The last portion of our in class discussions and readings in Phil 235 this semester have been on Sexism. I think it is extremely interesting and not only that, but important to talk about. It seems that today, more than ever, sexism is being brought up on almost a daily basis. Maybe it’s because I’m reaching that age where individuals can really start to think for themselves and see the problems in everyday society. Or maybe discussion on Sexism has been around since the beginning of time. I don’t know. As far as I am concerned, this topic of conversation has just recently become relevant in my daily life. Throughout this semester, my eyes have been opened a great deal to the oppressive nature that sexism has on primarily Women. Perhaps because
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First, Faludi speaks of the expectations of men. These expectations include being a powerful, strong, independent, provider, that can confront his enemies and wins (Faludi). My initial reaction to this was that all of these are good. Perhaps it is conservative thinking that it is as good thing that men have these expectations. But as Faludi would point out, many of these expectations can be harmful and destructive to a men. If society has these expectations it put a lot of pressure on men to achieve them, and when they are not met, men suffer the consequences. For example, when a man cannot be financially stable or is unable to provide for his family, he is looked at as inferior and lesser. There is little sympathy shown to men who are seen as weak and incompetent. Another one of the expectations of men is to prioritize sports over education (Faludi). This is different for Men compared to Women where education is expected to be more of a priority. This can be harmful to men for obvious reasons. If men are expected to focus more on athletics, they are limiting their potential for intellectual advancement. Which in the long run can have huge detrimental effects to their financial security in the future. A big problem that can arise from these standards of Men being in control in all aspects of life is that, when they are not, it can be harmful to their significant others. When men feel …show more content…
Faludi would reply by saying that the masculine ideal is toxic, and assumes that men should be in control. For the most part, I would agree that the standards of men in our society can be very harmful, and assume that men are the primary contributors to our society. Where I have a lot of trouble with Faludi’s argument is that she assumes men might want it another way. Perhaps men are happy with these ideals. In many cases, it may be harmful to have these expectations. But on the other hand, maybe these expectations of men have been the driving force to innovation, structure, security, and liberty. Had our founding fathers not had these ideals that men should be taking control of their own life, not fear enemies, and be the primary providers in our society, perhaps America as we know it would not exist. The ideal of what makes a great man has been a contributor to our powerful society. So I agree in many ways that there are harmful effects that are attached to the ideals of being a man. But I also think Faludi fails to recognize that many of these expectations may be the root of what has created the modern
First, Faludi speaks of the expectations of men. These expectations include being a powerful, strong, independent, provider, that can confront his enemies and wins (Faludi). My initial reaction to this was that all of these are good. Perhaps it is conservative thinking that it is as good thing that men have these expectations. But as Faludi would point out, many of these expectations can be harmful and destructive to a men. If society has these expectations it put a lot of pressure on men to achieve them, and when they are not met, men suffer the consequences. For example, when a man cannot be financially stable or is unable to provide for his family, he is looked at as inferior and lesser. There is little sympathy shown to men who are seen as weak and incompetent. Another one of the expectations of men is to prioritize sports over education (Faludi). This is different for Men compared to Women where education is expected to be more of a priority. This can be harmful to men for obvious reasons. If men are expected to focus more on athletics, they are limiting their potential for intellectual advancement. Which in the long run can have huge detrimental effects to their financial security in the future. A big problem that can arise from these standards of Men being in control in all aspects of life is that, when they are not, it can be harmful to their significant others. When men feel …show more content…
Faludi would reply by saying that the masculine ideal is toxic, and assumes that men should be in control. For the most part, I would agree that the standards of men in our society can be very harmful, and assume that men are the primary contributors to our society. Where I have a lot of trouble with Faludi’s argument is that she assumes men might want it another way. Perhaps men are happy with these ideals. In many cases, it may be harmful to have these expectations. But on the other hand, maybe these expectations of men have been the driving force to innovation, structure, security, and liberty. Had our founding fathers not had these ideals that men should be taking control of their own life, not fear enemies, and be the primary providers in our society, perhaps America as we know it would not exist. The ideal of what makes a great man has been a contributor to our powerful society. So I agree in many ways that there are harmful effects that are attached to the ideals of being a man. But I also think Faludi fails to recognize that many of these expectations may be the root of what has created the modern