Isaac Mernissi's Article On Gender Socialization In The Fashion Industry

Summary of the Article The article talks about gender socialization and the effects they impose on the gender roles of women, particularly the aspect of male control in the fashion industry. This shapes how women identify ladylikeness in the western world. We can argue this by pointing to the fact that most of the famous fashion designers are gay; Isaac Mizrahi, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld and Calvin Klein. The author comes from the East, where male dominance is a common occurrence. In the East, male is mainly used to restrict women in the public arena. She shows compassion for the Western women, where males control over women involves use of time and light, the ideal female beauty is viewed in terms of appearing childish and

Mernissi considers Size 6 as the Western harem, which is more oppressive than the veil used in the Eastern societal discourse. From her reflection, it is apparent that the Muslim man makes use of space to enhance male domination by restricting women in the public sphere; in contrast, the Western man attains male domination by manipulating time and light, through declaring that a woman must appear young to be declared beautiful. This leads to the conclusion that size 6 is more oppressive than the Muslim veil since time is used against women, which is less visible. It is evident that the rhetorical strategies deployed in the article are effective in making the piece powerful enough to invoke emotional response from the reader. Irrespective of this, the ideas presented in the article are flawed, which is the prime focus of this critical

For instance, men are expected to fulfill one role, women are not, if he choice to be a househusband, he is thought to be lazy, if he cries, he is labeled as weak. In our society, a man that is athletic is viewed as masculine. Women 's economic empowerment is arguably the biggest social change of our times. Just a generation ago, women were largely confined to repetitive, menial jobs. They were routinely subjected to casual sexism and were expected to abandon their careers when they married and had children. Today they are running some of the biggest organizations that once treated them as second-class citizens. Millions of women have been given more control over their own lives. And millions of brains have been put to more productive use. Societies that try to resist this trend—most notably the Arab countries, but also Japan and some southern European countries—will pay a heavy price in the form of wasted talent and frustrated citizens. During the second world war, when America 's menfolk were off at the front, the government had to summon up the image of Rosie the Riveter, with her flexed muscle and “We Can Do It” slogan, to encourage women into the workforce. It is worth noting, large women in the 17-century were viewed as prestige of money and luxury of having excess food. It was these women that men found to be beautiful and to take as a