Issues of gender and role reversals are evident throughout Macbeth. It could be argued that Lady Macbeth is as power hungry and ambitious as Macbeth if not more. Unfortunately for her, she died, arguably, as a result of overstepping her place in society; of usurping the "correct" order of things. To what extent do gender issues exist today? What is true about the social hierarchy with regard to men and women? Is the way it is today the "right" way?
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Gender issue exist in what people think of others and how well people do things. Most of the gender issues are due to stereotypes that are generally true. The social hierarchy changes more with the area of society you are dealing with. For example, women are more highly respected in the entertainment (such as magazines)area of society where as men are more respected in the area of sports.
Most of this judging is different for every person. More of the issue today is not as to your gender how you act. Many females act tomboyish while there are men that act feminine. That is where many of the issues in society come up today
I agree with Aly about the gender sterotypes. I also see this in workplace. In some companies, men get paid more than women that do the same job. I, especially as a woman, think this is not the "right" way. Also, women are often viewed as less able to handle big, intense jobs. Like in the current presidential race, Palin is judged in a different way than the men, the same with Lady Clinton.
It can go the other way too. Like Aly said its more of the way you act. Men that dress more feminine may become a gender issue. Whether you're a man or a woman, being pushed out of the "social hierarchy" is not the "right" way.
The issue of gender today is a lot better than it has been in recent history. However that is not to say that the way it is today is perfect by any stretch of the imagination. True, today may of the barriers placed around and between the two genders have been greatly lessened, but there are still things that are expected and discouraged for each purely on the basis of gender. For example, boys are expected to be callous and have an overall unfeeling nature, and girls as an unspoken rule are expected to be the "weaker" of the two genders. So if someone choses to live outside these confines they are instantly labeled as having something wrong about them.
So, yes, though changed they have changed over the centuries, the basic beliefs as to the roles of men and women have remained fundamentally the same.
i agree with what everyone has said that today there is obviously still gender issues and race issues. i don't think men and women will ever be thought of as equals becuase people dont see women as strong or as tough as men. Maybe physically they are not as capable as men are but spiritual and emotionally men and women are equally strong. As more and more women enter the work force i think that peoples oppinions will change a little bit but there will always be people thinking that males are superior to females.
Gender roles are nearly nonexistant in certain circles in today's world. Back in shakespearian times, women had a much smaller role in almost all areas than they did today, mostly do to tradition. There were women of that time that were quite powerful, though many of them had some sort of man who left the power to them. Socially, there are virtually no barriers for women. Women hold positions as doctors, executives of fortune 500 companies, senators, and even military generals. The same is true for men, who are now able to attain jobs in nursing, birthing, and even as OB/GYN's. Most barriers currently in place are self erected, and can easily be overstepped.
I do agree with Patrick on one level of things, yet there is this subconscious level and the scientific level not talked about. I'm not referring to the fact that women can give birth and men can't, but it has been scientifically proved that men can be “stronger” in the torso than women can. I believe there will always be a subconscious thought that men are bigger than women, men are stronger than women, and that women are more innocent and dear than men. For example, if people were stuck on a boat, the first people off would be women and children. That itself is sexist. I think that the subconscious barrier will be the hardest barrier to overstep.
Although I don't think there is a "right" and "wrong" way, we are heading in the right direction -- towards equality.
I agree with Patrick that the majority of the barriers for women that existed in Shakespearian times don't exist anymore and that those that are still here are erected by ourselves. Because though the two sexes have been basically equalized, society continues to teach us the opposite.
Just think about it; the majority of the worst insults towards man refer to them as having "unmanly" or "womanly" qualities as-though being a woman was something to be avoided at all costs and as though only man can amount to anything.
And that's just one example, there are many others. So in while we live in a world where anyone is totally free to do what they wish, our society's beliefs put up internal barriers to stop it.
I believe that the gender issues that were present when Shakespeare wrote Macbeth are eradicated now. For example Sen Hilary Clinton shattered the glass ceiling by running for democratic presidential nominee. There is no real social hierarchy with regard to men and women because as Patrick said, men are present in the fields of nursing, OB/GYN and women are now top executives of fortune 500 companies and can be military generals. This shows you that gender doesn't really affect someone's place in society.
I totally agree with colelee about even though we don't want to be sexist, as a society we are. When hilary clinton ran to be the democratic candidate they were constantly talking about what she was wearing and other things not related to what her political beliefs were.Also, there are hardly any sports where men and women can compete together saying that as a society men and women are not equal. If men and women are equal why can't they compete with eachother?
I think that in our society today gender issues are not as bad as they have been in the past. Of course they are still here but i think that is something that might get better but never completely vanish. A lot of times women want to be treated as equals to men but most still expect to be treated better in areas like doors being held open for them. It is not common courtisy to hold doors open for guys. So most want women to be treated as equals but i think women will always be looked at as weaker and softer then men.
I think that Melissa was correct talking about being sexist. But that is only a general opinion. The stereotype of men being stronger it's true. A man might be better at let's say football than a woman, but equally a woman can better at something else. It's not necessarily whether you are male or female that defines your strengths and weaknesses, it's your individual self. So I don't think it's fair to generalize everyone. Since people are coming to understand that concept, the idea of sexism has become better. I think this is the right way to go about things because it makes the stereotype less power when we think on the individual level.
I agree with Melissa that complete equality between men and women may not ever happen but it has evolved over time.
I also agree with Ryan that peoples opinions about women will change now that more and more women are entering important positions in the work force. Men will always be viewed as stronger and tougher than women.
I agree with Alyson's statement about how most gender issues are due to stereotypes. For example we can relate to the election. People may base their vote on judgments if they want an African American male to become president or even women. Some people don't agree with change. However, I think that now gender issues still have difficulty accepting but I do believe that men and women are able to have the same opportunities. In the past most men just worked but now women and men work. I think as being a woman we still aren't accepted in some ways but it has changed and will keep changing for the better.
First off I agree with Patrick when he says “Back in Shakespearian times, women had a much smaller role in almost all areas than they did today, mostly do to tradition.” That statement is totally true because due to women having almost no say in society, Lady Macbeth took on the manlier role in order to follow her ambition and achieve her goal. Gender issues are everywhere today. Women and men are always being compared in school, sports, and every other thing imaginable. About 50 years ago, women had a much harder time when it came to having a part or say in anything; but today in age we have made progress. In the social hierarchy, I believe men are placed higher because they are seen as being more powerful, and women just aren’t as strong. I am totally against that stereotype.. I think both men and women have equal amount of ability when it comes to any task in life .Sure, men might be “stronger” than women in certain areas, but vice versa. Today I don’t think we really live by the “right” way when it comes to men and women being equal. From today to 100 years from now women and men will always be seen as unequal.
agreeing and expanding on what amy said, there is still gender issues in society. IN some societies, it it mush more prominent than in others. in the societies where the sexism is more prominent, the society, generally, follows tradition more closely. A lot of sexism and ideas in general come from parents or elders passing the ideas down to the young and children of the said society
With the rise of the emo subculture, and the "Independent woman" (Kelly Clarkson) the bridge between man and woman has overlapped. Combine that with an increasing homosexual populatoin Now I recommend we don't even give a dam It's our souls, our personality, our idiosyncracies that should connect each of us together. It does not matter that you've got a penis or a vagina, it is what you've raised yourself to become, the tastes you've acquired, what you CAN DO, that should be the main criteria in friendship, employment etc. Being a guy, I'll just give one question to dwell upon. If the genders are equal, then can chivalry co-exist. Can the invisible rules remain established such as girls never hitting guys, and guys not allowed to cry? I don't think so, but I wish it weren't true. I can sincerely say someone like Oprah or Queen Latifah, or any single mother is far stronger (mentally and physically) than a certain member of Dashboard Confessional lol. haha playin, but I'm very proud of the progress society has undergone in reshaping gender rules. Let boys enjoy pink! And make a WNFL! Pronto!
I agree with Aly and Amy. There still are gender issues today all over the world. Even here in the US there are sexist issues. I believe that there still is some social hierarchy between men and women. Sometimes people get jobs based on their sex which is wrong. I believe that today we are headed in the right direction, but still improvements need to be made.
i believe that gender issues still exist today but not to the extent that they used to. Men are still looked on as the head whether it be a family or a company, most ceo's are men. Also, the men is the head of a family in patriarchal families. New laws have given women more rights but issues still exist. Gender is not as big of an issue as it used to be but it is still
I believe that there are still today, and sadly will always be gender issues in society. Fortunately, the severity of this social positioning due to gender is decreasing as time goes by.
I agree with s. Tedeschi to a certain extent. Women are viewed differently in the workplace even though at times this can be unjust such as when it comes to different pay for the same jobs. However, the presidential race she mentioned can also represent an extreme improvement in society's view/social positioning of women. After all, the first woman running for president coming as far she did. That's quite an improvement from the women who weren't allowed to vote and were viewed only a people who run a household.
Even in my own house, if i need permission to do something, asking my dad is simply a middle man to asking my mom. Every important decision is hers.
Yay women's rights = D
I agree with everyone that says gender issues still are around today not as much as in the past but in some areas around the world and even in america it is an issue.
In the business world for example wemon are not taken as seriously as men becaue of thier style of clothing or how they look when they show up to work. Most women have to put up thier hair in a bun or style it in a way so that it is'nt a distraction and to make it seem more "manly"...some professions like engineering are also not taken seriously by women.
I agree with respesito on how womens rights have imporve. By just looking at how far Hilary and Sarah Palin have gotten in the election it really shows how much womens rights have changed for the better and it also encourages other women to strive to be better and stronger.
I agree with Megha, in the fact that women have to alter their appearance to be accepted as more "manly". To extend even further on the work place, there is still stereotyping about how certain job fields belong to certain genders. But, it has improved. Now it's common to hear of male nurses, where back in the day it wasn't so common. It is also becoming more common to hear of females in mechanical positions. But, I do think that some people, if you work in the other-gender-dominated field, find the other sex inferior. To a female it may seem that the men in a mechanical field are higher up in social hierarchy, in their own eyes. This might be because of the smaller amount of females in that field. But, everything is improving with time.
I agree with Alisons statement about how in some societies, gender issues are more prominent than in others. In the novel Lady Macbeth took on the masculine role in order to follow her ambition. Later on it will haunt her. In the novel Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switched roles at some point and she was dominating the relationship. But it seems that it only lasted for a short period of time and then she lost her role. It is true today that in some relationships women provide for the family. I’m glad though that Shakespeare represented women as powerful and how they are important in society.
I completely agree with Amy Fischl. When someone looks at a man and then at a woman there is an obvious difference. It has always been this way. Although, in earlier times woman were thought to be very weak and in need of protection as if they couldn't protect themselves. This is when the men come in. They're job was to protect the girls from any danger. This is not exactly the same today but the idea is the same. In music videos, movies and on t.v. women are almost always portrayed as being the man's property. We are there to serve him. In real life however, this is different. Agreeing with Rob, in my house my mom makes all the final decisions. She is the leader of the pack but usually when someone looks at our family they see my father as the head. This is all psychological. We've grown up thinking that men are superior. They are in charge. Of course, as a woman, I don't agree with this. Women are strong, just like men, but in different ways. Even in the old days, the women raised the family, made the food, tended the house while the men went to work and came home assuming to be fed right away by their wife. Although we have made improvement, having more women in the work force and even having a female presidential candidate, men and women, unfortunately are not seen as equals, but this is hopefully not a permanent thought process. It is a mind set that has been here for centuries and won't change anytime soon.
I have to agree with Whitney especially when she mentions the music videos as an example when women are portrayed to be man's property. This is true in today's world, although a lot has changed throughout history to make women 'equal' to men, there still is a difference which is shown in almost any situation. Another example to show this would be work. Usually, women are the ones working on less difficult tasks than men. In my family for example, women are also treated more gently, they work less and take care of easier tasks. This was the way it was in the past. Lady Macbeth was treated as a Lady, her role was probably to stand by Macbeth, who was much more superior than her. Overall, gender issues are still present, and although women had gained more rights, and are able to do many more things just like men are able to do, they still aren't treated as equal as men. Who knows if this is the "right" way to live, we may believe so, but in the past people thought that was what was the "right" way. In my opinion there is no "right" way because everyone has different opinions, and this opinion will be further changed.
I think that gender problems aren't really a big deal and that people make to big a deal over them. Today men and women have equal opportunities for most jobs, and i think that men are a better fit for certain jobs and women are a better fit for certain jobs. Sometimes women try and say that they don't receive equal opportunities but sometimes the job might just not suit them as well. I think for the most part our society does a very good job of providing equal opportunities and that we have made many advancements from recent history.
I think that gender roles are in a period of transition in todays society. While you will find some people who discriminate based on gender, one can also observe society as a whole becoming seemingly more acceptable of breaking "gender roles". I wouldnt say the way things are today is the right way, but I would say that things seem to be going in the right direction. This is an inevitable result of a few bold innovators breaking taboo's and by doing so, making them less taboo. As time passes new precendents are set.
We also must not make the mistake to look only at the culture were familiar with though. Although the world in general is improving, it is worth pointing out that some cultures still have very strong sexism, some even worse than shakespeare's culture. By observing these cultures and comparing them to less sexist ones, I think we can further gain insight on what factors effect sexism.
Just for the record Souljaboy, there is no conclusive evidence to clarify whether the homosexual population has increased relative to the straight population or if it has just become less secretive (though I personally subscribe to the latter theory). Your point is valid regardless though, of course.
-Eric Barganier.
In reference to natalia and whitney, music videos are a poor example of a culture. The women in music videos line up for the chance to appear in them. For the most part, they are also payed to act in this way. In addition, women on television are hardly ever portrayed in a weak role. Even housewives on television are strong independent people, who have complete control over their households. In most shows such as Bones or Fringe, the women are sometimes more rugged and tough than the men themselves. This is often exploited for an alpha-person angle, but it really does show an overall equality in the roles of men and women.
Whitney could not be any more right when she said "In music videos, movies and on t.v. women are almost always portrayed as being the man's property. We are there to serve him. In real life however, this is different." Its sad to see when you turn on TV women are in the back of videos with skimpy outfits on, along with being degraded in the lyrics being sung. That gives everyone the message that women are not respected and men have the right to treat us as property. In the end the it gives the impression that men are better than women and we are not equal or good enough for them. I also agree with Whitney when she says “Women are strong, just like men, but in different ways”. Women and men will always have different roles in life, but that is no reason to think men have the upper hand over us. For example, in life women play a huge role in families. They cook, clean, raise children, and so, so much more. It may come off that that role is minimal compared to men and their “heavy duty” work, but in reality it is so much harder then it looks. I personally feel in certain situations women don’t get the recognition they deserve because we are seen as inferior and unequal to men. Hopefully, one day that will all change.
Its prooven scientific fact that there are differences between the brains of women and men, not to mention hormonal differences. Now obviously if I were to modify your brain and change your hormone levels it would effect you as a person, that is just obvious. It would also probably effect what activities your temperment was best suited for.
So that stands to reason that biologicly women and men are predisposed to have more natural talent in different areas and if history can be used as evidence, its clear that men naturally gravitate to positions of leadership more so then women.
I think therefore that there is a plethora of evidence to suggest that human women have evolved to be best at playing a more submissive and passive role in society. Evolution works the way it does by providing species with the traits best nesscesary for its survival.
So in summation we can conclude
1 There is evidence to suggest women are biologically predisposed to be more passive and submissive.
2 These biological traits are caused by evolution (as are most, if not all biological traits).
3 Evolution gives species traits best for their survival.
So with that in mind it seems obvious that it is best for our species if women continue to play passive non leadership roles in society. It may not seem fair, but nature cant be fought and the welfare of the species must be put before individuals.
-Eric Barganier
I agree and disagree with Eric's comment. He brings a good point saying that women are made differntly. They are made to perform differnt roles. Although they do differnt things. they should not be treated differntly. Women can play a leadership role in society. For example, there are women in politics and Hillary Clinton just tried to run for president. Also, palin is running for vice president. It is not as much a question of whether or not women can lead but it is how they are treated, that is where the gender issue arises. The differnces in the way women are treated has gotten better but there is still a long way to go.
I think gender issues are not as big a problem as they once were, but they do still exist. Today, men are known as the physically stronger gender, but woman mentally stronger, smarter. Men and women have different roles in society, men work hard and women do work in places like office buildings, working on intelectual things. Although men and women play different roles in society, they are both equally important and I think they should be treated equally. Like Whitney and Amy F said, women are portrayed as inferior to men in many different ways, and although men do perform more heavy duty work, women do a lot of important work that is not recognized as it should be.
i agree with everyone that says that there are gender issues today. You still see women getting less opportunities in jobs simply because they are a woman. Women are seen and will probably continue to be seen as weaker than men physically, which somehow makes people think that they are weaker in all areas, though they aren't. However, when you look at how things were for women in the past, things have gotten better, we still have a long way to go for full equality.
I completely agree with what Vicky said in that people just assume that because someone is of the female gender, they are automatically weaker in many aspects of life. There are some jobs that are only given to men even though women are supposedly given the same amount of rights to try adn succeed in that area. For example, Presidency. It is obvious that the majority of people within our country think that only men should be president, and even though women like Hillary Clinton have every right to vote, people just look past their good qualities because they are a woman.
Since pretty much everything else has been said and repeated i thought of a different perspective. I begin to think that even though there are gender issues present today, people don't credit enough to what has been done over the past to help women. To compare what woman's roles were back in the day, to today's, there has been a significance change. Women are able to hold many more jobs, and are able to take part in politics, which was impossible throughout the earlier times.
I obviously agree that there are still gender issues today. I completely agree with Alyson when she said that most of the gender issues are due to stereotypes which are generally true. Men and women are completely different, not only in the way they're structured but even in the way they think. Some may argue that women can do anything that men can do or vice versa, but I don't generally think that's completely true. Obviously, if you put your mind to something your ambition can take you anywhere, but I still believe that a certain gender can do better on certain things just by the way our bodies are made. For example, I'm not saying a women can't be stronger than a man, but for the most part they normally aren't because of the way they are shaped and formed. On the other hand, women may be mentally stronger than men on many different levels, being able to cope with situations better. But in terms of rights, I think it's important that everyone has the same opportunities as everyone else, and not be segregated by their gender.
That being said, I definitely don't think that there's anything wrong with the fact that a certain gender may be superior to the other in certain scenarios. I think it's completely natural and normal, but obviously stereotypes do still exist, which is not okay.
Although, I do believe that our society has come along way, making people much more equal than how things were a long time ago. I also believe that men and women will continue in the right path towards balancing out and becoming more equal.
I somewhat disagree with Amalia. I feel upset when someone tells me that I am inferior to a man, and I find it surprising that she would say this is okay. It is true that it is "normal and natural" but I would usually take that as an insult. This could just be a biased statement since I am a female, but I don't think of men as being superior to me. My thoughts and feelings are just as intricate and important as the person standing next to me, regardless of their gender. It is true that this isn't the way that many people think, but I believe in equality of all genders, races, religions, beliefs etc... No one belief is neither better nor more important than the next.
Even in the presidential race, which has been mentioned a lot, Ryan explains that they don't take the women nearly as seriously as the men. They would comment on Hilary's pant suits which has absolutely nothing to do with the election. It is making a mock of women and it doesn't help that women are taking part in making fun of these things. How are we supposed to make any progress with women making fun and belittling other women, no matter how powerful they are?
I believe that women are treated with much more fairness today than back in Shakespearean times. Men are usually classified as stronger and more athletic than men. This is not the case. With hard work and dedication anybody can be better at anything than someone else. While prominent in many societies, sexism is usually frowned upon today.
Mike is right in saying that even if women are still inferior to men in today's society, we are still treated a lot better with more respect than back in the times of Shakespeare. Women can in fact now work and pay for themselves and be completely independent whereas back in the day, they would only live to serve their husband and family. they can make their own living and get by without having to completely rely on a man to get her through the years.
I agree with Ben on this one. Our society really does a good job of having equal opportunities. Men and women are both suitable for any job, but sometimes there is situations where women are better than men, and men are better than women.
But it really does depend on the way people look at this.
I agree with Erin and Mike. There has always been in some society a social hierarchy between men and women. It depends on the time that you look at it. From today's standpoint, women certainly have more rights than before. I believe that you can't totally cancel out gender issues today because there is always going to be that one person that says then women should be subordinate to men or vice versa.
Pretty much everyone is saying that gender issues are still apparent in today's society, which I definitely agree with. Although the issue is still apparent, I do think that the severity of the issue has become much less. Like Amy said, we've made progress within the last fifty years in balancing the two genders. Women used to not have a say in anything, and they had to rely on men for many things. Today, women are much more independent, and are offered equal opportunities. There is still that mind set that women are weaker than men, and I feel like there will always be that view towards women, because it's been that way since pretty much the beginning of time.
I agree with what paty is saying. People will always think of women as weaker because we are generaly weaker physically. On the other hand women are equal when it comes to mental strength.
The social hierarchy has definatly improved since macbeths time. Women are allowed all the rights men are in society, on paper. In practice however males still hold the overwhelming majority of power possitions in government and society. To remedy this so that we might acheive the "right" way, it is not the laws and rules of our society that need to be changed, but rather the ideals of the individuals that should be influenced to believe that women are mens equals, only then will we have acheived the "right" way.
I agree with everyone who said there are still gender issues today. The issue has decreased significantly since colonial times when woman were almost property of men however by no means does it not exist. The workforce is one very prominent place where gender issues lie. Women were restricted by the "glass ceiling" during the 60s and 70s when they were permitted to work in places men were. Their wages were much lower. That isn't necessarily the case today, however a lot of male employers still believe men can do better work than women.
I also agree with Alyson when she said it depends on what area of society you look at. Women are definitely highlighted in entertainment like she mentioned, more than in sports. Many women who play professional sports earn so much less money than men do who play the same professional sport. For example most profession, women basketball players earn around 60,000 dollars a year give or take while men can earn around 5 million or more. That is significantly different.
As you can see gender issues still exist. Today definitely isn't the "right" way, or a way that should be considered perfect. However the progress is great and if it continues there's hope for gender issues being resolved.
Jessie is right in saying that women in sports are payed much less than men, but this is because they have a much smaller fan base and they do not pull in anywhere near the amount of revenue that men's sports teams do. Also women's basketball is a completely different game then men's basketball there are many obvious differences. For instance there have only been 3 professional female basketball players to ever dunk and the score of the games are much lower than in men's games. If women's sports were turning making the amount of money that men's sports teams were then they would earn the high salaries but they don't so you cant expect them to make the same kind of money as male athletes.
Even though most people say that men and women will never be equal, I feel that we, as a society, have come such a long way from Shakespeare's time period. Yes, there are still things that women are looked over on but in comparison, it has come such a long way. There is no such thing as a "right way" today, it is based on anyone's political view point on the matter. Some might say that men will always have a stronger power over women, but I know, if Lady MacBeth were the way she were in today's society, I'm pretty sure that she would be on a larger hierarchy than most men. Gender issues exist in some parts of society today, and some people are very pesimistic of women and their roles but I believe in optimism and women will go farther in life with the more criticism pushed towards them.
Today, gender has become a non-factor. Men and women have equal rights and oppurtunities. A lot of progress has been made even as late as the 1970s. Gender has become invisible as far as occupations are concerned. Traditionally male dominated positions are now filled with some women. Obviously though, some jobs are more oriented towards women than others which makes some stereotypes understandable.
The basic premise of gender difference is physical. Men are inherently stronger than women to perform certain tasks. Women are more oriented towards tending to the young. This fundemental difference has made unfortuate dominance of men over women throughout history. One of Confucius' five relationships is husband to wife. He did not consider this relationship equal. If one of the greatest philosophers ever thinks that a husband should be dominant over his wife, then today we have virtual equality among men and women.
The social hierarchy is between men and women is different in many places. I'll assume you meant only in America. There are many stereotypes out there that lead people to act in a certain way. Also there are many types of stereotypes of how men and women relationship works. This is portrayed in music, art, and movies. This doesn't force us to act in anyway, but a lot of us will. Disregarding those facts there are no direct gender issues that exist today that a person cannot do anything about. The social hierarchy with regard to men and women might said to be equal but it doesn't stop stereotypes from getting in the way and making it seem like it wasn't equal. The way it is today is not the right way. Nor shall the right way ever be achieved. Stereotypes will always be around in some form and "the right way" or "perfect way" can't be achieved. Hopefully that makes sense to everyone.
I totally agree with Thonoj's comment and agree that that there will always be stereotypes about gender influencing people. However, nowadays society looks down upon unfair advantages for men or women and encourages equality
I feel like we have really come a long way in putting an end to gender issues and the way men and women are treated as equals. When you really look at it the only obvious separations between the two are in sports where there is a mens' and a womens' leagues in sports such as basketball. But for that matter there still are leagues for both genders so there is still equality. Most separation in other walks of life have already really been dealt with such as suffrage which we dealed with decades ago. Today I really see it as a woman has an equal opportunity to achieve anything a man can and vice versa. A prime example of this is, like others have been saying, is this year's presidential election. As we all know there was not only a woman presidential candidate, there is also a vice presidential candidate in Sarah Palin. While I know that there are subtle prejudices and difference, I'd say on the whole we as a society have come a long way to close the gap.
It is pretty evident that gender issues and stereotypes within those issues are still present in our society. Many people do still consider women weaker than men. While it may or may not be true that women are physically weaker than men it's still a common debate. The social hierachy is liked to be thought of as equal, men and women completely equal. However, old stereotypes still seem to linger and leave women a step behind men. In regards to the issue of is it the "right" way today, i dont think it is, and by looking at history, it may take a while but some day it actually may be the "right" way.
Gender issues do exist today, but they definitely aren’t as bad as they were in previous years. A few centuries ago women had barely any rights and were treated poorly. As time went on women got more rights and in today’s world, women and men are basically equal. However, some issues still exist. For example, many married women with children may feel like they have to be stay-at-home moms and not go out and work. You don’t see many stay-at-home dads. But I do think lately more women are going out into the work world which shows improvement and change in women’s roles in society. But then again, in politics, the majority of politicians are men. But Hillary Clinton getting as far as she did in the presidential race shows that even that’s changing.
Sometimes I see gender issues as a big competition between men and women. For example, people may say women are smarter, men are stronger, women are bad drivers, or men are pigs. Or in gym class you may have boys vs. girls contests. All these clichés and stereotypes, although they may seem like jokes or insignificant, add to the gender issues in society.
Seems like everyone agrees that stereotypes cause a obvious distinction between men and women. When I thought of anyway that they are different besides stereotypes I came up with the military. Women can't actually be fighting, but that's only in America. If you look at the world you can see that both genders are restricted somewhat in some places. So you can conclude that any sort of issue that restricts a gender is based on a stereotypical opinion influencing people or prejudice. I'm pretty sure there's no way around that thought.
The majortiy of people are agreeing that there are still gender issues today, where i think people begin to disagree is into the future, and if we will lose these steriotypes or not. I believe we will eventually one day be able to live in equality, yes, these steriotypes and beliefs will still remain, but they wont impeade a woman from getting a job or improving her status in society, these beliefs will become tastless jokes told at a cocktail partys. If we look at other groups of people who in the past held stigmas that they eventually shed we'll find that it is a possibility for women to be viewed as equals in our society. Immigrants who have now compleatly assimilated into american society no longer hold their stigmas, there may still be jokes about irish people or italians, but they have become equal members of our society and moved beyond their old status, just like women will eventually.
I agree with everyone that says gender hierarchy still exists today. Women are not equally looked as with men in some circumstances and that exists everywhere around the world, some situations more badly than other. Toady I think a lot has changed and slowly progressed just by looking at our own countries history. Women were treated as the property of men in colonial times, and as things became to change education and certain jobs were more open to woman. Also the right for woman to vote took alot of time to happen, and in 1919 the 19th amendment was passed and women got the right to vote. So as time has progressed woman have gotten more respect and have gotten stronger.
I agree with Mariah’s statement. The gender issue has come such a long way since Shakespeare’s time. Even though it is still not completely equal it is a huge progress. Both men and women are stereotyped for numerous reasons due to the way society has molded our mind set over the years. Throughout the years women have been looked down upon as “weaker” and “inferior” to men. In some that cases that still may be true, but actually women have just as many rights and opportunities as me and many significant women have proved that over the years. Men too have proven the negative stereotypes wrong. The gender issue still does occur today, it is not nearly as severe as it was in the past.
the only reason why gender issues are less apparent now and women and men are somewhat equal compared to 100 years ago, is because women have fought for our rights. i think this proves just how strong women really are. furthermore, today is definately not the "right" way because we still have a long way to go.
i agree with gregor and definately think that genders have been stereotyped and molded by society. women are thought of as weaker and less dominant and men clearly thought of as more domainant and stronger. If you think about something like cartoon characters, the most famous being superman and spiderman. they are the strongest superheros and are both powerful men. i think this portrays men's dominance, seeing as comic books usually have a deeper meaning inside of them.
To respond to Whitney's comment, I would just like to clarify that I never said it was "okay" to be inferior to a man. The point I was trying to make was that men and women have their differences in many ways. Obviously if we were all the same, we wouldn't be classified as two genders. I never said one gender's opinion was superior to another, I was just comparing physical differences between them and stating how I thought our bodies were built. As I mentioned earlier, I think everyone should have equal opportunities and opinions no matter what gender you are.
For thousand of years women have been thought of as lesser than men, only in the past hundred years have they really earned all the rights that men are born with. So it would be obvious that many stereotypes still exist. And even when these stereotypes seem harmless, such as women are bad drivers, they reveal how women were thought of as incompetent to do simple tasks.
woman are also still subject to gender hierarchy. How many woman CEO's have you heard of, or woman politicians, we have never even had a female president. it will probably be a long time before women are able to completely cross the gender boundaries that have existed for centuries.
I believe that in today's day in age, we are sexist even though we deny it. Just like with racism, there are some people who still believe in that. Like Ryan stated about Hilary Clinton, people don't normally take women seriously and many times think they're in it for the money to help their habits out (shopping). They also only judge us on our outfits, if something looks a tad bit slutty, they think we're not cut out for the work and won't take anything seriously.
Like the first comment, many judgments people make differentiate from person to person depending on their beliefs. The men that have seen a women work will take them seriously but some that don't won't. It also can become and issue with guys when they dress a certain way or act a certain way address many gender issue.
I also agree with Ben. Women do have a lot of equal opportunities nowadays. However, I don't agree with Ben on the fact that a certain gender can be better suited for a job. while men may be stronger or whatever, but a women can do a better job is they know what they are doing moreso. I believe that no matter who you are, you can do whatever you want as long as you put your mind to it.
Yeah I'd like to comment on what alisonb said about how many women CEOs have you heard of. There are actually 10 Fortune 500 companies being run by women including major companies such as Radio Shack, Xerox, and The New York Times. Also if you want to talk about politicians like I said just this year we had Hillary running for president and Sarah Palin as a vice president. That's not even to mention people such as Condoleezza Rice and the governor of our very own state Jodi Rell...
Also to reply to the Amalia thing I agree that mentally men and women are equal in every single way, the point i think she is trying to make is that genetically there are obvious differences in men and women. For example, and again not to be sexist in any way, men typically speaking are physically strong. I'm not saying that as a stereotype but take your average adult male and your average adult female and the man is generally stronger. That's not to say that same average adult female will be better at some other aspect, but some things just are what they are. That doesn't in anyway make either race superior or inferior, it just makes us different.
I dont think anyone can deny that gender issues exist today. What you wear or how you act are judged primarily by your gender. But you also cant deny that as a country we've come a long way towards equality. Do we have the right way? If the right way is total equality, then no. There are still gender stereotypes and I'm sure there will be stereotypes in the future.
In today’s society women are sometimes put below men, even though legally they are equal and have the same rights. So seeing how women should be equal to men, I think it’s up to women to work past any stereotypes or negative beliefs. They could strive to do the same things men do and work the same jobs men work because they have every right to do so. But unfortunately people can be sexist and judge women, which can affect the jobs they have and the way they live. However it’s not legal to judge and be prejudice and it shouldn’t be tolerated. But sadly, sometimes it’s hard to prove when this occurs so women can’t seem to overcome it.
I agree with Kyle in the sense that males and females have fundamental differences, and that this doesn't make any one gender better than the other. However, it's not always looked at in that regard.
Either way the fact of the matter is that women and men are generally equal nowadays. No, maybe not complete equality because of sexist people, but we have come a long way on both ends.
Men and women. Women and men. There will always be those fundamental differences, but those differences should not make either gender better than the next. Since some people find their gender to be greater, we still have a ways to go until everyone accepts that there is no superior gender.
Thanoj discussed gender stereotypes. I agree they are present in society, but I don't think it's a major issue and I don't think these stereotypes will ever hurt anyone. They are natual because there are differences between men and women that can't be ignored. There are some stereotypes that are offensive but many are harmless and it almost be gender socialism if one feels there is no need to differentiate between men and women.
I agree with jordan completely. No matter what laws are passed to try and make things equal, if people dont believe in equality then it will never really happen. We as individuals have to overcome the idea of gender superiority before we can be truly equal.
I agree with Amalia with that fact that in some cases some genders may be superior than others in the different scenarios. I understand where Whitney was coming from as well because sounds weird and it's not our mentality now a days to think like that. But not necessarily superior, but men usually take the place of that position and women wouldn't really be considered for that. Like the position of President. Since Washington, there have only been men as presidentm not women and they're never considered for the job because it's just not our thought of having a women in there. Many people think women won't be able to handle or fit in that position but it's really only because a woman has never been able to get to that position proved herself able to take on that task.
I don't beleive men are superior to women, but thay hold some positions that women aren't thought of for. Things are changing in our lifestyles today so some women would like to be president and it's not as weird as it would have been years ago. But it's still a "man's" job as of right now. Like some other jobs, but in general, men are not superior to women in the slightest sense.
I believe gender issues have been around us for so long and because of that, sterotypes have been created and thus creating a social hierarchy. However recently, many females have been proving the sterotype wrong by showing the world what their true potential is and to show they are equal to men. I agree with ryan about men and women are spiritually and emotionally equal because there is no such difference about that topic.If a man shows more emotion than a woman, than that's a different story.
i agree with steven m about overcoming the idea of gender superiority so we as people can be truly equal. This idea has been in our minds for the longest time and has been shown through movies,books,and real life. It's understandable that when boys grow up, they obviously know a difference between them and a girl, and they develop a gender superior mentality. Girls have been showing that they are capable of anything and men have to start accepting that and not give in to the gender stereotype.
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