English1020classblog’s Weblog

Differences in gender have always been apparent. Since the beginning of time, men have been viewed as tough, aggressive, and protective. Likewise, women have been viewed as loving, caring, and nurturing. Although sometimes this can be the case, more often than not these stereotypes are very wrong. They can also be very negative. Women are sometimes viewed as weaker than men, which puts men above women. This supposed supremacy of men is unjust. However, these days women are being seen as strong role models. This is apparent through the presidential election. Hilary Clinton is an example of a strong female running for a major, leading role as President of the United States. Women have come a long way in proving themselves as powerful individuals.

It’s important that women are viewed as strong and independent. For a long time, women could not vote, they pretty much had no say in any important matters, and one of their only services was to be a good wife and have children. These days, many women are single parents, college students, and part of the working class. They work a lot harder, I think, to earn the respect they deserve. And they still make less money than men with the same qualifications. This is another example of male supremacy or superiority. It’s as if no matter what, men are always better than women. I think that men and women are of equal intelligence. It is unfair to say that men work harder than women, or vice versa.

I don’t know where these stereotypes for men and women stem from. For so long, women have taken on the role of a caretaker, someone who is passive and sensitive. Although there are some women that fit this role, there are so many other women that are strong and independent. This is not to say that women don’t need a man. There are still strong and independent married women, for instance. Women need to know that men don’t define who they are, though. They need their own opinions and need to live their own lives. I think that more and more women are becoming increasingly more strong-willed, and it’s nice to see that they can handle their own lives.

Men are also treated unfairly sometimes. It’s as if men can’t possess what some people would call feminine qualities. Just because men like to be clean doesn’t always mean that they’re gay. Men can also take care of their children just as well as women can. There are plenty of single fathers these days. And who’s to say that homosexuals are weaker men than heterosexuals? Society labels homosexual men as women trapped in a man’s body a lot of the times. These examples are of negative stereotypes. It’s important to face these issues as a whole. Society has its way of conforming males and females into something that we necessarily aren’t. I think that we’re becoming more aware of what is right and what is wrong when it comes to gender and gender roles, but we can’t quite seem to get it together. There are still unanswered questions as to why society puts unfair pressure on men and women. Slowly but surely, though, we are rising above these stereotypes into individuals rather than the label of man or woman.

-Christina Justice