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Patriarchy and its effects
Stereotypes and their effects in society
Stereotypes and their effects in society
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“Defining Patriarchy” by Bell Hooks is an article written to persuade the reader that patriarchy is “the single most life-threatening social disease” in American society. Hooks’ in depth understanding of the American experience and how patriarchy affects not just Hooks’ life but others around her sets her essay apart from others as Hooks effectively defines what patriarchy is, and how patriarchy should be changed. Hooks’ vivid, raw and unforgiving descriptions of her own experience with patriarchy exposes flaws in the world, and leaves the reader feeling stunned. Hooks uses diction, tone, and pathos in order to drive home the message that patriarchy is and has been part of society, and that patriarchy is a social construct that needs to be …show more content…
eradicated. Hooks has a clear and alluring handle on language, and she is able to use unique and at times uncomfortable language to persuade the reader of her position. She draws parallels between patriarchy and what patriarchy means in the world today. “I was taught that it was not proper for a female to be violent, that it was “unnatural.” By using the word “unnatural” to describe women as violent, it draws a strong line between what is “natural”and what is “unnatural” by the standards of patriarchy. What Hooks is saying is that patriarchy is “natural” and anything challenging the system is inherently unnatural. The way that Hooks’ diction is used here makes the reader think harder about the system and question why we are following the system in the first place. Another place that Hooks uses diction to drive home her message is through her innate storytelling skills, where Hooks uses words and phrases that are so disturbingly accurate that they evoke discomfort or shame in the reader. “He beat me and he beat me, wanting me to acknowledge that I understood what I had done. His rage, his violence captured everyone’s attention. Our family sat spellbound, rapt before the pornography.” Hooks uses topics like porn which are uncomfortable for many to think about, so when Hooks uses the word, it automatically wakes the reader up, and gives them a new and striking understanding of what Hooks’ personal experience was. By using words that make the reader troubled or anxious, Hooks makes the reader understand the seriousness of patriarchy, and that patriarchy needs to be changed. Not every author uses the word “pornography” in their writing and it is a powerful and unapologetic use of diction. Hooks draws from her diction to create tone.
Hooks’ tone of disappointment and frustration with society and its norms continues to increase the feeling of shame or discomfort in the reader, which Hooks uses to increase determination in the reader to free themselves from this strange guilt or restlessness the tone makes them feel, by setting out to change the system. “Nothing discounts the old anti feminist projection of men as all-powerful more than their basic ignorance of a major facet of the political system that shapes and informs male identity and sense of self from birth until death.” Hooks expresses her opinion that people are displaying ignorant tendencies by not recognizing and trying to change patriarchy but not directly blaming anyone makes the point less harsh, but still drives home Hooks’ opinion that patriarchy is despicable, and must be changed by the people. Towards the end of the essay, Hooks uses more open ended description of her position by looking at both sides of patriarchy: men and women. Instead of simply blaming men and not recognizing that women might also play a part in perpetuating the culture, Hooks makes herself more credible by showing that she is not biased (or the reader is meant to think that she is not), which leads the reader to trust her more, thus her use of ethos is effective. “Patriarchal thinking shapes the values of our culture. We are socialized into this system, females as well as males.” By suggesting that women along with men …show more content…
play a part in the system, Hooks addresses all of society, which makes all readers accountable for what is happening. No one reading can try and shy away from the problem, which simultaneously makes the reader (specifically females) feel more uncomfortable, but also more confident in Hooks, as Hooks alludes that her attitude towards patriarchy is less biased or one sided and more educated. Hooks uses ethos and tone to make the reader more trusting yet uncomfortable enough to take her side, and affect change. Hooks is, as aforementioned, an incredible storyteller.
This is what most of Hooks argument hinges on, as she uses her skill of what will make most sense to the reader. Hooks dives into a deep, descriptive and unfiltered story about her family, and how Hooks and her brother have experienced patriarchy first hand. If Hooks did not display her amount of skill and create such artful and realistic stories, the reader would not get a look into her life, and they would not relate as much to Hooks and the story that she has to tell. “The recollection of this brutal whipping of a little-girl daughter by a big strong man, served as more than just a reminder to me of my gendered place…” The description of Hooks’ father beating her sticks with the reader, and makes them feel bad and potentially remorseful enough that they will want to change the system. At the very least, the reader’s opinion towards patriarchy would have been changed, because Hooks makes the reader choose between violence and patriarchy, or a small innocent child. No one would choose to support something that perpetuates violence, especially not the reader, who most likely sees themselves as a good person. The way that Hooks makes the reader feel sad or disturbed, pathos, makes her argument stronger, deeper, artful, yet serious in order to persuade the reader that patriarchy needs to be
changed. Patriarchy has been unquestioningly followed for such a long time, and Hooks uses diction, tone, and pathos to explain and persuade the reader that the system not only needs to be questioned, but changed. She gives direct suggestions as to how to change the system, which lets the reader see that she doesn’t plan on sitting and being complacent, she wants to take action. “To truly address male pain and male crisis we must as a nation be willing to expose the harsh reality that patriarchy has damaged men in the past and continues to damage them in the present.” Hooks leverage of rhetorical appeal is direct and purposeful, which creates a strong and effective argument. Her descriptive, raw and sometimes uncomfortable language combined with a disappointed tone and strong emotional stories portray her message that patriarchy cannot be stood for any longer, and that the reader needs to change it.
In her 2013 article featured on The Feminist Wire, “Dig Deeper: Beyond Lean In” bell hook describes “the feminist movement based on women gaining equal rights with men” (661). This essay is a response to Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?” which encourages women to aim for positions of leadership and power. Sandberg’s definition of a feminism is gender equality with an existing social system. Hook contrasts Sandberg’s definition of feminism and makes it her own “one that does not conjure up a battle between the sexes” (662). Since men and women are both greatly influenced by sexist social norms and ideals, it is important
The key to understanding the film’s portrayal of gender-role strain is to understand that Tyler and the narrator are the same person. The narrator, as was discussed earlier, represents the post-industrial American man, whereas Tyler represents the industrial American man in that he manufactures his own goods (e.g., soap), and he lives what is considered by American culture a deviant lifestyle, as is exemplified in his living within an abandoned home which provides only the bare minimum in regards to protection. Understanding that Tyler and the narrator are the same person allows for the audience member to understand the strain and tension associated with two conflicting ideologies. Diken and Lausten state, “The normalized and law-abiding subject [the narrator] is haunted by a spectral double [Tyler], by a subject that materializes the will to transgress the law in perverse enjoyment” (350). This is exemplified as Tyler remarks, “You were looking for a way to change your life.
Realistically, when someone is more powerful, they have the ability to set the rules. Men have historically held power in society, which means that women did not have as much stance or freedoms as men have had in the past. For example, Canadian women did not have the right to vote until the year 1916. This factor has continued to trail into the present day, creating the ‘weak’ image towards women, overall forcing and pushing men to become the opposite of this factor. Thus, cultural ideals of masculinity rely on the ideas of femininity through patriarchy and gender binaries. The emphasis on characteristics of men are being exaggerated, as society is pressuring men with unattainable standards of masculinity such as being tough, muscular and buff. Men continue to conform to these characteristics, in the fear of being oppressed through exclusion, which only strengthens society’s standards even more. This leads to more societal pressures on men, thus leading men to experience more societal pressures in the fear of feeling excluded. These “systems of inclusion and exclusion are divisions or barriers that prevent people from joining and belonging.” (50). For example, if a man wears nail polish, they may be oppressed and excluded through facing ridicule and bullying, because wearing nail polish is considered “girly”, therefore this boy is rebelling against society’s socially
In her novel called “Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” one of the many areas bell hooks speaks of is the perpetual racial confinement of oppressed black women. The term double-bind comes to mind when she says “being oppressed means the absence of choices” (hooks 5). The double-bind is “circumstances in which choices are condensed to a few and every choice leads to segregation, fault or denial” Therefore, this essay will discuss how hooks’ definition of oppression demonstrates the double-bind in race relations, forcing the socially underprivileged minority to “never win,” and as a result allowing the privileged dominate “norm” to not experience perpetual segregation.
In the reading, Come closer to feminism, Hooks main argument is that she wants to change the way people view feminism. She wants to leave people with a better understanding of what the feminist movement
Meanwhile, masculinity is defined by stigmatizing femininity. They give masculinity a dominant appeal by painting women as gullible and vulnerable. As Breazeale puts it, a “simultaneous exploitation and denial of the feminine” (Breazeale 232) and so “one-dimensional representations of women have resulted from attempts to court men as consumers” (Breazeale
After reading the “Introduction to Women’s Studies Concepts” power point the pieces from hooks, Hull and Smith, Kimmel, and Yap are important to feminist literature because they all talk about a different aspect of feminism. In Talking Back by Bell Hooks, the woman explains how it was not okay for her to speak or ask whatever she wanted. “In the world of the southern black community that I grew up in, “back talk” and “talking back” meant speaking as an equal to an authority figure” (1). In the past women were not allowed to just speak their mind it was ‘wrong’. This story demonstrates the black racism involved with feminism. People opened their ears to what the black men had to say, but they could easily block out what the black women had to say. The Politics of Black Women’s Studies by Hull and Smith also dealt with black racism taking place. The men were sexist and the white women were racist. Where did this leave place for the black women? In Men and Women’s Studies: Premises, Perils, and Promise by Kimmel sexism and racism. This short story talks about how women’s studies lea...
In her book Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black, bell hooks describes how she helps her students find their voice within her classroom.She discusses her use of authority to enable her students.For her, teacher authority is a necessary part of helping her students find their voices:
In Tennessee Williams work A Streetcar Named Desire, the patriarchy of 1950’s America is on full display. This term is used to describe the dominance of men in society, men can and are hurt in its application. The author displays the economical, societal and psychologically effects of patriarchy on each of the main characters. “A society which is characterized by unequal power relations between women and men, whereby women are systematically disadvantaged
They were able to open their viewer’s eyes to a world where women no longer have to be hesitant when stepping out of the shadow of a man. Unfortunately, the Pantene advertisement was entirely exclusive seeing that it ineffectively contributes the male’s perspective. Consumers were given scenes that fed into the victimized role of women in society, yet were not given the authentic standing point of a man, solely associating the negative stereotypes that were formed against them. Throughout Nancy Dowd’s article, “Towards a New Theory of Feminist Jurisprudence”, she argues that “men pay a price for privilege” (Dowd 58). In other words, they are held to standards in society to constitute the label of a “masculine” man. In society, masculinity is defined as a social construction of the male, a construction that is not simply attained biologically. Accordingly, the socialization of manhood must only be achieved through making heavy sacrifices, possessing masculine attributes and creating emotional, self-sufficient barriers. Dowd illustrates the two important pieces of masculinity which were “not [becoming] like a women and not [being] gay,” therefore forcing all men to be similarly situated with each other (62). In her article, Dowd made it evident that “certainly, it is indefensible to ignore the disadvantages and
Social forces tell the American male hat he live in a way that rejects everything seen as feminine. As outlined in In Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences, Hurst asserts that media often portrays American women as emotional and affectionate (Hurst, p. 126-127). Thus, men who show emotion and affection often receive both physical and verbal attacks from other men due to not rejecting these feminine actions. These conceptions of masculinity damage American males because they repress emotion and simultaneously bolster aggression. The Representation Project is combating this damaging narrative by calling on society to change the overarching stereotypes. In their documentary The Mask You Live In, the Representation Project shows American males engaging in conversations about emotions and harmful masculinity in order to peel away the dangerous mask that harms all persons. Overall, The Representation Project strives to “re-humanize” men by drawing society away from the current
Johnson argues that patriarchy is made up of more than just individuals. Systems are more complex than people (Johnson 92). Within a system there are different parts the come together to form a whole. In terms of patriarchy, these parts are the different standards and ideals that patriarchy upholds. The three facets of patriarchy are male centered, male identified, and male dominated. Also patriarchy is not just driven by men, women can also play a role in its continuation. Believing in the equality of men and women is not enough to challenge the system (Johnson 94). Our culture must break down and question the parts of the patriarchal system in order to lessen its grip on our culture.
However, the stigma of openly sexual women was not eliminated therefore marking down women's sexual freedom because of the stigma they carry in society.In conclusion, chapter by chapter hooks highlights how feminist theory repeatedly excluded non-white and working class women by ignoring white supremacy as a racial problem and by disregarding the highly psychological impact of class in their political and social status all while, in the case of black women, facing three classes of oppression in a racist, sexist and capitalist state. Throughout the book the author defines feminism, the meaning of sisterhood, what feminism is to men in addition to brushing upon power, work, violence and education. Although I found some elements of this book problematic hooks' critiques of feminist theory and the movement are well-presented, piercingly direct and remain relevant.
Masculinity is a subject that has been debated in our society for quite some time. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, as it is difficult to define this one –sided term. Pairing this already controversial term with “feminist studies” can bring about some thought - provoking conversation. Feminist studies of men have been around for many years with regards to the feminist movement. It seeks to create gradual improvements to society through its main principle of modifying the ways in which everyone views what it means to be a man. Feminist studies of men bring forth the discussion of hegemonic masculinity; how this contributes to the gender hierarchy, the radicalized glass escalator and ultimately the faults of this theory.
Starting with those who doesn’t believe in feminism but believe in equity, to the other category who are only against feminism because it belittles men, or because it shows them as rapist or violent. Cathy Young cited different cases to show how men and women are treated, in other way to show how people respond or accept it, for example the raping case in Ohio University and how the jury considered them drunk without punishing the man for raping the girl just because she was drunk too. The arguments had been done about if feminism is a bad thing for men, if it only cares about showing them as violent, rapist, criminals or if feminism are supported because females are (as described) oppressed. The author stated that the gap between men and women is decreasing in the 21st century, they are both treated nearly the same in some fields. The article is published through the internet, to everyone so everyone knows and respect the different perspectives about feminism but in my opinion, I think the author directed it to those who are slowly giving up their right, the novice women encouraging them to speak up their rights, in other way I felt that I’m one of the intended audience to know how people from the same sex as me are thinking so I decide what’s wrong and what’s right, and never to let go of my own right. The author is being both serious and narrative as she concerned more about what other said, she used it as her way of showing different minds and thoughts when in second paragraph she used the quotations more than once and quoted the women’s words ex: ‘ I don’t need feminism because egalitarianism is better!’ and