The Influence of Capitalism on Gender Relations Essay

The development of capitalism has introduced significant transformations in gender relations in our society. The relationships between men and women or females and males in the capitalistic society have challenged centuries-old practices that privileged males/men with exclusive participation in economic activities. The pre-industrialization period was characterized by a majority of women staying in the homes and working as 'managers' of homes while society accorded men the opportunity to carry out their occupations in public places with unlimited access to economic gains as opposed to women who overwhelmingly relied on men as the main providers of the family's financial needs (Eren & Manso, 2018). However, capitalism has changed this equation by making women to enter the workforce and contribute to economic activities like their male counterparts.

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During the period of industrialization, capitalism was characterized by a large concentration of workers at industrial establishments. The massive production of goods and services as a result of the prosperity the country enjoyed after the end of the Second World War created a need for workers to fill the needs of the industrialists. This marked a significant step in enabling women to enter the workforce and earn an income of their own (Xiaojiang, 2013). The entry of women in large numbers into formal employment has changed their role from housekeepers to active contributors to the prosperity of families across America. A critical consequence of this outcome is that capitalism has made them leaders in families and even played a huge role in bringing up families in the absence of husbands. This has demonstrated to society the ability of women to be leaders of the family not only through the provision of financial needs but also acting as leaders in their respective families. Although pay disparities exist in the workplace today, capitalism has given women great financial autonomy thereby enabling them to participate in economic activities on the same platform as their male counterparts.

If massive entry into the formal workplace enabled women to generate their income and become leaders in their own right, then formal employment laid the groundwork for the development of individual freedom. At the heart of the American Dream and capitalism for that matter is the idea that any individual has the freedom to pursue what they choose to the extent that they feel fit in search of personal success and happiness. Capitalism upholds the concept of individual rights and the ideology of mutual benefit in society; that one should not sacrifice their efforts without getting any benefit in return (Cudd, 2014). The pursuit for benefits by offering their skills in the production of goods and services has made women to gain benefits that have empowered them to steer their lives independent of men. This model has enabled women to chat their prosperity without necessarily depending on the input of men, and this has changed the role of men in influencing the finances of women, whether in a family set up or not. Thus, men no longer dictate how economically successful women become in society as women have the financial capacity to devise their own ways to support their professional and economic growth. According to Xiaojiang (2013), economic freedom has brought about the pro-women movements that seek to emancipate women against the limitations imposed by society. The social movements have seen women achieve equality in many spheres of public and private spaces.

Perhaps the most significant transformation that capitalism has introduced regarding gender relations is the entrepreneurship/ innovation. Capitalism encourages financial independence through individual sacrifice. Capitalism rewards personal sacrifices regardless of the gender of the individual involved (Eren & Manso, 2018; Cudd, 2014). Capitalism has empowered women to innovate by building enterprises as a means of filling need gaps in society. Traditionally, men had dominated the world of commerce for centuries. However, the ideals of capitalism which promotes independent thought in commerce have contributed substantially to the rise of women entrepreneurs (Cudd, 2014). When the name of John Davison Rockefeller is mentioned in the business world, women such as Annie Malone are also recognized as some of the greatest entrepreneurs of the time. In modern times, there are numerous examples of women entrepreneurs. The excellence of women in entrepreneurship has demonstrated that capital owners cannot be men alone. The ability of capitalism to enable women to innovate and build capital has challenged the ideology that women can only work for organizations established by men, creating a new order in the business world.

Businesses established to cater to the needs of woman have acted a source of employment for men. Because of the ideals of capitalism, women have innovated to form some of the most successful businesses of our time. In the modern business environment, it is common to find women as founders and CEOs of companies and these organizations have employed both men and women as top managers. Capitalism disrupts traditions that subordinate the position of women in society in socially progressive ways by encouraging social and technological innovations that benefit everybody (Cudd, 2014). Therefore, the enterprises created by women have acted as a source of empowerment for many men, resulting in the reorganization of the relations between men and women in modern society.

References

Cudd, A. E. (2014). Is capitalism good for women? Journal of Business Ethics, 127(4), 761-770. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2185-9

Eren, A. A., & Manso, J. P. (2018). Economic issues in retrospect and prospect. Istanbul: IJOPEC Publication.

Xiaojiang, L. (2013). The progress of humanity and women's liberation. Differences, 24(2), 22-50. doi:10.1215/10407391-2335049