Celebrating Difference

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the value of equality and diversity in contemporary Britain.In this essay, we are dealing with women and disabled people in society. This essay will discuss equal opportunities legislation, which acknowledges their disadvantages, and is put in place to try to overcome those differences, and close the gap of disability. This essay will then go on to discuss the social construction and social divisions in society that highlight areas that show why there are some forms of social discrimination within these two groups. Social construction is the process whereby 'natural', instinctive forms of behaviour become mediated by social processes. Sociologists would argue that most forms of human behaviour are socially constructed. (Bilton et al 1997 p284)) Therefore, the way any group is treated whether they are male, female, or disabled depends on the society that we live in.Lukes, (1974) cited in (Bilton et al 1997 p286) argued that politics systematically serve the interest of one social group rather than other. He then goes on to ask who benefits out of this system, and uses for an example that the taken-for granted maintenance of male dominance in social institutions, which will continue until someone starts to question the system. These systems are being questioned and the government has bought in new laws to enable those who have been socially excluded to be on a more even playing field. According to (campling 1997 p13) Legislation and social divisions can be seen to continue to limit people's access to welfare and employment.

Over the decades, women have been regarded as the second sex. They are paid less in work environments and are still presumed to have total care and responsibility for childcare. When women do work, they are generally the most menial jobs with the worst pay. They have less social powers and may be open to harassment on the grounds of disability or gender. Evans (1994 p1) cited in Campling 1997 p50) 'this goes to show that women are regarded as the mothers and the carers and are expected to act accordingly'. They are being segregated due to their gender and institutional practices and have been discriminated against either directly or indirectly. According to Oppenhein, (1993), cited in (Tayor et al p135) Women are more likely to be in part time work than men. In the 1990's women made up 63% of the workforce. Women earn less than men do. In 1992, women's average earnings only made of 80% of men's wages. This is a clear sign of differences between men and women. Feminism has come to the fore, as women have had to fight for their rights to be equal to the men. This is highlighted by Wallace and Wallace (1990 p10) who maintained that all types of feminism share an awareness of disadvantage and inequality. (Campling 1997 p49) The statistics for Britain show that between 1971 and 1998 the number of women who were in or seeking employment rose by 1.7 million and in contrast the number of males fell by the same amount. By 1998 half, the female population were either in employment or seeking work. Mcdowell (1992) cited in (Bilton et al 1997 pp 213 214)

Although these statistics show that women have managed to get on an equal footing with men as regards the number of women working, there is still a plenty of discrimination against women in the work place. Legislation has been bought in to combat the discrimination and encourage equality and diversity. The Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 (Amended 1986) made discrimination on the grounds discrimination against women in marital status, unlawful employment and related matters illegal, and set up a complaints right to take cases to industrial tribunals and set up the Equal Opportunities Commission as an enforcing agency. The Employments Rights Act 1996 meant that women could claim maternity leave, maternity pay, and the right to return to work. Equal Pay Act 1970 (Amended 1983) Allowed women to claim equal pay to men if they are doing the same job. (Campling 1997 p49) Despite these laws, there is still evidence of discrimination. Feminists have been arguing for equal rights. Germain Greer maintained in the Whole Woman (1998) that equal rights legislation has not removed male domination, and claimed that women seek to behave in a manner shaped by male conceptions of what women should be like. (Fulcher et al 2003)

Another way of looking at discrimination with women can be attributed to class. (Dale et al, 1985) uses the Weberian perspective whereby women can be classified according to their group status. For instance, women are born that way, and as a result, their status is fixed, rather than achieved. They share the same common values, as men and yet they tend to be segregated, just because they are women. (Taylor et al 2002 p142) If that is the case then women have a huge mountain to climb, and all because their status is fixed at birth. Engels blamed the family on inequality with women, claiming that the family rises from communism, and that by being married you are preventing women from achieving equalilty both inside and outside the home.(Tayolor et al 2002 p122)Therefore from Engels point of view, in order to gain equality the family should cease to exist. This is radical thinking when the whole class structure is mainly based around the family. Another way of looking at equality is functionalism. Functionalists believe that inequality arises because of assumptions. It is assumed that women will stay at home and look after the family. This contrasts with the view that men and women are simply different but equal.(Taylor et al 2002 p260)

This essay will now go on to discuss disability. There are two different types of people, the able bodies who regard themselves as fully fit in body and mind, and the disabled who have physical impairments such as wheelchair users and hard of hearing. According to David (1995), Impairment signifies that there is something wrong, that has to be cured overcome or hidden. UPIAS (1976:14) cited in (Swain 2005 p23) suggested that disability is the restriction of activity, and as a result social organisations take little account of people with physical impairments, excluding them from being able to participate in the mainstream of social activities. Often with this social exclusion comes labelling. Nowadays disabled people prefer to see themselves as having learning difficulties. Brechin (1999) cited in (Swain2005 p14) that labelling puts the personal before the problem, which together with their history of segregation, abuse and neglect, leaves them with the problem of fitting in, in mainstream society. Therefore the disabled have to not only contend with their disability, but they also have to fight to the right to be employed, and be viewed as normal citizens on society.

There are two models of disability, the medical