Gender typing is an individual preference influenced greatly by culture (and or religion – whichever is more convenient). It is disparaging to know that the female sex is devalued to such an extent that we are being killed. This is the nature of human beings I suppose, whether it’s ethnic cleansing or a common violent incident – we find some reason to hurt and kill one another. Women are no exception. I wonder what does happen to families who decide to keep their female children? For every example I am given for the majority it would be nice to know what happens to those who go against the majority to learn of what that experience is like. While their killing or selling females in other countries, we are trying to convince our females to embrace our ‘womanhood’. I think it was a clear example by the class surveys that perhaps these ideas of femininity are demographic specific. The people in our class will likely not have been raised in households where there are rigid gender roles. Why? Our society does not support it or encourage it. We are afforded many points of view ( that are often conflicting), however we still have that alternative voice.
The days of the single income household perpetuated and held those ideas in place. For many of us, however were made to work outside the home while the privilege of ‘femininity and womanhood’ was afforded to middle class women. The fact is the gender roles have changed. We fight. We argue. We have children on our own, we have one night stands, we cheat, we smoke, we can go topless, we marry one another, we curse, we preach, we yell, we whistle and we work – and maybe some of choose not to do these things because we just don’t want to – and they or may not have anything to do with staying within the comfortable confines of our gender.
In regards to development, we could do better. I don’t know how – but sex-ed is not as effective or memorable coming from a teacher in a classroom. When it comes from a parent or a peer – it seems more real. This explains why noone remembered what was taught to them about the female reproductive system. I think I was doing a project on birth control – when guess what? I got pregnant! I mean – what is the point of learning about pills you aren’t old enough to get them yourself? And where to do you go to get them? How much do they cost? And why are we separated into two sexes for health class? What sense does THAT make? Isn’t sex about communication as much as it is about biology? What’s the point of teaching abstinence to girls, and condom techniques to boys? Its no wonder we always have a case of the high school ‘tramp’ – there is only so much pressure a few girls can handle! (okay not that I would know – I’m trying to empathize here).
While I’m on the topic of school, social rites and the word ‘tramp’, I can’t help but think about the clip from ‘It’s a girl’s world’. Our group had some interesting points about bullying and victimization in school girls. There may be a connection between the parent and the child (on both ends of the spectrum). One student thought for a split second , that the group of adults (the parents) were the children at the end of a longitudinal study – which I though was a pretty neat interpretation. We both explored the similarities in the temperaments and discourse between the adult and child versions of instigators and victims. While we were busy pointing out all the things the other parents did wrong , one group member made a mind-changing argument. The mother of the ‘victimized’ child encouraged her child’s psychological dependence and gave her little to work with in terms of ways of coping . The student went on to explain that as a parent, Amy’s mother needed to let her know how to stand up for herself and realize that we live in a world where people don’t always say or do nice things. She felt that Amy’s mother showed signs of weakness by crying in front of the other parents. Does this seem like a strange thing for a so-called woman to do? Cry? Well here you have it. In the year 2009 we have a woman who believes another woman is weak because she cries. What a change of perspective – wouldn’t you say?
