Gender Expectations

Christina Berthaud

10:30 class.

What are you supposed to do?

                 I have come to realize when it comes to men and women, we are obviously different, but people have it set in their minds that we are to be a specific way. Men are to be strong, breadwinners, hard working, emotionless etc. Women are to be sensitive, prissy, emotional, venerable, dependent etc. Most people may actually be this way but in reality a more people are not these ways.

                For example, I obviously am a woman. [Yes a woman, not a girlJ] And I can be sensitive and all, but I aim to be independent and am strong. Now if a woman was a feminist and super independent she would then be dubbed a ‘bitch’.

                There are plenty of men who are sensitive, fashionable, and wear their clothes slightly tighter than others. But as soon as a man is that way he is then called gay.

                Double standards also come into play; this is where my personal experience comes in. There is the famous double standard of when a man speaks to or has relations with a number of women he is ‘the man (-_-). NOW if a woman were to be involved with several men, she is a whore.  WHY?

            My personal story: I had a friend, very pretty girl, conversed with one too many men I guess. People later began saying “So & so is a hoe.” Why? She is only conversing. From conversing came the ‘talking’ stage, the stage of which you are now more than friends but yet not a couple. Even when ‘talking’ to more than one person you are still known as being a whore. It seems as if you cannot talk to more than person. ‘Talking’ is like dating. When people are dating they are seeing each other but can also see other people. People seem to not understand what the term dating means.

            On the other hand women also call some men ‘man whores’. It’s true that there are many ‘man whores’ out there, but the situation may be the same as my friend’s. He may be dating these women but not exclusive to one. If the person is exclusive to one, then that one would then be their boyfriend/girlfriend.

            All in all, men & women should be equal in what they do and whatever they do is called. Though I know this will NEVER happen because this way of thinking is already deeply rooted in the minds of people and they are raised this way, whether it is straight forward or just subtle in what goes on in their home. What is learned at home is from the parents who learned from their own parents, and dates way back through history and as far as the Bible & beginning of time.