Mary Jane Maluyo
21 September 2009
FD1
Gender roles has gone through remarkable disturbance, adjustments and improvements in the last generation. These changes in gender roles has affected our society as well as the people. Although female gender roles has been changing for the last decade, some females do still experience trauma between adolescence and menopause. Knowing that some individuals still do hold on to their traditional definitions of how a male and a female should portray themselves, I do understand that some views on female gender roles come from our parents. Although not all female children agree with their parents' definition of being a "male" or a "female", gender roles are imposed on these children. [THESIS] Due to the variety of social influences and stereotypical expectations, children feels obligated to act a certain way. [THESIS]
Female gender roles can be defined as the behaviors and attitudes expected of a female by that society depending on sexual classification. Formed during the socialization phases of an individual's childhood and adolescence, gender role issues impacts females throughout their lives; up until they hit menopause. Individuals may be obstructed in a severe way while others obstructed in a minor way. Some impacts that are affected by these women causes them to lower themselves. Some may feel that they do not belong in this world while others may take it to the highest level of hating themselves. These stereotypical expectations is very common and extremely difficult to change. Conflicts can arise when someone does not feel at ease with herself. Society's expectations affects many aspects of an individual's life such as how they interact with others, stress and self-evaluation. The media for example plays a big role on females' low self-confidence because of the commercials they play on the television or the pictures they show in magazines such as girly hair extensions, make-up or how to extend your eyelashes. The mass media does also expose females showing their midriffs and surprisingly high skirts allowing young girls to believe that every female is required to dress this way in order to fit in or have an attractive great image. These types of advertisements does target most females but not all females. Not only are appearances are an issue but also household and employment options. The advertisements that the media mainly show for females are cooking and cleaning. Showing these types of advertisements illustrates a lot about what the society expects women to present themselves as. Just with these commercials alone allows a person to rethink about their own image and identity.
The United States is a place where everyone are worried about what others perceive other individuals. With the way our society is today, females are highly challenged to present a high standard self-image. Because of social expectations, self-image is highly important to some indiviudduals. The way an individual behave or dresses gives a first impression on other people. If a female were to dress baggy pants and t-shirt with their hair tied up in a bun, she would be portrayed as a "tomboy." Getting the idea from commercials and advertisements, masculinity are just for males and femininity are just for females.
Sadly, because of all these social influences and expectations, numerous women are not happy. According to Chantelle Lee, she states that, "...Embedding into kids at a young age to express who they really are and not be afraid to be themselves" is a solution to gender role trauma. I do believe it'll alleviate this issue, but it does not solve the problem. Although parents make an enormous impact on their children by giving their daughters' girly toys, they do also allow their children to be whoever they wish to be. It is what most parents would say to their children. Of course, as a child, they obey their parents because what is what they were taught to do. It is the parents' responsibility to make sure that their children are taught well before they enter the real world. Parents want the best for their children, but sometimes the expectations they set for their children can overpower the child's ability to grow an individual. But as they get older, they develop and start to think for themselves as well as observe other individuals around them. They start to turn away from their parents. According to Sampling in the Storm, Mary Pipher stated that, "This turning away from parents is partly for developmental reasons. Early adolescence is a time of physical and psychological change, self-absorption, preoccupation with peer approval and identity formation." It is figuring out who they really are as an individual.
Some may not realize that gender role trauma is an issue in the society because of numerous distractions that is going on around us such as comparing ourselves to others or trying to become somebody we are not. If the society and social expectations play an enormous role on gender role trauma, it is us the people in the society to turn this issue around. Tyler Stevenson indicated that, "The solution is right in front of us. No one person is going to change society, it is the up and ocming women today that are going to make the difference." In order for these expectations to change, almost all of us, the people, has to take action. If this gender role issue does not change or improve, every individual will just be trapped with these "Social Expectations."
Log of Completed Activities
_X_ Aug 24M- First Day of Instruction. Log in to our class blog, our Laulima discussion forum, and your hawaii.edu mailbox. Become familiar with these instructional media. Carefully review the information in our class blog, especially the schedule catalog.
_X_Aug 25t- Intro to Paper #1. REad the "Guidelines for Paper #1" by midnight, Aug 25.
_X_ Aug 26W- Laulima Discussion: Who Am I? Post your response by midnight, Aug 26. [5pts]
_X_Aug 31M- Complete readings for Paper #1 by midnight, Aug 31 [5pts]
_X_Sep 1-4- Laulima Discussion: What Is "Trauma"? One definition or many different definitions? Post your Response by midnight, Sep 4. [10pts]
Sep 7M- HOLIDAY: LABOR DAY
_X_ Sep 8-11- Laulima Discussion: Causes & Solutions: What causes gender role trauma? What's the solution? Assume that there is more that one cause or solution. Post your response by midnight, sep 11. [10 pts]
_X_ Sep 11- Complete the set up of your blog. See "Blogger" in the right sidebar.
_X_ Sep 14M- RD1 (Review draft #1) Due [50pts]
_X_ Sep 17T- RD1 evaluations due. Click here for an introduction to reviewing drafts. [20pts]
_X_ Sep 21M- FD1 (Final Draft #1) due [100pts]
