I was called a tough kid when I was 13 yrs old. The situation was somewhat like this: we were in Hyderabad, India and I was in my 7thgrade studying in P. Obul Reddy Public School. This time was around rainy season and the floors of the hallway were kind of slippery. It was 1pm and my social studies class was about dismiss. I got up and took the permission from teacher to use the restroom. As I was getting out of the class, I knew that floors are slippery as a result, I was walking slowly down the stairs. Suddenly, I looked back while going down the stairs so as to see my friend who was calling me. As soon as I looked back I lost one step and fell from the stairs which led to sprain in my right leg. I did not notice until I was walking and feeling slight pain in my leg. I spent whole day and as soon as the school dismissed at 5 pm I went home and took out my shoes and saw a swollen leg. I yelled in pain and my mom called my dad to make an appointment with a doctor. We went to the doctor and he told me to rest 1 month. Within this month I had my finals too so there was no question about taking rest. I did really great on my finals even after having this injury. My parents called me a tough kid and told me that in spite of having an injury I did not take my finals leniently. This made me feel that even though a human has two legs, 2 hands, and a proper structure still they complain about their lives, what about those who don’t even have what we as a human have? As a result I learnt that anything is possible in life if we do not think about other things that distracts us and instead focus on what we need do in our life, we will definitely achieve it. I learnt about opposite gender that if my father would not have taken me to the doctor at the very first moment or if he would not have played a father’s role at that time I would not have been cured.
I wasn’t called a “girly girl” but instead I was called a “simple girl.” This situation was when we had a house rooming party at my house and I called one of my friend and also invited her uncle. My friend who always wears fashionable clothes was told right in front of me by his uncle that I am a “simple girl” and he told her to be like me. He even told that girl’s personality comes from being as simple as you can. I wore half sleeved shirt and jeans; her uncle told her not to show off too much. This was kind of a strange feeling because I did not want my friend to get disappointed about her clothes. As a result I learnt that not to change yourself for someone else, and be as you were before. This taught me about the opposite gender that they are there to tell their perspective but ultimately it is up to us weather we appreciate the right or wrong perspective.
SECTION V: GENDER CONVERSATION
THE EARLIEST MEMORY OF CONVERSATION THE OPPOSITE SEX WAS REFERENCED WAS IN A CLASS DISCUSSION OF A FILM “FLY GIRLS.” IN THIS MEMORY, IT SHOWED HOW JACQUELINE’S HUSBAND ENCOURAGED HER TO BECOME A PILOT EVEN AFTER THE MARRIAGE. JACQUELINE’S HUSBAND WAS REPRESENTED AS SUPPORTIVE, ENCOURAGING, LOVING, AND CARING TOWARDS HIS WIFE. THIS WAS DEFINITELY A GREAT FEELING HOW A MEN LEADS TO SUCCESS OF HIS WIFE NOT DISCRIMINATION OR NEGLECTING HER AMBITION. THE MESSAGE ABOUT MYSELF AS A PERSON SHAPED MY IDEAS ABOUT NOT ALL MAN IS CONSIDERED TO BE UNSUPPORTIVE TO THEIR WIVES. THERE ARE FEW MEN WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND CONSIDER THE WELL BEING OF THEIR WIVES.
According to these messages I think that if people try not thinking what society wants from them and what they can’t do but instead thinking what they want in their lives will definitely lead to the achievement that they want in their life. As a female person, I was glad to see how Jacqueline did what she wanted not thinking that being a pilot is only for men. She instead proved these female are not behind, they can also do things if they decide and do with determination and courage. Being a female is equally contributed as being a male. If one thinks everything is possible in life then no matter who they are as a gender can achieve it.
The earliest memories involving the interactions or the physical presence of people of the opposite sex was talking about a MCAT at time of my working schedule at Access Health Center. His name is Nadim who is a POC in charge person. This early memory was about MCAT: how to take and what is the right time to take it. He is studying at UIC and works in POC. He took the MCAT this year and gave me guidance and instruction about how to study for it. The context of this interaction was how to score higher in MCAT and what are the materials that are needed in order to succeed in MCAT. I was at Access Health Center working as a part time on Saturdays. This interaction started by discussing how is his performance at UIC and what are the strategies in order to get into med school.
It made me feel that I need to work hard and score high on MCAT in order to secure my place in med school. It is really difficult test and there are others who are competing to get in to the med school. It encouraged me to even work harder and be among the lucky ones to secure the place in med school. This interaction was friendly since he made me understand how difficult it is to enter into Med school for which I have to prepare from now. It was delight to talk to him because of his kind and friendly behavior.
Being a female it is more important for me to prove myself with hard work and dedication or the hunger that I posses to get in med school. It has become more important for me as a female not to disprove myself.
Section VI: School
I attended pre-school or day care in Baby Pearl Center, India. The gender make-up of my classmates was composed equal proportion of male and female. The gender make-up of teacher or care provider was mainly of female ratio over male ratio. The gender make-up of my grade school classes had equal ratio of male and female. No there is no situation that raised gender to the surface.
At school, males were impatient, wild, out of control, and disobedient. They basically would be inactive during the class time and would disrupt class in any means. The people who were the members of the opposite sex would try enacting the same way with whom they hang out trying to show the superiority. The people who constituted my learning community were firstly my parents who encouraged me in everyday life and secondly my teachers who taught me the meaning of the learning and help me succeed by providing the best learning environment. The leaders of my education were my teachers who fully supported me in the material in terms of understanding the concept clearly. Basically the majority of them were females.
Section VII: Media
This is an Indian program called: kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi. In this program the main lead were Smriti Irani, Ronit Roy, Apara Mehta, Hiten Tejwani, , , and . This program was based on family and how they help each other at the times of need and in critical situation. It shows the ups and downs in each and every member’s life and also shows how they cope up with the problem.
Smriti Irani, Apara Mehta, Riva Bubber, Gauri Pradhan Tiwari, and Rakshandha Khan are female where as Ronit Roy, and Hiten Tejwani are male. The most important supporting actor was Apara Mehta and she is female. There is a variety of representatives of those who are men and those who are women. For instance, the family was shown wealthy and owned their own business. Men were represented as tough, courageous, Asian, and working class. Female were shown attractive, hardworking and homely.
THERE WERE PARTICULAR QUALITIES PREVAILED AMONG THE MALE CHARACTERS SUCH AS BEING STRONG, PROTECTIVE, BUILDING MUSCLES, HARDWORKING, ARE EMPLOYED AND MAINTAIN A PERSONALITY. WHEREAS, FEMALE WERE CONSIDERED TO BE INTROVERT, AND EXTROVERT WHEN IT COMES TO SOLVE AND PROBLEM THAT APPEARS IN THEIR LIVES. FEMALE WERE GENERALLY ETHICAL AND HOUSEKEEPERS. FEMALE WERE GENERALLY CARE TAKER OF CHILDREN AND HOME. THEY ARE NOT THE WORKERS IN THE PAID LABOR FORCE. WHEN EMPLOYED, THE TYPES OF JOBS THAT THEY ARE REPRESENTED WITHIN ARE GENERALLY BUSINESS TEXTILES AND INDUSTRY.
When unemployed, they are shown either applying to the jobs or attending the interviews. Sometimes they are even shown working a small paid job on the street where the poor people tend to work. They are shown with the family in a small low budget restaurant. They reflect the gender roles in a society and how one should behave. There can be generalization made about gender roles from this media in terms of how the male and female act and behave in a certain way that shapes their family together.
THE MESSAGES ABOUT THE MEN IN THIS MEDIA ARE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STRONG AND SUPPORT THE FAMILY AT THE DIFFICULT SITUATION. THEY SHOULD BE THE ONE BY WHICH FAMILY CAN STAND TOGETHER.
THE MEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FILLED CERTAIN ROLES DURING THE UNEMPLOYMENT THEY ARE THE FIRST PREFERENCE TO GO OUT AND FIND WORK. MEN WERE SHOWN AS BUSINESS PARTNERS, OR OWNERS, OR AS SHARE HOLDERS. MEN WERE NOT ABSENT FROM THE MEDIA. THE MESSAGE ABOUT WOMEN IN THIS MEDIA WAS THEY STAND OUT WHEN THERE IS ANY SITUATION OR PROBLEMS AGAINST THEIR FAMILY. THEY ARE TYPICALLY HOUSE WIVES WHO SERVE THEIR WHOLE LIFE IN THE WELLBEING OF THE FAMILY.
THE WOMEN ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FILLED A CERTAIN ROLES AS A DAUGHTER, WIFE, MOTHER, AND GRANDMOTHER. NO, WOMEN ARE NOT ABSENT FROM THIS MEDIA. THE RACE -GENDER MIX MESSAGES THAT I OBSERVED WAS MEN WAS INVOLVED IN EARNING INCOME WHERE AS FEMALE WAS INVOLVED IN THE HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITIES. NO, THE MESSAGES THAT I RECEIVED DO NOT ADVANCE THE SOCIAL JUSTICE DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY.
THE MESSAGES REGARDING WOMEN AND THOSE REGARDING MEN DO NOT PROMOTE THE IDEAL EQUALITY PARTICULARLY OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THE SOCIETY THAT THEY WERE SHOWN IN HAD THE IDEOLOGY ABOUT GENDER ROLES. IN THE SOCIETY THAT THEY WERE RAISED MAINLY CONSIDERED THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ABILITY OF MEN AND WOMEN. MEN WERE CONSIDERED PRESTIGIOUS AND OUTGOING, WHEREAS WOMEN WERE INTROVERT AND NURTURING THEIR KIDS.
MY CURRENT FAVORITE PROGRAMS ARE MAINLY INDIAN REALITY SHOWS: DANCE INDIA DANCE, SA RE GA MA PA, AND DID DOUBLES. IN ORDER TO ADVANCE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY THERE SHOULD BE NO AGE LIMIT AND THEY SHOULD TRY AND SEE HOW UNTRAINED DANCER OR SINGER PERFORM WITHOUT ANY TRAINING BY GIVING THEM ONE CHANCE TO SHOW THEIR SKILLS. MY AUNT WHO LIVES IN CANADA IS MARRIED TO A PERSON FROM UGANDA. THEY ARE ONE OF THE BEST COUPLE KNOWN IN OUR FAMILY. THEY ARE WELL SETTLED, AND HAVE MORE PRESTIGE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN OUR FAMILY. THE PARTNER IS SUPPORTIVE AND HAS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS LIKE AN EVERLASTING LOVE STORY.
THE RELATIONSHIP IS PORTRAYED AS IMPROVING AND LESSENING TO EVERYONE IN OUR FAMILY. WE LEARN FROM THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND EVEN SOMETIMES GIVE EXAMPLES TO OTHERS ABOUT HOW THEY LEAVE HAPPILY. THIS MADE ME FEEL PROUD THAT THERE IS SOMEONE IN OUR FAMILY FROM WHOM WE COULD LEARN LESSONS AND IMPLEMENT IT IN OUR DAILY LIFE. ACCORDING TO ME, MARRIAGE IS NOT DEPENDED ON COLOR OR TEXTURE INSTEAD THE INNER HEARTS ARE THE ONE WHO JOIN THE TWO LOVERS. ONE SHOULD LOOK AT THE INNER SIDE OF THE HUMAN BEING.
I never dated someone who is non white, but my friend dated James, who is non white. Their relationship was not happily going. They had fights and had trust between them. Their relationship was like a glass without water. There was no love, and affection between them. This increased because of the negative thoughts. Their relationship was treated differently than those relationships between people of the same race. The people generally thought that the people who are of the same race have the same thoughts and feelings then compared to those of the different race. People think that there is no connection of religion and cultural identities to those who are in relationship with different race.
This should not be taken into granted that if the people who have relationship with different race will not last longer because they are from different culture or religion in fact, one should think that religion and culture does matter at some extend, but the most important thing is two souls should be satisfied with the relationship.
I LEARNT THAT PEOPLE STILL HAVE THE IDEOLOGY IN SOME PART OF THE WORLD THAT THEY SHOULD MARRY THE PEOPLE FROM THE SAME RACE AND CULTURE. ACCORDING TO THESE EXCHANGES, I LEARNT THAT WHITENESS DOES NOT MATTER UNLESS THE PERSON IS PURE FROM INSIDE OF THEIR HEART. THE EXTERIOR COLOR DOES NOT MAKE A PERSON CARRYING BUT INSTEAD KNOWING THE PERSON FROM INSIDE HELPS TO GET THE CLEAR IDEA ABOUT HOW THEY ARE.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Gender/ Race Analysis
The overall messages within these experiences about male/ female or white/non-white portrayed how to act and behave according the gender personality and how society looks at you according to what they see is how they see. The messages imply about male/female or white/non-white is simply how gender shapes ones identity.
THERE IS AN INCONSISTENCY ABOUT THE GENDER ROLE IN THE SOCIETY THAT A MALE SHOULD BE WORKING FOR BRINGING MONEY TO THE HOME WHEREAS A FEMALE SHOULD BE AT HOME NURTURING THE CHILDREN AND COOKING. ACCORDING TO ME THESE ROLES AND THEIR IMPOSITION ARE CHANGING AS PEOPLE ARE MOVING FORWARD FROM THE OLD MENTALITY. IN MODERN ERA, THERE IS NO INEQUALITY BETWEEN MALE /FEMALE IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD. WOMEN ARE GIVEN EQUAL PRIVILEGE AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES AS A MALE ARE. WOMEN ARE STEPPING OUT OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD LIVES AND WORKING HARD PROVING THEIR IDENTITY IN THE SOCIETY.
The roles for female who are white are generally taught to be beautiful and given far more advantage due to their appearance then compared to the male who are non white. This role is enforced in daily basis of life whether it is in school, college, work, or in the community. The way people think is based on how they see and what they see. People judge according to the personality and the way one acts not by the inner perspective or the feelings that one has.
Critical Analysis
The overall message serves how society is constructed which eventually leads a person act accordingly. Society shapes the gender role. Within a dominant institution: family, employment, for example the girls/women who are non-whites are discriminated based on their race and ethnicity. They are not given the privilege that a boy/ men who are whites have.
THIS EVENTUALLY IMPACTS HOW ONE IS SEEN IN THE WORKPLACE NOT BY THE SKILLS OR QUALITIES THEY TEND TO HAVE BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT TRUSTABLE DUE TO THEIR SKIN COLOR. THE IMPACT IS LIFELONG AND TREMENDOUSLY HEART BREAKING SINCE THEY ARE NOT ONLY REJECTED BY THE INDIVIDUAL BUT BY THE WHOLE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY TEND TO LIVE IN. THEY GENERALLY GO INTO THE DEPRESSION BY THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF THE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CONTINUES THEN THE DEATH RATIO OF NON WHITE MALE WILL DRASTICALLY INCREASE DUE TO THEIR STRESS OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND ANXIETY. DEFINITELY NOT, BECAUSE THE GENDER ROLE SHOULD BE EQUALLY CONSTRUCTED NOT BY WHERE THE PERSON IS FROM AND WHAT IS THEIR ETHNICITY. EVERYONE SHOULD BE JUDGE BY “WE ALL ARE HUMAN BEING” NOT BY THE COLOR OF THE SKIN OR BY THE RACE. ONE THING COULD BE TAKEN INTO GRANTED THAT IF PEOPLE START BELIEVING THAT WE ALL ARE EQUAL IN TERMS OF HUMAN AND WE ALL PERTAIN THE SAME QUALITY THAT IS WE ARE THE MESSENGER OF THE GOD.
