It is important not to partake in the Oppression Olympics because not only does it “divide and conquer” different oppressed groups, but it also detracts from the constructive conversations and issues that should be dealt with in regarding oppression of each group (162). Issues of gender include women playing roles as the runner ups by default because leadership positions are commonly overtaken by men. Women are also held at a double standard because they must assume masculine roles in order to be taken “seriously,” however face criticism and attacks at their character for being “bitchy” once they do so, or must not appear “too feminine” (164). Women’s behavior and appearance is often policed to be inferior, submissive, and compliant to the
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Women are often referred to as “overdramatic” or “oversensitive” when confronting sexism and that they are responsible for their own disadvantages, while these incidents are dismissed or belittled (173). Men who are guilty of perpetuating sexism often try to downplay it as “harmless fun” or chivalry, when in fact demeaning ideas about women’s’ worth and value is behind these messages. These men who claim that they are not in fact sexist are often obvious to their own unconscious biases and how these are expressed in their language and behavior (174). Women, along with their accomplishments and hard work are made invisible and overshadowed by men’s (175). When sexist and humorless jokes are made at women’s expense, they ultimately send stereotypical messages about women, while making fun of them, and allowing this type of hostility onlyconditions gender roles and detrimentally affects the target group (176). Despite how hard women work, they are paid less, treated inferiorly, and regarded as degenerates, which can lead to depression, poverty, heart disease, anxiety and stress, and body dysmorphia …show more content…
Unfortunately, because the institutions are also ran by sexism, women must often conform to these roles in order to keep their jobs, or avoid any punishment by the dominant male group. However, with this, we must endure gender microaggressions that invalidate, belittle, or deny our worth, capability, and presence as human beings. We have to constantly worry about what we wear to the office or to a party or taking a walk down around town in order to avoid “sending the wrong messages” to men’s perverted minds. We have to make sure we do not get too drunk at the bar so we are not sexually assaulted while under the influence. We also have to keep our sexual lives a secret and limited in order to not be labeled as “sluts” and “whores.” Just today, a man interrupted me while I was setting a clock at work so he could take over and do it for me. Although he may have thought his chivalrous actions were kind and innocent, they were in fact unintentionally sexist because he obviously thought that as a woman, I was incapable of doing something so simple as setting a manual clock. Then when he was incapable of figuring out how to set the clock, he deemed it “broken” although I knew the clock was not, he just did not know how to set it correctly. This shows just how egoistical and dominant men unconsciously feel over women when it comes
Women are often referred to as “overdramatic” or “oversensitive” when confronting sexism and that they are responsible for their own disadvantages, while these incidents are dismissed or belittled (173). Men who are guilty of perpetuating sexism often try to downplay it as “harmless fun” or chivalry, when in fact demeaning ideas about women’s’ worth and value is behind these messages. These men who claim that they are not in fact sexist are often obvious to their own unconscious biases and how these are expressed in their language and behavior (174). Women, along with their accomplishments and hard work are made invisible and overshadowed by men’s (175). When sexist and humorless jokes are made at women’s expense, they ultimately send stereotypical messages about women, while making fun of them, and allowing this type of hostility onlyconditions gender roles and detrimentally affects the target group (176). Despite how hard women work, they are paid less, treated inferiorly, and regarded as degenerates, which can lead to depression, poverty, heart disease, anxiety and stress, and body dysmorphia …show more content…
Unfortunately, because the institutions are also ran by sexism, women must often conform to these roles in order to keep their jobs, or avoid any punishment by the dominant male group. However, with this, we must endure gender microaggressions that invalidate, belittle, or deny our worth, capability, and presence as human beings. We have to constantly worry about what we wear to the office or to a party or taking a walk down around town in order to avoid “sending the wrong messages” to men’s perverted minds. We have to make sure we do not get too drunk at the bar so we are not sexually assaulted while under the influence. We also have to keep our sexual lives a secret and limited in order to not be labeled as “sluts” and “whores.” Just today, a man interrupted me while I was setting a clock at work so he could take over and do it for me. Although he may have thought his chivalrous actions were kind and innocent, they were in fact unintentionally sexist because he obviously thought that as a woman, I was incapable of doing something so simple as setting a manual clock. Then when he was incapable of figuring out how to set the clock, he deemed it “broken” although I knew the clock was not, he just did not know how to set it correctly. This shows just how egoistical and dominant men unconsciously feel over women when it comes