Sociology

The effectiveness of policies that are geared towards addressing the problems of deviant behaviors in society has been put into question because they failed in translating to positive outcomes. The reasons behind these failures are not hard to discern given the fact that some of these policies only proceed to aggravate the deviant problems they seek to solve. This essay seeks to provide an overview of deviant behavior in society by the application of relevant theories and examine the policy on teen drug abuse in the United States using recent trends in statistics.

Whereas some forms of deviant behaviors may be considered minor and ignored by society, some are very serious and often result in grave consequences. One deviant behavior that has remained a problem in society with serious consequences on the victims is drug abuse among teens. According to Baer and Chambliss (1997), “the law enforcement-industrial complex is sustaining some of the fastest growing corporations and some of the most powerful lobbies in the country.” Crime-related statistics have been distorted and as such effectiveness of policies cannot be measured. Statistics on teen drug abuse in the United States are indeed very worrying. The number of teens joining the brackets of drug abusers in the United States has recorded an increase in the past. This has called for the institution of relevant policies to address this form of deviant behavior in teens.

According to Pearson Education (2010), “illicit drug use by 8^th graded teens was 30.3%, 10^th grade was 44.9% while 12^th grade was 52.8%.” illicit drugs within this sub-context refer to both soft and hard drugs. In addition to the above, “underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion dollars annually, enough for a new state of the art computer for every student and in the last thirty days 50% of teenagers report drinking with 32% being drunk at least on one occasion” (Pearson Education, 2010). This recent trend in deviant behavior among teens has called the institution of policies and redress in older policies aimed at addressing this social problem entrenched in society.

The policy on drug abuse that is famously known as the “drug war” has failed to live up to its expectations and is considered by critics as a failure. This is because despite the institution of this drug policy was seen as capable of controlling the consumption of hard drugs in the United States, statistics still reveal that the reverse is taking place and the United States is losing billions of dollars annually in lost productivity. According to Drug Policy Alliance (2010), “U.S. federal, state and local governments have spent hundreds of billions of dollars trying to make America “drug-free.” Yet heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit drugs are cheaper, purer and easier to get than ever before.” In addition to the above, “nearly half a million people are behind bars on drug charges – more than all of Western Europe (with a bigger population) incarcerates for all offenses” (Drug Policy Alliance, 2010). These statistics reveal that the drug war has failed to address this form of deviant behavior in society.

Other factors have also been pointed at by literature as critical contributors to failures in these policies. According To Reinarman (1994), many well-intentioned drug policy reform efforts in the United States have come face to face with the staid and stubborn sentiments against consciousness-altering substances and the repeated failures in such reform efforts cannot be solely in terms of ill-informed or manipulative leaders.” This demonstrates that a combination of factors has led to these policy failures. In addition to the above, the policies have taken one side that views anti-drug crusaders as imposing morality on others. The temperance culture has also been pointed as being most in the United States than in any other country has risen in the American society.

Baer and Chambliss (1997) on the other hand attach the failure of these policies to manipulation of data on crime by the law enforcement agencies by stating that “in the annual report the FBI resorts to gimmicks and tricks to make the problem of crime appear as threatening as possible.” This culture prevents people from accessing the true nature and statistics in crime. Buchan (2002) illustrates that

the purpose of punishment then, did not simply reform or correction of the offender, nor the management of delinquency, though each has played its part in penal development. Liberal arguments for penal reform also incorporated a concern for the delivery of deserved punishment on those whose indiscipline and improvidence threatened the peace and productivity of civil society, those who were deemed incapable of autonomous action

The failures behind these policies are based on the fact that they are inconsistent with the liberal tradition. Instead of solving the societal problems, they aggravated the problems and led to numerous conflicts.

One fact that has been pointed out as outstanding in the failure behind this policy is the war on drugs is that some of the provisions of this policy only act as precipitating factors and thus conflicts with the aims and objectives of the policy. “So-called drug-related crime is a direct result of drug prohibition’s distortion of immutable laws of supply and demand; public health problems like HIV and Hepatitis C are all exacerbated by zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean needles” (Drug Policy Alliance, 2010). The drug war is therefore not a family promoter it was envisaged to me and could not address this form of deviant behavior in society. An increase in the consumption of drugs has made American teens exposed to the risks of educational failure, addiction, and teen delinquency. According to Drug Policy Alliance (2010), “drug abuse is bad, but the drug war is worse.”

From the discussions presented above, I am strongly against the policy of war on drugs because of its inability to address the problem it was instituted to address. I believe another effective policy that can control drug consumption is needed in the United States. One effective policy that I believe will lead to a cocktail of societal benefits in handling the problems of this form of deviant behavior is the entrenchment of drug lesson education in the curriculum from the fifth grade. This will be effective in enhancing the capacity of the teens to understand the effects of drug abuse. It has been advanced the foundations for responsible behavior can only be built from formative years. This remains the primary reason behind the advancement and support of this policy in addressing the deviant behavior of drug abuse among teens.

The effectiveness of this policy that gives it a competitive advantage over the policy of war on drugs is based on its ability to implant good character traits through role modeling and injection of skills in life management. Teens grow up equipped with knowledge on the effects of drugs and enhanced with the ability to make informed choices in life. I believe these ingredients make this policy stand above the policy of war on drugs that does not address the problem from the grassroots level.

The society for the study of social problems also points at the myth of Hispanic immigration and crime as the factor that has led to these policy failures. We have linked immigration to crime and attached a particular group of people to certain forms of crime. This denies us the opportunity to address the various deviant behaviors from informed perspectives. According to Hagan and Palloni (1999), “they are also more vulnerable to restrictive treatment in the criminal justice system, especially at the pre-trial stage.” This is because of the preconceived idea that they are guilty. “When these differences are integrated into calculations using equations that begin with observed numbers of immigrants and citizens in state prisons, it is estimated that the involvement of Hispanic immigrants in crime is less than that of citizens” (Hagan and Palloni, 1999).

References

Baer, J. and Chamblis, W.J. (1997). Generating fear: The politics of crime reporting. Journal of Crime, Law & Social Change 27: 87–107.

Buchan, B. (2002). Zero tolerance, mandatory sentencing, and early liberal arguments for penal reform. International Journal of the Sociology of Law. 30. 201–218.

Drug Policy Alliance (2010). What’s Wrong With the Drug War? Web.

Hagan, J. and Palloni, A. (1999). Sociological Criminology and the Mythology of Hispanic Immigration and Crime. Journal of Sociology. Vol. 46, No. 4. 617-632.

Pearson Education (2010). Overview of Drug Use in the United States. Web.

Reinarman, G. (1994). The Social Construction of Drug Cases. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Introduction

Erick Waters lies hospitalized in Condell Medical Centre. He is nursing broken bones and wounds sustained after a gruesome fall he sustained this Saturday. He is a 20-year-old student of electrical engineering at the prestigious University of Chicago. He was attending a friend’s party at the hall of residents for students when he fell three floors down. Medical tests carried on him after the fall showed an 80% level of intoxication. Research by police has revealed that the people in attendance were mostly 20 years and below (Flay, 2005). The police are still investigating the possible source of the alcohol. The source is bound to face prosecution for selling alcohol to under ages. Although Erick is being treated for his injuries which are not life threatening, and the aim of the story is to bring to attention just how rampant the problem of underage drinking in campus is becoming and how it has led to serious social consequences.

Main body

The traditional definition of college is a place where students are meant to grow and mature both academically and socially. It is the place where acquire life skills that can enable them make sound decision both in the present and the future. But times have changed and colleges have become places where under ages get to be uncontrollably exposed to alcohol. It has become so rampart to the point where some parents and learning facilitators have come to accept underage drinking as part of the orientation to college life. This habit has led to young people dying or getting badly injured as a result of the acts they commit after drinking. Cases of assaults, un safe sex, destruction of property and fatal of all, failing in academic programs have been directly linked to the problem of underage drinking among college students.

Young adults are more susceptible to alcohol abuse and this has been proved by studies done in neuroanatomy (Greenberg, 2009). Social research has found out that college bound student drink less until they get into college where their consumption increases. This will decrease again when they get out of campus. This can be linked to the campus environment where there is lots of freedom and students relate mostly to the people of the same age group. Most people tend to assume that drinking of under ages on campus is just a normal rite of passage. This is not so as indicated by the various problems that I have previously linked to drinking.

There is a period in the American history when tobacco indulgence was rejected as a socially accepted habit. This led to the decline of its abuse. Our attitudes towards the problem of underage drinking might be pushing this habit too far. We need to change this. Fostering and developing a culture where underage drinking does not play a central part of college life is a possibility. College and campus bashes can be fun without alcohol being included in the menu. Providing special events with no alcohol that run late into the night might be a good idea

Is there any hope of to the change of these situations among college students? Janice is a proof of the existence for the existence of hope. A few months ago the only reason she had for going to parties was to get drunk! But after a near fatal experience with alcohol she made the choice to start sessions with the campus counselor. Through journeying with her she has different motives of going to parties (Hawkins, 2004). These include having fun playing board games, meeting new people and dancing. She is the once pleasant person she used to be. Her Mondays in school have become more constructive as studies as opposed practice of nursing hangovers. She is also conscious of the fact that her health risks due to alcohol have been reduced.

Conclusion

Change of attitude is the beginning of change in the problem of underage age drinking among college teens. Students and guardians need to change their idea of fun and acceptance of underage drinking as part of college experience. There is more to college life than binge drinking. The sooner young adults realize this the more productive their college experiences will be. Persistence and consistency is a must for this to be a success.

References

Flay (2005). Standards of evidence: criteria for efficacy, effectiveness and dissemination. Prev Sci. 6 (3):151 –175.

Greenberg, M (2009). Preventive interventions addressing underage drinking: State of the evidence and steps towards Public Health impact. Chicago: Routledge.

Hawkins J (2004) Underage Drinking: Prohibitions against hosting underage drinking parties. New York: Bantam Books.

Introduction

Income inequality is defined as the imbalanced distribution of the total economic income among families or persons. Furthermore, they pointed out that some of the factors which cause income inequality are: the differences in ability or skills, the level of education and training for individuals, discrimination in the community, difference in tastes, and risks involved be it in business or the choices people make in life. Generally I can say that these factors have proven to be very useful giving explanation as to why income inequality exists. Although it is almost unfeasible to measure tastes and preferences of an individual which really matters when we tackle the issue of income inequality, it is on the other hand very easy to assess the level of someone’s education and the extent of discrimination in the society today. From this I can say that as we are today or how it is going to be in future we should care about income inequality and try to minimize this issue since it is still growing (Ashford, 2005).

Contributing Factors

According to Garnett Picot and John Myles, there are some factors which are a major contribution to income inequality but they are often ignored. They include: free trade and foreign trade, racism, sexism, wellbeing, and taxes imposed on citizens and organizations. In my strong opinion I believed that these aspects are the main pillars when it comes to what brings the inequality on the income we generate today. Global income inequality is evidently bigger in currently than how it was in the past. Currently it is said that the richest 1% of the populace in the world obtain as much as 57% of what the bottom receives. In a research conducted it showed that the ratio existing between the average returns of the top 5% in the globe to the bottom 5% income earners did increase from 78 to 1 that was in 1988 to 114 to 1 by 1993 (Deding, 2009) from this it is apparent that this issue is increasing. I robustly condemn the issue of income inequality since it degrades the value of life.

It clearly shows that sexism and racism are presented in our economy as an outline for lower wages when the work done is equal. According to Richard Freeman we should be all be troubled by rising of income inequality. For him to say that it shows that lowering incomes for most employees and this on the other hand leads to the rising of income inequality, threatens any nation’s ideals of political egalitarianism and collective citizenship. This issue of income inequality ha been left unattended and I can say that the new unequal distribution of income threatens us with a society where those who are successful considering the upper class and those on the upper-middle classes carry on with their lives primarily very dissimilar from those who are on the working class level and the underprivileged (Hailu, 2009)). Economy in such a manner may function well for considerable numbers, but I can say for sure it will not meet any nation’s democratic model of shooting up the well-being of the typical or an ordinary citizen (Bradley, 2008).

Current Findings

On the current findings putting the field of public health in mind, some of the scientists believe that, in which I concur, the growing inequality truly leads to more health difficulties in the general population (Lenon, 2005)). In addition, a situation where the health of citizens or employees is not taken care of properly or it is in jeopardy no doubt that the workers’ efficiency reduces and when this happens there are consequences which include: the increase in the national expenditure regarding the issue of health, the diversion of resources away from fruitful activities like saving and investing.

According to Sir Michael Marmot, who is a professor of epidemiology and public health stationed at the University College London and also he is the director of its International Institute for Society and Health, who has spent most of his valuable career studying the connection between inequality and public health around the globe. In a very much revealed paper which was published in May 2008 in The Journal of the American Medical Association, him and three other colleagues studied health issue in the United States and comparing them with Britain, it was found that at a range of points all through the social chain of command, there was more considerable illness in the United States than it is in Britain. Sir Michael in theory states that the reason for the disproportion was as a result of the greater income inequalities existing in the United States and heavier pressure as a result of them.

Issues Resulting from Income Inequality

Another problem apart from public health is how income inequality breeds higher corruption levels. This is very true especially when it comes to true democracies and this is where political power and wealth can be easily switched over. In a study of 129 countries which was conducted by Jong-Sung You who is a graduate student at Harvard in the Kennedy School of Government and Sanjeev Khagram who is a professor of public affairs stationed at the University of Washington in Seattle, it showed that corruption, with no doubt, can hurt the growth of a nation by plummeting the efficient allotment of private and public resources by heavily disfiguring investment which in turn ends up creating the inflation of asset prices. All this is attributed to income inequality (VanBromwell, 2005).

Unimpeded income inequality may reciprocate and create even more inequality. A professor of economics at Harvard says simultaneously as those who are rich and continue to become richer in turn acquiring greater political authority, they may start to support policies which favor themselves and for that they become even more affluent at the expense of other citizens. In a paper which was published by Professor Frank Amiel,, said that if as it is right now, the wealthy can influence outcomes of politics through lobbying tricks or through membership in some singular interest groups as they call them or let’s say special groups, then for sure there would be more inequality which could lead to less relocation of resource rather than more distribution of resources. For instance, in the United States there is clear evidence that this unequal distribution of resources as a result of unfavorable policies has been occurring (Richmond, 2000). Policies reducing the estate tax and cutting the top income and also the reduction of the benefit of capital gains tax rates. For this we cannot dispute the fact that the gap between the poor and the rich is widening (Zephy, 2003).

Societal Consequence of Income inequality

In many cities around the world, the effects resulting from inequality for instance in Canada in 1998 the mayor affirmed homelessness as a national disaster (Lenon, 2000), who the dispossessed are and what actions should be taken to improve this crisis which is currently the issue of much community attention. Conventionally, homelessness has been viewed as a male experience but now it’s more in women especially single mothers. This is just an example of the effects of income inequality. Other effects include health degradation social exclusion which is basically being barred from making decisions in the society (Richmond, 2000)

Conclusion

Another problem that the inequality brings is reducing the moral values of humankind; our society is simply heading to the era of slavery due to this increasing inequality of the income we earn today. For us to be able to harmonize our income is for instance we try to put together policies other than trying to redistribute income but majorly focusing on how to reverse the rising income inequality by first determining the major cause of its rise. The rising income inequality is as a result of a multiplicity of causes. Conjectured causes includes things such as immigration, new technology, foreign trade, high taxes, government having excess regulation, declining of unionism, the wealth being distributed unequally, all this should be tackled for a better life tomorrow.

References

Ashford, H. (2005). Income inequality. Web.

Bradley, M. (2008). Effects of Global Inequality. Web.

Deding, M. (2009). Immigration and Income Inequality. Web.

Hailu,Y. (2009). An Econometric Analysis of the links between income inequality and Poverty. Web.

Lenon, S. (2005). Living on the Edge: Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada. Web.

Richmond, A. (2000). Social Exclusion: Belonging and not Belonging in the World System. Web.

VanBromwell, C. (2005). Societal Rules. Web.

Zephy, V. (2003). Microeconomics and Income. Web.

Concerns over global overpopulation have been around for some decades now. Researchers have singled out overpopulation as the cause of decreasing good living standards. According to Lien of Oz, living standards decrease and it translates to creation of more poor people and a poor and redundant society (Lien of Oz, p. 1). However, there is a paradox, embedded in the social virtue construct that women are solely to blame for over population. Today, women who have no knowledge about birth control knowledge are looked down for many unwanted births. It is an accepted principle that the woman, in the society, that a woman should have children which she can manage to rear. However, no law stipulates to any length that there is a limit of child bearing. In continuum, various dissenting proposals regarding birth control elicit controversy about birth control. From these contexts, we identify how birth control manages overall population control. The church, especially the Catholic Church has been strongly against abortion and artificial contraception (Hemminiki, Wu, Cao, & Viisainen, p. 1).

Population control and reproductive rights

Gender equality brought about the need to have women have a right to control the number of children they could bear. In the modern society, population control is essential in poverty reduction. The principals of female birth control enshrine an almost feminine vision of providing women with reproductive rights and gender equality. Petchesky argues that, this principal serves as guideline for modern woman through the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. This program was incepted in 1994. The program enshrines a feminist vision of reproductive rights and gender equality to provide an alternative to traditional population control measures while retaining the traditional model of development (Petchesky, pp. 152-160).

Sexuality and reproduction makes explicit the need for a social construct that respects women rights, especially when reproduction from a social development perspective is linked to macroeconomics. The need for materialization of reproductive and sexual rights for women across all Diasporas is dire (Petchesky, pp. 152-160). Research developing around population control has realized paucity of effective legislation. The weakness in policy and administration is encroached by traditional social values and varying literacy levels across Diasporas and global communities. Eager insists that, population control should be a global policy (Eager, p. 35). Internationalizing social development constraints that result from over population is important. Eager in his research points out poverty as the major outcome of population. Services cannot be delivered effectively in densely populated areas. Disease and illiteracy vile such regions and countries shrouding social economic goals and blocks the development of the society and structures that support education and social economic development.

Women are held responsible for over-population. Eager in his expose insists that championing women rights is important. Empowering women can cap the gap created by over-population in place of social economics. The rationale of pregnancies and personal fertility are delinked from the social construct through medical provisions. Enforcing birth/population control policies across the world is important. Various lobbies have attempted to provide a guiding viewpoint through various sittings that ended with members preaching to governments that population was and is a threat to their economic development.

Problems caused by over-population and the context of women

Family planning and use of modern contraceptives had achieved a remarkably high-level effectiveness. However, fertility rates still claim a level of effectiveness in encroaching social numbers. This trend collapses gains made, especially in areas of economic development. Many women today are suffering because of their fertility and social disparity. Social values have been ignored leading to more single mothers and polygamous families especially in indigenous communities.

Young and old women are striving to practice economic activities nowadays to achieve a range of solutions to many children they have born. With children born out of wedlock increasing in number and informal settlements housing hundreds of thousands of such desperate families, the effects of population have been evident and have become a huge burden to the economy. Women have been disadvantaged, something that denies them chance to become pillars of macroeconomics.

Health services are not available in informal settlements, which harbor very high numbers of disadvantaged women. These women are mothers who have been neglected and their rights have been downtrodden. Rape cases, prostitution, and illegitimate marriages have prompted a surge in population in informal settlements and within the poor and the society. Lack of proper legislation and effective champions of women rights downplays any attempt to make women economically and legally empowered. This creates a panacea for illegal births that can only be controlled through illegal means such as abortion.

Illiteracy is on the rise in informal settlements as more children born by economically poor parents fail to attain basic education. Sanitation, water, and service delivery is cushioned by poor infrastructure, lack of support structure and manpower, and high financial implication on the governments to manage such activities on such areas. Access to essential services like healthcare and schools deter enlightenment of informal settlement communities. Illiteracy downplays any benefit realized social economically as more children are born to poor and decadent families.

Women rights in reproductive health

Kaufman argues that academic isolation and the politicization of family planning in the country severely curtailed investigation into reproductive dynamics (Kaufman, pp. 14-18). Kaufman further argues that proper spatial planning is a fundamental challenge, and that emphasis on education on birth control as a core population control principal is vital. Kaufman insists that women rights in controlling fertility are essential in accelerating social and economic development. Achieving such, distinctive achievement will help achieve parity in the development of the different populations in any country (Kaufman, p. 15). Achieving a good fertility rate of no more than 2-1 children per woman of reproductive age to stem previous higher reproductively which saw women bear 4-10 children (Kaufman, pp. 15-16).

Women in rural areas and informal urban settlements have higher fertility rates wherein low socioeconomic level, generally rural, with high fertility rates are generative aspects of these areas (Kaufman, 15-16). Kaufman’s observation of reproduction lays blame squarely on men. According to Kaufman the reasons women give for having children, and the reasons for having more children, demonstrate the range of reproductive control they have (Kaufman, 15-16). Some women believe they have no place in making fertility decisions, others show an emergent self-confidence, and still others radiate an obvious sense of control and power over reproduction (Kaufman, pp. 15-16). The attitudes of men are central in accounting for these variations (Kaufman, pp. 15-16). Women talk a great deal about their partner is wanting children or not wanting children (Kaufman, pp. 15-16). The power of men in reproductive decision-making, however, is often discussed in terms of a mediating force (Kaufman, pp. 15-16).

The population control measures used do conflict with women’s rights as opposed to social welfare needs where rights are paramount. Lien of Oz singles out population controllers as culpable in creating increasing economic and welfare distress. This distress further is blamed for drastic population distribution (Lien of Oz, p. 1).

Women should have rights, especially in making reproductive decisions. In Kaufman’s observation, women are less in control when making fertility decisions, as such, cannot manage the number of children they want to bear. Abuse of women’s rights to reproduce and manage their fertility is also under threat by politically powerful bodies and organizations (Lien of Oz, p. 1). These politically powerful people and organizations alongside very wealthy foundations are affecting direly, women rights in pursuit of birth control and the greater population control efforts. According to Lien of Oz, the individuals, organizations and foundations are pursuing reproductive health programs to cut rate of population instead of consistently pursuing the same in tandem with providing basic healthcare, proper sanitation, water, and economic empowerment to make families self-sufficient (Lien of Oz).

In countries like China, there are regulations checking on the number of children a woman can have in her life (Hemminiki, Wu, Cao, & Viisainen, p. 1). Eager criticized population control programs projecting them as the most serious challenge. However, he points them out as culminating to activism against population control measures. Anti-abortion lobbies, family planning programs, and legislation on reproduction as observed in China (Eager, pp. 99-102).

Policies that enforce a controlled birth rate per area and per parent are vital tools of helping muscle over-population. Clinically approved abortion should be legalized while governments should legislate and control on birth rate and number of children a family should have. Championing women rights, especially to have them empowered to be self-sufficient.

Works Cited

1. Eager, Paige. Global population policy: from population control to reproductive rights . 1. 1. Aldershot & Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company Ltd, 2004. 30-132. Print.
2. Hemminki, Elina, Zhuochun Wu, Guiying Cao, and Kirsi Viisainen. “Illegal births and legal abortions – the case of China.” Reproductive Health 2.5 (2005): Online. Web.
3. Kaufman, Carol. “Reproductive Control in South Africa.” Policy Research Division, Population Council 97. (1997): 18-40.
4. Lein of Oz,. “Population Control.” Albatross. Albatross. Org, 2006.

Gender denotes social-cultural explanations concerning sex. The main question is: How do toys and games influence gender socialization? This is important because the manner in which people ought to act as females or males is socially instilled and defined. Individuals are socialized from their formative years as children where they learn to connect particular gender attributes with their sex, and departure from such traits is deemed deviant.

Toys and games play a considerable role in socializing people in line with their sex from childhood. In society, it is anticipated that children mature to become what they have been trained through interrelations right from birth. Howie and Campbell (2015) have established that in games, boys are taught to be sporty, rough, aggressive, and play using toys that resemble, for instance, policemen, guns, and trolleys, to mention a few. On the contrary, girls are trained to be gentle, caring, coy, loving, sympathetic, and have an inclination to domestic tasks. Toys bought for young girls include baby dolls and cooking sets. Gender socialization arises in all aspects of people’s lives from their childhood toys and games and begins with active teachings provided by parents.

Toys and Games

In nearly all cultures, girls and boys start gender socialization at very young ages. Toys and games are some of the significant components employed in the gender socialization of children. Play is a fundamental approach through which children are taught how they are supposed to act. Manufacturers of toys use color and packaging to differentiate between the ones meant for boys and those for girls. Toys for the boys are made using bold colors such as black, blue, and red, which are associated with aggressiveness and roughness (Kollmayer, Schultes, Schober, Hodosi, & Spiel, 2018).

On the other hand, girls’ toys and their packaging use pastel colors that include purple and pink. Boys and girls appear to like different colors. Toys that are meant for both girls and boys are either neutral in color or have boys’ colors such as blue. Society teaches children the significance of using toys. If a child happens to be in a toy store, they have a tendency to head right to the sections that have colors appropriate for their gender.

In line with the social learning theory, children assume gender roles from the teachings of their parents, school, and mass media. One approach through which parents influence gender socialization is by the toys that they buy for the boys and the ones they purchase for the girls. Kollmayer et al. (2018) affirm that parents often buy boys’ toys that teach them diverse male activities. Similarly, the toys purchased for the girls make them learn different tasks.

For example, by buying a toy that resembles a race car, the parent could be teaching their child to develop a liking for cars and racing. From the use of toys, such a child could be socialized to believe that they will actually excel in car racing when they grow up, and this influences their future career choices. According to the social learning theory, children come to consider some activities normal for a given gender out of the lessons they receive from the different agents of socialization (Kollmayer et al., 2018). That form of learning is ubiquitous in society. Therefore, the concern of gender is a powerful social maker that differentiates people through categorization into the strong dichotomy of female and male.

While children are playing role games, they engage in the selection and acknowledgment of the tasks to engage in, with the social gender culture being the foundation for their choices and recognition. Therefore, in the course of selecting and identifying different roles, children familiarize themselves and discover social gender role standards. According to their study, Painter and Ferrucci (2017) have found that, attributable to their age, young boys and girls often make superficial judgments and recognize gender attributes based on visual images. Moreover, in games, children playing the roles of fathers act, most probably, from what they have learned through socialization with their dad at home. The ones simulating mothers are usually guided by interactions with their mum.

If young boys and girls choose to play home games, females will mainly be inclined to feminine tasks such as hairdressing. One girl may use a wooden stick and appear as though she is applying lipstick or eye pencil in front of a mirror, while another might use a toy blower to make her hair. In such a game, if a boy comes up, he may decide to poke one of the girls with a stick while behaving like a doctor who is giving an injection to a patient or a policeman who is about to gun down a robber. In such games, children socialize through practicing a broad scope of activities (Howie & Campbell, 2015).

Differences involving gender cultures sway the manner in which boys and girls communicate and behave in their games. Such differentiation starts right in early childhood. They are then reinforced in the games that children play, which have a crucial role in their socialization into female or male inclinations.

For instance, when boys and girls undertake numerous activities in their games, there is not just the promotion of personal relationships but also tasks that stick in their minds and influence their later life. On the contrary, boys have a tendency to engage in competitive sports with diverse objectives and tactics. Such differences make boys and girls abide by the rules for communication and roles that vary significantly to the extent that they influence their later lives in adulthood (Painter & Ferrucci, 2017).

Through imitation of the language of adults in their games, children usually portray the division of labor in traditional families. Therefore, boys mainly take charge of practices outside the house while girls engage in activities within the household. In fact, such functionalities of the games result in a possibility of gender division, and in the process of simulating adult language and behavior, children progressively build boundaries that exist in their mental world.

Conclusion

Gender refers to social-cultural elucidations concerning sex. The manner in which individuals ought to operate as females or males is socially inculcated and defined. Gender socialization occurs in all facets of people’s lives from their childhood toys and games and commences with active training given by parents. According to the social learning theory, boys and girls assume gender roles from socialization in school and mass media over and above their parents. Toys and games make children abide by the rules of communication and roles that differ considerably, which go a long way to influencing their later lives.

References

Howie, L., & Campbell, P. (2015). Fantasy sports: Socialization and gender relations. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 39(1), 61-77.

Kollmayer, M., Schultes, M. T., Schober, B., Hodosi, T., & Spiel, C. (2018). Parents’ judgments about the desirability of toys for their children: Associations with gender-role attitudes, gender-typing of toys, and demographics. Sex Roles, 79(6), 329-341.

Painter, C., & Ferrucci, P. (2017). Gender games: The portrayal of female journalists on House of Cards. Journalism Practice, 11(4), 493-508.

Introduction

According to human resource management experts, any form of discrimination within the workplace is illegal. However, regardless of the fact that the law protects employees from all forms of bias, studies on the dynamics of the contemporary workplace have shown that gender discrimination is quite problematic (Lipman 70). Women are more vulnerable to this form of prejudice compared to their male colleagues.

They are often faced with challenges such as sexual harassment, job insecurity, delayed promotions, low pay, as well as being judged based on their looks, style of dressing, and age. For example, research has shown that women who work as public relations officers, as well as in sales and marketing are often subjected to discrimination for not being beautiful enough (Fogarty and Zheng 101).

This has been a major impediment to the advancement of women into senior management positions within the workplace because they have to put twice the effort their male colleagues require to gain promotion. Achieving gender equality in the workplace is a work in progress that requires all the relevant stakeholders to recommit themselves towards creating an inclusive environment that allows everyone to reach their full potential regardless of one’s gender.

Discussion

In most societies, gender and sex are words that are used interchangeably. While sex refers to one’s anatomical identity, gender refers to cultural traits that are associated with one being male or female (Williams and Dempsey 33). Although gender discrimination in the workplace happens in many forms, generally it involves a situation where an employee or job applicant is treated in an unfavorable manner because of their gender.

One of the negative effects of this vice is the fact that it often holds backs qualified and highly productive employees from achieving maximum output (Lipman 103). Gender discrimination at work occurs in different contexts that include the hiring of new employees, promotions, layoffs, job classifications, as well as the designing of pay and benefits packages.

Many countries across the world have come up with different forms of legislation that address gender discrimination in the workplace. This observable fact has been necessitated by the growing popularity of affirmative action, a movement that aims at emphasizing the need to give women equal access to opportunities as men. The United States of America is one such country that has made remarkable progress with regard to addressing this challenge (Hogan 6).

Over the years, American legislators have made numerous efforts to come up with legislation geared towards protecting the place, identity, and value of every employee in the workplace. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is one of the earliest federal legislation that offers prohibitions against workplace discrimination based on one’s gender or sexual identity. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been at the forefront with regard to championing the need for employers to embrace a culture of equality and inclusivity in the place of work (Dawson 19). For example, EEOC identifies sexual orientation and gender as characteristics that ought to be protected by law when it comes to dealing with intolerance among employees.

Another federal law that prohibits any form of bias at work is the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This legislation was created to compliment the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as it is founded on the employment standards stipulated in Title VII for employers in the private sector, learning institutions, and across all levels of government (Colella and King 122).

The Equal Pay Act (EPA) is another federal law that was created to address the challenge of pay discrimination between male and female employees working under similar conditions and with matching qualifications (Hogan 11). This legislation addresses labor issues of employees covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The United States has been at the forefront with regard to promoting and protecting the rights of women within the workplace, as well as creating a legal structure that provides guidelines for addressing issues related to the same.

The contemporary American society has embraced gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people within the workplace. Due to the negative stereotypes that some people have with regard to the rights of these groups in society, legislators in America have come up with laws that protect them from any form of prejudice based on their sexual identity. For example, it is illegal for a qualified employee to be denied a promotion because they identify as gay or lesbian, as this would automatically qualify as a form of gender bias (O’Brien 33).

New York is one of the leading states in America with regard to addressing the challenge of gender discrimination at the place of work. According to the New York City Human Rights Law, it is illegal for any employee to be discriminated against because of one’s sexual orientation, as well as gender identity and expression. In addition, the law prohibits discrimination against women based on their pregnancy or a related medical condition (Deardorff and Dahl 51).

Employers are required to provide a workplace environment that supports women employees during their pregnancy and after they give birth. Female employees often have to deal with inevitable situations such as pregnancies that often compel the employer to give them some time off from work. However, in some workplaces, women have to deal with the dilemma of choosing their work or starting a family because they are aware that their employer will not take them back when they take time off to have a child (Williams and Dempsey 92). All these issues are well covered by two federal laws, namely the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Unequal Treatment of Women in the Workplace

Studies on workplace inclusion for both men and women have established that human resource management practices at small, mid-size, and multinational corporations often discriminate against women in the workplace (Fogarty and Zheng 118). This observable fact is characterized by elements such as male employees getting longer leaves, better remuneration, and increased benefits compared to female employees with equal qualifications (Fogarty and Zheng 118).

According to human resource management experts, many workplace environments are designed in a manner that favors the advancement of male employees over their female colleagues regardless of the value they add to an entity’s portfolio. Sexual harassment is one of the common forms of discrimination that women face in the workplace (Bohnet 147).

It involves a situation where a person in an authoritative position within an organization asks for sexual favors from female employees in exchange for favors or workplace benefits that they dully deserve (O’Brien 61). Human resource management experts also argue that creating a hostile work environment also qualifies as sexual harassment provided that the affected party is a female employee. Such an environment is characterized by inappropriate jokes, threats, and intimidating behavior aimed at female employees (Colella and King 141).

Affirmative action has played a pivotal role in improving the rights accorded to female employees within the workplace. One of the common stereotypes about women is that they ought to focus on being mothers and not workers (Deardorff and Dahl 71). However, the numerous efforts by the EEOC over the years are bearing fruits, as evidenced by the increasing number of women holding various managerial positions in organizations across America.

In addition, the growing political will exhibited through the formulation of relevant legislation has also created a legal relief for female employees dealing with gender bias at work. Some of the benefits accorded by the federal laws to victims of gender discrimination include reinstatement, promotion, compensatory damages, punitive damages, as well as payment of attorney and expert witness fees (Hogan 21). Punitive damages are aimed at punishing employers who fail to deal with intolerance within the workplace. The law may require them to make a commitment with regard to taking the necessary corrective action that will eliminate the causative elements of the discriminatory practices within the place of work (Fogarty and Zheng 134).

Combating Gender Discrimination in the Workplace

There is an urgent need for all the relevant stakeholders to recommit their efforts towards improving the standards of human resource management by combating all forms of intolerance within the workplace. It is important for organizational leaders to ensure that all employees feel safe within the workplace, as it empowers them to achieve maximum output and add more value to the entity’s portfolio (Tulshyan 17). In order to create an inclusive workplace environment, employers can adopt a few strategies that can go a long way in preventing incidences of intolerant practices. One of the most effective strategies that can help in ensuring that women are treated in an unbiased manner is by creating an equal opportunity policy.

According to human resource management experts, diversity within the workforce is one of the biggest values that can help an organization gain a competitive advantage and achieve its objectives in a substantive manner. The main reason for this is the fact that it allows an organization to employ individuals of different cultural settings, sexual orientations, gender, religious beliefs, and viewpoints (Deardorff and Dahl 124).

An organization with an equal opportunity policy for its employees and job applicants creates an avenue for attracting a wide pool of qualified and highly skilled individuals into the workforce (Hogan 79). For example, such a policy can dictate that female employees will not be required to meet a certain minimum number of years with regard to work experience in order to receive a promotion. The reason for this is the need to consider the fact that many women often lose a lot of time when they are on maternity leave but still maintain the same skill set and knowledge in their areas of specialization (Tulshyan 25). In addition, an equal opportunity policy helps to increase the accessibility of promotion opportunities for women within the workplace, thus making it more competitive.

Another effective strategy for dealing with this challenge is awareness creation by educating employees on issues relating to gender discrimination in the workplace. One of the factors that have contributed to the growth of this challenge across various workplaces is the numerous stereotypes on the concept of gender (Dawson 30). Therefore, it is important for employers to conduct workshops for their employees geared towards changing the negative notions created around women in the workplace.

All employees are important to an organization in terms of achieving their goals and growing its portfolio’s value regardless of one’s gender. The most important aspect is the different values, skills, and expertise that every individual within the workplace brings to an organization. Creating a positive outlook, as well as embracing diversity and inclusivity in the workplace can go a long way in ensuring that women are accorded maximum respect and appreciated enough for the value they add to an organization’s portfolio (Tulshyan 56).

It is also important for the workshops to focus a lot on the dangers associated with gender discrimination within the workplace, as well as helping employees differentiate actions that qualify as discriminatory and those that do not meet the threshold.

In order to eliminate discriminatory tendencies from the workplace, there is an urgent need for employers to engage a proactive approach where they take immediate action whenever complaints of discrimination in the workplace are presented (Tulshyan 62). This can be achieved by establishing a clear and detailed procedure of handling such situations and the fixed timeframe within which the matter should be resolved (Colella and King 157).

Human resource management experts argue that such a strategy will deter anyone from exhibiting discriminatory behaviors, as well as boosting the confidence of all employees with regard to their safety (Hogan 100). In addition, the approach should provide clear penalties for any employees found guilty of engaging in discriminatory behaviors within the workplace. Employees deserve to feel and enjoy the protection of their employer against all forms of prejudice within the workplace in order to achieve maximum output. As the biggest asset to every entity, their welfare should be prioritized over everything else.

Working on unconscious biases is also an effective strategy for dealing with the challenge of gender discrimination in the workplace. Psychologists argue that it is possible for someone to have preconceived notions about people without realizing it (Pillinger and Wintour 131). As part of awareness creation within the workplace, it is important for the employer to educate employees on the effects of unconscious biases with regard to the way they treat each other. Studies have shown that organizations that do not have policies and guidelines on any form of discrimination within the workplace suffer a lot in terms of low productivity and unfulfilled goals (Hogan 110).

Gender discrimination can lead victims into suffering mental health issues such as depression and heightened anxiety levels. This often leads to reduced productivity because they struggle to concentrate in their work (Schuller 188). Human resource management experts argue that the legal issues associated with gender discrimination should provide employers with enough motivation to fight the vice. It is the responsibility of an employer to ensure that the rights of every employee are protected and respected by everyone involved in the workplace (Dawson 89).

Conclusion

All employees in an organization have rights that ought to be protected, promoted, and respected by everyone regardless of one’s gender. Gender discrimination at work is one of the leading challenges that employers and human resource managers have to deal with in an organizational setting. It is illegal for anyone to be discriminated against because of his or her gender. For a very long time, women have been the biggest victims of gender discrimination in the work place.

Some of the major issues raised by female workers include sexual harassment, delayed promotions, low pay, unexplained dismissal, fewer off days, and being overlooked for senior management positions among others. In order to achieve gender equality in the workplace, there is an urgent need for employers to promote a culture of diversity and inclusivity as a way of encouraging employees to embrace people from different cultural backgrounds and with varying viewpoints.

Gender discrimination has very harmful effects on an entity, thus the need for organizational leaders to develop programs that help in recognizing, preventing, and stopping the vice within the workplace. Discrimination is a major source of workplace conflicts and dealing with the challenge ensures that the workforce is highly productive and the value of an entity’s portfolio keeps growing.

Works Cited

Bohnet, Iris. What Works. Harvard University Press, 2016.

Colella, Adrienne, and Eden King. The Oxford Handbook of Workplace Discrimination. Oxford University Press, 2018.

Dawson, Tricia. Gender, Class, and Power: An Analysis of Pay Inequalities in the Workplace. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

Deardorff, Michelle, and James Dahl. Pregnancy Discrimination and the American Worker. Springer, 2016.

Fogarty, Alison, and Lily Zheng. Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination. ABC-CLIO, 2018.

Hogan, Ginny. Toxic Femininity in the Workplace: Office Gender Politics are a Battlefield. Morrow Gift, 2019.

Lipman, Joanne. That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together. William Morrow, 2018.

O’Brien, Ruth. Telling Stories out of Court: Narratives About Women and Workplace Discrimination. Cornell University Press, 2018.

Pillinger, Jane, and Nora Wintour. Collective Bargaining and Gender Equality. Agenda Publishing, 2019.

Schuller, Tom. The Paula Principle: How and Why Women Work Below Their Level of Competence. Scribe Publications, 2017.

Tulshyan, Ruchika. The Diversity Advantage: Fixing Gender Inequality in the Workplace. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

Williams, Joan, and Rachel Dempsey. What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know. NYU Press, 2018.

Introduction

Morocco is an Arab Muslim country to the north of Africa where Islam is the dominant religion. Its Legislative laws are closely linked to shari’a law where under such settings women have often been regarded as the weaker sex hence being denied their right to equality. Before the redressing of 2003 women were generally considered as being under the dominion of men. To start with, each woman had to have a tutor (wali) until after marriage. In this case, the tutor had the power to dictate when the girl got married, to who and the amount to be given as bride price. In addition, education in morocco had been generally exclusive to women; a case which the nation has been pursuing to change ever since independence. However, poverty, the conservative nature of the society, and the lack of political will on the part of the leaders have greatly dragged this process. During the year 1952, for every five male students, there was one female student. This stunning ratio has been bridged over the years even though illiteracy in the rural areas has remained a great challenge to be overcome. According to a study carried out in 2005 the number of girls receiving schooling increased by 25 times as compared to that of 1956. This is the case due to the extensive campaigns carried out in the rural areas as from 1997; based on which also the number of children born in families has decreased. Further, it can be argued that this is the case due to the use of contraceptives and the implementation of family planning methods. Additionally, the traditional housewife model is slowly being replaced by that of a working woman; one who is no longer regarded as a baby-making machine. Further, marriage has been postponed for both sexes all in the pursuit of Education and work. In addition, professionalism is catching on under these settings in that the youth opt for education to higher levels as opposed to early marriages. In addition to this, women have been mobilized into politics, associations, and campaigns which have resulted in a change in the opinions and laws regarding gender equality. The government has also taken long strides in ensuring that the laws limiting women’s rights have been changed. This change from a reluctant government to one at the forefront in gender issues has been provided for by the demonstrations staged by women groups. This essay, therefore, seeks to demonstrate the changes in inequality for women, the obstacles facing equality promotion, and the benefits of equality.

Main Body

The trend of marriage postponement within the Western culture is not new. However, the surprising issue is that the same trend is catching on within the Islamic societies. According to a survey carried out in the year 1999, women got married at 27 and men at 31 which is a dynamic change far from the initial trend of early marriages as early as 14. Further, the Legislative laws are greatly based on Shari’a law which places women in an inferior position as compared to men and change is considered as a deviation from the law’s demands. This change observable here comes as a surprise since it is against the power of parents (fathers/ male relatives) to give their daughters for marriage and also choose who they should marry. Under this regard its has been worth noting to me that women no longer need to be supplicated under the shadows of men, and that they deserve to be given opportunities in leadership similar to those given to men. Additionally, they hold important positions in life which need to be acknowledged.

This article has changed my opinion regarding women’s rights to have authority within the family. It is also common knowledge that men have through the ages been in control of families, politics, business and every other field in general. However, the abilities of women have well been felt within society. This difference in leadership positions can be attributed to chauvinism and the opportunities denied to them in the past. However, women have proved their worth in all parts of the world as strong and capable of handling any task whatsoever. As a demonstration here, women organizations have united and rallied support for the change of the Family Code which served the interest of the multitudes. Based on this case, it can be argued that for the fact that women can bring such positive changes into society; it is not only fair for them to have the same authority in the places they call home but also vital.

My perspective has been that men have better abilities as compared to women when it comes to leadership. However, this opinion has faced a rapid shift due to the revealed success cases realized from the efforts of women. Further, most leaders in lofty positions are there for the power and money; contrary to the genuine care demonstrated by women regarding the welfare of the community as demonstrated by their avocations for the rights of the weak in the society like the abandoned children, single women, prostitutes and those suffering from AIDS. This stands as a witness to their caring nature as Carol Gilligan a writer expresses that a woman’s responsibility and caring tendency towards others makes her not only fight passionately for their right but also those of others. Further, based on the caring characteristics of women it is clear that there is no better qualification for leadership as according to Friedan an American writer of the feminine mystique, 1963; women need to be judged by their contribution to society rather than according to their gender.

The introduction to the report on the development and education of women of Morocco by Said; expressed the importance of women in Morocco and the whole world. From this report, the position of women as the first educators within a child’s life makes them deserve respect and more appreciation than is given. Additionally, the position they are placed at in terms of knowledge and skills to a great degree dictated the shape of the society about the future. Further, this connection between the mother and child, and its effect on the future of society is a point worth noting; one which has rarely been put into consideration. Additionally, the rights of the mothers denied to them bear silent witness against society in the future.

As far as this article goes; its consistency to truth remains unshaken especially the views in its comparing of education to equality. This is the case as it is evident that education is power; a case where whoever is denied an opportunity to gain education almost certainly ends up at the losing end. Take for instance third world countries: here the education systems revolve around males; who resultantly end up in leadership positions. This does not come as a surprise as in comparing this case with that of the developed countries where education is available for all; leadership is more open to female influence where a great difference emerges. This case further explains the effects of having cultures that undermine a certain group or gender and the need to have laws that advocate for all groups living in a particular country. This is the case as this when not taken into consideration results in the oppression of the weaker party, where the effects are devastating. Further, most of the vices associated with women are often brought about by this suppression of rights; where prostitution for instance results from the demeaning of women to sex objects. Research has further shown the relationship between dependency and suicide; where the many women who feel entrapped in bad and undermining relationships end up committing suicide. I, therefore, concur with the views expressed in this article.

Conclusion

Women are of great value within the society and the world in general; where their position demands respect and appreciation. Further, their contribution within the society can be best appreciated by providing fair opportunities in all spheres of life for them and giving them the respect they deserve.