Gender Inequality and Discrimination in America What is your first memory of a child? Was it blowing out the candles on your birthday cake, or was it playing a game with a friend? Was it riding a bike or making a snowman? Many of these events will most likely be remembered of your childhood, but the memory of how you were socially biased will not be. The memory of being wrapped in a socially acceptable colored blanket depending on your gender either boy or girl. How your mother spoke to you, with a soft voice of understanding or concern if you were likely a boy, and how if you were a girl you were likely given a baby doll to play with instead of a truck. Throughout history gender differences have been exemplified given a particular culture. In the USA the role of the female has endured much discrimination as with racial discrimination. Many factors contribute to the problem of gender inequality [1]; two of these factors will be discussed, social structural factors and social psychological factors. Attitudes and values of both men and women perpetuate gender inequality. Past attitudes have reflected the traditional role of the female within society: the notion that women are less capable and competent as men. Within this traditional role, a woman's place is in the home, as the guardian of the social order. Gender roles are evident within any society. Not all roles follow these traditional roles of male dominance and submissive women. Such societies take on roles, which are the betterment of the community. An example would be the study performed by Margaret Mead (1969), of three primitive New Guinea tribes. Mead states that the meaning of being male and female is determined not only biologically but also... ...without gender differences we would all be as robots cohabitating in a fantasy world of equality. I took on this topic because of the strong emotion I feel as a women living with such discrimination in our society. As subtle as some discriminations are, there is no denying the definite battle of inequality women face daily within our society. Even with the economic, social, political and educational inequality that women must overcome, I will accept the fight, rather than conform to a non-gender society as stated by Bem. The desire of most women, including myself, is not to be the same as men but to be given the same opportunities and options in life. I believe in the philosophy that you can be whatever your heart desires. If a women strives hard enough, the trials and tribulations she may face along her chosen path will only make her stronger in the end. Gender Inequality and Discrimination in America Essay -- Essays Papers Gender Inequality and Discrimination in America What is your first memory of a child? Was it blowing out the candles on your birthday cake, or was it playing a game with a friend? Was it riding a bike or making a snowman? Many of these events will most likely be remembered of your childhood, but the memory of how you were socially biased will not be. The memory of being wrapped in a socially acceptable colored blanket depending on your gender either boy or girl. How your mother spoke to you, with a soft voice of understanding or concern if you were likely a boy, and how if you were a girl you were likely given a baby doll to play with instead of a truck. Throughout history gender differences have been exemplified given a particular culture. In the USA the role of the female has endured much discrimination as with racial discrimination. Many factors contribute to the problem of gender inequality [1]; two of these factors will be discussed, social structural factors and social psychological factors. Attitudes and values of both men and women perpetuate gender inequality. Past attitudes have reflected the traditional role of the female within society: the notion that women are less capable and competent as men. Within this traditional role, a woman's place is in the home, as the guardian of the social order. Gender roles are evident within any society. Not all roles follow these traditional roles of male dominance and submissive women. Such societies take on roles, which are the betterment of the community. An example would be the study performed by Margaret Mead (1969), of three primitive New Guinea tribes. Mead states that the meaning of being male and female is determined not only biologically but also... ...without gender differences we would all be as robots cohabitating in a fantasy world of equality. I took on this topic because of the strong emotion I feel as a women living with such discrimination in our society. As subtle as some discriminations are, there is no denying the definite battle of inequality women face daily within our society. Even with the economic, social, political and educational inequality that women must overcome, I will accept the fight, rather than conform to a non-gender society as stated by Bem. The desire of most women, including myself, is not to be the same as men but to be given the same opportunities and options in life. I believe in the philosophy that you can be whatever your heart desires. If a women strives hard enough, the trials and tribulations she may face along her chosen path will only make her stronger in the end.
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In the early stages of the twentieth century, little was known about cell membranes. Until the early 1950s, the biological cell membrane was rarely mentioned in scientific literature. It was recognised that something was probably there, but hardly anything about it was known. Considering the lack of technical equipment available a century ago, scientists such as Charles Overton and Edwin Gorter were not only exploring new territory in looking at the properties of cell membranes, but laying the way for future cell biologists. Scientists had to wait another fifty years for the discovery of the electron microscope, let alone seventy years for the advent of freeze fracturing techniques. Nageli and Cramer in 1855 had already suggested that biological cells are separated from their environment by a membrane possessing special characteristics, and in 1900 Overton performed some simple but classical experiments which proposed that cell membranes were composed of lipids (1). By measuring the permeability of various compounds across the membrane of a frog muscle, Overton found some interesting results. He observed that lipophilic molecules (molecules attracted to fat solvents) could easily cross this cell membrane, however larger lipid insoluble molecules could not. He also observed that small polar molecules could slowly cross the membrane. Other experiments with the likes of hen eggs suggested the presence of a lipid layer in the membrane. These results became known to biologists across the world and it was generally accepted that a semi-permeable lipid membrane surrounded some if not all cells (2). Although this was opening new doors for cell biologists, the information was widely disregarded. One hundred years ago biological fact was based on what could be seen and since the proposed lipid membrane was smaller than the wavelength of visible light it could not be studied under the light microscope. Most biologists merely concerned themselves with more evident structures. However, some scientists continued to dedicate their time to examining this ‘invisible’ structure. Two such biologists were the Dutch Edwin Gorter and F. Grendel. They recognised in 1925 that two such lipid layers existed. |