Stereotypes
by Liv | Published on October 24th, 2008, 2:31 pm | Life
Also found in my hidden ancient book of writing was my papers for Women's Anthropology back in the days....Some of the information is outdated.... but I loved this paper... and hated to think I've lost it....
All the worlds a stage and all the men merely players. It's a line that echoes through the ages. Simply stated, not only the written words of Shakespeare but some of the most profound words ever characterizing human culture. Understanding & acceptance of this philosophy questions society's lack of change, and the relevance of pre-established stereotypes. Do we dare? Do we take the script we are given and play our part fulfilling the ensemble role; that not of a play directed by us, but that of some unseen pre-established norm telling us how we should live our life?
Genesis, defined as origin is where we must start. Not in a biblical sense, but in the genesis of each of us personally. To trace who we are today, or who we will become, requires us to start at the beginning. We tend to to think of the beginning as birth; however we must begin sooner. At conception the chromosomal gamble instantaneously establishes our lives to our deaths. From that point forward, we are attached to the stereotypes of our sex, and expected to follow the norms of society that agree with that sex. How can so much be decided for us before we could even choose?
Some people will tell you sex is biologically inherited, others that it is social learned. Substantial evidence exists to support both ideas. While there are explanations such as deviant chromosomes explaining the reasons why people break from stereotypes and norms, we have yet to fully explain this phenomenon. I tend to believe biologically we have yet to understand how all the chemicals function and effect our bodies and minds, and two; I'm under the firm belief stereotypes and norms are man-made innovations that protect those who accept and follow them. Yet complicate and confuse those who don't, and do not pertain to the preference of everyone.
After birth we begin our training, we are given the costume, and begin to rehearse our part. We are given toys suited to our gender as props so we can pretend, and prepare for our performance as an adult. Later, we further our training, sending our boys off to Boy Scouts to masculinize them and "to learn discipline and manly survival skills." (Stone, 48) Boys begin to learn from their peers and family that they should suppress their emotions, and are ridiculed if they cry or show femininity. With constant pressure of humility looming over them, they quickly learn they should sit a certain way, dress a certain way, & talk a correct way. Is it really healthy to form these habits in an environment which only offers severe repercussions for those who go against them?
The training and mental brainwashing that tells both sexes how we should think and act holds a stronger bond then any evil Shakespearean character could hope, continues throughout our lives. Men and women, are constantly reminded of their expectations through television and media. "Popular 1950's shows personified manhood as rugged through shows like Gunsmoke and Bonanza." (Stone, 48) Living up to these "Superman" images of super testosterone portrayed on television is hardly an expectation most men can fill in today's society.
Women with their own expected stereotypes quite often are guilty of having an image of men onto which they request males to fit. Generally by this time, when the two sexes meets- we know our lines, our part, and every move. We've accepted our roles and have conditioned ourselves into nothing more than robotic "pickup lines" and "expected reactions". Generally it is assumed the man is the aggressor and that it is he whom should make the first moves. While not as common, and some stereotypes have begun to change, most women still look for masculine qualities in their partners like "financial security", while this is not so much of a concern for the male in their search for a female. This added pressure puts added pressure upon the male gender and sets the stage for women's reliance and submissiveness to the male.
Religion is another place where we see control over the male through rules and regulations. Despite the many oppressive functions of the Catholic church for both sexes, The recent uprising of an organization called The Promise Keepers, an all-male religious group teaches men to take control of their families by making their wifes "submit" to them. Founder Bill McCartney was instrumental in passing Colorado's anti-lesbian & gay amendment. He has referred to homosexuality as "an abomination of all-mighty God." (PK Net)
No matter the source of stereotypes; family, religion, or society, they're damaging. For men, they live an average of eight years less than women. Have a higher cardiovascular disease, ulcers, & tension, and even migraine headaches. The suicide rate of men is three times higher then that of women. Men are more likely to become alcoholics.
Stereotypes control the way we think, feel, and act; they take away our ability to choose and dehumanize us. While the women's liberation movement made us aware of the oppression of women, we fail to realize that these stereotypes are even less flexible for men. While it's acceptable for young girls to be tomboys, young males are ridiculed for any evidence of femininity. While women can bond by sharing emotions, men often feel they cannot form close emotional bonds because of societal taboos & norms. This rigidity of the male gender leads to the many problems previously discussed.
The restraint of stereotypes can be even more damaging when you consider men aren't allowed to show pain. This can lead to a phenomenon which is often joked about in America, battered men. Cartoons of a female chasing her husband with a rolling pin make this very serious issue comedic because our stereotypes don't expect the male victim to become humiliated, or the female capable to bring harm to the male. Battered husbands have historically been ignored or subjected to ridicule and abuse. In 18th century France, a battered husband "was made to wear an outlandish outfit and ride backward around the village on a donkey." Although feminism has opened many of our eyes about the existence of domestic violence, the abuse of husbands is rarely discussed. In 1974 a study was releases showing 47% of husbands abused their wives and 33% of women abused their husbands, however that same year the total number of homicides males against females, and vice a versus were almost identical. Black men are more likely to be murdered by women then any other demographic. 52% of elderly men are abuse victims. These are staggering numbers when men are less likely to report abuse and violence because of humiliation. To make things worse there are very few shelters for battered men, while most cities and towns have these shelters set aside for women.
As with and rules, or laws there is always people who will break them. People who challenge the thoughts, ideas, & boundaries of what normality is. If it wasn't for these people we might still think the earth was flat. Changing societies view of gender and its stereotype could prove difficult.
Accepting the fact sex isn't binary, nor limited to two styles destroys many of these stereotypes relevance. The importance of such individuals showing that stereotypes are the socially constructed portions of sex which can be changed or destroyed brings us closer to the truth. Deviating from one's gender stereotype because they have discovered their identity different from their anatomy the individual makes the decision to be their true self, often crossing into the other stereotype. Their true selves stripped of societal expectations neither really is nor wants to be "The Marlboro Man" or for women "Betty Homemaker". For those who choose to remain in oppressive roles, the oppression of one's interests and preferences become a depressive part of life. Non-conformist often face violence, discrimination, and hate crime for simply being who they are. On example from a Madison newspaper: "An 18 year old transgender individual was attacked by a man wielding a broken beer bottle. The individual was hit on the back of the head with a full 40-ounce bottle of beer and then stabbed in the abdomen with the broken bottle." While most would accept the attacker was wrong to inflict personal harm, society for the most part accepts the fear, that enforces the norms of the culture by allowing them to happen. This makes change even more difficult.
In conclusion, from 1st Samuel (16:7) "But the Lord said to Samuel, look not on his face, nor the height of his stature... for the Lord does not see as man sees for man looks on outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the mind." How can we continue to ignore this teaching. We needn't be puppets controlled by a puppeteer. It's time to deconstruct the stereotypes that victimize, dehumanize, and destroy who we really are. It's time to call the curtain on the final performance, and live our lives, both men and women without fear or expectations. We can change the rules, when we stop trying to change ourselves for others.