Women Studies

Blake Schulwolf
Ms. Wininger
Feb. 19th, 2013
Women Studies 200
Gender Equality Stalled Response

In the article, "Why Gender Equality Stalled", it expresses how women were able to create equality between men and women even though it took many years to progress. The article focuses mostly on how feminists were able to transform the attitudes of women in society. The article celebrates the 50th anniversary of "The Feminine Mystique" which was a best seller that fired up women to start movements for equal oppurtunities. After reading the article I think Americans responded to Betty Fredan's book the way they did because it gave them an image of a different way of life that bettered people who were of the same sex as them. After people read "The Feminine Mystique" I think women were able to visualize a realistic hope for a life that was full of more oppurtunities. About a half-century ago when this article was written most women believed main "family" decisions should be made by the head male of the household. The article provided factual information such as surveys they asked women fifty years ago and compared the answers to how most women would answer those same questions in our modern day world. It was shown in surveys that were done decades ago that the majority of women had the same opinions on things such as important household decisions and duties. I believe most women answered the survey based on their current knowledge of women's roles in society. Women who filled out the surgery probably answered most of the questions based on their knowledge of what life was like for females based on what they knew instead of thinking about it from another viewpoint. Brave Feminists began to look at the way females should be treated rather then the way they were being treated during the current time period. Women personally were used to being underprivileged compared to men because it was that way for their early generations and was thought to be the correct way for a woman to act/be treated. As the years progressed more women were beginning to see their personal lives as a disadvantage due to which sex they are. It took many movements and brave feminists to step up for woman as a whole in society. Main goals of feminists were to create an equalized society between people of both sexes whether that be in a political or economical aspect. This article had some negative feel to it in my own opinion because it shows factual surveys that provide a view on how the revolution for sexual equality has come to a standstill. On a personal level I think their is still a lot of room for the development of all sexes to be treated as an equal. Having said that thanks to brave females' such as Betty Fredan and others their has been a noticable rise in social equality between all sexes, but sexism is still very much around and causes disadvantages for women of all over. Another main point that the article in The New York Times made is to put a stoppage of hard family choices and to make each indivudual family member accountable for household chores in order to not leave all household duties up to the females. The way females used to behave towards males and the way they still act socially around men is somewhat based on how they were raised. Gender roles have been put into place over our long United States history and women are supposed to act and look a certain way in order to get the attention of a partner of the opposite sex. Women are taught certain ways to act in social settings differently then guys in many ways, and some of the common ways females usually express their gender is by the way they dress, if their wearing make-up, or by the way their walking. Some females who have a masculine personalities would probably dress more like a guy and walk in a more manly manner. This is the exact opposite if a girl of the female sex who also has a feminine gender would dress and act because a "girly" girl would most likely would have on a more girl looking outfit, would walk in a more feminine fashion, or use a different kind of dialogue in order to act like a "proper" straight female. Their are many conflicts this article discusses that provides readers with an efficient amount of knowledge on some modern day disadvantages females still have to deal with. What bothers me the most out of all woman disadvantages is the fact that finically they do not get the same chance to make as much money as a male who works the same exact job. Females get paid a lower salary then males and on most occasions women usually are not the ones occupying head positions in a business/corporation. This is extremely unfair to me in many ways and I think it is unacceptable that just because an employee is a female does not mean she can not work her job as well if not better then a male who works the same position. If a woman earns the same degree as a male and the woman and guy began to work in an office together then the male would be getting a higher salary then the woman working the same job with the same degree. If I had to categorize these actions I would probably say it is sexism, but in reality it is a huge finical disadvantage for females who are aiming to earn a high paying salary. The finical way of life for women who receive less money then males doing the same job is what I find as something that needs to be completely changed in the near future. In order to live in a country that is attempting to decrease the amount of racism, sexism, and classism we need to create TRUE equality between all people. This is a serious issue and in my own thoughts I think in order for us to get rid of the negative ism's out there is to create equality in offices, corporations, and other jobs for that matter. Employers should hire people based on their knowledge and skill sets that are suitable in order to succeed for that company, rather then not hiring someone based on their sex, class, or race. On a negative note I do not think sexism and racism are ever going to disappear completely, but by paying employees the same regardless of appearance should be a starting point in developing an equal society between people of all sexes and colors. Their is no way to figure out the best way to approach all the unequal chances in our world today, but by starting movements and making people aware of the inexcusable actions people are facing is the one of the few ways to get more people believing and involved.