Gender Roles

Topic:  The actions everyone is assumed to make because of their gender.

Source:  I recently got out of a bad relationship and I was told by the other person who I should hang out with and how I should act just because of my gender.  This also reminded me of childhood events.

Relation:  In class, we talked about how when one is born, we are automatically given a name and certain blanket/cap color based on our gender.

Description:  I recently got out of a bad relationship and I was told how I should be acting.  I was told that I should only be hanging around girls and I was told that I shouldn't even be talking to other men because my only friends should be girls.  Since starting this class, I have thought more and more about what "normal" is and it bugged me when I was told this.  When I said that it wasn't fair that I would have to restrict myself that much while he could do anything, his excuse was "I know.. but that is just how it is."    This whole past week has made me think a lot about my childhood.  I was made to wear dresses, even though I did not like them, I was told to cross my legs when I sit, I was told to always do my hair and stand with my shoulders back, and I was constantly fighting off my older sister when she wanted to put makeup on me.  

Analysis:  I think it is very disturbing how gender roles are enforced in many families.  Parents may say to their children that they can grow up to be anything they want, but god forbid if they step out of their gender roles in doing so.  My main question is, how can someone live up to their true potential when there are so many gender based restrictions in life?  When my now ex-boyfriend was telling me about how I should act and what things I should be, I came to the realization that even people that you have been very close with for multiple years might not accept and respect every little detail that is the creation of you.  It is hard to be a true individual in a society that is so persistent in enforcing the image of "male" and "female."  I think that media is something that continues this idea of how people should act and I am wondering if it is also fires up prejudice against others who do not seem to fit into the social norm.

Family Composition: How media says it should be

Topic:  Everyone has an idea of what they want their family to be like when they grow up and media is a major influence in this.

Source:  While watching television, I noticed that certain life decisions make for certain kinds of shows.  I have a friend who recently found out that she was pregnant and I saw a relation between her life and popular TV shows.

Relation:  I though of this topic when we watched "Modern Family" and compared it with the "American dream" type of family.

Description:   "Sweet Life of an American Teenager" came in to mind when I thought of my friend's pregnancy. It shows struggle and enough drama for a few families.  During some of the first episodes, the character was scared and life seemed to be this big struggle.  In other TV shows like "Grounded For Life," the parents seem super strict about sex and go to extreme measures in order to keep their kids close and make sex seem more dramatic than it really is.

Analysis:  My friend watches a lot of TV and she says that she wants a "classic" family.  She did not want to tell her family about her pregnancy because she feared that they would not understand and she fears being a teen mom.  I think it is safe to say that many people think this way, but I honestly believe that we CONTINUE to think this way because it is constantly portrayed in TV shows that marriage should come before the baby.

Deprived of Ritual

Topic:  Marriage is a ritual in which many Americans dream to have at least once in their lives but not everyone is allowed to partake in it.

Source:  A chat over Facebook on March 31, 2012 with my friend Michael.

Relation:  During the first few anthro labs, Rebecca talked about how just because you believe something, it doesn't mean everyone else should believe the same thing.  She talked about how different cultures have different traditions and talking to my friend made me think about how some people are deprived of their rights because of the ethnocentric fallacy of others.

Description:  My topic first crossed my mind when I was talking with my friend who is gay.  He was talking about all of the things he wished he could have but then added that he doesn't mind legalizing gay marriage.  He "the ceremony is beautiful but the paperwork is pointless."  I totally agree with him because love should not be based on a piece of paper; however, I do believe that people should be allowed to participate in this symbolic action of love if they choose.  

Commentary:  Growing up, I have always had dreams about a big white wedding with flowers surrounding me. Getting is every girl's dream, right?  I believe marriage is a ritual between two people that symbolizes them becoming one in spirit.  What I don't understand is why would haters try and deprive gay and lesbian couples of marriage.  Americans are more concerned about gay marriage than the environment (Phil B. "Gay Marriages").  Religious is the main argument that people against gay marriage have.  Being gay is considered to be a sin.   It is ridiculous that people are more focused on what others do rather than just focusing on themselves.  Marriage is a ritual that everyone should be able to partake in and restricting a couple from doing so, just because of their sexual orientation and personal beliefs, is depriving them of their natural rights.  Now my question to the people against it is why do you care so much if it is not directly related to you?  The first link below shows multiple photos of gay couples and the comments below them show so much hate.  Many are saying how god says it is wrong but he also says "thou shall not hate" and "thou shall not judge."

http://mombasa411.org/2011/08/15/a-pictorial-of-gays-and-lesbians-celebrating-their-union-ngai-fa-fa/

Phill B.  "Gay Marriage."  March 1, 2012.  <http://www.philforhumanity.com/Gay_Marriages.html>.