World Views on Inequality: Where Did It Come From and What Can We Do?

There are three main world views for most global problems: conservative, liberal, and radical. Each view has different views on how inequality came about, and also different prescriptions to attempt to solve the problem. In discussing the possible origins of the problem, it is important to consider the fact that no person is solely of one world view. Most people are a mix of all three views, so these suggestions of origins may seem very one-sided.

Throughout history, in most societies, women have been discriminated against. Men are often seen as the stronger of the sexes, and are therefore considered superior. They have been responsible for earning wages, taking care of the family, and dealing with social and political problems. This is why in many societies women were not allowed to hold jobs, vote, or manage a family on their own until very recently. Because this is the status quo in many places, many conservatives, who are interested in preserving order, would say that the problem of women's inequality is not really a problem.

Liberals are interested in liberty and the rights of individuals. They would see the problem as arising from societies where individuals (in this case women) were not listened to or treated equally. In these societies the feeling was that as long as the society was thriving, individual cases didn't matter. They would also see these societies as places which deny basic human liberties to all of their citizens.

Radicals would have many of the same views as liberals as to the origin of women's inequality. The main difference might be that they would see the discriminatory societies as guilty of putting individuals ( in this case men) before what was best for society. Radicals believe that society should come first and they would see the oppression of half of the population as extremely detrimental to the population as a whole.

Those Conservatives who believe that women should be equal have several solutions to help end inequality for women. They believe that states should be the actors in social and political reform; therefore would favor change by making treaties and passing bills. These changes would be gradual, but also they would believe them to be effective over a long period of time. Since conservatives believe in putting society before individuals, they would make changes that would benefit the entire society. Institutions such as rape camps in the former Yugoslavia are certainly harmful to the society as a whole, therefore actions would be taken to remove them. The conservatives would want to move through the existing power structure of the United Nations to move in and break up the death camps in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in as peaceable a manner as possible. However, the concentration and rape/death camps in Yugoslavia they would have more difficulty dealing with due to the issue of sovereignty. Order is the most important ideal to them, and institutions like the rape and death camps are certainly a threat to it. An example of reform that conservatives might implement would be a treaty formed by many nations outside of Yugoslavia (Serbia) promising that they will not trade with Yugoslavia (Serbia) until they make rape camps obsolete.

Liberals also have several solutions to stop or lessen sex discrimination. Since they believe that states should be actors in social and political reform, they would favor the use of treaties and women's liberation bills. Changes would come more rapidly, though, than it would if conservatives were implementing change, because liberals are in favor of change and the most important ideal to them is freedom. In order to bring about this change, liberals are willing to change the existing power structures in place and possibly add new structures. Freedom for women from oppression and such norms as lack of birth control and family planning education in Russia and Kenya would be a major issue for them. They favor changing structures and would implement many programs and organize many non governmental organizations to alleviate the situation as soon as possible. Organizations of individuals, as opposed to governmental organizations, would be favored because they put individuals rights before society. An example of reform liberals might implement is organization of a group that will distribute condoms and birth control pills and educate the women of Russia so that they may be free of oppressive norms of the past.

Lastly, radicals would propose many solutions for this global problem. They believe in changing structures, even to the point of throwing out all the old norms and making completely new structures. They would favor major, and sometimes even drastic, change in order to alleviate the problem. Their main concern is justice; therefore, they would be interested in doing what was fair. They would see the oppression of a large group of a country's population as incredibly unjust and would use many tactics to end the oppression. Rape camps in the former Yugoslavia and deliberate lack of education or options for women in Kenya would be seen as extremely unjust and in need of change. An example of a change they might implement would be storming a rape camp (using force if necessary) and freeing the prisoners. Radicals feel that as long as justice is served, the ends justify the means. The change they implement will be fast and immediate, though maybe not effective in the long run.

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World Views on Inequality: Where Did It Come From and What Can We Do?

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