Topic: The actions everyone is assumed to make because of their gender.
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.
I like the fact that your brought up how our families, and those closest to us are usually the ones enforcing our gender roles. For example the phrase, "Be a man" is consistently tossed around in friendships, as well as "stop being a pussy" and/or "grow a pair" whether the person is male or female. These are common terms, which are all terms that show value towards the male gender. My question to you is, do you feel that the female gender roles are given in an oppressing manner? AKA do you think females are oppressed based off of the stereotypes and gender roles perscribes to them?
ReplyDeleteIts a great point of gender roles not only including how you should dress, what you should like, and how one should present themselves, but also who they should associate themselves with. Identity struggles , "to characterize interaction in which there is a discrepancy between the identity a person claims to possess and the identity attributed to that person by others (Robbins, 146), are something so many have to deal with no matter what sexual orientation they claim. The way too simplified segregation between genders girl/boy and the box they are supposed to fit into are unjust and problematic.
ReplyDeleteAs you said that having male friends as a female who has a significant other is looked down upon by many, yet the reasoning is not sound at all, but instead based on assumptions of how those friendships are. Gender should not determine your interests and who you can share those interests with.
So to answer the question you pondered in my opinion, I feel one can only live to their full potential if they can completely ignore the gender based restrictions, which is a difficult feat all on its own.