Gender Inequality Within The Workplace - 1323 Words

Introduction The United States has always been praised for freedom and equality. However, there is a notable area of inequality in the workforce: the gender pay gap. In the Unites States, a woman makes, on average, a mere 78 cents to the dollar earned by a man. This statistic has remained steady and has only seen a small 18 cent increase in the past few decades. A majority of the wage gap is due to unsound social biases. Because gender inequality in the workforce is fueled by complex factors such as biases, it requires a complex solution. This brings forth a question that needs an answer in order to achieve complete equality: how can the issue of gender in the workplace be resolved? By the breakdown of historical events and documents, the economic analysis of the issue, and the use of education to raise a new generation of unbiased workforce, possible solutions can be composed that could minimize the gap in pay between the genders. History Women have been fighting for years to gain the righ ts that men possess. Since the 1800’s women have gained the right to own property, divorce, and vote but they do not receive the same pay for doing the same work. The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 is where women started to fight for their rights and rally against the problems they faced (NWHM). At the Seneca Falls Convention Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony led women towards creating a Declaration of Sentiments, on that Declaration was women gaining voting rights. NearlyShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality Within The Workplace1379 Words   |  6 Pages  Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. There is a natural difference also in the relative physical strengths of the sexes. In the workplace Income disparities linked to job stratification Wage discrimination exists when workers are equally qualified and perform the same work butRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pagesmovement of promoting gender equality is exponentially growing every year; however, gender inequality is still a persistent problem in today’s workforce. Each year, gender inequality, especially employment equity, the distinct barrier between genders in the workforce, has become a topic of contention as its affecting working individuals worldwide, especially women. Before examining this problem, we must further understand what gender inequality is in the workplace. Gender inequality is an ascriptive factorRead MoreGender Inequality Within A Workplace2144 Words   |  9 PagesAlthough over time it is clear to see that gender inequality is becoming a smaller problem in today’s society, it must also be noted that it does still exist, even in the most developed parts of the world. The UNDP, 1997 in its Hu man Development report, stated that ‘no society treats its women as well as its men’ and to some extent this is true. However, in this essay I will be discussing different opinions and related studies in order to come to a conclusion regarding the truth behind this commentRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality in the Workplace The generation now has made it easier to equalize men and women but there is still a substantial amount of places where gender inequality is still happening in the workplace and where females still face discrimination. Women are often discriminated in the workplace and are usually not promoted as quickly as men are and they also receive less pay. History shows that women have not always been defined as property and thought of as second class citizens. But inRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace1724 Words   |  7 Pagesthe same duties. Gender inequalities are a huge factor in the workplace. There is a lot of tension when it comes to women being over worked. The amount of responsibilities that women have, from work to home and everything in between, is ridiculous and it is all based on the gender roles that society has developed. Lastly, what really triggers feminism is the world expecting all women to portray themselves as sex objects and then to getting criticized for it . Understanding sex, gender, how they linkRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace1469 Words   |  6 PagesGender inequality in the workplace has always existed, but I don t know that you could say it s getting worse, you could say that it is spreading to new fields as they are coming into existence. The STEM fields we have today such as, Cyber Security, Cyber Gaming, and Nanotechnology are still very young fields but gender inequality has still managed to take a foothold in these new fields. This is probably the best place to start the movement toward equality because many of these fields simply relyRead MoreAchieving Gender Inequality Within The American Workplace Essay1462 Words   |  6 Pagespercentages of women in leadership roles will help secure gender inequality within the American workplace which is currently not present. In the workplace it can be especially difficult for women to reach positions of great power because they’re often targets of discrimination and disrespect. In the essay Lean In: What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? Sheryl Sandberg gave us her experience of her feeling this gender discrimination at her workplace. Sandberg that she was listening to a guest of honorRead MoreGender Inequality Within A Competitive Athletic Workplace870 Words   |  4 Pages101 December 9, 2015 Gender Inequality What are the types of gender inequality in this world? Inequality is when there are two things that are not the same. For example, antonyms, they are when two objects don t have similar qualities. This means there are differences between the two. It can be beneficial or very discriminating. The definition for gender inequality is the unequal treatment, or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. Gender inequality is between the male andRead MoreGender Discrimination And The Workplace1356 Words   |  6 Pages2.1 Introduction For many decades now it has been said that there has been inequality in the workplace, it has been a major issue in the workplace in terms of women not being allowed to have certain jobs as well as in terms of women not being promoted within the workplace which all contributes to women being paid less than men. According to Ryan and Branscombe (2013), gender discrimination has been defined as the differential treatment members of one group receive compared to another by many socialRead MoreGender Inequality In Australia Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagesdominant partner, who belongs primarily to the public sphere. These historic gender norms have been deeply imbedded within Australia’s social foundation, and although society has gradually shifted away from these roles, evidence suggests that this gender inequality still riddles the modern day workplace. Liberal feminist groups have embraced this issue, and have classified it as being a true barrier to achieving the ultimate gend er equality goal. Consequently, these liberal feminists along with general

Global Warming And Climate Change - 1131 Words

During the past several hundred years, civilization has made rapid progress in industries like air travel, automobiles, and energy production. These developments were made without consideration of the long-term effects that their emissions may have on the planet. Changing weather patterns are now wreaking havoc around the world, and scientists attribute this to human-caused climate change. During President Obama’s State of the Union address in 2015, he stated that, â€Å"No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change,† (â€Å"Remarks by the President†). Warming temperatures caused by anthropogenic climate change have disastrous consequences that pose a threat to humanity and the environment. Scientists have given numerous warnings that human-caused, or anthropogenic, climate change is not only occurring now, but accelerating more quickly than predicted (Maibach, Myers, and Leiserowitz 295). Global warming contributes to climat e change as a result of the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (â€Å"Global Warming†). The level of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased significantly over the years. Patterns of warming are sufficient to conclude that this increase has coincided with the start of the Industrial Revolution (â€Å"Global Warming†). By analyzing carbon dioxide pockets that have been trapped in Antarctic ice, scientists can assuredly confirm the correlation between recent warmingShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And Climate Change974 Words   |  4 Pagesabout global warming, whether it is true or false. Is there evidence to prove that global warming has impacted the climate due to the rise in the earth’s temperature? Climate change is a problem that is worldwide that should be reviewed. The rise in the earth’s temperature has caused some impact to the weather and climate changes to many places worl dwide. This rise in temperature has the potential of causing drastic changes to the earth in many ways. It is time to view the global warming concernsRead MoreClimate Change Of Global Warming924 Words   |  4 Pages Figure 0.1 shows the different effects of global warming. Global warming is the warming of our planet at an extreme rate. The Earth’s climate has warmed by 7.8OC since 1880. (Quick facts about science, 2015). What causes global warming? The cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide. This acts like a blanket. Protecting the earth, and heating the earth. Sun rays would normally bounce around the earth, but with the blanket, the sun rays heat the blanket which heats the earth. (Petersen ScienceRead MoreGlobal Warming And Climate Change1398 Words   |  6 Pages Global warming and climate change have been frequent topics of discussion over the past several years. Although people tend to focus on the politics, it is important to look past the media aspects of it into the cold hard facts of what our Earth is currently experiencing, and what has caused it in the first place. The cause of climate change includes natural causes, but human causes are what is generating such a rapid global temperature change. It’s time that the ways in which humanity affectsRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1060 Words   |  5 PagesClimate change (Klaus) 1000 The terms â€Å"global warming†, â€Å"climate change† or â€Å"greenhouse effect† have become more than just parts of the popular lexicon as they rather are subject of public discussions, scientific research or political debates. Despite the popularity and the ubiquity of these terms, the public’s theoretical and conceptual understanding of them and their causal relations is often based on superficial knowledge and buzzwords or caricatures outlined and depicted in several popular mediaRead MoreClimate Change : Global Warming1194 Words   |  5 PagesDonya Curtis April 19, 2017 English 1001-rough draft Global Warming Global warming is one facet of the broader term climate change. It is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth s surface air and oceans from the mid 20th century and the projected continuation. The Global warming is primarily the consequence of building up greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Emission rates for most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, CO2, have increased 120 fold in the past 140 years. WhileRead MoreClimate Change and Global Warming1074 Words   |  5 PagesClimate change and Global Warming are out of control. This means that, no matter what policies, processes or actions are implemented, the Earth as we know it will never be the same again. There is significant evidence to support this hypothesis. The dilemma becomes whether we can limit the damage and adapt to a new status quo or not. Rising sea levels and the damage caused by this phenomenon has irreversible impacts on coastlines worldwide. Damage to sensitive reef systems cannot be fixed. This alsoRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1022 Words   |  5 PagesWhat = Climate Change Who = Emma, Aoife, Julia, Rachael, Mariah and Cà ©line What is it? Climate Change is a change in the demographic distribution of weather patterns, and related change in oceans, land surfaces and ice sheets, happening over time scales of decades or longer. It’s the world’s greatest threat. Climate change is the change in temperature over a period of time. It involves the greenhouse effect and global warming. Where is it? It is an issue affecting everyone everywhere. ClimateRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1474 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomenon, known as â€Å"smog† became an often daily occurrence in big, urbanized cites across the globe. Also, Al Gore’s book, An Inconvenient Truth, popularized the issue of climate change and global warming as a result of the damage that the modern world has done to the atmosphere. He noted that people resist the facts about climate change due to the inconvenience of changing their lifestyles. But, uninhibited industrialization of several countries has led to intense modernization and revolution of theRead MoreClimate Change And Global Warming928 Words   |  4 PagesThis paper will discuss climate change and global warming on the economy. The paper also gives a description on climate change and global warming. As well as what it hold for future business owners. It will also discuss what the government is doing about climate change/global warming. Climate change is a long-term shift in the statistics of the weather (including its averages). For example, it could show up as a change in climate normal (expected average values for temperature and precipitation)Read MoreClimate Change And Global Warming1630 Words   |  7 PagesClimate Related Threats Global warming will lead to uncontrollable devastation such as famine, war, and economic instability. Climate change will accelerate the dislocation of hundreds of millions of people and the extinction of many species. The negative effects of climate change are obvious on every continent. Professor Le Quere, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia said, The human influence on climate change is clear. The atmosphere and

Siegfried Sassoon Suicide in the Trenches Essay Example For Students

Siegfried Sassoon Suicide in the Trenches Essay Suicide in the trenches Title and Author: â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† is a poem written by Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon wrote this poem during his First World War military service and published in his 1918 collection: â€Å"Counter-Attack and Other Poems† Form and style This poem is a lyric which contains of three stanzas each containing four lines. This is written in rhyming couplets, the style of the poem seems very simple and song-like War is destructive of youth and innocence. There is a change in mood where the first stanza talks about the despair when he is in the trenches. In the third stanza we move to the poet’s anger about the way that people at home feel Each stanza has four lines with a pattern of a-a-b-b-c-c-d-d-e-e-f-f. Main Themes, ideas and perspectives about war: This poem talks about the survival of a young soldier who survived, addressing to the people left at home of all the hardships that they go through in the trenches. These demonstrate: * Destructive effects of the war. * Anger at the glorification of war * Disillusionment * The corruption of innocence * Wastefulness of the war: futility Evil tramping over good Structural features and effects * The poem is separated into three stanzas which have four lines each. The verses rhyme with the next in pairs of two (a-a-b-b, c-c-d-d, e-e-f-f) and all the verses have eight syllables. * Each verse has a different tone * Description of the ‘soldier boy’ which makes us compassionate and give more concern * The poet criticizes the attitudes of people towards war when they know nothing about the reality of war. The poet wants the reader to feel guilty. Language, Tone and Vocabulary In this poem the poet uses adjectives creating an interesting feeling and he creates the horror of the battlefields. * Sassoon conveys his feelings and concerns towards the ‘soldier boy’ who has lost his innocence because of the war and he also shows his anger for the thoughtless ‘smug face’ crowds who just cheer when young innocent boys march by and they just ignore the basic truth of the trench warfare. * Emphatic * The poem is told from a third person’s point of view where the poet is limited with the amount of information he gives about the ‘soldier boy’. Alliteration is used in the second line â€Å"Simple soldier boy† to depict how naive and ordinary this soldier boy was. * Alliteration â€Å"slept soundly† shows how he had nothing to fear and lived life to the full with the hope of awaking tomorrow. * Onomatopoei a â€Å"And whistled early with the lark† to portray the boy’s view of life embraced everything that came his way. * Alliteration â€Å"With crumps and lice and lack of rum† to give the reader an insight into trench life. * cowed and glum which is a contrast to his previous â€Å"grin† Imagery (sensory, Figurative) At this point Sassoon’s poem â€Å"Suicide in the Trenches† evokes the image of a young man, a child, in despair. * The words â€Å"soldier boy† stated at the end of the first line, criticise on the early age of the soldiers in the First Wold War. * . The â€Å"empty joy† in verse 2, tries to explain the lack of aims in life that these extremely young soldiers had and, which is more important, the sadness, though a contrast, and verses 3 and 4 show his loneliness and his inability to rest at night as stated in verse 3 â€Å"slept soundly†, which is another contrast. The boy is compared to a lark which symbolis es joy, song and flying high. The battlefield is compared to hell which is where these young men are being sent to fight. â€Å"With crumps and lice and lack of rum’ is giving the sensation of how unpleasant it is in the trenches. * The last stanza from lines nine to twelve, is a satirical view of Sassoon’s greatest criticism and determination to revenge of those â€Å"smug-faced crowds†, in verse 9, who â€Å"cheer when soldiers march by†, in verse 10. .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .postImageUrl , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:hover , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:visited , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:active { border:0!important; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:active , .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4 .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc0679dc100116b0cf174f825386e23e4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: John Napier Essay He hated those who considered to be making a profit out of the war and those who were happy and proud their children going to serve their country: This creates a patriotic feeling. Moods/ Feelings * Bitter * Conscious * Anger * Rage * Antagonism * Resentment * The dominant mood of this poem is anger but there is also a feeling of sadness and sorrow about the young man’s death. Personal Evaluation In my opinion war is evil and this poem gives us a good view on the reality of war and its consequences. This poem mainly criticises on the horrors of the war, the health conditions of the soldiers, the loneliness they had to face, patriotism of soldiers and the lack of resources that soldiers faced in the trenches. it made me think how inhumane the world that we are a part of is, that such horrible and indecent acts could be committed by humans. Having a young boy take such drastic measures is beyond my understanding for the time, the year which this poem was written but of course it must be understood because this was caused by the horrors of war.

Management and Competencies free essay sample

In understanding how an organisation can improve through organizational competency frameworks, one must first understand what is a competency. Competency, defined by Boyzatis (1982: 21) is known as â€Å"the behavioral characteristic of a person which is casually related to effective or superior performance in a job† Competencies act as a signal from the organisation which indicate to an individual behaviours and actions that will be valued, recognised and in some organisations rewarded. Each individual competency consists of a number of observable behaviours (i. e. behavioural indicators) that are relevant to the performance of the role. Lets use an aerospace manufacturing organisation such as Pattonair to understand what key competencies it requires for its employees to be successful; People management is crucial; it demonstrates competencies of planning, guiding developing human resources. It incorporates using prior knowledge of individual’s strengths, interests, development needs to delegate tasks; provides accurate regular feedback; identifies where support is needed and provides it. Team work; working effectively with all members of the team to achieve shared objectives. Contributes to sense of camaraderie and strengthens collaboration across departments. Production and efficient management skills Problem solving; an employee deals quickly and effectively in a calm manor to difficult or unforeseen situations. Communication is vital in order to achieve results and maintain and encourage motivation. Listen attentively to what people have to say in order to gain an accurate understanding of their wants and needs. Innovation In understanding these competencies lets now build a competency framework, Pilbeam and Corbridge (2006) suggest that a competency framework is both a list of these competencies and a tool by which they are expressed, assessed and measured. This framework can either emphasize behavioral competencies, technical competencies or both. FIGURE 1- Competency Framework for Pattonair focusing on the Team Work cluster One of the major causes of failure of large-scale organisational change efforts is poor communication (Kotter, 1996). Competencies are proven to be a strong and powerful tool used by HR managers that help communicate to staff change objectives and expectations of management when alterations are made regarding job roles and the delivery of these roles, competencies also lead to a significantly improved understanding throughout companies regarding the desirable actions and behaviours for reaching the goals set etc. A large majority of employees at the Pattonair Head Quarters in Derby pointed out that competencies clarify where the company wants to go and how it should operate in order to successfully reach these strategic destinations. The Global Commercial Director Dave Fawcett with long experience within the industry said: â€Å"Competencies will help people understand Pattonair’s vision. Many times in the past we heard about changes in what the bank will do in the future but until now, it was never very clear how such changes would affect us or what we would need to do in order to follow these plans. † Through the competencies framework, with well defined and expressed competencies anchored in strategy, jobholders felt they gained a better understanding of what was expected, what was rewarded, what was desirable and what behaviours and abilities would be needed in the short-, mid- and more long-run. As mentioned above, the top management of Pattonair decided to redefine their HR methods and systems starting from a focus on individual job-related competencies. The competency model should focus not only on behaviours, knowledge and skills necessary, but should also facilitate communication about strategy and articulate how people could expect to be selected, trained, evaluated, and rewarded after implementation of the new strategy. Moreover, competencies related to the ability to change, learn and take initiatives should explicitly be integrated. The competency framework Pattonair are adopting should also take into consideration not only job descriptions, but also best practices and recent trends in the aerospace industry as well as the organisation’s own strategy (Martone, 2003), so as to guarantee a direct and dynamic link between strategy and competencies and the relevance and â€Å"survival† of the framework throughout and beyond the implementation of the change program. Second, the competency framework should consist of a set of â€Å"generic† competency areas, with each competency area to be composed of a limited number of competencies that would be relevant, to different degrees, for every concerned job position (Lucia and Lepsinger, 1999). Criticisms Difficulties with the operation and implementation of competency management systems are mostly related to the complex and lengthy process required for identifying the appropriate competencies for an organisation and for building the appropriate competency model Athey and Orth (1999). Another issue of concern is that the competencies defined most often end up as being backward-looking rather than future-oriented with respect to strategy and organisational change (Torrington et al. , 2002). Competency models tend to focus on what managers currently do rather than what is needed to perform effectively in the future (Antonacopoulou and Fitzgerald, 1996), something that jeopardises the potential of competencies to act as levers for implementing change (Martone, 2003). If HR managers fail to adapt continuously and reengineer periodically their organisation’s competency framework, it will at best become outdated and fall into oblivion, and at worst drag the organisation into stagnation and loss of competitive momentum. CONCLUSION Now that I have drawn together and critically discussed a range of principles and approaches using vast ranges of literature, my conclusions are as followed. Heffernan and Flood (2000) outline two approaches to competencies, first the US approach and second the UK approach. The predominant US approach portrayed by Boyatzis, Ulrich and others defines competency as the underlying attributes of a person. It is largely an input-based approach, defining the inputs needed to demonstrate competent performance. In contrast, the UK approach sees competency as a set of performances and standards. Boam and Sparrow 1992), among others, are part of a group of mostly English authors who proposed that competency was best used as a measure of output learning. Training and assessment of performance was the thrust of this approach. Stuart and Lindsay 1997) suggest each model is incomplete and therefore lacking as a comprehensive frame for understanding and working with managerial competence. Neither approach adequately defines managerial competence in terms of the context of the organisation, its culture, marketplace and business environment. Potential positive impacts for supporting strategic change / levers/actions for tapping into this potential By using Competency frameworks it will help and allow a company such as Pattonair in Institutionalizing any changes HR management wish to enforce, The shift to a competency-based performance management system allows HR management to start this change through better goal setting, clarification of expectations, reward of behaviours that support new strategic objectives. Improvement of employees’ understanding of how to reach goals Accompany the competency framework with clear guidelines methodologies for linking competencies to goals, for clarifying what is desirable, for conducting competency-based evaluation Follow up frequently on employees’ understanding of what is expected Clarify what behaviours/abilities will be needed in the short-, mid-more long-term future

Judaism Converting Essays - Ethnic Religion, Judaism, Torah

Judaism Converting Why Would I Convert To Judaism? There are many reasons for converting to Judaism. Some are explainable and some are indescribable. I personally believe that it is a mixture of both. One reason for converting to Judaism is the realization that there is one true satisfying relationship, and it is with G-d. To achieve this goal one must be a true believer and follower of the Torah. Even though one can not follow it properly all the time, there is still a sense of spiritual belonging. Judaism is not totally about the laws, it is about the unity of all Jews believing in G-d and G-d believing in the Jews. But mainly it is about the fashion of morality and dignity by which all Jews should conduct themselves by. Once one understands these and many other traits of the Torah, one can build a fundamental foundation of which one can live by.

Social Justice and Gay Rights

Social Justice and Gay Rights Introduction The public’s perception of same sex relationships has undergone significant changes in the past century. As of the early 20th century, homosexual relations were shunned and criminalized in many nations through a number of sodomy laws. This perception of gays was radically reformed thanks to the efforts of gay rights movements which trace their roots to the 1960s and the Stonewall Riots of 1969 which marked the birth of the gay and lesbian rights movement. These riots led to the formation of the Gay Liberation Front which demanded for the respect and the end of anti-gay legislation and police harassment. The movement saw gay oppression as a social problem that required social structural changes to solve. The efforts of gay activists in the 1960s resulted in a decriminalization of same-sex conduct and to a large extent, an abolishment of most of the discriminations based on sexual orientation (Volokh 106).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on So cial Justice and Gay Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in spite of the significant victories which the gay community has won in its quest for equality over the decades, gays in the US today continue to suffer from various forms of inequalities. Arguably the most visible inequality is the denial or marriage rights to same sex couples. This paper will highlight causes of the struggles faced by the gay community and articulate some social justice solutions to the problem. Causes of Opposition Before the beginning of the 21st century, no nations or state had ever considered affording same-sex couples legal rights. Today, same-sex marriages have been realized in some countries and also a number of American states. Civil unions are acceptable to many and a majority of gay couples are able to enjoy some of the benefits that were previously restricted to heterosexual couples. Support in the US for legal recognition for homosexual rela tions was high from 1960s up to 1990s with many Americans supporting the efforts of gay rights activists. However, this popular support has experienced significant declines following the landmark Texas anti-sodomy law of 2003 which made some gay and lesbian activities not only legal but protected by the law all through the US. This ruling was viewed by many social conservative groups as a precursor to even more gay civil rights and because of this, there has been a backlash against recognition of gay relationships by many conservative groups. As a result of the successes of gay right activists, many counteractions which are primarily aimed at preventing gay rights have been launched. The most significant of this has been the widespread efforts to prevent the legalization of same-sex marriages in many American states. Wardle notes that some states have gone as far as to make amendments to their constitutions so as to explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage. Religion has played a major role in the denial of rights for gay and lesbian couples. As a matter of fact, the biggest opposition to same-sex unions stems from the religious beliefs of people with religions such as Christianity and Islam condemning homosexuality as evil and an abomination.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Vatican which is the head of the largest Christian population in the world strongly declares that there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to Gods plan for marriage and family (Ratzinger and Amato 1). Denike articulates that in the US, there is fear among the Christian population that allowing gay marriages would be crossing the line of toleration of evil and the approval or legalization of evil (71). This observation is corroborated by Alvare who notes that leading communities of faith in the United States are on record opposing the legal recognition of same-sex marriage (349).To this section of the population; while sexual minorities and their relationships should be tolerated, they should not be entitled to state-administered benefits and special rights. Volokh notes that it is because of the religious views of many public officials that the fight for legal recognition of same-sex marriages has enjoyed relatively limited success (1166). While the constitution calls for equality rights for all citizens, amendments have been proposed based on religious sentiments to protect marriage from the judicial system which fails to find compelling reasons to justify the discriminatory exclusion of gays and lesbians. Adverse Impacts of Opposition A lack of justice has led to unnecessary suffering and harassment to gay individuals. Macgillivray reports that majority of openly identifying gay and lesbian students in Americas schools experience significant levels of violence from their peer s (347). The struggle by gay activists to stop discrimination in schools has been opposed by morally conservative parents. For these parents, school policies that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation lead to an inclusion of gay and lesbian issues in the curriculum which helps promote and legitimize homosexuality as being equal to heterosexuality (Macgillivray 348). The morally conservative parents therefore fiercely resist such policies since for them, the policies send out the message that it’s ok to be gay to their children. Social Justice Perspective Equality is one of the founding principles of the United States and since the formulation of the constitution; laws and amendments have been made to extend equality to all people irrespective of their races and religion. Social justice is concerned with whether a society distributes its benefits fairly and equitably among its citizens (Blackwell, Janice and Sophia 28). Social justice demands that equal rights an d opportunities be afforded to all members of the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Justice and Gay Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As it currently stands, gay and lesbian couples are given certain rights and privileges in most states. However, these rights and privileges vary from state to state and there is a nearly universal denial of the right to marry for same-sex couples. Due to the disparity in laws protecting gay couples between states, gay couples can be legally discriminated against in some states. The primary goal of marriage is to give social recognition to couples who have a close relationship and who would wish to spend their lives together. Denying same sex couples the right to enter this institute is therefore a form of discrimination. This discrimination denies gay and lesbian couples of their right to enjoy fulfilling lives with their partners. Culhane demonstrates that afford ing same-sex couples the right to marry is not a special treatment but an issue of fairness and equality and for a pro-democracy nation like the US, such a move should be natural (486). Marriage has some tangible benefits that are acquired by couples who join this institute. Lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriages results in gay and lesbian couples not being able to enjoy these benefits that are a part of the marriage institute (Bell 195). Most opponents of gay marriages assert that they respect the rights of homosexuals and are opposed to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. However, denying marriage rights to gay couples is discrimination. Gay rights activists argue that if marriage rights are fundamental for some (heterosexual couples) then they should be fundamental for all. Discussion Gay rights activists have placed their hope for redress and justice in the mainstream Democratic Parties in our country. However, this move has not yielded major benefits sin ce the government has mostly been complacent in the tribulations that face the gay population. While the government has constantly stated that it is neutral on the issue of gay rights and does not support anti-gay movements, it has been slow to take proactive measures to ensure that gay members of the community are protected from harassment by people who hold anti-gay sentiments.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Our constitution is enshrouded in the principles of protection of equality and fundamental rights of all citizens regardless of their age, sex, creed, or sexual orientation. If our country is truly committed to equal rights, then legalizing same-sex marriages should be made a reality. Recognition of same-sex marriage is a fundamental goal if there is to be true equality between same-sex and opposite-sex union (Alvare 351). So long as same-sex marriages are not accepted all over the US, heterosexual unions will always be regarded as superior to homosexual unions. Way Forward Gay rights advocates have intensified their efforts to gain legal recognition for same-sex unions and while some successes have been achieved, they still faced strong resistance from social conservative groups. Davis suggests that these minority group need to enlist the backing of heterosexual couples in their fight for equal right (44). By working as allies, heterosexuals and homosexuals can help to foster a cha nging attitudes towards gay and lesbians. Through these efforts, stereotypical views and prejudices can be identified and dealt with. Increased awareness leads to tolerance and respect for those who have different sexual orientations from ourselves. As has been noted, there has been growing attempts to deny gay and lesbians their liberty and rights. In the US, many states have allowed religious sexual doctrine to dictate limits to the legal recognition of relationships (Denike 72). Gay right activists should therefore focus their energy in resisting such forces and they should fight for legislation and judicial outcomes that will promote equality and ensure that gay individuals can thrive in society. There should also be a campaign to advocate for gay rights even if people do not agree with the gay lifestyle. While people are allowed to hold their own opinion regarding homosexuality, they should not be allowed to limit the freedoms of homosexual individuals on this basis. Truth and justice demands that full liberty be afforded to gays and all forms of discrimination must be abolished. Conclusion This paper has noted that while there have been significant achievements in the struggle for gay rights, there are still major obstacles to realizing full rights for this minority group. The most significant opposition comes from social conservative groups and religious organizations which are keen to ensure that gays do not achieve full equality with heterosexual couples. This is against the concept of social justice which advocates for equality for all people. All citizens who endorse the concept of social justice should therefore support the enactment of policies that will give gay and lesbian people equal rights with the rest of the community and specifically legalize gay marriages. Alvare, Helen. â€Å"The moral reasoning of family law: the case of same-sex marriage†. Loyola University Chicago Law Journal 38.2 (2007): 349-377. Web. Bell, Jonathan. â€Å"T o Strive for Economic and Social Justice†: Welfare, Sexuality, and Liberal Politics in San Francisco in the 1960s†. The Journal of Policy History 22.2 (2010): 193-225. Web. Blackwell, Christopher, Janice, Ricks and Sophia Dziegielewski. Discrimination of Gays and Lesbians: A Social Justice Perspective. Journal of Health Social Policy, Vol. 19(4) 2004. 27-43. Print. Culhane, John. â€Å"Marriage equality? First, justify marriage (if you can)†. Drexel University Law Review 1.2 (2009): 485-511. Web. Davis, Tracy. Developing Social Justice Allies: New Directions for Student Services. John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Print. Denike, Margaret. â€Å"Religion, Rights, and Relationships: The Dream of Relational Equality†. Hypatia 22.1 (2007): 71-91. Print Macgillivray, Ian. â€Å"Gay rights and school policy: a case study in community factors that facilitate or impede educational change†. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 17.3 (2004): 347-3 70. Web. Ratzinger, Joseph and Amato Angelo. Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons. 3 June 2003. Web. Volokh, Eugene. â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage and Slippery Slopes†. Hofstra Law Review 33.1 (2005): 1155–1201. Web. Wardle, Lynns. â€Å"A Response to the Conservative Case for Same-Sex Marriage: Same-Sex Marriage and the Tragedy of the Commons†. BYU Journal of Public Law 22.3 (2007): 441-474. Web. Bibliography Alvare, Helen. â€Å"The moral reasoning of family law: the case of same-sex marriage†. Loyola University Chicago Law Journal 38.2 (2007): 349-377. Web. Bell, Jonathan. â€Å"To Strive for Economic and Social Justice†: Welfare, Sexuality, and Liberal Politics in San Francisco in the 1960s†. The Journal of Policy History 22.2 (2010): 193-225. Web. Blackwell, Christopher, Janice, Ricks and Sophia Dziegielewski. Discrimination of Gays and Lesbians: A Social Justice Perspective. Journal of Health Social Policy, Vol. 19(4) 2004. 27-43. Print. Crawford, David. Liberal Androgyny: Gay Marriage and the Meaning of Sexuality in our Time. Communio: International Catholic Review, 2006. Print. Culhane, John. â€Å"Marriage equality? First, justify marriage (if you can)†. Drexel University Law Review 1.2 (2009): 485-511. Web. Davis, Tracy. Developing Social Justice Allies: New Directions for Student Services. John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Print. Denike, Margaret. â€Å"Religion, Rights, and Relationships: The Dream of Relational Equality†. Hypatia 22.1 (2007): 71-91. Print Duncan, William. â€Å"The Litigation to Redefine Marriage: Equality and Social Meaning†. Journal of Public Law 18.1 (2005): 623-663. Print. Kurtz, Stanley. Beyond Gay Marriage. The Weekly Standard. Volume 008, Issue 45, 2003. Macgillivray, Ian. â€Å"Gay rights and school policy: a case study in community factors that facilitate or impede educational change†. International Journa l of Qualitative Studies in Education 17.3 (2004): 347-370. Web. Ratzinger, Joseph and Amato Angelo. Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons. 3 June 2003. Web. Somerville, Margaret. The case against ‘same-sex marriage’. Montreal, Quebec: McGill Center for Medicine, Ethics and Law, 2003. Print. Volokh, Eugene. â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage and Slippery Slopes†. Hofstra Law Review 33.1 (2005): 1155–1201. Web. Wardle, Lynns. â€Å"A Response to the Conservative Case for Same-Sex Marriage: Same-Sex Marriage and the Tragedy of the Commons†. BYU Journal of Public Law 22.3 (2007): 441-474. Web.

Funny Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Funny Story - Essay Example Luckily, my girlfriend was there to get me out otherwise I probably would have drank the entire fountain. Then we had to walk all the way back to the hotel; I was freezing, cold, and miserable. Needless to say those photos showed up on facebook. The second time I fell into a fountain I was with my family. We were at Universal Studios with my grandparents and we entered one of those little kid areas. My younger brother and I brought a football so we could throw when we got bored. My parents were getting a picture of my grandparents next to a fountain. My brother threw me a long pass and as I ran to catch it, I knocked my grandma into the fountain with me. Luckily no one got hurt, but my grandmother and I were so soaked that we had to go to the souvenir store and buy all new clothing to replace the wet ones. I have learned that when it comes to fountains and vacations that I have this power that always makes sure that I land in one. Even though they were embarrassing at the moment, the y remind me of good past memories and create jokes about what will happen in the future. If I am ever near a fountain again, I will have to be sure to wear a wetsuit and pack an extra set of clothes. I hope that as the admissions committee that you received a good laugh and remember to always pack a towel around fountains.