Sizing Up America
For decades, women in the United States have been consumed by their dress size. The weight loss industry rakes in billions of dollars each year peddling diet-related services and products to Americans. Fatema Mernissi argues in her essay, "Size 6: The Western Women 's Harem,” that Western men control the fashion industry, and in turn, control the female perception of beauty. While Fatema Mernissi 's perception of the expectation of US women to maintain a small frame is accurate, her argument in “Size 6: The Western Women’s Harem” is flawed by suggesting that men are the sole cause of these expectations, when in fact, society as a whole is responsible. When thinking about the size 6 dress that Mernissi discusses in her …show more content…
Additionally, men can experience size discrimination if too large or too small, something that occurs less often for women. Men have to often fit into the “just right” category to reach their most optimal potential in life. If a woman is smaller than society expects, she is considered thin and beautiful. A small man, however, would be labeled as “scrawny.” This principle also applies to a man’s height. It is more acceptable for American women, opposed to men, to be of a shorter stature. Whether in the dating scene, or climbing up their career ladders, men in America do face pressure from society to be a certain size as …show more content…
In today’s society, women consider going to the spa an indulgence. Having a manicure or facial is considered a relaxing experience. People often use the word “pampering” to describe these types of services. There is also a growing amount of women who enjoy working out. Women acknowledge that time spent working out is time that they have to themselves, away from daily life stressors. Women also can feel a sense of accomplishment when goals are met or they can fit into smaller pants. It would be too loose of an assumption to say that women do all of these things just because they think that men expect it of
For decades, women in the United States have been consumed by their dress size. The weight loss industry rakes in billions of dollars each year peddling diet-related services and products to Americans. Fatema Mernissi argues in her essay, "Size 6: The Western Women 's Harem,” that Western men control the fashion industry, and in turn, control the female perception of beauty. While Fatema Mernissi 's perception of the expectation of US women to maintain a small frame is accurate, her argument in “Size 6: The Western Women’s Harem” is flawed by suggesting that men are the sole cause of these expectations, when in fact, society as a whole is responsible. When thinking about the size 6 dress that Mernissi discusses in her …show more content…
Additionally, men can experience size discrimination if too large or too small, something that occurs less often for women. Men have to often fit into the “just right” category to reach their most optimal potential in life. If a woman is smaller than society expects, she is considered thin and beautiful. A small man, however, would be labeled as “scrawny.” This principle also applies to a man’s height. It is more acceptable for American women, opposed to men, to be of a shorter stature. Whether in the dating scene, or climbing up their career ladders, men in America do face pressure from society to be a certain size as …show more content…
In today’s society, women consider going to the spa an indulgence. Having a manicure or facial is considered a relaxing experience. People often use the word “pampering” to describe these types of services. There is also a growing amount of women who enjoy working out. Women acknowledge that time spent working out is time that they have to themselves, away from daily life stressors. Women also can feel a sense of accomplishment when goals are met or they can fit into smaller pants. It would be too loose of an assumption to say that women do all of these things just because they think that men expect it of