The Social Order in Grenada - Essay Esample

Introduction

Social order is a system of socially defined rules. The social order relates to the customs, the values, the institutions, the structures and the relations within the society. A society with socially ascribed roles for men, women, boys, and girls discriminates against members of a particular group. Out of such discrimination, a difference in class and opinion occur. In some communities, a person's race determines the social-class in which they belong (Watson, 2015). The goal of this essay is to define the social order in Grenada, its stratification of the people and the intersectionality between gender, class, and shade.

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Grenada is in the Southern Caribbean consisting of mild climate, beaches, and forests. The social order in Grenada is quite simple. The family is the basic unit composing of the father, mother, and children. The father is the head and the breadwinner. A woman, on the other hand, has her centralized roles in the kitchen. The man's position allows him to participate in leadership and governance and decision-making.

The customs in Grenada are historical with much emphasis on ethics. Tradition comes from the culture, the music, the literature and the relationship between members of the community. The occupation determines the societal rankings. Social rankings also depend on the education, and the leadership position one has in their family. Recently, the division of labor recognized women's contributions to the needs of the households. However, because of the gender ascribed roles, women still have to attend to the household chores after they get off from work. Men on the other hand sit or visit their mates in the field (Kanyeredzi, 2018).

Individually, I do experience this social order in different ways. For instance, my parents initiate us to the societal roles using house chores. Mum teaches the girls how to cook, wash the dishes, and to be good home-makers. The boys are trained to be responsive, bold and warriors in their surroundings. They are also taught to protect the community. Women dont get involved in leadership and decision making because society has reserved these duties for the men. As a child, I was judged based on the social class of my parents. On several occasions, the respect I get depends on my parent's name their wealth, education or their occupation. Back home, my father is the decision maker of the family.

I have benefited from social class discrimination because I come from a middle-class family. The community narration on the oral and written literature is essential. Through it, the members of the society get entertained, educated and know all the symbols and their meanings in particular. I also benefit from the care and the decision made in my family. I got entry into grade school because my father was a well-known member of the society. I also gained entry into various co-curricular activities because of my parent's position on the school's board.

However, I have been victim to the gender discrimination, societal class and the shade mentality from the Grenada society. For instance, I applied for a position in another institution, and my application got turned down because my family background does not meet the selection criteria. That was just a fancy way of saying my social status does not meet their requirements. Majority of the applicants who came from very wealthy families got accepted. Anyone who has experienced discrimination will understand why such a culture must end. Men and women, boys and girls of any color, must be given a chance to fit in any social premise. Color, gender, and class should not prevent people from accessing and controlling what they want.

Personally, when people categorize me based on my gender, my social class or my race, I become depressed or feel devalued. There is this feeling associated with facing discrimination. One gets the feeling that he/she doesn't fit into the society. In the end, you start blaming one's self and at times regret your existence. Discrimination undermines a person's self-esteem, and their health deteriorates. Because that was my first time to experience firsthand discrimination, I almost went into a depression before my parents intervened to calm me down.

Intersectionality tends to exclude dynamics overlooked by movements such as feminism. This ideology challenges the idea that gender is the profound element indicating a woman's fate. The feminists' campaign highlights the different treatment of the poor, disabled or black middle class-women and the white women. The primary objective of intersectionality is to define how terms such as gender, race, and class create social oppression and inequalities; hence a connection on words such as womanism, feminism or black feminism (Aisha, 2014). In it, the women of colors have initiated movements harmoniously and shared their different experiences in life.

Intersectionality is present in any gender, class, and shade. Gender is the socio-cultural ascribed roles for men, women, boys, and girls. Because of societal classification, women's position is in the kitchen. Their functions are related to households chores. Such roles include cooking, washing, taking care of the children and fetching firewood among others. Also, their voices are limited and considered as secondary beneficiaries of development, access, and control of resources. As for the women that manage to get formal employment, they occupy low-level entry jobs. Such a social differentiation in employment opportunities translates into paycheck differences which means women earn lower than their male counterparts. Most of the women in Grenada, especially the black women, belong to the lower class.

Intersectionality has however broken the mentality that women's fate is solely dependent on their gender (Szymanski & Lewis, 2016). According to intersectionality, a woman's future is affected by complex systems that include gender, race, and class. The privileges and discrimination that people experience depend on these social classifiers. I have faced discrimination because of my status, but other factors come into play. My position regarding gender, sexuality, nationality, and race also affected the situation. For example, if I were a member of a minority group such as the physically disabled, maybe the institution might have considered my application despite my middle-class background.

Conclusion

Grenada is one of the productive lands but held back by some of the customs, the mores, and the norms. Discrimination based on race, gender or social class hampers societal progress. Men and women, boys and girls, should have equal treatment. Grenada society consists of a very facilitating culture on the region music, literature and a variety of food delicacy. All this are essential as literature and music educate and entertain the members of the region. The notion of intersectionality challenges the traditional feminist belief that gender is all that affects women in the society. After understanding the concept of intersectionality the position of a black woman is dire because she has a double bind.

References

Aisha Phoenix, (2014). Open Space Colourism and the Politics of Beauty.

Beauboeuf-Lafontant Tamara, (2007)."You have to show strength," An exploration of gender, race, and depression.

Kanyeredzi, A. (2018). Race, Culture, and Gender: Black Female Experiences of Violence and Abuse. Springer.

Katherine Guyot and Reeves V. Richard, (2017). Black Women are earning more college degrees, but that alone won't close race gaps.

Okazawa-Rey, M. Robinson, T., & Ward, J.V, (1986). Black Women and the Politics of Skin Color and Hair Women's studies Quarterly, 14(1/2), 13-14

Szymanski, D. M., & Lewis, J. A. (2016). Gendered racism, coping, identity centrality, and African American college women's psychological distress. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(2), 229-243.

Villegas-Gold, R., & Yoo, H. C. (2014). Coping with discrimination among Mexican American college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(3), 404.

Watson, H. A. (2015). 7. Grenada: Noncapitalist Path and the Derailment of a Social Democratic Revolution. The Grenada Revolution: Reflections and Lessons.