Feminism and Multiculturalism
Feminists and Multiculturalists view on Gender Inequality
Feminists and multiculturalists are all concerned with exploring the roles of women and their experiences in society. They all aim to reveal the contributions that women give to social life as they try to fight gender inequality. Sociologically, feminism and multiculturalism believe that the concerns raised by feminists and multiculturalists on the nature of an individual’s identity and the respect for cultural differences are significant. However, it should not replace the historical questions on authority, freedom, democracy, and justice. Generally, people live in different societies that are based on a commitment to equality and freedom. However, these societies have not lived to fulfil these commitments. In this case, people are not supposed to view feminism and multiculturalism as replacing the questions related to political philosophy. Instead, it should be considered to be posing the same issues in a whole new way.
Types of Feminism
There are several types of feminism, including radical feminism and socialist feminism. Radical feminism refers to a sociological movement that thinks that sexism is so firmly rooted in the society that the only way out of this issue is to do away with the idea of gender entirely. Controversially, radical feminists believe that using technology to grow babies outside the woman’s body will help eliminate gender inequality in the workplace as no woman will miss work due to maternity leave. Ideally, radical feminists believe that situations like maternity leave prevent women from getting promotions as quickly as men. Radical feminists believe that the traditional family setting is sexist. Traditionally, women are expected to attend to family chores, including childcare, while men work from outside home. As a result, men are more economically empowered than women. To bridge this gap, radical feminists suggest that the traditional family setting should be abolished.
On the other hand, socialist feminism is a bit soft, but it still demands significant social change. Socialist feminists advocates for the abolishment of socialism through reforming the economy in a socialist manner. Basically, socialist feminists believe that capitalism supports and strengthens the sexist status quo since men are the ones who have more money and power than women today. Importantly, socialist feminists believe that men are more ready and willing to surrender part of their power and money to fellow-men than to women. In the end, women are put under the control and supervision of men. For instance, women are paid only $0.7 for the same amount of job a man would earn a dollar for.
Multiracial Feminism as an Intersectionality
Multiracial feminism borrows its concepts from the activist and scholarly work done by women of color and antiracists whites to enhance class, race, and gender equality. On the other hand, intersectionality is commonly elaborated as intersectional oppression that results from a combination of several oppressions that gives rise to something unique from any other form of discrimination. Notably, multiracial feminism is directly interrelated with intersectionality. Just like multiracial feminism, the intersectional approach considers the historical, political and social context. It also acknowledges the individual’s exceptional experience based on the intersection of all significant grounds. For example, a woman who belongs to a particular religion may experience religious discrimination if she identifies with another basis such as color, race or ethnic origin.
Multiculturalism and National Unity
Any nation can support multiculturalism and remain united. After all, ethnic and cultural diversity should serve as a good source of cohesion and unity. Importantly, most cultures have their own unique ways of teaching morals. Proper morals lead to more transparency and trust. Ideally, openness and trust make business transactions successful, whether at the local or national level. Also, cultural diversity can inspire creativity and drive innovation because the culture has been known to influence how its members view the world. Similarly, a multicultural workforce can prove a company with the much-needed local market insight when entering a new market. In the end, a nation can develop, leading to more national unity.