Like others, a social problem that is widespread in american society is gender inequality. It is important to understand what gender inequality is in order to identify and correct the problem. Two sub systems that gender inequality can be found are in the family and in the workplace. Gender inequality, in my definition, is the unequal and biased treatment between the two sexes. I strongly believe that the unequal treatment of women is something that should have stayed in primitive times. We are in the present now and we are far more advanced than we ever were and yet we are old school in our thinking of how men and women should be treated. I can strongly identify with gender inequality because many of my closest friends have faced it or still face it.

Materialist theories define gender inequality as a result of how men and women are tied to the economic structure of society. They believe that women's role as a mother and wife are devalued by society and deny access to highly respected public opportunities. Gender stratification refers to the ranking of the sexes in such a way that women are unequal in power, resources, prestige, or worth. Materialist theories indicate that gender stratification is increased where women's work is dedicated toward the family and men's work is dedicated outward trade and the marketplace. There is an old saying that can apply to gender inequality this is a man's world.

Women have always been a step behind men because society has not accepted that women are just as capable as men. Knowing this to be a fact, its hard to accept that society can be so insensitive to women. Even in the sophisticated world that we live in, we can see gender inequality play an activ equality in education is an important issue, as gender equality guidelines improve education for both men and women. The goal of providing better education for women does not mean neglecting or suppressing men. By placing men and women on an equal level, the relatively increased valuing of women will also benefit men by informing them of the strengths, capabilities and contributions of members of the opposite sex. It may also decrease the pressure many boys feel to conform to the traditional roles, behaviors and ways of thinking.

Eventually, the stereotypes may be counteracted and eliminated, so education will be more gender balanced. In 1972 the us department of education passed title ix, a group of amendments designed to reform gender inequality in schools american association of university women, 1998. 28 , no person in the us shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal aid. The most well known result, and thus also the misconceived sole purpose, of title ix was the encouragement and support of many female sports teams in public schools, and the amendment improved gender disparities in other gender role discrimination may be considered by many to be nonexistent to today's society and that equality between the sexes has been achieved.

Gender roles and relations still play a part in perpetuating inequality, and the effects of gender roles in relation to childhood, family life and at work. Over the last 30 years companies as well as society have begun to recognize that the nature of jobs, the workplace environment, and more generally, the culture of the workplace can have a significant impact on the ability of workers to balance their work and family lives. Over the years there has been great effort made with respect to gender equality. Societies have slowly but changed their views on women working alongside men in various public and private companies which had been a male dominated territory previously. Due to various civil rights organizations, women's role in the work place has increased and that is not only in developed countries but also in developing countries which is good to see. In america due to the enactment of title vii, the wage income of women has increased by $22billion and more than four million were working in higher job categories raymond f.

Gender roles play an important role in shaping the way we think about others in society. Typically, the characterization of women as being ‘weak’ has prevailed in many different facets of women’s lives. For example, they are mainly perceived as being physically weaker, smaller and more fragile. Culturally, they are depicted as being passive and domesticated, all oriented towards submission and weakness.