Sexism in Society

Persuasive Essay # 116529

Business
Gender and Sexuality
Women Studies > Women and Society

Sexism in Society

An argument that women suffer from gender-based exploitation.

2,579 words () | 8 sources | APA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper refers to two pieces of literature that explore the role of women in society; Andre Gide's novel "The Immoralist" and Luce Irigaray's work "This Sex Which is Not One" that focuses on sexual issues. The paper then discusses the controversial maquiladoras in Mexico where mainly Mexican women work in substandard conditions and are treated poorly. The paper then turns back to women in developed countries and how they are often passed up for promotions, are paid less for doing the same job as a man, and have to deal with the issue of sexual harassment. The paper contends that by remaining the dominant gender, men are able to keep themselves in high paying jobs and thus they keep stereotypes and gender roles alive in our society.

From the Paper:

"Women will work for much less than men while doing the exact same job and they also have to worry about sexual harassment at the workplace. On top of that, they are expected to look and act a certain way because that is what men want. This issue runs through all facets of society and is not going away anytime soon because it is so deep rooted in our society's psyche. It is also very present in the fiction that our society tends to read and view, which means that these gender roles are a part of entertainment. They have been accepted by nearly everyone as being proper, even though they create so much inequality in our lives."

Sample of Sources Used:

Adams, Maurianne. (2000). Readings for Diversity and Social Justice: An Anthology on Racism, Sexism, Anti-Semitism, Heterosexism, Classism, and Ableism. New York: Routledge.
Block, Walter. (2004). "Social Justice". January 26, 2004. viewed October 12, 2006. http://www.lewrockwell.com/block/block37.html
Brettell, Caroline B and Sargent, Carolyn F. (2005). Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Center For Social Justice. "Inequality". viewed October 12, 2006. http://www.socialjustice.org/inequality.php?subject=Gender
Chartrand, Sabra. (1996) "Gender Gap Splits Views of Glass Ceiling. New York Times. June 2, 1996. viewed October 12, 2006. http://www.nytimes.com/library/jobmarket/0602sabra.html