Gender Socialization in American Social Institutions Essay Example for Free

Gender Socialization in American Social Institutions Essay Socialization refers to how people learn different cultures and learn to live with the various aspects of the cultures. For an individual, socialization provides an opportunity to gain various habits and skills that are necessary for participating and acting at various levels within the society. For the wider society, socialization enables different people to exchange moral norms, values, attitudes, social roles, languages, motives and so forth, thereby attaining a form of social and cultural stability (Sapiro, 1990). Socialization is affected by many factors, which have contributed to factors such as social stratification with particular with reference to gender among various societies. Many social theories have suggested that gender is a core cause of social stratification in the American Society (Stone, 2001; Andersen Taylor, 2005; Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002; Giddens Griffiths, 2006). Social stratification with respect to gender has been noted in many areas such as place of worship, schools, workplaces, and many other areas that involve social interactions. According to Andersen and Taylor (2005), the various methods used in interaction in different institutions lead to stratification since males usually tend to dominate the social scene, thus creating a situation whereby females have to play a second role in socialization. This paper will evaluate the methods of socialization used by people in different American educational institutions with particular reference to the role of gender in the social scene. The format of the paper will involve a brief discussion of the various aspects of socialization in the American context followed by a discussion of the methods of gender socialization in American social educational institutions. Gender socialization among Americans According to Stone (2001), the American society places a lot of importance in the role of the family as the basic social unit of the society. In fact, the evidence for this is shown by the abundance in most libraries of published materials regarding marriage and family life in the United States. The interest in family life is instigated by the fact that there are various instances of gender interaction such as those involving children; between children and their parents; between parents; and between parents and their in-laws (Stone, 2001). An obvious gender interaction that is usually less mentioned is that between any parent and mother-in–law or father-in-law of the opposite sex. The aspect of mother in law in particular has been a problem to many couples in the American society. In this context, Stone (2001) quotes Eppie Lederer who commented on the persistent problem associated with mothers-in-law by asking the question â€Å"Must we outlaw the mother in law? † The products of family life, that is children, also socialise differently depending on where they are. Andersen and Taylor (2005) note that gender socialization among children is impacted upon by peers, parents, the media, schools, religious institutions and forth. It is at the child level that various paths of gender socialization are charted. For instance, in schools girls usually get involved in communal games and like getting into groups whereas boys tend to put interest in games that are individualistic (Andersen Taylor, 2005). The same authors also note that girls play more freely when they are involved in same sex groups. On the other hand, boys tend to wield power over girls when they play with them and have a tendency to create laws of play over girls. This is perhaps what leads to men’s dominance in scenes in later life (Andersen Taylor, 2005; Stone, 2001). Methods of gender socialization in American educational and religious institutions As is the case in all societies, socialization occurs at all stages of life, not just in childhood stages. The attributes displayed by children in their early days such as gender-typed forms of games are indicator of behavior that appear later during adult life. The aspects of competitive play displayed by boys prepare them for the kind socialization environment they encounter as adults. Giddens and Griffiths (2006) note that boys engage in more aggressive socialization activities because in future they get active in activities such as sports; and the large groups they socialize with also teach them to cooperate and compete when working together later in life. Among girls, there is a slightly different approach to socialization. Andersen and Taylor (2005) note that learn in the same way as girls but they don’t tend to value the attributes such as highly as boys or men even though these attributes are no less important to them. Thus, gender socialization in various American educational institutions is based on these attributes as discussed in the following sections. Gender socialization in schools Schools in have a distinct influence on gender socialization because of the considerable amount to time children spend them (Cookson, 1990). Teachers of either sex have different expectations for boys and girls. According to research findings, boys in American schools call out answers about eight times more than girls (Andersen Taylor, 2005). This makes boys get more attention from their teachers than girls. This point is emphasized by the fact that when teachers of either sex respond to the boys they increase the boys’ level of perceived importance. Another level of socialization in schools is the kind of books used in class. The kind of messages depicted in the books usually determine the kind of socialization that children have later in life or among themselves (Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002). If a person of a certain gender is used as a central figure and is portrayed to be powerful or a genius, a mentality is developed among children that people of that gender are powerful in all dimensions. Most of the characters depicted as such are men. Gender socialization and religion Religion is one of the aspects of gender socialization that is often overlooked in the American society. Different religious groups lay emphasis on different aspects of their culture such as gender differences. For instance, most Judeo-Christian religions found in the United States put much emphasis on gender, with a common perspective that men are superior to women. In religions that embrace Orthodox Judaism, men offer prayer to God thanking him for not having made a slave of woman for them. In addition, many other religions in the United States exclude women from leadership in religious functions to signify that women hold a lower position in the society (Levinson, Cookson Sadovnik, 2002). Aside from the religions that belittle gender, socialization in Christian and Muslim faiths encourages some form of gender equity (Cookson, 1990). Thus in both churches and mosques, women constantly use what they learn based on their faiths to question racist practices and other forms of unfair treatment by men. Along this line, protestant and evangelical churches in the United States campaign for shared household roles and equal job opportunities as part of socialization between men and women (Stone, 2001). Gender socialization and the media Different forms of media such as magazines, film, television, music and many others have a lot of influence on the kind of socialization in the United States. Communication through the various forms of media is facilitated through features such as cartoons, narrations, messages in music and so forth. Men and women play different roles in the media industry and this determines show they socialize at various levels. But a common tendency is that men are usually portrayed as more powerful figure in various media by their dominance in films, sports, and many other activities. This has changed how people view various forms of media and stratified the society (particularly learning institutions) in terms of popularity of some programs. Television in the United States has been criticized for portraying unrealistic images of women and men with respect to their appearance and age (Stone, 2001). There is a common opinion that women are usually portrayed provocatively on television in dresses such as underwear, nightwear, swimsuits and so forth. Media images in social scenes such as social halls, school halls, colleges and other institutions in the United States and so on are criticized for depicting white men as exercising higher authority than white women as well as black men and black women. Many advertisements in social settings also have the same tendency of depicting the male gender as being superior to the female gender (Stone, 2001). Gender socialization and employment in educational institutions Workplaces as schools are characterized by people of either gender playing different roles. The American system of job classification us characterized by hierarchical organizations which put men and women in different job capacities. For instance, most principals in schools and superintendents of colleges are men (Andersen Taylor, 2005). This therefore creates an ill-advised notion that leaders in social institutions are always men. Conclusion It is evident that various from of gender socialization in educational institutions such as schools, colleges, churches, social halls and so forth in the United States is greatly influenced by the kind of socialization that takes place in elementary levels of education such as junior schools. In addition, the kind of behavior that boys and girls are exposed to is carried into adult life. This is shown in many organizations that disseminate knowledge such as colleges, most of which portray men as being superior to women. References Andersen, M. L. and Taylor H. F. (2005). Sociology: understanding a diverse society. New York: Cengage Learning. Cookson, L. Gender equity, social institutions and the future of fertility. Journal of Population Research, 17(1):1-14 Giddens, A Griffiths, S. (2006). Sociology. New York: Polity Levinson, D. ; Cookson, P. W. Sadovnik , A. R. (2002). Education and sociology: an encyclopedia. New York: Taylor Francis. Sapiro, V. (1990) Women in American society: an introduction to womens studies. New York: Mayfield Pub. Co. Stone, L. (2001). New directions in anthropological kinship. New York: Rowman Littlefield.

What is Adequate Health Care and Who Has the Right to Receive It? :: Ethics and Health Care

Introduction Throughout the world, in countries rich and poor, people have no access to basic physical and mental healthcare nor to immunizations from infectious disease. Some people have no access because they lack the resources to buy and the state does not provide it. Others may be able to afford healthcare but because there are no services available in their communities they must do without it. In some countries because of discrimination or social stigmas such as a person ¡Ã‚ ¦s status as a prisoner, refugee, immigrant or a member of a lower class or caste they are deprived of this basic human right. However all people should have access to affordable universal healthcare. In a nation of such wealth and abundance, rights and freedoms, there is no justification for an individual to be without healthcare. The  ¡Ã‚ §right to health ¡Ã‚ ¨ extends to all things which promote health and well-being and prevent illness and disease, not just access to medical care. This includes, among many others, the right to education, food and shelter, to freedom from discrimination and persecution, to information, and to the benefits of science. Every woman, man, and child has the human right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, without discrimination of any kind. Enjoyment of human right to health, is vital to all aspects of a person ¡Ã‚ ¦s life and well-being, and is crucial to the realization of many other fundamental human rights and freedoms. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world in which healthcare is not a right of citizenship. As a result, the United States has the worst healthcare statistics in the industrialized world. Thesis Statement Poor health and inadequate health care are often related to human rights violations; violation that under fulfillment of human rights are often due to poor health and lack of access to health care. The link is direct in the case of other basic social and economic human rights such as the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself, and one ¡Ã‚ ¦s family. Nevertheless, poverty and lack of health protection are indirectly linked to failures to secure civil rights. Some of the realizations of other human rights are not possible if an individual cannot maintain his/her own health. Most crucial health needs includes the prevention of stillbirths and infant mortality; the improvement of environmental and industrial hygiene, the prevention treatment, and control of diseases, with the provision of medical care to the sick.

Information Use CIS/207 Essay

In today’s world, most businesses rely heavily on the use of information technology ad information systems. Corporate communication is usually dependent upon wired as well as wired networks within the company. With these networks being set up in businesses, there has been a major shift in data storage to using computers to store and transfer data instead of the traditional ways of using paperwork and hard copies. Companies can securely share information with other companies through the use of virtual private networks, called VPNs. My current occupation is very technologically driven. My current occupation is based completely around technology and it’s use and innovation. The company contains a large area of production and workers that produces and delivers several different innovative pieces of machinery. They are involved in the production of items such as ATM machines, video rental kiosks, self-checkout registers, vending machines and other products of a similar nature. We also have a large information technology department that I am a part of to assist with servicing our products as well as providing third party support for other products from other vendors. In our area of business, networks are extremely important to our everyday work processes. I work in the smaller of two locations, but we are all connected to the same network and have the same job duties. We have multiple computer software programs that we use to accomplish our daily tasks and also have software to connect us to the same telephone queues and networks in order to assist clients. The computer network gives us access to all of the same information and data that is used to assist us with providing support to clients and also access to internal documents that are needed. We communicate with our other team members through instant messages and email networks that are used everyday all day. Without these networks, there are times that we would not be able to even communicate with members of our leadership that are in the other location. Our phone calls are routed though queues that all of our team members are assigned to in both call centers.  Some of the software and information we use are shared with clients and they also have access. In order to keep this information secure, we use a virtual private network, or VPN. We sign into this network to access the tools that are used daily. After signing in with individual passwords, we are able to access a complete set of software programs that we need to complete our job each day. Each location of ours, also contain local networks that are for business and personal use. There are employee and guest wireless (wifi) networks that are available for leadership and clients that need to access the Internet on their wireless devices and laptops. There is also an additional wifi network that is set-up for other employees to use on personal laptops, ipads, tablets, etc. As with everything computer related, there are times when the information systems have issues or fail. One of the reasons that we have two call centers is to have our call center serve as a backup for the main location. There are times when the main call center’s network goes down due to server issues while our area is still operable, and there are other times when our center goes down and they are still in operation. Unfortunately, at times there are still issues that shut down both locations simultaneously. With the use of computers and networks, there is also a large focus on security. Whenever there is sensitive data being stored and transferred through computer networks, there is the risk of unauthorized individuals gaining access to this information. To lower these chances, we have several different pieces of software and also require multiple passwords that are unique to each authorized individual and a requirement to change the passwords often. Today’s home and business processes rely more and more on the use of technology and information systems each day. Computers and networks have increased productivity greatly by speeding up the way information is transferred. Information can now be transferred across the world almost instantly, which is very useful in business endeavors. Large amounts of data  can also be stored in computers to save the amount of physical paper used, which is good for the environment also. Research and communication are also more effective and efficient through information technology. There is always a downside with the threat of hackers and unauthorized use, but with the proper network security and software, this can be reduced. Reference Turban, E., Volonino, L., & Wood, G. (2013). Information technology for management: Advancing sustainable, profitable business growth (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Effects Of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents - 1131 Words

As a part of my first year seminar class I was required to participate in Fall Palooza. Fall Palooza is considered an ALE (applied learning experience). Fall Palooza is a health fair put on by staff and students in pre nursing. It is meant to spread awareness about prominent issues in our society, including substance abuse. Substance abuse is even more prominent in adolescents (aka college students). In fact according to Sharma(2015)â€Å" 70.8% of students had ever drunk alcohol; 38.7% reported current alcohol use; 21.9% of students engaged in binge drinking; †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.and 3.8% of students had ever used methamphetamines . All these statistics point to the growing epidemic of substance abuse among adolescents.†(pg. 3). This topic was the one given to my class. After hearing what our class topic was my group decided to chose alcohol abuse. After lots of research and brainstorming my group knew how we were going to set up our Fall Palooza booth. We were going to make a gam e called fact pong. A play on the commonly known game, beer pong. Our game however would have cups filled with water instead of beer and contain a fact about alcohol abuse. Facts that pertain to college students such as â€Å"44% of students attending 4-year universities engaged in binge drinking (defined as 4 or more drinks in a row for women or 5 or more drinks in a row for men)†(Champion, Lewis, Meyers, 2015, pg 58). Every Time someone made a shot they would match a number on the cup to a corresponding facts. The factsShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents1296 Words   |  6 Pages Substance abuse has become a notable public health threat to today’s adolescents. Substance abuse is associated with an array of behavioral and psychological consequences that can jeopardize the future of the young people. Lifelong dependence is another possible consequence of drug abuse among adolescents. 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