The balance of men and women

Class: A-2 Student number: 10320 Shin, Ji Hwan

In the twinkling of an eye, everything on Earth loses its balance: the balance of animals and plants, balance of human-beings, balance of nature. ��Steller��s sea lions�� and ��wolves�� became extinct and the unique value of rare plants has been lost because of their rapid extermination. Also environmental problem, global warming, has threatened our lives for the past ten years. Our beautiful peninsular, Korea, could be submerged at one time and all the people around here would be drowned. We know these kinds of problems are all caused by people. We human-beings also have a great problem amongst ourselves and one of these problems is about the balance between men and women. Harmony and equilibrium between men and women are not kept well in our society because there are too many people who support male or female sides strongly. Each of them thinks that their gender is superior to the other gender. From now on, I want to explain about three comparable areas of the world (Korea, Amazon, Sweden) in which the men and women are showing totally different attitudes and perspectives towards each other. Also, I will introduce a book named ��Daughters of Igalias�� that describes a society in which the role of men and women is reversed or mixed up. And finally, I will give some important conditions that are needed to keep a correct balance between men and women.

For a long time, people have clearly distinguished their attitudes as to what males and females have to do. Men were always entering war, keeping people in submission by the saber and making a show of force to everyone. They want to solve every problem that they confront through force, while they want to think that women should be satisfied with raising children, many of whom lost their fathers in the war, and just be a toy or a plaything for men. However, attitudes and points of view towards women and men have changed a lot. Almost all European and North American nations regard both men and women as having the same social status and possessing equal rights to live as they wish. Both sexes also could have considerable influence upon the Government.

Despite change of attitudes, some countries are not stable yet in terms of gender equality. For example, our country, Korea does not guarantee all women��s rights yet, and there has been a lot of conflict between men and women. As you see in table 1 below, Koreans are suffering great economic problems because women in this society are not treated equally as males. The women here cannot be employed as an administrator or supervisor in a company as easily as men, since the difference of women will have tremendous impact on the company when they have a baby or focus on raising their children. Men in this country tend to control women and ignore women��s rights because ��Confucian attitudes�� are not disappeared yet.

Rate of participating in economic activity(average of OECD nations' women) Korean women Korean women who have graduated from university 49.8% 43% 29% Table 1). That Korean university women (about one million people) do not participate in the economy actively has a great impact on Korea from the view point of national human resources. (��Union News economy�� 2006-03-09 10:49) C.F) OECD: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

��New York Times (issued 2006-03-27)�� compares the current situation of human equality in the United States and in South Korea and points out that Korea could never have developed to the level of such an advanced country without women��s power and contribution. Traditionally, Korea was a male-dominated society and the Confucian ideology was an integral part of Korean social ethics. Under a social system heavily influenced by classical Confucianism, women's public work roles were virtually nonexistent. Other recent studies have been done in regard to Korean female labor force participation, but they have concentrated on private industry.(Public Personnel Management: Fall, 1993 issue) In this study, accordingly, particular attention is given to changes in employment practices in the public sector of contemporary Korea based on gender.

In contrast to Korea in which men��s power is far stronger than women��s, there was a Greek society called ��Amazon�� where women controlled men and made them raise their children while they enjoyed hunting animals. Some ancient historians reported that Amazons had once existed, but no longer do. The warriors of the Amazon appeared in Greek mythology and are described as strong figures that dominate the men by their own power and control that region with scary weapons like arrows and sharp spears that the men can not possibly imagine. The Amazon warriors of Greek myth not only participated in fighting and controlled politics, but exclusively made up both the population and the fighting force. They supposedly lived in the area north of the Black Sea about 700 years before the fifth century BC. According to myth, the Amazons were an all female society of fierce warriors who got pregnant by neighboring societies�� men and then practiced male infanticide or sent male babies away.

These two examples show different points of view about whether society dominated by men or by women is better. However, as you can imagine from these two examples, if our society leans towards one specific gender, not considering anything about the opposite gender, we could not expect a peaceful society with everyone happy. It is true that most people complain or criticize the society they were born in and obey the rules without their own wills which are not really suitable for them to live. Korean men seem to be unequal to women in here and Amazon warriors apparently ignore and invade men��s rights. Both Korean men and Amazon warriors have biased view or prejudice toward the other sexes. This is not an ideal country we hope to have. Then how can we solve theses crucial problems? Look at the example of Sweden.

Sweden, a European country is different from the first two countries. Swedish think that mother can work outside and father can raise their children instead of women. In fact, Swedish women nowadays tend to find themselves a proper job and a decent wage before thinking about children. They are fairly advanced in age when they have their first child - almost 29 on average (men are 31). One journalist, ��Kristina Hultman�� announced ��The parental insurance system has been a tremendous boon.�� It is the principal reason why women in Sweden today are able to combine work and family. The Swedish housewife disappeared long ago. Men take far less parental leave than women. About 15 percent of the total amount of leave is taken by men. Swedish mothers dart between the kitchen, the daycare center and the workplace. In addition, a male minister for social affairs who also happened to be a champion of gender equality decides to designate ��The first Dad's month', recently. And I think the family forfeits its benefit for those two months unless the leave is taken by the father under this scheme. This case would be a good chance which eliminates a line between male and female and let them be whatever they are going to do.

Suppose there is an imaginary nation, where of men��s roles and women��s roles are reversed. Could all the human-beings live in real equilibrium and equality? Can all of them be satisfied with their mixed up lives? ��Gerd Brantenberg��s famous book named ��Daughters of Igalias�� shows us a society in which role of women and men are taken in erroneous way. For instance, that women have a baby are regarded as a disadvantageous factor at her work today, however, in a country of Igalia, women who do not have their children are recognized as imperfect existence, so they must not be responsible for important roles (109-210). And women of Igalia use honorific title of ��wom�� which stands for human while men use honorific title of ��manwom�� which represents only for male. But finally, people of Igalia realized this kind or rule is nothing but obstacles which block and harm relationship between men and women and revised country��s act of the state in the end. (12-20)

��John Grey��s book named ��Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus�� suggests some good ways of behavior which contributes to their lives. He say, ��Women need to be respectful and men need to be thankful�� to form a harmony relationship (23-45). When men admitted her rights and desires and shows considerable interests toward her, she would feel she was respected by some people. Then, women believe firmly men and her self as a member of society. Similarly, men may think that she appreciates his value enough and help them well in some ways. If women show their thanks to men, men naturally know their efforts to be familiar with women and become powerful with growing spouse��s desires.

I have an idea that men and women can shorten their gaps easily and keep balance well, by following some important rules. Above all, understanding each other is the main point. All people have to think and concern about the other person first, leaning neither to the men��s sides nor to the women��s sides. ��The Universal Declaration of Human Rights�� says, ��All human beings are free at their birth and equal in the aspects of dignity and rights.��. Men and women are all human-beings. They have their own uniqueness and live at their own sweet will. And also they should love and respect the opposite gender. We need to know that not only in this world could men contribute to the development of the society but also could women make a world more convenient and rich. For example, the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, is a successful woman in the United States today even if she was born with a black face and was violated because she was a weak woman. She has conquered prejudice that only men in the society could affect the country��s plan and have power to lead their society as their minds. More than anything else, to love and respect each other is the most important solution to make people live in real equality. We need to consider the plight of our poor descendents who might accept as fate the inequality of the world. If we take precedence over other people first, I am sure that we can be the ones, global citizens, without any borders between men and women.

Works Cited

Books

1. Gray John Ph.D. Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus. Revised edition. Friend Media publishment. The Untied States: 2006/3/25. ��Women need to be respectful and men need to be thankful�� (P.23-45)

2. Brantenberg Gerd. EGALIA��S DAUGHTERS. 1st ed. Published in Norwegian(Located in The West Scandinavian Peninsula in Europe) in 1977. ��Women have a baby are regarded as a disadvantageous factor at her work today, however, in a country of Igalia, women who do not have their children are recognized as imperfect existence�� (P.109-210)

Internet Resources

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ��All human beings are free at their birth and equal in the aspects of dignity and rights.��. UN General Assembly. 1948. 12. 10.

2. Kristina Hultman. ��The parental insurance system has been a tremendous boon.��. CNN.com. Press Release. Equality of Sweden forward. 02/07/2001

3. Kim, Pan S. ��Korea could never have developed to the level of such an advanced country without women��s power and contribution.��. New York Times. Toward gender equality in the Korean Civil Service. 03/12/2002

Periodicals

1. Bernat Armangue. Union economy. Rate of participating in economic activity (average of OECD nations' women and Korean women). 2006-03-09 10:48. P.45~47

2. Paul Davis. ��Korean female labor force participation, but they have concentrated on private industry.�� Public Personnel Management. Fall, 1993-07-23. P.23~24

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