Analysis Of Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself By Lorena Garcia

Gender roles in Puerto Rican society has been viewed as very male dominate, leaving women in domestic roles. Women’s roles in Puerto Rico have followed the same pattern as many other women’s roles in different countries all over the world. Puerto Rican women have been viewed as subservient to men for centuries. Women are used as “material” for a man’s needs, Philippe Bourgois, In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio, stated that “Rape runs rampant around us, and it is as if a society maintains a terrifying conspiracy of silence that enforces this painful dimension of the oppression of women in everyday life.” By tradition, Puerto Rican women were responsible for cooking, cleaning, and other household chores, including that they are there for a man’s pleasure. Therefore, rape culture has become a major problem country to country. Puerto Rican women have been viewed only as domestic workers who were there to serve their husbands. Rape culture is defined as “… an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety,” as stated by Marshall University in their article, Rape Culture. In some cultures, rape is part of becoming a man or women, this shows to them that

In Quindlen’s essay she talks about when she was sitting in a clinic in the poorest neighborhood in New York City. She sat with a group of young teenagers who amazed her with their knowledge of sexuality. Quindlen talks about someone mentioning the thought that sex education in school would lower or prevent teen pregnancy, but students will do whatever they want to do. Even though it is good to teach young teenagers about sex and possible risk of the act, it could create confusion in students, wondering the class is teaching them about contraceptives or abstinence. The essay explains how half dozen young teenage girls show off that they are having sex, getting pregnant, and having babies.

“Marianismo is traditional feminine values, including the overall passivity of women in matters of sexuality”. Sexuality is a taboo subject in Hispanic culture and there is hardly any parental communication regarding this topic. This is one of the reasons why Latina/Hispanic teenage girls are hesitant to discuss issues like birth control and seek health care advice (Issues in Latina Health, 2007)

Mexican American women for over 20 years have had the highest rate of teen pregnancy compared to Anglo women. Teenage birth rates have decreased as a whole, but even with teenage births decreasing Mexican American women are still at the top, having the highest teen birth rates with 46.3 births for every 1,000 teens that are females. There are several reasons for this startling fact; this paper is going to illustrate some of the misconceptions when dealing with Latina sexuality and reproduction and also the negative results that came from it. To illustrate this alarming issue, some misconceptions about Mexican American sexuality and reproduction will be shared. Such as, most Mexican American teenage or adolescent mothers may lack knowledge.

Authors in “We Don’t Sleep around Like White Girl’s Do” are looking at the relationship between Filipino immigrant parents and their daughters. It shows how gender socialization occurs. The author in this research uses epigraphs, or statements, by a Filipina immigrant mother and her second-generation Filipina daughter, stating things like “we don’t date like white girls date” and “I don’t like them to grow up that way, like the American girls.” These suggest that the Filipina daughter is taught to believe that White women are sexually unethical. It shows that their required “morality” and the sexuality of women, are crucial to the shaping of social differences. Furthermore, it claims that gender is a key to immigrant identity, and a way for immigrants to claim cultural authority over the dominant Americans.

There is presently much controversy regarding teen pregnancy, considering that many countries in the developed world experience a rise in adolescent pregnancies in spite of the fact that effective programs are installed in these areas. Teen pregnancy has been a major issue in Los Angeles in the recent years, but the fact that state authorities have been actively involved in combating the problem has generated positive results. It is probable that the struggle for abstinence and the practice of safe sex have become less important for high school students in Los Angeles in the last few years, taking into account that teen pregnancy rates have gone up significantly.

In the Hispanic/Latino culture health care is most commonly sought after when symptoms appear, and in may cases only when those symptoms cause the individual’s incapacitation. Working through discomfort is considered the norm, dwelling on discomfort or mild pain is seen as weakness and seeking medical attention when not ill, such as preventive care, is almost unheard of, unless it is required by one’s employer. Culturally engaging in premarital sex is frowned upon for girls, though not so much for males, abstinence may be the only birth control ever discussed at home, for fear of implying consent. This significantly increments the danger of teen age pregnancy, abortion is rejected, mostly for moral and religious reasons, thus the high rate of teen age birth.

68-92). Andaya (2014) uses quotes from participants to explain the Cuban narrative of abortion (pp. 80-82). There seems to be a double narrative that is taking place during discussions surrounding abortion. One narrative designates women who keep unintended pregnancies as “undisciplined” (Pg. 82). Women are shamed for conceiving often, especially if they are of a lower class. On the other hand, there is a counter narrative which shames women who have had multiple abortions (Pg. 68). This shaming is disguised a concern for women’s health and fertility, where Andaya (2014) writes “The state holds that abortion is a public health problem…in 2004, 11 of the 54 maternal mortalities were abortion related (Acosta 2006)” in which Cuba has “linked” abortion to maternal mortality. Furthermore, Andaya (2014) also writes “…in 2009, more than half of the cases of female infertility among young women were thought

Teen pregnancy has become a problem over the past decade. This issue can be looked at using sociological imagination. C. Write Mills explaing the idea of sociological imagination as the ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger society. On a personal level, teens with children experience many difficulties juggling the responsibilities of parenting, school, work, and everything else. The teenage years can be very complicated, but adding a child to the mix can really impact young men and women’s relationships, emotions, and future. Looking at this problem on a public level, society has a huge role in preventing teen pregnancies. Also, the media plays a large role in influencing teenagers to engage in sexual activities.Many

The Samoan culture and how socialization turns into sexuality for young girls is very different compared to our culture. In the Samoan culture sexuality in Samoan girls is seen differently than we see it in our culture today. Margaret Mead elaborates on this idea because of how she views the sexuality of a Samoan girl when she mentions “Virginity is a legal requirement for her” (Mead 69). When Mead discusses this, it is interesting how in that culture virginity is a requirement and that is something we don’t see as a requirement in our society today. This demonstrates how the sexuality of a Samoan girl is not the same as we see it. The way girls are seen because of their sexuality is incomparable to girls in our society today and that’s important to observe since Samoan culture is by far very different to what we view as part of culture today.

Roman Catholicism has inadvertently played a major role in keeping Latinas at home through emphasis on purity by worship of the Virgin Mary and doctrine against contraception. Though all American women share the same oppressed roots, Latin American women seem to have been slower to actively and as a group rise up against society’s expectations of them.

Teenage pregnancy and parenthood are often seen as strictly negative and problematic, with the moral panic surrounding them only growing as media and government play a role in perpetuating these ideas of negativity surrounding them. Though it is a contentious issue, what are often ignored are the underlying causes of the social phenomena that are teenage pregnancy and parenthood. The experiences of poverty and social exclusion by many pregnant teens and teen parents have not been proven to be more severe than what these young people were experiencing before, so it brings into question the validity of the moral panic as well as the aims of programs meant to decrease teen pregnancy and parenthood. Looking at teen pregnancy and parenthood, first

This construction reinforces control over young women’s sexual expression. Faus highlights how it forces women to partake in this patriarchal culture where women’s bodies are under control

A topic in American society that has proved to be an ongoing, and growing issue is that none other than teen pregnancy. In recent years, teen pregnancy rates have been increasing, which ultimately led to the topics increase of public and media attention. In American society teen pregnancy is often associated with negligence, as well as being irresponsible. In American society sex education for children is underdeveloped and instead society tends to use fear and shame to highlight/combat the dangers of unsafe or underage sex. American society uses fear to instill the idea that if you become pregnant as a teenager you are a burden to society. Along with fear society loves to shame its young women who have unfortunately stumbled upon the

In the early 90’s, studies have shown that teen pregnancies occur on a regularly basis and has been severely increasing (Newsweek: Birth rates in U.S, 1991-96). As a result, this brings out a wrong impression of women to society.