I thought this image gave a clear idea of my thought process while reading Kyl Meyers’ post “Sex and Gender 101”. Specifically, when he said, “Gender is a cultural construct that shifts between societies and across time and affects how people are treated based on their sex”. I think about how much of today’s society reflects this idea. More women, becoming the leader in their families and careers. Men, now taking on the role of the “stay at home” parent. However, there is still so much work to be done. We are far from equal. In the gaming community, where women sometimes supersede men in their experience level. However, it is the men who get all the sponsorship and views. Then to take it a step further, the only way for women to receive recognition is if they look “sexy” for the male gaze. If not, you must work twice as hard as your counterpart. I believe this is where we need to begin the work of getting closer to Bell Hook’s definition of feminism, “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression”.
I agree with you in this snapshot because women are portrayed in different ways. For example, if society sees that we are women, they expect us to do “women” things. They see us as if we cannot get a degree or pursue a career. When you said “women have to look sexy”, it got my attention because I seen, in my experience, that some of my peers dresses up differently in order to impress men and be seen as beautiful and the way men want to see them. That is why women have does movements and there is feminism. Many people think that there is feminism because we want to be greater than men or take advantage of men and destroy them. This is not the case at all. Since society sees us different, we don’t want to be seen in that way.
This is a good snapshot. Next time, don’t include the written part, just the image. Let your classmates interpret it for themselves.
I see our generation as more conscious and welcome to change. We are fighting for equality and justice. We are so over these old ideas society expects us to follow as if we were sheep and they were shepherds. We are the generation that is breaking away from these ideas they try to force us to follow. Society is so stuck in these “old ways”, anything that goes against them is met with backlash. But what seems different to them will one day be normal to all, so we can never stop fighting back until the goal is met.