The Eyes Of Feminism By Simone De Beauvoir

Before providing any example with unequal treatment based on the gender role, the definition of words “Gender” will define by using Oxford English Dictionary (OXD). The term “Gender” refers to the state of being male or female as expressed by social or cultural distinctions and differences, rather than biological ones; the collective attributes or traits

The gender of a person is the masculine or feminine attributes of that individual with respect to the psychological and biological role in society. (Magar, 2009) A gender role can be defined as the way that a person lives in society with respect to its lifestyle. It can be argued that over time the major differences between men and women’s gender roles have faded. In the past traditional roles have been based in their society by their biological orientation. (Magar, 2009) Gender roles can also be described as the behavior and attitudes that are expected of men and women in a society. (Faqs.org, 2011) Although different cultures impose different expectations, many cultures have the same basic gender roles.

De Beauvoir’s “Woman as Other” lays out an elaborate argument on gender inequality; using the term “other” to establish woman’s alternate, lesser important role throughout her work, the author dissects and examines from its origin the female’s secondary position in society in contrast to man. Indeed, from the beginning of recorded history, the duality of man, by definition, positions woman at the opposing end of the spectrum in relation to her male counterpart. Even by today’s modern and accepting standards, the female suffers under the brand of being the sub-standard half of the duality equation; compared to her male opponent, women are paid lower wages, have fewer and limited expression of rights, achieve lower

In the book ‘The Second Sex’, Simone De Beauvoir discusses the struggles that she has to go through as a woman and her criticism about the divided gender in the society. She talks about the facts, myths, and thoughts on those matters. The world has always belonged to men since the beginning of time. “Women’s entire history has been written by men. Just as in America there is no black problem, but a white one, just as ‘anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, it’s our problem,’ so the problem of woman has always been a problem of men” (Beauvoir 181). This quote

Throughout this course, we have discussed how the differences in the social construction of gender, race, class, and sexuality have led to discrimination and inequality of those classified under a variety of these categories. Through understanding the significance of these social constructs on society it becomes apparent the intersectionality they have when it comes to understanding why certain groups may face discrimination or inequality. This paper examines gender inequality and how the social construction of gender makes it difficult for the pursuit of equality amongst genders.

Simone De Beauvoir in The Second Sex suggests that to resolve the tension between bad faith and authenticity, people must regard women as subjects and not objects. They must also collectively fight against the idea of womanhood in order to remain authentic to themselves.

The question arises when this ‘why’ will be end. I hope the answer lie in the fact that once the age of revolution will come when women will going to reciprocate all the pains that is applied by any person in the society. Writing about women without the present of Semion De Beauvoir will make the dissertation incomplete as The Second Sex is one of the land mark book which comments on the status of women as the Second Sex chronicles De Beauvoir’s effort to locate the source of these profoundly imbalanced gender roles. In book I, entitled “facts and myths” she asks how “human” come to occupy a subordinate position in society. To answer this question- and to better understand her question – and to better understand her own identity – de Beauvoir first turns to biology, psychoanalysis, and historical materialism .These

Same Difference: How Gender Myths Are Hurting Our Relationships, Our Children, and Our Jobs is relevant to what we have learned in class. We have discussed whether gender inequality is inevitable or not and the unequal treatment or perceptions people face based on their gender. Gender inequality remains a major obstacle to human development. The drawbacks facing women and girls are a major foundation of inequality. All too often, women and girls are victimized in health, education, political representation, and labor market. There are

Through her philosophical views on existential feminism, Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) revolutionized how society perceived women. She grew up in a war-stricken era where women were allowed suffrage but lacked other liberties. Uncommon for women in the 1920’s, de Beauvoir enrolled in the prestigious French university, La Sorbonne, where she elected to study philosophy. (Sanos 12). After graduation, de Beauvoir’s adventures led to careers as a teacher, author, editor, philosopher, and an activist until the time of her death. It was her first philosophical novel The Second Sex that brought attention to the vast inequality between men and women. Although her writings were often scandalous, de Beauvoir rapidly became one of the most influential

The Second Sex is one of the earliest attempts to confront human history from a feminist perspective. It won de Beauvoir many admirers and just as many detractors. Today, many regard this massive and meticulously researched masterwork as not only as pillar of feminist thought but of twentieth-century philosophy in general. It remains to this day one of the foundational texts in philosophy, feminism, and women's studies. De Beauvoir’s primary thesis is that men fundamentally oppress women by characterizing them, on every level, as the Other, defined exclusively in opposition to men. Man occupies the role of the self, or subject; woman is the object, the other. He is essential, absolute, and transcendent. She is inessential, incomplete, and mutilated.

Beauvoir states, “No group ever defies itself as one without immediately setting up the other opposite itself” (6). The problem with this logic for women, is that women do not conceive of themselves as the subjects. According to Beauvoir, women conceive of themselves as others. Women are constantly viewed as a secondary thought or of less importance than men. In fact, Aristotle said, “The female is female by virtue of a certain lack of qualities” (5). This quote shows how women were never seen as equal or as their own individuals, they were simply seen as what men were not.

Theorist Simone de Beauvoir was a primary contributor to the feminist movement as she laid the path for scholars and women in general in the mid-1900s. The Second Sex (1949), a novel of women through time, including the controversial role of women at home as well as how women were treated as if they were the inferior sex. While this book did not directly contribute studies or articles towards the feminist theory, it did lay out the foundation, viewpoints, and attitudes towards women, revealing patriarchy and supposed subservience (Marshall, 2006). The radical view supporting women’s independence in The Second Sex (1949) was rare for its time and sparked an interest that would soon become second wave feminism and contributed significantly towards the feminist theory.

At the time if it’s writing and publication, there existed minimal philosophical works on women from a feminist perspective. With the exception of a few books the systematic oppressed treatment of women in modern age and historically were virtually unheard off. Striking on the basis of the profundity of its fundamental insights and research, The Second Sex subsist a foundational text in feminism, women studies and philosophy. The Second Sex’s main thesis revolves around the belief that a woman has always been held in a long-standing oppressive relationship to the man via her relegation to being the man’s “other.” In agreement with Sartrean and Hegelian Philosophy, Beauvoir depicts that the self needs otherness to define itself as a major subject. For this reason, the category of otherness is necessary for the establishment of self as a self (Beauvoir et al, 2010, pp.76-85). She however digresses through a feminist existential perspective by stating that the self-understanding movement via alterity should be reciprocal in nature, such that the self is objectified by its other just like the self objectifies it. This is the philosophical thought that defines The Second Sex. Based on this understanding, The Second Sex aims at postulating the manner in which religious French social.

Gender inequality is a social problem that is widespread in society. It is referred to as the unfair treatment of individuals based on one 's gender. Historically, laws have opposed women to go to school, access certain jobs, and purchase property. Gender inequality has been experience through culture – honor-killing, sex-selective abortion, and society – occupation, gender roles, and education. The social expectations of men and women differ between cultures that are constructed socially and culturally. These expectations are displayed in roles, and behavior believed both by men and women and their interdependent relationships. Gender inequality can be further understood through the structure of sexism. Discrimination takes place in gender inequality for the reason that men and women are treated on the basis of gender alone (Amjad, R., Ashfaq, M., Kousar, R., Saghir, A., 2010).

Gender refers to the different roles, rights and responsibilities of men and women and the relationships between them, their qualities, behaviours, and identities which are determined through the process of socialisation to define their relationships with each other and with their environment. Gender equality on the other hand is a principle that equates men and women before and under the law; men and women have equal dignity (worthiness); and have equal opportunities in economic, political, cultural and social life. It is upon this background that