Gender Discrimination Essay
Rachel Reynolds
Mrs. Geaman
Soph. English 1
21 March 2014
Argumentation Essay
We live in a society today that says we do not discriminate, that we learned from the past and are above that now. It is heavily taught in schools at a young age that discrimination was a thing of the past, that no one will be treated differently because of who they are. Some preach this idea so fiercely, yet there are untold numbers of circumstances in which people of all kinds are set apart and alienated from others, and the people that preach against it refuse to see it even when it is right under their nose. We are currently living in the delusion that discrimination does not exist, when in fact it happens every day and in many ways.
The struggle for gender equality has been around for as long as the separation of genders has. No person wants to be denied any kind of rights or privileges because they are either male or female. Under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, people of every gender are to be treated under the same conditions, but this is only legally. A woman is able to be the CEO of a company according to the law, yet due to the glass ceiling, only 15 CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies are women. An instance of the glass ceiling is that a man is 15 percent more likely to be promoted over a woman, even having the exact same qualifications. It’s not that this prejudice is intentional, but by nature, male executives tend to promote their own (Gilgoff 1). Even when women are able to obtain the same employment as men, they are still treated unjustly. In 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn only 77 cents to a man 's dollar. What does this say about our society? It literally says that we value one person’s work and/or opinion over another, and that is even more erroneous than the delusion that discrimination does not exist.
In the work Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife embodies gender inequality. She is a
Mrs. Geaman
Soph. English 1
21 March 2014
Argumentation Essay
We live in a society today that says we do not discriminate, that we learned from the past and are above that now. It is heavily taught in schools at a young age that discrimination was a thing of the past, that no one will be treated differently because of who they are. Some preach this idea so fiercely, yet there are untold numbers of circumstances in which people of all kinds are set apart and alienated from others, and the people that preach against it refuse to see it even when it is right under their nose. We are currently living in the delusion that discrimination does not exist, when in fact it happens every day and in many ways.
The struggle for gender equality has been around for as long as the separation of genders has. No person wants to be denied any kind of rights or privileges because they are either male or female. Under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, people of every gender are to be treated under the same conditions, but this is only legally. A woman is able to be the CEO of a company according to the law, yet due to the glass ceiling, only 15 CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies are women. An instance of the glass ceiling is that a man is 15 percent more likely to be promoted over a woman, even having the exact same qualifications. It’s not that this prejudice is intentional, but by nature, male executives tend to promote their own (Gilgoff 1). Even when women are able to obtain the same employment as men, they are still treated unjustly. In 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn only 77 cents to a man 's dollar. What does this say about our society? It literally says that we value one person’s work and/or opinion over another, and that is even more erroneous than the delusion that discrimination does not exist.
In the work Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife embodies gender inequality. She is a
Cited: Gilgoff, Dan. “Investing in Diversity” US News and World Report, 2009. Web. March 4, 2014. Gillard, Julia, PM. "Sexism and Misogyny Speech." Australia, Canberra. 9 Oct. 2012. The Sydney Morning Herald. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Noah, Peter. "Icarus." Scandal. ABC. 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Mehta, Suketu. “‘Tiger Mom’ Superiority Complex.” Time. Feb 3,2014. Web. Feb 20, 2014. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Books, 1937. Print. United States. U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Highlights of Women’s Earnings. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Hill and Wang, 1958. Print.