Critique. This Critique Seeks To Provide Contextualisation

Bergvall, V. L., & Bing, M. J. (1996). The question of questions: beyond binary thinking. In V. L. Bergvall, J. M.Bing, & A. F. Freed (eds), Rethinking language and gender research: Theory and practice (pp. 1 – 31). London: Longman.

Gender has been described as masculine or feminine characteristics that encompass gender identity sex as well as social roles (Nobelius 2004). According to sexologist John Money, there is a difference between gender as a role and the biologically of differences in sex (Udry 1994). Within scholarly disciplines, cultures and contexts, gender frequently has its own mean, contextual frame of reference and the manner in which it is used to describe a variety of issues and characteristics. The sociocultural codes, conventions and the suggested and literal rules that accompany the notion of gender are vast and diverse. There has been and continues to be much scholarly debate regarding the idea of gender and how it has been viewed historically; as well as changes in the grammatical use of the

Generally feminist criticism examines how men and women are presented in artifacts. The human race has a

The way, in which gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature, significantly contributes to the development of children’s gender roles and how they are perceived by society.

During this essay, I will discuss the depiction of gender roles in both Francis Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. Gender roles and society’s interpretation of gender roles are seen in both texts to be rejected in some form, yet the apparent progressiveness of the texts will be discussed and questioned. Both TSG and Coraline display a young girl’s journey of growth towards adulthood, where the female protagonist drives their story, as well as the overall story. I will discuss the way in which gender and identification is used, narrated, or reversed, compared to traditional gendered children’s texts such

Scott Carpenter displays gender as multilayered and explains “Each layer reveals another, and another, and yet another—until we get to the center of this philosophical onion, only to find that, just maybe, there is no core. Or, at the very least, this core may be less of a precise identity than a kind of biological tether” (109). He explains that gender identity is more than just a mere male and female description, and it has such wide definition that one can have a hard time to think. Female can also be masculine whereas male can be feminine. Therefore, he is emphasizing that even with cultural and traditional bounds, individuals can choose their own interest, and emphasizes that gender studies are great way to figure out “the flexibility of roles, as well as the malaise that this elasticity can elicit” (Carpenter

Inclusive gender representation in children’s books gives young people validation of their own identity and promotes acceptance within their community. Male, female, and transgender representation in children’s literature will be studied and the importance of representation will be explained.

There was a time when society did not consider men and women as equal. Men were considered as the superior human being and the dominant figures of authority in the house while the woman had to be a subservient. Alice Munro uses some interesting details in “Boys and Girls” to hold the readers captive. She takes us on a journey in an era where the male child was deemed more important than the female child. “Boys and Girls is a story about a girl’s struggle in accepting the role society has forced upon her in such a vivid manner that it draws the reader to want to know what happens next. In “Telling Tails,” by Tim O’Brien, he illustrates what a good story should be by using story examples. O’Brien believes that “Boys and Girls” is good story because the author uses a well-imagined plot, striking and dramatic elements, and the ability to reach deep into the heart of readers.

Since the 1970s, there has been a significant increasing in academic interest surrounding gender in children’s literature. Peter Hunt (2009) argues literature has gained academic focus as society comes to recognise how it can shape it “in fundamental and long-lasting ways” (15-16). This is particularly true of children’s literature, which Hunt argues functions as an “introductory exposure” for children to “recurrent ideas” about culture and

Furthermore, the different usages of vocabulary in various languages construct the gender gap. For instance, “men who play theatrical roles are ‘actors’, whereas women are ‘actresses’”, and “handsome” is used for “a masculine adjective”; beautiful is used for a feminine adjective. (Carpenter 93). Therefore, Carpenter states that “the way we use and perceive language every day helps to construct and reinforce our divided, gendered, binocular vision of humankind” (93).

Critique of a Research Article on the Relationship between Self-care and Obesity among Rural Midlife Women

Throughout this essay I will be comparing and contrasting I’m glad I’m a Boy! I’m glad I’m a Girl! And William’s Doll. Both of these stories touch upon gender stereotypes and the characters not conforming to it. In the 20th century picture books began minimizing the discrimination against female characters, but these books say otherwise.

At first glance, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan appears to be an innocent literary depiction of a young boy who wishes to never grow up—thus, remaining a child. Peter Pan, the story’s main protagonist, poses as the mischievous and youthful boy who spends his eternal life seeking adventures and leading the Lost Boys through the make-believe island, Neverland. Peter acquires the company of a young British girl by the name of Wendy Darling and her two little brothers, John and Michael Darling. In the company of the British children, Pan travels back to Neverland to primarily utilise Wendy for her motherly-expertise. Further inquiry and literary analysis of the 1904 novel leads readers to believe there is more to the story than what can be seen at first glance. Peter Pan is one of many novels subject to feminist literary criticism; the novel displays an array of male characters with very few female characters to contrast. Furthermore, female characters can be seen as passive, and frequently submit to paternal authority. In Peter Pan, women are assigned specific roles that mirror the responsibilities of those in the Victorian Era. The demeaning and gender-stereotypical interpretation of women coupled with the encouragement of male dominance places the story under criticism for its subjugation of women. In essence, the female characters are subject to the gender stereotypes and societal norms of the Victorian era in which they are

When we told boys that they can not read “girls books” we constraint them and put them in boxes. They will only be able to see though their own eyes not through someone else eyes. “When a boy is directed to books that reflect only a narrow aspect of the world — often a part he already knows — or he is shamed for any interest in what is considered a “girl books,” his understanding of girls and of himself is devastatingly incomplete” says Caroline Paul an American author. Caroline was declined to speak with middle school’s student about new book because it would exclude boys. Many female authors have a similar experience like Caroline where they only see girls at their readings because a professor or a librarian tell the boys that this type of books is for girls only. If we only let boys read books, we determine as for boys; we are telling them that only their perspective matter in the world and the perspective of the opposite gender does not matter. People should let them choose what they think they will enjoy most and should not discourage them from reading a “girl

Bourdieu considers that, as race, gender is socially constructed (Bourdieu, 1982). Moreover, gender is also discursively constructed. According to Bucholtz, and Hall (2005), social gender is assigned every time that a speaker assign a social gender to other human being. These authors say: “ It is the constant iteration of such practices that cumulatively produces not only each individual's gender identity, but gender itself as a socially meaningful system” (p. 590). In this vein, Bourdieu (1982) posits that utterances are not just signs to be deciphered; rather, they are symbolic representations of signs of wealth and authority that are “meant to be believed and obeyed” (p. 68). Thus, the construction of the female as gender relies in a set