People talk about gender equality quite often and when they do I listen but not talk. The reason I don't talk is because I don't believe in it. I don't believe that two separate things can be equal. I feel like trying to make the two genders function the same way is wrong because both sides have good and bad sides to them. I feel like in some cultures women are beginning to act like men more and men more like women. Women want to do the same things as men do. Well, I'm not saying that they shouldn't, I just don't believe in trying to get the good things from both worlds. Doing what men do and then talking about affirmative action (positive discrimination) seems ironic to me. One person I knew once told me (not a native English speaker, so it sounds a bit harsh): "if you act like a man, you get like a man". I believe in it. I believe that there are two sides with good and bad sides and people have to make a choice. Women can't do everything men can do and men can definitely do everything women can do. So instead of talking about equality and trying to find equality I think that the differences should be emphasized, not to argue or fight, but to form a better team.
Since there are only girls in our class, I am curious to read your comments.
The goal for gender equality is to eliminate "sides." There are things that "people" can do, and any person can choose to do any of these things without judgement or question. Affirmative action isn't meant to be permanent, but a step in the right direction. The hope is that there will be a point when there is no need for affirmative action because the equality is natural. Women don't want to be separated or taken on as "necessary to meet numbers." But women see this a a step in the right direction. There are good and bad things about being a man or a woman, but equality is about having the perception of "separate worlds" melt away. Can it ever happen? I really don't know.
ReplyDeleteI find myself unable to articulate my opinion in some sort of coherent manner, for my thoughts run in a million directions with this topic. Some of me is pushed to disagree, partly because I hate being told that I can't do something, but mostly because I want to say that everyone can and should do whatever they want to do. This statement isn't restricted to the stereotypical feminist woman wanting to stampede all over her traditional role as a housewife and taking up a very "manly" job. Biology used to be an obstacle that physically separated genders, but today's science and medicine literally allow us, regardless of sex, to do whatever one wants to do by means of operations and other such technologies. I believe that Western society is very open to such opportunities, and while this allows everyone to freely vocalize and act upon their opinions, it also provides a lot of room for double standards. What's wrong with a woman who doesn't want a career and only wants a family? What's so wrong with a man protecting his family and being the provider? Why do we immediately turn to say these men and women are simply filling stereotypes? While I find these conversations intriguing, I also find myself getting frustrated when feminism turns into man-bashing and into an automatic assumption that a completely innocent statement is degrading. Why isn't there a male equivalent for a "feminist?"
ReplyDeleteI don't think that there's anything wrong in pointing out the inherent differences between men and women, but I refuse to accept that an individual should live or act a certain way just to fill the "role" of a man or woman. Yes, most women will never be as strong or fast as their male counterparts due to the differences in the way we're built, but who is to say that women can't do what men can do in education, careers, or anything else? The reason that women might seem to be unable to reach the heights that men reach is because of the lingering social ideas of decades and centuries past, and I believe that that is precisely why people are fighting for gender equality. They're fighting for the chance for women to be given the same opportunities as men are given, and not be decided against based on sex alone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that there are some things women can't do that men can, as much as I hate to admit it. I completely disagree with, however, the statement "men can definitely do everything women can do." You make it sound like men don't need women because they can do everything. Can men carry a baby? No, they can't. So they can't do everything a woman can do.
ReplyDeleteObviously men and women are built differently and there are many instances in which men and women cannot do what the opposite sex can do. However, it really depends on the individual person. It is very apparent that fields such as engineering and mathematics are dominated by males. In my opinion this is not because women are not accepted in those fields, but because in general men seem to be better at math and science for some reason. Obviously there are many females who are great mathematicians and engineers but by looking at my high school alone, the majority of students in my AP Physics and Calculus classes were male. As I said before however, it really depends on the person (except in cases like child birth).
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what Yvonne said. I will admit that certainly, when it comes down to it, for biological reasons, women will have a more difficult time achieving certain heights than men. Like Yvonne said, on average, most women cannot run as fast as men, or bench press as strong a weight (though there are of course exceptions). That said, I dont feel that it is fair to say that SIMPLY because a person is a man or a woman they are automatically faster, stronger, smarter, more nurturing. There are plenty of stay-at-home dads who are much more caring and affectionate than some mothers. There are plenty of female engineers, doctors, lawyers who are just as competent as some men in their own field. I agree that there are inherent differences between the sexes, but I don't feel that one can say that simply because a person is a certain gender, they automatically are a certain way.
ReplyDeleteTypo: I meant to write " and men can't definitely do what women can." Obviously, they can't and I had in mind what you are saying Brittany G.
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