In class today we discussed how the different genders are supposed to act while their countries are at war. It seemed obvious to me that the men would go to war and fight while the women would provide support on the home front. However I never thought about how the support provided by the women would also redifine the gender roles. During WWII women took on new roles such as mechanic and welder as well as the main provider for the family. While the men were away the women were given more freedom and that is one of the reasons for the advancement of the feminist movement.
I do not believe however that the meaning of man is redefined by war. In fact I believe the definition is reinforced. In war the men are teh soldiers and the protectors of the country and its ideals. They are still viewed as strong and expected to show no emotions. These are attributes we expect out of males in war time and in peace time.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Gender Roles
This week we spent a majority of our time discussing gender roles and the boxes which we all are socialized to fit into. While many people attempt to push the boundaries of the box the larger society forces them to stay within the constraints of the box. I believe that in order to change the boundaries of the box there will have to be a change in the society as a whole. While certain individuals are able to step outside of these boxes it does not mean that the broader society has changed. The groups that step out of the boxes are outcasts in society and recieve many informal sanctions. Memebers of these outcast groups include gays, trans genders, even working women who are childless by choice and all others who do not fit with in the socially constructed boxes of gender.
The United States of Aerica does not have any laws which explicity prohibit the groups previously mentioned. However the informal sanctions by the larger society are so strong that many are reluctant to step even a little bit outside of the boxes for fear of the looks of disgust or to be labeled as a freak or for teh working woman a bitch. So i guess what I am trying to say is that in order for the gender boxes to expand or dissappear society as a whole will have to change. This change will not happen over night but eventually we as a people will be open to these groups. This change must begin within each one of us and continue trough society as a whole
The United States of Aerica does not have any laws which explicity prohibit the groups previously mentioned. However the informal sanctions by the larger society are so strong that many are reluctant to step even a little bit outside of the boxes for fear of the looks of disgust or to be labeled as a freak or for teh working woman a bitch. So i guess what I am trying to say is that in order for the gender boxes to expand or dissappear society as a whole will have to change. This change will not happen over night but eventually we as a people will be open to these groups. This change must begin within each one of us and continue trough society as a whole
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