How Gender Shapes Girls' Lives - Term Paper Example

?The topic of was chosen for this brief research analysis is with regards to the societal constraints and gender norms that girls are expected to live under. Even a cursory level of analysis reveals the fact that girls are expected to behave by a strict and socio-culturally determined to set of norms/mores that define expected behavior within narrow parameters. It is the understanding of this author that these mores and norms are represented throughout society and even though the women’s liberation movement has made inroads into the patriarchal and sexist society of our times, they continue to be obviously represented throughout the culture. As a function of seeking to understand these dynamics to a more full and complete degree, the following analysis will engage the reader with a more informed understanding of the way in which gender norms impact upon current culture and help to define, as well as constrain, the way in which young girls self identify and create an understanding for the world around them. From a historical analysis, it can be understood that the cultural norms and mores that women were expected to adhere to within the past were generally contingent upon their own fertility, the means through which they could bring up the children that they burst, and their responsibility to take care of the men within their families (McGovern, 1998). Ultimately, this represents a patriarchal understanding of the way in which women should subject themselves to a level of second-class citizenship as compared to their male counterparts. Whereas the gender norms for men were contingent upon increasing their material possessions and/or focusing upon those aspects of life that interested them and they believed were of value, women wear instead prompted to focus upon a very narrow set of expectations; none of these were necessarily concentric upon the desires and hopes that a woman might have with regards to the way in which her future should look. Throughout the course of the years, the patriarchal society has changed very little (Chan et al., 2012). This illusion for change is one of the most impactful factors that encourage individuals within the current era to engage with the false understanding for the fact that the current/modern dynamic is somehow drastically different than it was before. Whereas it is without question that rights and privileges have increased, the mores and the norms of society have evolved, these very same mores and norms are nonetheless still predicated upon a patriarchal definition of society; thereby, very few real changes have been effected. The fundamental issue of continuing to define gender norms based upon fecund understanding or the ability of the female to produce and care for children is by far the single most constraining aspect of the way in which gender norms continue to impact the way in which individuals understand their own net worth and place within society. Many would argue that the level of change that was exhibited from the beginning of recorded history up until the mid 18th century was negligible. However, a recent level of emphasis upon women’s rights, and the role in which gender has with respect to define the way in which individual should behave, indicate that a fundamental break with the past has in fact been engaged. Yes, upon closer inspection, the true levels of differential that exists between the gender norms that exist within the current era and the gender norms that exist in several hundred years ago are not quite as stark as they might at first appear. Although it is true that women now have the right and ability to integrate with the workforce, although it is true that women can choose between staying at home and seeking to benefit their lives by working and drawing a salary, although it is true that not each and every family is headed by a male, although it is true that women now have the right to vote, although it is true that a woman can now own property, and although it is true that a woman’s testimony in a court of law is every bit as useful as a man’s, the fact of the matter is that very little has changed with respect to the patriarchal norms and gender roles that continue to pervasively defined the society in which we live (Akulah, 2010). As a brief example of this, the reader would do well to note the fact that if a woman becomes pregnant, society invariably believes that this woman is somehow unfit to raise the child on her own and must necessarily require the protected and supported arm of a father figure of some sort. Whereas it is true that the stigma regarding children born out of wedlock has largely dissipated, the expectation that society has that a male and a female must necessarily be represented in order for a healthy and prosperous family life to be engaged is ultimately a representation of the way in which a pervasive gender norm continues to be reflected within modern society. Another example of this can of course be seen with respect to the way in which violence against women is a pervasive issue that continues to define the nature of violence within the developed and developing world. Whereas it is true that women have gained a great deal of liberties within the current era, violence against them is an unspoken evil that continues to harm millions of women globally each and every year. It is without question that violence against women and gender roles are at least nominally related. The fact of the matter is that society has for too long understood violence against women as something of an aberrant form of behavior that merely was exhibited as are so many other inhumane aberrant forms of behavior. For instance, society has long understood violence towards women to be primarily motivated by mental disability, childhood trauma, or any of the other “usual suspects” that prompt individuals to other types of heinous crime. However, the fact of the matter is that violence against women is something that whether we like to admit or not is ultimately conditioned into our global society as a means of the gender norms that are seared within our collective consciousness from birth until death. One does not need to look very hard in order to find a situation in which gender roles encourage a level of abuse and violence towards women. For instance, the young girls are told from the very earliest of ages that it is not ladylike to raise their voice or command in a demanding tone. Although it is possible that the same advice is given to young boys, it is far less common (Chan et al., 2011). In fact, competition and demanding attitudes within boys is oftentimes encouraged; not only within the home but within a litany of sports programs and competitive engagements that these young boys are encouraged to take part in. In short, the children of our society are predisposed to an understanding of the fact that girls should be tended and shy by nature whereas boys should be boisterous and demanding; exercising a will to power over society and their own individual wants. Of course, the same can be true with regards to sex and the means by which children are taught expected behavior with regards to sex. By and large, abstinence is most strictly promoted for girls as chastity is viewed as something of a feminine virtue. Although this is partly the case for boys, the level and extent to which this is evident is greatly reduced; as compared to the level and extent in which it is exhibited and girls (Pharr, 2011). In short, what such a differential suggests is that boys will be boys and should and probably will engage in a high number of sexual activities prior to some form of monogamy. However, women should not be in charge of their own sexuality and perhaps cannot even be trusted to be in charge of it; thereby demanding that they remain chaste and abstinent (Freely, 2013). This expectation for chastity has changed over time; however, the expectation that only a boy can or should be sexually promiscuous is a holdover of such a strict and absurdly conservative gender norm that continues to be reflected within our own time. Returning to the power dynamic that boys and men are instilled with a nearly every aspect of world culture, one can see the way in which this exercise of power, force, and brutality is something that is appreciated within society as a whole with regards to men and boys; however, it is something that is shunned and derided with regards to girls. What this necessarily creates is a culture in which boys and men are taught from the earliest of ages that an exercise of their power and will to rule is a net positive. As such, it’s come as little surprise to the reader why such a high level of violence currently exists with regards to women within global society (Bernard & Schlaffer, 2010). Naturally, there are many cultures around the world in which a greater or lesser degree of this gender role and violence against women is linked. Yet, no matter the geography, ethnicity, race, or region that is analyzed, the definitive link is nonetheless evident and can be seen in a range of gender norms that may or may not be specific to the particular peoples in question. In conclusion, there is no single gender norm that should be targeted for destruction or derided more than any other. In effect, all gender norms that exists within society, whether patriarchy, the differentiation between sexes, what is expected between the sexes, or a litany of others are all fabricated an unrealistic expectations that have been foisted upon individuals from one generation to the next. Although the movements have been made within the past several years to change the level and extent to which individuals within our society engage with and understand gender norms, the rate of change has been abysmally slow. This is not only due to the fact that there are not enough individuals within society that are taking a stand against gender roles, it also directly correlates to the level of power that these gender roles hold over a world that is in ace constant and perpetual state of flux with regards to all must every other societal issue. Whereas individuals around the globe have integrated an understanding of civil rights and other key social issues, it is apparent and of obvious that gender roles continue to hold a great amount of sway with regards to the way in which current and past generations integrate an understanding of life and the determinant compliments of the sexes which engage in it. In finality, the end result that can be concluded is the fact that even though a great deal of gender norms have shifted and evolved, the level and extent to which a male dominated and patriarchal society continues to be evidenced within the current era has a definitive impact with regards to the way that the mores and norms of gender behavior are presented, reflected, and even promoted for the new generation of young girls within the current world. Convenience would have one believe that these gender norms are concrete and somewhat immutable; however, the fact of the matter is that they are not and have been shifting and changing as society evolves. Nevertheless, the solitary linkage that continues to be reflected and represented is the fact that these gender norms are reinforced and promoted at nearly every continuum of society. Where an individual integrates with them or does not, the pressure to conform and abide by the gender norms, as they are widely understood, is the one aspect of society that has not shifted or changed over the past several decades. Rather, this pressure remains high; arguably represented in an increased format due to the impacts of globalization and mass media that currently proliferate the world in which we live. References Aulakh, H. (2010). The social and legal context of female youth crime: A study of girls in gangs. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, 71, Bernard, C., & Schlaffer, E. (2010, March 14). The Man on the Street: Why He Harrasses. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from: http://www.unc.edu/~kleinman/handouts/The%20Man%20in%20the%20Street-Why%20He%20Harasses.pdf Chan, K., Ng, Y., & Williams, R. B. (2012). What do adolescent girls learn about gender roles from advertising images?. Young Consumers, 13(4), 357-366. doi:10.1108/17473611211282608 Chan, K., Tufte, B., Cappello, G., & Williams, R. B. (2011). Tween girls' perception of gender roles and gender identities: a qualitative study. Young Consumers, 12(1), 66-81. doi:10.1108/17473611111114795 Feely, A. (2013). Picturing an Alternate Ending: Teaching Feminism and Social Change with The Paper Bag Princess. History Teacher, 46(4), 589-600. McGovern, C. (1998). Sugar and spice and cold as ice. Alberta Report / Newsmagazine, 25(5), 27. Pharr, S. (2011, January 4). Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism. Retrieved May 29, 2013, from http://www.csusm.edu/sjs/documents/homophobiaaweaponofsexismcondensed.pdf Read More