Category: Gender Roles

Introduction

Over the years there have been many different genres of television shows one might decide to watch in their free time. These genres range from the sci fi thriller, game shows, all the way to reality television. However one genre in particular has been around since before the television was invented, the situational comedy or sitcom for short. This paper will be focusingon two sitcoms from two very different time periods, ​Taxi ​which first aired on September 12th, 1978, and ​How I Met Your Mother​ which made its own television debut on September 19th, 2005. Both of these sitcoms have things in common when it comes to jokes, gender roles, and the way their were produced. These two sitcoms also have some differences as well though. In both Taxi ​and ​How I Met Your Mother​ respectively the two shows go on to prove how the sitcom displays how masculinity roles and gender roles are portrayed through people’s everyday lives and how the use of crude and sexual humor is subtle at times but used quite in the sitcom throughout the many years. The two shows go on to prove this through a number of different ways which include but are not limited to the actors/actresses, the episode titles, the jokes being used, and the situations that are presented throughout each episode and sometimes even ongoing throughout the lengthy seasons. In this paper we will dive into to explore each of these aspects by comparing and contrasting the two sitcom television shows ​Taxi ​and ​How I Met Your Mother​. Some of the techniques and methods in both of these shows are quite effective and have either stayed the same over the many years of the evolution of the television sitcom or have changed things up a little bit or a lot due to time period and the appropriate target audience for the two shows respectively.

Taxi

The sitcom ​Taxi ​which debuted in 1978 and a total of five season was show that followed a taxi company and its employees in Brooklyn, New York. Some of the main characters included; Alex which is an older man that is working full time for Sunshine Cab Company and most of the other characters come to Alex for advice he is seen as a father figure in his workplace, then there is Bobby who is a good looking actor who is struggling to find work in show business, Tony is more of the jokester of the characters, Louie is Sunshine Cab Company’s head dispatcher and is seen to be portrayed as the “bad guy” of the show, finally there is Elaine whos is a divorced single mother of two that also works as a receptionist in an art gallery. All of the characters drive taxis for Sunshine Cab Company part time except for Alex. Just from the the character description one can see how the gender roles are laid out in the show with having Elaine be the one who has the most “women like” job because she is a receptionist part time.

While on the other had Tony and Bobby have more masculine jobs with them being an actor and boxer not to mention the head dispatcher is played by a male (Kim, 2007). When is comes to other gender roles throughout the show there are various episodes that make it be shown the male is the dominant gender and that women need men in their lives to cope with everyday things. For example in season one episode ten titled “Men are Such Beasts”, which first aired on November 21st, 1978, the show opens with Alex explaining to Louie how he hit a parked car with one of the taxis because he swerved out of the way of hitting a dog. Louie goes on to be furious not because one of the taxis was wrecked but because Alex wrecked a Mercedes instead of hitting the dog. This goes on to show that men are supposed to be into things such as cars and not care as much to other things such as animals. The episode then later goes on with a problem that Tony has and that is breaking up with his new girlfriend because he just isn’t into her anymore. Tony meets with her at a restaurant to end things but she keeps coming on to him Tony explains to his coworkers how it was so hard to resist her and makes the joke that it could’ve be the wicked witch of the west kissing him and he wouldn’t care. This is a joke saying how most men only care about picking up women more than anything. But Tony fights the urge and ends things. Later in this episode his ex-girlfriend start working for Sunshine Cab Company, this proves a gender role that women are crazy and constaly need a man in their life, it is not until Tony has to fake being gay which is something that wasn’t as common for that time period and is a joke that is about Tony’s Sexuality. This episode is just one of many examples that explore the gender roles and sexual humor that are displayed and still being displayed in sitcoms.

In season four episode seventeen “Take My Ex-wife; Please” which made its television debut on February 18th, 1982 goes on to try and portray that women need men in their life. Alex runs into his ex-wife Phyllis at a restaurant and she has just gone through another divorce, she goes on to say how she is vulnerable and hurting right now and how she needs Alex in her life again. Alex jokes about it and explains he would only want to spend time with her if it was “pushing her out of the way of a failing piano”. This shows how he doesn’t need her but she needs him more at the time. Later in the episode Louie explains how he loves women that have recently gotten out of a relationship and how it is easy for him to pursue them because they are so sad and vulnerable and are sort of a damsel in distress. Louie asks Phyllis on a date which she denies at first but he is very persistent. When he shows up to pick her up at her hotel he appears in just his pajamas and immediately gets into the bed shirtless. Phyllis goes on how Louie needs to exercise and he responds with that his exercise is in the bed with a thrusting motion. This whole sequence and jokes is an underlying message how Taxi​ is going on to say how men are constantly trying to win over women and wanting to have sexual interaction with them.

How I Met Your Mother

The sitcom ​How I Met Your Mother​ was first aired on September 19th, 2005, is a television sitcom that tells the story of how Ted met his wife and what it took for him to finally meet her and his adventures with his friends Robin, Lily, Marshall and Barney. Ted is an architect and a college professor, Marshall is an environmental lawyer, Barney is a rich womanizer, Lily is a grammar school teacher, and Robin is a news anchor. Through all of their occupation for a majority of them are working in what is to be known as either a male normative occupation or female normative occupation. Lily is a teacher which is typically a female occupation, however Robin being a news anchor is going out of her gender norm and taking a more of a male occupation. This is appropriate for the time era that the show is being aired and taking place in. In the mid 2000s, more and more women started taking more leadership roles and higher paying jobs that were usually male dominant. Unlike in the sitcom ​Taxi. This sitcom is portrayed in a rather different way.

The sitcom is an older version of Ted telling his kids of the story of how he met their mother. All of the stories he tells his kids are through the eyes of himself. This is not how traditional sitcoms are played out. ​How I Met Your Mother ​episodes are a series of flashbacks through the memories and thoughts of Ted. Therefore some of the stories Ted tells his kids may not be remembered properly or even never really told from a different perspective that his kids end up pointing out through its many seasons. This leaves the show up to interpretation on how some situations actually happened and played out.

This is evident in season seven episode seventeen titled “No Pressure”, Robin ends up kisses Ted before she goes off on a business trip and explains how they need to talk when she returns. Ted tells Lily and Marshall the situation and Ted has a thought that the talk is good and how they will end up dating again but Lily interrupted it as in Robin wants to finally tell Ted she has no feelings for him and Ted gets upset by this. This is against female norms for Lily. Usually women are the ones that are more caring and thoughtful when it comes to explaining situations to others but in this situation Lily is blunt with Ted and lays down the hammer with how she thinks Robin doesn’t like Ted. Ted is playing the damsel in distress in this moment in the show.

For the character Barney he is quite an interesting person on the show. Barney who is played by Neil Patrick Harris is a character who is a very rich womanizer that has a distinct signature look to him, he is always in a suit. What makes this character so interesting is that he is a young bachelor that is constantly wooing women and winning them over but is never in a committed relationship until one of the very last seasons (Thompson, 2015). However the actor Neil Patrick Harris is actually a homosexual, but the show has him play a character that is constaly chasing and winning over women. This is a perfect example of how the sitcom is still playing to gender normativity by having a gay actor play the role of a young single womanizer.

Throughout many episodes of this television sitcom Barney is seeing flirting and hooking up with women day in and day out. Even one of the episodes is strictly about Barney’s flirtaious techniques which is titled “The Playbook”, and is the eighth episode in the fifth season, which aired on November 16th, 2009. In this episode Barney goes over all the extensive ways, techniques, and the stories he would tell women to be able to go on a date with them and or take them home with him.

Conclusion

Over the years the television sitcom has gone through many changes and adaptations to adjust to the time period and target audience for the respected show. With all that happening there are still some very similar points that the television sitcom still hits over the years. With these two show ​Taxi ​and ​How I Met Your Mother​ which are decades apart from each other they both use crude and sexual jokes and humor that audience find funny even if they are very subtle. The two show also find a way to either go with the gender normative roles and sometimes have some of the gender roles switch for a certain character or certain amount of episodes. Both of these shows aired for multiple seasons and found success during a point of their time on the air. Taxi ​sticking to the more traditional sitcom storytelling techniques with being episodic, while How I Met Your Mother ​branching out and going with a different technique of having each episode be a flashback from the main character Ted’s point of view. Also having a sort of a serialization way of telling the story in some aspects but not completely shifting over. Overall, both of these two television sitcoms had a way of telling a story with their jokes and gender roles intermixed throughout every one of the episodes that was aired.

References

1. Kim, J., Sorsoli, C., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. (2007). From Sex to Sexuality: Exposing the Heterosexual Script on Primetime Network Television. ​The Journal of Sex Research,​ ​44​(2), 145-157. Retrieved from ​www.jstor.org/stable/25701753
2. Scharrer, E., & Blackburn, G. (2018). Cultivating Conceptions of Masculinity: Television and Perceptions of Masculine Gender Role Norms. ​Mass Communication & Society​, ​21​(2), 149–177. ​https://doi-org.mantis.csuchico.edu/10.1080/15205436.2017.1406118
3. Thompson, L. J. (2015). Nothing Suits Me like a Suit: Performing Masculinity in How I Met Your Mother. Critical Studies in Television, 10(2), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.7227/CST.10.2.3
4. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.hulu.com/series/taxi-8eae7531-a930-48ad-9294-28a7446ea71a​.
5. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2019, from https://www.hulu.com/series/how-i-met-your-mother-bc68ac79-3ace-4427-9ec0-5ee6f314d194.
6. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25701753
7. https://doi-org.mantis.csuchico.edu/10.1080/15205436.2017.1406118
8. https://www.hulu.com/series/taxi-8eae7531-a930-48ad-9294-28a7446ea71a

As a girl, have you ever been told that you should never initiate the first move because men should do that? Or that you should not be too loud because it’s improper for you to do so? Personally, I’ve heard these lines countless of times. These are believed and practiced by majority of Filipino families and eventually became part of the tradition in the Filipino culture. As you can see, the Philippines is a conservative country and it affects the way Filipinos perceive women. Women are always expected to clean the house, take care of the family, and the list goes on. At present, there is a great dismay in women empowerment circles in our country. It seems like a week doesn’t pass when some government official and especially the President makes some appallingly misogynistic statement (Claudio, 2018). The rampant increase in the cases of women discrimination in the Philippines calls us to at least try to do the bare minimum by debunking these norms for it does not only hinder us to be progressive Filipinas but also tolerate harmful women stereotypes in the Philippines.

Most of us may not know but these roles are existing amidst our knowing. In the community, women are expected to be conservative. This is the so cold Maria Clara image which presents as a shy, demure, and modest woman. Filipinas generally strive to portray the Maria Clara image and frown on aggressive displays by women. An aggressive woman, which description includes one who is open and mixes freely with men, is considered sexually loose (Herrington, 2018). That’s why it’s a common trend for teenagers today when a girl has too many guy friends, people judge her for being a flirt and the like. Moreover, many read Maria Clara as the quintessential damsel-in- distress who needed a knight to save her. The reality was that she herself was raped by another Catholic priest. It presents an image of a women who is weak and is very dependent on men. In fact, Filipino women are neither weak nor passive. This is confirmed by many international economic indices that put the Philippines in the top tier of nations that have lessened the gender gap over the decades since studies on gender and development were started (Percullo, 2018). Generally, this belief is ultimately harmful for women since they are always expected to fit in with what society expects them to be. It puts them in a box that disallows them to be who they truly are since if they do so, they will be considered as a misfit in society.

Aside from the community, traditional female roles also exists at home. According to Perry Gamsby (2011) , a writer and lecturer who lives with his Cebuana wife in Sydney, Western men are attracted to Philippine women for their attention to keep their family and marriage going. There is a stereotype out there that Asian women are subservient to their husbands. They treat him like a king and do everything for him, are great mothers, and loyal partners. Stereotypes, good or bad, have to come from somewhere and there is a lot of truth in that opening sentence. There is, however, a lot of ‘not so true’ in there also (Harvie, 2017). Women have traditionally been expected to be involved in nurturing tasks like education and service.According to the International Labor Organization, women are still expected to do most of the domestic chores despite their contribution for the country’s rapid economic development. The Filipino values – “women nurture, and their advantages are in housework,” compared with “men provide, and their place is in the labour market,” – lead to discrimination against those women who do want a career (Dacuycuy, 2017). Furthermore, women do not generally drink or eat alone. It would be dangerous for them to do so especially in a place where sexual harassment is prominent. This as well is particularly harmful since you hinder women from experiencing the extent of their potentials and are always expected to be accompanied or be at home. We all know that there is more to women than those.

Lastly, traditional female roles can be majorly observed in the Filipino dating culture. 98% of the time, it’s usually the man who makes the first move. Whether if it’s just introducing himself or asking them out for a date. That is how it is usually done in the traditional Filipino dating culture. Women usually just wait for the perfect timing until a man asks them out. Nowadays, most people in the Philippines still follow this tradition especially in the countryside and minor provinces (Rometic, 2018). The traditional Dalagang Filipina is shy and secretive about her real feelings for a suitor and denies it even though she is really in love with the man. I was taught at an early age that a real Dalagang Filipina knows the importance of playing hard to get. Our culture and traditions teach little girls how to behave in the face of romance: Say no first, and see how the guy reacts. If he stops pursuing you, then he’s not the one. If he does continue to woo you, then he is persistent, and therefore a good guy. If you can’t see the error in this, let me spell it out for you: Teaching this to young girls and boys connotes that no can sometimes mean maybe, maybe can mean no, yes can mean I don’t know, and so on. It blurs the true meaning of yes and no, and gives them the idea that honesty really has some loopholes. Boys are taught that rejections aren’t really rejections, but instead just an invitation to do more. No wonder rape culture is so ingrained in society–nobody knows what “no” means! (Amador, 2018). Further more, there are only two criteria to be called a Dalagang Filipina: That is to be a woman and be a Filipino. Conforming into a certain idea of a woman based on what society sees is right or good is not how things should be. If you want to experience traditional courtship, then go on. It’s harmful if you do not let women have the freedom to do so.

I’m not saying that traditional filipino female roles are entirely wrong because at least there are already some changes about it. Cultures and norms are good, but not all of them are moral and helpful. Some promote discrimination and misogynistic ideals. However, while there are women who are easily threatened and intimidated, it sparked conviction on women who can bravely stand up and fight those who threaten and intimidate them. By debunking these ideas, we pave way for progressive Filipina women. For instance, the late Miriam Defender Santiago who is a three-term senator, is a former regional trial court judge, immigration commissioner, agrarian reform secretary, and presidential candidate. She is the first Asian and Filipina elected judge of the International Criminal Court (“Meet the 10 most influential Filipinas’, 2015). Miriam Defensor is just one example of a Filipina who broke out of these norms. She disregarded the fact that she should just be at home doing chores, she disregarded that fact that women should be quiet and not challenge norms. I hope we all aspire to be like her someday. We’ve faced too much, it’s time for all of us to aspire to be progressive Filipinas; women who are strong, independent and whose contributions surpass the common household.

References

1. Claudio, S. E. (2018, March 18). [OPINION] Misogyny is bad for all Filipinos. Retrieved from http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/198445-why-misogyny-bad-for-filipinos
2. Herrington, D. (n.d.). Profile of a Filipino. Retrieved from http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/profile-of-a-filipino/1292-profile-of-a-filipino
3. Peracullo, J. C. (2018). Maria Clara in the Twenty-First Century: The Uneasy Discourse between the Cult of the Virgin Mary and Filipino Women’s Lived Realities. Equinoxonline. Retrieved from journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/RST/article/viewFile/35155/32048.
4. Harvie, J. (2017, February 2). Filipina Wives. Retrieved from https://filipinawives.wordpress.com/
5. Dacuycuy, C. B., & Dacuycuy, L. (2017, September 20). Gender roles hampering female career progress in Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.pids.gov.ph/pids-in-the-news/214
6. Rometic. (2018, June 25). Filipino Dating Culture: How Dating is Done in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.trulyfilipina.com/blog/filipino-dating-culture
7. Amador, B. (2018, May 29). Why I think traditional Filipino courtship is problematic. Retrieved from http://www.scoutmag.ph/opinion/think-traditional-filipino-courtship-problematic-scout-20180301
8. News, A. (2015, March 7). Meet the 10 most influential Filipinas. Retrieved from https://news.abs-cbn.com/image/focus/03/07/15/meet-10-most-influential-filipinas-5

Through history, women have always been the homebody. The typical housewife: always cleaning, cooking, doing what women “are supposed to do.” In the 1950’s, it was not rare for a woman of a small town to do basic housewife chores. That was a woman’s identity at the time. Known for nothing else, women succumbed to that title. In “Chronicle of A Death Foretold” they were not allowed to do much else other than their housewife duties. Their available choices, aspirations, and dependence/double standards are caged by passivity and subservience.

Throughout the story, women do not have many choices as it pertains to what they can do with their life. They are groomed to be housewives from the very beginning. For example, chapter two begins by explaining people’s background and the narrator goes on to tell how, “The brothers were brought up to be men. The girls had been reared to get married”(Marquez 31). Unfortunately, women were only prepared to be homemakers. Obviously, women are capable of doing much more than managing their families at home, but in this time period this was their lifestyle. They were not supposed to do anything else, and any effort to supercede this social boundary provoked judgement or societal rejection. Another example of the choiceless lives of females occurs when Angela’s mother is thinking about how the girls were groomed for one reason. She illustrates, “Except for that, she thought there were no better-reared daughters. Any man will be happy with them because they’ve been raised to suffer”(31). Even Angela’s mother has come to terms with the reality of this role. Despite her scepticism towards it, she teaches her children that way; she raises them to be suffering wives. They all become submissive to men. In this context, one can almost say they are maids or slaves to men because they do nothing else other than what is asked. Through Angela’s mother it is obvious that the patriarchal hold this society has on its women beweds them to a limited, obligated future.

Women’s aspirations, just like their choices, are controlled by men. The women do not try to dream about being anything other than a wife because they are caged to do that. The moms breed their children into being one-dimensional from a life perspective. For example, the narrator illustrates the simple hobbies the women do: “They knew how to do screen embroidery, sew by machine, weave bone lace, wash and iron, make artificial flowers and fancy candy, and write engagement announcements”(31). All of these hobbies/activities are fatuous. They may have some importance to them, but for the most part they can all be reduced to time-consumers. They all deal with the creation of an item. Purisma is convinced that these non-significant hobbies make her daughters the perfect wife. Her resulting integration of such hobbies into her daughter’s lives implies that’s all women are good for. They make decorative objects, and with the minimalist value they are given they probably could be considered decorative objects themselves.

Lastly, the women in the story have no independence, and are completely reliant on the man and his money. If a woman did not get married she would live with her parents. Not only that, the community was based on double standards. As girls become women, they are instilled with the understanding that “love can be learned”(35). Growing boys, however, are taught to choose whoever they want. If Angela does not follow these rules she will be an outcast from society and will never have the hopes of moving up in class. When she doesn’t follow the image of a “perfect women,” Santiago is killed in her honor. The result of these double standard leads directly to the death of Santiago. This untimely death only solidifies the true objectification of women in this society.

In conclusion, there is not much to Angela’s life–or the lives of the rest of the women in the story. They have no life choices, their aspirations and independence are caged, and their community lives a double standard lifestyle. They are to simply do their duties as a housewife. Their life outside of this role is to be nonexistent–as considered by standards–and any outward expansion is frowned upon. They are forced into marriage hoping good will come out of it. In the 1950’s this was a typical role for a woman. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Various authors have developed studies aimed at assessing the issue of gender equality. In every society, there is a suggestion that men and women should be different in terms of roles, motivation, and masculinity among others. Different objects and practices pass different messages regarding gender equality. Such messages can encourage accommodation or resistance to gender practices among children or adolescents. This paper focuses on analyzing gendered messages of practice in celebrated sports, school-based learning practices, stories and toys that target adolescents and children. The Primary purpose of the assessment is to determine what the objects or practices teach children about gender. It will also determine whether the practices or objects encourage accommodation of or resistance to traditional gender roles.

Parents are using sexist toys as gifts to their children. This practice encourages accommodation to traditional gender roles as it exposes both boys and girls to feminism at a young age. When a child is born, they know nothing about their environment and also tend to forget quickly (Oakley, 2016). The introduction of the children to sexist toys has a significant impact on the perception of the children regarding the roles they should play in society (Oakley, 2016). The Barbie doll is one of the examples of sexist toys that parents use (Oakley, 2016). This toy depicts a woman with a beautiful body and hair and suggests that Barbie should look like a doll. A common perception by society is that the toy is a representation of what an ideal woman should look like. Women grow up being tought that their role is to remain looking perfect or in other words like a Barbie and to please their male counterparts. Any attempt to reject the doll is seen as a move against the values the doll presents in traditional society.

Men, on the other hand, are raised believing that they should own certain types of dolls. Such dolls include ones that handle guns, drive fast vehicles among others. They are forbidden from owning and playing with toys that are considered to belong to girls, such as a Barbie or a kitchen set. The use of sexist dolls can be deemed to be an encouragement to the traditional gener roles and a barrier to gender equality. It introduces wome and men to different roles at a very young age, and changing their perceptions of the future becomes difficult. Preferences of genders are shaped when people are young as a result of feminism. Fausto-Sterling (2005) challenges both feminist and biomedical theories, in his study about the composition of human bones. The author notices that there is a difference between the composition and strengths of bones in each gender. This may explain why men and women have been considered different for a long time. The exercise of using different toys supports traditional gender roles we have set in society.

The practice of encouraging children and adolescents to wear various types of clothing can also be considered to pass a message to both children and teenagers. The modern society prefers boys to dress in a particular way that is different from the girls (Oakley, 2016). This is also the case when it comes to girls. For example in one incident, a girl known as Claire breaks up with his boyfriend and tries to dress like a man, to try and change her feelings (Oakley, 2016). She says that men are easily tricked compared to women as they fail to notice her gender as a result (Oakley, 2016). When she sends a picture of her dressed as a man to her boyfriend, she seems not impressed to be her dressing (Oakley, 2016). This information shows that women are not allowed to wear as their male counterparts. The girl later chooses clothes that are feminine to please her boyfriend. The practice of clothing passes a message that supports the traditional gender roles whereby men and women were considered different in their dressing.

The division of work is another field that reflects gender roles in society. Here, men seem to have been left out of the conversation as it relates to the roles they play in society. Men are known to take up manual jobs to provide for households in contrast to women. Most of these jobs expose them to risks that have in the past resulted in injuries. While it may be seen as if they have taken all the opportunities at the expense of women, men are exposed to risks that make them die earlier than women. This may be considered an important issue when it comes to defining inequality. According to Corbett et al (2014), there is no ideal definition of gender. The authors state that the definition of gender is not related to femininity, masculinity, female or male. The roles allocated to genders have been hindrances to gender equality for the last few decades. The perception that men carry out the difficult tasks has continued to dominate in society. It has become increasingly difficult to incorporate women in sectors that are meant for men due to resistance from society. The perceived roles of men and women in the work environment can be considered to accommodate traditional gender roles.

The emphasis on feminism in magazines meant for teenagers are barriers to feminism, which focuses on changing the lives of the girls. For example, women in magazines are portrayed as being stereotypical. Such messages are likely to cause resistance as the boys continue feeling demoralized. There is also confusion regarding the roles of the boys in the society as the mothers are likely to discourage boys from participating from different activities. As the society hopes to achieve gender equality, such messages are accommodating old traditions that are against gender equality. Shapiro & Williams (2012) explore the risks of gender stereotype messages related to women math abilities. Such messages are likely to hinder gender equality in society. The messages in the magazines and advertisements, therefore, encourage accommodation of traditional gender roles as opposed to gender equality.

The participation of both girls and boys in sports such as athletics has had significance in influencing the perception regarding gender roles. Both girls and boys participate in similar sports in schools (Pfister, 2010). This was not the case in the past the sports world was men dominate and women were limited from any sports activites. Weman were depicked as being on the sidelines as cheerleaders and supporters. Various studies and theories have been developed regarding the differences in gender. For example Corbett state’s that the definition of gender is not related to femininity, masculinity, female or male. There are many situations where these descriptions do not seem to apply and hence the authors consider gender to be something like color, to identify or differentiate individuals. Such studies may be considered to have contributed to the participation of women in sports. The inclusion of both men and women in sports passes an essential message to teenagers and women. The message is that both men and women have equal capabilities. It, therefore, rejects the inclusion of traditional roles of gender in contemporary society.

This paper has highlighted different practices and events and their roles in influencing gender perceptions. Teenagers and children are exposed to different events, toys and stories. Each of these elements is likely to carry a message that supports the traditional gender roles. Various gender-based philosophies can also be utilized in analyzing these events and messages. The hypotheses present messages that are useful and can be used to verify the influence of the messages and events on gender perception.

References

1. Corbett, K., Dimen, M., Goldner, V., & Harris, A. (2014). Talking sex, talking gender—A roundtable. Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 15(4), 295-317.
2. Fausto-Sterling, A. (2005). The bare bones of sex: part 1—sex and gender. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 30(2), 1491-1527.
3. Oakley, A. (2016). Sex, gender and society. Routledge.
4. Pfister, G. (2010). Women in sport–gender relations and future perspectives. Sport in Society, 13(2), 234-248.
5. Shapiro, J. R., & Williams, A. M. (2012). The role of stereotype threats in undermining girls’ and women’s performance and interest in STEM fields. Sex Roles, 66(3-4), 175-183.

Introduction

The integration of women into combat roles has been a contentious topic for years. While progress has been made in recent times to expand opportunities for women in the military, the question of whether women should be allowed in combat positions continues to generate heated debates. This essay presents an argument against women serving in combat roles, highlighting concerns related to physical capabilities, unit cohesion, and the potential impact on military effectiveness.

Physical Capabilities

One of the primary arguments against women in combat is the physical differences between men and women. Biological disparities, such as muscle mass, upper body strength, and cardiovascular endurance, are often cited as factors that can affect combat effectiveness. Combat situations demand physical resilience, agility, and brute strength, qualities that are typically associated with male physiology.

While it is true that some women may possess exceptional physical abilities, it is important to consider the average physical capabilities of men and women. The physical demands of combat can be strenuous and unforgiving, and it is crucial to prioritize the safety and well-being of all soldiers. Allowing women in combat roles may expose them to increased risk and compromise mission effectiveness.

Unit Cohesion

Effective teamwork and unit cohesion are vital elements in military operations. Cohesive units rely on trust, camaraderie, and shared experiences to function optimally in high-stress situations. Concerns have been raised that the inclusion of women in combat units may disrupt the cohesion and dynamics within these teams.

It is argued that the presence of women in combat roles may introduce distractions and alter the traditional gender dynamics prevalent in male-dominated units. The potential for romantic relationships, favoritism, or conflicts arising from differing physical capabilities may strain unit cohesion. Maintaining a cohesive and harmonious team is critical for the success of military operations, and any disruption to this dynamic may have far-reaching consequences.

Military Effectiveness

The ultimate goal of any military is to ensure the defense and security of the nation. It is essential to evaluate the potential impact of allowing women in combat roles on overall military effectiveness. Critics argue that diverting resources and efforts towards integrating women into combat positions may detract from core military objectives.

Implementing the necessary infrastructure, accommodations, and training programs to support women in combat roles can be costly and time-consuming. These resources could be better utilized in other areas, such as improving training, equipment, and strategic planning. Furthermore, the focus on gender integration may divert attention from critical issues, such as addressing mental health concerns, enhancing veteran support systems, or investing in innovative military technologies.

Conclusion

While the debate surrounding women in combat is complex and multifaceted, it is crucial to consider the potential implications from a practical and strategic standpoint. Arguments against women serving in combat roles primarily revolve around concerns related to physical capabilities, unit cohesion, and military effectiveness. These concerns, grounded in biological differences and the unique dynamics of combat units, highlight the need for a careful and thorough examination of the issue.

It is important to note that this essay does not discount the valuable contributions women make in the military. Women play vital roles in various capacities, including intelligence, logistics, medical support, and non-combat positions. Acknowledging and appreciating these contributions does not diminish the importance of maintaining the current division between combat and non-combat roles.

Ultimately, the decision regarding women in combat should be based on an objective assessment of military requirements, effectiveness, and the safety of all service members. Striking a balance between equal opportunities and the unique demands of combat situations is crucial to ensuring the strength and readiness of the armed forces.

Gender roles are a specific set of roles that society establishes based on one’s biological sex. Gender roles have been present in our society for decades; they are produced due to the mixture of society, culture, and sometimes even religion. These roles often differ in varying societies and cultures, and they can also change over time. They are often portrayed in television shows, and many TV shows depict the stereotypes that society assigns men and women. While it makes for good television, gender roles often limit a person from achieving their best, as well as creating stereotypes and leading to a false perception of how people of different genders should behave. For this analysis, I viewed the episode titled ‘Baby Talk’ of ‘How I Met Your Mother. This episode places a particular focus on the roles of men/women and boys/girls in today’s society; a focus that shows like this do not pay much attention to typically.

While in some communities gender roles may have been normalized, one should not be judged or be correlated with their sex or gender to determine their ability to perform certain tasks. In the episode I watched of How I Met Your Mother, gender roles are very much perceptible, plus all of the characters had to re-evaluate the way they perceive gender. As Marshall and Lily began to plan for their firstborn baby, they encountered many challenges from society. At the beginning of the episode, Marshall’s best friend Ted calls him out and says “Your list is entirely boy names” to which Marshall responds by saying “I have never thought about having a girl, I don’t want to think about having a girl” (Baby Talk How I Met Your Mother). Marshall only had boy names because he was terrified of having a girl. He thought of the fact that she would have to deal with the difficulties of being a woman in today’s society, and deal with men that would treat her similarly to the way Barney, a womanizing friend of his, treats other women. Marshall also feared that having a baby girl would mean she would grow up in a very prohibitive and oppressive environment, which may cause her trouble. Marshall then began to drain his time figuring out every conceivable homemade remedy to have a baby boy (Baby Talk How I Met Your Mother). This idea of wanting your child to be of a certain gender is determined by biological capabilities.

Similarly to Marshall, Lily also had her reasons as to why she did not want a baby boy. At the beginning of the episode, as Marshall was listing boy names for the baby, Lily began to have flashbacks of her own; of all the men she had known. Lily’s personal experience with those men made her not want to raise a baby boy. These feelings that the couple had about the gender of the child were due to experiences from a certain place for them as well. They were raised in very gender-based traditional families; Marshall’s father called him often to remind him that five generations of their family all bore sons before they had any daughters and that he needed to do the same. This pressure they had from society made them want to somehow control the unborn child’s sex by using homemade remedies that are often practiced by many cultures around the world. The couple worried about having a baby of certain sex because of the gender roles they would have to inevitably face.

The female side of the gender roles is very obvious in another character’s situation as well. Robin Scherbatsky, a news anchor and a close friend to Lily and Marshall has to deal with her new coworker Becky. This new girl has a tendency of acting like an incompetent confused little girl in order to gain more recognition from men. She brings this act into her place of work to gain popularity and more viewers. Becky rapidly begins to dominate the news channel by having her own personal photoshoots and commercials in knee-high socks licking lollipops and ice cream cones. This causes Robin to get annoyed and she attempts to get all of her friends to dislike Becky (Baby Talk How I Met Your Mother). The reason behind this association between the two characters is to appeal to the men audience of the show. This little girl’s act feeds into the male fantasy. To add a man’s point of view in the situation, we learn that Ted, another friend in the group, finds Becky charming because of how dependent she is on other people, which boosts his self-esteem as it makes him feel needed as a man (Baby Talk How I Met Your Mother).

Gender roles have a huge impact on adolescents since it is introduced to them at a very young age. Around age two children grow conscious of physical differences between boys and girls. By age four most children have a solid understanding of their gender identity. During that age, children begin to learn gender role behavior; saying phrases such as ‘things that boys do’ or ‘things that girls do’ (“Gender Identity Development in Children” Jason Rafferty). A child’s perception of gender roles influences how they socialize with their peers and build relationships. As they grow older, the roles they learned at a young age stays with them and impacts them throughout their life. Because of these assigned roles we have created such as raising the boys as the provider and the girls as a nurturer and caregivers, gender inequality issues have arisen greatly. An example of gender roles being applied to children would be when we give girls toys such as a kitchen set or a baby doll and boys get firetrucks, a policeman, and weapons such as swords or guns. This has not helped strengthen our society and has a negative impact on the way we raise our children considering it influences their future decisions.

Some characters in the show conform to gender roles while others break out of them. This can be seen in Robin’s dilemma with Becky, who uses the gender roles placed on her such as being extremely feminine and fragile, as a means to an end. Marshall and Lily broke out of the more traditional gender-based habits and eventually agreed on a gender-neutral name for their future child, Jamie. Gender roles are drilled into children from a young age, and they learn to have a perception of what their future should look like according to their given roles. Gender roles build boundaries and restrain people from performing their best. This episode effectively showed the two ways one can deal with gender roles; use them as an advantage, or try and advance as a society and remove them altogether.

The study of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (1605) (Merchant) has illuminated the notion that individualistic desires lead not to the human experience of self-betterment, but instead on the experience of fragmented identity and relationships. Inspired by his Elizabethan context, Shakespeare challenges the ‘impartial’ justice system by revealing the resulting experiences of discrimination. Furthermore, Merchant explores how materialism paradoxically leads to a loss of wealth and genuine relationships. In response to Merchant, the audience comes to understand the anomaly that is Portia as a woman who supersedes a male, Christian world’s rules.

Discrimination is a pertinent human experience constant throughout history. Shakespeare highlights the way our treatment of others is shaped by prejudice and stereotypes. Venice is presented as a city of prejudice and a pronounced social class structure, in which Shylock the Jew is shunned due to his religion. Shylock appeals to the humanity of his audience: “Hath not a Jew’s eye? If you prick us do we not bleed?” His incessant rhetorical questioning places emphasis on his distress, challenging society’s customary contempt for minorities. Shakespeare shines light on the institutionalised anti-Semitism of the time by giving a voice to the marginalized figure of Shylock, as he is punished by his own principles. Shakespeare uses careful construction of the play in order to force Shylock to barter for his own life eluding to the treatment and commodification of people and relationships as exchangeable goods. Shylock pleads the link between his property and his life which further commodifies his life “That doth sustain my house; you take my life When you do take the means whereby I live.” This eludes to the Jewish stereotype that wealth is invaluable to life. In a final undermining of Shylock, he is stripped of his religion itself “In christening thou (Shylock) should have two godfathers.” Shakespeare has stripped Shylock of everything he holds dear, elements of dark humour allude to the figurative death Shylock has experienced “A halter gratis, nothing else, for God’s sake.” Halter Gratis meaning a hanging rope, is the only possession left for Shylock as generously provided to him by the state. Shakespeare presents this as a victory for Christianity, using darker undertones, Shakespeare sheds light on the normalised prejudice of the time. We see Shylock experience religious discrimination from the start to the end of the play, we see it take away his humanity providing insight into the human experience. The story presented can showcase parallels of religious discrimination still relevant in a contemporary context, sending strong messages to the audience.

Shakespeare also illuminates the human experience of loss of identity and relationship in his exploration of materialism. Set in Venice, the wealthy centre of trade between Europe and the East of the time, Shakespeare begins his examination of the commodification of relationships in Act 2 Scene 7 against the lavish backdrop of Belmont. The casket motif in “all that glitters is not gold” reveals how the suitor’s prioritisation of materials goods over a genuine marriage with Portia results in a lack of authentic human connection. Furthermore, the materialistic characterisation of Shylock as a usurer, enables Shakespeare’s continued critique of materialism. Through parallel sentence structures and repetition in “O my ducats … O my daughter … my ducats and my daughter” Shakespeare highlights how Shylock’s commodification of his relationship with his daughter has resulted in a disconnect between the two individuals. The anaphora in “Nay you take my life and all … you take my house, you take my life” continues this critique, with Shakespeare revealing how Shylock’s loss of wealth also results in his loss of identity. Thus Shakespeare illuminates the human experience of fragmented relationships and identity through a critique of materialism in Merchant.

The characterisation of Portia as a strong heroine allows Shakespeare to challenge the traditional gender stereotypes with her cross-dressing of Balthazar allowing her to embody both stereotypically feminine and masculine traits. Portia’s struggle then, is as an anomaly of a woman seeking independence in a male Christian world, paralleling Queen Elizabeth, herself a woman who has subverted the patrilineal line of Kings to become the ‘Virgin Queen’ of England. Initially, in Portia’s introduction in I.ii, she oxymoronically introduces herself as “a living daughter curbed by a dead father,” emphasising the futility of her individual desire in the face of a patriarchal society. Likewise, in marrying Bassanio, Portia debases herself. Where she had been the “lord”, and a metaphorical “Queen over herself”, she is now a belonging of her husband to whom she must submit. As such, central to Portia’s subversion of the patriarchal power that governs her life is the manipulation of the symbolic ‘Ring’ which she originally bestows upon Bassanio, “when this ring parts from this finger, then parts life from hence,” as a representation of his ‘ownership’ of herself and her estate. Yet, in assuming the gender-ambivalent role of the ‘Doctor’ of Law, she demands from Bassanio “What ring gave you my lord?” the ring which he cannot produce. In doing so, the power dynamic between the male and female roles are inverted, especially in Bassanio’s unconvincing verbal irony that Portia would have “begged” him to “give the worth doctor” her ring. In restoring the ring, the symbol of Christian fidelity, she secures Bassanio’s loyalty, “I never more will break an oath with thee,” by appropriating Antonio’s male friendship through her demand, “Give him this and bid him keep it better…” In partial restoration of her autonomy, Portia with her intelligence and her wit, thus exist as a female anomaly. By successfully subverting the patriarchy and transcending gender roles, she demonstrates that it is possible to undermine the collective experience while also living as a part of society.

In Merchant, Shakespeare explored the individualistic desires of justice, materialism and transcending of gender roles to illuminate the negative experiences of discrimination and loss of identity but also reveal the freedom experienced as a result of rejecting societal limitations.

Every day, millions of people experience it. For most individuals, it is within reasonable limits and usually somewhat healthy. However, as the world continues to advance in technology and competition for school and work increases, stress levels are at an all-time high. These levels of stress can be dangerous for all people. In some cases, immense stress can be fatal causing victims to commit suicide. From school to adulthood stress is everywhere. In historical sources and research studies, stressors in life will be uncovered and understood. Many authors write about suicide and many stories today have suicidal meanings beneath them. It is especially relevant in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

To really understand why someone would commit suicide, you have to understand what suicide is. Many cultures had different meanings to suicide. In some places, like early Japan, it was seen as honorable to commit Seppuku or the action of suicide by disembowelment. However in others, like the United States and in Europe, it is a problem that has been rapidly growing for years. There are many approaches to breaking down why someone would commit suicide. One approach is sociological. Durkheim, a French researcher, “proposed four kinds of [sociological] approaches,” altruistic, egoistic, anomic, and fatalistic.(‘Suicide’ 4:1653) Each of those proposed approaches shares one thing in common: an exterior influence. Either because it is required by society or it is caused by society. Another approach to suicide is psychodynamic. Within this approach, there have been many different theories as to why one would commit the act. Karl Menninger, an American psychiatrist, stated that there are three drives that sum up the motives behind suicide. Those three drives are, they wish to kill, the wish to be killed, and they wish to die. While these are only some theories, there is always some truth to them. There is however a more reliable source for figuring out why someone would commit suicide and that is the biological approach. There are some risk factors that can be identified beforehand. One major risk factor would be a deficit in serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in your brain that is responsible for your mood, having a low amount of serotonin is a sign that one may be depressed and even suicidal. However, even if a subject has none of those there are still some risk factors that can be identified that are not involved with any of those categories. Exterior factors like a family environment, traumatic life events, and stress. A large amount of stress can cause someone enough pain that they feel the need to end their life. In the world today, millions of people work themselves through their life. They pile on the stress and in some cases, never relieve it. Stress is a dangerous thing and in many cases, if left untreated, can lead some people to a premature, self-inflicted death.

Immense stress can start early in schools. Students are forced to learn the curriculum and master it for the illusion of success. However, not all students have the same focus ability, and mindset for success. For instance, students with learning disabilities, such as ADHD, ADD, and deficits in social skills, may have a harder time adjusting to the fast-paced settings of a classroom. Through their struggles, these students may find themselves failing classes and accumulating more stress. Students that lack confidence in their social skills may find themselves inducing anxiety over little things that may seem like nothing to others. Additionally, those students may have a hard time making friends with their peers and can be isolated. They may carry the weight of their issues on their shoulders privately and may be in need of emotional support from their peers. Nonetheless, they may be afraid to reach out to get help from those around them because of the anxiety they subconsciously created for themselves and the stress that would come with them being rejected or humiliated. The inability to reach out for help and their continuous academic struggles may lead them to more serious issues that require professional help. These factors turn into somewhat of a stress positive feedback loop for students with learning disabilities, and even regular students, which may lead to more serious issues such as depression and in some more extreme cases, suicide. The results of a study on stress in children, displayed that all students were found to be at risk of moderate to high levels of depression, and a proportionate amount were at risk of severe depression due to stress. Unfortunately, these stressors don’t end in high school, they are easily available in everyday life afterward.

The big leap to college isn’t complete without change. Some of that change is positive, and unfortunately, there is some very negative change involved as well. As already stressed teens make their way to their respected universities, however, their problems only get worse. As they learn to deal with the struggles of living on their own, they encounter issues like financial difficulties, loneliness, being homesick, and relationship troubles. These problems, which are numerous in many cases, can lead to underperforming in academics. In a study made in 2001, 76% of students felt “overwhelmed” and 22% were unable to function as a result of feeling depressed. This depressed state that many college students deal with can cause low self-esteem, and feelings of no self-worth. These feelings can also lead to dangerous behavior such as excessive alcohol consumption and risky sexual behavior. Following activities that cause harm to the mental state like those can end up with feelings of worthlessness. There are many cases of college students with low self-esteem, who tend to do less to take care of themselves and are more likely to pursue poor health choices Males and females both react to stressors in college differently. According to a study, men in college may actually have an increase in self-esteem through adolescence and early adulthood while women are more susceptible to a big drop in self-esteem. However, in college, both men and women have a large drop in self-esteem, even though women were more likely to report their depression. Adjusting to pressures in fitting in and lifestyle changes are a big factor in this drop. Stress, low self-esteem, and depression are big factors in suicide. Even as students adjust there will always be major stressors in their lives. Unfortunately, with life comes stress, and as students move into the working world, they will discover new stress all around them.

In the workplace today, stress is very abundant. Whether it comes from the boss or from the employees, there are so many different jobs that can cause stress. However, not all jobs have the same risk level as others. Jobs like dentistry, auto mechanics, and carpenters tend to have a higher risk factor than jobs like cooks, clerks, and elementary school teachers. The stress to do a job well enough to be able to stay in business may be crippling to some people. For example, being a police officer is considered a high-risk occupation. Police officers go to work every day believing that they are there to protect the public. However, they are met with hostile behavior and agendas that show that police officer are evil. This constant hate can feel personal to some police officers causing them to feel worthless. That worthlessness that they would come to feel every day would cause depression and stress. The stress that they can cause them to commit suicide.

Of course, there are other factors than just the job that may be causing stress. Problems at home may also be a cause. If there is a struggle in a marriage, it can cause extra stress on top of the workload stress, as someone would feel betrayed by the person they believed they could spend the rest of their life with. As divorce, may not only lead some to lose their family, but their belongings, they may find themselves being useless members of society and see themselves as worthless. Another example would be if someone is losing their home, the stress of looking for a new home, and finding one that they can afford could be too much on someone who is struggling. It can make them feel like a worthless member of society and can cause them to commit suicide.

Economic factors such as the great depression can be the cause of some stress. “Suicide declines during prosperity and rises during a major economic depression” For example during the great depression, money was scarce and many people were struggling. As jobs were harder to find and money was becoming more scarce, people started to lose hope in the world and in their lives. This caused immense stress and feelings of hopelessness. Those untreated feelings developed into something more major overtime. First was immense depression and then it rapidly turned into suicide. During the Great Depression, suicide rates rapidly increased. The rate went increased by about 20% during the great depression.

Another factor that influences stress is age. According to reports, the suicide rate rises to almost four times as high over the age of 60, like that of someone under the age of 20. This can be caused by the need of having more responsibilities. As an older adult, it is expected for one to be able to understand what they are doing and have everything in their life under control. However, when expectations are not met, feelings of being a failure flood in and that can be very fatal to some people. For example, if someone is still working at age 60, while all of their colleagues and friends have retired, they may feel like they have failed in life, even though they have to work to maintain financial security.

Gender can also play a role in suicide. A study found that “male suicides outnumber females about three or four to one.” This could be caused by the need for men to be the dominant and stronger gender. The role of the man in 20th century America was to be the breadwinner and the leader of the household. Despite that, it may not always work out that way. When the ‘man of the house feels like he is not a man he may feel emasculated and worthless. Another reason is that as a man it is not socially acceptable to express emotions in the same way. Some men go their entire life without expressing their emotions and it may cause them to feel depressed in the process.

A fourteen-year study was conducted throughout the late twentieth century following female nurses, aged 30 through 55, and monitoring their stress levels and life habits. Nurses were chosen for this study because, like physicians, they have high occupational stress and have large access to many different drugs. Throughout the study, these women involved were given questionnaires and interviews that would assess their stress levels and make mathematical predictions about the nurses’ health. In the study, many of the nurses were using a drug called diazepam. Diazepam was a stress and anxiety suppressant that was used so the nurses could keep on working through long shifts. In the study, the researchers discovered that after long periods of time, some of the nurses had many characteristics of chronic stress including enlarged adrenal cortices. Through the findings, they also discovered that stress was a huge factor at work and at home for calculating the risk of suicide. For many of these nurses, claimed they had a low stress level at home but almost all of the ones said that we’re using diazepam. Heavy smoking and/or heavy drinking were found to be common traits for those nurses with higher levels of stress at home. The stress at home could be stemmed from any issues at home, financial problems, and other struggles within the household. A large factor in high-stress levels was divorce. However, suicide was not only prevalent in cases with high-stress ratings. Low ratings of stress can be linked to denial of stress. Some of the nurses refuse to believe that they are under immense stress and choose to underreport it. Which usually stems from any level of social isolation and depression. All of the factors the nurses deal with can lead to suicide. Unfortunately, during the study, about eight percent of the nurses involved ended up succumbing to suicide. After going over the data that was reported by the nurses, the researchers discovered that the nurses that did end their life reported low amounts of occupational stress and at-home stress. Many of them were confirmed to have used diazepam to combat their stresses. Through the study, they could confirm that suicide is caused by many factors, however, stress was one of the most relevant factors.

The Mali Empire was established in 1235CE and is located in Western Africa along the Niger River (Nelson, 2019). Although the Mali Empire collapsed in the 1600s, the Malian culture still continues to live on today. It is known for its abundance in gold and salt mines (Nelson, 2019). It is also the second largest producer of cotton in Africa (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Mali proves to be one of the poorest countries today (Iexplore.com, n.d.), but values collectivism as part of the culture. The unique Malian culture is made up of wonderful history, and the people of the culture put major emphasis on marriage, art, and religion, while adhering to their specific male and female gender roles.

The Mali Empire arose along with several Malinke kingdoms of Ghana under the rule of Sumanguru Kante (South African History Online, 2019). Sumanguru Kante won a series of battles to gain his reign, but was eventually overthrown by King Sundiata and the Malinke resistance (Ancient Civilizations, n.d.). King Sundiata (also spelled Sunjata) is believed by many historians to have founded the Mali Empire in 1235CE after defeating King Sumanguru Kante and the Malinke kingdoms (South African History Online, 2019). Mansa Musa was said to be one of the most famous emperors of the Mali Empire. Mansa Musa introduced the Islamic religion to the Mali Empire and made it one of the first Muslim states in northern Africa (Ancient Civilizations, n.d.). Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage and came back with riches of gold and slaves (Iexplore.com, n.d.). He built buildings in Timbuktu that are some of Africa’s largest learning centers to this day (Ancient Civilizations, n.d.). The empire fell in the 1600s, but the Mali culture still continues to live on today. The Mali states were under French colonization until they achieved independence in 1960 (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). As time has gone on, the cultures of Mali have been seen as more collectivist cultures, with minimal representation of these cultures within the U.S.

The cultures that make up the Mali Empire are seen as collectivist cultures focusing on the needs of the democracy as a whole opposed to individuality. “Mali is [now] a democratic republic” after the transition of a one-party state (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). There are both governmental and non-governmental organizations that seek to provide benefits for the people of Mali. Government organizations, such as social welfare, provide different benefits where “workers are entitled to retirement benefits, health care, sick leave, maternity leave, and other forms of compensation” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Nongovernmental organization take the needs of the local people into account by including “literacy programs, health training programs, initiatives to alleviate rural women’s work burdens, reforestation programs, and initiatives to support the decentralization of state institutions” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). The Malian culture does not have a wide range of representation in the United States, but the U.S. exchanges in trading practices with them. There have been different festivals, like the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2003, that have been Malian culture themed. These festivals are decorated by the different aspects of the Malian culture such as music and art (Smithsonian Folklife Festival, n.d.). The Malian people have different values that seem to make up the different components of this Malian culture.

The Malian culture tends to put major value into marriage, art (such as music and dancing), and etiquette. Marriage is highly valued in the Malian culture and marks an initiation from childhood to adulthood. It is the “most important ritual of the life cycle and entails numerous celebrations that are spread throughout a period of variable length, up to ten years” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). There are three different forms of marriage: traditional, civil, and religious (mostly Muslim) (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.).Polyamory is legal, and most marriages have the opportunity to pick between polyamory and monogamy (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Art is highly valued in the Malian culture with an emphasis on music, dancing, and the creation of wood carvings and masks. “Dogon dancers wear masks… to act out their conception of the world’s progress, and Bambara animal-spirit masqueraders do a fertility dance in which they imitate the movements of animals’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). Certain groups “excel in the creation of wood carvings of masks, statues, stools, and objects used in traditional religions” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). Malians value their etiquetticy “very proud of their traditions of hospitality toward local and international visitors” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Greetings and salutations “symbolize an individual’s education and his or her concern and respect for others” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Gift-giving, sharing resources, and adhering to the dress code are also emphasized as part of their etiquetticy. Art, such as architecture, and religion are also highly valued in the Malian culture.

Art and religion are greatly emphasized and valued in the Malian culture. Specifically, art plays a major role in Malian life. Many Mali groups, such as the Bambara, “excel in the creation of wood carvings of masks, statues, stools, and objects used in traditional religions” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). Mali is well developed in its architecture, “with building materials consisting of mud bricks, stones, and a little wood” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.).

The cities of Dejenne and Timbuktu are cities with different buildings and mosques created for the significance of their culture and architectural heritage (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.). Religion, specifically national Islamic religious organizations, “play an important role in the life of the country” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). It is estimated the “80% of the Malian is Muslim, with others practicing Christianity (1%) or following traditional religious practices (19%) (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Celebrating the anniversary of the birth and baptism of Islamic Prophet Mohammed along with Christian holidays such as Easter or Christmas are religious events celebrated by the Malian people. They celebrate the Prophet Mohammed’s birth during Ramadan in which they fast all month, and follow it with a “small feast” (selijinin) and a “big feast” (seliba) (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). During these small feasts, the Malian people usually sacrifice a sheep, dress in their best clothing, and exchange gifts and meat with one another. Although art and religion are highly valued in the Malian culture, the Malian people also put a great emphasis on sex and gender roles.

In general, “women are less represented than men in more lucrative sectors of the economy” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Women are less represented in state employment, private enterprises, and long-distance trade and struggle with issues such as women’s circumcision, women’s role in socialization, and their role in the education of children as well (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). There is a difference in the roles of women in rural areas versus urban cities. Rural women tend to have “a much heavier workload and reduced access to healthcare than city women” (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). Woman have different roles than men in terms of agriculture. Men tend to engage more in the selling of manufactured goods while women engage more in selling food items. Women take care of the household chores and work in the fields of their husband’s extended family (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). It does not matter if one is a man or a woman, all people have to adhere to certain standards in order to acculturate into the Malian culture.

In order to acculturate to the Malian culture, certain adaptations must be made in one’s daily life. Since Mali was controlled by the French for such a long period of time, the majority of the Malian culture speaks French, so one would have to learn the French language in order to communicate. Etiquetticy is highly valued from both the local people of the country and of the people who visit as well. One would have to adhere to their dress code. For example, one cannot wear shorts because it is deemed as disrespectful to show skin (Countries and their Cultures, n.d.). One needs to adapt to the Malian culture by adjusting to the agricultural and trade-like work life. Agriculture and trade are two of the major working industries of the Malian economy, and both men and women are involved with different roles (as stated above).

The Mali Empire was was originally established in 1235CE with its collapse following in the 1600s. Although the empire itself collapsed, the culture still remains among the Malian people today. Mali is located along the Niger River in West Africa and is known for its abundance in gold and cotton. The people of Mali are known for their wonderful art such as architecture, music, and dancing. Agricultural life is one of the major aspects of this culture, and both men and women have different roles in how they work in it. In order for one to acculturate to the Malian culture, they’d have to adhere to the rules of etiquetticy, which is highly valued in the Malian culture. Greetings to one another show a sign of respect and education, and one must adhere to the dress code to avoid showing disrespect to the culture.

References

1. Ancient Civilizations. (n.d.). Mali: A Cultural Center. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/civ/7b.asp.
2. Baker, K.M., & Imperato, P.J. (2019). Political process. Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://www.britannica.com/place/Mali/Political-process
3. Countries and their Cultures. (n.d.). Mali. Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Mali.html
4. iExplore.con (n.d.). Mali- History and Culture. Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/africa/mali/history-and-culture
5. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Mali. Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://www.britannica.com/place/Mali-historical-empire-Africa
6. The Empire of Mali (1230-1600). (2016). Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://www.sahistory.org/za/article/empire-mali-1230-1600#endnote-18.
7. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. (n.d.). Mali: From Timbuktu to Washington. Retrieved on Nov. 22, 2019 from https://festival.si.edu/past-program/2003/mali-from-timbuktu-to-washington.

As we all know, the United States occupies an important position in the world. When I studying in junior middle school, I have a great interest in the country. In this summer, I enroll the U.S. history course in order to learn about the birth and development of U.S. I found that the history made a deep effect on U.S. development. It is the basic of U.S. culture which has both positive and negative effects on its development. In this essay, I am going to talk about the change of the role of female in the late 19th century, the manifest destiny and the reason why the second world war exploded.

Nineteenth century is one of the most important era in U.S. development. That is to say, the role of female in America had a great improvement. According to Morgan (1991), in some certain area, the number of women who prefer nonmarriage and delayed marriage increased significantly. And lots of couple had no child until late life. In my opinion, it is a symbol that women’s attitude was changing. The female are more likely to enjoy their life, instead of being fertility machines. Tim (2019) shows that because of the industrial revolution in 19th century, the machines which can provide female with working was invented. In other words, women do no need to do some basic and hard work. Instead, there are some advanced machines. The rights of women, on the other hand, are guaranteed in a wide range. Some factories limited the working hours to avoid overfatigue. And the children who under ten years old were no allowed to work. In addition, the invention of certain machine means that the number of job opportunities which is provided to women is rising. In my position, the status of women had improved significantly result from the rapid development of society at the end of the nineteenth century. Part of this is due to the fact that people had separated themselves from the ignorance of women’s abilities in primitive society and the discovery of women’s working abilities. In this regard, the society should provide more jobs and opportunities for women. This has played a significant positive role in accelerating social development. However, it is regrettably that many women are still solely responsible for housework.

In the nineteenth century, many Americans chose to migrate westward because of mental and physical factors. First of all, in the mid-nineteenth century, the idea of ‘destiny by nature’ appeared in America. Through the Julius’s record (1927), the idea appeared in 1845, and it defines that “United States was destined by God” and it illustrated that American should expand its territory and believed democracy and capitalism. It is a truth that manifest destiny is the mental factor of drawing Americans to the west. Secondly, there is no denying that the physical factor is gold rush in California. According to Brands (2003), the first few pieces of gold in California was found by James Wilson Marshall in 1848. Since then, large numbers of people had migrated westward in order to get gold. Most of them come to California with their whole worth and whole family. The data (2010) shows that the immigrants increased from 20000 to 90000 between 1848 and 1850. Furthermore, people moving to the west also resulted from Homestead Act. The Homestead Act encouraged American immigrate to west of the Mississippi River so that the Agricultural can be developed. The Act could provide immigrants some welfare such as ownership of land within a certain period of time. I believe that the manifest destiny, gold rush and the Homestead Act were the factors of drawing American citizens to the west both in mental aspect and physical aspect.

The second World War is one of the most important war in the world. It impacted American economy and development deeply. The second World War began with Adolf Hitler’s decision. And it lasted from 1939 to 1945. John and Tomas A show that German attack on Poland on September 1st, and the second World War had begun since September 3rd with Britain and France’s declaration of war against Germany. Compared with French and British, Germans had more powerful and advanced weapons. Especially in 1935, Germany began to develop large tank formation effectively. Obviously, Hitler would like to own stable rights in Germany firstly and then consolidate Germany’s rule over Central Europe. In the end, however, he lost to the increasingly robust Soviet Union. Similar to German, Japan also had a lofty goal. Japan wanted to the power which could control the East Asia. But it overestimates its power. After the success in attacking Pearl Harbor, U.S. rebuild their fleet speedy. And U.S. fought back against Japan. Atomic bombs destroyed the two large cities of Japan. In August 14th, the Pacific war ended with Japan’s surrender. Overall, the suffering of the people caused by war cannot be ignored, and no war is expected. Peace is the most precious asset.

In conclusion, U.S history help me know about the development of a large country. In my opinion, industry and economy are two of the most impacts of a country’s successful development. The correct judgment of leaders can bring more opportunities and advantages to the country. I will still pay more attention to U.S. history and learn about more knowledge through it.