Category: Sexism

Sexism and stereotyping persist in the video games industry. This has affected women by the levels of chauvinism which is still relevant today. “Sexism toward women in online video game environments has become a pervasive and divisive issue in the gaming community.” (Fox & Tang,2014:314). Sexism is defined to be the “prejudice or discrimination based on sex”(Merriam-Webster online dictionary, 1963), while a stereotype is described to be judging someone based on what you have heard or experienced with a particular group and assume they are all the same. The video gaming industry has been widely popular where billions are generated every year from the consumption of video games. Gough (2020) stated that 41 percent of women take up almost half of the gamers in the United States of America which was an imperceptible increase the preceding years. This indicates that women have conformed in this society and will continue to do so but the sexism and the stereotypes are pertinent. Not only are women victims in stereotypes but males and race fall under these stereotypes. Males enthuse pure male masculinity and minorities of other racial groups besides Caucasians are shown negatively or less. This essay is going to firstly argue the representation of clothing on female characters, secondly gender and racial stereotypes and lastly how did sexism has infiltrated the working environment in the video games industry.

The representation of clothing on female characters are an exaggerated portrayal of how females dress. There are many cases in video games where female characters are under dressed to emphasise female sexuality. When it came to the coding process of the video games, there were different requirements that were specific to women. Beasley and Standly (2009:283-285) claimed that there were specifications when it came to the attire of women characters where shorts had to be above the knees and skirts had to be below or above. This goes to show that women were traditionally seen to be associated with skirts and if that was not the case some form of skin had to be revealed in the form of wearing shorts. Beasley and Standly (2009:285) also referred on the specific coding options to express cleavage, “The purpose of this category was to ascertain how often the player’s eyes were directed to the female character’s cleavage by having the character dressed in cleavage exposing clothing.”(Duncan,1990, as citied in Beasley and Standly,2009:285). The objectification of female characters have not changed in our current society. These female characters and non-human characters are still given feminine stereotypes which is diminishing and sexualized with minimal clothing (Polianskaya, 2019).

Gender and racial stereotypes fall under the problematic aspects of the gaming industry. With regards to race, there has been an unmistakable lack of representation of non-Caucasian communities and with what is presented, they show detrimental stereotypes with these characters. An example of this would be the game “ Never Winter Nights”, where there is a large group of male elf characters, predominantly white, are shown to be strong and have perfectly point ears while the one black male elf character appears to be weak, with a larger nose and circular elf ears( Peck, Ketchum and Embrick, 2011: 216). This has shown the injustice of the portrayal of a black character stigmatising the racial issues that happen. As discussed in the previous paragraph on how woman are shown to be overly sexualized, men are shown to be fearless and well built. In a group of 45 male characters, one third of the group exhibits the stereotypical antagonistic masculinity to help portray dominance because it is shown to be the only word used to describe males (Shoemaker and College, 2014). Gender and racial stereotypes have become the main building block of character development in games. Although we have become a socially aware society the stigma of race and gender is still relative when it comes to the harmful portrayal of minorities and glorified portrayals of the majority.

Sexism has infiltrated the working environment in the video games industry due to the disparity of females and males. “In 2019, 71 percent of responding developers where men, while 24 percent were women,” (Gough, 2020). A survey by Entertainment Software Association verifies that men and women are equally more likely to play video games (Kasumovic and Kuzenkoff, 2015). Although there is a consensus that women and men play video games there seems to be the ideology whereby video games are more associated with men. A couple of years ago women tweeted about sexual harassment and assault in a predominately male working environment (Jenson, 2013:74). A tweet disputing the claims of what women, “Women are too sensitive and self-absorbed to deal with criticism, its good they don’t design video games,” highlights on what some men think (Jenson,2013:74). This goes to shows that a predominately male work force shows no respect to women and their skills they have to offer. Women must constantly deal with public scrutiny especially if they are in an environment where they are inferior.

The emotional well-being of individuals can be greatly affected when reflecting on the topic of sexism with women and sexual harassment. Women are seen by men and society as wanting to exert control over them, either through their feminist ideology or through their sexuality (Lemonaki, Manstead and Maio, 2015). Women are heavily influenced by hostile sexism in social settings which can increase anger, frustration and a decreased sense of comfort for them when it comes to men and public spaces. Emotions are examined as the underlying psychological process that could account for the relation between perception of an intergroup situation and collective action tendencies (Lemonaki, Manstead and Maio, 2015). The overall effects of sexism for women in this sense can further create social competitive intentions between genders which can increase rates of sexual harassment from men.

Nonverbal and verbal expressions pertain to sexism for women on an interpersonal level. Perceptions of power built on the creation of masculine stereotypes are feared to be challenged by feminism or sexuality. Benevolent sexism asserts men’s power through personal affection rather than dominance, and these affectionate behaviors may be insidious because they are not necessarily negative on the surface (Goh & Hall, 2015). This form of sexism can be harmful due to subsequently leading women to conform to the status quo of gender inequality in a more definite matter. One way this was done according to the article What Makes the Subway Safe? By Sarah Holder was when New York City created suffragette cars in 1909 in order to keep women safe from harassment and trafficking. Instead of educating men and creating laws to ban offenders or certain men from joining rides with women or having car services, women had to conform and create women only cars (Holder, 2019). Having women conform opposed to making laws for public safety, leads to harmful behaviors of men.

Gender discrimination, referred to as ambient sexism, obtains collateral damages towards bystanders. Some of these effects include cognitive processes and one’s exposure to sexism (Bradley-Geist, Rivera & Geringer, 2015). The cognitive processes refer to how each gender would react or act on sexism. Compared with men, women’s performance state self-esteem will be more negatively impacted by exposure to ambient benevolent sexism versus a control condition in which no sexism is displayed (Bradley-Geist, Rivera & Geringer, 2015). Experiencing sexism could occur frequently in places of public transportation. Self-esteem of women who experience sexual harassment may be very low, they may show uncomfortableness on subways, and show verbal and non-verbal cues due to the cognitive processes occurring from sexism and harassment.

Since the advances of technology and younger generations being influenced by such, the awareness of sexism and social media’s impact could have positive effects. Because young women are the predominant users of Twitter, identifying effective methods may be valuable for enhancing thriving, both socially and psychologically (Foster, 2015). Furthermore, the use of social media has a broad platform that can spread awareness about sexism, sexual harassment and accusers or provide a control condition that can increase self-esteem and possible, positive outcomes in the prevention of sexual harassment overtime. One way New York City plans on doing this is by creating laws that ban people who are past accusers, raise penalties, record pasted offenses, and recidivist. Using social media can help put out the faces of such offenders, and alert authorities easier without raising suspicion.

This idea reminded me of The novel Cunt by Inga Musico when she talks about going to the store after midnight and having a silent code with another girl in her building that if she didn’t return to call the police. This idea is a form of sexism that has happened by society to control a women’s power and her ideas of safety. She talks about having a self-defense regimen and believes all women should have their own list or steps in order to defend themselves (Muscio, 2018). This idea is similar to sexual harassment on public transportation because some of the measures taken by women are also considered when riding public transportation. Unfortunately sexual harassment in public transportation such as masturbation, violence, and touching are serious crimes that women have to face along with the rest of the issues regarding sexism and women.

A study used a convenience sample of 297 individuals from Union county. The ages ranged from 20 to 76 years old. Participants were randomly approached to take an online survey. The researcher used online survey software to reach the participants needed for the study. The survey consisted of questions with the use of a Likert scale. There were twenty eight questions to be completed from a link given by the researcher. Once the survey had been completed, the researcher recorded the responses. The independent variable is the emotional well-being of the individuals. The dependent variable is the impact of sexual harassment. This study looks at the impact of individual’s emotional well being on sexual harassment. It was hypothesized that the women reported higher in sexism. This study looks at the impact of sexual harassment on an individual’s emotional well-being. It was hypothesized that the women reported higher in sexism, but there was no significant difference overall.

Women who reported higher in sexism also reported higher in their emotional wellbeing on sexual harassment. Sexism for women such as male control, societal rules, and safety precautions, affects cognitive and psychological processes by women in many ways. Sexism disadvantages women through discrimination, sexual harassment, and stereotypes. One way to combat such behaviors is to address the issues, create procedures, support female organizations, and taking responsibility for people’s actions can combat sexism for women. Public transportation, although conveniently runs many risks for violence, and abuse. The actions being taken by the NYC police and MTA to stop such issues without isolating women with sexist outcomes are a great stride for women (Holder, 2019). Stopping sexism and Abuse in public places is one way to help women feel comfortable in our communities, and society.

The other Wes Moore is a story of two men who happen to have a same name but live very different life. They faced almost similar difficulties in their youth but went down different paths. While the author grew up to achieve great things in life, Wes Moore chose a path of drugs and violence which led him to commit a murder spending every day of the rest of his life in prison. Raised in fatherless home, both had a impact from their father’s absence. The author had a emotional impact as lose him in his young age where as the other Wes Moore was bitter about his father’s absence from his life. For both of them, their mother was the most important figure in their life. Their mother did their best to provide them with every opportunity to improve their life and get on the path of success. Though the book heavily discusses identity, gun violence, drug abuse and other significant issues, sexism also plays an immense portrayal.

Sexism is a discrimination based on person’s sex or gender. It mostly affects women and girls. It is a belief one gender is superior to another. Sexism is a social issue because of the unequal rights, and privilege between men and women. Wes Moore’s The other Wes Moore: one name , two fates, illustrates sexism by exploring domestic violence, single parent household, abandonment and multiple sexual relationships in order to raise social awareness.

Domestic violence is defined as one person using any means to control the other person. Women are most of time victims of abuse as the society is solely male dominated. Sometimes women are powerlessThe Other Wes Moore: One name, two fates features a great deal of violence. The author’s step father was abusive towards his mother. Bill and the author’s mother (Mary) had an unhappy marriage. Bill was addicted to alcohol and drugs. One night, Bill grabbed her by her hair and hit her. Within a month, she and Nikki left him. According to Anita Raj, author of the ‘Public health impact of marital violence against women in India.’ and expert in psychology, a research done in December 2019, eight percent of ever married women were kicked, dragged or beaten by their husband in India. But domestic violence takes various forms. It is not only a physical abuse but psychological, sexual or economic abuse as well. It can severely affect the victim. One in four women will experience domestic violence in their life time. Some victims are powerless to fight against it. Domestic violence is taking place at every part of the world. It is one of the most serious public health and criminal justices issues women face in today’s life.

Sexism can not only be described as domestic violence. Single parenthood is also a sexism. Single parent could be a men or a women who lives with a child or children. They doesn’t have a spouse or live-in partner. The book, The other Wes Moore is also a story of a single mother who sacrificed their dreams and did their best to provide them with every opportunity. Bernard (other Wes’s father) gets her mother pregnant after few months of meeting and disappeared. He was an alcoholic and had no stable job. Mary raised Wes and his older half brother on her own. She attended college- part time to fulfill her dreams but the federal funding supporting Mary’s tution was canceled and she went to work full-time. The author was also raised by single mother but had her parents to support her. His mother could remove Wes from dangerous due to family resources but the other Wes’s mother couldnot change Wes because she had no other resources. She was all on her own. Had she a husband the other Wes future would have been different.

A common use of setting in books, films and plays, is to create an atmosphere and set a scene. Without it, the audience is left with a feeling of disconnect and emptiness. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the setting pushes along the values and beliefs of people from that time. In the early 20th century, the mindset of people in the United States, especially in the south, was very different compared to modern-day thinking. Acts of racism, sexism, or classism were brushed over, and never given a second thought. Whereas nowadays, these acts will lead to a swift kick of justice; for there is no tolerance for such heinous crimes. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, acts of racism, sexism and classism, that occur in the town of Maycomb, are very prominent throughout the story, which influences the characters and plot.

One of the major themes of the novel is racism and the acts that surround it. In most cases, the white people in the book make negative remarks or act irrationally against people of colour, but in some instances, it is the contrary. For instance, Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her church on Sunday. Everything is going well until someone approaches them with feelings of resentment. In the novel, Lula, a black woman, says, “you ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (Lee 158). Although Jem and Scout are mere children, because of their skin colour, they are associated with the rest of their race beliefs. This instance shows racism is not always one-sided. Even if one race is the initiator, the other should not contribute to the animosity. Furthermore, another issue surrounding racism is mixed marriages. Mixed marriages at the time were considered disgraceful. In the novel, Jem tells Scout, “they don’t belong anywhere. Coloured folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re coloured, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere. But Mr. Dolphus, now, they say he’s shipped two of his up north. They don’t mind ‘em up north” (Lee 215). The enmity between black and white people deems families of mixed race as sinful and wrong. However, in the northern states, colour people did not have to deal with this abhorrence. Later on in the 1960s, the Black Power movement was formed to combat the antipathy created from previous years of resentment between the blacks and whites in the United States.

In general, the town is reluctant to embrace change. Everyone seems to accept the classicist, racist, and sexist attitudes that they persist in. In the novel, Jem has an epiphany, and tells Scout, “there’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbours, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes” (Lee 302). The class system in Maycomb is the shape of a pyramid; like most societies. At the very bottom, there are the Robinsons and people alike. Due to their skin colour, wealth, education and social standing, they are forced down to the lowest level in the social pyramid. Above them are the Ewells. Although their wealth and education are at a bare minimum, the only aspect that puts them apart from the Robinsons is their skin colour; thus levelling them higher. Slightly higher, there are the Cunninghams. Despite being dirt-poor, they are more hard-working than the Ewells, and are white, unlike the Robinsons, which pushes them to the second level of the pyramid. Finally, at the top, there are the Finches. In today’s terms, they would be roughly around middle-class, but back then, due to their education, skin colour and wealth, place at the very top of the pyramid. Under these circumstances, people that are in a certain class are bound to a future that the class allows them to reach. At the time, black people were not expected to have an education, as they were considered low-level workers. That is why when a coloured man is accused of a crime, the system will treat them differently from a privileged upper-class white man. In the novel, from Scout’s point of view, it states, “Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom’s death for perhaps two days; two days were enough for the information to spread through the county […] To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a coloured person to cut and run. Typical of a coloured person’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw” (Lee 322). Maycomb is a prime example of the mindset back then. Everyone had the same racist, sexist and classist thinking. However, the few that did not were disliked for their revolutionary thoughts. People like Atticus Finch and Mrs. Maudie, open-minded and educated people, were not liked by many. Though it is not showcased in the novel, lynching was a major part of black history. Between the late 19th century to the early 20th century, in the south, lynching was a prevalent way to relieve the feeling of indignation the white felt towards the recently freed black.

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, acts of racism, sexism and classism, that occur in the town of Maycomb are very prominent throughout the story, which influences the characters and plot. Unlike today, back then, it was not common for people of different races to study together, use public transportation, date or marry, since the racial segregation was hindering them from doing as they please. The societal classes also prevented coloured people from having rights. Since they were at the bottom of the pyramid, there was little to no respect given to them as a class. While too young to understand, the effects of these matters influence Scout’s beliefs and values. The racist remarks, sexist undertones, and classist living all shape her thoughts and actions. Overall, the themes of racial segregation, prejudice, and social inequality improve the plot. Maycomb, as a town, is the embodiment of those themes. The thoughts, actions, and values of those who live there are expressed through the many events that occur throughout the story. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, exemplifies the harsh conditions coloured people had to live in and proves the importance of unity, despite diversity.

The story begins with a man, Nick Carraway, who used to serve in the military and moved from Minnesota to West Egg in New York. His mysterious, wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby threw massive parties at his house every night. There were seven major characters. Jay Gatsby, a human example of everything Nick hated about New York and was obsessed with Daisy: a rich and beautiful woman obsessed with money, it is all she cares for. Her husband, Tom Buchanan, was one of Nick’s colleagues back at Yale. He also cheated on Daisy, with many women, one of whom was Myrtle Wilson; his mistress. Myrtle was married to George, an auto repair shop owner who was faithful to his wife. Lastly, Jordan Baker, who was a professional golf player. She was a friend of Daisy’s and became Nick’s love interest. Residents in this town lived in one of three places based on their “richness” level. “The East Egg”, people who live in this area are, “Old Money” because they were born into wealthy. Buchanan’s lived there. “The West Egg”, residents who lived there are called, “New Money”, because they have become rich more recently. Both Gatsby and Nick live in that area. “The Valley of Ashes”, are the residents who lived in poverty. The people who are the lowest rank of the social class in New York, like where the Wilsons live. The conflict of the story is that Gatsby wanted something he could not have: Daisy, and a shot at being in the American upper class. Tom wanted something he could not have: a mistress and a wife who knew nothing about each other. Nick wanted something that he definitely could not have: to have all these crazy people stop being crazy. Nick could not handle the snobby New Yorkers. (connecting piece) In “The Great Gatsby”, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays how women use money as a driving force behind their decisions, highly sexualized, and how dependent women are on men.

In “The Great Gatsby”, when looking for a man, women could care less about love, all they wanted was a high social class and wealth. “In June she married Tom Buchanan of Chicago…and the day before the wedding he gave her a string of pearls at three hundred and fifty thousand dollars”(75). This quote shows how Daisy was easily swayed by Tom’s money. Daisy did not love him for who he was she just wanted to have loads of money and expensive items. It also ties into the saying, “Money buys happiness”. Daisy was in love with Gatsby but married Tom Buchanan because of his higher status in society and his wealth. An infinite number of women tried to separate him from his money”(99). As stated above, the majority of women just wanted to marry the rich. They did not look at who the man is personality-wise. If the man had money and was successful, then that was how women based their decisions. Historians call the women in the 1920s, the first generation of independent American women. There were two types of women. Rural and farm-related jobs to jobs in cities and factories. Some women were called ‘flappers’. These types of women were much bolder and had more freedom in their clothes and manners. Their attire consisted of dresses shorter and lighter due to the rationing of materials. In Gatsby, “flappers” we’re different from other women. These women were allowed to party, drive, travel around the country without a man, and have “flings” rather than marry. But men still hold women in their place. Men were allowed to commit adultery, whereas for a woman it is unheard of. In the 1920s, women were supposed to be an accessory to men, used for only their bodies. Although this was how it was, women found a way past it. Women used men for money and their materialistic items.

Women in Gatsby were highly sexualized. Men only cared about the physical traits a woman had. “Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth-but there was an excitement in her voice that men who had cared for her found difficult to forget”(22). This quote shows how men only look for what a woman has to offer on the outside. “Miss Baker is a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage, which she accentuated by throwing her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet”(11). Personality traits were not something men looked for in the 1920s, as this quote shows they are more interested in features on the body. Men in the 1920s just wanted to marry a woman for pleasure and as an accessory. As said earlier, “flappers” were free spirits. They wore scandalous outfits and went out every night. They were asking men to take advantage of them. Back in the day, men were supposed to do all the hard work and earn money, whereas women stayed at home the housewives. But, the women in Gatsby did not sit at home and do nothing. Men took advantage and took power over women. Women were not allowed to do most things a man could, such as serve on a jury, use degrees to the fullest, etc. therefore, implying women are useless. They were addressed as girls or bitches, rather than being called a woman. In the 1920s, every man had the same lens to see a woman as simple-minded and their inability to do anything but cook, clean, and be there for a man physically.

Throughout the book, Fitzgerald points out how reliant women were on men. “If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily, and say: ‘Where’s Tom gone?’ and wear the most abstracted expression until she saw him coming in the door.”(37). This quote shows how Daisy was very reliant on her husband Tom. She felt like she did not know what to do if he was not there. This shows how women in the 1920s, did not know a life without being “glued” to their husbands all the time. “Through this twilight universe, Daisy began to move again with the season; suddenly she was again keeping half a dozen dates a day with half a dozen men, and drowsing asleep at dawn with the beads and chiffon of an evening dress tangled among dying orchids on the floor beside her bed. And all the time something within her was crying for a decision. She wanted her life shaped now, immediately – and the decision must be made by some force – of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality – that was close at hand” (19). Daisy could not make one simple decision for herself, without a man’s input. Daisy needed a man, she felt like she could not make the most logical choice for herself without one. In the 1920s, women were very reliant on men. For shelter, food, money, etc. But, men were very controlling over women. They did not give them any room to breathe, they were always trying to say what they could and could not do. On the other hand, men were allowed to do anything they wanted, which seemed unfair. Back then, women were highly discriminated against and limited in what they could do. As stated previously, women were seen as simple-minded. In society, men were supposed to do everything, and women were supposed to just take care of their men. As a result of that, women became very dependent on men and felt lost if they left for even a second. Even for small things, like figuring out what to eat. Then, women were not independent.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald related gender roles in the 1920s and “The Great Gatsby” very well. He showed how reliant women are on men, how women are highly sexualized, and how “money crazy” they are. Women were not independent at this point which led to these reasons. The reason to chase after money and are rich, is because they are not allowed to work. Since women were not allowed to work, they were considered useless which led to men taking advantage of them and using them and wearing them around like an accessory. Finally, women not being independent was highly based on the fact that men overpowered them, so women felt lost with them. As time evolved, women got more independent and stuck up for themselves, were allowed to work, vote, and so on. It took time for society to realize women needed the same rights as a man. Although we have gender discrimination problems today, it is certainly not as bad as it was in the 1920s.

Introduction

Individuals travel to great lengths and risk their lives to escape unfair or unjust conditions to seek work or an even better life. This can oftentimes lead to structural violence. In this paper, I argue that the Vietnamese migrants traveling from Vietnam to Europe are being faced with structural violence on their journey as well as when arriving at their destination and are introduced to a whole new world where their superiors use them as a commodity or labor rather than as a human being. I demonstrate that this is an example of structural violence by the harsh conditions that are inflicted upon these immigrants in their nation, on their journey, and on their path to a new life.

Structural Violence

As Seth Holmes and Paul Farmer described and demonstrated in their studies structural violence is a form of violence that is systematically a way in which a specific group of people is treated unequally through political, social, and economic processes. This form of violence is what harms discriminated and disadvantaged individuals from meeting their basic needs. Structural violence is implemented by those higher in power and/or social structure. It can often be classified around race, status, nationality, gender, and sexuality. Often people don’t realize or care about the harm they are putting on those in these disadvantaged groups because it has been ingrained in the social and cultural ideology.

Immigration of the Vietnamese People

For decades migrants that have traveled from Vietnam to Europe and the UK have originated from a handful of poor provinces in Vietnam. These immigrants have come “from the northern city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province, but more recently there has been the growth of irregular migration from three central provinces, Nghe An, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh, which are comparatively poorer”(Le 1). In the neighboring provinces of Nghe An and Hai Tinh specifically many are leaving due to the site of the country’s worst environmental disaster, a chemical spill from a steel factory in 2016 that poisoned up to 125 miles of the northern coastline and devastated the local fishing industry. This environmental disaster has made the livelihoods of fishermen and rice farmers in northern-central Vietnam very problematic, which is why there is an immediate push factor towards migration. Many of these migrants consist of children ages 15 to 17 as well as young adults both men and women.

Structural Violence Among the Vietnamese Immigrants

The most common reason for the vast majority of Vietnamese citizens illegally migrating has to do with the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam is a socialist country, that is a rule under the leadership of the Communist Party. That means all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Over the decades, the Vietnam government has been depriving its people in the rural, northern coastline regions of their basic needs and discriminating against those with different economic and social status. Those living in the poor and problematic provinces, such as Nghe An and Ha Tinh, suffer a great deal of inequality in their nation. Due to the recent 2016 environmental disaster, individuals in the northern regions have not received any government aid to rebuild the environment and agriculture back to safe farmable land, which has caused these individuals to lose money trying to live in these destroyed areas. Because of the government’s unfair treatment towards those in less wealthy populations, people have forced themselves to leave the only life they know and choose the path of hardship and sacrifice which they feel is their only chance to have a better life for themselves and their families.

As these individuals migrate to Europe they have to put themselves in harm’s way, such as risking their lives in trusting smugglers to take them safely and quickly to their destination. Usually, those trying to escape to Europe will pay a smuggler to be hidden in a secret compartment of a truck, or hide in a truck close to the harbor without the driver noticing. Often those smuggling the immigrants take advantage of and blackmail their passengers for their sexual benefits. For instance, the women migrating from Vietnam are particularly susceptible to sexual exploitation at the hands of traffickers. Due to their sex and lack of authority, they are taken advantage of by their smuggler with no repercussions. The smugglers know what they’re doing is wrong, however, because they know that these women are traveling into Europe illegally the women are wary of the police and unlikely to report their exploitation in fear of being sent back to where therefrom.

Once, these individuals arrive at their European destination they are sent to do the highly demanded jobs for low-skilled labor and harsh working conditions. For instance, the boys are usually sent to work in cannabis farms where they are locked inside converted houses and forced to tend to the plants day and night. As for the girls, they are sent to work in nail salons.

When it comes to the work environment many of the individuals, such as those working in the cannabis farmers, experience threats and abuse from their leadership. They are forced to work night and day with little to no pay, and a lack of freedom. As these examples show, the migrating Vietnamese people are being treated unfairly in their own country and places outside of their nation making them victims of structural violence.

Introduction

Individuals travel to great lengths and risk their lives to escape unfair or unjust conditions to seek work or an even better life. This can oftentimes lead to structural violence. In this paper, I argue that the Vietnamese migrants traveling from Vietnam to Europe are being faced with structural violence on their journey as well as when arriving at their destination and are introduced to a whole new world where their superiors use them as a commodity or labor rather than as a human being. I demonstrate that this is an example of structural violence by the harsh conditions that are inflicted upon these immigrants in their nation, on their journey, and on their path to a new life.

Structural Violence

As Seth Holmes and Paul Farmer described and demonstrated in their studies structural violence is a form of violence that is systematically a way in which a specific group of people is treated unequally through political, social, and economic processes. This form of violence is what harms discriminated and disadvantaged individuals from meeting their basic needs. Structural violence is implemented by those higher in power and/or social structure. It can often be classified around race, status, nationality, gender, and sexuality. Often people don’t realize or care about the harm they are putting on those in these disadvantaged groups because it has been ingrained in the social and cultural ideology.

Immigration of the Vietnamese People

For decades migrants that have traveled from Vietnam to Europe and the UK have originated from a handful of poor provinces in Vietnam. These immigrants have come “from the northern city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province, but more recently there has been the growth of irregular migration from three central provinces, Nghe An, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh, which are comparatively poorer”(Le 1). In the neighboring provinces of Nghe An and Hai Tinh specifically many are leaving due to the site of the country’s worst environmental disaster, a chemical spill from a steel factory in 2016 that poisoned up to 125 miles of the northern coastline and devastated the local fishing industry. This environmental disaster has made the livelihoods of fishermen and rice farmers in northern-central Vietnam very problematic, which is why there is an immediate push factor towards migration. Many of these migrants consist of children ages 15 to 17 as well as young adults both men and women.

Structural Violence Among the Vietnamese Immigrants

The most common reason for the vast majority of Vietnamese citizens illegally migrating has to do with the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam is a socialist country, that is a rule under the leadership of the Communist Party. That means all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Over the decades, the Vietnam government has been depriving its people in the rural, northern coastline regions of their basic needs and discriminating against those with different economic and social status. Those living in the poor and problematic provinces, such as Nghe An and Ha Tinh, suffer a great deal of inequality in their nation. Due to the recent 2016 environmental disaster, individuals in the northern regions have not received any government aid to rebuild the environment and agriculture back to safe farmable land, which has caused these individuals to lose money trying to live in these destroyed areas. Because of the government’s unfair treatment towards those in less wealthy populations, people have forced themselves to leave the only life they know and choose the path of hardship and sacrifice which they feel is their only chance to have a better life for themselves and their families.

As these individuals migrate to Europe they have to put themselves in harm’s way, such as risking their lives in trusting smugglers to take them safely and quickly to their destination. Usually, those trying to escape to Europe will pay a smuggler to be hidden in a secret compartment of a truck, or hide in a truck close to the harbor without the driver noticing. Often those smuggling the immigrants take advantage of and blackmail their passengers for their sexual benefits. For instance, the women migrating from Vietnam are particularly susceptible to sexual exploitation at the hands of traffickers. Due to their sex and lack of authority, they are taken advantage of by their smuggler with no repercussions. The smugglers know what they’re doing is wrong, however, because they know that these women are traveling into Europe illegally the women are wary of the police and unlikely to report their exploitation in fear of being sent back to where therefrom.

Once, these individuals arrive at their European destination they are sent to do the highly demanded jobs for low-skilled labor and harsh working conditions. For instance, the boys are usually sent to work in cannabis farms where they are locked inside converted houses and forced to tend to the plants day and night. As for the girls, they are sent to work in nail salons.

When it comes to the work environment many of the individuals, such as those working in the cannabis farmers, experience threats and abuse from their leadership. They are forced to work night and day with little to no pay, and a lack of freedom. As these examples show, the migrating Vietnamese people are being treated unfairly in their own country and places outside of their nation making them victims of structural violence.

American society can be considered as having both racist and sexist traits yet are not as overt as they were prior to the start of the American Civil Rights Movement during the mid 1900s and the Women’s Suffrage Movement during the mid 1800s. As a whole, American society has slowly, over the course of several decades, become more racially accepting and “gender blind” (i.e. equality between the sexes) due to gender and racial equality becoming societal norms as well as the implementation of legislation specifically preventing discrimination based on an individuals race or gender (Niwa, Way, and Hughes 2342). However, despite these positive changes, there are still some social elements that reinforce gender and race stereotypes. For instance, African Americans and Latin Americans are at times racially stereotyped as having criminal backgrounds and are often singled out by the police during investigations. The inherent problem with this type of stereotyping is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy wherein due to societal views regarding these races, they are given limited opportunities (Salupo 348).

This creates a situation where some African Americans and Latin Americans have to turn towards crime which reinforces the connection between their races and criminal behavior. On the other end of the spectrum, while women’s rights have continued to improve over the past three decades, American society is still primarily patriarchal. This type of orientation influences how the role of women is viewed in society resulting in subtle methods of discrimination when it comes to hiring practices and supposed social roles that should be “exclusively” for women (Morris 77). Reinforcing these notions are programs seen on television which reinforce social ideas regarding race and gender (i.e. portraying African Americans and Latin Americans as having criminal orientations as well as showing women as having subservient roles to men). This type of reinforcement helps to subtly perpetuate adverse preconceptions regarding particular races and women resulting in the type of society that we see in America today that is a mix of both being socially accepting regarding race and gender as well as being biased (Harnois 473).

Racism at Iona Prep

The case of Iona Prep in particular is an excellent example of subtle racism in action wherein teasing regarding race is seen as normal and having no malice behind the insinuations. However, the fact remains that the idea continues to be perpetuated resulting in an “us and them” attitude instead of merely thinking of all people as the same. This causes the act of racism to continue despite racial diversity being accpeted as a common and even desired state within the school.

Statistics on Hate Crimes in the U.S.

Based on the latest statistical polls by the FBI, hate crimes within the U.S. have remained at a steady average of 225,000 cases per year with African Americans being the majority target for most hate crimes (Nadler and Stockdale 283). What this shows is thate despite greater acceptnce for racial diversity, there is still an underlying sense of racism present in the U.S.

Understanding Racism

The problem is that American society has yet to reach a point where it is “gender blind” wherein it would not matter whether the person delivering their Chinese food to them was Chinese or not. It should not matter at all and they should just consider the person as their delivery guy without having to think whether a Chinese person delivering Chinese food is the company being racist.

Racism in the Workplace

Unfortunately, as seen in American society at the present, workplace discrimination does occur wherein racial stereotypes regarding job roles (ex: Asians being good at math) continue to be prevalent (Richardson 1301).

Works Cited

Harnois, Catherine E. “Are Perceptions Of Discrimination Unidimensional, Oppositional, Or Intersectional? Examining The Relationship Among Perceived Racial–Ethnic-, Gender-, And Age-Based Discrimination.” Sociological Perspectives 57.4 (2014): 470-487. Print

Morris, Pamela D. “Gender Bias In Labor Market Outcomes: U.S. Unemployment Rates Of Men And Women By Educational Attainment Levels And Racial Classifications.” Insights To A Changing World Journal 4 (2010): 76-96. Print

Nadler, Joel T., and Margaret S. Stockdale. “Workplace Gender Bias: Not Just Between Strangers.” North American Journal Of Psychology 14.2 (2012): 281-291. Print

Niwa, Erika Y., Niobe Way, and Diane L. Hughes. “Trajectories Of Ethnic-Racial Discrimination Among Ethnically Diverse Early Adolescents: Associations With Psychological And Social Adjustment.” Child Development 85.6 (2014): 2339- 2354. Print

Richardson, Bridget. “Associations Of Racial Discrimination And Parental Discrimination Coping Messages With African American Adolescent Racial Identity.” Journal Of Youth & Adolescence 44.6 (2015): 1301. Print

Salupo, Marnie. “Perceived Discrimination: Multiple Measures And The Intersections Of Race And Gender.” Journal Of African American Studies 12.4 (2008): 348- 365. Print

Sexism is a widespread issue in the contemporary world. Unfortunately, some of the perpetrators are not aware that they are sexist because they have been brought up in a tolerant society that values machismo and chauvinism. Apparently, sexism has infiltrated the writing arena and writers continue to practice it in their writings and language. Broadly, sexist language involves the use of words that disgrace, humble, ignore, or stereotype people of a particular gender. Unfortunately, women suffer greatly from sexist language. The following are ways to avoid sexist language.

The central antidote to sexist language is the use of epicene. Epicene primarily underscores the use of non-gendered language (West & Turner, 2009). The use of epicene appreciates the application of gender-neutral language. In writing and talking, one should apply, where possible, gender-neutral pronouns and nouns as opposed to gender-specific ones. For instance, instead of using the word ‘businessman’, which conventionally refers to both men and women in business, one should use the word ‘businessperson’.

In addition, instead of saying ‘dear sir’ while addressing an unknown person, it is advisable to use ‘dear sir/madam’. The inclusion of the phrase ‘sir/madam’ neutralizes any sexist connotations carried in the word ‘sir’ when used alone.

On the same note, when citing people generally, one should apply plural pronouns. In this case, instead of using ‘he or she’, the best way to write or speak is to use ‘they’. In this case, if the individuals referred to are from a particular gender or from any gender, they will not feel offended for being referred to inappropriately. Similarly, when referring to persons individually, it is prudent to use words that reflect parallelism in terms of gender. For instance, instead of saying, “I now pronounce Mike and Mary man and wife”, it would make sense to say – ‘I now pronounce Mike and Mary husband and wife”. The parallel of man is woman and so is husband to wife. Unfortunately, the society has been cultured to refer to these terms involuntarily, but people can learn in the quest to eliminate sexism in language.

In cases where one is uncertain of the marriage status of a woman being referred to, it is advisable to stick to ‘Ms’ instead of ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs.’ Moreover, the word ‘madam’ would suit well in such cases. The word female has generated heated debates of late and the best advice is to avoid it where possible. In cases where it has to be used, it should be used as an adjective but not noun.

The most radical approach to combating sexism in language is to restructure the English language and ban all gender-specific words. In this evolutionary approach, the word ‘mankind’ should be replaced with ‘humankind’ so that women do not feel stereotyped when being referred to using ‘mankind’. On the same note, the word man should be banned and be replaced by ‘human’. This move is likely to be costly, but it is worth. Furthermore, the word ‘bossy’ should be censored as it depicts girls and women negatively. The word ‘bossy’ should be replaced with a kinder word like ‘assertive’ because, conventionally, women or girls referred to as ‘bossy’ are simply assertive and they know who they are. They are champions of equality and they should not be punished for standing for what many would wish, but they cannot for lack of courage, means, or reason.

Reference

West, R., & Turner, L. (2009). Understanding Interpersonal Communication: Making Choices in Changing Times. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Web.

Advancement of Women

There are barriers which inhibit women from progressing in their workplaces. Some of barriers include the positions held by women in workplaces where most of them hold positions in informal sectors of the financial systems where advancing opportunities are low. The ones employed in large firms are mostly positioned at the lower organizational hierarchies with also low promotion opportunities.

Many women are restricted to access of education at first-rate thus being restricted in job opportunities. Women are always channeled into less complex working positions thus low wages.

Social norms and power in organizations exhibit invisible foundations that determine organization structures keeping women from advancing. Maternal responsibilities where women are involved in childbearing and rearing also act as a barrier to their advancement in workplaces in relation to their little time concentration at work.

Men at Home as a Caretaker

Men are also primary caretakers at home even though they are faced with barriers which prevent them from carrying out this responsibility. These barriers include high demand in their workplaces as compared to that of women and societal barriers.

Society barriers and traditional masculine customs act as barriers where men are not supposed to be primary caretakers to their children instead they are generally supposed to support them financially.

At workplaces there are many rules governing parental leave being stricter to males than in women. The theories that we have studied in class relate with these biases that inhibit women in their advancement at workplaces at the same time barriers preventing men from working at home.