Globalization, Sexuality, Explore Gender Inequality In China

Your Name
Course No.
Professor
College/University
27th October 2017
(1) The gender/sexuality power relationship that is your key topic of interest or analytical “problem;”
Topic: Gender Inequality in China
Although the Chinese government has made significant progress in addressing issues of gender inequality since the Beijing conference, it’s emerging that institutional reforms alone cannot address gender inequality issues. It is deeply entrenched in the Chinese social cultural fabric as it’s linked to the communist ideologies such as Confucianism that created the Chinese family, institutional and governance structures. Thus the gender power relations subject has remained elusive due to the fact that the Chinese society is largely patriarchal. The institutional reforms that china has made are steps in the right direction; however gender equality cannot be achieved through such efforts. The research will explore gender inequality in china, and will attempt to evaluate the progress that china has made towards solving gender power imbalance issues
Some of the factors that have shaped the gender inequality discourse in the post Maoist china encompass Confucianism that largely emerged from Confucian teachings on gender roles (Jackson, 2008). Gender inequality has its roots in foot binding which dates back to the 11th century and was initiated by wealthy members of the society. Despite institutionalization of gender equality in the Mao era, gender inequality still prevalent.
(2) The agents or institutions shaping, resisting or conditioning this gender/sexuality issue or problem;
Organisations shaping/conditioning
-Women’s rights organisations
-Non-governmental organisations i.e. UN Human rights council
-Government Institutions
-Women Equality groups
-Civil Society Organisations
Organisations Resisting
-Communist government
-Patriarchal Society
-Social & cultural institutions
-Religious institutions
-The family institution
Institutions that are shaping the gender inequality debate in china includes women rights organisations, international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the UN Human rights council, local non-governmental organisations, government institutions such as National Working Committee on Children and Women (NWCCW) that is an umbrella body for multiple government institutions promoting gender equality. Other institutions shaping the gender equality debate includes women equality groups and civil society organisations. Organisations resisting gender equality includes government institutional frameworks, Chinese patriarchal society, socio-cultural institutions, religious institutions and the family institution among others.
The trends that have emerged since China’s economic reforms such as feminization of the informal sector and degradation of female occupations suggests that gender inequality is deeply entrenched within China’s economic system (Yang, 2016). Occupational discrimination is still prevalent within both private and public sectors thus denying women access to professional and white collar occupations.
(3) The mechanisms or factors or processes that enable this power or subject to "produce" gender/sexuality in particular ways,
Brainstorming
-Human rights activism, Gender equality activism, Confucianism, Gender stereotypes, Property ownership rights, Inequality in education, Inequality in employment, Unequal property inheritance rights, Unequal access to resources, Decision making inequality, Feminization of Poverty, structural marginalization. Other factors that promote gender inequality include gender pay differences, gender roles in parenting, gender inequality in relationships, property inheritance and structural marginalization.
Gender inequality is as a result of various mechanisms and processes. Processes that have informed the gender inequality debate includes human rights and gender equality activism, Confucianism , communist ideologies, gender stereotypes, property ownership rights, employment inequality, educational inequality, unequal property inheritance rights, unequal access to resources, decision making inequality, structural marginalization and feminization of poverty. Factors that have produced gender inequality include male chauvinism and patriarchal institutionalization.
Hukou System, a communist ideology has and continues to play a big role in promoting gender inequality (Ruskola, 1994). This system was used to inhibit and control rural urban mobility through a household registration system that remains influential in rural china. Hukou compels families to register in specific regions, thus limiting their access to education and healthcare to facilities within these regions. Given that Hukou is tied to maternal lineage, it leads to disproportionate discrimination of women. Though rural women can travel to urban cities, they are denied access to healthcare due to their rural registration. Moreover, families with urban registration are more advantaged compared to their rural counterparts. Thus Hukou system still inhibits social mobility among rural women as it’s propagated through mate...