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Everyone understands that boys and girls are different, however cultural myths shape the roles men and women play in society. Biological differences remain stable while gender behaviors can fluctuate. Over time things that women could not do seize to exist. Women gender roles have expanded and women are able to take control and be just as dominating as men. However, women still face economic inequalities due to cultural assumptions about gender. Women tend to work in professions that do not generate as much money as men professions do. When women do enter jobs usually acquired by men, they face discrimination, harassment, or a glass ceiling effect.
Author, Alexis Tocqueville, explains in the article, How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes, how duties of men and women are divided in order to keep society running smoothing and effectively. Only in America do people make sure that the line between man and woman are made and the duties that man and women are suppose to perform are only done by the correct sex. Tocqueville goes on to explain the subversion of marital power. Americans understand that their must be a head of the house hold and that naturally it should be a man. Women do not have a problem with men asserting his power and being in control. Americans do not think man and women should perform the same task. However, man and women do respect each others duties and consider each other to be equal regardless of the differences in their duties. Tocqueville explains that in Europe men are always praising and throwing their selves at women, where as in American men rarely compliment women.
The title of Jamaica Kincaid article is self explanatory. The whole article is basically a “how to” on how to be a girl. Some would disagree with a few of the suggestions but all and all most would agree that this article exemplifies how to be a girl. Everything suggested for the girl to do in the article mostly deals with things in a house. The myth of gender is that women do not have to be confined to do only tending to the house, men can help around the house too. It is more common now of days for women to have jobs and not be forced to stay at home all day.
Gender is not biological, gender is socially constructed and is learned through interaction. By age five, children are able to understand girl from boy and as a girl or boy what they can and cannot do. It is understand that there are only two genders, male or female. Other cultures and countries have more than two genders. The third gender being “berdache”. Femininity and masculinity are used to identify someones gender. Someone described as masculine is seen as dominate and aggressive while feminine traits are passive and submission. Most activities and expressions are expressed as feminine. Gender roles only continue to keep the notation of men are better then women alive. They are the result of systematic power imbalances based on gender discrimination.
The Story of My Body, is a personal essay about Judith Cofer. She explains that she was born a pretty baby to a pretty mother but at ten years old got a bad case of the chicken pox which caused her to scratch her face making scars appear. She was really skinny and got picked on it by classmates. She experienced color prejudice in a store. The of the owners followed her around the store like she was going to steal something and rushed her to buy something. She was also teased for being tall. Once she got to college she became a girl that all the guys wanted. She came to realize that her appearance, size, and skin color did not matter in the longer run. She came to value her studies and how she felt about herself were the only things that mattered.
Author, Alexis Tocqueville, explains in the article, How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes, how duties of men and women are divided in order to keep society running smoothing and effectively. Only in America do people make sure that the line between man and woman are made and the duties that man and women are suppose to perform are only done by the correct sex. Tocqueville goes on to explain the subversion of marital power. Americans understand that their must be a head of the house hold and that naturally it should be a man. Women do not have a problem with men asserting his power and being in control. Americans do not think man and women should perform the same task. However, man and women do respect each others duties and consider each other to be equal regardless of the differences in their duties. Tocqueville explains that in Europe men are always praising and throwing their selves at women, where as in American men rarely compliment women.
The title of Jamaica Kincaid article is self explanatory. The whole article is basically a “how to” on how to be a girl. Some would disagree with a few of the suggestions but all and all most would agree that this article exemplifies how to be a girl. Everything suggested for the girl to do in the article mostly deals with things in a house. The myth of gender is that women do not have to be confined to do only tending to the house, men can help around the house too. It is more common now of days for women to have jobs and not be forced to stay at home all day.
Gender is not biological, gender is socially constructed and is learned through interaction. By age five, children are able to understand girl from boy and as a girl or boy what they can and cannot do. It is understand that there are only two genders, male or female. Other cultures and countries have more than two genders. The third gender being “berdache”. Femininity and masculinity are used to identify someones gender. Someone described as masculine is seen as dominate and aggressive while feminine traits are passive and submission. Most activities and expressions are expressed as feminine. Gender roles only continue to keep the notation of men are better then women alive. They are the result of systematic power imbalances based on gender discrimination.
The Story of My Body, is a personal essay about Judith Cofer. She explains that she was born a pretty baby to a pretty mother but at ten years old got a bad case of the chicken pox which caused her to scratch her face making scars appear. She was really skinny and got picked on it by classmates. She experienced color prejudice in a store. The of the owners followed her around the store like she was going to steal something and rushed her to buy something. She was also teased for being tall. Once she got to college she became a girl that all the guys wanted. She came to realize that her appearance, size, and skin color did not matter in the longer run. She came to value her studies and how she felt about herself were the only things that mattered.
