For much of the past, the perception of the woman has been based on what society around them expects. This notion, what is expected from a woman, has been inextricably embedded into society and passed on from mother to daughter and has become the norm in how the woman behaves and acts in public. From this damning narrative, women have been belittled to objects that society projects upon them what they would like to ideally view a woman as being.
Young's piece, "Throwing Like a Girl", articulates her message by explaining girls are socialized at a young age that their bodies are fragile pieces that must be maintained in a manner that is conservative to their male counterparts. Further, it is presumed that females are not to participate in male activities because of their bodies which relates to the naturalistic body and suggests that it is biological as to why females are not to participate in male dominated fields. This is articulated by Young in the example of minimizing the amount of space to take up with the female body which leads to the lessening of a female also participating in activities that may increase the bodily capacity of the woman in relation to the male counterpart. An example of what Young is explaining is related to how young boys are socialized into sports and activities that are physically demanding while young girls are given Easy Bake ovens, Barbies and princess-related movies to occupy their time.
The central argument Young conveys to the reader is body related and how the connotation surrounding a female body stresses Victorian-era body standards and the production of presenting oneself. The dilemma stemming from how the female body should be produced in what Young explains as "…we often lack the confidence that we have the capacity to do what must be done." The lack of confidence Young explains has manifested in that young females worry about physical appearance to please their peers, but only because of the socialization they endured (hence the Mean Girls clip).
Take for example, the amount of women in careers related to STEM subjects. From a young age, the woman is self-taught "I cannot"which has led to the disproportionate amount of females in STEM careers. If the young girl is taught that she should be cautious and not as ambitious as her male counterpart because of biology, then gender gaps in fields where confidence is a major part of success, is a consequence.
Then, related to the body and the discussion concerning sports and males, here are numbers that display how the damning narrative of how the female body should be conservative/dainty have negative effects regarding females and sports. It is apparent that the message Young wrote about years ago is still prevalent in 2014 and affecting young females today. Notably, if a female is seen to be exercising it is usually related to weight loss or to "be fit" instead of trying to gain muscle or build endurance like their male counterparts so proactively enjoy doing. Even further, a female who is interested in sports and does have noticeable amounts of muscle is deemed to be "butch" and out of the mainstream views of how a female should be presented.
Young's piece on the feminine body does a good job describing what it means to be "feminine" in society, and how this idea of a "feminine attitude" is embedded within society's expectations for women, specifically in relation to the world and to space. The notorious example of "throwing like a girl" was once thought to be a major difference between the sexes because of this idea of a female "essence," but upon examination it is clear that this difference really only exists because of situational and experiential differences of male and female bodies. From an early age girls are taught the "correct" styles of feminine body comportment and movement, so extreme to the point that any unfamiliar movement seems wrong--like throwing. The point that Young makes that every human existence is defined by its situation is key, and this highlights that men and women have real differences in behavior and experience, which ultimately creates these physical distinctions. I enjoyed the Mean Girls clip in relation to this idea, because it so perfectly exemplifies what young women (even if exaggerated) have to go through with their bodies to keep up with society's standards for their gender. If society wasn't so fixated on keeping movement and activity so gender segregated, there wouldn't be these unnecessary standards and regulations for the female body, which is just as capable as the male body. The existence of women in modern society is ultimately conditioned by the modalities of the feminine body, which has been consistently oppressed by a sexist patriarchal society.
ReplyDeleteYoung's writing was a very interesting piece with a lot of valid information in it. We know now that society has shaped stereotypes for females bodies and how they should look. As I read the reading, the best example he showed was the throwing like a girl reference. That example perfectly shows how we view women as fragile and how society has created a female identity that both men and women can fall into for being considered weak. The Mean Girls clip is a really good example of what Young talks about girls not being confident makes them question their appearance. Women have always been viewed having less power than men from both a societal standpoint and biological. Just as you put in your blog, young boys are put into sports activities while little girls are given barbies and easy bake ovens. That really just shows how women are portrayed to not be aggressive humans and do a lot of physical work.
ReplyDeleteAlthough more physically challenging activities are typically classified as masculine, I disagree with your statement claiming that this piece is still relevant in 2014. Although I can only base my knowledge on a mostly-white middle class suburban high school, I would argue that girls in this day and age are socialized into sports and being active. Growing up, nearly everyone I knew played either soccer or softball as a child, and many of theses people continued playing these sports well in to high school. Not only did these girls play for fitness, but also for the love of the sport. Being fit and excelling at your position was deemed positive, not "butch". I do agree that some physical aspects of the sports world in school are dominated by males, such as weight lifting, but over-all males and females participated pretty equally in athletics.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, agree with your statement bout girls being socialized into thinking that their bodies are more fragile than their male counter-parts. And because of this culturally held belief, women are less keen to press their physical limits to be as active as men. This self-doubt that Young talks about plays a key role in m=women being complacent in the mind-set that men are just "naturally" stronger than women. I, however, believe very differently. If women were trained from a young age to show their masculinity, we would have a group of women who were just as strong and capable as men.