16 September 2011
FD1
Gender Role versus Growing Up
“Between adolescence and menopause, women experience trauma in adjusting to their gender roles. (Mary Pipher)” The statement has been over emphasized by the word trauma, which portrays growing up as difficult and damaging to women. Pipher portrays the negativities that occur during a females change from adolescence to adulthood and blames societal norms of gender. Growing up in general poses obstacles and life changing events, yes some may be difficult and even traumatic, but what teenager doesn’t go through it. In several of the readings we see a similarity – gender roles have changed through time, but none infer any relationship between growth and gender role. [THESIS] Pipher uses the word gender role loosely as I believe that these traumatic events are not from being of a certain gender, but from the cause of growing up and receiving life lessons. Without these traumatic events, or growing experiences, people would be complacent and lack variation, people will forever be ingenuous. [THESIS]
Mary Pipher states that once females reach adulthood they become stronger. Don’t we want women to incur strength; especially those who are seen as weak compared to men. Mental growth requires obstacles to better ones self as they are lessons to be learned. Without mistakes or hardships none will learn to overcome especially in the years of adulthood when parents are no longer there to hold ones hand. Pipher uses the story Ophelia as an example of the destructive forces that affect young women and how as a girl they are happy and free. There is a big difference between a girl and a young woman – the aid of parents. As a girl, one has the protection and financial support of parents and as one ages one must learn to fend for oneself, to become one’s own support. Becoming one’s own support is difficult for any gender – trying to find a job, putting food on the table, and interacting with peers. It is best for one to learn these lessons as an adolescent to prepare one for the future. It is not the gender that causes traumatic events, but the process of becoming an adult.
The reading of Stephen S. Hall states that the stress that men face are increasing and its trajectory may reach the level of women. The trajectory of stress has no relation to gender issues, but of the need to look good, which men are now beginning to obsess about. Society is changing and so are the people in it, thus trying to find a solution to this trauma effect of gender role or of growing up is close to impossible. In Kay S. Hymowitz’s reading, we see that the age in which men reach a mature attitude has increased – labeled as SYM (Single Young Men). SYM are in this state due to the lack of responsibility – mortgages, wives, childcare bills – they have little or no growing experiences and faced no trauma. If females were sheltered from these experiences or events they would follow the same path of SYM and have a lengthened age range of child-like mentality. Without these traumatic events (or experiences), people, such as women, would not seek to better themselves to increase their rate of gaining a college degree, obtaining high level jobs, or learning to use a 0.38 special revolver to protect themselves. Women and Men face obstacles that come with growing.
Despite gender, boys and girls, both grow and seem to distant themselves from parents, not wanting their hands to be held or kissed. Teens change the way they are to fit into a certain clique – dressing in black and wearing berets for drama club, becoming bubbly for cheerleading, and so on. In Stephen S. Hall’s reading, he implies that it is not only teen-age girls that question who they are, but teen-age boys too. Scott Russell Sanders’ reading negates the fact that because of gender, women face more traumatic experiences while growing, when in fact it is due to class (rich versus poor and in between). Sanders was baffled when a woman accused him of having the world’s pleasure because of his gender, as he had nothing and could only get into college through persistence and hard work.
Just like the difficulty I have in understanding Mary Pipher’s statement, I also found a difficulty in understanding Alison Matsumoto’s statement “I believe that gender role trauma is the product of the feminist movement.” Personally, I feel that Alison’s statement should have been reversed as gender role trauma is the reason for the feminist movement. Wikipedia states that the purpose of the feminist movement is to bring equal rights to women, to be able to have the same voting rights, pay, job opportunities, and many other privileges that men have. By breaking this barrier of inequality, the feminist movement will reduce the clear distinction and possibly eliminate gender roles. By eliminating gender role, people will judge on one’s aptitude. Wikipedia also states that feminists are proponents of using gender-inclusive language, such as “humanity” instead of “mankind”. As can be seen, feminist are not trying to distinguish the societal roles of man from woman, but that the distinguishing factor between male and female is their biological function.
Many of Mary Pipher’s statements have a closer correlation to the act of growing up. Pipher has not made a clear distinction between traumas that are caused due to gender versus traumas due to growing up. Pipher also fails to realize the strength and individualism that occurs because of these events.
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Works Cited
"Causes and Solutions." Interview by Alison Matsumoto. Laulima Discussion. 03 Sept. 2011. Web. 06 Sept. 2011.
"Feminism." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 17 Sept. 2011.
Goshgarian, Gary, and Kathleen Krueger. Dialogues: an Argument Rhetoric and Reader. Boston: Pearson/Longman, 2011. Print.
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Log of Completed Activities
_X_ Aug. 22- First Day of Instruction. Read the welcome message, which includes instructions on how to navigate our class blog. Next, log in to our Laulima discussion forum and your hawaii.edu mailbox. Become familiar with these instructional media. Carefully review the information in our class blog, especially the schedule and syllabus (click on the tab at the top of the page). In the syllabus, pay special attention to the grading policy and the document “Am I Ready for an Online Class?” These will give you an understanding of online classes in general and this class in particular.
_X_ Aug. 23- Laulima Discussion: Who Am I? Post your response by midnight. Possible topics: your academic and career goals; your favorite pastime; favorite book, movie, song; favorite physical activity or sport; favorite quote; personal philosophy on the purpose of life; your personal thoughts on why it’s important to become an excellent writer; favorite food or restaurant; favorite vacation destination; etc.
_X_ Aug. 23- Intro to Paper #1. Read the “Guidelines for Paper #1” by midnight.
_X_ Aug. 23-31- Set up your personal blog for all class papers. Click here for instructions. Alternately, see the “Blogger” links in the right sidebar in our class blog. To begin, complete the initial setup. You’ll be able to add finishing touches as the RD1 due date approaches. If you need help, post a request in the “Q&A About My Blog” forum in Laulima.
_X_ Aug. 26- Laulima Discussion: What Is “Trauma”? One definition or many different definitions? Post your response by midnight.
_X_ Aug. 29- Complete readings for Paper #1 by midnight.
_X_ Sep. 2- Laulima Discussion: Causes & Solutions: What causes gender role trauma? What’s the solution? Assume that there is more than one cause or solution. Post your response by midnight. [10 pts]
_X_ Sep. 6- Submit RD1 (Review Draft #1) [50 pts] Review the guidelines.
_X_ Sep. 12- Submit three RD1 evaluations in Laulima. [50 pts] Review the guidelines.
_X_ Sep. 16- Submit FD1 (Final Draft #1) [100 pts] Review the guidelines.
