QUESTION # 1
Personal sexism refers to attitudes, traits, and behaviors that have been forced to be appropriate for women and men. Many lifestyles, occupations, and works are just held for men such as police officers and corporate officers that just define the characteristics women do not have. In the same way, women are seen as having certain characteristics such as being emotional, submissive, gentle etc that make her stick to the occupations such as teacher, nurse, typist etc. on the other hand, institutional sexism arises when some opportunities are only present for one sex as compare to the other one (Goss, 2007). When seen on the occupational level men seem to have high status, earning high salary than women doing. In the same way, restriction on admission quotas, enrolment, more requirements to be filled by women in admission for higher studies are some of the examples that bring institutional sexism in to practice.
The sexual prejudice grows many inequalities in society that need to be eradicated form the roots. They should be replaced with equal attitudes, behaviors, and practices that make no difference between men and women. Sexism should be resisted by treating men and women equally in all aspects according to merits, intelligence, abilities, motivating them to share their contributions towards whole society.
QUESTION # 2
Traditionally, women were not treated equally in a working life. They were given lower wages in spite of the same efforts and characteristics that men would put in the same job. In order to eradicate the roots of such difference, prejudice, and discrimination Women’s Movement started in the 19th century and went through three waves. Each wave was destined to give women every right they were deprived of. Sexism had hardly any justification to be proven right and thus Women’s Movement changed the way of treatment towards women by the society. Social, cultural, and political equality were arisen (Simpson, 1999). The third wave of Movement brought great positive changes in American society, giving women the preference in line of men. It was joined by women of various races and sexual orientation, enjoying liberation. In the western culture women started to have their statuses high, have equal wage rates, and rights affecting their personal lives too. The positive impacts of feminist movement are still felt and experienced by today’s women who know their right and the way to practice them.
QUESTION #3
There is no doubt that women are paid less than men earn for which there are various reasons. First, women take few hours of work as they have families behind to take care of. Secondly, some fields are specific to women that pay less amount of wage to them such as nursing, teaching, and a job of librarian etc (Snarr, 2011). Furthermore, the occupations as technology and engineering are mostly specific to men where women hardly take interest on a traditional basis, thus creating over all wage gaps between men and women. At some jobs, there is discrimination between men and women that affect their wage levels too. Wage gap mostly hurt women as they are paid less in spite of having same characteristics that men have for the same position. However, the situation can be dealt with by giving more importance to women as well. Sexism should be eradicated, treating men and women on equal basis according to their traits, abilities, and expertise but not according to gender.
Reference
Goss, K. A. (2007). Foundations of Feminism: How Philanthropic Patrons Shaped Gender Politics. Social Science Quarterly (Blackwell Publishing Limited), 88(5), 1174-1191
Simpson, P. (1999). Covering the Women's Movement. Nieman Reports, 53/54(4/1), 40.
Snarr, C. (2011). Women's Working Poverty: Feminist and Religious Alliances in the Living Wage Movement. Journal Of Feminist Studies In Religion (Indiana University Press), 27(1), 75-93.
