Politics of Justice, Difference, and Hate
Inequalities and discrimination are practices that have consistently stirred concerns over time. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations have taken several measures to curtail inequalities and discrimination in different aspects. However, such attempts have deemed futile owing to the prevalence of such practices and the presence of dominant groups. The contemporary world incorporates inequalities in several aspects: ranging from racism, classism, heterosexism, ableism, and ethnocentrism among other factors. Such manifest in a wide array of contexts including the daily social interactions, magazines, the movies we watch and the books we read.
Sexism is one of the inequalities that occur in almost every aspect of life. It manifests in families, workplaces and residential places. Men have dominated in nearly every aspect of social spheres. The patriarchal dominance has taken deep roots in various contexts where men are perceived to be more dominant than their female counterparts have. For example, I have often seen men being granted the opportunity to be at the epicenter in decision-making processes. I once heard a man making discriminatory remarks when a fellow workmate, who is a woman, made comments about her rights to be heard. The man counter reacted to her plights that she had no moral grounds to be part of the decision-making process since men had better ideas than she could offer.
Sexism has also taken shape at different workplaces since women are perceived to belong to a particular cadre of jobs. Men have dominated well-paying jobs and positions of influence at workplaces. In my current place of work, there are less than four women employees in executive positions despite the considerable size of the company. That demonstrates that my company has primarily undermined the contribution of women in decision-making and management of resources. That further reflects in other positions since women occupy low paying jobs that are demeaning. For example, most of their jobs at my workstation include cleaning and kitchen duties.
The perpetuation of sexism advances into the familial set-ups, where a man dominates most of the decision-making processes. A woman is likely to concur with most decisions that her husband makes since she believes that the man has the sole mandate of the decision-making process. Journals, books and other scholarly materials have documented the prevalence of such patriarchal ideologies. I recently read an article that documented the African cultures. The reading portrayed women as lesser beings to men as they must be submissive. In most African cultures, men are the sole decision makers and more dominant compared to women. Women have the responsibility of fulfilling their gender roles such as taking care of children and attending to domestic chores. It is incredible how some communities in Africa subject women to taking care of the farms and fend for the family despite their physical limitations.
Additionally, contemporary societies enhance the perpetuation of sexism in several ways. In some instances, it takes place in several spectra, incorporating aspects of rape, workplace harassment, and slut shaming. However, it exists in some other subtle forms that may go unnoticed. The media takes the lead in perpetuating sexism through the perceptions they create within the society. I am among the persons that have practiced sexism through the influence of the media. For example, the media portrays some aspects as more feminine than masculine. They develop aspects associated with feminism as weak and embarrassing within a male-dominated society. The media through the society associate women with trivial things that relate to their power structure in the society. That includes stereotypical perceptions on the type of clothes women wear, the foods they consume and the places they shop from. I am a victim of such since I do not take the pumpkin spice latte since it is associated with women. The media and the society portray it as feminine since women are likely to be seen enjoying the drink.
Furthermore, I have a stereotypic perception of the type of clothes women should wear.
In most cases, I regard women who put on baggy shorts as masculine. I believe that women should be decent and wear clothes that complement their body sizes. However, that has been deemed inappropriate among my peers.
The book by Grusky & Szelenyi (2011) identifies that inequality in social class manifests in professions and the lifestyles that people live. That is propelled by a perceived perception of social superiority. The television shows such as ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ have shaped inequalities that exist in the society. It identifies a social class that individuals must identify within the contemporary world. The reality show defines social standards of life that are only achievable when one has money and influence. Most of the marriages in the show take place between celebrities since the Kardashian daughters have a perceived class and affluence that they have to maintain. For example, Kim is married to a rapper, Kanye West. Their daughter lives a lavish lifestyle that most people around the globe cannot maintain. Such aspects depict classism as a social issue in modern societies. The society has established cadres that define how people love and interact.
In most cases, the rich associate with people of their social class. The rich discriminate against the poor, who cannot maintain the social constructions of the standards of life that people have to maintain. Owing to my status at my current workplace, I have a preference for the type of people I associate with and the places I visit. That incorporates the places I buy my clothes and the hotels I consume my food. Such aspects deem me to be discriminative in terms of class and affluence despite my understanding of their implications and their meaning in a social set up.
Racism is another form of inequality that manifests in several aspects. Despite attempts to reduce racial discrimination in all social spheres, it has become a societal challenge that needs effective efficient and sustainable strategies of redress. Racism still prevails owing to individuals personal preferences, which bend towards favoring a specific group of people. According to Malett (2017), people tend to favor other groups of their race more than they do to people of other races. That manifests in the accrued advantages that such groups gain from being a member of the racially dominant groups. Racism affects most blacks since the whites are economically endowed more than their black counterparts are. The blacks perpetuate racism in a broader sense in regards to how they treat and regard whites. Blacks favor and address the whites in a manner that would easily suggest that they are more critical than their black counterparts. The perception that the media has created in most situations is that blacks are associated with ill characteristics such as crime. For example, racial discrimination is evident in most American schools hence the prevalence of the school-to-prison pipeline (Mallet, 2017).
I am a Palestinian who works in Israel. My work involves some aspect of socializing with the people. The working conditions in Israel have sometimes subjected me to racial discrimination since the Israeli governments have consistently discriminated against Palestinians. Racism is institutionalized owing to the existing laws that do not advocate for equality. Their ‘nation-state’ laws marginalize the Palestinians and grant rights and favors to the Israeli nationals. Such aspects have subjected me to constant discriminatory practices of racism. The laws deter non-Israelis from acquiring permanent residency in Israel. For example, Palestinians are not allowed to acquire permanent residency in some parts of Jerusalem. That made me face challenges when I had a commitment with an organization that required me to acquire permanent residency in Jerusalem. One of the officials at the immigration department referred to me a disgrace to loyalty hence could not be accorded such status owing to my place of birth.
Additionally, my family could not accompany me to Israel since the laws in place do not allow for the reunion of foreign families. The officials at the immigration department told me that we could pose a threat to the nation if they allowed Palestinians into the country without restrictions. Additionally, racial discrimination has always persisted at my places of work when the top management recognize that I am from Palestine. My workmates also enhance prejudice and racial discrimination. For instance, I am always assigned tasks that do not relate to my profession yet other people of Israeli origin are restricted to work within their specific line of profession. Promotions in such environments favor the locals more than people from other races. Israelis are likely to rise to high positions more than foreigners are.
The manifestation of the various aspects of inequality in social media, magazines, social institutions and organizations has primarily influenced my perceptions in different dimensions. I have largely engaged in several instances that promote inequality and discrimination against a particular gender, class, and race owing to the societal constructions that portray such factors as relevant and essential in some domains. I have developed a negative perception against the Israelis and would not be willing to be part of the community even if my work conditions would require me.
References
Grusky, D. B., & Szelenyi, S. (2011). The inequality reader: Contemporary and foundational readings in race, class, and gender. New Delhi: Rawat Booksellers.
Mallett, C. A. (2017). The school-to-prison pipeline: Disproportionate impact on vulnerable children and adolescents. Education and urban society, 49(6), 563-592.
