Mr. Yupanqui



Steve Jobs and William ShakespeareMr. YupanquiENGL 111 Block 426 October 2018Is How You Look, Who You Should Be?Since the beginning of time, males and females have often been expected to participate in activities that are associated with their gender. Gender is described as the beliefs and feelings that societies place upon its citizens due to the sex that they are affiliated with. Societies determine what males and females should look like, how they dress, how they express themselves, the activities and jobs they participate in, and how they interact with the people around them. If someone does not follow the expectations of these gender roles, they are looked down upon as outcasts or are treated unfairly for being who they are and pursuing activities they enjoy. The recent 2016 election has sparked a variety of movements among U.S. citizens to make a change within their society. Pro-Gender Roles, Steve JobsGender and sex are two terms people use interchangeably but there is a significant difference between the two words. Sex is described as the biological identification of a human based on their chromosomes, genitals, and reproductive organs. However, gender is characterized as the beliefs, emotions, activities, and social interactions cultures and societies associate an individual’s given sex with. According to Genny Beemyn, “Gender roles are the set of social expectations imposed on individuals based on their perceived gender ” (“Gender”). Men are told by society to hold in their emotions, play sports, provide for their families, do yard work, and act tough. Women are told to wear skirts and dresses, cook, take care of the kids, clean, participate in the arts, express themselves, and have manners. Although many people conform to these societal expectations of their assigned gender, there are some people that choose not identify with only one gender because they have both masculine and feminine characteristics. These people are usually seen as not following societal norms and are discriminated for their own personal beliefs. Gender roles result in people following certain societal standards in order to fit in and not draw attention to themselves.In our culture, the media plays an important role in shaping societal expectations of both sexes. When businesses broadcast advertisements to their customers, they automatically portray a gender association with their product or service even if their intention is to be gender neutral. Allison Lantagne states that “ [m]y search for American advertisements with girls playing with action figures and boys using easy-bake ovens was fruitless, and even when I moved to a gender neutral product, sidewalk chalk, the advertisement was sending different messages towards boys versus girls“ (“Gender Roles in Media”). From a young age, children grow up knowing what toys are associated with their gender and are acceptable to play with. If a six year old girl decides to play with trains, she may be shunned by other girls her age. If a six year old boy decides to play with dolls or play house, other boys his age may make fun of him and tell him to stop acting like a girl. As these children grow up, they have no choice but to comply with their roles within society. Movies and TV shows also illustrate stereotypical male and female personality types and how both groups are supposed to act within society. “ The Big Bang Theory, in its earlier seasons, had only one consistently present female lead — Penny, played by the lovely Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting. Penny’s character was that of the stereotypical female: the ditzy, attractive neighbor, who existed solely to create sexual tension between herself and one of the show’s leading men, Leonard Hofstadter” (Lantagne, “Gender Roles in Media”). Throughout most of the media on television, women are casted in smaller, insignificant roles. Even if a television show has a leading female, they are seen as the girl all of the guys are trying to chase or unintelligent and there just to make the show more comical. Lantagne also found that “......Grown Ups 2, directed by Dennis Dugan, grossed about $200,000,000 more than The Call, directed by Brad Anderson” (“Gender Roles in Media”). About one fourth of the cast of Grown Ups 2 was female but most of them talked about men amongst themselves. The Call had featured two strong female leads where one saves the other from being kidnapped from a male lead. Based off the box offices and raves about popular shows, it appears that society is okay with the roles placed upon gender as they continue to support today’s newest media.Anti-gender role advocates would pose that gender roles do not allow people to fully express who they are and pursue what they want. Lantagne claims that Tide is promoting equality by putting out this advertisement “..... the leading male actor proudly proclaims ‘I’m a stay-at-home dad,’ and later goes on to braid his daughter’s hair” ( “Gender Roles in Media”). Tide’s advertisement promotes that males can not only provide for their families but can also take of their children, clean the house, and do laundry as well. Women also have the choice of mowing their lawns’, painting and fixing things around the house, and pursuing the careers of their dreams as well. This advertisments encourages males and females to see their jobs within the household, workplace, and society on an equal footing. Linda L Lindsey says to “ [t]hink about the heterosexual bar scene where men sit at the counter and operate from a script where they are expected to make the first move” (11). In this scenario, the man is forced to go after the women because society tells men to pursue women. Anti-gender role advocates would argue that if a woman was really interested in a man, she would also be able to start a conversation with him first instead of it always being the other way around. Anti-Gender Roles, William ShakespeareGender roles are expectations immediately set upon someone because of their gender. Anti- gender role activist believe that is prejudice to place expectations on someone before they even have a chance to decide what they want or think. Societal standards begin the moment a person enters the world as either baby boy or baby girl. Immediately, as a baby girl they are expected to love dolls and pink, while boys are expected to play with trucks trucks and prefer the color blue over the “girly” pink. Holly Brewer states, “Have you ever watched a little girl playing house? Even as young as five or six, she is well aware that she is supposed to stay home with the baby while the husband goes to work, and she has dinner ready when he gets home” (Brewer, “List of Gender Stereotypes”). Children grow up fully partaking in gender roles because that is how society tells them to act. They do not know any better and learn from their surroundings and through the media. Expectations for genders are set before an individual becomes an old enough to fully understand what is taking place and have the ability to speak up for what they think is right. Those who are against gender roles often find them to be sexist and not a true sense of judgement of one’s personal character. According to Borhart and Terrell,“explicitly portraying an individual as feminine or masculine may also influence judgment” (p. 444). When people presume opinions on an individual just because of the way they look, they are labeling that person's identity. Those who believe that gender roles should not exist are those who think that both genders are equally capable of performing any task that they desire. There is no set job for a specific gender because all jobs can be done by either gender and not only the gender that society says would be best fit for the job. Those who are anti-gender stereotypical roles in society are typically those who fall on the more liberal side of the political spectrum. Activists that are often out fighting for the end of gender stereotypes and designated roles are doing all that they can in order to get their voices heard. They lead marches in major cities, incorporate popular influences to come, and aim to get others who are unaware of the circumstances to be aware and try to make a change. Recently, there was one of the largest rights march in Washington, D.C. The Women's March of 2017. One of the main points behind the march was to advocate for gender equality (specifically for Women’s rights in the workplace). People who are very adamant about what they believe will not be afraid to keep their voices quiet and will take every opportunity to fight for their morals and rights. Although our culture has had the “original” roles of men and women engraved into our minds since the day we were born, feminists and advocates of gender equality are working everyday to replace this popular image. Through social media communication and other platforms by which people can voice their opinions, the idealized version of gender roles will soon be replaced with this new modern idea that anyone can be and do anything they please despite their sex/gender. If we stop imposing aging traditions on the new generations to come, maybe one day our world will be filled with stay at home dads and female presidents, proving that anyone has the same qualifications to be whoever they desire to be. Societies will always have expectations on what activities and jobs people should participate in and how individuals should act, dress, and interact within their communities. Whether or not an individual chooses to submit to gender roles depends on how much they believe in who they are, self-expression, and their own gender’s place in society. Both sides of this argument believe that the choice lies within the people: make a change or remain the same.Works CitedBeemyn, Genny. "Gender." World Book Advanced, 2017,advanced/article?id=ar756229 . Accessed 27 Oct. 2018.Borhart, Hannah. Terrell, Heather. “Perceptions of Aggression are Colored by Gender Roles.” The Psychological Record, 64, 3, 8 May 2014, p. 441-445. EBSCOhost, . Accessed 29 Oct. 2018.Brewer, Holly. “List of Gender Stereotypes.” Health Guidance, Unknown, . Accessed 29 Oct. 2017.Lantagne, Allison. “Gender Roles in Media.” Huffington Post, 15 May 2014,. Accessed 27 Oct. 2017. Lindsey, Linda. Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective, Routledge, 2016, p 11. “What are Gender Roles and Stereotypes?.” Planned Parenthood, Unknown, learn/sexual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity/what-are-gender-roles-and-stereotypes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2017. ................
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