Status of Women in Society - Essay Example

What makes a woman a woman? I am woman, hear me roar In numbers too big to ignore And I know too much to go back and pretend Cause Ive heard it all before And Ive been down there on the floor No ones ever gonna keep me down again (Helen Reddy, "I Am Woman", 1972, lines 1-6) When Helen Reddy penned these lyrics and sun them for the first time, she was unaware of the impact they would make on history. It was the first time a woman had recorded a song that was about womens empowerment. The song became so popular that it was heard all around the world and it made #1 on the Billboard charts and it won a Grammy; it was played "more than a million times" on US radio (Wikipedia, 2008). This song was significant to women because many werent sure of the times ahead. During the 1970s women were attempting to examine what they needed to do for themselves without men. Although many were married or living with men, they were attempting to assert their understanding of whom they were as women. Because of this, the song came right at a time when it needed to be heard. Especially with the lyrics in the chorus, "I am strong. I am invincible. I am WOMAN." (Helen Reddy "Lyrics", 1972). This song gave many women the courage to take the world by storm and do something with their lives they had never done before and gave them hope that they could accomplish anything. This image was long in coming. Prior to this, in the 1950s and 1960s the portrayal of what "feminine" was supposed to be was blasted all over the media and in every womans magazine you came across. The advertising was largely patriarchal in nature because it was a time when men were particularly dominant. Many writers during the 1950s and 1960s were most interested in teaching women to be the ideal female. According to these writers "being feminine was the cornerstone of female success and happiness…" (Peril, 2002, p. 45). Women like Bernice Bryant, in a book Miss Behavior (1948) said that femininity was important so that "the normal boy is attracted to the completely feminine girl" (Bernice Bryant as quoted in Peril, p. 45). There was a very definite idea of what a girl was vs. what a boy was and the behaviour was created to match. Some people believed that a womans position was set by God and that women were naturally meant to be subordinate and that this was a universal phenomenon (Lerner, 1986, p. 16). Others said and still say today that the difference is biological, saying that men have always been stronger and naturally more aggressive than women. Of course women were made for "nurturance and motherhood" (Lerner, p. 40). This mindset was actually based in the patriarchal idea that women have more "nurturing instinct" than men, but his has never been proven scientifically (Goldberg, 1973, p. 117). Lerner suggests that this difference happened out of necessity because someone had to take care of the children and there were no other ways for the children to be nurtured than through the mother (Lerner, p. 40). There are many different ideas where women were exchanged as chattel because of this male domination and that it happened because "values, customs, laws and social roles" were created to keep women in their place (learner, p. 212). Barnes (2006) agrees saying that after the Bronze Age, women were suppressed as a way to create the males lineage, so he could claim domination in trade and piracy (p. 218). What is interesting is that women were powerful and they were seen as "great mothers" and worship "with splendour and awe" in early religions (Long, 1993, p. 75). She was seen as the creator of all life and had great wisdom (Long, p. 77). No one seems to be exactly sure how this turned around, except that some of the more aggressive religions like Catholicism had a hand in creating laws that kept women from participating in many things. This has created difficulty for women in finding their own identity. In the book, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (1997), talks about the domestication of humans and this is one of the ways that women start being trained to be what society wants as a woman: As children, we didnt have the opportunity to choose our beliefs, but we agreed with the information that was passed to us…thats how we learned as children…we didnt choose these beliefs and we may have rebelled against them but we were not strong enough to win the rebelling (Ruiz, 1997, p. 7-8). With women always told that they were the "weaker sex" and being shown through the media and in the world around them, it was difficult for them to come to an understanding to focus on themselves. Many of the writings suggest that after WW II, women were instructed in how to be a "woman" and men were instructed to be "men" and there wasnt a way to fight it. "Oh yes, I am wise…but its wisdom born of pain" (Helen Reddy lyrics, lines 7-8). Women have always endured a lot of pain in suffering in trying to assume their own identity and find their place in a patriarchal society. Lees (1993) makes the distinction that men and women develop their identity differently. Men tend to find identity before intimacy while women find their identity through relationships with other people (Lees, 15). This is confusing then to women because they have had to figure out their place in their families and in the world. Women and girls are always struggling to find that balance. Society continually pressures women and girls to be more feminine and it is just assumed that women will marry, have children and start the process again and again. The images of women also create challenges to her finding her own identity. Some of these images began before a woman had a chance to figure out what she wanted for herself. Peril (2002) did a study of the colour pink and how it has brainwashed women and girls from birth. From her perspective, women and girls are always dealing with vague advice of how to be feminine in the way that the world has defined it (Peril, p. 5). She presents the idea that this is due to "pink think" which she defines as "a set of ideas and attitudes about what constitutes proper female behaviour…" (Peril, p. 7). She points out that these attitudes and ideas permeate through all of society including the medial, consumers, manufacturers and other who call themselves experts (Peril, 10). Women have even been given their sense of sexuality by the world. From the time a child is born she is inundated by ideas of how she is supposed to look and act to be appealing to men. Burke (1996) points out that appearance "influences every aspect of life from jury deliberations to courtship rituals.."(Burke, p. 139). When it comes to their bodies, they are supposed to be thin and be absent of excess body hair especially on their face (Burke, p. 182), so many women spend a lot of time trying to get just the right look. Hancock (1990) points out that adolescent girls experience lower self-esteem when they get to their teenage years and they learn to "think of themselves as flawed and unacceptable and so become uncertain, unfulfilled, anxious, depressed and despairing (Hancock, 1990 as quoted in Lees, 1993, p. 29). Body image of course translates in some ways to sexual image and women have been treated as play toys and like children without consideration of their feelings. Peril (2002) chronicles the 1950s and 1960s and shows how absurd some of these images were and how many women have tried to change these images. "I am Strong. I am Invincible. I am WOMAN" (Helen Reddy, 1972, lines 12-14). Woodman (1992) believes that women have to get to a place where they can bring their "feminine wisdom to consciousness" if they are to deal effectively in the patriarchal society. She uses archetypes to help women do this to move forward in their own right (Woodman, p. 351). Bourdieu says that in order for women to move forward, they need to see themselves as whole: "there can be no liberation until women themselves cease to reproduce the power mechanisms that confine them to their place" (Bourdieu, as quoted in Moi, 1999, p. 285). There is no way to truly understand what a woman goes through to get to her own identity. It is clear from the literature that there is something intrinsic in her that makes her move through the ideas and attitudes that she must act and be a certain way to get to a peace and a comfort within herself. Some say this is through feminist understandings. Others say it is just something that happens when she gets older. What is clear however is that women do have to come to their own power if they are going to succeed in finding their own identity. As Bourdieu said, women have to find their way. Bibliography Barnes, C.S. 2006. In search of the lost feminine: decoding the myths that radically reshaped civilization. CO: Fulcrum Publishing. Burke, P. 1996. Gender shock: exploding the myths of male and female. NY: Anchor book/Doubleday. Faderman, L. 1999. To believe in women: what lesbians have done for America--a history. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Goldberg, Steven (1973). The inevitability of patriarchy in Joshi, S. T. 2006. In her place: a documentary history of prejudice against women. NY: Prometheus Books. Helen Reddy, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ index.php?title=Helen_Reddy &oldid=206771569 (last visited Apr. 23, 2008). Lees, S. 1993. Sugar and spice: sexuality and adolescent girls. NY: Penguin Books. Lerner, G. 1986. The creation of patriarchy. NY: Oxford Press. Long, A.P. 1993. In a chariot drawn by lions; the search for the female in deity. CAL The Crossing Press. Moi, T. 1999. What is a woman? NY: Oxford University Press. Peril, L. 2002. Pink think: becoming a woman in many uneasy lessons. NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Raschke, C.A. and Raschke, S.D. 1995. The divine feminine in : The endangering of god: male and female faces of god. KY: Westminster John Knox Press. Reddy, Helen 1972. I Am Woman. Lyrics Helen Reddy, Music Ray Burton. Buggerlugs Music. Available http://www.helenreddy.com/Lyrics/IAmWoman.pdf [20 April 2008]. Rothenberg, P. 2006. Patriarchy and domination. In Beyond borders: thinking critically about global issues. pp. 247-287. NJ: William Patterson University. Ruiz, D.M. 1997. The four agreements. CA: Amber-Allen. Woodman, M. 1992. Leaving my fathers house: a journey to conscious femininity. MA: Shambala. Read More

Women have even been given their sense of sexuality by the world. From the time a child is born she is inundated by ideas of how she is supposed to look and act to be appealing to men. Burke (1996) points out that appearance "influences every aspect of life from jury deliberations to courtship rituals.."(Burke, p. 139). When it comes to their bodies, they are supposed to be thin and be absent of excess body hair especially on their face (Burke, p. 182), so many women spend a lot of time trying to get just the right look.

Hancock (1990) points out that adolescent girls experience lower self-esteem when they get to their teenage years and they learn to "think of themselves as flawed and unacceptable and so become uncertain, unfulfilled, anxious, depressed and despairing (Hancock, 1990 as quoted in Lees, 1993, p. 29). Body image of course translates in some ways to sexual image and women have been treated as play toys and like children without consideration of their feelings. Peril (2002) chronicles the 1950s and 1960s and shows how absurd some of these images were and how many women have tried to change these images.

"I am Strong. I am Invincible. I am WOMAN" (Helen Reddy, 1972, lines 12-14). Woodman (1992) believes that women have to get to a place where they can bring their "feminine wisdom to consciousness" if they are to deal effectively in the patriarchal society. She uses archetypes to help women do this to move forward in their own right (Woodman, p. 351). Bourdieu says that in order for women to move forward, they need to see themselves as whole: "there can be no liberation until women themselves cease to reproduce the power mechanisms that confine them to their place" (Bourdieu, as quoted in Moi, 1999, p. 285). There is no way to truly understand what a woman goes through to get to her own identity.

It is clear from the literature that there is something intrinsic in her that makes her move through the ideas and attitudes that she must act and be a certain way to get to a peace and a comfort within herself. Some say this is through feminist understandings. Others say it is just something that happens when she gets older. What is clear however is that women do have to come to their own power if they are going to succeed in finding their own identity. As Bourdieu said, women have to find their way.

Bibliography Barnes, C.S. 2006. In search of the lost feminine: decoding the myths that radically reshaped civilization. CO: Fulcrum Publishing. Burke, P. 1996. Gender shock: exploding the myths of male and female. NY: Anchor book/Doubleday. Faderman, L. 1999. To believe in women: what lesbians have done for America--a history. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Goldberg, Steven (1973). The inevitability of patriarchy in Joshi, S. T. 2006. In her place: a documentary history of prejudice against women.

NY: Prometheus Books. Helen Reddy, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ index.php?title=Helen_Reddy &oldid=206771569 (last visited Apr. 23, 2008). Lees, S. 1993. Sugar and spice: sexuality and adolescent girls. NY: Penguin Books. Lerner, G. 1986. The creation of patriarchy. NY: Oxford Press. Long, A.P. 1993. In a chariot drawn by lions; the search for the female in deity. CAL The Crossing Press. Moi, T. 1999. What is a woman? NY: Oxford University Press. Peril, L. 2002. Pink think: becoming a woman in many uneasy lessons. NY: W.W.

Norton & Company. Raschke, C.A. and Raschke, S.D. 1995. The divine feminine in : The endangering of god: male and female faces of god. KY: Westminster John Knox Press. Reddy, Helen 1972. I Am Woman. Lyrics Helen Reddy, Music Ray Burton. Buggerlugs Music. Available http://www.helenreddy.com/Lyrics/IAmWoman.pdf [20 April 2008]. Rothenberg, P. 2006. Patriarchy and domination. In Beyond borders: thinking critically about global issues. pp. 247-287. NJ: William Patterson University. Ruiz, D.M. 1997.

The four agreements. CA: Amber-Allen. Woodman, M. 1992. Leaving my fathers house: a journey to conscious femininity.

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