Gender and Politics in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gender and Politics in America - Essay Example These reasoning’s parallel the social barriers women have endured throughout the ages. Those that rule whether they are the church, government or financial leaders, shape the laws and ideology of a society. Consequently, the rules of society favor those in power which has been predominantly male in composition. Until the printing press allowed for ideas to be widely and freely circulated, the patriarchal dominance was total. The language was the tool of oppression yet proved to instigate the beginnings of emancipation. The proliferation of knowledge permeated both genders thus aided in moving the balance of power slightly back toward the center. At about the time of the printing press’s invention, women in America generally did not attend school. Education led to the growth of economic independence for women which translated in the growth of political power. â€Å"Without economic power, women are denied honor and prestige. Economic power has important consequences for what women can, or cannot do in a society†. Throughout the history of much of the world including the regions where the English language originated and developed, society has been dominated and controlled by patriarchal rule. The resulting product of the language represents this dominance by means of categorizing the realities of society. Language establishes the boundaries of perception. Male references in everyday speech dominate language usage simply because males have historically dominated society and to a large extent still do.