Solving a Real-World Problem

Solving a Real-World Problem

Sexual harassment is a deeply ingrained and pervasive social phenomenon that transcends geographical boundaries, affecting millions worldwide. Its presence is a clear reminder of the critical need for a comprehensive approach to initiating structural change. The significance of tackling this issue cannot be emphasized since it violates victims’ fundamental rights and dignity and maintains a culture of fear and inequity in workplaces, schools, and communities. This essay contends that to combat sexual harassment effectively, we must take a multidimensional approach that includes reforms in legislation, education, workplace regulations, and societal attitudes that promote a culture of respect, consent, and gender equality.

Understanding the Problem

Sexual harassment, rooted in historical patriarchal norms, continues to afflict society with its pervasive and harmful expressions. Women and oppressed groups have historically faced subordination and objectification, laying the groundwork for the acceptability of sexual harassment (Gieseler, 2019). This problem remains in modern culture, from job harassment and cyberbullying to street catcalling and campus assault. The #MeToo campaign focused on the pervasiveness of sexual harassment, revealing how power inequities fuel these practices. Despite certain legislative advances and increasing awareness, victims face significant barriers to reporting and seeking justice. The problem continues to be unreported owing to stigma and fear of retaliation. The historical context and current expressions of sexual harassment highlight the critical need for comprehensive and systemic change to eliminate this deeply embedded societal problem.

Solutions to Change a Socially Constructed Real-Life Problem

Three main remedies can be applied to solve the socially created real-life problem of sexual harassment comprehensively. First, education and awareness programs that emphasize the importance of consent, respect, and healthy relationships from a young age must be developed and integrated into school curricula and workplace training. Second, stricter enforcement of anti-harassment legislation and workplace regulations should be supplemented with the development of safe reporting systems and whistleblower protection to encourage victims to speak up without fear of retaliation. Third, in order to challenge harmful preconceptions and promote a culture of gender equality and respect for all individuals, it is critical to support cultural change through media campaigns, public debate, and good role modeling. By tackling the problem of sexual harassment on various levels, from prevention and response to changing societal attitudes and norms, these collaborative activities have the potential to spark structural change (Koris et al., 2022). These solutions are critical because they address the multidimensional nature of sexual harassment while also challenging the deeply rooted social beliefs that sustain it. By tackling sexual harassment on educational, legal, and cultural levels, these solutions work together to transform collective consciousness and, eventually, undermine the social construct that underpins this chronic issue.

How Society Can Begin the Structural Change Necessary to Transform the Cultural Norm the Chosen Socially Constructed Problem

To initiate the structural change required to shift the cultural norm of sexual harassment, a diversified approach involving numerous stakeholders in society is needed. To begin with, governments and legal systems must implement and enforce strict anti-harassment laws and practices that protect victims and hold abusers accountable. This entails ensuring fair and timely judicial processes and harsh penalties for offenders.

Another important factor is education. From an early age, schools should implement comprehensive sex education programs that teach consent, limits, and healthy relationships (Zulu et al., 2019). Furthermore, workplaces should make harassment prevention and response training essential. These educational endeavors challenge the established quo by stressing respect and consent as core values. Institutions and organizations must take proactive measures to build safe and inclusive settings. This includes establishing transparent reporting systems, assisting victims, and developing a zero-tolerance culture for harassment.

Media and popular culture also have a big impact on societal norms. Advocacy organizations and ethical media outlets should continue to increase awareness through campaigns, documentaries, and news coverage, challenging misconceptions and encouraging change. Finally, individuals may help by being allies, supporting victims, and speaking out against harassment when they see it. Open talks within families, communities, and workplaces assist in removing the stigma associated with reporting harassment.

Following this, changing the cultural norm of sexual harassment requires a collaborative effort from all sectors of society – legal, educational, corporate, media, and individual. By tackling the problem holistically and persistently, the community may begin the structural transformation required to erase this deeply established issue and foster a culture of respect, equality, and consent.

Real-world examples that Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Similar Measures in Addressing the Problem

The textbook emphasizes the difficulties and potential solutions in intercultural encounters, particularly in international negotiations and corporate relationships. Intercultural contact often comes in the form of talks for either political or business purposes (Sanchez-Burks et al., n.d.). This information emphasizes the significance of cultural differences in communication techniques and relationship expectations. These lessons directly relate to sexual harassment since they underline the importance of understanding and accepting different perspectives and conventions. A similar approach to recognizing and appreciating differences in behavior, communication, and expectations can be used in the context of sexual harassment prevention and intervention. Not all situational circumstances, even those that appear intuitively strong to laypeople and social scientists, are powerful drivers of behavior. The weakness of seemingly large situational influences is most confusing in investigations of the impact of numerous real-life events on major social outcomes (Ross et al., 2011). For example, it turns out that the long-term impact of physical and sexual abuse sustained as a child and the long-term impact of adolescent pregnancy on a young woman’s life outcomes is rather minor in most situations. Consequently, individuals, as well as organizations, can foster an environment where different points of view are valued, boundaries are honored, and friendships are built on respect for each other and agreement by promoting cross-cultural awareness and training, ultimately contributing to a culture that is less tolerant of harassment and more inclusive and respectful of all individuals, irrespective of their cultural origins.

How and Why the Solutions Could Work

The offered solutions to sexual harassment can be effective since they attack the problem differently. Education instills fundamental values such as respect and consent, enabling people to detect and reject harassment. On the other hand, stricter legal enforcement deters criminals and gives victims options for justice, boosting accountability (Johnson & Lewis, 2022). Lastly, cultural transformation efforts aim to challenge artistic conventions and prejudices that perpetuate harassment to foster a more inclusive and respectful culture. Collectively, these strategies foster a supportive environment in which individuals are informed, protected, and encouraged to report harassment while also influencing social views toward consent and respect. This comprehensive strategy not only avoids harassment but also initiates structural change by challenging the deeply embedded societal beliefs that allow it to perpetuate.

Conclusion

This study emphasizes sexual harassment as a socially created issue and argues for a complete, holistic strategy to initiating structural change. The proposed remedies, which include education, legal enforcement, and cultural change activities, approach the problem collectively by attacking it from many perspectives to promote a culture of respect, consent, and gender equality. These measures can potentially have a significant impact because they empower individuals to refuse harassment, hold perpetrators accountable, and modify cultural norms. However, further study and coordinated action are required to ensure the effective implementation of these solutions and to create long-term change in removing this deeply embedded societal issue.

References

Gieseler, C. (2019). The Voices of #MeToo: From Grassroots Activism to a Viral Roar. In Google Books. Rowman & Littlefield.

Johnson, I. D., & Lewis, R. (2022). Victim-Survivors’ Prioritization of Reasons for Non-Reporting Adult Sexual Assaults to Law Enforcement. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 088626052211141. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221114146

Koris, A., Steven, S., Akika, V., Puls, C., Okoro, C., Bitrus, D., Seff, I., Deitch, J., & Stark, L. (2022). Opportunities and challenges in preventing violence against adolescent girls through gender transformative, whole-family support programming in Northeast Nigeria. Conflict and Health, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-022-00458-w

Ross, L., Nisbett, R. E., & Gladwell, M. (2011). The Person and the Situation. ; Perspectives of Social Psychology (2nd ed.). Pinter & Martin Limited.

Sanchez-Burks, J., E. Nisbett, R., & Ybarra, O. (n.d.). Cultural Styles, Relational Schemas and Prejudice. Journal of personality and social psychology, 79(2), 174-189. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.79.2.174.

Zulu, J. M., Blystad, A., Haaland, M. E. S., Michelo, C., Haukanes, H., & Moland, K. M. (2019). Why teach sexuality education in school? Teacher discretion in implementing comprehensive sexuality education in rural Zambia. International Journal for Equity in Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1023-1

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Using a holistic approach, create solutions to change a socially constructed real-life problem. For example, you can refer to the week 3 video and tackle the cultural norm of violent masculinity. Or, choose another socially constructed real-life problem, such as racism, poverty, political division, sexual harassment, etc.).
LINK TO THE WEEK 3 VIDEO ATTACHED BELOW

In a 3-5 page paper, discuss how society can begin the structural change necessary to transform the cultural norm of violent masculinity or your chosen socially constructed problem. The paper must include textbook information (ATTACHED BELOW) and a minimum of 3 additional scholarly sources. (FROM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY) Hint: Your textbook discusses how, in the past, big problems have been solved by seemingly small measures. (This is just one example.) You can be as creative as you would like, but your ideas must have empirical support. Explain in detail how and why your solutions could work.