Sexual Roles And Roles Of Women

The dynamic between male and female is extremely complex. Over the course of human history, men have primarily dominated over women in nearly every aspect of human interaction and daily life. Despite the large progress that has been made in recent decades, women are still heavily subordinated by the male gender both in the workforce and in the private sphere. Examples of this domination of men can be seen in many aspects of everyday life including: interpersonal and social interaction, family, among peers, in education, and in the media.

This quote taken from Pride and Prejuidce examplifies the dominance a male has over a female. It is describing the things a woman should do which is a form of control and within the era and setting this novel was created, this is exactly how women lived their lives; obiding by a male figure.

For centuries now, women have been bombarded with an infinite amount of conflicting and overwhelming messages about what it means to be a woman and which behaviors are considered appropriate, especially regarding sexual behavior. Traditionally, women have always been defined in relation to men. Men are seen as strong, while woman are seen as weak. Men are superior and women are their subordinates. This is exemplified by the fact that “masculine” traits such as strong, non-emotional, and competitive are considered socially desirable traits, while “feminine” traits such as docile, emotional, and passive are not. We evidently live in a society that is not only sexist, but also undoubtedly racist. The white woman typically appears as virtuous and pure, while the woman of color typically appears as unclean and tainted. If the woman of color also happens to be poor, she appears as being even more worthless. Therefore, in the United States, femininity as a concept is inextricably linked with concepts of race and class. In the present paper, I discuss the effect that this is having on women and their sexuality, the events that have paved the traveled path towards gender equality, and current issues plaguing women today, such as the attack on our reproductive rights and our value as women.

overriding than females. This means that basically she has to do what she is told because she

He helps his audience see how easy it is to naturally assume that dominance is the stronger trait, when in fact all characteristics are neutral. Society determines which characteristics are positive, negative, stronger or weaker. Devor uses scientific research to show how society’s definition of male and female characteristics “flow inevitably from evolutionary and biological sources.” (Devor 476). He argues that “feminine characteristics are thought to be intrinsic to the female facility for childbirth and breastfeeding,” forcing them to be more passive, attentive and communal. This, along with the female’s “‘natural’ dependency on men for the maintenance of the mother-child unit” gives them the title of “weaker sex” (Devor 476). Devor’s research clarifies that, from a strictly scientific perspective, men and women harbor a mutualistic relationship where the man must protect the woman, who is critically responsible for the birth and maintenance of his offspring. From a biological perspective, the two possess complementary character traits, making them equally important variables in this genetic relationship. Yet, somewhere along the lines, this evolutionary relationship seeped into modern day society, introducing the belief that the female social position is “biologically mandated to be intertwined with the care of children and a ‘natural dependency on men” (476). The modern

the other hand, are strong, aggressive and powerful. The guidelines for a man are clear

It is important to note here, that a masculine defined by the rejection of the feminine- that is the masculine as an experience of subjectivity requiring

The roles of gender are changing rapidly. Throughout U.S. history men have played dominant roles and were always the family breadwinners. As women get more education and make more money they are becoming the primarily breadwinners of their families. More women are working outside the home and their earnings are important to the well-being of their families. What are the effect on their families, careers and equal wages?

Normally a male, who is seen as someone that is taken advantage of and doesn’t stand up for themselves. Might be labeled this if they are more “submissive” to their spouse.

A word can have two different meaning when it comes to gender. Deborah Tannen ““Bossy” Is More Than a Word to Women”

Heterosexism is the discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation.

In the past women were locked by the patriarchal system within certain roles, for example housewife, which made them dependent and subservient to men. Many people continue see the position of female as subordinate to male. Symbolic interactionism highlights that people do not merely learn the roles that society has set out for them; rather they construct their roles as they interact. In the process they greatly rely on symbols, for example words, gestures, clothes, to reach a shared understanding of their interaction. Symbolic interactionism also suggests that men use sexual abuse as a way reaffirm their masculinity or even exercise their power over one another. It is important to mention that the object of harassment is not necessarily women. Gay students are often the object of provocation. Sexual harassment can be viewed as an instrument by using which the most masculine men position themselves on the top and put the less masculine gender on the bottom. Sexual prowess became a measure of power, status, and control. Hyper masculinity is particularly cultivated in male dominated environments like fraternities and athletic teams. Although sexual abuse is sometimes normalized by the idea that men are naturally sexually aggressive and cannot resists sexual impulses, Judith Lorber views gender as a product of socialization. People “do gender” every day. Lorber argues that gender system today maintains structured gender inequality to produce a subordinate

Also, in many marriages women have a say in everything the man does. There must be a consensus between both the man and woman. Studies indicate that, “the assertive woman debunks the tired old myths and stereotypes of women bosses, stay-at-home moms, and "bully broads,” and superwomen, and presents a refreshing, positive alternative.” Many studies have shown that assertive women are more successful. Assertive women tend to gain the respect of others as well as raise objections to present feminine stereotypes. For this reason, critics argue that, “women have developed a kind of assertiveness, who lets people know what they want, and what they would not accept, without looking emotional.” By developing this role, women have become victorious individuals.

There are problems regarding male’s dominance towards women in society. The male's actions revolve around having power, bragging about money, and containing weapons. These actions by men towards women or having these characteristics are under the name Machismo. Machismo is when males have ownership of women, he is the one that is containing a majority of the money and controls the household, looks upon himself as a significant high order, and overall very prideful. Two characters that fit this description are Santiago Nasar and Bayardo San Roman in The Chronicles of a Death Foretold. Santiago Nasar was raised in a troubling environment which involved weapon usage and making his abusive father’s actions. This other character, Bayardo was prideful

Our textbook also discusses the theory of Male Hegemony which describes the way in which men take power over women in society. It goes on to describe the way in which many males will feel insecure if placed subordinate to a women and thus constantly strive to regain power. With this is also explained that often times women who fall victim to this mentality often begin to believe it. When women do so they may even avoid success in their life as to not surpass the male dominance that has been established. (Kornblum, W. Julian, J., Smith, C. D.