Gender Issues
Emily K. Yates
Gender issues and relations stood out to me, throughout most of the readings in this class. Gender issues continue to be something that our society struggles with. Many of the issues at hand are exacerbated by the different roles assumed or assigned within different ethnic, cultural and religious circles.
Culturally, there seems to be a disconcerting disconnect between mothers and daughters and examples in our readings showed this distance sometimes felt between a mother and daughter. The relations between Melanie the daughter and her mother, Mrs. Brown, (Naylor PG 84) was an excellent example not just of age differences but the nearly dismissal way girls tend to treat their mothers. Melanie felt her mother was out of touch with the current issues in race and politics. Her mother was not out of touch, she was likely more aware because this issue was not a new one. It was an issue that was older than Mrs. Brown, older than her mother. The reading recites Mrs. Brown as she retells her own memories and knowledge of prior family members who struggled; she was proud of their strength.
Another example was that of the little girl Emily (Olsen Pg. 388) who was raised by a single mom. Her mom was trying her best but her little girl had to grow up quickly and became a mini-adult much sooner than her siblings would have to. As with many children who grow up too young, there also grew a quiet disconnect between the girl and her mother. I sometimes think that our society encourages this distance between mothers and daughters. This relationship is repeated in entertainment, such as movies and television.
Art featured in our readings (Berger Pg 206) reflect that even today, many cultural examples can be found emphasizing a present imbalance between the sexes. Historically here in the United States during the Second World War, while the government was combating not just war, but also sexually transmitted diseases, women are portrayed as ‘The Worst of the Three’ (Suggestion for Reading 2010 Pg 226). The women in society were pictured as the instigator. I found this interesting when thinking about the young men far from home on ships in ports where equally young and naïve girls lived. I did not see a comment warning these women from these men.
More presently, should a woman who dresses well, is attractive and single or another who is married, with children and perhaps not as keen on high heels be treated differently in the work place? I have seen that they are, whether or not they should be. I did a personal experiment three years ago. I have long blond hair and am little shorter than most of the people I know. I decided to dye my hair a dark brown and invest in lots of high heels for one year. I found I was professionally more successful that year and received far less unsolicited comments from unknown men. I thought this was illuminating and fascinating. I returned to my blond hair and retired the heels from my protesting feet to find I had to argue more at work and turn the other cheek when going for a jog with my dog.
Religion and superstition continue to crush women with outdated practices. The giving of child brides to much older men is still common in forty nine countries around the world today. In parts of India or Northern Africa, it is culturally acceptable to give a nine year old girl to a fifty year old man (Gorney 2011). Religion and society decree it is better for a girl to be married offered with her virginity intact, then for her to possibly suffer the ravages of rape or being in an unmarried state that will result social isolation.
These girls are dying; early sexual intercourse often results in high mortality for the child. Potential babies born by this child are often underweight and do not make it past the age of five. These girl children have no say in their arranged marriages and limited understanding of intercourse and child bearing as
communication between pre-teen brides and their mothers and other female relatives is strongly discouraged. Often times these child brides do not understand what sex is and what pregnancy is (Gorney 2011). Hospital staff are trained to explained to a delivering eleven year old that she is in the midst of giving birth.
Education and local awareness are often the solution and motivators to prevention. Utilizing these two key elements makes change possible. “By providing more educational opportunities, India has been able to cut child marriage rates by up to two-thirds.” (About.com). Additional sources confirm “Girls who are able to complete primary school tend to marry later and have fewer children” (Chicago Tribune)
Satapi (Satrapi Pg. 370) came into a world with relatively equal opportunity to both sexes in Iran.
This world changed rapidly into a much more restricted one for women. Her essay show the changes to include; veils to cover their individuality and light, rules to restrict their growth, segregation to halt interaction and the ability to relate to the opposite sex.
Here is the United States bias may remain but women have been given the tools and acceptance to overcome divisions and issues. Women are increasingly likely to go to college and to finish their degree (Mantell 2011) as “Their education is phenomenally higher. Their earnings are higher. They appear to have fewer barriers and constraints,” Goldin said.” This article, however, does continue by showing that the wage gap between men and women still remains.
Taking a personal interest in a personal issue is vital. My own experience is that I work in an industry dominated by men who are usually much older than I am. I take offense at passing insults such as when I am referred to as ‘A little girl’ or ‘pretty young girl’. I am in a project coordinating position and I work closely with many clients. I address this dismissive title calmly but repeatedly and while it does still persist I have had some success in deterring it. It helps that I am in a position that is equal to many of the people I work with. I can put a client on hold for a moment and address a peer’s comments. I was also informed and knew what my position is worth in pay and was able to negotiate a salary that is only slightly under what I know the male counter parts make. It is frustrating but it is also motivating to succeed. I have the opportunity to thrive here in my country and I know there are many women in other countries may not be as easily able to.
This class provided valuable insight, important reminders and interesting points of view to consider. Not in the least were the perspectives of different women in different places. Women and their struggles are everywhere, as are the individual struggles that abound. It is encouraging to always remember that through communication, via conversations, media, print, web and news outlets, ideas can be embraced and shared. When people relate to each other, relations can be improved and societies will adapt to new ideas.
Culturally, there seems to be a disconcerting disconnect between mothers and daughters and examples in our readings showed this distance sometimes felt between a mother and daughter. The relations between Melanie the daughter and her mother, Mrs. Brown, (Naylor PG 84) was an excellent example not just of age differences but the nearly dismissal way girls tend to treat their mothers. Melanie felt her mother was out of touch with the current issues in race and politics. Her mother was not out of touch, she was likely more aware because this issue was not a new one. It was an issue that was older than Mrs. Brown, older than her mother. The reading recites Mrs. Brown as she retells her own memories and knowledge of prior family members who struggled; she was proud of their strength.
Another example was that of the little girl Emily (Olsen Pg. 388) who was raised by a single mom. Her mom was trying her best but her little girl had to grow up quickly and became a mini-adult much sooner than her siblings would have to. As with many children who grow up too young, there also grew a quiet disconnect between the girl and her mother. I sometimes think that our society encourages this distance between mothers and daughters. This relationship is repeated in entertainment, such as movies and television.
Art featured in our readings (Berger Pg 206) reflect that even today, many cultural examples can be found emphasizing a present imbalance between the sexes. Historically here in the United States during the Second World War, while the government was combating not just war, but also sexually transmitted diseases, women are portrayed as ‘The Worst of the Three’ (Suggestion for Reading 2010 Pg 226). The women in society were pictured as the instigator. I found this interesting when thinking about the young men far from home on ships in ports where equally young and naïve girls lived. I did not see a comment warning these women from these men.
More presently, should a woman who dresses well, is attractive and single or another who is married, with children and perhaps not as keen on high heels be treated differently in the work place? I have seen that they are, whether or not they should be. I did a personal experiment three years ago. I have long blond hair and am little shorter than most of the people I know. I decided to dye my hair a dark brown and invest in lots of high heels for one year. I found I was professionally more successful that year and received far less unsolicited comments from unknown men. I thought this was illuminating and fascinating. I returned to my blond hair and retired the heels from my protesting feet to find I had to argue more at work and turn the other cheek when going for a jog with my dog.
Religion and superstition continue to crush women with outdated practices. The giving of child brides to much older men is still common in forty nine countries around the world today. In parts of India or Northern Africa, it is culturally acceptable to give a nine year old girl to a fifty year old man (Gorney 2011). Religion and society decree it is better for a girl to be married offered with her virginity intact, then for her to possibly suffer the ravages of rape or being in an unmarried state that will result social isolation.
These girls are dying; early sexual intercourse often results in high mortality for the child. Potential babies born by this child are often underweight and do not make it past the age of five. These girl children have no say in their arranged marriages and limited understanding of intercourse and child bearing as
communication between pre-teen brides and their mothers and other female relatives is strongly discouraged. Often times these child brides do not understand what sex is and what pregnancy is (Gorney 2011). Hospital staff are trained to explained to a delivering eleven year old that she is in the midst of giving birth.
Education and local awareness are often the solution and motivators to prevention. Utilizing these two key elements makes change possible. “By providing more educational opportunities, India has been able to cut child marriage rates by up to two-thirds.” (About.com). Additional sources confirm “Girls who are able to complete primary school tend to marry later and have fewer children” (Chicago Tribune)
Satapi (Satrapi Pg. 370) came into a world with relatively equal opportunity to both sexes in Iran.
This world changed rapidly into a much more restricted one for women. Her essay show the changes to include; veils to cover their individuality and light, rules to restrict their growth, segregation to halt interaction and the ability to relate to the opposite sex.
Here is the United States bias may remain but women have been given the tools and acceptance to overcome divisions and issues. Women are increasingly likely to go to college and to finish their degree (Mantell 2011) as “Their education is phenomenally higher. Their earnings are higher. They appear to have fewer barriers and constraints,” Goldin said.” This article, however, does continue by showing that the wage gap between men and women still remains.
Taking a personal interest in a personal issue is vital. My own experience is that I work in an industry dominated by men who are usually much older than I am. I take offense at passing insults such as when I am referred to as ‘A little girl’ or ‘pretty young girl’. I am in a project coordinating position and I work closely with many clients. I address this dismissive title calmly but repeatedly and while it does still persist I have had some success in deterring it. It helps that I am in a position that is equal to many of the people I work with. I can put a client on hold for a moment and address a peer’s comments. I was also informed and knew what my position is worth in pay and was able to negotiate a salary that is only slightly under what I know the male counter parts make. It is frustrating but it is also motivating to succeed. I have the opportunity to thrive here in my country and I know there are many women in other countries may not be as easily able to.
This class provided valuable insight, important reminders and interesting points of view to consider. Not in the least were the perspectives of different women in different places. Women and their struggles are everywhere, as are the individual struggles that abound. It is encouraging to always remember that through communication, via conversations, media, print, web and news outlets, ideas can be embraced and shared. When people relate to each other, relations can be improved and societies will adapt to new ideas.
Works Cited
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Berger, J. ‘Ways of Seeing’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 4, Pg. 206. 2010. Print.
Gorney, C. “Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides’ National Geographic (Pg 78-98) Magazine (June 2011)
Mantell, R. ‘More women go to college but the wage gap remains’ Market Watch 3/2011 Web. 15 July 2011 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/more-women-go-to-college-but-wage-gap-remains-2011-03-01
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 ‘Suggestion for reading’, 7th Edition. Chapter 4. Pg. 226. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Naylor, G., ‘Kiswana Browne’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 2. Pg. 84. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Olsen, T. ‘I Stand Here Ironing’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 8, Pg. 388. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Leppert, R. ‘The Female Nude’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition.
Chapter 4, Pg. 216-219. 2010. Print.
Salopek, P. ‘The Bride was 7’ Chicago Tribune 12/2004 Web. 10 July 2011 www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0412120360dec12,0,6964856.story
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Satrapi, M. ‘The Veil’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 7, Pg. 370. 2010. Print.
Gorney, C. “Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides’ National Geographic (Pg 78-98) Magazine (June 2011)
Mantell, R. ‘More women go to college but the wage gap remains’ Market Watch 3/2011 Web. 15 July 2011 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/more-women-go-to-college-but-wage-gap-remains-2011-03-01
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 ‘Suggestion for reading’, 7th Edition. Chapter 4. Pg. 226. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Naylor, G., ‘Kiswana Browne’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 2. Pg. 84. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Olsen, T. ‘I Stand Here Ironing’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 8, Pg. 388. 2010. Print.
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Leppert, R. ‘The Female Nude’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition.
Chapter 4, Pg. 216-219. 2010. Print.
Salopek, P. ‘The Bride was 7’ Chicago Tribune 12/2004 Web. 10 July 2011 www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0412120360dec12,0,6964856.story
George, D. & Trimbur, J. ‘Reading Culture’ 2010 Satrapi, M. ‘The Veil’ Reading Culture, 7th Edition. Chapter 7, Pg. 370. 2010. Print.