Theories Explaining the Subordinate Positions of Females in the Society - Term Paper Example

Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction to Sexism Sexism refers to prejudice or discrimination based on someone’s gender. The sexist attitude arises from stereotypes that exist in societies regarding gender roles (UNICEF, pp1). Sexism is a social problem experienced by human societies in different forms and in different places in all parts of the world. It is experienced in diverse situations ranging from workplace to social places. For example, in some countries such as America, workplace earning for women are less than for men. Women are less likely to work on full-time basis, and also more likely to be out of labor force for longer period than men. This furthers suppresses women’s earnings. In both western and eastern countries, the common trail of thought is that the place of women is in the home. This makes sexism a global problem and an issue of male dominance over women. Sexism is also experienced by homosexuals where in some countries they are not allowed to move freely with their same-sex partners (Kitanaka pp 4). Theories explaining the subordinate positions of females in the society Subordination means that one party has less power or authority than another in a group or in an organization. Female subordination refers to the state of placing women in a lower rank in the society where they cannot access resources nor take part in decision making. This state makes women feel powerless and discriminated affecting their self esteem and their confidence. Female subordination is a common characteristic in a patriarchy system where men are naturally superior to women. The patriarchy system upholds women’s dependence on men and their subordination to men in all dimensions of life. This results in a situation where power and authority in the family, society and the state remains in the hands of men. Women are therefore denied their legal rights and have limited opportunities. The system restricts mobility of women and denies them freedom even over themselves and their own property (Sultana 7). Subordination of women, its essence and origin are explained under feminism which is a range of movements whose common goal is to advocate for rights and equality of women. Feminist theories have differing views on the origin of female subordination. Such theories include: Marxist feminism Marxist feminists view women subordination through the lens of class. They argue that oppression of women originates from introduction of private property. This came with the introduction different means of agricultural production to replace hunting and gathering. Men too k control of these means of production transforming them into their own private property. They therefore established a first class society subordinating women so that they could be guaranteed paternity of men who owned property. Marxists further argue that the issue of property is capitalism which even in the contemporary society continues the subordination of women by making them economically dependence on men. Making women economically dependent privileges men and creates pool of cheap labor. This creates an overall situation that cannot permit women to be socially and economically equal to men (Jaggar & Rothernberg, 116). Radical feminism Radical feminists argue that women subordination is rooted in some features of human biology which include weaknesses resulting from the physiology of female reproductive system, which necessitates their dependence on men. Radical feminists explain how male dominance over women is exercised through practices such as rape, sexual assault, prostitution, child bearing, love and marriage. Their ideology is the origin of patriarchy (Jaggar & Rothernberg, 120). Social feminism Social feminists believe that women subordination results from complex combination of economic, social and psychological forces. They recognize that all the human differences such as sexual orientation, gender, age, and ethnicity shapes a woman’s life experiences. According to them, female subordination is not related to a single cause (Jaggar & Rothernberg, 122). Multicultural feminism Multicultural feminists believe that women subordination is as a result of interaction of race, gender, class and sexuality which all together make a transformative system of subordination (Jaggar & Rothernberg, 123). Sexism in Hong Kong and the contemporary society On March 20th 2006, Professor Joseph Yu-shek Cheng, the secretary-general of the newly formed Civic Party in Hong Kong made remarks that “we have a very beautiful party leader, and the Democratic Party doesn’t” (Radio Television Hong Kong 1, 20 March 2006). These remarks were made referring to difference between their newly formed party and the Democratic Party. However, even though the remarks were made jokingly, they are a reflection of the attitude that prevails in the society towards women. The community perceives the physical appearance of women to be of greater value than her ability. This is a very common gender stereotype in Hong Kong. Two popular Chinese sayings states that “a virtuous woman is one without talents” and “a girl who pleases one will be acceptable to him”. These sayings portray a society where a woman is perceived as an object or a person of a lesser value. It is a common believe in Hong Kong that families with no male descendant are at risk of dying out (Lee, & Collins, 2-3). Gender inequalities are experienced across various dimensions in Hong Kong. These include the education sector, power and prestige, in income and occupation, and also in the family set-up. In the education aspect, males are given priority in education opportunities compared to females. According to 2001 population Census in Hong Kong, 12% of females had not received any schooling while it was only 4.6% had not received any schooling. Most of the powerful positions especially in the Executive and Legislative Council in Hong Kong are held by men. In 1990s, only 23% of the members of two councils were women. In other positions such as district boards, women occupied only 10% in1985-1988. No much change has however been experienced in recent past. For example in 2007, women membership in Executive Council was 13.8% while only 18.3% in the legislative council. In the District Council women occupied only 17.9%. This is an indication that the issue of gender inequality has been running for the past three decades. This inequality is also observed among the heads of government departments. In 2007, only 22.9% of the positions were held by women in the directorate of government (Macionis 65). In income and occupation, in 1990s, women earned an average of $144 while men earned an average of $201. A number of factors contributed to these disparities such as the fact that there was legislation that restricted the number of working hours for women and also the fact that men had more opportunities to get appointments and promotions into better paying positions. Managerial positions even in women dominated occupations were held by men. Women were only preferred in wholesale/retail business and in the hotel and restaurants sectors among few others. Despite their abilities and qualifications, women found it difficult to apply for well paying positions (Macionis 64). In the contemporary family set up, inequalities are still experienced in allocation of domestic roles. Women’s domestic roles place them in a position here they are still dependent on men. Men earn income to support their families and are therefore regarded to as breadwinners while women concentrate on house work which according to the society does not count. The spirit of subordination is so entrenched in the mind of women and the entire society and that is why there is still not much change in the contemporary society (Macionis 71-73). Male privileges in Hong Kong Even though some progress has been towards promoting gender equality in Hong Kong, men still enjoy different forms of dominance over women. The fact men have better opportunities in education and employment. It becomes very easy for them to advance in their careers as well as in business. Dominance of men in government positions also makes it easy for them to climb up the ladder by use of authority vested on those positions. The privilege that men enjoy in the family also creates opportunities for them to take up other roles where they can enhance their personal development. Progress towards ending gender discrimination in Hong Kong Despite the fact that Hong Kong government has adopted a policy to promote gender equality, little progress has been achieved. According to Lam p6, there is still a long way to go. For example in 2010, more women were working less than 18 hours per week compared to men. The longer working hours that men have makes them to at a higher economic level than women. The survey also indicates that unequal treatment in the work place still exists. In 2010, only 44% of firms agreed that they were willing to hire working mothers. At least 45% agreed that sexual harassment still happens in their workplaces (Lam 8-9). However, since the establishment of Women’s Commission (WoC) in Hong Kong, of course notable changes have been observed. The commission aims at creating an environment that would enable women to take an active part in the economy as well as in the community (Women’s Commission ii). Conclusion Sexism and female subordination is an issue that has hindered the general development of women. Men have dominated various sectors in the society making it difficult for women to progress sin education, career and politics. However, various governments have made progress towards uplifting women and little of this has also been experienced in Hong Kong. Works Cited UNICEF. Gender and Sexism, 2014, retrieved from http://www.unicef.ie/wp-content/themes/iboot-child/micro-sites/itsaboutus/cards/unicef-itsaboutus-gender-sexism.pdf Macionis, John. Sociology, 14th edn, New York: Prentice-Hall, 2011, 1-84. Jaggar, Alison. & Rothernberg, Paul. Feminist Frameworks: Alternative Theoretical Accounts of the Relations Between Women and Men, 3rd ed,. McGraw Hill: New York, 1993: 110-123. Lee, Jackie & Collins, Peter. Gender Representation in Hong Kong English Textbooks. 2008. Accessed on 31st March 2016 from http://www.eoc.org.hk/eoc/upload/2006711112336211184.pdf Sultana, Abeda . Patriarchy and Women’s Subordination: A Theoretical Analysis. The Arts Faculty Journal Vol.4, 2011: pp.1-18. Women’s Commission. Hong Kong Women’s Development Goals Report, 2011. Accessed on 1st April 2016 from http://www.women.gov.hk/text/download/library/report/WDG_Report_Eng.pdf Kitanaka, Anna. "Sexism is global - not just in Japan" Japan -- Business People Technology 2009, Accessed from www.japaninc.com. Lam, Woon-kwong. Gender equality policy/practice in Hong Kong. Equal Opportunities Commission, 2010. Read More