Love is almost universally viewed as something feminine. Cacian looks to find how society has come to this conclusion that love is a feminine thing. From gender stereotypes to society's influence, there are hundreds of variables. What particularly stuck out to me was the qualities of love men and women idealize, how gender stereotypes play a role, and most puzzling how women's role in love is seen as “superior”. What people view as love varies. Women often associate love with things endurance and affection, whereas men associate love with more material things. The problem is that love is a mix of the two, which many do not see. Until I read Cancian’s piece, I had never connected these two perceptions of love let alone how heavily they are
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Women are the nurturing mother figure, the close confidant, the loving wife. Cancian talks of a study in which psychologists have come to the conclusion that women are better at discussing personal issues, such as their home life, themselves, and their relationships. This can most likely be attributed to how boys are brought up as opposed to girls. Men fear being sensitive, that it will be the equivalent to being too feminine. Women are also said to be more interested in love. Enjoying harlequin novels and soap operas, whereas men are interested in competition,and adventure. I find harlequin and soap operas to overlap with competition and adventure. The women of these soaps are often competing with one another for one man's affection. Harlequin novels are often set in some far off land, a pirate ship for example screams adventure! It would be extremely rare however, for one to find a man voluntarily reading a harlequin book. The label that society has placed on romance novels and soap operas is almost exclusively female. Cancian brings to light another case study, pertaining to men and women's relationships with others. It was found that the percent of men who visit their parents weekly is just seven percent fewer than women. There was also a very low percent difference in men and woman with close confidants. It appears that this perception that women are superior when it comes to love is a bit of another trick by
Women are the nurturing mother figure, the close confidant, the loving wife. Cancian talks of a study in which psychologists have come to the conclusion that women are better at discussing personal issues, such as their home life, themselves, and their relationships. This can most likely be attributed to how boys are brought up as opposed to girls. Men fear being sensitive, that it will be the equivalent to being too feminine. Women are also said to be more interested in love. Enjoying harlequin novels and soap operas, whereas men are interested in competition,and adventure. I find harlequin and soap operas to overlap with competition and adventure. The women of these soaps are often competing with one another for one man's affection. Harlequin novels are often set in some far off land, a pirate ship for example screams adventure! It would be extremely rare however, for one to find a man voluntarily reading a harlequin book. The label that society has placed on romance novels and soap operas is almost exclusively female. Cancian brings to light another case study, pertaining to men and women's relationships with others. It was found that the percent of men who visit their parents weekly is just seven percent fewer than women. There was also a very low percent difference in men and woman with close confidants. It appears that this perception that women are superior when it comes to love is a bit of another trick by