Manga and Anime, as inviting and open as they may seem, are at heart the products of Japan's culture. Despite its technological advancement, Japan somehow manages to retain much of its historical character, in addition to blending in the overwhelming influences of the West. The Japanese treatment of gender and gender relations has taken many turns over the last millennium, and manga and anime reflect those changes. Still, at the core of the culture lies certain fundamental beliefs that are proving difficult to change.
Recently, too, there is growing controversy over gender roles in Japan. An American friend recently complained bitterly over the pervasiveness of sadistic, (heterosexual) male-oriented Japanese pornography in Japan. She says that the message that women are sexual objects has become almost epidemic in Japanese culture, and that male chauvenism is everywhere. Many career women in Japan seem to be so disgusted with things that they refuse to marry. And too many men are expected to sacrifice themselves to their jobs, to the point of having no family involvement. When a man retires, he sometimes becomes trapped in a family he doesn't know, with nothing to do, and he tends to die soon after from his sudden lack of purpose.
I am not an expert in this topic; however, maybe I can provide some insight into Japanese culture and its reflection in manga, as well as some recent trends in manga. I am writing, by the way, from the point of view that individuality is more important than one's gender --- and hence to stereotype genders and to force people to conform to those stereotypes is not a good thing. I personally think we'd all be better off if each of us picked up the stereotypical strengths of both genders, if, say, men w...
... middle of paper ...
...s, it seems, is to make Ranma prove that he loves her. (In Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura series, Lum would make herself bait in order to watch Moroboshi come rescue her --- proof to her that he did love her). However, unlike a truly helpless heroine, over and over Akane must come to Ranma's rescue after he has come to hers. Without Akane's help, Ranma would have lost many of his battles, as much as he hates to admit it. Akane is a key part of a team; either person could not possibly succeed alone. (Interestingly, though, this partnership is down-played in the TV shows; it only truly shines through in Takahashi's original stories).
Even in some of the more stereotyped manga, there is some partnership and friendship between the sexes. And isn't partnership --- mutual respect, caring for each other, helping each other --- the most important thing in any relationship?
In conclusion, Oswald being the lone assassin and the CIA’s involvement are two theories surrounding the mystery behind JFK’s assassination. Oswald has reasonable evidence linking him to the assassination. On the other hand, the CIA had enough motivation to be the cause of the murder. These two theories are both reasonable theories and have evidence backing them up. Though JFK was assassinated, he still lives on within the heart of the U.S., and he lives in spirit of U.S. politics. The mystery behind JFK’s assassination will still be a case
What is gender? The answer to that is not so simple. “Gender is what culture makes out of the ‘raw material’ of biological sex,” (Unger and Crawford, 1995). Also, there is a difference between what is gender identity and what is a gender role; a difference which seems to be even more difficult to differentiate between than the words “gender” and “sex”. Media and other parts of our culture seem to believe they know the difference, yet up until a certain period in time, the same stereotypical characters were portrayed and used as role models for others in most media. Women characters being the helpless victims, while the strong men would come to save them (including television shows such as Miami Vice or Three’s Company). Today there is a whole slew of shows and movies, which are redefining and re-categorizing the stereotypical language in relation to gender. One such television series is Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (starring Sarah Michelle Gellar). And although it may seem like a typical teen-angst show, and the main character is a “whiny, rich” girl who fights demons , many people believed it would be exactly like the film (of the same name) which came out five years before the television show first aired in 1997. The film (starring Kristy Swanson) was trite and “airy”, and yet the television series proved those non-believers wrong. In a stereotypical world within the culture that the show represents, Buffy is doing a man’s “job”. She is fighting creatures double her size, and killing them. She is aggressive, outgoing, and determined. Words which are not “normally” used to describe women (without, of course, the word “bitch” trailing right behind them). In other cultures, women being the more aggressive and “take-charge” kind of person is the “norm”, but because we are living in a society, a culture, where even with the whole women’s suffrage being long passed, many people would still like to see women behave as dainty, quiet, and passive characters. Buffy, The Vampire Slayer has taken the issue of “normal gender roles and behavior” and switched them around, allowing the women to be more aggressive, having most of the power and ability, while the men take on the more passive role, watching from the “sidelines”, or at least simply trying to help. Although, at times, the stereotypical views of how a...
From examining John F. Kennedy’s assassination, many people have come to the conclusion that there was a second party involved in the shooting of the President of the United States. The writers give great theories and facts leading people to believe that the Warren Report was false and later used to cover up the death of John Kennedy. With this great information out to the public it is obvious that the mob was involved with the planning assassination. After, all this evidence it only makes sense that the Warren Report is false, and that the mob was involved the whole time.
One theory that some hold is that there were shots fired at President Kennedy from Grassy Knoll. This prompted the belief that there was either another gunman or that Oswald was not the shooter at all. Some of the witnesses thought they heard three shots from behind the limousi...
Other research has devoted to unveiling the origins and the development of their stereotyping and put them among the historical contextual frameworks (e.g., Kawai, 2003, 2005; Prasso, 2005). Research has shown that those stereotypes are not all without merits. The China doll/geisha girl stereotype, to some degree, presents us with a romanticized woman who embodies many feminine characteristics that are/ were valued and praised. The evolving stereotype of the Asian martial arts mistress features women power, which might have the potentials to free women from the gendered binary of proper femininity and masculinity. Nevertheless, the Western media cultural industry adopts several gender and race policing strategies so as to preserve patriarchy and White supremacy, obscuring the Asian women and diminishing the positive associations those images can possibly imply. The following section critically analyzes two cases, The Memoirs of a Geisha and Nikita, that I consider to typify the stereotypical depictions of Asian women as either the submissive, feminine geisha girl or as a powerful yet threatening martial arts lady. I also seek to examine
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on November 22nd, 1963 the world was shockingly stunned by a horrific incident that has forever changed the view of the events that occurred during this day. While our President was riding a convertible motorcade down Elm Street in Dealey Plaza, Texas he was abruptly struck by two penetrating bullets in the upper back and head. Our 35th President of the United States of America had been fatally assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a sniper from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building. However, did Lee Harvey Oswald, a crazy lunatic act alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. Both first – hand knowledge and visual evidence allows people to re – examine the events of this day and prove that there were other gunmen involved in the bombardment of our youngest elected president.
his Essay will analyse, introduce, and discuss the terms Hegemonic Masculinity and Emphasized femininity, if it still applies in modern times and the use of these concepts to comprehend the role of the man and female in Eastern Asia, in relation to post-war Japan. In order to present a clear and linear argument I will divide this essay into three parts: In the first part I will define the term hegemonic masculinity, the common traits and the influence that it has in society; the essay will continue then in explaining and outlining the term emphasized femininity. The second part will analyse the impact of the notions of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity in relation to post war Japan has. The last part will briefly identify some
In the novel Life of a Sensuous Woman, Ihara Saikaku depicts the journey of a woman who, due to voraciously indulging in the ever-seeking pleasure of the Ukiyo lifestyle, finds herself in an inexorable decline in social status and life fulfillment. Saikaku, utilizing characters, plot, and water imagery, transforms Life of a Sensuous Woman into a satirically critical commentary of the Ukiyo lifestyle: proposing that it creates a superficial, unequal, and hypocritical society.
Interracial Adoptions is when a family adopts a child of another race or culture. Traditionally adoption has been a relatively straight forward procedure. Children were mostly adopted by heterosexual, dual-parent households of the same race. But, America is changing. American's are becoming more tolerant of interracial adoptions, adoptions by single-parent families and adoptions by gay and lesbian couples. Adoptions is now more than a moral issue, it is now a ethnic issue also.
All around the world society has created an ideological perspective for the basis of gender roles. Gender and sex are often times misused and believed to be interchangeable. This is not the case. There are two broad generalization of sexes; female and male, yet there is a vast number of gender roles that each sex should more or less abide by. The routinely cycle of socially acceptable behaviors and practices is what forms the framework of femininity and masculinity. The assigned sex categories given at birth have little to do with the roles that a person takes on. Biological differences within females and males should not be used to construe stereotypes or discriminate within different groups. Social variables such as playing with dolls or
A significant part of the examination and approach in feminist studies of men has been critical of men 's forcefulness and brutality, however there is a space where men are indicating sustaining abilities and eagerness to take part in the domestic obligations with the women in their lives (Lorber, 2012, p.271) For instance, in the film Mrs. Doubtfire, Robin William 's character Daniel is unable to see his kids. In order to connect with them he is compelled to dress as a lady, and becomes employed in an occupation where a male figure would not be utilized. The involvement in the child’s life aids to reclaim fatherhood and help alter the view people have on men in general. Moreover, men themselves have already begun the push to alter masculinity. For example, a video shown in lecture demonstrates, men in Japan, transforming masculinity through herbivorous ways. Instead of conforming to the stereotypical male – aggressive, tough, strong – they change the way in which they act focusing on the ways in which they look in terms of their fashion etc. thus undermining hegemonic masculine ideals. It highlights many Asian women’s dissatisfaction with conventional male roles/behaviours while likewise signalling a growing desire in Asian men for a less aggressive and corporate lifestyle (Talahite – Moodley,
November 22, 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had five days tour in Taxes. He planned to make a speech in commercial business center in Dallas. President Kennedy was sitting in an open top limousine. The motorcade drove a very slow speed in the streets of Dallas. Many residents watched and welcomed John F. Kennedy and his wife. After making a turn in the main street, a sniper hided in the sixth floor window in the City Library, shot President Kennedy by two bullets, one on the head one on the neck. Kennedy was declared his death after sent to the hospital in half hour later, and Lyndon Johnson became the new United States president in few hours of death of John F. Kennedy. On the same day, Oswald was arrested in the few hours by policemen. Then, he was shot two days later in the building of the city police department.
For this assignment, I will be using Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory on moral development to analyze my educational development as a student at Binghamton University. This theory was chosen because of the different moral development stages that occurs. The theory addresses three different stages with two sub-stages in each level. As such, each stage have two deciding factors of how a student’s development changes and evolve as they progress on. By using this theory, I hope to examine my own moral development from my freshman year as an undergraduate student, moving onward towards my final semesters here as a graduate student. In addition to exploring my years at Binghamton University, this reflection will examine whether this theory holds true
‘Like it or not … one cannot be gender-neutral in this culture ' (Bordo 2003: 242). With reference to your own examples, discuss the construction of gendered identities and differences in popular culture.
...accustomed to what we have in the United States, it is also enjoyable to see how other cultures are formed and structured. That’s what makes other people love each other, it is how they are. How we are all different. The Japanese culture may be different, but to them it is their society and marriage and love is important to reputation and society.