As we grow
up we learn about how unequal gender was in the past, along with this we learn
that we are equal now. But are we really? Life has taught girls that as they
grow up they only way to get a guy is to be skinny, have the perfect hair, and
perfect….well, everything. As guys grow up they have been taught that all women
should look exactly like the ones they see in the movies and magazines, and
there is no more to a girl than her looks. Yes, I understand this is a harsh
way of wording this issue. But I do believe that that is what we grow up
knowing, maybe not to a conscious extent, but it is always in the back of our
minds how each gender should act and look, no matter how far we push it away.
I think
gender would be more equal if there wasn’t as much media blowing everything out
of proportion. Especial in this generation media is everything. And I mean
everything. You go to a restaurant and the TVs show the perfect image of women.
You see everyone always on their phones, weather it is twitter, instagram or
who knows what else, there are pictures and words about how people should be. Even
if you don’t realize it, your mind takes in all of these pictures and words
that you see on those screens and tells you what you should think about the
other gender.
In some
ways women and men should be treated differently. For example it’s perfectly
fine that men don’t wear skirts (at least in America) and that woman carry
purses. Style can be different because it is just the way people express themselves.
It’s just when a women or man is not able to do something just they are not the
right gender is what doesn’t seem right. Women should be able to get any job
they want and be paid the same as men, to me that just seem like common sense. But
in today’s society it still happens, luckily a lot less than in history.
I don’t believe
that gender will ever be perfectly equal because obviously we are different, we
are different in looks and we are even different in the way we think in some
cases. It’s just how life is, women are different than men. But just because we
will never be treated exactly the same does not mean that women should be
denied the right to be who she truly is. (424)
I'm not sure what the "style" part has to do with gender roles. You say "it's perfectly fine" for men to wear skirts and women carry purses. Sure, they can make that choice. BUT, can they make ALL/ANY choices for their own style? What if a man wears a skirt and carries a purse? Do our (Americans) gender expectations, and our obsession with fitting into what society thinks is "normal" allow for that choice? Remember, there was a time women didn't wear pants! Also, it's important to remember that even the idea of "normal" is constructed (defined) by people---the very people who knowingly or not carry around these ingrained/absorbed gender role ideas.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph and your title... Hmmmm...Yes we are different, but I think the "it's just how life is" and the "should" in your title are kind of depressing. To me, it implies that we just have to live with gender roles and biases. That's not the kind of world I want for the future.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and making me think!