Response to Johanna's Blog

Good post. You're right children are growing up so much faster nowadays and I know television definitely doesn't help the situation. But that shouldn't stop you from having children. You just have to make sure you are able to instill all your beliefs and values in them while they are growing up. Express to them what is right and wrong and hope that they take what you have taught them and make the right choices for themselves. That is all any good parent can do. I sometimes wish my son will remain a child forever because the world can definitely be a scary place and I want to keep him safe at all times.

Response to Tricia's Blog

Good post. I agree completly. Even the idea of slang referring to women usually has a sexual meaning as opposed to slang referring to a man. I also feel that when women are being described, it is usually much more derogatory. It is sad to know that based on someone’s personality or look, people base their beliefs on a person’s face or body rather then on a whole.

Final Business Post

I would like to touch on the topic of emotional stereotypes. I find it to be quite interesting. I know women tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves and women are usually much more emotional than men. I feel stereotypes about individual emotions such as anger and sadness are gender-specific. The emotions of fear, sadness and happiness are usually the characteristics of women, but anger is believed to be a characteristic of men. These stereotypes about a person’s emotions have also been witnessed in children and adults. I do think though that men should be able to show their emotions the way most women do and they shouldn’t be labeled as weak. I have a 4 -year old son. He has no problems expressing his emotions whether he is happy, angry or sad. For example, if my son falls and gets hurt I let him know that it is okay to cry where as his father will say “suck it up.” I believe at times this may confuse him and might make him unaware of what emotion should be expressed. It is my hope that as he gets older, he will be able to be himself and express himself the way he sees fit.

Response to Professor M.'s post

Many children definitely spend a lot of time in front of the television. My son can watch television for hours. Television and its contents are a huge contributor to gender as well as gender role development. My son too is a big fan of Diego. He does know about Dora but he prefers Diego because he is a boy and so is Diego. He sometimes says to me Dora is for girls even though Dora and Diego are involved in the same scenarios. But I do like how they have Dora a girl as a the main character doing what boys can do as well.

Response to Johanna's post

When people are brought up with such strong religious beliefs it is very hard to get those individuals to have an open mind. When people have children they are suppose to love them no matter what. That is what unconditional love is. However, in your friends case it seems they don't mind the type of lifestyle but when it comes to their child they won't accept it. Which is quite hypocritical. It makes me wonder how much love can they have for their child if they are willing to no longer accept who she is?

Response to Zulma's post

The reason why gay marriage is such a big deal is because people do not like what is different. If people are in love who cares if it is the same sex or not. People are people and love is love. There are so many worse things going on in the world. People shouldn't be focusing what makes others happy. People need to just worry about themselves and do what makes them happy. No one should care what others think.

Week 6 Business post

When it comes to expressing emotion in various cultures we all have different display rules. Because display rules are generally the norm in all cultures that is what allows them to know how and when to express their emotions. For example, here in the United States it is very uncommon for males to greet each other with a hug or a kiss especially if they are not related. If men went around greeting each other this way the rest of society would tend to feel uncomfortable. However, in many European cultures it is perfectly normal for men to kiss and hug while greeting another man.
During the Transgender Movement these individuals have been ignored up until people began gay rights campaigns. People who are transgender have a focused agenda and do not want to hide who they really are. They also should not be denied their rights as human beings. The transgender community attempts to fight for many things - respect, honor and dignity - to name a few. Many transgender people attempt to fight for anti-discrimination and to establish protection from the courts. They are people too.
In many parts of the world, people with different sexual identities suffer from human rights violations because of their sexual orientation. Many societies do not want to believe that same-sex relationships exist. In my opinion, however, how a person decides to live their life is their business. As long as it is not physically hurting me, I don’t care how people choose to live their lives. Other people in society should live the same way. There are many things going on in our society that is far worse than people being in a same-sex relationship.

Response to Tricia's week 5 post

I see where you're coming from. I too, feel women should be treated equally to men. However, it is really up to the individual. If a woman wants to do everything that a man does it is their business. They should be entitled. I though do not mind staying home and taking care of the kids. I would love to never have to work again :) But if I chose the opposite I enjoy knowing I have other options.

Response to Zulma's week 5 post

Zulma,

I agree. My son is still young but he is growing up so quickly. I am always there for him but sometimes he has it in his head that he wants to do everything on his own with no help from mommy. Somtimes it upsets me because if he doesn't want my help now how will it be when he is older. I can only imagine how things will be when he is much older. It makes me a little nervous I enjoy knowing that he needs me. I wish it will continue forever.

Response to Shonte week 5

Shonte,

I totally agree with what your saying. Our world has definitely changed in such a drastic way from the past. Many times now a days a mother has no choice but to go out and work to help raise her family. Things are so much more expensive. I personally would love to stay home and raise my son on a daily basis. But I know that is impossible and I need to work and I have to send him to daycare to do so. If women do choose to go back to work I also do not think they should catch any slack from their employers. They have no say in it. They should not assume their career will suffer if they have a family as well.

Week 5 Business Post

In the past women have always had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Being a wife and or mother were considered a woman’s profession. As the world began to evolve women in most countries won the right to vote which helped them gain access to education and employment opportunities. Due to women’s hard work they paved the way to accomplish redirection of the traditional views of women’s roles in society.
When I think of the term, "feminism," so many different ideas run through my mind. The meaning of feminism can mean so many different things to so many different people. The word, "feminism," is a collaboration of many unique social theories and political movements. I feel that all meanings represent the past, present and future in a social aspect. It deals with the ideas of gender and sexuality as well as, gender inequality and women’s rights. It also focuses on women’s interests and their issues that mean a lot to them. The idea of feminism is to attempt to understand the idea of gender inequality.
I had no idea that there were so many different types of feminism. When I think of the word, "feminism," I think of women wanting to be in charge and have the same rights and opportunities as men do. I believe feminism is broken up in so many different categories because there are so many different meanings to the word and not all people have the same ideas and feelings as to what feminism is. So, in a way, when these definitions were made up they were trying to cover all the bases and make everyone happy.
I feel women and men can come together to attempt to achieve equal rights and respect for women on a much higher scale then it is today. I would like to believe for the future that in a number of societies discrimination against women will no longer exist.

Response to Tricia's business post week 4

Tricia,

I see what you are saying. However, at my job I work in the school system. Teachers who go on maternity leave have their job waiting for them when they come back. They simply resume their duties like they never left. But they do not have the opportunity to work par-time. But I understand how people make it difficult to try and obtain a job as well as a family. It is quite difficult at times.

Response to Anjum Week 4

Anjum,

I agree completely. It is highly likely that men try to conceal there emotional expression. I believe that due to their society that they grew up in they must obtain what they were taught about being a man. Many men try to hide their feelings concerning love and fear. If they are open with women they tend to feel unprotected.

Week 4 Business Post

When working outside the home many woman feel that their comments and suggestions are ignored or ridiculed. On a daily basis, the work of women around the globe is considered to also be devalued. At times, their voice and opinions don’t count for anything. That is so annoying because 9 times out of 10 women can generate great ideas if given the opportunity to express them. I think if people can just respect each other as individuals rather than male and female, things can run so much smoother. A great idea is a great idea regardless if it was said by a man or a woman. If it was said by a woman, why does it suddenly get frowned upon?
Unfortunately, patterns of discrimination are often very hard to notice. Many people are unaware that every time a woman has been fired or was denied a promotion it is considered discrimination. Due to this "we consider what has been known as the glass ceiling, an invisible barrier that limits the advancement of women and minorities"(Gendered Lives Wood pg, 245) in the work place. There are so many instances were this issue is overlooked. I recommend that when women are on the job or applying for the job they should be on the look out for any type of discrimination towards them. They should bring forth awareness and keep a journal of anytime they felt discriminated against as well as making it known to other co-workers. It is always important to keep a paper trail of what a person is experiencing especially when it is negative.
As if it is not bad enough that women’s work is devalued, they must also deal with harassment in the their place of work. I feel woman have had several factors that stacked up against them. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that women make a great contribution to their place of business, even though people are unaware of it. I feel that because woman have such determination and strength, they are the sole reason for the force of enactment laws. It is so important that they protect themselves.
I feel that because of all women’s hard work, determination and the will to want to succeed, women now have the ability to escape from the gender roles that society created for them so long ago.

Response to Tricia's week 3 business post

I totally understand exactly what you are saying. Women generally feel they are never good enough simply because of what the media portrays as normal. I have recently lost a lot of weight and its funny I am at the weight of where I finally want to be and I sometimes still say to myself if only I can lose 5 to 10 more pounds I would probably look even better. It is a constant struggle with the mind. No number is really ever good enough if people do not like the way they look. Hopefully, for the females of the future they won't be so caught up in the way they are suppose to look and rather be happy with who they are as individuals.

Response to Johanna's week 3 business post

Johanna,

That post was so personal it must have brought back so many emotions while you were writing it. Wow. First off it is never okay for a man to put his hands on a female and vice versa no matter what the situation or problem is. When reading your post I thought about gender intimidation. Right when your friend rejected this "idiot" he obviously had poor self-esteem and couldn't take no for an answer. So the only way for him to feel better about himself was to rip apart your friend. Which is just so horrible and so demeaning. I also understand that you feel hatred for those men and the cops that night it is only natural. However, it is not fair to hold that image of men an cops to what happened that night. Not everyone acts that way and it will probably just take some time to let that anger go.

Response to Jennifer S. Week 3 Business post

Interesting post. When it comes to the military, women can definitely fulfil a very important role. The women and their roles should not just be the job of nurses and clerical work. If they feel they are able to train and fight alongside the men then they should not be treated differently. In allowing women to fight in combat this will keep equality between the sexes. By having a gender mixed military this will keep the military much stronger in attempts to work together. Women are capable to perform just as good as men. This country should support women if they want to join the armed forces. I understand this is not for all women and not all people agree but people should be able to do what they feel they are capable of doing.

Business post week 3

Bodily Objectification of Woman is such an important issue. Women are constantly being objectified in the media. It is sad to know that we are seen in a way that "dehumanizes" us. Generally, men, for the most, part find it hard to see how woman truly are because they have such a hard time looking beyond our exterior. We are more known for what type of body we have rather than what we have to offer. Many times, when women are portrayed on television attempting to sell something, they are dressed in revealing clothing and have numerous close-up shots referencing their body. This really doesn’t settle too well in my stomach. There is such a double standard between men an women and it upsets me to know that in 2008 this is still going on. I would love to see the day when women are personified just the way men are.
Due to the observation stated above, I feel this contributes to giving young girls low self esteem and a sense that they have a poor body image. The effect that the media has on the young girls today is such a tight grip and it is almost like they are suffocating them. They feel pressure to look a certain way as well as act a certain way. I don’t think it is fair. I feel like young girls are being deprived because they cannot grow up the way they want to because of the environment they live in. Instead, they feel they most conform to what the rest of society says is right. I guess this can hold true for boys as well. There is the pressure to be the best at sports and pressure to succeed with the girls. I am sure it is a constant struggle for both sexes.

Response to Johanna's Business Post

Hi,

Good blog I definitely understand what you are saying. I come from a typical close knit Italian family. My extended family is like my immediate family. We are always together from the the time I was little until now. We get together for everything. I have some friends who say they would never be able to tolerate it if they had to see their family for every little thing the way I do. When getting together for dinners in my family all the men sit on one end of the table and the women on the other. We also knew that we always had to serve them their food first before we would serve ourselves. I guess there are just some traditions that can never really be broken.

Response to Sireen's Business post

Hi,

I enjoyed reading your blog post. I felt you made a lot of valid points. It is really sad to know that from such a young age children are constantly being told how they should behave and act. Boys are always told to be tough and not to cry. Girls are told to be respectful and act like a lady. It must be especially hard for children who don't feel they possess the right qualities. They grow up to feel inadequate with themselves. If society would just start seeing individuals as people instead of the gender qualities they possess the world would be a lot better off.