At first glance, like we discussed on Wednesday, this may seem like an easy question. Of course women's lives / rights / opportunities have improved since the Middle Ages.
That was 1,000 years ago! Women have rights now - they can choose who they marry and they can also get a divorce; they have property rights - both own and inherit; they can vote; they aren't banished to a convent if they have premarital sex or an unplanned pregnancy. These are just a few things that I can list right now while I type this up - if I did a comprehensive list, it would take me days.
But let's focus on a few things that are less subtle and harder to banish with well-meaning laws and readjusting men's attitudes towards women. Think about the women in your lives - your mothers, grandmothers, older sisters, aunts, and friends - and think about the pressure that they live with.
They have to balance motherhood with a career. Sometimes, women have to choose between the two and it's rare that men are forced to choose. It's rare (but becoming more and more common with the bad economy today) to see a stay-at-home dad.
Is chivalry dead? The age-old idea of treating women with special care has seemed to disappear in the age of feminism / equality. How many times do you see a man open a door for a woman? Give up their chair or seat in a crowded area? Treating women with respect instead of as objects or referring to them in derogatory terms? Is this whole idea of being a gentleman dead?
Why do women still earn less, on average, than men? When you have laws that are supposed to eliminate workplace discrimination, why does this still happen? In the past, women were paid less b/c their income was seen as a second income (the husband's was primary) so any money that the woman got was "extra" $$. Also, women could get pregnant so the costs of "retraining" a new worker to replace her came out of her wages.
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This pair of pants from Abercrombie Kids is called
"Cute butt sweatpants" |
What about the damaging media images for girls today? Almost everywhere you go, TV shows, print ads, and videos portray the "ideal" women as someone who is 5'8 and up, skinny and possibly big-breasted. The vast majority of women don't look like this, nor could they no matter how hard they diet, exercise, etc. Studies show that 5-7% of American women are genetically born to be this ideal size. But, what may be worse is a trend that I have noticed in the past ten years or so (since I have a 13 year old daughter) is one in which younger and younger girls are given opportunities to dress in styles that aren't age appropriate. For instance, some popular brands are too tight or just flat out inappropriate for young girls.
O.k., maybe I sound like an old fuddy duddy, but do these media messages tell girls that it's o.k. to be more sexually attractive at a younger age, especially when they're not ready to handle that kind of attention? Or am I just misreading this stuff?
Take a look for yourself -
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/
So, the question for you is:
- Yes, things have changed for the better for women, especially when comparing their lives to the Middle Ages. But, where do you think our society can improve on attitudes /expectations, etc. for girls and women? Explain why.
Due Monday, Sept. 27. 150 words minimum.
