Mankind. You hear this term all the time. We believe all people are human and when we refer to all people we say all men. What about women? Women become the "other". A different version of man which automatically leads us to compare the two. Making women automatically inferior or at least that's how many people saw men and women for centuries. After all this fighting for equality, the two are still separate and society still puts us into a box. Look at the picture and think about how when babies are born they are immediately put into a box using simply the words below.
Kim, S. (Producer). (2013, January 13). How to respond to people who put your child into narrow gender boxes [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/01/narrow-gender-boxes/genderneutral/
Kim, S. (Producer). (2013, January 13). How to respond to people who put your child into narrow gender boxes [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://everydayfeminism.com/2013/01/narrow-gender-boxes/genderneutral/
When discussing feminism, it is important to understand that binary thinking has caused the separate gender roles that still very much exist today. Binary thinking separates variables into two distinct groups. In terms of gender, essentialism causes men and women to be defined in their general characteristics before they are even born. The problem with essentialism and binary thinking is that when two things are separated, they are then automatically compared making one better and the other worse. For males and females, man is the subject and as a result woman has become, “the other.” In order to fully understand women’s rights and the importance of rethinking gender roles, people must first understand the socialization and construction of gender. In Rethinking Sex and Gender, the arbitrary definitions of sex and gender lead to the continuation of hierarchy in everything we do (McCann & Kim 2010). This is seen in basic human values and within the patriarchal family. In order for women to be truly free, people must look at the basic foundation of our cultures starting with the socialization of gender and then evaluate the institutions that allow the continuation of the hierarchy.
According to Radical Feminism I by Bonnie Kreps, our hierarchical society will not allow us to find freedom the way it is now set up. Institutions such as marriage are so widespread greatly because of economic reasons. Due to long lasting gender roles and the lack of professional opportunities for women, many must marry solely to survive economically. The division of society into two peoples before they are born, prevents women from achieving all they are capable of. This binary thinking defines people’s sex roles, gender roles, and status within society affecting all they think and do (McCann & Kim, 2010). Feminist theorists assert that our current social binaries offer men the dominant status in society while women are defined as the “other.” With this theory in mind, the equality female activists have fought for since the early 1800s will not be fully achieved until gender roles are redefined making women’s rights issues extremely relevant to the way people view women, and specifically feminists, today.
According to Radical Feminism I by Bonnie Kreps, our hierarchical society will not allow us to find freedom the way it is now set up. Institutions such as marriage are so widespread greatly because of economic reasons. Due to long lasting gender roles and the lack of professional opportunities for women, many must marry solely to survive economically. The division of society into two peoples before they are born, prevents women from achieving all they are capable of. This binary thinking defines people’s sex roles, gender roles, and status within society affecting all they think and do (McCann & Kim, 2010). Feminist theorists assert that our current social binaries offer men the dominant status in society while women are defined as the “other.” With this theory in mind, the equality female activists have fought for since the early 1800s will not be fully achieved until gender roles are redefined making women’s rights issues extremely relevant to the way people view women, and specifically feminists, today.
What are typical jobs men and women are expected to perform simply because of their gender? Who do you picture when you think of a teacher, CEO, Athlete, or a Sales person? Is it a man or a woman?
Ryan, A. & Hoxmeier, S. (Photograph). Retrieved from http://sadieamanda.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/i27m2bglad2b8bmp.jpg