gender roles
A look at the evolution of gender roles, from Leave It to Beaver, paternity leave, female breadwinners and more.
Of Course Men and Women Can Be 'Just Friends'
“Can men and women really be 'just friends?' Asking for a friend...” The Facebook page for the website SoulPancake.com decided to throw some chum in the water of the ongoing gender conversation by sarcastically asking if men and women can really be ‘Just Friends.’ I get what they are trying to do, kick up some social media dust for some action on their Facebook page. That said, the social media team for SoulPancake.com might want to read the room a little before they get cute with the traffic friendly cheapies. The question of whether men and women can be "just friends" is much more of a hot button than they seem to think.
By Sean Patrick8 years ago in Viva
#MeToo
This is the definition given to the word 'rape' in the dictionary: unlawful sexual activity carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female (paraphrased, because the full definition is MUCH longer). Unfortunately, society today defines it only as the act of forcing sexual intercourse. They say that what happened to me is called sexual abuse, not rape. I disagree.
By Jasmine Yingling8 years ago in Viva
Me Too. Not Me.
Just before I left for vacation, I published two of my short stories on Amazon. One is about a ghost who witnesses her own funeral and features my most popular character. The other is a tale that I should have probably written more of, but in just 1,500 words I drive home the point about what males go through when they are sexually assaulted. It was a story that started out as one concept and morphed into this piece that I am incredibly proud of. While talking about it with a few writer friends, one of them said something that struck me. She told me I should use the hashtag me too to promote the story. The sheer cynicism in that statement shook me to my core.
By Edward Anderson8 years ago in Viva
Why Young Women Play Down Their Career Goals Around Men
Isn't it awesome that women in current years are going the extra mile and succeeding their life-long goals? That they're making their wishes come true and are able to work in fields of their passion and make a living out of it? That many women are breaking the chains of gender roles and becoming successful, dependent individuals who are making a change in the world? How amazing this that? Nothing gets me more excited than hearing the achievements that women have made. But you know what seriously brings me down, possibly getting on my nerves? That certain women would rather put men first before their life goals...
By Jacqueline Hanikeh8 years ago in Viva
I'm Sorry I'm a Man
I'm sorry I'm a man. I do know that as far back as I can remember I've been this way. I was born this way. Please queue the Lady Gaga music, thank you. No, I was not born with female parts, nor have I ever felt any need to undergo a surgery. This won't be a plot-twist essay. I'm too boring for that. I was merely born male. Let me explain.
By Kristian Romero8 years ago in Viva
Me Too, Caveated
Today on Facebook, several friends of mine posted a copy/paste update that read like this: "Me too. If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote "Me too." as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.
By Yumi Yamamoto8 years ago in Viva
When in Disgrace with Fortune and Men's Eyes
The title of this piece is the first line of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29, which is analysed in detail here. The poem itself doesn’t have much to do with this topic, but taking the first eight lines in isolation, it sounds a lot like how it feels to be a woman in a male-dominated workplace:
By Katy Preen8 years ago in Viva
A Mile in Her Feet
It started out as a joke, really. I was attending one of my best female friend's bachelorette party and as a part of the low-key celebrations, the plan was to go to the salon to get our nails did. I didn't really feel like disappearing midway through the day so I agreed to go with. After all, I had heard about men getting manicures and pedicures and absolutely loving it.
By C.E. Zulin8 years ago in Viva
The Panopticon of the Patriarchy
The patriarchal society lived in today is commonplace. Women find themselves constantly shorted in conditions ranging from violent rapists found innocent to girls told to cover their shoulders in school so as not to distract the boys in the room. These circumstances are a direct result of a panoptic mechanism abducting the idea of masculine power as dominant over femininity and fixing it into society so subtly that people rarely notice or have the ability to protest it. Foucault presents the central idea of Panopticism in Discipline and Punish: power is “visible and unverifiable,” (555). The sexist society in the United States exhibits these symptoms. For example, as Berger shows the reader in Ways of Seeing, men are visibly seen as favorable in art. However, it is essentially unverifiable because there is no sure way of knowing the inspiration, the intent, or the impetus behind the artist’s painting — consciously or subconsciously. Foucault’s presentation of the Panopticon directly represents and results in the relationship between male and female in today’s society as shown in Berger’s work, Ways of Seeing. As Berger puts it, “Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at” (47).
By Amelia Clare Wright8 years ago in Viva
Where to Find Support for Your Ambitions Being a South Asian Girl
Having a specific goal in life requires one to be committed, dedicated and motivated. However, in some cases, the commitment and dedication are present, but the motivation and support are lacking. This is very common, especially in the Southern Asian culture, being a girl in particular. It doesn't matter where you live, whether, in Asia or the West, it still happens everywhere around the world.
By Aleesha Ahmed8 years ago in Viva
