This has devastating effects because it leaves women in a constant state of self-surveillance, and causes a splitting of self between the subjective self and the self as an object (Crawford, 2011). Since depression rates are rapidly increasing and leading to dangerous outcomes like suicide or eating disorders, research and assistance are needed to address the psychological distress caused by our culture that leads to such high depression rates in women. The purpose of this paper is to review evidence that supports the hypothesis that self-objectification plays a major role in the increasing rates of depression for women. Since depression is linked to self-objectification, it is important to explore the scope of depression in Western societies, how and when it arises, how it differs between females and males, and its relationship to body dissatisfaction. In adults, the female-to-male ratio of depression is 2:1 (Evans, 2011).
This is just one example of the way men misuse texts in the Koran to justify the repression of women. This also shows how women are not told of the dangers in this because they are just women who don’t need to be educated. The only thing the doctors who try to help these women can do is tell them the dangers against genital mutilation and proceed with the surgery even if they decide to go through with it. After generations of this practice, many women were taught to believe it made you more beautiful and kept you from becoming a prostitute. The more knowledge gained of genital mutilation led to different reasons of have the procedure done, such as “keeping their daughter’s chastity” (37).
They have found that there is increasing family diversity and that women are not equally exploited in all types of family e.g. matrifocal or lesbian families. Nicholson (1997) believes women are often better off outside the traditional idea of family and Calhoun (1997) explains women cannot be exploited by men in lesbian families. This perspective is not easy to criticize because it recognizes differences in family life however it can be criticized for losing sight of continuing inequalities between men and women within the family. Radical feminists believe that the family plays a major role in maintaining the oppression of women in a male-dominated society.
In this novel, Julia Alvarez manages to capture and express the true feelings of women which deconstructs the stereotypes through Yo. Feminism is defined as “a political movement that works to achieve equal rights for women and men” (Hirsch 113). For the past ages, women were seen in the society as inferior to men and were greatly excluded from education and the right to property ownership. A British feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft argues, “educational restrictions keep women in a state of ignorance and slavish dependence” (Blake 117). The shattering of classifications and stereotypes, and the subversion of traditional gender roles, and the concept of sisterhood or unity among women are among the main tenets of feminist criticism.
For example, women now go out to work, just as men now help with housework and childcare. However Feminists reject the ‘March of Progress’ theory, and argue that women remain unequal within the family. Anne Oakley argues that we still live in a patriarchal (male dominated) society, and therefore women occupy a subordinate and dependant role within the family and wider society. In addition in Mary Boulton’s research backed this, she found that fewer than 20% of husbands had a majority role in childcare. Overall it could therefore be argued that rather than partners becoming more equal, women now have to carry a ‘dual burden’, whereby she is responsible for two jobs of unpaid or paid labour.
My peers forget the importance of maternity, and instead view simple things such as breastfeeding as crude and inappropriate. The scene in which Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a dying man is meant to be no more sexual than a mother hugging her child; it is an act of nourishment and exemplifies Steinbeck’s use of a matriarchal prominence in The Grapes of Wrath. For centuries we as Americans have lived under a patriarchal hierarchy. However, anthropologist Robert Briffault theorized that the original society was a matriarchal one; Warren Motley, author of From Patriarchy to Matriarchy: Ma Joad’s Role wrote, “Working from [these theories], Steinbeck presents Ma Joad’s growing power as a source of communal strength sheltering human dignity from the antisocial effects of individualism” (Motley). Briffault’s theories, like Charles Darwin’s, are constantly noted in animal studies; “the first social groups evolve from biologically linked maternal clans of brothers and sisters rather than patriarchal families based on sexual bonds” (Motley).
‘Women must creep’ (Elaine R. Hedges) illustrates the thought that women shouldn’t be heard, but do only what they’re required to do, reinforcing how women were demeaned. The lack of power women had was not only present within their marriage, but also in society as males were perceived as the more significant gender, so women were patronised and dismissed by patriarchal control. Patriarchal control is represented clearly by John, the protagonist’s husband, which increases complexity within the novel as the isolation and ‘The resting cure’ he enforces upon her, causes her mental state to degenerate further, despite John believing it is helping his wife. There are a number of methods used to increase the characters complexity in The Yellow Wallpaper. For example, the use of epistolary displays a 1st person narrative and is in the present tense, “I never used to be so sensitive.” This is present when the protagonist writes to herself, Gilman uses this technique in order to show the
Feminists characterise our society as patriarchal, which means male dominated, and they argue that mainstream sociology focus on the concern of men and not on the concern of women. There are many elements within feminist attitudes and this incudes Marxism feminists. Liberal feminists, Radical feminists and Black feminists all have a similar goal which is to end male patriarchy in society and free society of exploitation to women by focusing on achievements and accomplishments that women have achieved throughout the years. Another example of a macro theory is Marxism, this is a conflict theory in which people believes that we as people are victims of capitalism and our whole world essentially focuses on money, social and political problems, based on the social change in terms of economic factors. Within
Many cultures have their own approach to pregnancy and childbirth. For example, the Roma (gypsies) believe that a pregnant woman is impure, so they put on her restrictions that keep her isolated from most of the group, even limiting her time with her husband, to prevent her from dirtying other items or people of the group. In countries such as Holland and Sweden, childbirth is considered a natural, coming-of-age occurrence and is rarely interfered with medically. In our country, childbirth is often viewed as a strategically planned medical event. Many American women, educated or not, have little understanding of the process of pregnancy and delivery and tend to regard it in fear.
However, there’s a few things wrong with the government’s approach. According to Louise Gerdes a published author with multiple articles in Opposing Viewpoints, there are many cases where "… sex work is often the only viable alternative for women in communities coping with poverty, unemployment … in… complete absence of social welfare programs" (Gerdes 1). If the government wants to eliminate human trafficking especially within the sex industry, then it must focus on those people as well and realize that different approaches must be used for each, “instead [of] lumping together trafficking, prostitution and commercial sex as offenses against the "moral law that stands above nations." (Gerdes 1). As stated by Thomas Melito the director of the International Affairs and Trade, the government uses estimates for data reports on a yearly scale.