Gender and Sexuality in America - Essay Example

Gender and sexuality in America Gender and sexuality in America The American family has been focused in several ways by many . It has formed the basis for sexuality and gender roles in an American family set up. Thus, Coontz, Friedan and the amendment of the rights in American have formed a basis for feminism criticism. In “The way we never were”, by Coontz examines the two centuries in the American family lifestyle which shatters several half-truths and myths which burden the modern family.

The author has shed some light on the current family dilemmas in the political, demographic and economic changes. These contemporary concerns have been analyzed basing on topics such as labor division along gender lines, feminism, sexual practice, privacy and love. This is a good insight on stereotypes in our families. In the book, facts about marriage in the nineteenth century and the age of sexual consent has been analyzed in to be about ten or nine years in some parts of U.S. Furthermore, teenage pregnancy has been analyzed as it peaked during the 1950s.

During this time, the families were less idyllic and more diverse than many may believe. It has been noted that during this period, pioneer marriages were not as successful as the modern marriages as they did not stay for a long time. In U.S, family ties have improved over the last 50 years and the relationship between the grandchildren and the grandparents has become stronger. The book has analyzed the American family setup by divisions called chapters. The book has headings such as “Defining the family class” and “The family and outside intervention” (Coontz, 2000).

This has led to reactions about romanticization of the family and the marriage life. The author has analyzed anger, sense of betrayal and guilt as the reactions which people have after realizing that reality of life doesn’t match with the myths they strongly believe. Therefore, the author suggests that cherished illusions of normal traditional marriage should be regarded as an illusion and not be cherished at all. In feminine mystique, it is a landmark and groundbreaking illustrations about the problem which has no specific name.

The book launched a second wave of the feminine movement. It was aimed at awakening men and women with insights about social relations. The book defines the feminine mystique as the false notion which asserts that the role of woman in society is to be a mother, a wife and a housewife. This idea is just an artificial which ascertains that fulfilling a career or someone’s potential is going against the pre-ordained role of women. In the mystique, the only commitment and the highest value for women is fulfillment of their femininity.

Furthermore, the greatest mistake of the western culture in the past history has been undervaluing this femininity. The femininity is intuitive and mysterious and very close to origin of life and creation which manmade science that may not be able to easily understand it (Friedan, 1964). From the mystique, the problem of women arose due to the fact that women envied men. The women have failed to accept their real situation and nature. Therefore, the mystique gives the American woman an old image about the occupation of women.

The book features both the old and the new fashion way about the mystique idea. The rise of mystique in U.S stepped up the issues about women and their denial of femininity. This is in contrary to the old version about women in the previous generations who had no right of choice but were obliged to washing, cooking and cleaning. Thus, the author blames women squarely for their suffering and unhappiness. In another article, “Amendment of Equal Rights”, there have been various allegations on women’s rights.

This proposal was brought forward by Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party. The party has struggled to improve amendments on women suffrage since 1920. Alice has defended women to be treated equally just like men and not like subjects to the mass government regulations. After the introduction of equal rights amendments in the congress in 1923, there was no action taken on the amendment until national congress organization for the women was formed in 1966 and revived its interests. The advocates of the party were aimed at protecting women beyond equal protection clause in the fifth and fourteenth amendments.

The advocates believed that ERA was supposed to compensate for the inadequate statutory protection given to the women and the slow judicial enforcement for the existing laws. ERA was opposed by various forces from the south who maintained that inequalities between women and men are due to the biological make up. Thereafter, the House of Representatives voted the appeal of ERA in 1983 (Swenson & Sillitoe, 1980). Therefore, women in U.S have struggled out their freedom for a very long time. References Coontz, S. (2000). The way we never were: American families and the nostalgia trap.

Boston, B: Basic books. Friedan, B. (1964). The feminine mystique. New York, NY: Dell Mass paperback Edition. Swenson, P & Sillitoe, L. (1980). A moral issue, Utah holiday magazine, 9.