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The Education of the Sexes

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Classification and Division Writing Assignment
All the ‘isms’

The Education of the Sexes

From a very young age, we, men and women alike were programed into the expected roles of the genders. Those roles were reinforced through television, school, and experiences. Many boys received trucks and guns as gifts, while many girls received dolls and make believe ovens. We were taught boys grow up to be doctors and pilots; girls nurses and stewardesses. Boys build houses; girls keep house. Boys can become president; girls first lady. We grow up hearing phrases like men are strong; women are the weaker sex. These life experiences can lay seed to limitations to, and de-evaluation of the female gender, weather intentioned or not. Many women conformed to the prescribed role assign them. Those who do not are likely to confront prejudice in the form of sexism and chauvinism in their daily lives.

The Results
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination, is often in combination with male chauvinism, the belief that women are inferior to males therefore, deserving of less than equal treatment or benefit. Women should know their place. They should know that place does not include anywhere men consider their stronghold. For a woman to do so, even now in the 21st century is risky, and at times outright dangerous.
Women who aspire to, or compete with the male dominated, or male stereotyped roles become vulnerable. She risks being called a man, a feminist, a lesbian, or obscene four letter words. Although these words injure emotionally, they are not just words, they have a purpose. They are meant to humiliate, degrade and dehumanize. The ideology of those words allows her antagonist to justify, in his mind, the imposed consequences of her non-conformist activities.
These consequences very often escalate, what may start out as harassment, justified as just flirting, can

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