While he suggests how to kindly treat one race of women, he emphasizes on how to womanize another. The culture associated with “How to date a browngirl, blackgirl, whitegirl, or halfie”, believes that women will act accordingly, and should be treated based on their own culture and race. In “Girl” by J.Kincaid and “How to date a browngirl, blackgirl, whitegirl or halfie” by J.Diaz both authors describe how culture influences the outlooks, and stereotypes on women. The expectations of females seen in “Girl” revolves around a strict set of cultural rules for women. Through oral transitions the girl’s mother spreads the beliefs of their culture.
E. Preview Statement: Let’s first cut into the meaning of Female Circumcision and then scatter the history of this procedure and lastly stitch together the places where female circumcision is still practiced. II. Main Point One: what female Circumcision is: A. Procedure: Traditionally female circumcision is a rite of passage to prepare young girls for their arrival to adulthood, marriage and mother hood. This procedure is when the external genitalia are removed partly or completely.
“Women took the place they customarily took in social movements, in the front lines—as privates, not generals,” (Zinn 504). Women organized movements and became the most enthusiastic about their cause, and by 1969, women were 40% of the labor force in the U.S. Other things that sprung up in the 1900s were multiple women’s unions, acts put in place that aided women, and literature aimed at women. Perhaps the biggest issue that began to be addressed was the subject of abortion, and the 1970s were a roaring time for this debate. It was for this right that women fought harder than ever before, and continue to fight. I really enjoyed reading this chapter; that is my reaction.
These handmaids are essentially women used for the birthing of babies. According to Atwood in one of her many interviews, "women were intrinsically good and men bad; to divide along allegiance lines--that is, women who wore high heels and makeup were instantly suspect, those in overalls were acceptable"(Problems of). These ideas were and have been created by our social and political system and could not be fixed until such systems have been reformed. The feminist ideas that are expressed in this novel are necessary. Besides, these women do exist not only in the novel but women like this exist in real life.
The male dominance within the Stepford community highlights the enforcement of patriarchal laws, creating a divide between genders. The lack of individuality represented through Carol Van Sant and the transformed ladies of Stepford reflect the want for female beauty and the characterisation of the Stepford families reflects the want for a nuclear family. Through the characterisation, The Stepford Wives intertwines the concerns of the 1970’s to create a fierce reminder of the freedom women have gained and is a critique of the world, which the author knew so well. Despite having gained the right to vote, during this time, women felt trapped within a domestic sphere. The women became wives and mothers without a voice.
Patriarchal societies have always used stereotypes and images of women as means of control. Discuss giving examples of the controlling images of black women in American society, showing how do women of color seek to reproduce counter-images of ourselves. 3 Response one: In many patriarchal societies, both the cultural perceptions of active and passive female sexuality have been used as tools in terms of sexual politics, in order to dominate women and restrict their sexual and reproductive autonomy. The subjugation that women, and in particular women of color, have faced under the patriarchy that demands (particularly under a passive lens) women be “desirable but not desirous” has rendered and reinforced a visible double standard for the expectations of men and women in terms of sexuality. Patriarchy structurally depends on the existence of this double standard, because it holds men firmly above women in terms of sexual power and freedom.
Because women are sometimes stereotyped as the weaker sex, they become disadvantaged and don’t share many of the privileges men are given. This is why feminism is such an important matter today. Feminism is a broad social movement that strives for equality for women and seeks to end of sexism in all forms (Topics in Feminism). However, negative attitudes toward feminism have continued to exist. Feminists are often stereotyped as angry, man-hating, unattractive women who scream absurdly about their political views.
As exemplified in Pride and Prejudice with characters like Mrs. Bennet and her child, Lydia, many ladies put money above love when it came to the subject of marriage. Perhaps the behavior of women in this time period is a question of nature vs. nurture. For females especially, society dictated class distinctions and parameters for retaliatory ridicule, while bringing emphasis towards honing “womanly” talents in lieu of formal education and opportunities. If a lady were to step out of the bounds of appropriate behavior, she would disgrace herself and most likely her family, thereby cutting them off from benefits that might otherwise shine upon accomplished personas. Mrs. Bennet’s least favorite daughter, Elizabeth, seems to be made of strong moral fiber and respectfully does not sink to the (often) poor matrimonial standards of her peers.
Learning plays a huge role in assuming gender differences. The young girls in Toddlers and Tiaras are being taught that their appearance should be their number one concern. They are learning that in order to be beautiful they have to wear a ton on makeup, spray tan, and wear fake eyelashes. They are also being taught that they need to wear provocative clothing and act sexy in order to be noticed. An article from CNN.com mentioned the release of a report from the American Psychological Association on the sexualization of girls.
The Female Body Critique In Margaret Atwood’s “The Female Body” she gives an interesting view on the life of women and the ways in which women are controlled, devalued and taken advantage of. Atwood's thesis is unclear, but it's unclear because she's conjuring images for the reader to piece together. More specifically Atwood attempts to explain the female form through an array of metaphors and comparisons. In the following pages, I investigate Atwood’s perception/interpretation of the female body and analyze the ways in which she responds to, and resists, society’s destructive effects. Using present theory I show how Atwood deals with the concept of female body itself.