Kimberly Dighero

ENG 114B
Gina Srmabekian
11 May 2015
Whirlwind
Gender within society is of a social construction in which separates humans and
oppresses humans from one another. It is of this social construction in which Patricia
Hill Collins explains is the oppression women endure due to patriarchal systems.
Womens and mens pay within the workforce are apparently different, and they also
face sex discrimination within the workforce and hiring process. Within the universe
Whirlwind it is essential that job applications and interviews must be anonymous in
which each individuals sex is unknown, and pay is equal for the same give job or career
position. It is also noted that in order for discrimination not to persist after hiring a
proposed law must be made ensuring no one is fired without just cause. As well as
having such laws as the sex discrimination law, and the Equal Pay Act strictly enforced
through Whirlwinds improvements regarding gender.
Gender and the gender roles that are believed to belong to man, and woman are
a clear result from patriarchy. It is the idea that women are to bare offspring, and be
responsible for the offspring as oppose to men. Patriarchy is the belief that all men are
superior to women and that is the natural order according to the authors at Boundless.
However, because of this ideology it directly effects the roles in which say women are to
be less than a man, and remain to domestic duties while the man feels evidently
superior. It is of the origins of patriarchy in which set up society, and have continuously
been passed down generation to generation. Even as society has evolved allowing
women out of domestic duties, women as well as the LGBT community continue to face
discrimination. This solely because it has been installed that there is man and woman,

and that, that man is superior. This idea of man and women within society also effects
the LGBT community tremendously, as they often have trouble even getting work
regardless of sex discrimination laws.
Sex discrimination laws according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission is defined as treating someone (applicant or employee) unfavorably
because of that persons sex (Types of Discrimination). Thus the law is aiding the stop
of sex discrimination whether in the hiring, firing, pay, benefits, or job positions, etc.
However regardless of policies such as the sex discrimination law, many individuals still
face discrimination in regards to pay and job positions. Although discrimination happens
to all, much of the individuals who face discrimination within the workforce are women,
gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. This is due to the patriarchal system in which man is
superior to women, with no inclusion of those from LGBT communities. As part of this
sex discrimination the issue of pay arises as the Equal Pay Act only applies to positions
in which are deemed equal in skill. According to Work Place Fairness, the Equal Pay Act
pay is based upon skill require for a positon not what skills the individual employees
may have (Sex/Gender Discrimination). Therefore stating that the skill of the individual
is not taken into consideration when in a given position. Although the Equal Pay Act
makes job positions equal that does not mean that the employee knows the status of
their given position. Therefore allowing employers to make up skills required for the
given position based upon the sex of the employee. This Equal Pay Act is of a large
concerned as it is not regularly enforced or monitored.
Therefore The Equal Pay Act allows loop holes involving wages for those of
opposing gender. In Whirlwind it is essential that policies now in place regarding gender
and employment are strictly enforced as well as any new proposed laws, or policies

made by Whirlwinds people. In order to eliminate sex discrimination within the hiring
process it is of importance to make the interviewing process anonymous. Throughout
making this process anonymous there must be the removal of the gender check boxes
on applications as well as the name portion. As well as the dead give a ways on
documentation in regards to employment the interview must remain anonymous as well.
For example there must be a barrier in which the employer cannot see the employee
and vice versa, as well as disguising the voices on each person. Thus making the
gender of each unrecognizable, and leaving gender unrepresented. With such ideas
incorporated into the employment process, there will be less of a chance of sex
discrimination. There then needs to be the establishment of each same job position
within different corporations, and companies to have the same pay without the
comparison to other jobs. This will eliminate the uneven wages as many see equal
skills within several positions differently. Although there can be issues of
unprofessionalism such as some future employees containing tattoos, or piercings there
may be an introduction clause where an individual states any visible tattoos or
piercings. This clause must be signed, and be accurate if they wish to possess the
position in which they are interviewing for. As adjustments are made to Whirlwind there
is also the factor of education within the employment process.
According to Jacqueline De Hon in Identifying Links of Discrimination Related to
Race, Gender, and Class she argues that the key to addressing such issues of
patriarchy and gender is education. However education only goes to some lengths,
especially for the individuals in which have been taught into their mind set. De Hon
stated Society has created the problem of unfair discrimination, and society must help
eliminate it (De Hon). Although this statement is accurate it is not one in which can

simply be fixed altogether as this social issue has been installed in the minds of
individuals, and has given rise to stereotypes that accompany gender discrimination.
Although education is of extreme value gender discrimination also dwindles down into
the education system. In Gender Inequality: Empowering Women an interesting idea
was introduced as a factor as to why women suffer in regards to wage disparities.
women make less money because of the choices they make such as less education,
lower-paying occupations, and prioritizing the responsibilities of being a mother (Farrell,
2005). (Cheryl Lynn). As requited Kelsey Cheryl Lynn suggests that this idea of
patriarchy interferes with women, and opportunity in the workforce. This is commonly
due to the domestic roles in which men believe they do not need to take part of.
However in regards to education Kelsey Cheryl Lynns work which is relatively recent
fails to acknowledge the seemly high rates of women within universities, and colleges
and rates of graduation. This correlation with education strikes as odd or strangely as
regardless of higher education or skills women are still being pay noticeably lower than
men, while the LGBT community is struggling to even find employment due to sex
discrimination.
Components regarding sex discrimination does not stop at education, as we see
that opportunities are withheld from women. Such opportunities for overnight travels,
and opportunities for promotions as Zipfel and Kleiner discuss in Developments
Concerning Gender Discrimination in the Workplace. It was stated the women are often
place in lower ranked departments than the opposing men regardless of qualifications.
Women have also been found to be underrepresented in positions of higher stature
such as government level jobs. As well as the public it was suggested that women often
faced more discrimination within the private sector. One survey found that over 50% of

government employed women stated that they personally experienced some form of
discrimination on the job discrimination was worse in the private sector. (Zipfel, and
Kleiner). This survey provides as shocking evidence that regardless of sector women
experience discrimination in all fields, and their pay varies based off skill equivalence
due to the Equal Pay Act which is poorly enforced. As well as pay disparities and sex
discrimination, there is very little found in regards to LGBT communities especially in
particular with the Trans community.
It is of such issues and disregard for genders other than natural born man in
which effect a great amount of todays society. Gender cannot be reduced until it is
altered in which gender is not represented in the workplace. Universe Whirlwind is to
keep gender unrepresented in the hiring process in which no one women, man, or
LGBT community member can be turn away upon bias. It is also essential the Equal
Pay Act is alternated in which same positions are equal pay across the board and sex
discrimination laws are strictly enforced to prevent the unlawfully termination or
discrimination against those hired through the anonymous hiring Whirlwind is to install.
Work Cited
Collins, Patricia Hill. The Social Construction of Black Feminist Thought. Signs,
14.4 (1989): 745-773.
Kelsey, Cheryl Lynn. Gender Inequality: Empowering Women. Journal of Legal
Issues and Cases in Business, 3 (2015): 1.
Krista, S. Zipfel, and H. Kleiner Brian. Developments Concerning Gender
Discrimination in the Workplace. Equal Opportunities International 17.3-5 (1998): 8991. ProQuest. Web. 5 May 2015.
Hon, Jacqueline De. IDENTIFYING LINKS-OF-DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO
RACE, GENDER, AND CLASS. Race, Gender & Class 9.3 (2002): 139-58. ProQuest.
Web. 5 May 2015.

"Sex-Based Discrimination." Sex-Based Discrimination. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May

2015. <http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sex.cfm
"The Origins of Patriarchy." Boundless. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015.
<https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/genderstratification-and-inequality-11/women-as-a-minority-88/the-origins-of-patriarchy-5089618/>.
"Workplace Fairness." Sex / Gender Discrimination -. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May
2015. <http://www.workplacefairness.org/sexual-gender-discrimination>.