The Natural World And The Feminine - 1604 Words

The natural world and the feminine; what do these have in common? The existential link of women and nature has existed in many cultures through themes of nurture and the creation of life. The natural world and women are both inhibited by the patriarchal ideology of past and present societies. One can draw comparisons to the struggles of women and the modern crisis of global warming, as both are affected by the notion that man is the center of the world in that all things are created to be used by men. It ties into the idea that men are conquerors of their surroundings versus the idea of women as nurturing their surroundings and placing higher value on the connection with nature and the world. Entrenched patriarchal values in society resort to the exploitation of both women and the overuse and disrespect of the natural world, as they are inherently linked through science, religion, psychology, and metaphor. In ecofeminist literature, the writers often establish that women and nature are linked because they are viewed as mechanical instruments to be used by men. For example, in Val Plumwood’s â€Å"Ecofeminism: An Overview and Discussion of Positions and Arguments† she argues that â€Å"[women and nature] have been valued either entirely or mainly in terms of their usefulness to others† (Plumwood 120) which has led to exploitation and manipulation of nature and women. By making this comparison, the use of nature and women for male gain is clear in that both are resources for men toShow MoreRelatedThe Body And Reproduction Of Femininity1559 Words   |  7 PagesIn the western world, concepts of gender have historically been divided into two parts: masculinity and femininity. At birth we are labelled male or female and treated accordingly by our parents and society. Masculinity is seen as strong, confident and dominant and femininity is seen as being white, thin and young. Hegemonic femininity is seen as the model of what it means to be a female and society sets this standard that all women are meant to embody. These specific characteristics â€Å"represent†Read MoreWomen s Influence On Women1288 Words   |  6 PagesMakeup is very important in the way people perceive women. Society in the 1900s to today has made makeup a necessity for a woman to be considered feminine. Cosmetics were first used in America in 1888 by an unknown inventor from Philadelphia, and were trademarked under the name Mumm. During the early years of the 20th century, makeup became fashionable in the United States of America and Europe owing to the influence of ballet and theatre stars (Chaudhri and Jain 2.) Makeup began to flourish in AmericaRead MoreCodes Of Gender And Gender1073 Words   |  5 Pagesare commercialization. The way the female is displaying herself such as clothing, standing (pose), behavior, hair, and movement. 2. What does Sut Jhally mean when he says that there is nothing natural about gender identity? (5 points) What Sut Jhally means when he says that there is nothing natural about gender identity is that it is part of a process where people learn to take on certain attributes that we think are appropriate to understand of ourselves in gender terms. 3. How do we createRead MoreThe Gender Divide At The Homecoming Football Game891 Words   |  4 Pagesappropriate behaviours (F. Mason, personal communication, October 23, 2015). Football goes against what is seen as a gender appropriate behavior for women. Football is aggressive and masculine to a point where if a woman wants to play it is easier to be â€Å"feminine apologetic† then to just play the sport (e.g., lingerie football). In contrast to lingerie football there is â€Å"powder puff football† where the male football players dress up at the cheerleaders and the females dress up as the football players. TheRead MoreGender Equality Through Sports And Gender968 Words   |  4 PagesAs the world is becoming more technologically advanced and the standard of living is improving, the world still faces one colossal problem. Discrimination still exists in all forms, despite the efforts to eliminate it. Skin color, religion, and sex are the central components of discri mination in the world. One area that has shown great improvements over time is gender equality. Throughout world history, women have been viewed as inferior species to men. In the United States, women were not allowedRead MoreHow Gender Can Make A Visual Statement And Representation Of Ones Identity1730 Words   |  7 Pagesfashion allows for a high degree of creativity on the part of individuals in the construction of their identities and presentation of such identities in every day life.† The westernized fashion norms have been that men dress manly and women dress feminine. This does bring up the question of why are the norms so specific, why is it that its acceptable for females to wear a skirt but seen as strange or queer if a male wears one. Society has slowly changed and has slowly been more welcoming to the ideasRead MoreGender And Sex Are Kindred, But They re Not1418 Words   |  6 Pagesone s role within society†. Sex is based on genetics, whereas gender is based on the environmental surrounding. Lorber wrote: â€Å"Individuals are born sexed but not gendered, they have to be taught to be masculine or feminine† (1994). What if children aren’t taught to be masculine or feminine? Of course, these social cues are what mainly divides men from women, and nature from nurture, but does it also divide sex from gender? A person s sex does not change from birth, but their gender can. â€Å"The formationRead MoreAnalysis Of Throwing Like A Girl By Iris Marion983 Words   |  4 PagesGirl,† Iris Marion Young examines why women move differently than do men. She discusses the apparent observable differences in bodily comportment, physical engagement with things, ways of using the body in performing tasks, and bodily self-image of feminine existence. Young makes the argument that the differences between men and women are not caused by a mysterious â€Å"essence† or by any biological or anatomical limitation, but, rather, we are socialized into â€Å"being† in our bodily space by the situationRead MoreEssay about Socialization and the Learning of Gender Roles886 Words   |  4 Pagesthat people everywhere in the world would define the same traits as masculine or feminine. However, she argued, that if gender is cultural, such conceptions should vary. Mead researched three societies in New Guinea and concluded that â€Å"culture is the key to how sexes differ.† [Macionis et al. p233] In the first society, Arapesh, Mead reported that the men and women had similar behaviour and attitudes. They possessed similar traits that our culture would define as feminine, such as being cooperativeRead MoreThe Complex Layers Within the Little Mermaid1206 Words   |  5 Pagesreflect the Romantic and religious sensibilities that characterize the epoch in which it was written. This story explores the themes of maturation and transcendence in order to valorize the strictures of patriarchy that have persisted in the western world for centuries. It ultimately reinforces dominant power structures especially with regards to gender and teaches girls how to comport themselves within this system. The Little Mermaid presents complex gender scripts that ultimately legitimize and