However, not everyone agrees with the heavy stereotypes laid down by the social order such as male dominance and proper courting. Marie de France is one of these people. She depicts her views of gender expectations through literature. Within the poem Guigemar, Guigemar and his lady fulfill and contradict what would be considered as gender norms within society: female inferiority, traditional courtship, and male dominance. Marie de France does this to criticize and combat the societal expectations and inherent inequalities in Norman England.
Pizan so obviously from the start of her writing, introduces how women should behave (from the perspective of a princess), so that her actions shall be beneficial to her and her husband. By talking about the finances, which is radical, Pizan degrades women in all other aspects. Degrading is used in the sense that she does not promote equality in any other way other than the financial aspect. These women could be considered early feminists if they looked for equality in other things as well not just a specific
In the chapter, Individual Autonomy and Social Structure, by anthropologist, Dorothy Lee, she discussed how within a given society, there can be many different cultures. It is through culture that we define ourselves to our society, including our own rights and beliefs. With these different points of view and ways of life, there are many normality’s in regards to resolving a conflict, and understanding so. The reading gave outlook on to how different societies deal with their conflicts, and exactly how; “The principle of personal autonomy is supported by the cultural framework.” (Lee, 5) The key problem that is addressed in this reading is the conflict that takes place in between an individual’s autonomy and social structure. Although everyone has personal autonomy, there is always a limit to it, in our society.
In her publication titled “Gender Trouble”, Judith Butler presents her view that gender is a performative role in society, meaning that in order for gender identity to be genuinely expressed and understood, it must be conveyed openly in social spaces. Throughout her book she provides numerous examples of these “social spaces” that would be a necessary ground for women in order to better establish an identity in society. These include political representation, cultural movements, and the economic climate. These social spaces are presented in great depth and explain how they limit a person by identifying with a specific gender. In this paper, I will argue for Butler’s view on how certain gender performance is restricted in these numerous fields, and how Ms. Butler would object to these various situations.
Brave New World Timed Writing Throughout our society in this current day and age, it seems to be one of the most, if not the most crucial thing to a person to be socially accepted by others. Conforming to society is what will get a person to be acknowledged and desired by others. However, a person will often go through countless episodes of moral questioning and introspect. This idea of the tension between a character's outward conformity and inward questioning acts as a strong theme throughout the novel, Brave New World. The author, Aldous Huxley, demonstrates this theme through means of one particular character, Lenina.
It is therefore very possible to find varying social norms as we move from one social setting to another. Of significance is the fact that basic social norms cut across cultures of the world. Those who do not adhere to social norms are always punished or considered social misfits. Norms are a very important part of society. In the book, norms are defined as “the specific expectations about how people behave in a given situation”.
Sex, Gender and Gender roles redefined In her book The Second Sex, Simone De Beauvoir states, “One is not born, but, rather becomes a woman”. This statement highlights the difference between sex and gender. While sex is a biological term, gender is a social and cultural construct. An individual is born into the categories of male or female but it is the very task of ‘accomplishing gender’ that determines the social identity of the person. Women are under a constant pressure to adhere to roles that are specific to their gender and so are men.
The Setting of Everyday Use In "Everyday Use", by Alice Walker, everyday things illustrates the setting of the story in great detail, and the reactions of the main characters to these objects, to distinguish the plain and realistic with the fashionable and trendy. The main characters on one side of the story are Mama and the younger daughter Maggie, and older daughter Dee on the other. Each character having opposing views on the value and worth of the various items in their lives, and Walker uses this conflict to make the point that the substance of an object, and of people, is more important than style. In the story the main characters can be viewed as total opposites from one another. Mama, the narrator of the story, gives a physical description of herself as a "large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands" (Walker, 456).
Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is filled with many different characters and themes which are able to be compared with one another, from its versatile cast of characters to the controversial themes that it covers. The main characters in the play share many similarities with each other, especially in the beginning of the play, which likely stems from the fact they were all subjected to the same social and cultural influences. This becomes apparent when contrasting people like Mr. Helmer and Mr. Krogstad, both of whom show great concern for the way they are portrayed socially. Nora and Kristina Linde also have quite a few contrasts between them, such as their different life experiences, and the way that Nora loses her husband just as Ms. Linde reunites with Krogstad during the conclusion. The themes presented, such as legality versus morality and male and female gender roles, also allow critics to create comparisons that provide an analysis of the play and the impact it has on an audience.
SOCIAL THEMES AND PERSPECTIVES Feminism - Functionalism The focus of this assignment will be to compare and contrast two key sociological perspectives, Functionalism and Feminism in relation to the family. It will define both perspectives having identified the meaning of family. Finally it will evaluate the difference between the two perspectives. Shulman (2009:260) highlights the difficulties faced when defining the meaning of ‘family’. The confusion derives from the changing nature of modern relationships and whilst family is a group it is a special type of group, one which cannot be captured in a single definition.