We touched on the idea of expectations in
Thursday's class with Professor Hansen. In class we discussed how there is a
certain expectation of how a woman or a man should be and the sheer
disappointment and confusion or even anger some people face when their idea of
a woman or man isn't present. In turn, they make assumptions and formulate
ideas about the person as not being feminine or masculine. The example that
caught my attention the most was when Professor Hansen said she went to the
restroom that morning and found herself thinking of what that other woman in
the restroom thinks about her. “Whether she thinks Professor Hansen doesn't
belong there? Is she reflecting on her life and ideas of what a 'real' woman
is? Does she feel uncomfortable?”
So whose to say what a woman is or what a man is? This
article explains the definition of femininity and how the lines between
femininity and masculinity have blurred.
http://science.jrank.org/pages/8160/Women-Femininity-in-U-S-Popular-Culture.html
To expand on that idea, I kept thinking yesterday about the expectations
I am faced with as women and I'm sure men have to face as well when it comes to
their masculinity. And I know I’m probably stating the obvious, but women are
categorized by either being a slut or a saint. The upsetting issue is that
women are expected to be perfectionist in literally EVERYTHING they do: the
house, the kids, the husband, and to top it all off, their looks. Then when
they want to even think about entering the job market they need to be on top of
their game at that too, and if they don’t their sex is to blame for their slip
up. They are expected to wear clothes that are never comfortable to be ‘easy on
the eyes’ for everyone around them especially the men… So we know all of this,
and I’m being a captain-obvious I know, but what are we doing about this? What
would be the right course of action as feminist to actually reach equality? I
know I’m posing many questions; I just have a really hard time finding those
answers. And to even further this idea more, where is a woman’s loyalty and
effort supposed to go, to the house or to the job?
I think the questions you are asking are the questions that many feminists have trouble answering as well. I am very torn about what needs to be done and feel helpless myself because I am pessimistic when I think about the power that one person has. If I decide to throw the idea of femininity away and dress however I want and act however I want, will I make a difference? Will I feel better about myself or will I feel ostracized and out of place? I would like to hope that it would be a liberating experience but it might not be. If I decide to enter the workforce and "act like a man," will I achieve the goals I want to achieve in my career? If I play by the rules and continue the performance I have been performing for my entire life, am I continuing roles that I disagree with? These are all really hard questions and I don't have any idea what the answers are, but I'm hoping I will be more enlightened by the end of the semester.
ReplyDeleteI think Michelle has a point, you are asking questions that many feminists struggle to answer. It is very frustrating to be expected to do so many of the things you have listed, "expected to wear clothes that are never comfortable" and "be a perfectionist" in everything we as women do. However, I can not help but wonder the same questions you ask such as, "what is right course of action to reach equality?" I want there to be an answer, and there should be an answer. On the other hand, it sometimes feels as though we are not moving in the direction to formulate an answer to that question or questions like that. As for "where is a woman's loyalty and effort supposed to go, to the house or to the job," I am really torn on that. Much like Michelle I feel as though no matter what direction I choose I will suffer some form of consequences from society.
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