"You can never have too many" by Jane Smiley And "Thank heaven for little boys" by Ana Veciana-Suarez
"You can never have too many" by Jane Smiley And "Thank heaven for little boys" by Ana Veciana-Suarez
Synthesis Essay-1st Draft
Tracy Shah #20118322
ENGL 109
Gender roles have been reinforced and installed into our daily lives from the time of birth: "we are born either male or female, and most of us learn to behave in ways consistent with a specific society's expectations for a particular sex" (Ackley, 2003, p.374). These expectations of specific gender roles can be seen in children as they play with the same gender or choose specific toys that are intended for his or her gender. A child develops and adapts gender roles from his or her models, which are usually the adult figures in their life or their siblings. Overall, I believe that females have been conditioned to follow certain feminine roles, and that males are conditioned to follow certain masculine roles. Even though masculinity and femininity gender roles are different in all cultures, and something that might be appropriate to a gender in culture might not be accepted in another culture. As well masculinity and femininity roles "change over time and with different cultures or groups within cultures." (Ackley, 2003, p.347) In Ana Veciana-Suarez's article Thank Heaven For Little Boys," and Jane Smiley's article, "You Can Never Have too Many," we will see how they observe gender roles and from their opinion, how they are developed from birth and are influenced from our families, society, and the media.
Both genders are influenced by families, society, and the media, the only difference is that they adapt roles that fit into their specific gender. All of these factors influence us in different ways by showing us what is appropriate and expected of our specific gender. Gender traits develop from all of these factors. We not only see gender roles on television, but we also see this in the way our parents or teachers associate us with expectations. In Ana Veciana-Suarez's article Thank Heaven For Little Boys," she explains that when kids play, females and males tend to play ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Both genders are influenced by families, society, and the media, the only difference is that they adapt roles that fit into their specific gender. All of these factors influence us in different ways by showing us what is appropriate and expected of our specific gender. Gender traits develop from all of these factors. We not only see gender roles on television, but we also see this in the way our parents or teachers associate us with expectations. In Ana Veciana-Suarez's article Thank Heaven For Little Boys," she explains that when kids play, females and males tend to play in different way. For example, females "tend to be calmer than boys. Boys like to play rough. They always have to be top dog." (Ackley, 2003, p.391) Females are usually gentle when they are with one another or they're telling each other gossip. Males, on the other hand, are set out to be more physical, competitive, and aggressive. (Ackley, 2003, p.390-91). Veciana-Suarez explains that she has leaned from her sons to be assertive and how to react in confrontation, and, at the same time, she hope her sons can learn from her how to be open, compassionate, gentle and be able to nurture. (Ackley, 2003, p.391) Here we see how different each gender is, and how we can learn from the opposite gender. Each gender has been conditioned to follow certain roles, but if we are taught from birth that there is no difference in either gender and are given skills from both genders than we would be able to understand each other more.
Children especially like to copy their parents or other models such as toys that they admire at their age. By doing so they feel more connected to the world when they are mimicking another person or toy. For example in Jane Smiley's article, "You Can Never Have too Many," she explains her daughters want to be and look like a Barbie doll. Smiley said "both my girls went through periods where they would wear only pink and purple. I chalk this up to the Barbie influence." (Ackley, 2003, p.376) Smiley also explains that her daughters didn't learn to wear make-up from her either, since she didn't wear any: "In other words, if my daughters were to learn certain Hollywood-inspired essentials of America womanhood, it wasn't from me, but from Barbie" (Ackley, 2003, p.376). Smiley also shows Barbie as being a model for her daughters, she exclaims that her daughter have three mothers, herself, their stepmother, and Barbie (Ackley, 2003, p.376) In Smiley's opinion, as her daughters play with the many different and diverse Barbie dolls, they are able to open up and become a stronger female, thus allowing them to have control over what they want to do and want to be in life. As we see here, not only do parents have an influence on gender roles, but objects such as toys have a significant meaning to specific genders as well.
In Veciana-Suarez article, the author is worried about teaching her sons the proper role of a man, since her husband passed away and now she has to take on all the parenting duties. This just shows how we differentiate from both genders and how a mother and father both have different roles to fulfill and teach their children. Veciana-Suarez shows how difficult it is to be the opposite gender since we are only taught our gender roles:
Now, because I have to be both father and mother to them, I feel a responsibility to teach them what it means to be a family provider and protector...to become the man of the house. It's a pretty hard lesson to teach when the world when the world is taking cheap shots at their gender...when manliness is mistaken for destructiveness. (Ackley, 2003, p.390)
Gender roles are a part of our life from the day we area born, but they often distinguish people of the opposite gender in a negative way. The problem is that one gender always believes that they are better than the other gender. Since factors such as families, society, and the media imprint gender roles into our daily lives from the time we are born, it makes it difficult for us to run away from our 'gender role.' Veciana-Suarez says in her article we need to "encourage them to leaven one set of traits with another, because both are needed to thrive in this world." (Ackley, 2003, p.391) If we stop setting out specific gender roles, than there wouldn't be as much competition or degrading of one another and both genders would understand each other equally.
Reference
Smiley, J. (2003). You Can Never Have too Many. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, Readings Across the Disciplines. 3rd Ed. K.A. Ackley. Boston: Heinle, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. 374-77
Veciana-Suarez, A. (2003). Thank Heaven For Little Boys. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues, Readings Across the Disciplines. 3rd Ed. K.A. Ackley. Boston: Heinle, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. 390-91
