Treading Patriarchal Waters

1249 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender roles in modern society

Historically, women have had limited or no political influence, limited legal rights and their societal roles restricted to the home and upbringing of offspring or working in caretaking positions (The Robbins Collection). As Aristotle stated, "the male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled" (qtd. in Politics book I). Thus, women have complied with the authority of the male dominion and kept within their societal roles or risked confrontation throughout centuries. In director Niki Caro's American film, North Country, released in 2005, women's futile attempt to belong to the male-dominate workplace is presented. However, their struggle to enhance their quality of life and willingness to belong subjected them to demeaning verbal abuse, sexual harassment and oppression within their society. The film is based on the book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jensen and the Landmark Case that Changed Sexual Harassment Law that illitrates the first sexual harassment class action lawsuit in the United Statesand and mirrors the patriachal social system of female suppression in a male-dominant workplace. This essay presents a socio-political feminist approach of the implication of domination to a marginalized workforce and the societal roles within it. Although the glass ceiling of gender ideology bars the passage to equality, women's diligence and endurance can overcome obstacles. To begin with, the patriachal system has determined the social dominance, encouraging the gender ideology of our civilization. That is to say, biological sexes are born male and female, while gender roles are socially constructed causing the dilemma of communities generalizing individuals and their circumstances by categorizing stereotypes. The women of the North Country community are marginalized as homemakers and caretakers who dutifully submit to the

Show More
Related

  • Bossy Woman Rhetorical Analysis

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    Deborah Tannen brings up the issue of how women are often labeled bossy when is positions of authority in her article. ““Bossy” Is More Than a Word to Women”. She explains the everyday struggle that these women go through and the on going patriarchy in the work force. From their diction down to minute ways that women present themselves it seems that they are scrutinized in every way possible. Deborah faces these issues head on with a woman’s perspective allowing those unaware and men a small glimpse into the difficult life of women everywhere. She falls a little short on some of her theories for why this may be because of the lack of research. Besides that it is a very passionate and informative article because these issues continue to happen, whether or not she is correct about the source of these issues. Deborah makes sure to have her points come across clearly by using buzz words, writing with a passionate tone, and falls short with some of her theories by having insignificant research.

    Read More

  • Janie and Hester: Dealt Unfair Hands But Played the Game

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    Facing sexism and mistreatment at the hands of oppressive men is one of the biggest challenges a woman can face in contemporary and traditional societies. All challenges animate life, and we are given purpose when we deem it necessary to overcome said trials. Post-completion, life’s tests let us emerge with maturity and tenacity that we could not find elsewhere. Janie and Hester were dealt unfair hands in life, yet instead of folding and taking the easy way out, they played the game. They played, lost, and played again, and through this incessant perseverance grew exponentially as human beings.

    Read More

  • Dine Women's Life Analysis

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is not surprising why these white women are fighting for their rights to be equal to men if their culture discourages their role as women. On the other hand, the dine culture is making celebrations for those young girls who have just grown up. Tohe said about her experience becoming an adult “When Changing Woman reached puberty she underwent a four-day coming-of-age ceremony that is still practiced among traditional families… The initiate participates in an event that celebrates her transformation from girl to woman.”(2). They celebrate this changing as a whole tribe to help young girls understand how to deal with all the new changes that happening to them. They support each other through this process to value each member of the tribe or as Tohe said, “Throughout this ceremony, my body was acknowledged, celebrated, and made ready for the role of a mature woman. Reaching puberty was not a shameful, dirty, and dreadful experience. Celebrating puberty with the Kinaalda ceremony ushers the young woman into a society that values her.”(3). Within the dine culture, the ceremony that celebrates the transformation from a girl to a woman is called Kinaalda. The second element for the absence of the word feminism in the dine culture is the culture education when reaching

    Read More

  • A Jury Of Her Peers And Zora Neale Hurson's Sweat

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    Until the last hundred years or so in the United States, married women had to rely on their husbands for money, shelter, and food because they were not allowed to work. Though there were probably many men who believed their wives could “stand up to the challenge”, some men would not let their wives be independent, believing them to be of the “inferior” sex, which made them too incompetent to work “un-feminine” jobs. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, feminist writers began to vent their frustration at men’s condescension and sexist beliefs. Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” and Zora Neale Hurson’s “Sweat” both use dialogue to express how women are capable of and used to working hard, thinking originally, being independent

    Read More

  • Women’s Equality in Ethical Theory and Perspective

    2226 Words  | 5 Pages

    Society has long since considered women the lessor gender and one of the most highly debated topics in society through the years has been that of women’s equality. The debates began over the meaning between a man and woman’s morality and a woman’s rights and obligations in society. After the 19th Amendment was sanctioned around 1920, the ball started rolling on women’s suffrage. Modern times have brought about the union of these causes, but due to the differences between the genetic makeup and socio demographics, the battle over women’s equality issue still continues to exist. While men have always held the covenant role of the dominant sex, it was only since the end of the 19th century that the movement for women’s equality and the entitlement of women have become more prevalent. “The general consensus at the time was that men were more capable of dealing with the competitive work world they now found themselves thrust into. Women, it was assumed, were unable to handle the pressures outside of the home. They couldn’t vote, were discourages from working, and were excluded from politics. Their duty to society was raising moral children, passing on the values that were unjustly thrust upon them as society began to modernize” (America’s Job Exchange, 2013). Although there have been many improvements in the changes of women’s equality towards the lives of women’s freedom and rights in society, some liberals believe that women have a journey to go before they receive total equality. After WWII, women continued to progress in there crusade towards receiving equality in many areas such as pay and education, discrimination in employment, reproductive rights and later was followed by not only white women but women from other nationalities ...

    Read More

  • South Asian Women

    2220 Words  | 5 Pages

    South Asian women engage in patriarchal values and normative structure established more than two thousands years ago, continue to be oppressed by a dominant group of men. These women suffer further oppression through the strict adherence to cultural garb. Still today, media and educational system portray South Asian women as self-sacrificing, faithful to the family, and submissive to men.

    Read More

  • Double Indemnity Gender Roles

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the society we live in, gender plays a great role, is not biological rader it’s refereed to as a social behavior pattern. It is constructed on male and female character and traditional beliefs. The society has often reflected its passion on gender roles. For instance In the media today women are given roles that suit men which makes them challenge men for their right, they are represented as entertainment for men, women are likely to be the source of leading news stories nowadays.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Epic Of Sunjata

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gender roles have been a predominant factor in our world since the early emergence of human societies whether they are positive or negative. They are based on expectations that societies have over the people in them. The Epic of Sunjata, shows us how men and women are treated almost equally in different forms. Women are praised for their ability to birth leaders, which is similar to the early Greek Society. In most societies, women are treated less equal than men. This was prevalent in the early Indian society. No matter the gender role, it has been shown that any society cannot survive without both men and women.

    Read More

  • Patricia Hill Collins Analysis

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    Patricia Hill Collins outlines the existence of three different dimensions of gender oppression: institutional, symbolic, and individual. The institutional dimension consists of systemic relationship of domination structured through social institutions, such as government, the workplace or education institutions. In other words, this dimension explains “who has the power”. This is completely related to a patriarchal society. Patriarchy is the manifestation and institutionalism of male dominance. This means that men hold power in all institutions, while women are denied the access to this power. The symbolic dimension of oppression is based on widespread socially sanctioned ideologies used to justify relations of domination. It reflects inequality

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Power In The Film Hidden Figures

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    Culture teaches women they don’t belong in an environment that is completely dominated by men, in a mathematics and engineers field. The workplace gives these women a sense of power because they are earning money and they don’t have to depend on men. In the book-----, it mentions that usually the person in the household that brings money to the house is usually the one in power in t because they are finically providing money in the house. In the workplace, they also faced unfairly treatment because of the obstacles for example with the bathroom when Katherine Goble didn’t have easy access and she had to spend half an hour walking across each time she needed to use the bathroom. There is lack of easy access to necessities in the workplace. Another example is when Katherine was given the dirty coffee mug and no one would share it with her because of her race this shows how

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Buddhism

    2968 Words  | 6 Pages

    The everyday role of women in many countries is quite different from that defined in

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Oppression

    2243 Words  | 5 Pages

    History has proven that the existence of women’s oppression was prevalent, extending beyond culture, race, and geographical location. Currently, oppression continues to exist, often silently and widespread throughout the world, indicating the continued importance of discussion revolving around this topic. Oppression is difficult to define as it must encompass the collective situation faced by all women while taking into consideration other elements that affect the definition. Frye explains the definition of oppression to include benefits that the privileged class receive at the expense of the oppressed. However, I will argue that that definition is not sound as oppression cannot occur without privilege, the flip side of the same coin. In Marilyn

    Read More

  • The Women's Liberation Movement

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    As women, those of us who identify as feminists have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at what cost do these advances come with?... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm Bidgood, J. 2014, April 8 -.

    Read More

  • The Portrayal of Women in Advertising

    2734 Words  | 6 Pages

    Women – beautiful, strong matriarchal forces that drive and define a portion of the society in which we live – are poised and confident individuals who embody the essence of determination, ambition, beauty, and character. Incomprehensible and extraordinary, women are persons who possess an immense amount of depth, culture, and sophistication. Society’s incapability of understanding the frame of mind and diversity that exists within the female population has created a need to condemn the method in which women think and feel, therefore causing the rise of “male-over-female” domination – sexism. Sexism is society’s most common form of discrimination; the need to have gender based separation reveals our culture’s reluctance to embrace new ideas, people, and concepts. This is common in various aspects of human life – jobs, households, sports, and the most widespread – the media. In the media, sexism is revealed through the various submissive, sometimes foolish, and powerless roles played by female models; because of these roles women have become overlooked, ignored, disregarded – easy to look at, but so hard to see.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Feminist Theory: From Margin To Center By Bell Hooks

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    Among the many subjects covered in this book are the three classes of oppression: gender, race and class in addition to the ways in which they intersect. As well as the importance of the movement being all-inclusive, advocating the idea that feminism is in fact for everybody. The author also touches upon education, parenting and violence. She begins her book with her key argument, stating that feminist theory and the movement are mainly led by high class white women who disregarded the circumstances of underprivileged non-white women.

    Read More

More about Treading Patriarchal Waters

Open Document