Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Concepts

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Review of the Literature
Methodology
Ethical Considerations
References

Introduction

The concepts of women empowerment, gender equity, and gender equality have become very popular in the current society. However, Gutman (2013) observes that before the emergence of the new concepts that seek to empower both men and women, there was the Gender Role Theory. According to Goss (2013), gender role theory is a “socially and culturally defined prescriptions and beliefs about the behavior and emotions of men and women” (p. 41). Per society’s rules, there is a way in which men and women are expected to behave in the social setting. It may be possible that the current socio-economic and political environment requires a system that views men and women as equals. However, it is important to appreciate the physical and psychological differences between men and women.

Women are unique in their ways, and so are men (Brinton & Lee, 2016). The differences that exist between the two are complementary. The latter is meant to make it possible for men and women to work together in a socio-cultural and economic environment for the betterment of both. Although the theory is not very popular in modern society where the primary focus is to view both men and women as equals, it explains the fundamental differences between genders that one cannot ignore. In this quantitative research, the focus is to examine gender role theory and explain its relevance in modern society using correlational research design. A survey will be used to facilitate the collection of data.

Review of the Literature

Understanding the Theory of Gender Role

According to Georgellis and Sankae (2016), the Theory of Gender Role emerged out of the consistent work of different psychologists who were interested in explaining the differences between men and women from a socio-economic angle. In 1975, Stephanie Shields authored a journal that explained the changing psychology of women based on the Darwinian Theory of Evolution (Huimin & Hang, 2017). Her work focused on functionalism, especially how the role of women has changed over time. Sandra Bem came up with the Sex-Role Inventory in 1981, while Nancy Chodorow developed the Theory of Gender Schema (Schaumberg & Flynn, 2017). David Buss’s Evolutionary Theory and Alice Eagly’s Social Role Theory all focused on explaining the changing role of men and women in society. Gender Role Theory was a culmination of all these theories that were developed by the 19^th and 20^th-century psychologists. Goss (2013) notes that the concept of gender role had been used even before the works of the above psychologists. It was first used in 1955 by John Money when studying intersex individuals. However, the term and its meaning have evolved.

Traditionally, men and women were expected to assume specific roles because of the differences in physical might and perception of role differentiation. In many societies around the world, men were expected to be the breadwinners of their families. On the other hand, women were expected to take care of their homes and children. However, that role has been changing consistently over time. As of late women are finding themselves as the breadwinners in many families around the world. The time has come where gender roles need to be redefined in a way that expresses the reality in modern society.

The Relevance of Gender Role in the Modern Society

According to a report by Barnes-Farrell and Petery (2017), about 50 percent of marriages in the United States collapse. In Australia, 1 in every three marriages ends up in divorce. In Canada, the rate at which marriage is likely to collapse is 38%, while that in the United Kingdom is 42%. Divorce often has serious negative consequences, and such statistics are disheartening. The legal battle sometimes degenerates into physical fights and even murder. The economic consequences of divorce can be tough on any family. Children who are forced to grow up without the full support and presence of both parents are some of the most undesirable consequences of the process. It begs the question of why are cases such as divorce on the rise not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. Goss (2013) argues that one of the reasons why divorce cases are on the rise is the fact that society has ignored the importance of gender roles. Men and women no longer know their positions in their families because the lines are blurred, and both want to be equal. Although infidelity and economic reasons are often cited, Gutman (2013) believes that the existence of two centers of power is the most common reason for the collapse of many marriages.

Society has come to embrace the cliché that a woman can do all that a man can. As such, there is a lack of leadership in many families. On the one hand, a woman would want to ensure that things work according to her standards because she is a breadwinner as well and in some cases the main breadwinner of the family (Paustian-Underdahl, Walker, & Woehr, 2014). However, a man would want to believe that society bestows a sense of leadership on him in a family setting. When the interests of the man and the woman start conflicting, it becomes difficult to find a happy medium. The two parties may fail to agree on issues because of the desire to be perceived as the final authority in the family. Such families easily end up in divorce after a short period. Gutman (2013) argues that society is forgetting the issue of gender roles. In any social setting, families included, there must be a leader whose decision trumps all when conflict arises (Zyphur, Li, Zhang, Arvey, & Barsky, 2015). That does not mean the leader will be a dictator but, the final stamp. There must always be room for discussion, especially on the fundamental issues.

Whenever such a social setting has two centers of power, it will likely collapse after a while. In a family setting, parents are expected to work closely to provide leadership and care to the children. However, there should be a clear understanding of the person who the family members must rely on to make critical decisions (Yam, Christian, Wei, Liao, & Nai, 2018). This theory will help in explaining how modern society has taken a path that is different from what it was traditionally the trend. Indeed, the socio-economic, political, and technological changes have been very beneficial to the current generation. However, it is necessary to review some of the emerging socio-cultural practices common in modern society and their consequences. Gender role goes beyond explaining the perceived functions of men and women in society. It explains the behavioral patterns of both genders, based on numerous factors. It explains why men and women are likely to behave differently when handling similar issues within a socio-economic power. As Goss (2013) observes, this theory does not primarily focus on refuting current concepts such as gender equity and women’s empowerment. Its primary argument is that to have a harmonized society, it is necessary to understand and embrace gender roles in social settings.

Methodology

It is important to note that this will be a quantitative study using a correlational research design. Gender Role Theory is currently one of the most relevant concepts that can help in explaining the increasing incidences of divorce and what can be done to address the problem. It will be necessary to conduct further research on this topic to understand the issue. In this section, it is necessary to explain the approach that will be used to collect and analyze data.

Sampling

Primary data will have to be collected from psychologists, family counselors, and educationists who understand the concept of gender role and its relevance in modern society. Given the limited time and the large population of the research group, it will be necessary to come up with a manageable sample of the entire population. The researcher will use a stratified sampling technique to identify the participants. The three strata that will be sampled will be educationists, psychologists, and family counselors. The three categories of professionals will help in explaining the relevance of this concept in modern society. In each stratum, the researcher will use simple random sampling to identify the specific participants to facilitate correlational research.

Data Collection

After the identification of the participants, the next important phase will be the actual data collection process. The respondents will be contacted through phone calls. The researcher will explain to them the nature of the study and its relevance. Their role will be explained as well. The questionnaire will then be sent to them via e-mail. They will be requested to answer all the questions and then send back the completed questionnaires. It is important to note that other than the primary data that will be collected from the sampled audience, the study will also be supported by secondary data that will be obtained from journal articles and books. The review of the literature is meant to provide background information and to avoid duplication of already existing knowledge.

Data Analysis

Once the data is collected, the researcher will conduct a quantitative analysis using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The questions will be structured to ensure that the responses obtained from the participants can be coded and quantified. The answers obtained from the structured questions will be coded in the SPSS software to facilitate the quantitative analysis. The output of the analysis will be presented in tables and graphs to make the readers understand the findings. The information obtained from the primary sources will be used to draw a comprehensive solution based on the relationships established. It is expected that the findings from this research will provide detailed information of the approach that should be taken to deal with the current gender role conflicts. The following hypothesis will be tested:

H1: The physical and socio-cultural factors make it necessary to define gender roles.

Ethical Considerations

When conducting this study, the researcher will be keen on observing various ethical concerns. One of the most important ethical requirements of a researcher is to seek for permission from relevant authorities when collecting data from employees of a given institution. The researcher will ensure that the necessary permissions are obtained. The researcher also plans to explain to the participants the importance of the study and the need for them to be part of it. All their questions will be answered. They will be reminded of their participation options in the study and the commitment of the researcher to protect their identities.

References

Barnes-Farrell, J., & Petery, G. (2017). The moderating role of employment status and gender on relationships between psychological age and health: A two-wave cross-lagged panel analysis of data from the health and retirement study. Work, Aging and Retirement, 4(1), 79–95,

Brinton, M., & Lee, D. (2016). Gender-role ideology, labor market institutions, and post-industrial fertility. Population and Development Review, 42(3), 405–433.

Georgellis, Y., & Sankae, N. (2016). The personality of managers in Britain: Gender and sector differences. Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, 4(1), 67-80.

Goss, A. (2013). The paradox of gender equality: How American women’s groups gained and lost their public voice. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

Gutman, S. (2013). Brain injury and gender role strain: Rebuilding adult lifestyles after injury. New York, NY: Routledge.

Huimin, L., & Hang, N. (2017). The effects of gender role orientation and career/family role salience on organizational identification and intention to leave. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 32(2), 111-127.

Paustian-Underdahl, S., Walker, L., & Woehr, D. (2014). Gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness: A meta-analysis of contextual moderators. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(6), 1129-1145.

Schaumberg, R., & Flynn, F. (2017). Self-reliance: A gender perspective on its relationship to communality and leadership evaluations. Academy of Management Journal, 60(5), 1859–1881.

Yam, K., Christian, M., Wei, W., Liao, Z., & Nai, J. (2018). The mixed blessing of leader sense of humor: Examining costs and benefits. Academy of Management Journal, 61(1), 348–369.

Zyphur, M., Li, W., Zhang, Z., Arvey, R., & Barsky, A. (2015). Income, personality, and subjective financial well-being: The role of gender in their genetic and environmental relationships. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1), 1-26.

Click Here To Order Now!