Analysis and Comparison of Sources

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Analysis and Comparison of Sources
The End of Poverty a documentary by Phillipe Diaz and articles The End of Men or the Rebirth of Class by June Carbone and Naomi Cahn and In the Shadow of Violence and Trauma by Ian Bethell-Bennett are imperative materials in understanding different social aspects. The three materials give an in-depth insight various issues ailing the society today. This essay, therefore, compares the three materials based on themes, situations that need critical attention, and how men and women are featured.
In the article the End of Men or the Rebirth of Class, the authors depict today’s society as an all-inclusive one where women have access to a lot more opportunities compared to the recent past. The developments that have aided the rise of women to better positions include their increased entry into the labor market, labor market diversification and the need for female employees in various sectors. This situation has been facilitated by the fact that women do not look up to men for the contribution of their part in the new society. The second source, In the Shadow of Violence and Trauma, highlights the division of people by color and class. This according to Ian Bethel caused huge differences in power and income among people leading to inequality within the famous Bahamas Island. The documentary the End of Poverty is also an insightful material where Diaz speaks of the historical injustices that occurred in third world countries and their effects in this day and time.

According to the documentary, the colonizers looted the property belonging to these indigenous people, and once they were done with that, they then confiscated their land. This, in turn, destroyed the economy of the people concerned causing the advent of the slave-like conditions of most people in third world economies.
The class differentiation is a common theme among the three materials. In the Shadow of Violence and Trauma, Bethell-Bennett opines that class differentiation is one of the biggest reasons why there is uneven development in the Bahamas (1). The inability to participate in the economy by the native Bahamians led to frustration within the native people and resulted in violence. The situation is marred by power and anger as individuals feel left out in terms of societal involvement. In The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, the authors assert that the birth of a different set of the class was as a result of changes within the America society and the rise of women rights and capability. This set of class features a generation of women who are empowered and work hard to achieve a great economic advantage. However, in the documentary End of Poverty, Phillipe Diaz states that the developments such as power play, private ownership of land, and individualism are key factors in the establishment of a huge gap between the rich and the poor people. The factors set class differentiation in the society unknowingly. Additionally, the three materials family as a unit has been adversely affected by the development of the class differentiation. The family stability of people at the top positions is consistent. As such, family units are able to concentrate on unity and improvement of relations between spouses since they have better resource allocation than families of people at the bottom. According to the three materials, the individuals who are not well-off have a multitude of issues which inhibit their growth and development. Such issues include relationship instability and gender distrust.
In The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, men have been dominating the executive ranks, and with the dawn of this new era, they are still the majority at the helm of these positions. This is also true in terms of wage inequality since men usually generate more income in their work compared to female employees. According to June Carbone and Naomi Cahn, “the starting salaries of women in professional positions was 17% less than that of male workers, in the same positions” (876). In the Shadow of Violence and Trauma, Bethell-Bennett notes that men in the Bahamian society are seen in a different light. Cultural stereotypes have led to men becoming violent. He states, “Men are in charge, and can beat women, children, and other men to demonstrate their power” (1). In this society, power does not only stem from capability but the dominion of men over the female gender. In the documentary End of Poverty, poverty is the main issue that requires redress. Phillipe Diaz states that in poor economies, families are adversely affected due to many constraints, the most common is lack of financial capability. The individuals in these economies are not economically empowered to seek out better opportunities. It is mostly a struggle for survival. Spouses in these economies are focused primarily on the aspect of providing their families with necessaries; some of them work with their families (Diaz 1). They abandon important roles such as focusing on bringing up their children and caring for them adequately. Most of these are dual-income families since it is much easier to provide for their offspring in this manner. Poverty, in The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, is looked at in a different angle where men who are poor and do not have a means of income are being left by their wives who have grown independent of them. Priority has been placed on financial capability. Ian Bennet in his book paints a different picture from that of the other two texts. The overall picture of masculinity of black men in the Bahamas is that of males who are privileged do not need to be responsible. He notes that despite a video that leaked with an indication of men behaving inappropriately, the culturally accepted show of masculinity where men have more than one woman and can use public office to influence private citizens, their acts are accepted. It is a patriarchal system without limits (12).
In The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, the authors note that women have gained much ground in the past centuries over men. The first gain can be seen from their economic independence from men. Secondly, women now have the freedom and capability to relinquish themselves from unhappy relationships. In the United States, the power of women to choose their spouses and the influence of power from society vary among the different classes. Women capability to choose spouses depends on the actual power they hold within a given society. Women in top positions have also gained a significant advantage over their male counterparts. The supply of men at the top has been stagnant for a long period of time while the need for women who are highly educated and have a good income flow has been rising over the past decade. Contrary to the past where the educated women were less likely to be married than their uneducated counterparts, educated women with high-income levels are most likely to be married and have stable relationships. This includes the advantage of having two income streams and gender roles that are flexible. In The Shadow of violence and Trauma, women do not have as much power as men in the Bahamian society. Gender power imbalance is a common feature of relations in the country between men and women because violence against women is taken lightly. From lyrics in songs to the legal profession to the church as a whole that encourages women to stick to the teachings of the Bible, women are seen as subservient creatures in the eyes of people in the state. This is also demonstrated in Ian Bennet`s observation that, “when two Members of Parliament seemingly encourage gender-biased attitude towards women, the country does little to prevent that attitude from proliferating” (9). In this situation, unlike Claire and Carbone`s book, the women are not in charge. It is a patriarchal system where the men rule.
There are situations that need critical attention in the three texts. The End of Poverty presents a situation where the residents of the third world states are affected by a host of different issues. The rise of capitalism and its elements of greed, profiteering and political control has led to a broader gap between rich and poor. The people have no access to basic needs and have to work hard just to survive. There needs to be a focus on this issue to give people a chance at quality life. The key issue that arises in The Shadow of Violence and Trauma is the marginalization of women and the negative aspect of suppression of their rights and views. Men have taken dominion over every important aspect of their lives, from the social to the economic aspects of political freedom. Women ought to be free to speak out against the gender-based inequality and violence, which at the moment they do not have any means by which to raise these issues. In The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, the empowerment of educated women has led to a negative situation where family values are forgotten or totally done away with. Their independence has led to situations such as where women raise children on their own without guidance from man. Children need to have the direction and input of the male figure because he gives them direction in ways that a woman cannot. Independence in some instances has had a negative effect in terms of family unity and organization.
However, in The End of Men or Rebirth of Class, there is a negative aspect linked to the rise in women capability and a decrease in the number of potential and attractive men in a given society. When the number of attractive males falls, the capability of women to choose and enter relationships on their own terms is significantly reduced. This is because of the inequality brought about by societal forces. The independence obtained by women over time, therefore, will result in a large pool of single women than men. There will be a reduced number of males that can rise to the occasion and fulfill the needs of such women. In conclusion, the three texts have different topics and settings in their stories. The End of Men or Rebirth of class, speaks on the rise in educated women and the significance. In The Shadow of Violence and Trauma addresses different issues in the Bahamas from Violence to the marginalization of Women by their Patriarchal system. The End of Poverty outlines the economic state in third world countries after the advent of colonialism. As outlined, they have common themes from poverty to family to class differentiation. Each of them presents unique situations surrounding these themes, and their authors use them in order to make the different stories convey their intended messages.

Works Cited
Bethell-Bennett, Ian. In The Shadow of Violence and Trauma: The State, Post Slavery Trauma and Neoliberal Racial Constructs and Violence in the Bahamas. N.d.
Carbone, June, and Naomi Cahn. The end of men or the rebirth of class. 2013.
Diaz, Phillipe. The End of Poverty. 2008.