Facilitator:
During early 1990s, when I was born, China was experiencing radical change in its economy. The world in general was at the time going through a catastrophic economic crisis that devalued nearly all the currencies of the world. China was still developing, and there were numerous companies and industries thriving in the favorable economic climate before the depression. Newspaper reports and articles were on this period recalling over the past few months. They highlighted on how businesses and companies throughout the country were falling and losing millions. Appropriate measures were constantly adopted, and retrenchment was common in the country. Companies, businesses and industries were scaling back and cutting down on extra workers to save on costs. From the observations in the newspapers, women were seen to be bearing the greatest effects of job losses. Few men lost their jobs, and many survived to secure their employments. Most of the women who retained jobs had their paychecks reduced while others were transferred to different places far from their families (Dong, 2004). Although I was not aware of the happenings during that time, I now fully comprehend the crucial role social differences played at the time. I feel this was an unfair move by businesses and companies in China. Women are equal to men and need to be treated with respect and dignity. It is apparent that companies should not have opted for men in preference of women. Particularly, organization should have embraced equal measure instead of eliminating only the women workers while retaining men. The view towards women as being vulnerable to their male counterparts caused their job losses. This means women’s social position makes them strive towards gender equality and the elimination of gender bias.
Different significant historical events have also influenced my views towards the world. There was the introduction of the social media heralded in 2003, with the appearance of Skype, Facebook and Twitter followed on in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Social media took the world by storm and increased social communication around the globe. I was lucky to be able to make close social contacts with people from other countries because of my social class position. Four years later, another significant historical event took place in Burma in 2010. The democratic leader Aung San Kyi was released after being detained for almost 15 years (Jesper, 2012). Assuming social standing as a democrat together with other supporters, her release was a relief to us, and we were looking forward towards the restoration of democrats.
Perhaps one of the most notable historical records deeply ingrained on my mind was the killing of Osama bin Laden in his own compound in Pakistan in 2011 by the U. S Navy. Osama had been responsible for the September terrorist attacks in the United States in the World Trade Centers (WTC). Many different nationalities in the same political standing against terrorism including my country shared in the joy of the success of the raid.
I would have assumed a different perspective on other genders if I were born of a different sex. Furthermore, I could have failed to benefit from the advent of social media had I been born in a marginalized and underdeveloped country and in a poor family. If I were not a Democratic Party supporter, I would also have definitely been furious upon the release of Aung. Lastly, the downfall of Osama would probably have been a major loss to my fellow citizens and me if I were from his country. These highlight clearly the significant role of social positions in affecting our views towards different societal issues.
References
Dong, A. B. (2004). Gender, unemployment and female laid-off workers in state enterprises
in contemporary china: Case studies of Beijing and Changzhou. University of Toronto (Canada)). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 314-314 p. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305065648?accountid=45049. (305065648).
Jesper, B. (2012). Aung San Suu Kyi: A biography. Virginia: Potomac Books.
