The Male

When I think of the rhetoric words that are used to describe a man; masculine, insensitive, hard working, tough, strong, aggressive, in-charge, and dominant all come to mind. In a heteronormative society men are not supposed to cry, be sensitive, or submissive. Men are supposed to be on top of their game all the time. They are supposed to know everything and always get the last say in a decision.
From my own relationships I have learned that most men try not to be in touch with their emotions. Men tend to make fun of other men that seem too sensitive. For instance last night I was talking to the guy I’m dating and he did a good job of portraying the heteronormative male. His roommate has a girlfriend that goes to a different university than he, so on his AIM away message it said “Everyday without you is one day closer to being with you”. His roommate’s behavior is not normal to how men are usually represented. However, the reaction of the guy I was talking to was, he made fun of his friend and said he was “soft”. The guy I’m dating has been brought up to be tough and to not discuss feelings. In conclusion, he feels extremely uncomfortable when he has to do so. How can he not though when all around him on TV, in magazines, and in movies men are portrayed as insensitive and selfish. Until society starts changing the heternormative view of the male the rhetoric will remain the same as it always has.

The Double Standards of the Male Gender

If I were to sit down and watch every chick flick I could think of, I would be able to pin point every way a guy should act and every thing a guy should say. In most movies guys are portrayed as the “mentally strong” hero of the ever-so-distressed female. Men are supposed to be strong, tough, and even a little rough around the edges. Hollywood finds the most gorgeous men to act out the roles of the “perfect” man, which makes girls fall head over heels for make-believe men. Of course this only hurts the males, whom most cannot look like these “typical” men, and forces them to be shot down when trying to get a date. Males know exactly what this heteronormative society wants them to look like; all they have to do is walk into an Abercrombie, Hollister, or American Eagle store. Since guys are bombarded with visuals on how they should look, how they should act is a whole different situation. Guys are supposed to be respectful to women in how they act and treat a woman, but how they act and treat her behind her back is completely different. When a guy is with a girl, he should open doors, help her out of the car, pay for dinner and protect her. Yet, society wants guys to “get some” and prove that they are manly and can control women. How are guys supposed to act? Society is directing them in two different directions, and if they do not do both they are outcasts that do not fit in. But, if they do listen to society and follow both directions, women are ashamed and look down on them. How are guys supposed to function in this heteronormative society?

Females in Society

Throughout history, women have always been considered to be the lesser of the two genders. Always under the protective watch of a male, women were thought of as weak beings incapable of thinking deeply on their own. Even in today’s society, women are still perceived in this very way, although to a much lesser extent and idea.
When one thinks of an engineer or scientists, one initially does not think of a woman. Names such as Einstein, Newton, or just the idea of a nerdy male always come to mind. Today, there has not even been a female president, nor are there many females holding “high” positions in companies. When one thinks of women in a sexist view, they see women solely as nurses, waiters, housewives, models, or even prostitutes. Can one truly imagine a man staying at home, being a nurse, or being a flight attendant without being just a little surprised? Women are not perceived to have the “toughness” or stability or even “street smarts” to be able to succeed in advanced society. Today, this perception is changing as I speak, but the general stereotypes definitely still exist today and can not instantly change.
Visually, women are perceived to have unrealistically thin bodies, along with this unstated thought that they must all be “beautiful”. No where are fat women or “ugly” women to be found in any form of media, rather only these “beautiful” women are allowed thus reinforcing the stereotype and generalization that women must all be “beautiful”. Society does not seem to accept these “ugly” women, seeing as generally in there are more of these single “ugly” women than male counterparts in relationships, thus further enticing females to try and look the way they do today.

The ladies tend to ‘strut their stuff.’ The typical girl that you see walking down the sidewalk here on campus is one with all nice clothes on, makeup, hair down and the whole nine yards. These types of ladies are perceived as cutesy and feeble. On the other hand there is a whole other part of the woman population. The tomboy girls tend to not care about little details and still look ruggedly good when they don’t notice themselves. The pretty girls that strive to look the best and just flat out beat every possible girl out in looks and popularity status are the ones that come off as fake most of the time. The girls that just be themselves and cherish the little things in life have more appeal to the male population.
Now, advertising is another story. If you have ever seen Budweiser commercials and Coors Light and you have the half naked women running around you might consider trying one. Seems weird I know! Listening to other guys sometimes just makes you wonder what their moms would say. Every guy has to talk about all the girls he has done stuff with and things like that. Women naturally may see it as offensive but its just males trying to impress one another. I saw That 70’s Show the other night; and Donna, Eric’s girlfriend, got a job at the radio station and her picture on a billboard because she had huge knockers. Women use their sex appeal to get what they want when they want it.

Will you go to the "can" with me?

Females in today's society have many characteristics that define who they are. The logos of their homosocial tendencies are apparent in everyday life. Generally, when a female goes to the "bathroom", she is accompanied by one or more of her girlfriends. This differs then that of the male behavior. If a guy asked another to use the "can" with him, the males and females of today's society would make fun of him. The female gender tends to take care of there belongings and the residents in which they live. The ethos is in there sorority houses on campus. The house is kept clean and damage free, contrary to a fraternity. Verbally, females are expected to sit and wait for a male to "ask them out." If a female were to approach a member of the opposite sex and ask them out on a date, the female would be looked on as promiscuous. The heterosocial bond between genders is regarded in this nature. The life long question of "will you merry me" is yet another logos of how a woman is supposed to act. Society sees the woman waiting until the man is ready for marriage.

The Male Rhetoric

Male rhetoric visually and verbally
The male rhetoric that I personally have noticed comes naturally from everyday talk and the way most people carry themselves. The longer that people have been around they just become fluent with this sort of "language". The man is supposed to make the money, do all the hard work, be a husband, protect and respect woman, love sports, and stil have a caring side. He is never supposed to appear as though he is losing his cool. Man has to always be walking with his head up and be 100% tough guy. In any case that man decides to have feelings or shows signs of weekness he is automatically seen as a woman. God forbid a man is seen being homosocial he is labeled as being homosexual. Then what about the metro sexual man? He is definetly know as the girly man because of the clothes he wears. As lonng as the man is the protector and mr. rough and tough is is good to go. This is in the eyes of normativity, not my eyes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In our heteronormative society stereotypes have been passed down generation to generation to describe every gender, race, and sex. Even if they are not true, everyone knows what words are used to describe women best. Petite, innocent, fragile, weak, defenseliss; the list has no end. Women are portrayed in our society as inferior to men. There are always people that don't fit into this stereotype, and sometimes arent looked upon like ladies. As a male growing up I was always taught always respect women, never hit a women (even if they beat the crap out of you), you are taught tto treat them like princesesses. We are never taught how to act towards guys. After all, we can handle it right. Women are to be more respectful, more proper, more emotional, and more sensitive than men. If you ask me it seems like a hell of a lot of work. This is how we are brought up though. Men are supposed to look out for women. In movies women are almost always portrayed like this. Go pick up a magazine and look for an unattractive woman. It is usually very hard to find. Sex appeal of women is used for almost everything. Rummage through some posters and compare the amount of guys to half naked girls there are. Women are the sexy and attractive sex. Our society practically has standards set out for women. There are pressures to be slim, and sexy, just like the girls we see on the adds. Woman are sat on a higher pedestal in or heternormative society that we have been raised in.

The Struggle to be a Man

In society men are expected to display the strong masculine image that we see projected in the media, from magazine models to television commercials. Physically, they are represented by the buff, tanned bodies they feel they must acquire, not only to impress the women, but in order to outdo other men as well. They are also expected to be taller and stronger than the women they date. As young boys, they are raised to be athletic, competitive, and emotionless. Not only must boys be careful to have the physical image of a man, but they must act and speak like a man. Fathers often instruct their sons saying, "be a man," and at a very young age they are teaching their sons to never cry or display themselves as weak. Any slippage to the image men are expected to portray and they are generally considered too feminine for our society. In homosocial bonds, men must act tough and cool to one another. However, it is not always easy for a man to know how to act. For example, when in the company of a lady they must be the perfect gentlemen. They are taught to change their language and even tone of voice when in the presence of a woman. Society also expects them to be understanding, sympathetic, and caring to the women in their life, making the situation very problematic for the men. They are constantly playing a game with themselves and others by trying to fit into our very heteronormative society.

Male Rhetoric

Society today is full of stereotypes that have been around for hundreds of years. Stereptypes about the way people should walk, talk, behave, etc. In our heteronormative society males are shown as being strong, masculine, althletic, competitive, and emotionless. Men are expected to look a certain way also. Tall, muscular, dark, and handsome has been the common view of how the ideal man should look. The media has created this idea about how the "normal" man should look or act. As young children boys are taught to be tough, play sports, and do boys stuff. Fathers tell their boys to never cry because crying shows weakness, and men are not weak. If that was a young girl crying she would have been consoled and told that it was alright to cry. In a homosocial bond men are expected to be tough or as some might say, act like a hardass. Hugging and showing emotion would not be and acceptable way to act. Those who do not act this way are looked at differently and are considered to not fit in with what this society claims is hetereonormative. However, around women men are supposed to change their behavior and become the dominate one that protects the women and provides for her. They are taught to being caring, understanding, and supportive. So here we have one person that is being told to act in two completely different manners.

what's that? you call yourself man?

Before writing this bolg, I had to ask myself what words or visions came to mind when I thought of "man". Of course there is the obvious, he is not a woman and therefore is not like me in a physical sense. Typically I think of man as stronger, and bigger in build than a woman, perhaps with shorter hair, maybe even facial hair, and a sense of confidence about himself. Generally speaking, throughout history men have been the dominant being. If you read the Bible, "man" merely means "person or people", but is called man because man was dominant. In all of the romance languages, there are masculine and feminine words and having one male and a thousand females deliberates a masculine sense when debating plurals. Since man has been so dominant throughout history, I see him now as dominant. Even though women are moving up in the world, men are already up, and therefore must work even harder to maintain their status. When I think of men, I see someone who can take charge of their life, can provide for others, and keep moving forward in their life. Not only does history maintain that these are typical male traits, but men today keep that status going. If a man cannot do these things for himself or his family, he is not seen as a man. So, generally speaking, I think of men as strong, bold, and dependable.

rhetoric view of women

Throughout the centuries, women have been rhetorically perceived as fragile, mild and imcompetent to their male counterparts. In ancient times, women were nothing more than property of her husband and she was to obey him no matter what the request was. There has been strides in womens rights over the years, but the concept of women as merely a man's asset is still evident. Another view that is taken towards women is they are nothing but a burden to males. In the story the Adam and Eve, god told them that they were nbot to eat an apple in the garden of Eden. Eve disobeyed god and mankind was punished for her sin. An example of this also takes place in literature in the novel The Great Gatsby. The plot portrays Daisy as the cause and demise of Jay Gatsby. She is also a very prissy and superficial character, which women can be often stereotyped as. There is also type of character that a woman is made out to be. The perfect wife is seen as one that does the dishes, cooks the food, does the laundry and cleans the house. It is proving tough for women to break this stereotype. In conclusion, the rhetoric view of women will always be an image of a weaker person who cannot support themselves. No matter how much time passes, this is just another instance of how our heteronormative society operates.

Female Rhetoric

Women have allways been represented in our heteronormative society as the weaker link. Regardless of how true or untrue this may be, I shall explore some of the adjectives pinned on women.
In ancient Greece, as portrayed in Homer's Illiad, women were little more than property; an asset. It is well that men were fighting over Hellen of Troy and the love they professed for her, but these are only two characters. As for the rest of the men, they only want women. Aquiles, for example, traded and bargained with his fellow kings and warriors in terms of weapons, valuables, wines, and women. For him and almost all others, women were a delightful possetion, little more than a walking, talking kitchen appliance, not to mention a bedroom appliance as well.
At the dawn of catholicism, women changed roles rather radically. This religion brought in the idea of a wholy woman, not a godess, an actual everyday woman. With this new fact, the church began to preach that women must be respected, loved, and protected by their husbands. It also outlined ways to be a good woman such as keeping sexual relations for marriage and the such. This may well seem like an improvement to some but it really just ment that women were still a possetion, just a little more valued than in the old days.
Then along came the 19 and 20th centuries with a whole lot of struggles for rights. At this point in time, women realized that they should be treated the same as men; thus began the female struggle for equality. Women eventually gained equal rights... on paper anyway. Terms like "Glass Ceiling" and "Gender Discrimination" came along then.
Most important of all adjectives pinned on women, and still blatently recurrent today, is sex. Women are now portrayed as perfect bodied, 90-60-90 (cm; I am still not getting along with inches and such) sex toys. Howev er ridiculous it may seem, women, for the most part, are still expected to stay home and raise the kids. But hey, if they wangt a job, they can allways be models.

Male Representation

We live in a heteronormative society, where males are viewed to act or behave in a "normal" way. This "normal" view was developed a long time ago, and has stuck around. Even from a small child I, myself have been a witness to this. Males were always taught to be tough and strong. You can see this in almost any movie, the male is always portrayed as strong, muscular and saving the fragile women. My most recent encounter with the heteronormativity was while visiting my grandmother's a few weeks ago. My young cousin the age of 6 years, accidently got hit with a ball. He began to cry, most likely because it hurt, but my uncle immediately told him to stop crying and that "big boys" don't cry. I felt compelled to comfort him and tell him it was okay to cry, but I didn't want to step in between what his father was trying to teach him. I felt as if it wasn't my place, even though I am his cousin.

Male Representation

If someone were to ask a child in our heteronormative society, what they thought of men, the usual responses would probably be strong or tough. This is because it's a performativity among our society. If anyone were to watch a movie or a TV show made in the US, it usually portrays male characters as the person who does the dangerous tasks, saves the female in distress and never cries when something doesn't go their way. This of course leads young males to act in a similar manner (or at least as similar as they can). If one were to watch a few males in homosocial activities, usually they would be sports or other various games that would decide a clear winner. If not, it would be some sort of task about making themselves look appealing to females, i.e. weight-lifting or getting one's hair done. This is what males tend to do because it has become a social norm.
Verbally, males often begin to use words like buff and stud to describe themselves when it comes to talking about themselves. Eventually, girls begin to call the boys similar words too. Guys use words that make them sound strong and sexy in hopes of getting a girlfriend or to "get lucky." They do this because it too is a social norm. Not all words are of course appealing to males. If a guy were to act too femine, or against the social norm, a term that could be used to describ him would be gay. Many men, fearing a blow to their sexuality, try to act even more like the styerotipical male. I feel sorry for a lot of men because many can't live their lives as they want to in fear of being "shunned" or made fun of.

The portrayal of males

So far i think we all generally have to same idea of how men portrayed. When we were all little boys and girls would want to play house together, however it wasn't right for the male to want to. Parents would pull their sons away and tell them to go play with their G.I. Joe's and leave the girls to play with their dolls. When two boys play a game together they are demonstrating a homosocial bond that no one seems to really care about until it's a game where a girl is involved and is a little more on the feminin side. That there automatically shows the men what the social norm is and what isn't. Even the way males talk can be considered a normal or unnormal. If the male speaks almost like a girl they are considered different or out of the social norm.
Visually, there are pictures everywhere, magazines, t.v., stores where clothing is sold, and the internet. All of which show males how they are "supposed" to look and what they need to look like to be able to impress woman. I feel as though some men are as self-conscience of their looks as most women are. If they dont look like the posters and billboards they can go to the extremes that most women stoop to. Plastic surgery, tummy tucks, bulimia, or even anorexia. The whole goal is to be the muscular, blond hair, blue eyed beach babe, and that that is the only way to impress anybody or to get a girlfriend. The way everyone perceives is problematice in its self. All it ever does is make males and females feel horrible about them selves.

Tuesday's Blog

The way that females are represented verbally is in everyday talk. Conversations between two men, two women, or sometime a man and a woman are when the roles are revealed. Often, a conversation in which a woman is not a part will tend to portray certain aspects of the gender. Men can be crude when discussing the other gender, which is problematic because it only serves to reinforce cartain ideas. Women represent themselves verbally too when they talk together. Worrying about looks is one of the more prominant topics, yet that simply makes them believe that they need to be perfect. Sometimes a man will be vulgar or rude to a woman, and that is yet another verbal rhetoric of women. It gives the female a role based upon what she is instead of who she might be.
The way that women are represented visually is much more obvious. The rhetoric is in ads. Whenther on television, billboards, or any other medium, the illusion of the perfect woman stays almost constant, with maybe an eye or hair color being variable. The idea is that a female needs to be like how the ad portrays her. This is evedent in just about every comercial for a care product for men, like shampoo and deoderant. Of course that is also a rhetoric for the male gender, but that is not for me to discuss now.

Male Perception in Today's Society

The male species. The muscles, the testoterone, the rediculous impulse to "git 'er done". Rhetorically, the male is described as the masculine and chiseled creature, oozing with testosterone and known as the tough guy. Magazines and media portray men as the domineering, non domestic, and all around big shots. Little boys are brought up thinking that they should never be seen playing with a doll, but must sit intently with their Tonka trucks. Commercials show the homosocial bond of two ten year old boys playing with their evil kanevils, and the child (male) viewer sees that as a heteronormativity.
Visually, the media has created an "ideal" looking and very sexually appealing model man. Walk into any Abercrombie store, and there plastered on the wall is a 20’x20’ poster of what is "hot" in today's society. Tan, cut well with defined muscles in all of the right places, and an irresistible side smile that could get any girl week in the knees. This is what is drilled into our heads day after day of what guys should look like to be a "hunk". This "image" that girls have of men has become problematic for the male population. There are only a handful of guys that can posses a great body like that ideal Abercrombie model, and guys have to work day in and day out to achieve that level of sexiness, all just to impress us women.

Females Verbal/Visual

Women in society are seen very differently than men. I know that when I talk about women, I am thinking much differently than I am when I think about men. Women are seen as physically fragile and emotionally weak by almost the whole of society. When it comes down to it, nobody expects women to join the army because 1)women are more times than not physically weaker and 2)are expected to be the ones that cry more often. This, I believe, is one of the many stereotypes that leads to how they are described. For example women are not "rugged" like men but instead are petite, cute, beautiful, and polite. All of which are many of the softer adjectives. At the same time women are depicted visually as being clean and vibrant. Women are supposed to wear makeup and be as much like a barbie doll as possible. In literature, it is never the woman that starts the war but is the one urging the man not to fight. Nobody ever expected the woman to be a violent individual. Furthermore, when reading a movie script it is most likely that the script about the ruthless killing machine out to kill his way to the top is written by a man, and the romantic comedy about a couple's whacky adventures on their honeymoon is most likely written by a woman. Even now as I write, I am reinforcing what society has told me: Women are softer, more delicate, nicer people than men are. Is this true? Or is this performativity? Has society layed down the ground rules for how both men and women are supposed to act and have those rules given way to how we picture and talk about the natural women? This writer does not know for certain but I do know that, right now, I think about, talk about, and visualize men and women differently.

Gender plays a major role in how one should act and think in today’s society. Expectations of gender come from movies, media, and other forms of entertainment and show, all the way up to one’s own family and household. Even though equality among genders is much more pronounced and celebrated today, no real equality exists.
When one thinks of a woman in today’s society, they think of models or the “beautiful” people. Society today expects women to all look like the models on magazine covers like Maxim or People. Not only that, but society sees women as “tools” to use for sex among other things, while still expected to be submissive and introverted. In music videos, movies, and other media, women are depicted in this very way. Men on the other hand, are expected to be the “controller” in relationships, having to always take the lead and to be tough, athletic, muscular, and completely outgoing. Not only the controller, men are expected to be “nice” guys who are kind and compassionate. There are clear differences between the two, but in no other time has equality been the greatest been the two genders. There is such contradiction and hypocrisy these days, that there seemingly is no clear way to be a man or woman.
My expectations for this class are for this class to be one of controversy and discussion. While interesting, it could be a bit hectic and personal to many. I think this class will be a fun yet difficult class, with many such close to home topics that will cause many to think deeply into today’s society.

Eighteen years old and from a fairly small town, roles of gender play a big part in the everyday upbringing of the "All American Family". Films, media, and even cable television work to portray gender roles to the youth of America. The male, always as the strong dominant character, while the woman plays the role as the gentle caregiver. Society wants us to give authority and strength to the species with the XY chromosome, while us double "X"'s are addressed as the secondary specie. Not only does gender, as in male and female, create issues in society, but race and ethnic background creates social issues as well. Latino's and African Americans are looked down upon while whites prevail, but in what way does skin color and angle of the eye lid make you inferior to porcelain skin males?
I would like this class to help me to understand if what society, along with history and media, is telling me is in fact all true. Will the male species always have dominancy over females? I expect that this class could disillusion any stereotypes that some may have, and give power back to the minorities, along with a deeper understanding and new found respect as well. I would like to see how people in general could get past gender roles and take necessities, leaving gender and minority out of it of course, and maybe achieve something for the greater good of the human race.

The Representation of Gender In Today's Society

In a society where women have had to fight for their rights for generations, they are much closer to being equal to men. Today women are being recognized for their abilities and society is profiting from the contributions of various women. The traditional roles of men being the "bread winners" and women being the "home maker" can now be seen as being the opposite. It is okay for men to stay home and take care of the kids and for the women to have a nine to five job and bring home the money.
Women should be intitled to some of the same things men are such as having a job or voting. However, I do not think that women should be intitled to all of the same things men are. In most other countries women are still not seen as being anything of power. If a women was to address most foreigners about something important, it would be difficult for them to even take into consideration what she would be saying.
Women should be taken seriously and in most aspects they are. However, seeing as most women act on emotions, I do not feel that they should be intitled to a lot of high power jobs; such as president of the United States. I am not saying a woman couldn't handle the job, and someday it is possible a woman could be president. I just see things in a more traditional way. I feel that both men and women are equal and deserve rights, but they each have their own place in society that they need to be.
In this class I expect to have my writing skills develop more, to be challenged, and made to think about things that I normally wouldn't think about. I expect to have interesting discussions in class that I can get involved in and to be assigned interesting topics to write about.

Men and Women in Society

Men and women are generally represented very different in many aspects of society. Although women can now vote in political elections, we still have yet to see a woman president, not to mention the ratio of men to women in politics is still off balance. Not only are they represented differently in politics, but they are distinctly portrayed through family life. Men represent the head of the house, and are generally thought of as the main provider, while a woman’s job is to take care of the children. Men are also usually referred to as the protector of women, as they are supposed to watch over their women by opening doors, pulling out chairs, and walking them home. Gender is most certainly represented differently in society, but is this such a bad thing? I am glad that women have much more power now, than we did twenty years ago. However, I am not sure I want to be represented exactly like a man. Men are bigger, stronger, and emotionally different than woman, so it would be hard to reach a point of complete equality in society. I enjoy it when my dad, brother, and boyfriend watch over me in different ways, even if it is just opening a door. I am not sure I would want to give these things up, just so I could be equally represented with men in our society.
My main goal for this class is to become a better writer. I do enjoy reading and would like to be able to express my ideas more clearly on paper as well. I believe writing is a very valuable tool and am excited as I hope this class will improve not only my skills, but also my confidence in writing.

Gender in society

The role of gender in society has shaped the basis of what most of our culture consists of today. Everyone can illistrate the picture of a traditional household in America that includes a wife who cooks, cleans and takes care of the children to a father who runs the household and works for the family's source of income. Within the past few years, women have made great strides in the battle for social equality, but are having a difficult time of shaking off the domestic character. Women are now common in the work place and even becoming superiors to males. The image of women and their power has drastically evolved over the last half century. Even though women now have a voice in a world run by men, the problem of gender discrimination will never vanish.

What i hope this class will teach me to do is think abstractly and to explores ideas and opinions contrary to mine. I want to see my ideas conflicts with others so i'm able to see an entirely different perspective of the world. I believe creativity is perspective and when different views are seen, this allows for a more creative mindset. In short,i hope this class allows me to think and explore my potential to express my feelings and what the world is to me.

Gender Representation in our Society

Our American society is, relatively speaking, evolving and changing at an inconceivable rate. Not necessarily for good or bad, just ever shaping. The difference in roles between Men and Women has historically been a big one. Males have been the providers, the voters, and the white-collared employees. Women have been the gardeners, the housekeepers, and the mothers. Up until recent, with few exceptions, these roles were the roles assigned at birth.

Times are different now, and while this small blog isn't supposed to be specifically about equal rights, it IS equal rights that have changed the gender roles in America. No longer does a woman get married, have children, and play nanny. In many cases, our freedom has allowed for a society in which the female makes a significant amount more than her hubby, carrying the family as a CEO or President. Equal rights, gender and race alike, aren't perfect of course. There are still hints of the classic 'male provides, female has kids' stereotype, but the fact is, anyone can do anything, be anything, and make anything they want. Well, my best friend's girlfriend (who is 4'9'') probably couldn't make it in the WNBA, so I guess there is an asterisk to the previous statement. I think my readers get the idea, however, that gender representation is not quite what it used to be.

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I think this course will most likely give me a better idea of what our ‘real-life’ society is like in regards to perceived gender and racial roles. I look forward to listening to Mr. Severe’s take on these subjects and who knows, maybe I will learn to write a little better, too!

Gender in society? One thing that could be addressed is the common misconception that women shouldn't be allowed to do everything. How many women truck drivers do you see? And when you do what runs through your mind? To me I see them as being more grotesk and just out of place. Women back in the day used to just be a prize to show off and then keep at home while the male went out to work to come home so the 'typical' housewife could tend to his every desire. That appeals to just be flat out sexist and egotistical. Women were and somtimes still are generally prejudged as not being as good or smart enough to be independant what-so-ever until it came time to get physical; known as 'expressing your love.' In today’s time there is still sexist tension but that is expected due to the continuous male domination that occurs. As you may notice there has never been a woman in the White House. The gist of it is that we are getting closer to our goal of more equality and women are beginning to get more opportunities in life.

Back on the class topic! Well, I expect for this english class to be challenging but worthwhile. I have a good vibe that it will go well but will be very time consuming. All of the writing should come in handy later down the road. I think God put english on the earth not only to give us intelligent people a way to communicate but to just frustrate the hell out of you. This year should be the year to enhance all english skills!

Gender in society

How gender is represented in society has changed greatly over the years. Even though sexism still occurs, I do believe that it has become less prevelant. Years ago women where strictly looked at as housewives, whose sole purpose was to have children and take care of the house work. Men were seen as the head of the household and the one that supported the family. As the years have gone by more respect has been given to women to be able to perform many of the jobs and duties that men do. There is even talk now about a women running for President, something many people thought would never happen. Even though a women President will probably not happen for many years, this still shows great change in the role of women. Today in society there are even some men that stay at home and take care of the kids while the wife and mother work to provide for the family. Although the view of both sexes are changing I do not believe that men and women will ever be looked at as equals. One thing that is certain however is that our society is taking strides toward changing the stereotype of both sexes.

Before coming to this class I expected it to be my most challenging class. Since class today I definately know it will be my hardest course. I am hoping this class can teach me to become a more well-rounded and creative writer, two things I need a lot of work on. Having the class centered around gender issues I believe will make it very interesting, but also challenging to write about. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will be able to see positive changes in my writing.

The way gender is represented in the society has come a long way. Womens roles use to be viewed as staying in the home and cooking, taking care of the children and house. While the men went out and made money for the family. Now you often times see men staying at home with the children, while the women goes to work. Even though women have gained respect in a male dominated society, they are at times still viewed as weak and incapable of measure up to male standards. I noticed that a few others have come across the same situation. I have always played soccer, ever since I was little. But when my mom was growing up she wasn't allowed to play any sports. Luckily we have made progress, because soccer has meant so much to me, I would probably go to the extreme of cutting my hair just so I could play. I would consider gender another type of racism.
In regards to what I expect to learn out of this class. It would most importantly be to become a better writer. After what you said today, I expect to learn a lot more. I have always been taught to have an open mind, and I believe this class will put that to the test. I am excited to see what this class has to offer and what I am able to take away from it.

People have come a long way in our society to overcome gender issues. I do feel that sexism still widely occurs and unfortunately will for a very long time. Fortunately, it is not at the level as it is in many countries around the world where there is a fear of change. Our society is ever growing and expanding allowing women to be more prominent. Women have came a long way in achieving high status in both the economic and political worlds. Though this change is great, sometimes things are takin to an extreme. In my opinion, football will always be a sport played by big, burly men; not women. Women do deserve as much rights and respect as men in almost every area. I believe that it will take more patience and education that still believe against this. Extreme women's rights groups seem to be too determined to make females more dominant than a male, rather than seek equality. Equality of genders will be a very hard feat to accomplish, but should be the main goal.
As to my expectations of this class. I am always nervous coming into an english class because it has never been one of my best subjects. I am looking forward to learning to become a better writer to be able to communicate at an educated level. I have always enjoyed reading but have never been great at discussing those topics. I believe coming to this university shows that i am all ready prepared for a challenge. This is a very important subject, and the platform behind it, that will make for a better, more rounded education.

Women of the Past, Present, and Future

Growing up in an era where women are now “equal,” I never gave much thought to true equality or how women are acknowledged by society. Since the age of three I have played a male predominant sport, ice hockey, and have always been a minority. But, I always knew I was lucky to be able to play because my mom would tell me how she was unable to participate in sports such as hockey. Back in the 60’s and 70’s most women had to play on a womens team or could not play sports. These days most women in high offices are considered to be aggressive and even manly. The women who hold these prestigious offices are almost forced to act this way to be able to gain the respect they deserve from the other male workers, especially their employees. Women are still being paid less than men in the same occupation, and many women are turned down for jobs they are over qualified for just because their boss thinks they might have other duties. These duties may include taking care of the children, maintaining order of the household, or even cooking. Women who seek jobs outside the household should be able to compete with men on a level playing field because not all men are smarter than women and visa versa.
As to my thoughts and expectations about this class, well first I am extremely nervous about how hard this class will be. I love challenging myself, but I am not as talented in the aspect of writing! I am excited to learn about how society affects the different genders and also the history of the different gender roles.

Gender is represented very broadly in society. It used to be simple stereotypes: the man works and the woman cooks dinner. While those still exist, gender can't really be defined into one group. Men and women have changed; at least the portrayel of them has. TV has portrayed men that no longer fit teir previous roles, and women that do not just stay at home as housewives. I think that the only way they are all truly portrayed into a certian role is in sexuality. Men are seen as agressive and always willing, while women are either placed in a role as a prude or a slut. Not everyone is portrayed like that, but it seems pretty prominant to me.
I suppose the thing I expect to get out of this class is a greater ability to perform in any English class or one in which I am expected to write. This is not one of my strong subjects, so I would like to be better prepared.

Change for the better...

The world we live in has gone, is going, and will continue to change. New ideas to better our way of life are put to the test everyday. The role woman play is much different now then that of the past. It was not the idea of one, but many who decided to stand up and make this change. In earlier years it was unheard of for a woman to leave the "stay at home mom" role and go out into the work force. In the eyes of society, men were responsible for providing for there families. Through the years, women began taking on roles that men would have normally filled. Today's woman has established herself in the work force, not only as a "stay at home mom." Young girls now have idles they can look up to, and strive to be like. Instead of pretending they're job is enjoyable, ladies can decide what they want to do in life, and change. We all know that when she's happy, everyone's happy.

How long until we have a woman in the white house as president?


This class, by far, will be my most challenging class. Although I have tried, reading and writing have never been enjoyable to me. If I can't enjoy what I'm doing, I lose interest.

My goal for this class is to learn how to enjoy, what I don't have interest in. To try and be creative with something I'm not very good at. I want to find a way to enjoy reading, and overcome my fear of writing. Thinking outside the box is difficult for me. With math, a formula will solve the problem. With science, gravity will always pull down. But when writing a paper, many different answers can solve a problem. If a book is read by ten people, they can all have different view on what the author was trying to get across, and still be right.

With the English class I will strive to become a better writer, a more detailed reader, a better speller, and make some new friends in the process.

Eighteen years old and from a fairly small town, roles of gender play a big part in the everyday upbringing of the "All American Family". Films, media, and even cable television work to portray gender roles to the youth of America. The male, always as the strong dominant character, while the woman plays the role as the gentle caregiver. Society wants us to give authority and strength to the species with the XY chromosome, while us double "X"'s are adressed as the secondary specie. Not only does gender, as in male and female, create issues in society, but race and ethnic background creates social issues as well. Latino's and African Americans are looked down upon while whites prevail, but in what way does skin color and angle of the eye lid make you inferior to porcelain skin males?
I would like this class to help me to understand if what society, along with history and media, is telling me is in fact all true. Will the male species always have dominacy over females? I expect that this class could disillusion any stereotypes that some may have, and give power back to the the minorities, along with a deeper understanding and new found respect as well. I would like to see how people in general could get past gender roles and take necesities, leaving gender and minority out of it of course, and maybe acheive something for the greater good of the human race.

How gender is represented in society.

What do I know about gender in society. As a member of society I can truly say that I know much about how gender is represented. Almost everything that we do is intertwined with gender. Society is a reflection of the everyday attitudes and activities that others. Men and women are both influencing society with their interactions with both men and women. For example: It is my assumption that women like guys who are muscular rather than those that are skinny. So when I go to a grocery store, I am bombarded by protein powder adds with the picture of the really ripped guy who is being massaged by the really attractive girl. Women are encouraged by men to be thin so anytime I see a movie collection at a store there is always a really skinny girl on the front cover of a dvd labeled "Get thin fast!". This is one of the many examples in how both men and women affect society and thus become intertwined in it. Gender is represented differently for both male and female. For instance, guys are encouraged by society to be masculine or rugged. The self-made man who enjoys working on cars, enjoy a good football game, and maybe boxing too. Women, however, are encouraged to be "feminine". Instead of working on cars, enjoying a football game, and boxing, society says that women should enjoy something less violent like: shopping for clothes, pajama parties, and many other stereotypical feminine things to do. The list could go on and on about how men and women are encouraged by society to act differently in different situations but I would rather not fill up two-hundred pages with it. What I hope to learn from this class is more than becoming a better writer. I hope to learn about some deeper meanings to why society is the way it is and how men and women are both fit in. A quick example of this would be why did I put men in front of women when I say men and women. Is it because men is a shorter word? Is it because m comes first in the alphabet before w? Could it be that I myself am coerced by society to do put men in front of women? These are the types of questions that I want to answer and I hope to be able to one day with the help of this class and the newfound ability of writing which I hope to have by the end of the semester.

Up to now...

Up to now, I have felt that my experience with gender representation in society has been a constant battle. As a girl, my life has been influenced by the heroines I have seen on TV and movies, and read about it books. Some of them are amazing and powerful, and some are smart and coy, and some just now how to find a husband. Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to be Catwoman. She was powerful, and quick, and ultimately just really cool. As I grew older, I came to understand that she was not as amazing as I wanted her to be and was slightly disappointed when I realized her character was primarily composed around sex appeal. It was then that I began to notice it all around me: Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City, Cosmopolitan magazine. All of these are aimed at women, to make us feel powerful and in control of our lives, both sexually and successfully, however none of these things would be so popular if the recipe did not call for sex. Female representation in society has gone from loyal housewive to sexed-up CEO. I am still to this day not sure of whether or not this is now the upper hand. I know women can be powerful on their own, but can women be represented as powerful without sex appeal?

My expectations for this class have exceeded those of previous classes. I certainly do not feel that this will be a walk in the park, but I invite a challenge, and that is what I expect. I expect to better myself as a writer, reader, and overall communicator. I will admit, the thought of having a class based around gender in society made me a little nervous, but I am hoping to learn from it and to open myself up to new ideas and feelings about how gender has been, is, and will be represented.

ENGL 106 (DAY 1)

Wow, a on-line blog... never done one of these before. Well, here goes.

Let's see... what do I know about gender representation in society...? Well, one thing I know for sure is that females are respected more now than a few decades ago. I mean, women can now vote, join the army, get good jobs, and get a college education and actually use it instead of just being a housewife (not that anything is wrong with being a housewife, it's just you spent all that money for nothing). Although, even though things are better for women, they can still improve. From what I understand, in a lot of jobs, men get paid more than women for doing the same exact thing. I mean, there are even some places that don't even allow women to be promoted past a certain point (although they wont tell you that, they'll just say Mr. So-in-so is better for the position). I'm not saying I'm against men or anything, I just wish women would be given completely equal rights in regards to men.

OK, now that I got that out of my system...

What do I expect to get out of this class...? Hm... an A+. Just Kidding! Even though I'd love to get one, I'd much rather earn my grade. One thing I do expect to get out of this class though is (and I know this sounds corny) a greater understanding of writing. I've always been a math and science kid, English has never really been my thing. This, of course, is not to say I'm bad at it, I'm just better at math and science. With that being said, I bid you all farewell.

Oh, and before I forget, I'm sorry if my grammar was bad.