Ethics and Moral Reasoning Essay - 1375 Words

Ethics and Moral Reasoning (Essay Sample) Content: Ethics and Moral ReasoningNameSupervisorDateIntroductionDo women deserve equal opportunities in all sectors (economical, educational, etc.) and even in decision making with men? Gender refers to the socially constructed responsibilities and roles that are appropriate to men and women according to the societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s eye. On the other hand, gender equality refers to women and men having equal opportunities for education, personal development, and financial opportunities. In our current society, the gender equality gap is still big, and a lot is yet to be done to reduce it. It is quite the norm that women are considered the weaker species compared to men due to their heightened sentimentality, thus not being given the necessary attention and opportunities they deserve. When thought out critically, it for this reason of heightened sentimentality that women should be given equal opportunities since they are more cautious and value good performance. The aim of this pap er is to point out the available gaps in gender equality and rationalize the need for women being placed on a similar platform with men when it comes to opportunitiesIt is true to say that favor mostly men and boys in most societies around the world. The boys and men who conform to the masculine norm end up benefiting from gender inequality as it gives them a stronger voice in decision making, more power and status, greater personal freedom, and more robust rights than women and girls. Most societies go ahead to divide responsibilities for keeping communities and households functioning in a similar way; the division of labour according to gender assigns girls and women a large share of unpaid caregiving, invisible and household tasks. When it comes to men, the work assigned to them is perceived as being of greater economic value, and prestige than work done by women. Such issues are in both low income and rich countries alike.When it comes to deontological approaches Immanuel Kant ( 1724-1804) is the most famous proponent. Also known as the non-consequential approach, deontological approach presumes that any action is either right or wrong. This classification bears in mind that an action is right if it respects the rules, and wrong if it does not do so. The need for gender equality shares strongly from Immanuel Kant ideas. His categorical imperative was for the idea that an individual should be treated just like the rest and as a free person. It is a moral right for everyone to be treated as such, and the fact that they should extend the same should be their moral duty. Hence, women should be treated equally as men, and they also have a correlative duty to treat men as such. The only problem with Kantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s approach is that it assumes reversibility of roles whereby if a man perceives that a woman does not deserve an administrative post then, if the man were to be placed in the womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s shoes he would agree to it. However, it is worth noting that men and women or persons of different sexual orientation when discriminated against, feel discomfort. Consequently, making the discrimination unethical regardless of whether the source of the discomfort can be reversed through empathic responsibility changes that intend to justify it.A utilitarian approach is the one that holds that the morally right course of action is the one that produces the most benefits over harms for everyone affected. This approach does not take into account whether the benefits came as a result of lies, coercion, or manipulation, so long as it is for the maximum good of everyone. Ethically, utilitarianism holds that morality depends on balancing the harmful and beneficial consequences of our conduct. Any form of discrimination including gender discrimination is wrong as it brings about pain, thus making it amoral, to those being discriminated against. It is said that when the majority of the people form the underclass then there is the need for a moral rul e that will heighten human happiness if followed universally. Appling this on the issue of gender equality where women are considered an underclass as compared to the men, the advantaged class this should not be condoned as it would lead to an unjust society. It can be said that utilitarianism favors gender equality as it requires people to respect other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s rights thus creating a more just and sensitive society. Consequently, raising the notions of egalitarianism.The majority of have come to accept the importance of having a leveled field when it comes to opportunities, and decision making for both men and women but there are those who are still opposed to this idea. The opposition is brought about by those men who are still deeply engraved in the cultural norms that place women at an inferior position. They argue that women are weaker beings compared to men and their only role in the society is to handle household chores while taking care of the baby as men go to lo ok for money. The various forms of discrimination faced by girlsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ limits their ability to access resources, develop capabilities, enjoy equal social status, and direct their life course.There are a lot of consequences that come about due to the imbalance between men and women. One of them includes violence against women. This refers to acts of violence directed against women. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations, it was found out that one in every four women in the world is abused or attacked in some way, and it is often by a family member. The women in refugee camps and war-torn countries are particularly at high risk as they lack support from social institutions and the community and are vulnerable to attacks from enemy forces. The other form of violence is the trafficking of girls and women for sexual servitude or forced labor. It is a widespread problem that affects mainly Asia and Africa.The other lingering issue that affects many women worldwide is the is sue of job opportunities and pay. A survey done in 1975 revealed that women earned 63 percent less of what was earned by men, and by 2008 the figure had gone up to 78 percent. The gap in wages cuts across all cadres of education. One reason may be because women that are mostly found in lower-paying jobs and have minimal representation in top-level managerial positions. In 2007 women comprised 45.6% of the countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s labor force, and 38 percent worked in professional, or management positions ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.2839/9948", "ISBN" : "9789292183127", "abstract" : "The European Union now has its first Index, created by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), that gives a comprehensive measure of gender equality in the EU and Member States based on the EU policy framework. The Gender Equality Index will complement the work of the EU and MS in promoting and realising gender equality as one of the fundam ental values of the EU and will provide evidence for future policy improvements. The Gender Equality Index shows that the European Union is only halfway towards a gender-equal society, with an average EU score of 54 (where 1 stands for no gender equality and 100 for full gender equality). Find out more! http://eige.europa.eu/content/activities/gender-equality-index", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Eige", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "European Institute for Gender Equality", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2013" ] ] }, "number-of-pages" : "182", "title" : "Gender Equality Index country profiles", "type" : "book" }, "ur... Ethics and Moral Reasoning Essay - 1375 Words Ethics and Moral Reasoning (Essay Sample) Content: Ethics and Moral ReasoningNameSupervisorDateIntroductionDo women deserve equal opportunities in all sectors (economical, educational, etc.) and even in decision making with men? Gender refers to the socially constructed responsibilities and roles that are appropriate to men and women according to the societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s eye. On the other hand, gender equality refers to women and men having equal opportunities for education, personal development, and financial opportunities. In our current society, the gender equality gap is still big, and a lot is yet to be done to reduce it. It is quite the norm that women are considered the weaker species compared to men due to their heightened sentimentality, thus not being given the necessary attention and opportunities they deserve. When thought out critically, it for this reason of heightened sentimentality that women should be given equal opportunities since they are more cautious and value good performance. The aim of this pap er is to point out the available gaps in gender equality and rationalize the need for women being placed on a similar platform with men when it comes to opportunitiesIt is true to say that favor mostly men and boys in most societies around the world. The boys and men who conform to the masculine norm end up benefiting from gender inequality as it gives them a stronger voice in decision making, more power and status, greater personal freedom, and more robust rights than women and girls. Most societies go ahead to divide responsibilities for keeping communities and households functioning in a similar way; the division of labour according to gender assigns girls and women a large share of unpaid caregiving, invisible and household tasks. When it comes to men, the work assigned to them is perceived as being of greater economic value, and prestige than work done by women. Such issues are in both low income and rich countries alike.When it comes to deontological approaches Immanuel Kant ( 1724-1804) is the most famous proponent. Also known as the non-consequential approach, deontological approach presumes that any action is either right or wrong. This classification bears in mind that an action is right if it respects the rules, and wrong if it does not do so. The need for gender equality shares strongly from Immanuel Kant ideas. His categorical imperative was for the idea that an individual should be treated just like the rest and as a free person. It is a moral right for everyone to be treated as such, and the fact that they should extend the same should be their moral duty. Hence, women should be treated equally as men, and they also have a correlative duty to treat men as such. The only problem with Kantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s approach is that it assumes reversibility of roles whereby if a man perceives that a woman does not deserve an administrative post then, if the man were to be placed in the womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s shoes he would agree to it. However, it is worth noting that men and women or persons of different sexual orientation when discriminated against, feel discomfort. Consequently, making the discrimination unethical regardless of whether the source of the discomfort can be reversed through empathic responsibility changes that intend to justify it.A utilitarian approach is the one that holds that the morally right course of action is the one that produces the most benefits over harms for everyone affected. This approach does not take into account whether the benefits came as a result of lies, coercion, or manipulation, so long as it is for the maximum good of everyone. Ethically, utilitarianism holds that morality depends on balancing the harmful and beneficial consequences of our conduct. Any form of discrimination including gender discrimination is wrong as it brings about pain, thus making it amoral, to those being discriminated against. It is said that when the majority of the people form the underclass then there is the need for a moral rul e that will heighten human happiness if followed universally. Appling this on the issue of gender equality where women are considered an underclass as compared to the men, the advantaged class this should not be condoned as it would lead to an unjust society. It can be said that utilitarianism favors gender equality as it requires people to respect other peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s rights thus creating a more just and sensitive society. Consequently, raising the notions of egalitarianism.The majority of have come to accept the importance of having a leveled field when it comes to opportunities, and decision making for both men and women but there are those who are still opposed to this idea. The opposition is brought about by those men who are still deeply engraved in the cultural norms that place women at an inferior position. They argue that women are weaker beings compared to men and their only role in the society is to handle household chores while taking care of the baby as men go to lo ok for money. The various forms of discrimination faced by girlsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ limits their ability to access resources, develop capabilities, enjoy equal social status, and direct their life course.There are a lot of consequences that come about due to the imbalance between men and women. One of them includes violence against women. This refers to acts of violence directed against women. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations, it was found out that one in every four women in the world is abused or attacked in some way, and it is often by a family member. The women in refugee camps and war-torn countries are particularly at high risk as they lack support from social institutions and the community and are vulnerable to attacks from enemy forces. The other form of violence is the trafficking of girls and women for sexual servitude or forced labor. It is a widespread problem that affects mainly Asia and Africa.The other lingering issue that affects many women worldwide is the is sue of job opportunities and pay. A survey done in 1975 revealed that women earned 63 percent less of what was earned by men, and by 2008 the figure had gone up to 78 percent. The gap in wages cuts across all cadres of education. One reason may be because women that are mostly found in lower-paying jobs and have minimal representation in top-level managerial positions. In 2007 women comprised 45.6% of the countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s labor force, and 38 percent worked in professional, or management positions ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "DOI" : "10.2839/9948", "ISBN" : "9789292183127", "abstract" : "The European Union now has its first Index, created by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), that gives a comprehensive measure of gender equality in the EU and Member States based on the EU policy framework. The Gender Equality Index will complement the work of the EU and MS in promoting and realising gender equality as one of the fundam ental values of the EU and will provide evidence for future policy improvements. The Gender Equality Index shows that the European Union is only halfway towards a gender-equal society, with an average EU score of 54 (where 1 stands for no gender equality and 100 for full gender equality). Find out more! http://eige.europa.eu/content/activities/gender-equality-index", "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Eige", "given" : "", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "European Institute for Gender Equality", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2013" ] ] }, "number-of-pages" : "182", "title" : "Gender Equality Index country profiles", "type" : "book" }, "ur...