Essay On Gender Stratification

INTRODUCTION
All societies are structured around relatively stable patterns. These patterns establish how social interaction will be carried out in the society. One of the most important social structures that organizes social interaction is status. Status is a category or position that determines how a person will be defined or treated. These statuses may be acquired by achievement, through our own efforts or by ascription, being born into them or attaining them involuntarily at some other point in the life cycle. We possess a number of statuses simultaneously, and the categorization in society due to these statuses leads to a system of social stratification. Social norms determine the privileges and responsibilities that a status possesses.

It cuts across all aspects of social life and social classes. Gender affects the opportunities and constraints each of us faces throughout our lives. From birth until death, gender shapes human feelings, thoughts and actions.
The structural-functional paradigm sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. Based on this paradigm, gender serves as a means to organise social life. Gender forms a complementary set of roles that link women and men into family units for carrying out various important tasks.
Gender stratification is so prevalent in our societies that we tend to ignore it most of the times. An example where gender stratification can be observed is the difference in salaries offered to men and women in the same type of jobs. Men are offered higher salaries as compared to women, because of the belief that they are more talented and capable, even though women perform the exact same task. More often, women are not even the chance to engage in tasks that are considered suitable only for men. An example of such a task is farming where women are only allowed to do basic tasks, but the major ones are considered too ‘manly’ and not apt for