Sunday, August 9, 2020

The Politics of Feminism

 

Feminism is a concept that promotes the idea of equality between the sexes in such a way that advances both males and females in society. It has been promoted for many decades, and became known as an essential means of making sure that women were liberated from the physical and mental enslavement that they have been subjected to. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the various aspects of feminism and how it has become an essential part of the development of the relationship between the sexes in the contemporary world. This analysis will be conducted in the context of justifications of male dominance, misconceptions of feminism, its commercialization, and finally, its liberalizing aspects.

One of the most important points concerning feminism is that despite its presence, and its role in the improvement in the circumstances of women, the latter are still considered subordinate to their male counterparts. This is especially the case where in most jobs as well as political positions, men remain dominant to such an extent that they have essentially promoted a society that is patriarchal. Women continue to earn less for the same jobs as men despite putting in the same time and effort and this is a situation that shows that despite the advances made by the ideas of feminism, a lot of the rights of women are still taken for granted in society. There has continued to be a justification for male dominance, as seen in situations where women are still a minority in some professions (Steinem, 1978, p. 338). Moreover, despite claims to the contrary, women are still being treated as subordinate to men and are often denied positions that they could handle well just because of their sex. Therefore, because women are still essentially considered to be outsiders, albeit unconsciously, feminism still has a role to play in society because it will help bring an end to the prevalent prejudiced behavior against women.

Throughout its existence, there have been misconceptions about feminism. These misconceptions have been informed by the idea that feminists are women who seek to overthrow the laws of nature that make them subordinate to men. Moreover, there has been the belief that feminists are essentially women without any desire for sex, or have masculine attributes which hinder them from becoming proper women (Valenti, 2007, p. 3). However, these misconceptions are not true because feminism is a movement that has sought to bring about the liberation of women. Furthermore, it has played an important role in making sure that there is the advancement of equality for all individuals in such a way that does not discriminate between men and women or male and female. In addition, the idea that feminism involves only women is wrong because this movement has also involved men that promote the idea of the liberation of women. Thus, it has become essential to ensure that there is the advancement of means through which to make it possible for individuals in society to come to terms with the powerful role of feminism. The achievement of this goal would go a long way in helping individuals, men and women, recognize the worth of equality.

Feminism can be considered a means through which women have been able to achieve liberation from patriarchy. In the contemporary world, there is more respect for women in society than was the case at any other time in recorded history. This is a sign that feminism has played a role in making sure that women are aware of their rights, and has encouraged individuals in society to embrace equality and make it a central part of culture. The idea that women were supposed to be reserved as well as subservient to the whims of men in their society has been challenged by feminism, which has ensured that the voice of women is heard. This is especially the case when it comes to such taboo subjects as menopause and menstruation, which were essentially never talked about in public. The achievement of this goal cannot be underestimated because it shows that most individuals have been able to come to terms with reality and have sought to rid themselves of the stereotypes concerning women.

Despite feminism having undergone a period of vilification in the 1980s, in the contemporary world, it has once again become a strong movement. This is because feminism has become heavily commercialized in order to cater to the demand of a considerable number of feminists, both men and women, in society. A result has been that there has been the advancement of the feminist cause by celebrities as well as major brands to such an extent that it has become one of the mainstays of advertising and marketing in general (Zeisler, 2016, p. xi). Because of these actions, women have once again been able to gain the courage to become more active members of society. In developing countries, where women tend to live in a worse situation than men, they are increasingly becoming important players in their societies. In addition, the feminist movement can be considered responsible for the advancements that have been made by women in the political life of many countries in the world, as seen through the election of Angela Merkel as German Chancellor in 2005, and the candidature of Hillary Clinton for the presidency of the United States in 2016. These achievements have shown that women are no longer a background for a male dominated society, and are instead willing to rise and take their rightful place within it.

In conclusion, since its beginnings, feminism has come a long way towards bringing about the liberation of women and the achievement of equality in an essentially patriarchal society. It has acted as an important force when it comes to making it possible for women to become more involved in the public life of their respective societies, as seen in the example of Clinton and Merkel above. It has also become an essential part of making sure that most individuals come to terms with the fact that women can no longer be left behind.

Immigration Laws and Their Effect on the Economy of California

 

Immigration laws in the United States have been in place since the founding of the nation and these have been changed to suit the various circumstances that it has faced. One of the most significant issues in the contemporary world, immigration has received both support and opposition from various sections of American society. Immigration policies, especially within the Trump administration have become such a controversial issue that it has the potential of affecting various parts of the country, especially the economy. One of the states that is likely to experience some economic effects if the Trump administration’s immigration laws and rules are implemented to their fullest is California. In this paper, there will be a discussion of the impact that immigrants have in the local economy, how they affect taxation, and the potential effects of the Trump administration immigration policies on California’s economy.

Studies have shown that the state of California is one of the biggest beneficiaries of immigration in the country. This is because a considerable number of immigrants, especially undocumented ones, have settled in the state. These individuals take on those jobs that many locals would not take and this ensures that some sectors continue running.[1] In addition, because they demand lesser pay than their American counterparts, they act as a fuel for the local economy because employers have more money at hand to ensure that they make investments that not only expand their businesses, but also create jobs. Business expansion makes it possible for employers to create jobs that Americans are able to take; showing that immigration does not have to be seen in a negative light since it plays a role in creating local employment. Most immigrants are also consumers, meaning that they make purchases of what they need while at the same time promoting the local economy because of their expenditures.

Moreover, they are also important contributors to the government revenues at all levels, including the local, state, and federal levels.[2] This is an extremely important factor because one of the major points that are made against immigration is that the government tends to spend more on these individuals than on the average American. However, a study conducted by the Trump administration, which was later rejected because of significant pressure from the White House, shows the considerable benefits that refugees and immigrants have on the economy.[3] The study shows that despite the considerable government expenditure that the government commits towards these individuals, the latter brings in billions more in revenues. A result is that a decision to curb immigration would have a negative effect not only on the economy, but also on government revenues. Rather than creating jobs for Americans, it has the potential of leading to a situation where those jobs that Americans do not want to undertake would be left undone; creating a negative economic impact on the nation.

The development of immigration policy in the United States is often driven by interest groups. This is especially the case considering that these groups often lobby in Congress to ensure that laws favoring their positions are adopted. Among the most influential interest groups in the country are unions, which have essentially driven the narrative of the need to take a hard line when it comes to immigration.[4] These unions have done so because of the belief that immigrants take on jobs that rightfully belong to Americans and that there is need to impose lower caps on the number of immigrants allowed into the country. Another interest group that is influential in the formulation of immigration policy is made up of businesses, which benefit the most from immigrant workers.[5] These promote the idea that it is essential for immigration levels to be increased for the sake of the economy. However, in the current administration, it seems that unions have an upper hand when it comes to promoting the development of immigration policies.

In conclusion, the discussion above has sought to bring about an understanding of the benefits of immigration to the United States through an analysis of the impact that immigrants have in the local economy, how they affect taxation, and the potential effects of the Trump administration immigration policies on California’s economy. It has shown that immigrants are an integral part of the economy, and despite their status, they are important in helping in the advancement of the nation. Immigrants are also important because they not only spend their income in the country, but also pay taxes that increase government revenues.



[1] Jeffrey S Passel and D Cohn, "Size of Us Unauthorized Immigrant Workforce Stable after the Great Recession," Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends  (2016): 8.

[2] Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Somini Sengupta, "Trump Administration Rejects Study Showing Positive Impact of Refugees," The New York Times  (2017).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Giovanni Facchini, Anna Maria Mayda, and Prachi Mishra, "Do Interest Groups Affect Us Immigration Policy?," Journal of International Economics 85, no. 1 (2011): 118.

[5] Jens Hainmueller and Daniel J Hopkins, "The Hidden American Immigration Consensus: A Conjoint Analysis of Attitudes toward Immigrants," American Journal of Political Science 59, no. 3 (2015): 531.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Aristotle: Virtue of Justice

 

According to Aristotle, justice is often considered to be a higher form of virtue than others because it involves a situation where an individual undertakes an action that is right, no matter the consequences. Justice is a higher form of virtue because it allows for the advancement of the needs of individuals in society. Individuals who love justice are committed wholly to it to such an extent that even though they have to take an action that goes against their own interests, they do so for the sake of justice. This is an extremely important step especially considering that justice is essentially blind, and it focuses mainly on the achievement of the satisfaction of all members of society. The advancement of these needs means that those who undertake just actions are individuals that have the ability to ensure that there is the creation of an environment where all other virtues are tied together to prevent individuals from committing injustices against one another. Justice is a higher form of virtue because it brings together all other virtues in such a way that injustices in society are prevented and there is instead the promotion of a level of equality in the lives of all individuals, who end up finding pleasure in life itself.