Andrew Mortensen
BI-218X
HR: notes, videos, readings from class

Artifact 3:  Equality is not Actually Equal

            In the United States and many other developed nations around the world today, women and men typically are granted similar, if not equal rights.  However, the laws on paper do not constitute the degree of validity in action, creating a global gender gap.  A gender gap is essentially the difference in equality and opportunities between a male and female, which is reliant upon many factors that simply cannot be fully quantified.  There are various examples that can be seen in everyday life that can prove this gap however.  For example, men will never have to worry about becoming pregnant.  Although it is a way of life, this restricts time and ability women have to work, go to school, etc.  Additionally, history has formed a stereotype for woman that leaves them to be judged and viewed as lesser than men, even if it is not the case at all.  Another example is that men who perform sexual activities with a number of partners are hailed, while women who do the same are seen as sluts.  To add on to that point, sexual harassment plays a large role in gender gap and affects a woman not only physically, but psychologically and emotionally.  The gender gap in today’s society will depend on how each country decides to handle these situations and how they truly value equality rather than just laws written on a sheet of paper. 

            The United States suffers from more of a gender gap than one would think.  Being one of the most populated and modern countries in the world, we rank in the high 40’s when it comes to gender gap.  Many of these issues stem from what I mentioned earlier.  Although women all over the world give birth and have to take work off to care for the baby, the United States is one of the only countries that do not allow paid leave.  Again, as I mentioned earlier, the way we handle natural gender issues attest to our global ranking.  Additionally, we rank high on educational attainment, as women have the upper hand on graduating college, yet there are a lower percentage of women who hold political and higher positions in the work force.  The answer to this issue cannot be pinpointed to any specific inequality, but it can possibly be due to a combination of inequalities. 

            On the lower half of the list lies Iceland, who ranks number one overall in the world for having the lowest gender gap.  Unlike the United States, they pay females during leave to care for youth, and have more women that hold higher positional powers.  Additionally, there is a higher percentage of economic opportunity.  These are just some examples that demonstrate how Iceland has closed 10% of their gender gap, making it one of the fastest improving countries in the world. 

            As mentioned in my opening paragraph, the gap comes from how each country handles the differences between males and females, depending on the struggles that they come across, whether they are inevitable or not.  As for a country like the United States, we rank awfully in accordance to where we stand as a civilized society.  I believe that we have the tools to be a country within the lowest gender gap, and adopting practices of those countries would allow us to close it even more.  Although I believe this, I do not think it will happen any time soon.  With the role of social media in our society, gender gap has become an issue as stereotypes flood the minds of our future and create a line between males and females. 

Andrew Mortensen
BI-218X
HR: notes, videos, readings from class

Artifact 2:  Girl Power

            The majority of cultures around the world, past and even present, are based off of a patrilineal heritage in which the male is recognized as superior in a hierarchical system.  Although it is not as prominent in the culture of the United States as it is in Middle Eastern countries, there are still examples that have settled into society that have become the norm for citizens to live by.  One example is the idea that women usually take her husband’s last name when they wed.  Despite this common lineage of ranking throughout history, there are many instances where a culture has a matrilineal system, tracing descent through the female line, and even a bilateral system in which there is equality between both the male and female.  This artifact will explain the society throughout the history of the Tonga, as well as the Mousua of China; two very different, yet non-patrilineal cultures. 

            The Tonga of the South Pacific was based off of a stratified system, meaning that there were relations founded off of hierarchical rankings of people, whether it was male or female.  Essentially no two individuals were of equal rank.  In order to determine an individual’s status, there were three basic and abstract principles in which rank was decided: seniority, gender, and sisterhood.  This system would split the culture into two groups based off of the three principles: chiefs and non- chiefs.  According to the handout from class, these groups contrasted in their relationship to land and in their roles in subsistence.  The chiefs would normally obtain food and goods from the work of the non chiefs.  Furthermore, the economy was based off men’s products (ngaue) and a woman’s product (koloa).  Because koloa were products made by women, they were considered more valuable than ngaue.  Additionally, there were two buffer groups that separated the chiefs and non chiefs.  The Matapules functioned as artisans, warriors, and attendants to chiefs.  The Mu’as typically took care of the chief’s offspring and ensured that they were raised properly in order to hold the same morals as their parents.  Marriages were primarily monogamous although chiefly men were known to have several wives.  Respect was also prominent in these marriages and violence was rare, however, men were the only ones who could initiate a divorce.  After the arrival of Europeans into the South Pacific region, the influence they had on the existing cultures would alter and conform to that of the Europeans, transforming a stratified society into a patrilineal society. 

            On the other hand, the Mosuo contain a matrilineal society, serving as the last of its kind in China as it is very uncommon.  The Mosuo have walking marriages, in which the women are allowed multiple lovers who only spend the night, only to return home in the morning to care for their kids, while the woman works.  Because of this style, relationships are free of jealousy and possessiveness.  Additionally, women are the ones who decide how many children they are going to have and then it is up to the men to stay at home with them.  The mom serves as the honorary head of the household and receives all the money that is earned from the rest of the family members.  Unlike the rest of China, daughters are preferred over having sons, yet they will all usually take their mother’s surname instead of the father’s.  However, due to an increase of tourism in this society, the culture is beginning to conform to that of the rest of China where households are small and both the male and female work for a living to increase income.  Regardless, this society completely differs from that of cultures with a patrilineal style.