Invited Essay on Gender and Social Justice: “Gender, Knowledge and Accountability” ^☆

Abstract

In this work, we review the interrelationship between gender, knowledge, socially imbued roles, work relations, and the impacts on society. We consider the data regarding education aptitudes for males and females in reading, math, and science and move to an analysis of wage rates and status. Our findings concur with other research. Spanning countries, economic systems, political environments, and cultures, there is a consistent and pervasive gender gap in wage rates and status. In seeking to understand such disparities, we review research on the creation of expectations and the formation of gender as a social construct. Despite various strategies and policies to overcome gender inequities at the national and supranational levels (e.g., EU and UN), gender gaps persist in education, politics, employment rates, representation on boards, and in childcare. While the knowledge-based society is perceived as a new production paradigm, using innovative and improved forms of knowledge, gender disparities remain. Questioning issues of hierarchy and inequality are fundamental to the discussion of deepening gender-accounting research. Although we look at the market place in this paper and financial well being is fundamental, it is not sufficient. Gender gaps persist due to deeply embedded cultural biases in institutions and people and the many obstacles and barriers – cultural, political, economic, social – require significant transformation in how we view the world. Reflecting on the observation that social change takes place in a myriad of ways, we seek new ways to shape deliberations, perceptions, and behavior. These are the possibilities for change we encourage.

Citation

Penn, S. (2015), "Invited Essay on Gender and Social Justice: “Gender, Knowledge and Accountability” ^☆ ", Sustainability and Governance (Advances in Public Interest Accounting, Vol. 18), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1041-706020150000018014