My Online Community Essay -- Essays Papers

My Online Community I aimlessly wondered the Internet trying to find a community suitable for me. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I have many interests, but I really don’t have a strong passion for something. So I decided to join a community in which I could express myself as a teen and talk about general issues. I joined the mtv.com community. There I expressed my thoughts on everything, ranging from music to daily events that shape our world. There I had a chance to share my opinions and beliefs, as others posted their thoughts and perspectives on certain subjects. Online communities are rather congruent to offline ones. They are both appealing yet displeasing at the same time. An online community means different things to different people. For some, it conjures fuzzy, warm images of people chatting and helping each other. For others, it produces dark images of conspiracy, dissident and criminal behavior, sick perverts and invasion of privacy. At first, I was a little sketchy about joining a community. I wasn’t too fond of talking to strangers and posting my thoughts on certain subjects so hundreds of people can read them. I could be talking to someone, and everything they say could be a lie. I wouldn’t feel like I was having a real conversation, because someone can say he or she is something, when in reality he/she is a twisted and demented human being, who takes pleasure in harassing people online. Each day on the community was different. Some I enjoyed, and others made me despise the idea of ever having to return to the same site the next day. I was in no hurry to join a community. So on day one, I browsed the Internet, looking for a community I would feel comfortable in. After I f... ...find fascinating and form a close bond, and then there are those who you find disagreeable and find pleasure in â€Å"raping† you. Communicating via the Internet is no substitute for actual human interaction. But online communities do enable meaningful communication among people separated by distance and time. Many people in today’s society look to online communities for comfort. They visit it daily, and spend many hours talking to people they have never met in person. I have no interest in going back to my community. I didn’t feel the warm, fuzzy feeling of people chatting online. Some people can be rude and annoying, and that is something I just don’t want to deal with if I don’t have to. I enjoyed posting my thoughts on certain subjects on the message boards, but I didn’t enjoy reading some rude responses just because I didn’t agree with the person’s view.

Essay --

Christmas Markets around the World Christmas is a magical holiday and it is celebrated everywhere in the world by creating a fantasy scenery on the streets and in every shop and house. Around Christmas time, all the big cities in the world turn into a magical place, decorated with huge Christmas trees and with thousands of Christmas lights. But that is not all. In many cities around the world, no matter whether they are the capital city of a country or a small town, there are organized Christmas Markets every year. The Christmas markets fill the streets with a wonderful smell of traditional delicacies related to Christmas and so everybody is attracted to the markets by the wonderful, fantasy-like smell coming from there. In these markets, people can also find original, unique ideas to buy as gifts for their loved ones, as merchandisers usually sell hand-made items in these markets. And let’s not forget about the beautiful Christmas decorations, which you can also find at any of these markets. Austria is one of the countries in which Christmas Markets are an old tradition. There, you can find at least one Christmas Market in any major city or town, but the most famous of all remains, of course, Vienna’s Christmas Market. There are also plenty of other cities where the magical atmosphere of Christmas is sustained by the Christmas Markets, such as: Innsbruck, Graz, Salzburg and Linz. Belgium is another country which celebrates Christmas by organizing Christmas Markets in some of the greatest cities in the country. The smell of traditional Christmas food and the beautiful coloured Christmas trees attract the visitors to Christmas Markets in Belgium. Some of the most famous Markets opened for Christmas Holidays in Belgium are in A... ...er cultures. In the last few years, the Christmas Markets became popular in the USA as well, so that today you can enjoy the wonderful celebrations of Christmas at Christmas Markets in USA, where you will be delighted by beautiful music, tasty food and lots of entertainment. Canada is least famous for its Christmas Markets, yet it owns some. In the last few years, Christmas Markets flourished in Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec and other regions in Canada. People can find wonderful Christmas themed presents to buy from these Markets. The magical atmosphere of Christmas is flourishing with these very special and wonderful Christmas Markets around the world, where people can enjoy the beautiful Christmas Carols, huge Christmas Trees, amazing decorations and lights, tasty food delicacies for Christmas, as well as unique Christmas gifts that they can buy from the Markets.

Computer Networks :: essays research papers

Computer Networks Computers by themselves are useful tools. But once they are interconnected, they surge in usefulness and suddenly become media. One computer is connected into a network which is then patched into a network of networks. Computer networks have the potential to break the monopolies of media institutions. With networks, there is a shift from centralized, one-way media to dispersed, infinite-way communication. Every audience member in the world can at the same time be an information provider. Channels of information creation and distribution become cheaper and broader until we have limitless bandwidth and storage capacity. This technology comes with a cautionary note. Every emergent media technology has been hailed as the harbinger of popular expression. Yet each new media is used for commercial ends by those in control of power. Newspapers, radios, and television have become institutionalized and continue to institutionalize as they are purchased by larger and larger conglomerates. Adver tiser-supported media has become a top-down business. The audience is, after all, not the consumer in television. That role lies with the sponsor. The sponsor purchases advertising time and decides what it is they want to support. Television, and other media forms, are dominated by these sponsors supporting what they perceive is what their consumers want, or what they want their particular product to be associated with. The question is whether computer networks will go this route. Computer networks are prone to some of the same problems as traditional media. Though anyone can place something on the World Wide Web, it becomes increasingly difficult to make that web page known to the general Internet audience. Large media-entities are able to create flashy, innovative sites that make personal sites look frumpy, and quickly passed over. An analogy can be drawn between television and the Internet. Anyone can videotape a subject, and with a little time, edit it into a program. But compare the quality of what the private individual can make within their budget (an 8mm video camera, perhaps two VCRs for dubbing) versus television companies with hundreds of thousands of dollars. But computer networks have several saving graces. Distribution becomes limitless. Television, radio, and even newspapers (due to high publishing costs) have limited bandwidth. Computer networks can carry virtually limitless amounts of data at piddling costs, "the electromagnetic spectrum is not scarce but nearly limitless" (Gilder 129). That private videomaker can not distribute his video independently unless he is very wealthy.

Barbie Doll: Society’s Whims Are Not To Be Fulfilled

In the poem â€Å"Barbie Doll,† author Marge Piercy utilizes four well-developed stanzas to depict a scornful view of American society. Applicable to all time periods, â€Å"Barbie Doll† narrates the short-lived life of a young girl despised by society for her appearance. Barbie Doll is like a fairytale, full of plasticity, fakeness, and fantasy. However, unlike a fairytale, â€Å"Barbie Doll† ends with society applauding the funeral of a princess that was torn apart into pieces and then worshiped. Written with varying tones of sadness and depression, vivid imagery, and compact concrete details, â€Å"Barbie Doll† presents a fact that society for centuries has blinded from view. Women, from the development of civilization to present-day modern America, have always endured oppression and humiliation from a patriarchic society. In â€Å"Barbie Doll,† the young girl is repressed by society for her â€Å"great big nose and fat legs. † The society in which this young girl lives views a â€Å"perfect† woman as one who possesses flawless beauty, helps children grow, cooks food, and irons clothes. In fact, society is so intent on morphing young girls into motherly, selfless, and sympathetic individuals that they were only allowed to play with â€Å"dolls that did pee-pee and miniature GE stoves. † Despite being â€Å"healthy and intelligent and possessing strong arms, abundant sexual drive, and manual dexterity,† the young girl is seen by society as incomplete, and abnormal. It is because of this continuous repression that the young girl’s â€Å"good nature† runs out. She herself loses faith in her appearance as society mocks and mocks and mocks her looks. Only when the young girl finally killed herself by â€Å"[cutting] off her nose and her legs],† and was laid in a fake casket with a fake dress and a fake nose, did society finally applaud the â€Å"true† beauty that this young girl possessed. Men want women to have â€Å"perfect† bodies and â€Å"perfect† faces; as a result, the young girl in â€Å"Barbie Doll† sacrificed herself to society’s demands. It is this fake perception and these fake ideas, this idea of perfection that gives â€Å"Barbie Doll,† a term applied in our world to display â€Å"plastic perfection,† its title. Tone also plays a crucial role in â€Å"Barbie Doll. † Each stanza begins heartily nd subtly and ends with a blunt phrase that leaves shock in the reader’s mind. For example, the third stanza starts off like a normal fairytale, detailing the setting in which the protagonist lives. However, when this fairytale approaches its final resolutio n, it takes an entirely different turn; abruptly moving from an ideal, perfectionist world into a world of darkness and misery, the fairytale turns into reality. This repeated undulating motion of tone allows the reader to understand the young girl’s dilemma. The young girl, like the tone of the poem, is wading through a wave of emotions. She does not know whether society is telling the truth about her beauty or if she really possesses such unattractiveness. In a way, she is stranded between a tidal wave of repression sent by society and a wall of concrete built by her conflicting emotions. The young girl can neither swim away nor stand back; she can only surrender herself to society. The young girl possessed all characteristics any person in the modern world of today would value. However, society shunned her thoughts into a black hole and essentially transformed her mind to think contradictory to itself, like the idea of doublethink in 1984. Continuous blames upon the blemishes of her appearance and the insurmountable pressure from society were far too much for her to bear and as a result, she snapped. The last stanza of this poem gives the final say to the main idea. Despite the extent to which the young girl went to satisfy her peers, society only viewed the young girl with passion after a â€Å"turned-up putty nose† was placed upon her face. Placed in a â€Å"casket [made of] satin,† the young girl seems to have finally obtained the respect that she had wanted all of her life. Never did society satiate at the sight of a living, perfectly healthy person but instead society itself received satisfaction only when the young girl was created into a flawless toy or a â€Å"Barbie Doll. † Ironic as it may seem, the only option left for the young girl to obtain happiness was to face the saddest event in one’s life, death. It is for this reason that the young girl felt â€Å"consummation† only after her death. In her mind, it was a happy ending, freedom from the tortures that society had presented before her. â€Å"Barbie Doll† emphasizes that we as individuals should not allow others to judge for us but we ourselves should be the judges. Taking the young girl as an example, by letting society judge her beauty, the young girl became tangled into the web of society’s harsh words. These words were so sharp that the young girl’s entire state of mind was altered to think of herself as inferior and imperfect. If we allow others to judge for us, then we may very well end up in such a drastic situation. Society can lead a person to become unstable; that person can lead himself to become a doll, a plastic doll full of lies, without feelings, and without hope, a â€Å"Barbie Doll. †

Dish Rationale-an Overview of a Bread and Pastry Practical

Stretching back through history, bread has played a crucial role as the staple food of many Western countries. This said however, evidence of bread in Britain wasn’t significantly apparent until 55BC when Romans invaded, bringing with them; complex bakery techniques, watermills and mechanical dough mixers. Such progression in the industry stemmed from the foundation of the first Guild of Bakers in 150BC Rome.Interestingly enough, it was white bread which became sought after by Roman aristocracy of the time and although it is still the bread of choice for many consumers in Western societies, its value and association with social class has greatly declined. Despite such rapid development, Grains were first harvested by Egyptians in 8000BC and were crushed by hand using what we would recognise today as a pestle and mortar. All bread was unleavened as raising agents such as yeast were yet to be introduced. Bread production began to develop along the fertile banks of the Nile and b y 3000BC, baking bread had become a skill.Due to the warm climate, natural yeasts became attracted to the multi grain flour combinations which were used at the time, and so bakers began experimenting with leavened dough. With the invention of the closed oven, bread established its place as part of a cuisine and at its peak, was used as currency (Bakers Federation. 2012). As the Egyptians had become such experts at not only baking bread, but growing the grains required for its production, they began selling their excess to Greece, and by osmosis, the Romans learnt from the Greeks.Returning to an earlier point, by the time that Britain really learnt the potential of baking bread, there were already 258 bakery shops open for business in Rome, with public ovens in the streets, for citizens to bake their own bread in (Yoward. T. 2012). Perhaps this was the first example of bread production on a large scale, little did the Romans of that denomination realise the turn which the 20th Centur y would bring to the production of the commercial bread Loaf. It was the work of scientists at the Chorleywood Flour Milling and Bakery Research Laboratories which brought about a change for Britain’s living in the 1960’s.By adding hard fats such as butter as well as various chemicals to the bread and mixing it quickly, bread which was ready to bake quickly and would stay fresh for longer could be produced. The process was so successful that 80% of the bread in the UK is produced by the Chorley process (News Magazine. 2011). Such manufacture together with gas ovens created mass quantities of bread at a low price; hence the homogenous white sliced loaf has spread worldwide. Such an increasing demand for white bread began to take its toll on smaller independent bakers with many of them being forced into liquidation or facing take over.The first Bread brand to grace the UK market was Wonder Bread, a name suited to the post war affluence which was sweeping the country. The term ‘Bread winner’ came to refer to the man or women who worked to earn a wage, such focus on the importance of this commodity was not unlike the high regards which the Egyptians held during the times of antiquity. With regard to the display of bread which was produced for the assessment, there were influencing factors behind the choice of dough’s and flavour variations.A starting point was the style of bread which I wanted to be reflected through the display. Despite an average artisan bread roll being as much as twice as expensive as the standard sliced white loaf, demand for better quality bread is on the rise. It would be easy to mistake this cultural shift as applicable to the more affluent societies of Britain, but as research shows, it is the middle class who are greatly contributing to the bulk of consumers who are purchasing for quality rather than quantity. Figures suggest that a bread revolution is far from close, but where 80% of the ? . 4bn worth o f bread which is produced every year is sliced white loaves, the niche of master bakers which currently occupy only 5% of the market, have room to grow (Rigby. R. 2010). Another important influence on the market, and one which was reflected by the choice of breads in the display, is that of flavour, ingredients, and recipes from abroad. Despite an economic depression, many Brits can still afford to venture overseas on holiday and often return to the UK wanting to experience the cuisine of the county which they have visited.Suddenly, a demand for continental bread exists within the British market. The diagram shows both; the dough’s which featured in the display and the variety of flavours which provided originality as well as a balance between sweet and savoury. Brioche (Enriched Dough)| White Bun Dough| Plain Brioche Bun| Sesame & Poppy Seed| Double Chocolate Baton| Sun Dried Tomato & Olive| Toasted Almond & Vanilla| Cottage Loaf| Toffee Apple & Pecan| Smoked Bacon & Maldon Sea Salt|Stilton & Walnut| Goats Cheese & Caramelised Red Onion| Apricot & Honey| Roasted Garlic & Parsley| Many of the flavour combinations which featured took influence from the Mediterranean; from Greece, Italy and from France. These are countries which were highlighted as being popular tourist destinations and so are likely to have influence on the UK Bread market. There is a broad range of dishes which these breads could be served with; soups, entrees such as tapenade or as individual snack items to perhaps be enjoyed with a coffee or over breakfast.Nutrition is affecting the growing demand for artisan breads. For the majority of loaves produced using the Chorleywood process, cheap varieties of Wheat are used, these tend to be low in protein, vitamins and minerals. By contrast, the better quality wheat, which is by and largely used in smaller bakery operations, has a protein content of between 8 and 13%. Elements of the grain such as the germ, endosperm and kernel are also rich in vitamins B and E, as well as a range of minerals.Although a focus on nutrition is perhaps less relevant to the breads which featured in the display, Brioche and White Bun Dough, as Brioche is high in fat and a very luxurious bread originally baked by the Romans as a sweet holiday bread. It is also often served as a pastry, a very popular feature of breakfast for many consumers, or as an element to a dessert (La Gourmandise. 2012). White bread, as has already been touched on, often has a similar nutrient content to that of wholemeal or granary breads, as the table highlights.To briefly analyse the data below, the white flour which was used in both recipes, is comprised of both insoluble and soluble non starch polysaccharide (NSP), as well as high levels of carbohydrate (Bake info. 2012). As well as nutrition, the appearance of the bread display was perhaps the overriding factor when deciding on dough, flavours and shapes. As the images below show, the addition of sugar in the Bri oche dough, and egg as a glaze on the white bun dough helped to create a glossy golden brown finish when the bread was baked.This is due to a chemical process called the maillard reaction. Such a reaction occurs when carbohydrates in the bread combine with the proteins in egg at temperatures of at least 100? C. For the reaction to occur successfully, moisture in the bread has to be of average proportion, as if the dough is too wet the reaction will be inhibited. Often the maillard reaction contributes to flavour as well, distinctively this flavour tends to be nutty (Forbes. P. 2003).The range of flavourings helped to further produce a variety of colours whilst complex shapes added visual appeal to the display Below are the two recipes which helped me to create the breads. Brioche Dough| Strong White Flour| 1000g| Caster Sugar| 100g| Fresh Yeast| 60g| Eggs| 300g (Beaten)| Whole Milk| 235g| Unsalted Butter| 200g| Salt| 20g| Enriching the dough with Butter helps to create an almost cak e like texture, whilst being moist and light. It also contributes to the colour of the bread and produces a rich Buttery flavour which compliments the sweetness.The use of Sugar in the recipe also contributes to the colour as caramelisation takes place when the dough is cooked. White Bun Dough| Strong White Flour| 1000g| Caster Sugar| 84g| Salt| 20g| Olive Oil| 50g| Fresh yeast| 70g| Water| 550ml| With regard to the white bun dough, the use of Strong White Flour suggests that the gluten content is high and so an elastic, layered texture can be achieved. Sugar is required in the bread, as with any bread, to provide the Yeast with food which helps it multiply and grow.The addition of Olive Oil coats each strand of Gluten in a thin film, this means that a lighter, softer dough can be achieved as the gluten will not set as hard when cooled as with a dough which doesn’t have Oil in it. And so to summarise the success of the Bread display, which was produced, it is noticeable that a wide range of both shapes and flavours was produced, and the two dough’s both complimented and contrasted each other. A range of skill was displayed and if the display were to be created again, perhaps a wider variety could be included.Feedback suggested that the flavours showed a good variation and the textures of the breads were as they should have been. Below are some photos which display the bread as it was at the end of the practical assessment. References Bakers Federation. 2012. The Federation of Bakers. London Accessed on: 15/11/12 Taken From: http://www. bakersfederation. org. uk/the-bread-industry/history-of-bread. html Yoward. T. 2012. Hampshire Mills Group Accessed on 15/11/12 Taken From: http://www. hampshiremills. org/snippets%20history%20of%20bread. htm News Magazing. 2011.BBC News Accessed on 20/11/12 Taken From: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/magazine-13670278 Rigby. R. 2010. Management Today Accessed on 21/11/12 Taken from: http://www. managementtoday. co. u k/news/1042696/Wheres-dough-artisan-bread/ La Gourmandise. 2012 Accessed on 22/11/12 Taken from: http://www. lagourmandise. net/history. htm Bake info. 2012 Accessed on 22/11/2012 Taken from: http://www. bakeinfo. co. nz/Facts/Nutrition/Nutrition Forbes. P. 2003. The Guardian Accessed on 22/11/2012 Taken from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/science/2003/jan/23/science. research

Diamond Necklace

â€Å"Maupassant uses the symbol of the necklace to represent various stations in Victorian society. However, this theme may be lost to readers that are not versed in Victorian culture. In the story, the necklace is more than an object of desire. It symbolizes something that is out of reach for the heroine of the story. It is used to explain the pitfalls of what can happen when desire overrides all other elements of one's life. However, the necklace also has another meaning that is often overlooked. â€Å"One will recall that there are two necklaces in the story.The first one is the more expensive one. It represents the true upper class of society, those that can truly afford to possess such an object. Madame Forestier feels comfortable allowing Madame Loisel to borrow the necklace. She is not afraid to let go of it. This suggests that her life savings are not tied up in it. She does not guard it so carefully that she is unwilling to let it out of her sight. She is comfortable taki ng a small risk with it. â€Å"However, Madame Forestier is less than amicable when the necklace is returned a week late.This indicates that although, she was not devastated by the loss of the necklace, it still held a considerable value to her. Her reactions indicate that it was still an uncomfortable loss and held some value in her life. To the wealthy, class of Victorian France, their finery was s symbol of not only their wealth, but their power in society as well. This necklace was important to Madame Forestier as a symbol of her station in French society. We do not know how many pieces such as this that she owned, but this may have been an important piece to her. â€Å"

Give a comparative, cross-national account of social policy in the field of gender equality and family policies.

Abstract Attempts to rebalance the gender inequality that exists in society have been made for many years, yet the extent to which these have worked is unclear. Various social policies have been implemented by welfare state to protect women against inequality, though different ideas generally exist as to what is acceptable within society. Such ideas have changed considerably over time and women are no longer being discriminated against as they once were, yet gender bias is still prevalent. It remains to be seen whether this will ever be completely eradicated as different countries will continue to perceive gender inequality in a different manner. The social policies, relating to gender equality, of two countries will be examined in this study to in order to consider the extent to which these have proven effective in combating discrimination. Introduction An ideology is a set of ideas as to how society should behave and generally forms the basis of economic and political theory. Ideologies have usually been created by those who dominant society and are usually formed as a result of common interests. It cannot be said that ideology is reflective of the whole of society and instead there exists differing views and opinions as to what an ‘ideal’ world is (Eagleton, 1991: 3). However, as expressed by Kania (1988: 1) a large amount of the existing literature in this area that is devoted to Marxist thought highlights the â€Å"diversity of opinion, values and policy advocated by persons associated with that label†. Despite these differences, ideology has been considered discriminatory in nature as those who dominate it are often biased. This was recognised by Curra who pointed out that ideology only â€Å"serves the interests of one segment of a society more than all other segments† (2000: 6). It therefore seems likely in light of this assertion that one segment of society will benefit from ideology, whilst other segments will not. This is largely reflected in gender equality and family policies as many still consider the so-called nuclear family to be the norm in contemporary society (Sudha, 2000: 184). However, it cannot be said that the nuclear family does actually reflect the majority in society and so the associated ideology could be seen as outmoded (Saggers and Sims, 2009: 173). This study will compare the social policies of France and Germany in the field of gender equality and family policies in order to demonstrate the extent to which gender equality is being attained. The applicability gender equality and family policy has in France and Germany to functionalism and path dependency will also be considered. Gender Equality and Family Policy Gender inequality was first brought to the public’s attention in 1970 when the feminist movement highlighted the struggles women were being subjected to as a natural part of their everyday life (Meer 2013: 4). This was followed by the suffrage movements in the 19th and 20th centuries, whereby suffragettes pioneered for the right for women to vote (Foghlam Alba, 2012: 1). During this period, certain groups of society viewed males as being the breadwinners, whilst women were considered the homemakers. Because of this conception, a lack of financial support was provided to women by the welfare state as it was believed that women could rely on the income of their husbands (Herring: 2007; p. 262). Women were far less likely to leave their husbands as a result of this, which could be one of the main reasons why there has been a huge increase in the divorce in recent years (Benson, 2013: 1). It was apparent by many that social policy changes were needed to rectify this imbalance and thus provide women with better protection against inequality (United Nations, 2013: 1). Some feminists believed that ideology was the cause of such inequality and that unless all nation states adopt effective gender equality social policies, women will continue to be treated unfavourably in society (George and Wilding: 1985; p. 122). Some feminists argue that unless equality within family structures is addressed, women will never be completely free regardless as to what social policies’ have been implemented by the welfare state (Craven, 2005: 3). This was recognised by Fraser who was of the view that the policies of existing welfare states are based on assumptions about gender that are â€Å"increasingly out of phase with many people’s lives and self-understandings† (1994: 591). It cannot be said that women are being provided with sufficient protection within society, yet gender inequality is still one of the most important principles that is contained in the human rights law of the European Union (EU). The EU continues to make progress in the tackling of gender discrimination, as exemplified by Article 14 of the European Convention of Human Rights, though it cannot be said that all nation states adopt the same approach as the EU. Consequently, unless gender equality is being instilled into the frameworks of all welfare states, gender discrimination will be likely to remain. Regardless of the EU’s gender equality policies, nonetheless, women continue to be treated less favourably than men and as it has been recognised by Radacic; that despite the pronouncements of gender discrimination, inequality of still persists (2008: 841). It cannot be said that EU policy has had much of an effect in establishing complete equality between the genders, though it is questionable whether it ever will (Mill and Okin, 1988: 1). Hence, it has been pointed out that although the EU has paved the way for more equal gender rights in areas such as marriage and employment, inequality persists when it comes to domestic violence, pay and the division of labour (Pascall, 2000: 240). It seems as though the EU has made great attempts towards the attainment of gender equality, yet these have not proven sufficient. Further changes therefore need to be made to ensure that women are not being treated unfavourably to men. Gender Equality and family policies in West Germany Social policy in Germany appears largely to reflect ideological principles, in that males are considered breadwinners, whilst females are considered homemakers. The German people are generally of the view that women should not go out to work and that they should instead stay at home to look after the childrenHence, as illustrated by Peters; â€Å"Men’s stereotypical role in Germany is one of the income – earning breadwinner, who leaves the house for work in the morning and comes back in the evening† (2001: 93). Although this may be a common belief throughout Germany, it does not provide a true reflection of the gender roles. Women are frequently choosing to work as opposed to staying at home, yet the gender pay gap is also increasing. Germany’s pay gap has thus been widely criticised for being one of the largest in the EU and the EU Commission suggest that this is getting worse (European Commission, 2012: 1). Davis and Robinson believe that much of this g ender bias is caused by the policies that are being held by families and societal ideals. does seem to have some validity, and social policies still need to be reformed in Germany so that gender equality is being addressed appropriately. Arguably, if effective policies are implemented in Germany, it is likely that this will cause the policies held by families to also change (Seeleib-Kaiser, 2007: 2). This alone will not be sufficient to bring about gender equality, and attitudes will also need to change. It has been suggested by Davis and Robinson that women with employed husbands are less likely to be supported than women with unemployed husbands. This is because, husbands in employment are unlikely to be supportive of efforts to reduce gender inequality (1991: 72). This suggests that women are less likely to advance in society if they receive a lack of support from their husbands. This shows how men can impact the achievement of gender equality. The social policies that exist in Germany should therefore be amended so that gender equality can be improved. At present, women do not receive adequate support from the government (Gelb and Palley, 2009: 368), though as noted by the OECD some are of the view that if greater support is provided to women, they will be less likely to have children which will have an overall impact upon the German population (OECD, 2008: 15). Conversely, it was in fact found by the OECD that countries with policies that facilitate female employment are those with the highest fertility rates† (2008: 15). Instead of reducing the population, further support would in fact increase it which is considered integral to economic growth (OECD, 2007: 7). Arguably, the limited support for working mothers in Germany has resulted in women postponing childbearing so that they can instead enter the workforce in order to financially support themselves. This has an effect upon economic growth (WILPF International, 2013: 1), though it has been said that social policy in Germany is a work in progress and that attempts to reinforce childcare is being made (Spiegel, 2012: 1). Gender Equality and family policies in France In comparison with Germany, social policy in France does actually appear to reflect the ideas of contemporary society, and is thus more favourable to women. This was identified by Rodgers when it was noted that; â€Å"France has a more conscious, clearly defined concept of family policy, which finds expression in statutory and voluntary institutions whose primary or even sole purpose is to promote the welfare of the family† (2009: 113). Statutory benefits in France are also provided, as of right, to both parents. This demonstrates how gender equality is more adequate in France than it is in Germany (Rogers, 2009: 113). This is due to the support women receive in France by the French government and the favourable family policies that exist. Significant support for childcare is also being provided by France and their allowance system is particularly generous (European Union, 2014: 1). The support that is provided to women is thus intended to allow a work-life balance to be achie ved. This approach does appear to be working given the high fertility and employments rates of women with children (European Commission, 2014: 1). Hence, it has been argued that the high fertility rates in France is due to France’s consistent family policy and the excellent employment prospects women are said to have (Del Boca, 2008: 2). Monetary benefits are a key feature of France’s family policy (Cleiss, 2013: 1). This generosity has been considered necessary in supporting women and removing gender inequality in France. Yet not all agree with this approach and it has instead been argued that whilst women in France receive a number of different benefits such as; paid, four-month maternity leaves; tax breaks for having more children; and other family-friendly government subsidies, â€Å"their country lags behind many other nations in gender equality† (MNT, 2010: 1). This suggests that although a number of social policies have been established in France that intend to provide greater support to women, not all believe that gender inequality is eradicated and instead argued that outdated societal attitudes regarding women are still prevalent (Girling, 2002: 126). Nevertheless, France’s benefit system does appear to be a lot more generous than Germany’s, which might be suggested leads to grea ter equality between the sexes. However, it seems as though complete equality is still not being attained. There still appears to be a gender pay gap between men and women in France, and women continue to be treated differently in general (European Commission, 2013: 10). Arguably, it is clear from these findings that social policies may not actually remove the gender inequalities that persist within society and that the attitudes of individuals also need to be changed. Functionalist and path dependency to gender equality and family policies Functionalism has been described as a philosophy of mind in that a particular mental state will be dependent on the role it plays on the cognitive system in which it is a part of. In effect, functionalists view the identity of mental states as being determined by its casual relations to sensory stimulations, behaviour and other mental states (Stanford, 2004: 1). Functionalism is clearly prevalent within the approaches that are being employed in both Germany and France since functionalists view gender inequality as a product of traditional ideology within society (Isajiw, 2013: 129). Given that gender inequality is still prevalent within both Germany and France it might be though that social policies cannot change traditional ideology. Pre-existing notions of the ideal family will be likely to remain and individuals will thus conform to the roles that have been provided to them by society. Whilst gender roles have changed substantially in contemporary societies, functionalists believ e that traditional arrangements remain in force (Giddens and Griffiths, 2006: 467). This is what appears to be happening in France because although social policy has been advanced, gender inequality still exists as a result of traditional arrangements. Furthermore, whilst social policy in Germany is not as supportive of women as it is in France, the same applies here and traditional arrangements continue to prevail. Path dependency is a term that is used to describe the idea that history matters and that we are today a product of what has happened in the past (Margolis, 1996: 1). Path dependency is also reflective of gender equality in Germany and France in that past decisions influence future decisions. This is so regardless of whether the circumstances are still relevant (Arthur, 1994: 33). Historical viewpoints are therefore being maintained despite the fact that this no longer provides a true reflection of reality and as put by Skocpol; â€Å"the development trends of social modernization may face legacies of path dependent cultural and institutional organisation† (1992: 8). Gender equality is affected by this and improvements to the lives and wellbeing of women is stifled. Alexander and Welzel argue that; â€Å"path dependent processes with respect to women’s suffrage policy may affect the potential to increase gender equality in particular societies† (2014: 9). Again, this demonstrates why women continue to be paid less than men in both Germany and France. This results from the historical gender inequality practices because as stated by Bjornskov et al; â€Å"because of the path dependence of the unfolding human life, gender inequality in the early eighties might equally affect today’s opportunities, choices and aspiration levels† (2007: 2). This will continue to affect the way women are treated in the future and it is arguable whether discrimination against women will ever be eradicated. Conclusion Overall, it has been argued that ideological beliefs will continue to influence the ways women are treated in society, and regardless of the social policies that are implemented by welfare states, gender inequality will continue to persist. This is because the traditional roles of males and females will continue to be prevalent within all aspects of life as women will continue to take on the role of a homemaker, whilst men will continue to take on the role of a breadwinner in certain groups of society. Ideology is largely responsible for these inequalities and women will continue to be treated differently to men as a result. This is evidenced in both Germany and France regardless of the fact that their social policy strategies are different and demonstrates how ideology will continue to dominate contemporary society. Thus, women in Germany are treated far less favourably than the women in France, yet both countries are similar when it comes to gender inequality. An example of this ca n be seen in relation to the gender pay gaps which are widespread amongst both nation states. Nevertheless, despite the fact that gender inequality is likely to persist regardless of what policies are implemented, it is manifest that improvements can certainly be made. Further support should be provided to women in Germany, whilst the gender pay gap should be reduced in France. This is unlikely to provide complete equality because, as recognised by the functionalist and path dependency models, the traditional arrangement of gender roles will continue influence society. References Alexander, A. C. and Welzel, C. (2014) ‘Four Theories Tested on Four Different Aspects of Gender Equality’ Empowering Women, [Online] Available: http://www.democracy.uci.edu/files/democracy/docs/conferences/grad/alexander.pdf [02 April 2014]. Benson, H. (2013) ‘What is the Divorce Rate’, The Marriage Foundation, [Online] Available: http://www.marriagefoundation.org.uk/Shared/Uploads/Products/5357_MF%20-%20What%20is%20the%20divorce%20rate%20-%20060213.pdf [02 April 2014]. Bjornskov, C. Dreher, A. Justina, A. V. and Fischer, A. V. (2007) ‘SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance’ No 657. Brown, S. E., Esbensen, F., and Geis, G., (2010). Criminology: Explaining Crime in Context. 7th Edition, London: Elsevier. Cleiss. (2013) ‘Family Benefits’ The French Social Security System, [Online] Available: http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_4.html [02 April 2014]. Craven, Z, Clearinghouse, ‘Human Rights and Domestic Violence’ Australian Domestic & Family Violence, [Online] Available: http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/human_rights.pdf [02 April 2014]. Curra, J., (2000). The Relativity of Crime. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage. Davis, N. J. and Robinson, V. R. (1991) ‘Men’s and Women’s Consciousness of Gender Inequality: Austria, West Germany, Great Britain and the United States’ American Sociological Review, Volume 56, No. 1. Del Boca, D. Pasqua, S. and Pronzato, C. (2008) ‘Market Work and Motherhood Decisions in Contexts’ Discussion Paper Series, IZA DP No 3303, [Online], Available: http://ftp.iza.org/dp3303.pdf [02 April 2014]. Eagleton, T. (1991) Ideology: An Introduction, London: Verso. European Commission. (2012) ‘Women on Boards: Commission Proposes 40% Objective’ [Online] Available: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/gender-equality/news/121114_en.htm [02 April 2014]. Giddens, A. and Griffiths, S. (2006) Sociology, Social Science, Polity. Girling, J. (2002) France: Political and Social Change, Routledge, Political Science. European Commission. (2012) ‘Statistics’ European Union, [Online], Available: http://europa.eu/epic/statistics/index_en.htm [02 April 2014]. European Commission. (2013) ‘Tackling the Gender Pay Gap in the European Union’ Justice, [Online] Available: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/files/gender_pay_gap/gpg_brochure_2013_final_en.pdf [02 April 2014]. European Union. (2014) France: Significant Support for Women and High Monetary Benefits, [Online], Available: [03 April 2014]. Fraser, N. (1994) ‘After the Family Wage’ Political Theory, Volume 22, No. 4. Foghlam Alba. (2012) ‘Womens Rights and Suffragettes’ [Online] Available: [05 April 2014]. George, V., and Wilding, P., (1985). Ideology and Social Welfare. Routledge, 2nd Edition. Herring, J., (2007). Family Law, Pearson Education, 3rd Edition. Kania, R. E, (1988). Conservative Ideology in Criminology and Criminal Justice. American Journal of Criminal Justice. Volume 13, Number 1. Margolis, S. E. (1996) ‘Path Dependence’ [Online] Available: http://wwwpub.utdallas.edu/~liebowit/palgrave/palpd.html [07 April 2014]. Meer, S. (2013) ‘Struggles for Gender Equality: Reflections on the place of men and men’s organisations’, Open Debate, Online] Available: http://www.osisa.org/sites/default/files/sup_files/open_debate_2_-_reflections_on_the_place_of_men_and_mens_organisations_in_the_struggle_for_gender_equality.pdf [02 April 2014]. Mill, J. S. and Okin, S. M. (1988) The Subjection of Women, Hackett Publishing Co. MNT. (2010) ‘Gender Inequality Persists in France Despite Family-Focused Benefits’ [Online] Available: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/204545.php [03 April 2014]. OECD. (2007) ‘Babies and Bosses – Reconciling Work and Family Life’ A Synthesis of Findings for OECD Countries. OECD. (2008) ‘Gender and Sustainable Development’ Maximising the Economic, Social and Environmental Role of Women. Pascall, G. (2000) Gender and Social Policy: Comparing Welfare States in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Societ Union’ Journal of European Social Policy, Volume 10, Number 3. Peters, D. (2001) ‘Breadwinners, Homemakers and Beasts of Burden: A Gender Perspective on Transport and Mobility’ Institute for City and Regional Planning, Sustainable Development International, 93-100. Radacic, I. (2008) ‘Critical Review of Jurisprudence: An Occasional Series: Gender Equality Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights’, European Journal of International Law, Issue 4, EJIL 2008 19 (841). Rodgers, B. N. (2009) ‘Family Policy in France’ Journal of Social Policy, Volume 4, Issue 2. Saggers, S. Dodd, J. and Wildy, H. (2009) ‘Constructing the ‘ideal’ family for family-centred practice: challenges for delivery’ Disability and Society, Volume 24, Issue 2. Seeleib, M. K. (2007) ‘Innovative ways of coping with old and new challenges: Enterprises as actors of family policy’, Family Policies in Britain and Germany, [Online] Available: http://www.socialpolicy.ed.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/10108/Family_Policy_in_Britain_and_Germany_Midpoint_Conference171107.pdf [02 April 2014]. Skocpol, T. (1992) Protecting Soldiers and Mothers: The Political Origins in Social Policy in the United States, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stanford. (2004) ‘Functionalism’ [Online] Available: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/functionalism/ [07 April 2014]. Sudha, D. K. (2000) Gender Roles, New Delhi: APH Publishing. WILPF International. (2014) ‘Racism and Gender Inequality in Germany’ Peace & Freedom, [Online] Available: http://www.wilpfinternational.org/racism-and-gender-inequality-in-germany/ [02 April 2014]. Give a comparative, cross-national account of social policy in the field of gender equality and family policies. Introduction Social policy is the term that is used to describe the various principles, guidelines, legislative provisions and activities that impact human welfare. Social policy has thus been defined as an analysis of societies responses to social need (Lewis, 2013: 1) and has been said to focus on certain aspects of the economy that are concerned with basic human needs. Nevertheless, different societies have developed different ways to meet social policy needs. Whilst some rely primarily upon ideological beliefs within family institutions, others rely on the actions of individuals and governmental activities (Lewis, 2013: 1). Ideology plays an important part in social policy as it is the belief that individuals should behave in a way that is consistent with the goals and expectations of the most dominant in society. There are many different views and opinions that exist in respect of ideology (Kania, 1988: 1), yet it has been considered extremely discriminatory as it only â€Å"serves the inte rests of one segment of a society more than all other segments† (Curra, 2000: 6). One particular group of people therefore benefit more than other groups, which is the case when it comes to gender equality and family policies. (Brown et al; 2010: 9). The nuclear family, which is the traditional family structure that consists of two parents and children, is still being considered the ideal in many cultural, family and social settings. This is so despite the fact that â€Å"contemporary families now comprise a diverse range of different family and so-called non family types† (Saggers and Sims, 2009: 173). Although ideals are necessary in helping people to identify right from wrong, too much reliance should not be placed on ideology as this will otherwise result in inequality. A significant amount of the gender bias that currently exists has stemmed from ideology (Bjornskov et al, 2007). This is extremely dangerous and demonstrates how important gender regimes (as policy l ogics) in welfare states are in integral to equality. For example, in domestic violence cases, women are treated unfavourably on the basis that it was previously deemed acceptable for a man to beat his wife (Brown et al, 2010). This has produced many problems over the years and is still an on-going concern for many countries, which will be identified in this study (Cleiss, 2013). Thus, a comparative, cross-national account of social policy in the field of gender equality and family policies will be considered. This will be done by comparing social policy in Germany and France and demonstrating whether gender equality is attainable. Gender Equality and Family Policy in Germany and France The 1970’s new social feminist movement was the first time gender inequality was brought to the public’s attention as domestic violence was previously considered â€Å"part of the rough and tumble of marital life† (Herring: 2007; p. 262). This gender bias not only happened in the context of domestic violence but it was also becoming a natural part of everyday life. Males were considered to be breadwinners, whilst females were the homemakers. Because females were considered totally dependent on the male breadwinner, a lack of financial and support existed for women and there was a dire need for social policy changes to be implemented in order to reduce the gender inequality women were being subjected to (Curra, 2000). Feminists believed that this gender inequality was the result of ideology and that gender equality should become a vital part of social policy across all nation states (George and Wilding: 1985; p. 122). Feminism is prevalent within different jurisdi ctions and has been considered a â€Å"diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies and aims to understand the nature of gender inequality and focuses on gender politics, power relations and sexuality† (EKU, 2012: 1). Feminists’ believe that individuals cannot achieve complete freedom so long as inequality continues to persist and that humanity is therefore unattainable. Regardless of this, the gender inequality that exists within family structures is still being recognised as a global issue and is prevalent both in Germany and France. This is partly due to the cultural practices of these societies as cultural relativism is still being used to condone such inequality (Craven, 2005: 3). In addition, as put by Fraser; â€Å"existing welfare states are premised on assumptions about gender that increasingly out of phase with many people’s lives and self-understandings† (1994: 591). It seems as though inadequate social protection is being provided to women in both countries, although France’s social policy regime does appear more favourable to women than Germany’s. This is evidenced by the fact that Germany holds a strong preference for the typical nuclear family ideal and continues to view males as breadwinners and females as homemakers. It is a common belief throughout Germany that women should not work and that they should instead be stay at home mums. This was identified by Peters when he pointed out that; â€Å"Men’s stereotypical role in Germany is one of the income – earning breadwinner, who leaves the house for work in the morning and comes back in the evening† (2001: 93). Because of the stereotypical role that is still being employed in Germany, women end up performing two roles. This is because contemporary women no longer stay at home to look after children and instead choose to become income earners. Furthermore, th e pay gap between men and women in Germany continues to widen and has been criticised for being much wider than other EU states, including France. The European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding presented the results from the Eurobarometer on Gender Equality in 2010 and concluded that Germany’s figures were getting much worse: â€Å"In 2007, the gap was 23 percent; in 2006, 22.7 percent† (European Commission, 2012: 1). In a study conducted by Davis and Robinson, however, it was evidenced that much of the gender bias stems from family policies and the ideals that have been created by society. Hence, it was demonstrated that well-educated males are less supportive of reducing gender inequality: â€Å"women with employed husbands are less supportive of efforts to reduce gender inequality than women without a male wage earner† (1991: 72). This prevents women from advancing within society and demonstrates how men are capable of stifling the attainment of gender equa lity in Germany. In contrast to the male dominated ideologies that exist Germany, social policies in France do actually appear to be more akin to contemporary society. This has been illustrated by Rodgers who noted that; â€Å"France has a more conscious, clearly defined concept of family policy, which finds expression in statutory and voluntary institutions whose primary or even sole purpose is to promote the welfare of the family† (2009: 113). Both parents of the nuclear family are also entitled to various statutory benefits as of right, which signifies how gender equality is better attained in France than it is in Germany (Rogers, 2009: 113). France has a significant amount of support for women and has had an extensive policy in favour of families for a very long time. A wide range of childcare services are provided in France as well as an allowance system that is deemed extremely generous (European Union, 2014: 1). Such support is intended to encourage and assist parents in finding a work life balance and is clearly working given that France has higher fertility and employments rates of women with children compared to the rest of the EU’s member states (European Commission, 2014: 1). It has been said that the high fertility rates in France largely result from the consistent family policy in France as well as the good employment prospects provided to women (Del Boca, 2008: 2). One of the key characteristics of France’s family policy is the monetary benefits, also known as family allowance. The monetary benefits that are provided to families under this system include child benefit, flat-rate allowance, family income supplement, family support allowance, birth/adoption grant, basic allowance, supplement for free choice of working time and free choice of childcare, education allowance, back-to-school allowance, daily parental attendance allowance, family housing allowance and moving allowance (Cleiss, 2013: 1). In view of the support women are provided with in France, it seems as though Germany’s social policies on gender equality should be strengthened. This is especially so in the labour market where this appears to be amongst the worst of all EU member states. Therefore, not only do women in Germany receive significantly lower pay packets to men but they also receive a lack of support from the government (Curra, 2000). There a widespread misconception in Germany that if family friendly policies are implemented to assist working women, this will lead to them having fewer children, which will decrease the population overall (Giddins and Griffiths, 2006). However, it has been evidenced that â€Å"countries with policies that facilitate female employment are those with the highest fertility rates† (OECD, 2008: 15). This resultantly increases the future supply of workers, which inevitably leads to sustained growth (OECD, 2007: 7). Furthermore, the practices being employed in Fra nce appear to discredit the view that the population will be decreased if further support is provided to women, as this has not happened here and the fertility rates in Germany are low as a result of the lack of support for working mothers. This is due to the fact that women in Germany are more likely to postpone childbearing in order to enter the workforce, which stifles economic growth in the long term (Hering, 2007). Women are thus said to be â€Å"facing difficulties to reconcile family, domestic workload and paid work† (WILPF International, 2013: 1). It has been said that the German government is working on this issue at present and has made great attempts to reinforce child daily care (Fraser, 1994), yet it is arguable whether this is proving effective given the cultural relativism that Germany is submersed with. The generosity of France is illustrative of the support that is given to contemporary families and demonstrates how France’s social family policies are workable in attaining gender equality. Not all agree with this, however, and it has instead been argued that; â€Å"although French women receive paid, four-month maternity leaves; tax breaks for having more children; and other family-friendly government subsidies, their country lags behind many other nations in gender equality† (MNT, 2010: 1). This, it has been said, is largely because of outmoded attitudes about the role of women in society (Girling, 2002: 126). Women continue to earn less than men; they are still being viewed as homemakers and also hold few positions of power European Commission, 2013: 10). This is also the case for those women that remain childless (Milj and Okin, 1988), which suggests that although France provides better support to women, gender inequality still persists. Accordingly, women continue to be treated differently to men regardless of what policies are put into practice. It is questionable whether gender equality can ever be fully attained giv en the attempts that have been made to do so over the years. EU law has made significant attempts to ensure men and women receive equal pay for equal work, though it has been difficult for this to be accomplished. Article 141 of the Treaty of Amsterdam (which amended Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome), obliges member states to ensure that men and women always receive equal pay for equal work, yet it is often difficult to demonstrate that this is not being achieved. This is because the burden of proof is on the applicant to show that, on the balance of probabilities, their comparator is doing work of equal value to theirs or like work, which is considerably difficult (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2010, p. 1). It is therefore clear from these findings that whilst France does provide greater support to women than Germany does, gender inequalities still exist. France’s social policies thereby need to be rectified so that better equality is being attained. The first step would be to close the gender pay gap, yet it remains to be seen whether this would achieve complete equality as the traditional family model will remain prevalent. Functionalism and path dependency to gender equality and family policies Functionalist’s are of the view that an individuals’ mental state is determined by the role in which they have been provided with in society. Functionalist’s therefore view gender inequality as being a product of traditional societal ideologies (Saggers et al, 2009). This is reflected by the inequality that currently exists within Germany and France. Hence, the traditional nuclear family is still being given due consideration despite the fact that modern family structures are widely diverse. Because individuals have always been taught what the traditional roles of men and women are, individuals tend to conform to such requirements. This is still happening today, whether consciously or not, and is one of the main reasons why gender equality is difficult to attain. Consequently, whilst women are provided with better support in France than they are in Germany, many of the underlying inequalities women are subjected to remain. This is because societal attitudes towar ds men and women have remained the same, regardless as to what social policies have been implemented, as is also the case in Germany. Hence, it is apparent that whilst gender roles in both societies have changed substantially, traditional arrangement remains in force (Giddens and Griffiths, 2006: 467). Social policy in France has advanced significantly over the years and is very supportive of women, yet gender inequality is still prevalent because of the traditional arrangement that remains in force. This is also the case in Germany despite the fact that less support is provided to women as some attempts to close the pay gap have been made, yet it seems impossible for gender equality to be obtained. Path dependency theoretically explains how past decisions influence future ones, regardless as to whether the circumstances are still relevant. It is therefore clear from this theory that history is an important part of the future and shapes the way individuals behave. This theory is reflective of the gender equality and family policy approach that is being adopted in Germany and France. This is because historical viewpoints are being maintained regardless of the fact that the nuclear family is no longer considered the ‘norm’ in contemporary society. As identified by Skocpol; â€Å"the development trends of social modernization may face legacies of path dependent cultural and institutional organisation† (1992: 8). This affects the advancement of gender equality and restricts the ability to improve the lives of women. Because the emergence of social policy is determined by past influences, the typical family ideal is likely to remain instilled in society. This prev ents the modernisation of social policy, which explains why the traditional family model continues to subsist within social and family policy. Furthermore, as noted by Alexander and Welzel; â€Å"path dependent processes with respect to women’s suffrage policy may affect the potential to increase gender equality in particular societies† (2014: 9). This is why women continue to be paid lower than men in Germany and France regardless of the current changes that are being made to achieve equality. This occurs because of the historical gender inequality practices that were being employed because as was pointed out; â€Å"because of the path dependence of the unfolding human life, gender inequality in the early eighties might equally affect today’s opportunities, choices and aspiration levels† (Bjornskov et al; 2007: 2). Past discrimination thereby affects the way women are viewed in society today and will continue to have an impact in the future. Gender equality is still one of the main fundamental principles the EU continually strives for (Article 14 of the European Union’s Convention on Human Rights), yet despite the various policies that have been adopted women are still being treated unfavourably to men. This was recognised by Radacic who argued that; â€Å"notwithstanding these pronouncements, inequality of women in the member states of the Council of Europe persists† (Radacic, 2008: 841). The EU has therefore been largely impotent in challenging gender discrimination and achieving gender equality and although women and men are becoming more equal over the years, â€Å"a principle of perfect equality† (Mill and Okin, 1988: 1) is still not being established in countries such as Germany and France. Adequate family and childcare policies that allow for gender equality therefore need to be implemented, which could be achieved by employing strategies that; encourage female labour market participation, rem ove the gender bias ideologies, provide adequate childcare, promote children’s education and well being and allow for flexible labour. It is unlikely that much of the gender bias that is currently in place will be removed, though there will certainly be some improvements. Germany should be more supportive of women and France should make further attempts to close the pay gap. Conclusion Overall, traditional ideological practices continue to be adopted in Germany and France when it comes to gender equality and family policy. Because of this, women continue to be treated differently to men. It is questionable whether this can ever be rectified given that gender inequality is viewed as a product of traditional societal ideologies. In Germany, women are given less support than they are in France whose social policies appear to be more akin to contemporary society. In spite of this, however, gender inequality is still prevalent throughout France. This is evidenced by the large gender pay gap and the fact that traditional ideologies are still prevalent across all social policy methods. This illustrates that regardless of what social policies welfare states implement, gender inequality will still persist. Improvements to social policy would still benefit the economy, nonetheless, and would develop gender equality further. In Germany, there is a pressing need for greater su pport to be provided to women as well as reducing the gender pay gap, whereas in France the main focus is on the latter. It is doubtful that complete equality would be achieved in light of the fact that the traditional family model remains intact, yet vast improvements could certainly be made. 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