'Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt'

1155 Words5 Pages

We are biologically born as males and females, but society determines us men and women based of gender roles. The myth of gender is that there are differences between the two sexes, which causes one sex to be inferior to another. Also, that there are certain gender behaviors that both sexes have to show in order to be categorized as either sex. Men are supposed to show masculinity and dominance. Women are defined to be a caretaker for the family and show femininity. These aspects of both genders are natural and appropriate in today’s society. If people of either gender were to break these boundaries, they would be considered unnatural and inappropriate. This myth is true and exists in today’s society. As a result, women suffer both in their …show more content…

The female gender is portrayed as less than their male counterpart, resulting in women living with discrimination and sexism in society. Women are advertised around sex and as being inferior to men. Advertisers assume women are all about sex and they are promoting this idea in their ads, people are beginning to be concerned. In “‘Two Ways A Woman Can Get Hurt’”: Advertising And Violence,” Jean Kilbourne states, “an editorial in Advertising Age suggests that even some advertisers are concerned about this: ‘Clearly it’s time to wipe out sexism in beer ads; for the brewers and their agencies to wake up and join the rest of America in realizing that sexism, sexual harassment, and the cultural portrayal of women in advertising are inextricably linked.’ Alas, this editorial was written in 1991 and nothing has changed” (431). Advertised today promote sexism and sexual harassment, spreading to people that it is okay to treat women like this. However, this representation of women is wrong, and this idea should not be widespread. Luckily, advertisers are aware of this problem in today’s advertisements, however the rest of …show more content…

Society came up with criterias that should be met by the female gender. Femininity is used as a formula for appropriate female behaviors. Aaron H. Devor in his article “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender” states, “Femininity, according to this traditional formulation, ‘would result in warm and continued relationships with men, sense of maternity, interest in caring for children, and the capacity to work productively and continuously in female occupations” (392). According to the traditional formula for being female, every woman should be loving and kind to their men, know how to take care of their children, and only work in female occupations. This assumption of women segregates them from what they may actually want to do. Not all women want to stay home and take care of their family for a lifetime. They may have dreams and goals they want to achieve. It is unfair to them that only men can go after their dreams, while women stay kind and look after the children. Furthermore, women are expected to follow their husbands’ orders and respect everything they do. In “If my husband leaves me, I will go home and suffer, so better...,” Valerie L. Flax et al states “Women are supposed to consult with their husbands about household and health-related issues and to respect their husbands' decisions [4]. Men's roles are to lead and represent the family and to bring in income for household expenses [4,5]. Men frequently have more than one wife or