...are the judges and by what gauge or yard stick are they measuring this goodness?” The implications of this question can be confusing and unclear. However, what was not confusing and unclear was the insinuation that these “good girls” were the definition of a lady, a lady who sits with her legs closed, uses good manners, dresses modestly, and waits for love and marriage before engaging in sex. Good girls were appealing to boys/men, and would be the girls that were wanted and desired. In "You Men," the poet Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz exposes the sexual double standard that exists between men and women through the use of voice, allusion, gender roles, and the feminist theory. She accurately identifies the inequality that discriminates against women and subjects them to sexual harassment and victimization. 2 In "You Men," Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz uses voice to mock and blame men for perpetuating a sexual double standard. She uses words like “child”, “silly”, and “witless” to communicate that men are immature. She then defines them as egotistical when she writes they are “presumptuous beyond belief”, righteous and arrogant. Her unsavory description continues as she reveals to the reader that she sees right through their attempts to manipulate women and assign them blame when she describes their “urgent plea”, and their behavior intended to coax with whimpers and sneers. I have watched this dynamic play out...
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...What are the gender norms that are reinforced and valued by the institution of the military? The gender norms that are reinforced and valued by the institution of the Armed Forces depends upon the service that you are in. Unbelievably certain Departments have different level of masculinity and history than plays into these the gender norms that are reinforced throughout the Armed Forces. Even with recent interjections of women into closed ground combat union. Things seem to be still angled at men run the military. You may have onesies and twos but there it will be awhile before you have a full forced all woman combat team. Not because they cannot because of the stereotype that none are out there. In Chapter 8 you read about how social institutions can reinforce traditional conceptions of gender even if the people involved in those institutions want to change them. In what ways does the institution of the military reinforce traditional notions of masculinity and femininity outside of the individual soldiers?...
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...potential for sexual expression, but this potential can be realized in a many different ways. Human sexuality and language are also comparable on a general level and can be examined for their collective implications. In most societies the meaning of sex, same as the meaning of anything else is revealed by religion. This has always been the case in societies of the past, and even in the modern, secular societies the sexual standards often remain tied to the older religious doctrines. There has been no doubt that the sexual standards of our own society are still being influenced by the judeo- Christian heritage. In all societies the obvious biological difference in sexuality is also between men and women. This difference is used as a justification for forcing them into different social roles which limit and shape their attitudes and behavior. No society is content with the natural difference of sex, but each insists on adding to it a cultural difference of gender. In today society it is not enough for a man to be a male; he also has to appear masculine. Same as for a woman, in addition to being female she must also be feminine. The contrast between men and women has been increased and accentuated; it is usually taken as a further manifestation of biological differences which confirm the need for different social roles. Masculinity and femininity are just gender qualities which are developed in response to social discrimination....
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...ultimate beauty? How has the exoticization and romanticism of beauty products, such as Palmolive soap, result in the products becoming more appealing to female consumers? This essay examines the problematic ideology of Cleopatra as the beautiful queen with the “flawless” complexion used in beauty advertisements of the 1920s addressed towards the post-World War I “modern woman” as a source of sociopolitical embodied power to entice men. This essay also explores concepts of femininity, modernity, and ideals of female beauty that have been constructed through a historically patriarchal framework which involves emphasizing the ‘seductive power’ of women, and revolves around the obsession for preserving a youthful girlish beauty and perpetuating women’s place in the home as the ‘pretty little wife’, in juxtaposition with George Bernard Shaw’s ‘pretty little queen’ caricature of Cleopatra. By invalidating or distorting her power, these expectations and gender based stereotypes impact society today in the same ways by advertising flawless skin with no visible pores or wrinkles as one of the many unrealistic sociocultural standards for females. For thousands of years, Cleopatra has been used as a tool of sexual desire and as a result, women have looked to her as a beauty role model for gaining respect in society, success in romantic relationships, and acceptance in life overall. Purchasing cosmetics with Cleopatra iconography also promised envy from their female counterparts, which further...
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...and sexuality and not in their capacity as leaders. Boys learn that their success is tied to dominance, power, and aggression. Many would agree that some strides have been made in how the media portray women in film, television and magazines, and that the last few decades have also seen a growth in the presence and influence of woman in media behind the scenes. Documentaries such as “Miss Representation” focus on outlining the flaws and misrepresentation media has on woman and girls. Their project aims to challenge and change the way media objectifies woman. Nevertheless, female stereotypes continue to thrive in the media we consume everyday. Gender stereotypes are everywhere. Stereotypes are defined as a “generalized view or...
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...to be a woman. Emma is constantly scolding Lizzie for her unladylike behaviour. While Mrs. Borden is a firm believer that Lizzie should do her duty as a woman and marry. The Actress take a different approach on the topic of gender, she allows Pollock to explore what it means to not fit gender norms. Using Emma as a tool to show the unfair expectation in relation to gender Pollock provides a commentary on the expectations of women. Emma has been held to a certain standard her whole life. She has read Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Etiquette many times (Pollock 686) and knows...
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...going to hinder the men’s capability of putting the mission first. If you think about it men always go to the rescue of a woman, putting their life in danger. When in battle you need to be able to put the mission first and for most. I do not believe that most men will be able to place the mission first at the sight of a wounded woman. In the Infantry there...
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...English 322.001 December 4, 2014 “Phenomenal Woman” Poem Analysis “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou celebrates the feminine qualities of womanhood, and highlights the different traits for a woman to become ‘phenomenal.’ Maya shows the reader despite what society tells her she still feels great about herself. She believes that it is your inner beauty that makes the woman “phenomenal” instead of your outer beauty. Throughout the poem Maya illustrates how no one seems to understand what it is that makes her attractive because she is not considered to be physically beautiful by society’s standards. So what exactly makes this woman phenomenal? The woman in the poem is appealing to others because of her internal beauty and how she feels about herself. What makes her so phenomenal is that she does not care how others view her society, as well as the opposite sex. Even other woman try to understand what it is about this woman that makes her so attractive, because she does not portray what is considered beautiful by society standards when you look at her. The poem opens up by saying “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size” She tells the reader in the beginning that it is not her physical attributes that make her attractive. “Men themselves have wondered what they see in me. They try so much but they can’t touch my inner mystery.” This line illustrates that it is not an actual feature that makes her attractive to men...
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...service. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s move to lift the ban originates from President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech in which he emphasized about equal rights for all. Although changes are set to be announced Thursday by Panetta, the changes will not happen over night. While some positions may open as soon as this year, the more vigorous jobs, such as special operations forces may take longer. There is still no guarantee that a woman might be stepping into a mans job anytime soon. The military will have until January 2016 to make a case that some positions should remain closed to women. In spite of overturning a 1994 Pentagon policy that prohibited women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units, there is still is an ample amount of opposition towards women in combat. One of the biggest concerns about placing women in a combat zone is strength and stamina for certain jobs. In addition to the doubts of a woman’s performance, suggestions that the American public would not tolerate women soldiers being killed in combat. The necessity of a woman in combat, propelled them into behind the scene jobs; such as medics, military police and intelligence officers. However, the Pentagons new move will be reflecting the 21st century military operations, it will not be an easy transition. For example, the Marine Corps sought women to go through a vigorous infantry course last...
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...Women Were Human in the 19th Century During the Women’s movement in the Progressive Era of the late 19th century, the domination and double standard treatment of women by a patriarchal society became the foundation for the works by many female authors including Kate Chopin. She wrote stories that did not portray her leading female characters as genteel or weak. However, she did place her characters in real life circumstances which included bad or unfulfilling marriages, lack of personal freedom and immoral situations. Essayist Lizzie May Homes stated “Woman has been considered too much as a woman, and not enough as a human being. The constant reference to her sex has been neither ennobling, complimentary, nor agreeable.” (Snodgrass) This quote reinforces that women are thought of as women, not humans. Just because women are female in sex does not mean that women are any less of a person. Even today, women are defined by gender and not considered equals to men and in the same situations women are treated differently than men. Both “The Story of an Hour”, 1894 and “The Storm”, 1899 by Kate Chopin support the idea of real women who lived in a society where they were expected to act and feel a certain way. Women were expected to deny their feelings and needs to that of their husbands. These two females characterize the unfulfilled and desperate images of women during this period of time. Chopin uses the theme of oppression and female independence to show that women were humans...
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...Introducers” and “The House of Mirth”. Wharton also shows how other conventions of behavior, such as single, young women not being alone, especially at night or in private rooms, with men, are expected to be followed in “The House of Mirth”. Wharton also depicts the ideals of fealty in marriage, and the consequences in society for both the men and women in how they follow the conventions of marriage. The ways people both behave within these ideals and the ways people ignore these ideals are shown in a wide range of her stories such as “The Age of Innocence”, “The House of Mirth”, “Souls Belated” and “Pomegranate Seeds”. The expectations of society during Wharton’s life were that a person would marry. To remain unmarried was a disgrace for a woman, but it was also a frowned upon status for men. Marriage was a way of gaining wealth and influence in society. The convention of marriage made an individual considered to be respectable and cemented their position in society. In “The Introducers” the main two characters, Miss Grantham and Frederick Tilney were unable to catch themselves a rich spouse, and are working as secretaries for people with new money that need help getting introduced into society. Miss Grantham and Frederick Tilney are from old society families but they have lost their money. They are attracted to each other, but they need spouses with money. Miss Grantham states this on page seven when she says, “Ah, you and I were not made to dance cotillons with one another;...
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...them to express their true thoughts and beliefs. Another key element to the past and the present is the introduction and expansion of technology. The internet has opened many windows to very different ideas of sex and provides more avenues in how to attain things that once was deemed inappropriate. With the ability to see and search what you want, when you want, without anyone knowing allows people to express themselves in way they were not comfortable expressing in public. The media itself has truly pushed the boundaries over and over again until they have pretty much disappeared. The idea the sex sells is a pretty relative term and is used quite often with all different types of advertising. You see half naked woman selling milk, woman in skimpy bathing suits pouring water all over themselves and they are selling a hamburger. It is almost to the point where our society as a whole has been so desensitized that the media has to continually up their game and approach to find something that will catch our attention. The media is also a very good perpetrator of the “double...
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...Compare and contrast Wilde’s presentation of the fallen woman in A Woman of No Importance with Hardy’s presentation of the same issue in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Say how far you agree with the view that Hardy provokes more sympathy through his portrayal than Wilde. Wilde and Hardy both present their heroines as the ‘fallen woman’ against the backdrop of Victorian society. This portrayal by the authors of their heroines and the contrasting ways in which each character deals with their own situation leads us to empathise with their burdens and gain a deeper insight into their thoughts and emotions. As we witness the deepening punishments and tragedies unfolding for each character, both authors also succeed in eliciting our sympathy for these women as they enable us to experience the unfairness and injustice of the world as it was then. Wilde demonstrates the sheer devastation for a woman, of becoming ‘ruined’ through his character Mrs Arbuthnot as she expresses her demoralising thoughts and deep feelings that she has not spoken of before. We witness the destruction foisted upon her state of mind by the label of ‘fallen woman’ that was bestowed upon Mrs Arbuthnot, through the way that she scrutinises herself and expresses that she is a “tainted thing”. This metaphor implies that she believes her actions are so horrendous that she has been de-humanised and should be regarded as something impure. When describing her emotional burdens she states “I will bear them alone”. This simple...
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...She becomes the go to person for almost everything and ends up being fairly happy. She has been forgiven by God and thus she was forgiven by the people of Boston. The character’s value turns completely opposite and both her and her daughter become well liked. The two females showed how although women are overlooked they are in fact needed by the rest of the world. Women are strong and can do just as much as a man can. Unfortunately many countries take advantage of women and place them in bondage. In India a woman is not allowed to be outside past the six o’clock hour without a family member. If she is out at this time, it is likely that she will be raped. In countries in Africa women are not allowed to attend school but instead are forced to tend to the needs of the household. If given the chance a woman can prove that they are in fact strong and can provide for themselves and be independent just like Hester Prynne. This woman changed the meaning of her scarlet A from adultery to able. She was able to pick herself back up, able to provide for both her child and herself, and able to help others while doing so. “There is a certain irony in the way in which this concept is worked out in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne’s pregnancy forces her sin into public view, and she is compelled to wear the scarlet A as a symbol of her adultery. Yet, although she is apparently isolated from normal association with “decent” folk, Hester, having come to terms with her sin...
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...out among others was to see the impact of how these images do effect woman. This topic is important based solely on the fact that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin and the media has portrayed images of how everyone should look and feel about themselves. By using the article The Positive and Negative Media Image Effects on the Self which is based on experients done to test how woman react to certain body types in the media and how it effects their self esteem. After reading this article we conducted our own ad campaign for Lu Lu lemon. This campaign is directed at using the positive side of media images especially in the younger generations. We feel this campaign can be successful by using images of everyday people so that everyone can relate and feel good about being themselves. The Positive and Negative Media Image Effects on the Self. The article written by Dirk Smeesters and Naomi Mandel is a summary of research towards images of models to woman and how it effects there self esteem. The research has shown that images of thin woman have been known to cause self enhancement and some negative self image. The first part of the research that was studied was how certain woman reacted to extreme body images as well as moderate body images. They would be shown an extremely thin/heavy model or an averagely thin/moderately heavy woman. The article uses the word assimilation to describe how some woman view the images to them. The article explains the natural tendency...
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