One of the issues that exist in our society are gender stereotypes, which are crude and unacceptable. We should not be led by gender-based expectations that defined how a man and woman should dress, act, speak, and behave. Everyone should be entitled to who they want to become and how they want to present themselves to the world. Although times are changing in our society, there are some people who still believe in their traditional customs of what a man and woman gender roles should be. It would be frustrating that someone tells me that I can’t be a doctor or pilot because I’m a woman and that my purpose in life is to be a housewife. It differs from culture to culture on how they perceive a male and female in their society. People who are …show more content…
We should not discriminate or be prejudiced towards the opposite sex. It’s unnecessary to make judgments or assumptions that they are all the same. In “The Men We Carry in Our Minds,” a professor in Indiana University, Scott Russell Sanders discusses his experiences on gender roles he saw that played in his life. Sanders describes a moment when he was in college, how he was “baffled” at the women who blamed him and stated that all men were taking all the power away from them. He figures that they were upper-class women and says, “The difference between me and these daughters was that they saw me, because of my sex, as destined from birth to become like their fathers, and therefore as an enemy to their desires. But I knew better, I wasn’t an enemy, in fact or in feeling, I was an ally” (550). He makes a point that they are prejudiced to him because of his sex. If they had known he’s an ally to them because he wants the same power as them, then it would have been a different story than accusing him to be an enemy. We should not perceive all men are identical. The women from his college, stereotyped him and discriminated against him without knowledge of his working-class background. Because he is a male, they assume the worst of him to take all the privileges from women. Therefore, this is another example of gender stereotyping because they are biased and have negative thoughts about men in their perceived roles. We need to remind ourselves not to accuse or blame someone because of their
Gender roles put an idea into children’s brains about the way society dictates how men and women should or should not act. These stereotypes can be harmful, as they often lead to sexism and misogyny. While gender roles may deem what is appropriate for each gender, they can also set expectations of people in society, some of which can be unachievable. This can put a pressure on young children that can follow them through their education and career. Gender-based stereotypes are also dangerous in the sense that if someone refuses to conform to traditional gender ideals, most of the time, they are ridiculed and harassed.
Peoples’ differing views on feminism is cause for constant debate, as shown by Scott Russell Sanders, in his essay The Men We Carry in Our Minds. He brings a rather different, but accurate view point to the feminism debate. His perspective is not one that is overheard; instead it brings a new fresh idea and argument to the debate. He describes a man’s point of view, but not just any man’s view, one that witnessed and was around men that had jobs at steel mills, or a coal mines. The men that had the jobs that no one wanted, but were forced to work because they needed to make money so they could support their family.
In the essay, “The Men We Carry in Our Minds”, Scott Russell Sanders discusses his perspective on men in comparison to the impression that women carry in their minds. Sanders uses a unique way of writing through narration and life experiences to truly illustrate his point that the impressions of men or women are based on ones own life experiences. As a young boy knowing only of the hardships of workingmen, Sanders later experiences drastic social differences when he receives a scholarship to attend a university “meant for the children of the
Throughout history, men and women have been viewed in utterly different spheres. Men have been, and still are, believed to be the hard working individual who is in charge of “bringing home the bacon” and supporting the household finically. On the other hand, women are expected to have little to say, the house spotless, supper on the table, the children bathed, fed, in bed, and educated, all while maintaining a flawless hairdo and makeup. These stereotypes seem a bit offensive nowadays, but if you really consider it, it has been and most likely will be this way for our entire existence.
In "The Men We Carry in Our Minds," Scott Russel Sanders tries to show how his views on men are completely different from the views that some women hold. He traces the problem to the country surroundings of his youth. He explains that the men he observed as a child were completely different from the men whom most women might observe. The differing viewpoints between him and the women he met in college caused him some grief. However, it was not so much an issue of gender, but an issue of class.
Another interesting statement I would like to bring to the surface is Alvarez writes in her book that “boys are born men but girls turn into women” (72). This made me think of the BBC YouTube clip we watched in class. Within this video a mother, father, and daughter are getting prepared for their daughters sweet fifteen. One of the first things I recognized in this film was that the father a male was speaking about and for the females when they were in the same room as them listening to what he had to say. This is a problem in itself as the male voices his and silences the women, in addition, he is speaking on a subject that he does not even fully understand, women. For arguments sake a women would never speak about a man and what it means to be one. This power dynamic within this family is troubling and shows the dominance of one gender over
In pre-ap english, I interviewed Jacquelyn who is a freshman at Macarthur High School in Lawton, Oklahoma. In our society, we are often subjected to gender roles. Gender roles is the act of assigning certain emotions or behaviors to men or woman. In response to finding out what gender roles actually are, Jacquelyn does not agree with the idea of them and states that people should “be able to do what they want.” Gender roles often prevent us from being the person we want to be. For example, if a guy were to wear makeup there are people who would judge him harshly and possibly even outcast him, simply because they believe women are the only ones who can wear makeup. Same thing goes for women, like if a girl wanted to play football many would
Society expects males and females to adopt, accept, and accommodate specific gender roles and stereotypes that have been previously established. In western society, males are expected to be an alpha, independent, and athletic type, whereas females are typically expected to be obedient, nurturing, and reserved. Society demands conformity to an enforced gender order. When these gender norms are pushed beyond its boundaries, it is common for labels to be given, questions to be asked, and individuals to be ridiculed. While “traditional” gender stereotypes have remained fairly constant over the past few centuries, they have also been challenged.
Throughout life every man and woman fits into a specific gender role. We are told what is expected of men and women from birth until death. Many people influence our view of how we should act and what we should say such as our parents, friends, and even the media. Males and females play very different roles and these differences are apparent in our every day lives. These differences are not the same as they used to be. Society has changed the way it treats men and women over time.
Living in 21st century United States, being a much more liberal and inclusive environment than prior decades, gender “roles” and their normalities are being severely questioned and challenged. Americans have defined and established gender stereotypes that have become a critical part of how we look at gender roles and create biases about each gender. Stereotypes assume people who 'belong ' to a group will appear, behave, look, speak or sound like others from that group. The values, norms, practices, behaviors and traditions associated with the group are shared by all members of the group. For example, gay men are promiscuous, women are maternal and men don 't show emotions. Stereotypes are often dismissive, negative, and they are sometimes
Gender roles is a problem that takes place in both the workplace, domestic conditions, and society. Often signified through the age-old stereotype. That men are required of the more "challenging" or more "advanced" jobs, while women restrict themselves to the less grueling and less beneficial positions. Terms such as "that 's a man 's job" is a leading cause of inequality in the workplace. Not to mention, gender roles and standards are set in the homes of many families everywhere. The so-called "picture perfect family" situation; the husband goes to work while the wife stays home to tend to the children. While romanticized as ideal, this concept is the very essence of a patriarchal society. Meanwhile, the brutally vicious society we live in often berates women 's self-esteems in more way than one. Stereotypes of beauty, or who are skinny, pretty, white, and wealthy, are unfortunately the ideal standard of women and
Throughout women’s life, they are faced with many stereotypes and situations which dictate how they act and how people see them. A problem with this is that, by thinking that women follow certain stereotypes, society starts to believe that women will only act a certain way, and they don expect them to do masculine things such as being a police officer or
The behaviors and societal norms we associate with male and female are socially constructed. As Dr. Thompson states in the film “boys and girls are far more human and far more the same than they are different.” However,
. This is a huge problem in todays society. Gender stereotypes are a set of expectations of what a girl or a boy should act and look like. While many people tend to stay in their respective stereotype, there are still many who objectify the stereotype and are usually judged for it. This has taken away the idea of being an individual.
In the United States, our concept of gender, and the differences between men and women, have deep traditional roots. Men are supposed to be strong individuals, who support and defend their families. Women are seen as nurturing, and motherly, more gentle and tame. We believe so strongly that the two genders are entirely separate, with such completely different traits, that it almost seems that men and women are just born with different qualities.