CDE Reflective Journal 2

Time flies, and 5 weeks have passed by as fast as a flash. After 5 weeks, we have thoroughly examined the steady progress of both Chinese and American societies in various aspects, particularly gender inequality, and political apathy. The class presentations done in class so far give us a accurately-detailed insight about how women stand in both the eastern and western blocs in the world. In China, we learn that it is extremely hard for women to fight for gender equality against a traditional backdrop of Confucian male superiority. Nevertheless, the status of women in China has improved as compared to before.

When the People's Republic of China was established, employed women accounted for only 7 percent of the workforce; whereas in 1992 women's participation in the workforce had increased to account for 38 percent. Women’s representations in higher educational institutions have also increased ever since.  Women make up the backbone of production-line workers in China's private, export-oriented factories, and gravitate to professions such as medicine, journalism and teaching. However, there are still evident inequalities between men and women in the Chinese society of today. Few women have entered the government or positions of high power in the country, due to the old feudal system that emphasized higher social status for men as compared to women. It is often noted that a husband and a wife can start out at the same level in their career, but the husband will inevitably rise in his field.  It has often been reported that women lie about their marital status when applying for a job, for fear the employers’ rejection because of heavy commitments to the family.

Women in America, while perceived to be more liberalized do face gender inequality as well. Although notable great strides have been taken to overcome such an obstacle, but women still generally do less as well as men in various vocations. Men outnumber women at a rate of 73% vs. 27% in all sectors of employment for science and engineering as of 2009. No state has ever achieved federal or state judgeship gender equality. Women held only 23% of all federal judgeship and only 27% of state judgeship in the year 2010. Getting pregnant in America could even cost you a job. Thousands of pregnant women are pushed out of jobs they are totally capable of performing—either put on unpaid leave or simply fired, when they request an accommodation to help maintain a healthy pregnancy. Without proper law protection, pregnant women are reluctant to ask for the accommodations they need for their own health and for the health of their unborn children. For many women, a choice between working under unhealthy conditions and not working is no choice at all, particularly as there is a rise in cost of living as well.

We did discuss the political apathy of youths in China and America, but to a much smaller depth. In China, political roles are perceived to be dark and grim, and most parents have actually advised their children not to step into the corrupted world of politics. They are also coined as “Little Emperors”, spoiled by their parents and are therefore uncaring to anything around them except for themselves. The same trend occurs in America as youths are uncaring towards everyone around them, and are only interested in immersing themselves their computer games or social media.

There is definitely progress in the status of women in both America and China. Great strides have been taken, but much work can be done to achieve gender equality in both countries. America and China must allow their women to have gender equality in order to allow their economic competitiveness to be on par with each other.