Hi everyone!
For my first blog post I want to dive into one of the big topics we have started to focus on in class: gender stereotypes for women. Clearly, we know that Dr. Crafton wants us to break through the glass ceiling and fight for our rights, which I agree with, but in all actuality, I don't find it as unbelievably unnerving to fit into and agree with many of the female stereotypes. "Are you CRAZY?!" you ask: no, I just believe that in some ways, these "hated" stereotypes aren't that bad after all. Let me explain myself....
After reading Dr. Crafton's book chapter, I must say I found a lot about not only Dr. Crafton, but also about myself. Though she was always looking for the female heroine in every story, tearing down the walls of sexism and flaunting feminism, I have always seemed to look towards the homemakers, the girly-girls, and the debutantes. For example, my favorite cassette back in the day was one called "THINK PINK" sung by Barbie: I was obsessed with the songs, with the words, and also, with Barbie. My motto-- since I first listened to that song-- seems to stay true to the title, Think Pink. Is it wrong for me to think this way, or is it-- dare I say-- the typical "girl" way of thinking?
In another relatable motto, there is a phrase by Audrey Hepburn that I have ingrained in my memory and encompasses all I feel strongly about. I feel as though it speaks to me as a girl. It says:
I am all for being strong and standing up for myself, but I also whole-heartedly believe in loving pink, feeling pretty, and being feminine: it's just the way I am. I truly don't believe that it was ever forced on me to feel this way, it just happened to be something I picked up on and liked very much. Now, with saying that, I also have a totally different side to me as well: I love to fish, I love to 4-Wheel, and I am totally NOT afraid of worms or frogs! I love that I am complex and diverse, but I also love the part of me that likes girly things. I truly do enjoy cooking and cleaning, taking on motherly responsibilities, and though I am not married yet, I know that I will also enjoy taking care of and catering to my husband. Do I see this as oppression and detrimental to rights as a woman? Absolutely not! I think that it is just as right to embrace my womanly stereotypes as much as it is right to live outside the stereotype-specific box.
In conclusion, I am glad I am the way I am. I owe it to my parents who let me be me: I make the choices I want and live the life I like. It's just as liberating to feel girly as it is to break free from it. Does any one else feel as though they too are the typical girl, with a little pizzazz add on?
"There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty."
India,
ReplyDeleteI hope you know that I think you are one of the most lovely, charming, vivacious young women I have ever met! And i think you are misinterpreting my goals. When you say: "Clearly, we know that Dr. Crafton wants us to break through the glass ceiling and fight for our rights," I wish for every man and woman the feeling of empowerment and strength to navigate our complex social and political world. But where that starts is an understanding of how we all became who we are -- that our shaping and becoming as an individual is not just something we just "pick up on" and like -- our immersion in many forms of communication all day long, every day, every week, year after year send us messages regarding who we should be -- as a man (remember Tough Guise?), woman, white, black, Asian, Native American etc. Remember the research that Caleb called our attention to about the babies, how they are handled and responded to from the time they are born? You may have noticed that I, too, like make-up and clothes and trying to look pretty -- that's fun for me, too. But I am also as aware as I can be that when I walk into a room, people make assumptions about who I am and how they will respond to me -- and if I'm not aware of those stereotypes, then I will be pulled along by them and their narratives rather than writing my own.