“The history of American women is about the fight for
freedom, but it’s less a war against oppressive men than a struggle to
straighten out… perpetually mixed message about women’s role that was accepted
by almost everybody of both genders.”[1]
Collins uses the example of Southern Matriarchs who acted helpless and womanly,
yet were capable enough to run plantations while their men were gone. Collins
points out even daughters sometimes had to help with tending cattle and
cultivating tobacco, etc.[2] This passage
got me thinking about how gender roles are taught in the home. I have two sons
and a daughter and I tell them girls can do anything boys can do. However, actions
speak louder than words. When my daughter was climbing a tree yesterday, her
dad kept telling her to be careful and get down while he didn’t say a word to
her twin brother, who was also climbing a tree. Also, in twelve years of
marriage, my husband has NEVER cleaned the toilet and alternatively, I have
NEVER mowed the lawn. Gender roles are still evident and many of the same
attitudes exist today, that were prevalent in American history.
Showing posts with label roles in society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roles in society. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Limited By Social Traditions
“If their options were limited by their sex, it was
due to social traditions that had existed for so long that few questioned or
even noticed them.”[1]Even
today, these attitudes are learned. We take it step farther with ultrasounds
and modern technology that can tell the sex of a child even before the moment
of birth. Everyone always wants to know is it a boy or girl? Gifts given to the
mother are gender specific, pink outfits for girls, blue for boys. As a mother
of two boys and one girl I have seen this first hand. These gender roles we
give our children, either consciously or unconsciously, are difficult to avoid
even if we wanted to, because baby products are so typed by gender. Even the
diapers I used buy for my children had gender roles instilled on them; blue for
the boys and pink for the girl. What does this say about society? Have we come
as far as we’d like to think we have in terms of equality? Would you let your
son play dolls or paint his fingernails, would you let your daughter play
football?
[1]
Gail Collins, When Everything Changed:
The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present(New York:
Little, Brown and Company.2009). Kindle edition. Location 370 out of 8155.
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