate and buy a product (McGinn & Oh, 2017). A review of the various adverts reveals that women can be scantily dressed and they may display the sexual gaze so that they can be appealing. On the other hand, men are decently dressed, yet they can convey the same message (Oláh, Richter & Kotowska, 2014). Under such conditions, it is apparent that the treatment between men and women is different such that it favors men over females.
Authority by Men and Incompetence by Women
The media conveys information in different aspects, and this affirms the disparity in the treatment between women and men. In many instances, the media display men as an authority while women are seen as subordinates. In other cases, women are viewed as incompetent individuals that should be saved from their plight by men. Many movies and documentaries indicate women and girls as helpless individuals that will always be dependent on men. In many commercials, the media uses women to show the unskillfulness and flaws while the men will be used as a voiceover that solves such problems. The male voice is used to sway society into believing that they are the most intelligent and competent gender (Friebel et al., 2013). In some instances, even when the products are meant for women, men will still be used to convey the information. It affirms that women will be dependent on men for advice on the best alternative that they need to use.
Social Interactions
Men and women are viewed differently in social interactions because they focus on dissimilar values. For instance, women may have smaller social cycles as compared to men. Nevertheless, it is imperative that they are treated distinctively since women are likely to share a significant amount of information among their peers (Manila, 2017). They have to maintain a close relationship so that they can disseminate intimate messages to each other. Additionally, they have to keep strong bonds so that they can continue to communicate. Thus, society understands that men will always behave differently in social interactions since they have specific interests.
The social interactions in the aspect of gender bias can also be linked to the employment positions and opportunities that men and women get. During the social interactions at the place of work, it is apparent that women will feel that they have not been given ample opportunities. As a result, they will feel neglected and isolated more so when they have to support their views. For this reason, women will tend to create a cluster that separates the female gender so that they can focus on the issues that they can raise. Many other countries have also displayed disparity in the social interactions between men and women. For instance, until recently, women were not allowed to drive vehicles in united Saudi Arabia. Repealing the regulation has brought a difference in society as they feel that they can also participate in other aspects of society (Friebel et al., 2013). At the same time, women have limited chance to make personal choices, including the selection of their intimate partner, working in the corporate world, and deciding when to get married.
Online Sexual Harassment and Involvement as a Parent
Social media is one of the most used communication tools for both men and women in the world. Majority of the citizens in the United States have affirmed the use of sites such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter in their lifetime. Nevertheless, these platforms have distinct repercussions to men and females. It is stated that one in every five females in the United States under the age of 30 years has experienced online sexual harassment. At the same time, women between the age of 18 and 30 are twice as susceptible to online sexual harassment as compared to men. In such an aspect, women are maltreated, and they may have serious consequences, including isolation from social interactions.
Men and women are treated differently in different perspectives, such as the media, law, and social interactions. The country has been instrumental in changing the rules to suit the needs of all people. However, the regulations that protect women against issues such as discrimination have not been executed fully since women feel that they are mistreated. At the same time, the media prioritizes the interests of men as they are given greater role, and they exude authority in all their indulgences. Similarly, the social interactions are disadvantaging to women as a majority are sexually harassed, while others do not receive the treatment that they expect. Therefore, there is a need to reflect on the changes that should be instituted in the law, social interactions, and media to ensure that men and women are treated equally.
References
- Friebel, G., Lalanne, M. Richter, B. Schwardmann P., & Seabright, P. (2013). Selectivity and opportunism: two dimensions of gender differences in trust games and network formation. Retrieved from https://paulseabright.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SocialNetworks_v3.2reducedsizefile.pdf
- Macarie, F. C., & Moldovan, O. (2012). Gender discrimination in management: Theoretical and empirical perspectives. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 35 E, 153-172. Retrieved from http://rtsa.ro/tras/index.php/tras/article/view/51/47
- Manila, S., (2017). Women and men in the news. Retrieved from https://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1092200/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- McGinn, K. L. & Oh, E. (2017). Gender, social class, and women’s employment. Current Opinion in Psychology, 18, 84-88. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.07.012
- Oláh, L. S., Richter, R. & Kotowska, I. E. (2014). The new roles of men and women and implications for families and societies (Families And Societies Working Paper Series No. 11). Retrieved from http://www.familiesandsocieties.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WP11OlahEtAl2014.pdf
- United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (2014). Media and Gender: A Scholarly Agenda for the Global Alliance on Media and Gender. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/publications/media_and_gender_scholarly_agenda_for_gamag.pdf
- World Economic Forum. (2013). Five Challenges, one solution: women. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GAC_WomensEmpowerment_FiveChallangesOneSolution_Compendium_2013.pdf
