"Girls rule and boys drool" used to be one of my favorite things to say. And in the case of the chimpanzees the author discusses in the beginning of the passage, that statement is definitely true.
I have to admit by just reading the title I assumed this passage would not be focusing on females, but it did and I thought it was very interesting and well written. The author's writing kept my attention throughout the reading. Partially because the topic of alpha females makes me feel empowered and because the author's mix of facts, rhetorical questions, and predictions kept me wanting to know more.
Personally, I think it's great that more females are in college. Considering the fact that not too long ago education wasn't even an option for women. And it makes me angry that the author is arguing that the academic and occupational gains by women in recent years have come at the expense of men. If women are rising in education and the work force it's because they are working their butts off to do so. Maybe college admissions is letting more girls in than boys, but then within the schools it's not the girls faults that more of them graduate with degrees than the guys do. Maybe the men should work harder.
Now I guess because I am a girl, I'm biased. BUT, to be honest I don't see a problem with the future holding more college educated women than men. With women occupying more prestigious jobs and everything...maybe we'll finally have a female president one day.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Blog #19
Oh the "Guy Code". It's the reason they act the way they do, or the excuse for their secrets. No matter the definition behind it, it will always be a guy thing....and according to this reading, more specifically, a straight guy thing.
I found it really interesting that when prompted, a college age girl simply stated that as a woman she can do and be anything she wants. She referred to different celebrities with different jobs and said she could be any one of them if she so pleased. But when a man is asked what it means to be a man, it's a whole different story. There is a set of rules or a 'code' one must follow in order to truly be considered a man. To be honest I found the "Real Guy's Top Ten List" in the reading to be insanely stereotypical, and in my point of view, though most of it is true, I think men have been able to stray from it especially in the past decade or so. I definitely know a lot of guys that have no problems sharing their feelings and don't mind being sad or crying about something. I also think that the media and advertising have a huge affect on gender roles in society and the male roles in movies and on television now a days are much more sensitive and open to something such as asking for directions. Of course you still have your superhero and macho men characters, but there are quite a few lead roles on TV shows such as Scrubs, CSI, Psych, etc. that show men with emotional sides and occasionally even shedding a tear or two.
I agree that it makes sense that boys are more prone to depression and being diagnosed with ADHD. Growing up in a world where you hide all of your emotions and don't let anything out means all of these feelings are being locked up inside which is unhealthy and can lead to a great deal of confusion. Turning to anger and violence seems to be the only way for them to let go of anything, but it only hurts themselves and the people around them.
I found it really interesting that when prompted, a college age girl simply stated that as a woman she can do and be anything she wants. She referred to different celebrities with different jobs and said she could be any one of them if she so pleased. But when a man is asked what it means to be a man, it's a whole different story. There is a set of rules or a 'code' one must follow in order to truly be considered a man. To be honest I found the "Real Guy's Top Ten List" in the reading to be insanely stereotypical, and in my point of view, though most of it is true, I think men have been able to stray from it especially in the past decade or so. I definitely know a lot of guys that have no problems sharing their feelings and don't mind being sad or crying about something. I also think that the media and advertising have a huge affect on gender roles in society and the male roles in movies and on television now a days are much more sensitive and open to something such as asking for directions. Of course you still have your superhero and macho men characters, but there are quite a few lead roles on TV shows such as Scrubs, CSI, Psych, etc. that show men with emotional sides and occasionally even shedding a tear or two.
I agree that it makes sense that boys are more prone to depression and being diagnosed with ADHD. Growing up in a world where you hide all of your emotions and don't let anything out means all of these feelings are being locked up inside which is unhealthy and can lead to a great deal of confusion. Turning to anger and violence seems to be the only way for them to let go of anything, but it only hurts themselves and the people around them.
Blog #18!
"A Boy's Life" by Hanna Rosin was a very interesting story. At my age I can't even fathom being a mother, let alone a mother dealing with a child who wishes to be the opposite sex. I had no idea that children that young could know deep inside that they identified with the opposite gender, I thought that was something people figured out as they grew up and went through puberty. I actually admire Brandon for being so courageous and forward about his feelings and who he wanted to be at such a young age.
It makes sense that Hanna Rosin struggled so much as a single mother dealing with her son because of where she lived. In a small, secluded town, there aren't other adults or children like Brandon, let alone any knowledge of transgender people. It wasn't until her mother showed her a video that explained the terms gender-identity disorder and transgender, that Hanna realized that this was a common situation. I was personally stunned when the article then stated that she decided to buy a computer so she could Google the terms and learn more about the topic. Clearly, she didn't just live in a small town, she lived in a very conservative and secluded area. The Trans-Health Conference that she attended with her ex-husband and son exposed them to many other transgender people and helped them cope with their situation. They were finally accepting to the possibility that Brandon could grow up as a women and maybe even be a mother.
I'm not sure how I feel about the hormone blockers. If you decide to give them to your child when they are too young to understand, then they don't have a say in what is happening to their bodies. Even if at a young age they identify themselves as the opposite gender, they are unaware of the changes that their bodies will go through during puberty and if you stop that from happening then they'll never experience it and truly know and understand why they want to be the opposite gender. I guess if you're a parent in this situation and your child is miserable as the gender they were born, then maybe it's a good idea. Especially if later in life it would save them a lot of money to get surgery. If I were a parent of a transgender child, I'm just honestly not sure what I would do regarding blockers and other drugs.
It makes sense that Hanna Rosin struggled so much as a single mother dealing with her son because of where she lived. In a small, secluded town, there aren't other adults or children like Brandon, let alone any knowledge of transgender people. It wasn't until her mother showed her a video that explained the terms gender-identity disorder and transgender, that Hanna realized that this was a common situation. I was personally stunned when the article then stated that she decided to buy a computer so she could Google the terms and learn more about the topic. Clearly, she didn't just live in a small town, she lived in a very conservative and secluded area. The Trans-Health Conference that she attended with her ex-husband and son exposed them to many other transgender people and helped them cope with their situation. They were finally accepting to the possibility that Brandon could grow up as a women and maybe even be a mother.
I'm not sure how I feel about the hormone blockers. If you decide to give them to your child when they are too young to understand, then they don't have a say in what is happening to their bodies. Even if at a young age they identify themselves as the opposite gender, they are unaware of the changes that their bodies will go through during puberty and if you stop that from happening then they'll never experience it and truly know and understand why they want to be the opposite gender. I guess if you're a parent in this situation and your child is miserable as the gender they were born, then maybe it's a good idea. Especially if later in life it would save them a lot of money to get surgery. If I were a parent of a transgender child, I'm just honestly not sure what I would do regarding blockers and other drugs.
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