It was genuinely surprising to read Gerai’s account about the Dayak community, as it seems to represent an almost utopian view on sex and gender. Unlike Western perspectives that seek to distinguish the two genders, and raise one up at the expense of the other in some ways, the Dayak recognize the differences but see it as a benefit. Reading the account, it almost seemed as the culture promotes the empowerement of both genders based on the characteristics which define them (i.e., male strength, female persistence). These positives are then brought together to contribute to the wellbeing of society as well as personal relationships in a nearly egalitarian perspectives.
It is difficult to believe, although greatly comforting to know that there are cultures as this. Unfortunately, most industrialized societies have the culture of severe gender clashes, and the characteristics of the gender are associated with negative aspects, such as Gerai notes, male strength is connected to aggression. I think it is correct to note that it is a matter of values, the values that are taught by society are the ones that people would exhibit. Western society gives value to hypermasculinity and aggression as definitions of males, exemplified via the genitalia and abusive actions such as sexual domination, assault or rape – therefore, the culture forms around this, being far removed from the egalitarianism and harmony of the Dayak.
As shocking as that perspective may be, I agree that it reflects accurately the social element that has been created conservatively around rape for centuries. As mentioned earlier, rape is often attributed to natural biology, while in reality it reflects more the concepts of society. I think this perspective touches on both, it emphasizes the natural characteristics of the genders (strength for men, femininity for women) while highlighting its social features (men are praised, women are viewed as used and broken). It can be argued that it is built within our society, as there are certain connotations and stereotypes associated with sexual violence. For example, in a UK study, the label victim was associated with passive femininity. The feminization hypothesis holds true when it comes to rape, as victims, that are most commonly women (but can be men) are attributed feminine characteristics and greater judgment (men would not be seen as men anymore). Meanwhile the accused of committing the rape is given trait dimension of prescriptive masculinity.
The binary gender system too rigidly assigns patterns of behavior, responsibilities, and expectations to women and men. Failure to conform to these patterns generates social disapproval and can provoke painful sanctions (such as firing fathers who dare to take paternity leave). The options for choosing behavioral scenarios are severely narrowed. Moreover, the binary gender system usually becomes a tool for reproducing gender inequality in society. It is difficult for a woman who is seen only as a mother and a keeper of the home to become president.
Discussion
The American Grammy Awards no longer have a gender divide. Although the Grammy has more than 80 different categories, from “Best Latin Rock Album” to “Best New Age Song,” no gender-specific class exists (Nakahara, 2019). The most important types are “Best Album of the Year,” “Best Song of the Year,” and “Best Record of the Year. So it is not just a matter of gender identity – it is a matter of not distinguishing between male and female talent. Some nominees and viewers might think that the division into awards for men and women exists to show that one gender is more talented or vice versa. The other awards must do away with gender division to avoid such misunderstandings. This move will help bring us closer to gender equality, which is almost the hottest topic today. Each person, actor, or teacher has the right to choose whom they want to be. It should not be forgotten that the celebrities who receive these awards may feel differently, and it is not possible to assign any gender category to them.
Before the 21st Century, it seemed that the future world would evolve exclusively with technology, but as it turned into the present world, it turned out that it was still far from perfect. People continue to dress girls in pink and boys in blue, forbidding girls to play with cars and boys to embroider crosses. Although people abandon old prejudices in today’s society, the problem is still relevant. Many parents who raise their children according to the old ways make them suffer. Many teenagers are afraid to admit that, for example, they do not feel like a girl or a boy because they do not want to upset their parents. Awards like the Oscars and the Emmys should surely remove the gender divide. Large-scale organizations must treat all people equally to set an example for society.
Conclusion
Society cannot divide people by gender by attributing any qualities to them. The Oscars and Emmys have a huge impact on people, so they need to take a step that will help to abandon gender division and come to equality completely. If awards like the Oscars and Emmys move away from the gender divide, more and more people will start to think about the topic. People tend to believe their idols and share their points of view, so this action will help bring the topic of gender separation to society and show that it is worthy of attention.
Reference
Nakahara, Y. (2019). Music and gender.Nakamura International Course, 57. Web.
This essay is about a case of a young Black male of Nigerian origin called Victor, aged 22 who lives in Nottingham in the United Kingdom (UK), currently serving a 5-year jail term for grievous bodily harm. Victor has been living with his mother ever since the age of 4 years after his father moved to the United States. Further, Victor was exposed to several domestic conflicts at an early age due to the fact that his mother had several relationships with many partners which did not last more than one year. In many instances, some of these partners were violent and he witnessed them beat up his mother on many occasions. These brutal actions towards the mother might have radicalized Victor into violence against the men in defense of his mother and younger sister.
Seemingly the environment in which Victor grew up influenced his personality identity because at young age Victor got involved with gangs and knife crimes. This earned him a reputation as a criminal at the adolescent stage for offenses like theft, criminal damage, drug abuse, selling drugs, and possession of weapons. This alienated him further from his mother, stepfather, and sister as he started living with his friend until his prison sentence. It is also essential to highlight the fact that neither his biological parents nor stepfather (a white British) whom his mother remarried when he was 12 years had any criminal records. Victor’s criminal and violent life intensified after joining a group of gang friends; he was involved in gang fights, committed robberies, violent assaults, and was also a victim of grievous bodily harm.
Prior to his prison sentence, there were attempts to rehabilitate Victor and he was enrolled even in adult education courses in painting and decoration. His mentors reported positive progress as he was actively trying to change and dissociate from gang-related activities; unfortunately, the funding for the program stopped negating the gains already made. In addition, his school reports indicated that he was a frequent truant and displayed early violent behaviors; and he was frequently suspended from school. Intersectionality of race, gender, age, and class comes into play in this case study. Clearly, Victor suffered an identity complex crisis both of biological, psychological, and social influences that changed his life at an early age. This essay will discuss each socio-cultural factor independently first, and lastly examine how the factors intersect with each other in a separate section.
Age
The period of youth and adolescence is characterized by dramatic changes for young people. They are expected to develop their own identity and personality in this period of their lives (Cherry, 2021). Developing from an early age without proper parental care combined with the fact his mother was continuously getting into so many abusive relationships, must have created conflict in Victor’s development. On reaching the adolescent stage where he started exploring his independence and developing a sense of self, the earlier violent behaviors from partners towards his mother must have taught him to act violently. As revealed in the case study, he horned his violent tendency in defense of his mother and the sister. It further created mental instability in Victor, created a gap in his relationship with people, and cultivated criminal tendencies witnessed in him.
On the other hand, the perceived age of a person will have an impact on how society views them and behave with them. There are dominant societal and cultural assumptions about age and different age groups, that consider children as innocent, old people as fragile and vulnerable, and teenagers as selfish and rebellious (Knoll et al., 2017). These prevailing images of certain age groups influence perceptions perception and experiences, and it may have contributed to the careless nature by which Victor’s mother changed partners at his tender age. The mom and her violent partners might have thought that he was so young and innocent that he could not notice what was happening around him (Knoll et al., 2017). Oblivious of how keen Victor was at a tender age, the actions by his mother and the partners created huge damage to his character and necessitated a violent change in his behavior. At his adolescent stage, when his violent and criminal nature was already taking effect, the police did not give him the benefit of doubt to know what led him to criminal gangs and activities.
Race
Racism is a belief that certain races have distinctive characteristics which give them superiority over others. It is a form of visible and invisible violence, and it can take structural, psychological, and physical dimensions (Henkeman, 2016). Living in a social context dominated by the white majority with deep-rooted societal stereotypes and perceptions towards Black Africans, Victor mostly likely grew up witnessing how fellow Blacks suffered discrimination. In his neighborhood maybe the police offer to apply the law selectively depending on the victim’s ethnicity or race. The hatred of the physicality, cultures, and identities of the Black Africans coupled with how his mother suffered at the hands of her partners might have lowered him into criminal gangs (Kippert, 2020). The inequalities, unemployment, poverty, and exclusion against Blacks could have led him to join extreme criminal gangs believing it could help him fight racial discrimination.
Gender
Domestic violence against women is considered to have serious health consequences for women, children, families, and the community. Gender-based violence could lead to behavioral issues, depression, anxiety, stress, self–harm, poor self–esteem, violence, and substance abuse among the victims and their family members (Sharma et al., 2019). Growing up seeing his mom’s partners take advantage of her feminine status and constantly violent her physically, and emotionally, Victor might experience pain, suffering, stress, and depression. These problems might have made him decide to act violently in defense of his mother and younger sister who were helpless. The persuasion to become violent because he was the only male in their family to defend the mom and sister could have lured him to join a violent gang that became his friends.
Class
The social class status of different people may arise from unequal distribution or access to resources by different people in terms of race, age, and gender. It manifests in many ways including income and wealth inequality, unequal access to education, cultural resources, different treatment by the police, and the judicial system (Crossman, 2020). It is characterized by unequal opportunities and rewards for different positions within society. There are elements of uneven spreading of wealth and punishments. The nature of violence victor witnessed against his mother and the subsequent violence in the hands of police offers could have lured him into violent and criminal activities. He might have gotten involved with the criminal gang as the only way out for him in life.
Discussion of Intersectionality of Race, Gender, Age and Class
Intersectional theory creates a room for services and providers to examine how and young people experience the world. Additionally, it reveals how such experience influences the way teenagers interact with other people and the extent that they feel able to share their lived realities (Marsh & Davis, 2020). These occurrences are shaped and impacted by aspects of young people’s identity like race, age, gender, and social class. The interactions through these identities are layered, interrelate, and are experienced simultaneously. Based on this Victor being a male Black African of Nigerian origin, without proper education, and from a family living a relatively low life might have resigned his fate to violent criminal activities. That is what contemporary society sees such young people for, and maybe nobody would give him a chance or take their time to understand why his life took a turn for worse.
It is likely that he experienced racism and biased interactions not just due to his race but also because of how it intersects with his gender; he is a black African male. In terms of how these characteristics intersect with age, being an adolescent the society perceives him as selfish and rebellious, and so are easily criminalized. This kind of experience might have affected Victor’s sense of insecurity about receiving support from professionals as a victim of stress, depression, and domestic violence. Thus, he sought refuge in joining teen gangs operating in his neighborhood which he believed could offer him a sense of identity, belonging, and connection. There is a need for the police, psychologists, and counselors to consider the race, culture, age, gender, and social class of the youth when dealing with why they turned violent and got engaged in criminal activities.
Conclusion
Race, age, gender, and social class intersectionality has the potential of making young adolescents who turn violent fail from getting appropriate help from professional psychologists due to perception at first sight. Equally, government agencies like the police out of prejudice may discriminate against young people who engage in violent and criminal activities based on these identities. Therefore, professional counselors, educationists, psychologists, and must consider these factors when dealing with violent and criminal gangs of young people.
Worldview can be defined as the overarching philosophies about the world that a person holds. There are various factors that shape a person’s acquisition of worldview. These include age, community, gender among others. These philosophies affect, albeit differently, a person’s behavior, including the ability to learn.
One of the factors that shape a person’s worldview is gender. Gender means being either male or female. Suffice to state that every community has gender specific roles that it inculcates into people from an early age. For instance, amongst the Japanese, men are seen as the only relevant members of the society, while women are relegated to insignificance. As such women are purely dependent on men in every aspect of life. This means that the worldviews that women and men hold differ because of the social roles imposed upon each these genders by the culture. As such, Japanese men and women have varied concepts of the self; men see themselves as decision makers while women see themselves as inferior to men. Likewise, age also shapes a person’s worldview especially in hierarchical societies, as opposed to egalitarian societies.
In hierarchical societies one of the factors that govern the attainment of social status is age. In these societies, as a person progressively attains certain age, the social roles changes due to change of status. A person worldview is only limited to the expectation of the age-based social status since that person is not expected to perform the roles stipulated of a different and higher social status. Furthermore, as a people climb up the social ladder, their behavior becomes more formal. In addition, in the contemporary world, the new age movement is also influencing the worldviews of those who ascribe to its philosophies1. Additionally, community also shapes ones worldview about the self, the world and those one is living with. In this sense community refers to the people one lives with and the dominant interpersonal relationships. Such relationships may either be friendly of strained. In a community, one is expected to perform various community roles. Suffice to say that a person motivation to perform those roles is influenced by dominant interpersonal relationships. As such, a persons overarching philosophies about the world within ones community is shaped by the dominant interpersonal relationships2.
Age, community, gender and other factors shapes a person worldviews. According to how these factors shape a person’s worldview, the person forms certain beliefs about the world, the self and how a person behaves towards others, the world one lives in and the things a person does. A person’s ability to learn is therefore influenced by age, the community ones lives in and gender. In hierarchical societies women’s view education as irrelevant to them due to their social roles. Similarly, a community’s interpersonal relations may affect a person enthusiasm to learn positively or negatively. Moreover, a person age in hierarchical communities affects the speed at which a person attains learning, since learning is associated with social status, which is progressively attained. Suffice to say that such concepts about life are not permanent. They can change since meaning is contextual and changes in regard to place and time.
A person worldview does not just occur automatically, but is influenced by a number of factors. Age, community and gender are some of these factors, which influences how one conceptualizes the world. The resultant philosophies lead to the formation of a person behavior towards others, and other life issues such as learning.
Bibliography
Marshall, L. and Rowland, F. (2006). A Guide to Learning Independently. London: Pearson Education.
Samovar, L. et al. (2010). Communication between Cultures. Boston: Wordsworth Cengage Learning.
Footnotes
Larry Samovar et al. Communication between Cultures. (Boston: Wordsworth Cengage Learning, 2010) 97 – 152.
Lorraine A. Marshall, Frances Rowland. A Guide to Learning Independently (London: Pearson Education, 2006) 1-18.
Gender disparity is one of the most disturbing and challenging global issues in the contemporary world. In general, this social phenomenon may be described as specific differences in access to status, resources, and well-being for women and men. Gender disparity traditionally favors men and is frequently institutionalized through social norms, justice, and law. The peculiarities of gender disparity related to the men’s superior social position cause gender discrimination. It implies unfair treatment including exclusion, distinction, and restriction based on the female sex, violation of women’s rights, and denial of their opportunities (Zarar, Bukhsh, and Khaskheli 2017). Gender discrimination rejects the equality of women and men and female fundamental freedoms and opportunities in the economic, political, cultural, civil, and social fields.
Despite substantial progress in all spheres of life, women remain vulnerable to discrimination, prejudice, violence, and exploitation all over the world. According to the research of WHO conducted with the Medical Research Council and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 35% of women “have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence” (Al Dosary 2016:165). Discrimination is present even in developed countries “that claim to be champions of women’s rights” (Zarar et al. 2017:1). In a substantive number of organizations, “the gender gap in wages” that implies the different payment for men and women is still observed (Popescu 2016). Meanwhile, gender discrimination and stigmatization are particularly common in developing countries, such as India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (Zarar et al. 2017). Women are frequently treated as second-class citizens – they are not allowed to leave the house without the male relative’s permission and spend money on their essential needs (Zarar et al. 2017). The non-implementation of established social regulations may lead to severe legal or domestic punishment.
Hypothesized Causes
Women currently remain vulnerable to discrimination, prejudice, violence, and exploitation all over the world because culture and society form gender roles, norms, and stereotypes that may hurt the perception of femininity. For instance, according to cultural and religious norms and traditions of specific communities, a woman is regarded as the man’s property. After marriage, she will not be able to return to her parents or take care of them during old age. That is why the birth of a girl is frequently unwanted. In Islamic culture, women are responsible for covering themselves with a veil and housekeeping regardless of their desires or talents. Traditionally, patriarchal norms deny women’s right to make decisions related to their reproduction and sexuality.
As social norms are accepted both consciously and unconsciously by group members, gender discrimination may be learned as well. The major “agents of gender socialization,” such as family, educational institutions, peer groups, and mass media, have a highly substantial impact on the creation of women’s image (Chambliss and Eglitis 2018:260). Parents traditionally have particular beliefs concerning their children’s behavior based on their gender. In addition, they explicitly or indirectly transmit their vision of other people. Children adopt their parents’ views and may support women’s discrimination in the future if it was common in their family. The focus of mass media and advertising on women’s frequently exaggerated femininity and sexuality, emotional instability, or a lack of independence leads to the negative perception of women as well.
Women currently remain vulnerable to discrimination, prejudice, violence, and exploitation all over the world because a substantial number of communities do not have educational standards and the appropriate level of economic development to reduce gender discrimination. In general, people from high socioeconomic classes and higher educational backgrounds do not support gender discrimination and do not have a prejudice against women (Zarar et al. 2017). Violence against female citizens exists mostly among the representatives of lower socioeconomic classes with a substantively poor educational background.
Hypothesized Consequences
Because women currently remain vulnerable to discrimination, prejudice, violence, and exploitation all over the world, they frequently suffer from health problems and emotional stress. The act of violence causes a harmful emotional and physical impact on victims. Abused women are typically subjected to anxiety, depression, suicidal behavior, and personality or somatic disorders. Violence may result in crucial physical injuries of the victim’s body as well. The devastating effect of women’s exploitation and discrimination frequently implies the inhibition of their self-determination. Moreover, gender discrimination negatively influences the development of society as women’s talents, skills, potential, and contribution to the communities’ growth are highly essential.
Because women currently remain vulnerable to discrimination, prejudice, violence, and exploitation all over the world, feminist organizations are expanding operations worldwide. In general, feminism may be defined as a historical, social, and political movement that aims to provide social, economic, political, and personal gender equality. Due to feminism, women may vote, study, choose the place of work, make decisions concerning their reproduction, control money, and have their property. However, women’s rights are currently violated in various societies across the globe. That is why feminists organize missions to support women in developing countries.
References
Al Dosary, Ahmad Hamad. 2016. “Health Impact of Domestic Violence against Saudi Women: Cross Sectional Study.” International Journal of Health Sciences 10(2): 165-173.
Chambliss, William J., and Daina S. Eglitis. 2018. Discover Sociology. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Popescu, Gheorghe H. 2016. “Gender, Work, and Wages: Patterns of Female Participation in the Labor Market.” Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics 4(1): 128-134.
Zarar, Rukhshanda, Muneera Moula Bukhsh, and Waheed Akbar Khaskheli. 2017.” Causes and Consequences of Gender Discrimination against Women in Quetta City.” Arts and Social Sciences Journal 8(3):1-6.
The article discusses the barriers that gender minorities, particularly women and broader American employees, experience in the workplace in the United States. Specifically, the author emphasizes the inadequacies of the existing job protection and compensation system in the US. The article first outlines the rising costs of childcare and elderly care, followed by explaining the inability of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to meet those increasing challenges. After considering the family leaves policies implemented in Rhode Island, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, and other industrialized countries as exemplary models, the author provides some practical policy recommendations.
People, Groups, Organizations
The article primarily concerns working-class Americans and management in the face of employers as the policies discussed can directly affect the lives of these individuals. The author also includes lawmakers in the US Federal Government, particularly the US Department of Labor and State Governments, in the discussion. The source also refers to the social work centers, including the Center for American Progress and the Center for the Childcare Workforce.
Author’s Position
Janice Arellano has a Doctor of Law degree from James E. Beasley School of Law from Temple University. Hence, the author has sufficient qualifications to discuss the topic. Their position as a female with Latino-Hispanic origins can be one of the factors that shaped their ultimate concern for the given issue. In other words, inadequate family policies primarily harm women workers and immigrant, low-income, minority communities.
Connection with the NASW Code of Ethics
The article relates to several aspects of the NASW Code of Ethics. The social justice value from the NASW Code of Ethics is relevant to the report. This value emphasizes that social workers should challenge social injustices. NASW Code of Ethics also focuses on the importance of human relationships, which is based on the ethical principle that social workers should acknowledge the importance of family relationships for individual happiness. This value is related to the article since the author assumes that family care is an essential aspect of human happiness undermined under the existing inadequate family care policies.
Cultural factors play an important role in a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, yet such influences may have a negative effect. For instance, many people tend to classify others as either female or male depending on their birth gender and treat them accordingly throughout their lives (Spielman et al., 2020). However, the cases such as that of David Reimer demonstrate that an individual’s gender identity and sexual orientation are more complicated than traditional binary views. David Reimer was an intersex person who was born as a boy, but his testicles were removed soon after he was born due to health problems (Spielman et al., 2020). The parents tried to raise the baby as a girl, yet it was difficult for the child to identify as a female (Spielman et al., 2020). Eventually, David realized that he was a male and wished to continue living as one (Spielman et al., 2020). Consequently, David Reimer’s story suggests that such cultural factors as how gender is perceived and treated in a community cannot define an individual’s identity but can rather force them to hide who they are.
Furthermore, a person who is intersexed has to deal with several cultural and emotional issues. First, despite many people being intersexed, they are quite frequently neglected by society or discriminated against when noticed (TEDx Talks, 2019). For example, intersex babies are likely to be operated on without consent and with no medical need because of cultures that recognize individuals only as male or female (TEDx Talks, 2019). Second, intersex individuals are typically told to keep their identity secret, which may cause them to feel ashamed of who they are (TEDx Talks, 2019). Moreover, society often reinforces a certain gender on intersex people to accept a personality that does not correspond with theirs (TEDx Talks, 2019). Accordingly, a person who is intersexed is usually put in a box of cultural prejudices, which cause negative emotions.
References
Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology. OpenStax.
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the lives of people worldwide in several ways. This article will focus on how the pandemic has exacerbated race, gender, and marriage humankind. Considering the long-standing gender inequality that has existed for a long time now, this paper is focused on finding out gender has been affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic. Furthermore, the paper will establish how the virus’s outbreak has impacted various ethnic groups.
Marriages are another aspect of humanity that has faced the brunt of the virus’s outbreak and spread. A study by Landivar et al. (2020) about the effect of the virus on gender and marriage in the US reveals that the pandemic has worsened gender inequality in employment. The study’s findings indicate more women, especially mothers, had to quit their jobs to become housewives.
Statistics given by the Current Population Survey report that most exits from the labor force represented women who had young children (Landivar et al., 2020). The reduction of work hours by firms also had a toll on working spouses. While most men among heterosexual working couples were affected, only couples who could telecommute were retained. Mothers report a higher reduction in work hours than fathers.
According to Lanvidar et al. (2020), women have been greatly affected. They have to undergo challenging situations such as increased domestic work since educational schools had been shut down, working in firms facing economic decline, and serving as forefront workers at risk of being infected with the virus. The article implies that the pandemic is inclined to worsen gender disparity since its impact on women, including mothers, will result in the following: lower career development decreased income, and higher independence on others.
Lavindar et al. (2020) indicate that the pandemic brought about a change of roles as men had to assume care work responsibility while working from home. However, it is reported that childcare was done in the shift to reduce the possibility of interrupting office work time. The study indicates that even when couples were able to telecommute and consider household commitments, mothers did this to a greater extent than fathers to perform their duties. Furthermore, the work hours have been reduced even among women who can telecommute.
It is reported that childcare was done in the shift to reduce the possibility of interrupting office work time. Lavindar et al. (2020) indicate that the pandemic brought about a change of roles as men had to assume childcare responsibility while working from home. These statistics indicate the great extent to which the virus’s outbreak has worsened gender inequality and couple marriages.
An article, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), has reported that people from racial and ethnic minorities are at a higher risk of getting infected with the virus. The determinants include racial discrimination, access to healthcare, housing, occupation, and disparities in wealth, education, and pay. CDC says that these inequities have also increased the occurrence of other medical conditions that can expose a patient to COVID-19. Some ethnic groups and races may experience a shortage of wages, higher stress levels, and lack of access to essential services when local administration effect strategies to control the virus’s spread.
In conclusion, the article has examined how humanity’s characteristics, such as race, marriage, and gender, have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent spread. It found out that the pandemic has exacerbated gender inequality and resulted in the change of roles among married couples with children living at home. Furthermore, the spread of the virus had negative consequences on race. The pandemic worsened discrimination of people from varying races and ethnic groups worldwide.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups. Web.
Lavindar, L. C., Ruppanner, L, R., Scarborough, W., J., & Collins, C. (2020). Early Signs Indicate That COVID-19 Is Exacerbating Gender Inequality in the Labor Force. Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 6, 1-3. Web.
A conceptual model of sociology called ethnomethodology is predicated on the idea that upsetting a society’s established social hierarchy will reveal its typical social structure. The subject of how individuals explain their conduct is investigated by ethnomethodologists. It is a style of inquiry dedicated to learning the feasible tactics of common-sense thinking used by society participants throughout daily life. They might well purposefully interrupt social rules to observe how individuals retaliate and how they attempt to reinstate social order in an attempt to address this question. For instance, the participants in the conversation could nod their heads to show agreement, glance at one another, and ask and respond to questions.
Dramaturgy, a subset of the performing arts, focuses on drawing plays to life on display. Front-stage conduct expresses internalized standards and expectations for behavior influenced by the environment, the specific position somebody performs within, and one’s outward looking. In any case, front-stage conduct often adheres to rote social scripting taught and modified by cultural standards. One example is wearing well to hide melancholy. Individuals are liberated from the expectations and rules that govern conduct on stage whenever they act backstage. Since they may let their guards down and act in manners representing their unfettered or “real” personalities backstage, individuals tend to be more at ease and relaxed. For instance, behaving sluggishly after not eating anything.
According to the differential association hypothesis, social contact with others are where individuals pick up their principles, attitudes, skills, and motivations for committing crimes. Agents of social control identify the weak as deviant and criminal based on stereotyped beliefs within the labeling theory of crime, which is linked to interactionism. This leads to consequences like the self-fulfilling prophecy, the criminal profession, and the intensification of deviance. The gypsy Roma youth documentary emphasizes juvenile delinquency by demonstrating ways kids pick up criminal conduct via social contact. An example would be when a female is observed robbing customers of their cash as they withdraw from Banks.
Hyperreality is a scenario in which representations of reality feel more authentic than the real thing. It is the process of substituting a depiction for a fact. The dove commercial video film depicts a woman before and after applying cosmetics to demonstrate how humans have become skewed from reality. As a result, this has influenced how people see facts in the new age. People aspire to match the depicted resemblance of reality but will never be able to.
Radical feminism is a worldview that strongly emphasizes the patriarchal causes of gender inequality, or more precisely, the social dominance of women by males. It holds that patriarchy oppresses women and favors men by largely partitioning society’s rights, benefits, and authority along sex lines. Marxist feminists aim to change Marxist theory via the notion of patriarchy to explain better how women are subordinated. Considering Brazilian women and the widespread usage of cosmetic surgery on their bodies, this illustrates how women view their inequalities. They undergo this surgery to feel good about themselves and see themselves as equivalent to other men. An illustration is when a lady attempts to get this operation to get rid of her large tummy.
According to the structural-functional approach hypothesis, society is ordered by a framework that includes human behavior. As a result, it contributes to the organization’s continued operation in view of the various roles that men and women perform. Those positions were based on the physical differences between men and women. Due to their physical prowess, males were given tasks like hunting, and women took care of the household. These responsibilities eventually became formalized, and that is how they now function. According to the symbolic interactionism idea, gender is anything an individual undertakes. For instance, a guy wearing a skirt is seen as rejecting conventional gender norms.
It is a necessity to explain findings discussed in Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams by Ouellette, as it provides the understanding of the primary concepts, which occurred in the past. Firstly, Brown, who was editor of Cosmopolitan in the 1960s, focused on delivering the message to a particular class (Ouellette 116). One of the primary findings discussed in the analysis is cultural discourse, as this feature made the women feel like special “historical subjects” (Ouellette 117). It can be comprehended, as Brown was the first lady, who addressed the sexism issues and taught her first readers not to pay attention to the double standards, which occurred in the society (Ouellette 117). She wanted to form a particular class of Cosmo Girls, which have a complex and “sexualized identity” (Ouellette 117).
Secondly, Ouellette pays special attention to the book Sex and the Single Girl by Brown, as it was an essential element, which contributed to the formation of Cosmo Girl identity (Ouellette 117). The book focuses on the detailed tutorial of how a girl, whose life is a complete challenge, can become successful in the modern world. It covers important aspects such as flirting and budgeting (Ouellette 117). It encouraged women to be financially independent and have active control over their lives. It could be concluded that Cosmo Girl is “a sexualized symbol of pink collar femininity” (Ouellette 118).
Brown encouraged women to spend money on cosmetics and clothes to change the personal identity. She paid a significant amount of attention to the articles, which helped women to construct new personal images of themselves (Ouellette 120). It was one of the primary focuses of the magazine.
Additionally, the falsity of appearance was emphasized as a primary tool to pursue the changes of personality (Ouellette 121). The articles paid significant attention to the improvement of the outlooks by fake eyelashes and makeup. As it helped cover all the possible drawbacks of the appearance.
The ideal characteristics of Cosmo Girl were “white, heterosexual, upper-middle class” (Ouellette 121). The attention of the other races was only briefly discussed in the magazine, as the ‘white’ girl was ideal. However, it was possible to change the position on the social ladder. A girl could use the tips from the magazine and marry to a well-educated man. In this case, the Karl Marx theory could be applied to change the social position. The girls should have a tendency to become more successful, as “Poor girls are not sexy!” (Ouellette 123).
Additionally, Brown suggested that the only way to overcome the challenges of the class is “hard work” and “conspicuous consumption” (Ouellette 123). She also claimed that the existence of the class differentiation is a natural phenomenon (Ouellette 123). Furthermore, it was suggested that the identical sharing of cultural capitals was present, and women could transfer between the classes by marrying the right people.
Nonetheless, it has to be mentioned that “female sexual desirability” was restricted by the cultural codes “of the working class prostitute” (Ouellette 123). The girl, who represented the social class, appeared on the cover of the magazine wearing luxury clothes and makeup. She usually combined all the attributes of the social class identity. Continuing with the prostitute topic, Brown emphasized that sexuality is a unique instrument, which can change a girl’s life. One of the examples is sex for presents, as “charitable girls” were having sexual intercourse for meals, jewelry, and so on (Ouellette 124).
In the end, Cosmopolitan contributed to the construction of a new image of the American dream, as it encouraged self-development and denied “Victorian sex norms” (Ouellette 125). Sex was discovered as a primary tool for the social mobility and improvement of living conditions. Lastly, the women were understood as competitors, as they needed to fight for the hot spots (Ouellette 125).
Now, it is vital to apply the findings presented above to the modern version of Cosmopolitan, as it helps see, which concepts have changed over an extended period. However, the aspects will be summarized and divided by several major topics. As we live in the modern era, equality is an essentiality of our lives. This point can be seen in new Cosmopolitan September 2015. Cosmopolitan does not focus anymore on the particular races, and people of all ethnicities are present. For example, Sephora advertisement is a pure representation of equality, as it shows the beauty of women of different races (Coles 27). Moreover, the equality between social classes is also emphasized. For instance, it has a unique part named “confession”, where people can tell ridiculous and embarrassing stories (Coles 64). It shows that individuals of all social classes can make mistakes. As for the independence, women are highly independent in the modern society, and there is not a necessity to express this position in the journal. Moreover, any woman can read it, and it is not aimed at a particular social class or sexual orientation.
The appearance and the primary attributes of the cultural codes are presented on the cover of the magazine, as Demi Lovato is a celebrity, who stands out for her good looks and luxury clothes. Moreover, modern Cosmopolitan contains many advertisements, which also represent the main features of the social identity, for example, the publication of Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent reflects the sexuality and the luxury of the perfume (Coles 1). Moreover, the magazine consists mostly of advertisements, which promote the luxurious lifestyle.
Despite the changes in the other topics of Cosmopolitan, makeup and clothing are essentialities of the magazine since it is vital to dress according to the trends. Section “Style” shows potential clothing combinations, which are actual for September (Coles 92). As for the makeup, the modern magazine has a section called “Beauty” to present new trends in the makeup (Coles 116). In this case, these features are also the tools to express women sexuality. However, they are mostly devoted to the beautiful looks and self-development than using it as a primary tool to attract men.
It still focuses on self-improvement and independence. However, its context is broader and pays particular attention to the broadening the horizons of different knowledge. For instance, now Cosmopolitan has a special section, where it advises what books to read (Coles 30). However, it provides tips how to change one’s habits and dressing style and become like Demi Lovato (Coles 58). Self-development remains an essential factor to improve the position on the social ladder.
The relationship between men and women and flirt remains in the priority. As the equality is present even in the clothing, particular attention is paid to the problem of how clothing can ruin the relationship (Coles 86). As for the sexuality, one of the rubrics is “Sexiest Gentlemen alive” (Coles 71). The photos are rather funny. In this case, the sexuality is not taken seriously. Nonetheless, it also pays attention to the other more serious matters related to sex, such “Why don’t I want to have sex?” (Coles 154). Lastly, it addresses the office topic and certain negative accidents, which might occur at the workplace (Coles 158). Sex is important, but it is not discussed as a potential tool to change a position in the social hierarchy. It is discovered as an entertainment, and Cosmopolitan offers various tips to improve the pleasure of the process.
In conclusion, Cosmopolitan partly lost its idea of being a success, sexuality guide, and initial features of the American dream. Now, it is just a potential source of entertainment, as it helps relax and enjoy the quality of pictures since the photos dominate. Moreover, it provides interviews with the stars, which will help spend the leisure (Coles 163). Its primary goal is to inform and advise the possible trends, but it does not insist on using them.
Reading the Codes
This chapter presents the analysis of the pictures of men and women given in the Cosmopolitan with the help of Erving Goffman’s frameworks. Firstly, Goffman addresses the feminine touch and mentions that women’s hands are displayed delicate and often positioned as holding themselves (Morris and Warren 5). The following aspect can be seen in the advertisement by Tacori (Coles 10). The model’s hands look feminine and hold each over. In turn, man’s hands are usually shown as strong and masculine. The advertisement by Ralph Lauren uses the man model, who has powerful hands (Coles 80). His power and strength are also emphasized with the help of the red color.
Moreover, the Goffman claims that women have a cultural identity of being passive in the advertisements (Morris and Warren 6). This factor is a primary determinant of female sexuality. In turn, men look mighty and strong. This correlation can be noticed in the advertisement by Revlon, as the man seem to be powerful, and the woman is dependent (Coles 73). The woman looks fragile and corresponds with the principles of sexuality emphasized by Goffman.
Another unique feature, which was vehemently emphasized by Goffman, is the fact that it appears that women have no control of the situation compared to men (Morris and Warren 7). In this case, the Revlon’s advertisement can be used again. As it was mentioned earlier, the man looks convincing, and the woman is fragile and feminine (Coles 73). Moreover, it seems that the woman is not in control of the situation, as her smile intends to show her absence and happiness of being with the man. However, it has to be mentioned that this perception of gender cannot be used in the advertisement, as it creates the misconceptions about the woman’s exaggerated vulnerability (Morris and Warren 7).
Moreover, Goffman claims that women are often shown as being childish (Morris and Warren 8). It can be seen with the help of the advertisement of Burt’s Bees (Coles 131). The model’s expression contributes to being childish and having no control of the situation. Her lips are in a position that she is about to laugh. Her curls also contribute to carelessness.
In conclusion, it could be said that all of the principles can be applied regarding the advertisements in Cosmopolitan. It is clear that women will always be portrayed feminine, as even sportswomen, which seem strong and powerful, still cover the primary principles of female sexuality. For example, the model in the advertisement of Sketcher’s Sport displays firm determination, but she looks rather feminine due to the position of her hands (Coles 145).
Works Cited
Coles, Joanna 2015. Cosmopolitan: Web.
Morris, Scott, and Katherine Warren. Media Education Foundation Study Guide: The Codes of Gender, Northampton: Media Education Foundation, 2014. Print.
Ouellette, Laurie. “Inventing the Cosmo Girl: Class Identity and Girl-Style American Dreams.” Gender, Race, and Class in Media. Ed. Gail Dines and Jean Humes. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc., 2003. 116-128. Print.