Every day someone invents a new normal. A normal everyone must follow. However big or small the change, society adopts it almost subconsciously. Changes are not noticed upfront, but everyone accepts them nonetheless. In her article, “From Believing is Seeing: Biology is Ideology” Judith Lorber expresses how society changes and develops a rift between women and men based on the false pretenses of gender. Findings of the motivation behind steroid use in Matthew Petrocelli, Joseph Petrocelli, and Trish Oberweis’ article, “Getting Huge, Getting Ripped: A Qualitative Exploration of Recreational Steroid Use” uncovers a powerful force at work pushing men to obtain a certain body. As we analyze the theoretical claims by Lorber and Petrocelli’s study …show more content…
Magazines, news, and entertainment transmit societal changes throughout the world. Likewise, these powers pressure the individual to stay in the mold of the “norm”. In Lorber's article, she states: “It is taken-for-grantedness of such everyday gendered behaviour that gives credence to the belief that the widespread differences in what women and men do come from biology,” (Lorber 730). Conjointly, the public sets the bar for how society deems the way a female or a male should act based on the assimilation of gender-categorized acts and items. Groupthink about the human body does not only affect females; however, this thinking also sets an image for the male as well. “They believed what they read and thought that a good diet and hard workouts would get them a ‘magazine look’,” (Petrocelli 758). These beliefs about what women and men do spread throughout the world thanks to the media as stated in Lorber's article. Petrocelli confirms that men look to the magazine appearance as well in order to conform to society. Society sets an unnatural look for men. Therefore, men who desire this look lean to steroids, which allows them to elevate their growth factors exponentially, giving them the body society desires. The media uses its widespread reach over the world to bend the standards of society to its will. As new standards of living change, the view …show more content…
These ideas tend to spread through the populace resembling a hive mind. Lorber states, “Once the gender category is given, the attributes of the person are also gendered: Whatever a ‘woman’ is has to be ‘female’: whatever a ‘man’ is has to be ‘male’” (Lorber 728). Once the gender category forces itself upon an individual, all the features about the individual force them into male or female categories.Society established this way of thinking centuries ago, and as a collective mind called the categorization fact. In Petrocelli’s article he evaluated that “Amazingly, the steroid users in our study were only minimally, if at all concerned about any adverse health risks stemming from their drug use.” (Petrocelli 761) This hive mind of gym culture established the idea that steroid use does not have any adverse side effects to their health. Many, in the group of steroid users that Petrocelli addressed, believed that the use of steroids hold no adverse effects as experts claimed. Groupthink prefers society's view on the true image of “man” over the personal health of the
Aaron Devor’s essay “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender” describes how despite popular belief, gender and sex are not directly related and how social norms affect individual’s choice of gender. Devor‘s main argument is that gender is not determined by genitalia, but instead by the individual's own choices. Michael Kimmel’s essay “Masculinity as Homophobia” claims that gender equality is a positive thing for males and that social norms force men to act a certain way. Kimmel’s main argument is that men are always having to protect their masculinity in order to prevent themselves from appearing weak. Both authors present compelling arguments for both gender equality and for how social norms influence individuals’ gender choice. However, the two authors approach the same topic in different ways. Kimmel takes a more laid-back approach to the topic by using simple words and a conversational tone that relates to the casual gender sociologist. Devor writes a more sophisticated essay using complex terms and a more formal tone that relates to the serious sociologist that research gender studies.
“Drugs 2004: Steroids: Is Bulking Up Worth the Risk. “ World Book Science Year. 2009.
The reading assigned titled “The Socially Constructed Body” by Judith Lorber and Yancey Martin dives into the sociology of gender with a specific focus on how the male and female body is compromised by social ideals in the Western culture. She introduces the phenomenon of body ideals pressed on men and women by introducing the shift in cosmetic surgery toward body modifications.
The cultural context in which this controversy has evolved is mostly the sport of baseball. A sport in which “up to 50% of baseball players get some sort of steroid enhancement”(Sullivan 2), this is logical proof that something is wrong with the drug consumer culture. The question has to be whether these players have been influenced by a larger society that has overall good ...
In “The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society Take Over?” Deborah Blum states that “gender roles of our culture reflect an underlying biology” (Blum 679). Maasik and Solomon argue that gender codes and behavior “are not the result of some sort of natural or biological destiny, but are instead politically motivated cultural constructions,” (620) raising the question whether gender behavior begins in culture or genetics. Although one may argue that gender roles begin in either nature or nurture, many believe that both culture and biology have an influence on the behavior.
You’ve all seen them, the enormously large muscle-heads at the gym, the participates of the World’s Strongest Man Competition, the amazing offensive tackles, and the lightning fast runners. They were all unnaturally strong, and looked like gods. You tend to obsess over how beautiful their bodies are, how strong they are, or how fast they can run. All you can think about is reaching that level of athletic excellence, and nothing will hold you back. At times like these some people tend to take the quick fit to get closer to their idols, in the form of steroids. But what individuals tend not see is the horrible side effects that accompany the use of these anabolic steroids. These powerful drugs have both positive and negative results from their use. Along with increased strength and size, users of steroids suffer from a wide range of sicknesses such as cancer, shrinkage of testicles, bad acne, hair loss, damage organs, intense mood swings, and impotence.
This article was written to bring attention to the way men and women act because of how they were thought to think of themselves. Shaw and Lee explain how biology determines what sex a person is but a persons cultures determines how that person should act according to their gender(Shaw, Lee 124). The article brings up the point that, “a persons gender is something that a person performs daily, it is what we do rather than what we have” (Shaw, Lee 126). They ...
Over the last few years, the use of anabolic steroids has gained the utmost prominence and has been appearing in the media much more frequently as compared to the last few years. However, the main cause for concern in today’s society is that there is a huge increase in the usage of such harmful medicines and has become utterly common in today's society. With an increase in the hormone testosterone, any individual would certainly be more aggressive and his/her personality would change by obtaining the particular medicine. Although the use of steroids can certainly improve an individual’s endurance, muscle mass, stamina and strength but they can’t improve the natural ability of an individual and can increase his skill-set (Hartgens & Kuipers, 2004).
The intent of this essay is to show that steroids have many negative effects and that steroids, and other natural supplements, should be closely studied by the FDA. This essay will also support the claim that the professional sports industry needs to eliminate steroid use and set a good example for younger athletes.
My issue over the concern of athletes have been struggling with the usage of steroids has widely spread among athletes and others; not only do steroids give an athlete a hard times but it’s also an unfair advantage to the other athletes and what they’ve accomplish. “Besides making muscles bigger, anabolic steroids may help athletes recover from a hard workout more quickly by reducing the amount of muscle damage during the session” (“Steroids in Sports”,2005). Now a days steroids are everywhere as an athlete. Many males and female young athletes preferably take it because they want to look and feel good when it comes to impressing someone and trying to become someone they look forward too. Young teens and adults try to cheat themselves in the career of their dreams. When it comes to a sport, teen athletes are not aware of what type of consequences may happen to them at the time. It may come to the time where it’s too late to take care of. In other cases, some athletes may like feeling the aggressive they get when they take drugs such as steroids. Athletes shouldn’t take steroids as the harmful health effects of the anabolic steroid in population wise. Many people have had their lives ruined by the use of illegal steroids and yet the desired effects are overwhelming that people tend to forget about the results and consequences that may effect. Athletes on steroids believe taking steroids will enhance their performance, strength, and size without having to put necessary work. These benefits, however, are associated with much short-term and long term risk.
Throughout today’s society, almost every aspect of someone’s day is based whether or not he or she fits into the “norm” that has been created. Specifically, masculine and feminine norms have a great impact that force people to question “am I a true man or woman?” After doing substantial research on the basis of masculine or feminine norms, it is clear that society focuses on the males being the dominant figures. If males are not fulfilling the masculine role, and females aren’t playing their role, then their gender identity becomes foggy, according to their personal judgment, as well as society’s.
Even though steroids are known as a somewhat dangerous substance, they are legal to have and to consume. There has not been a study that proves such possible side effects are linked to medical problems of steroid users (Rogak, 89). There are those who have pointed out several cases where someone has died and an autopsy has shown that the person was using steroids, but they claim this does not mean that it is a deadly drug as some medical professionals have stated (97). Some advocates of steroids believe that because steroids are legal, and because it is the decision of the user to take the drug, steroids are not causing a problem in society. Alcohol and cigarettes are consumed by millions of people, causing a lot of deteriorating effects on their bodies, but there has never been a ban on these items because of the dangers that they can cause. Why should steroids be different? Some people say that the wide spread use of steroids among athletes is forcing the young athletes to use steroids, even though it is against their standards.
Hence, the power of media has touched its apex in today’s age. Its societal, political and economic functions reflect its unparallel capacity to affect the human life in all spheres.
The mass media has played a key role in shaping people’s lives. The modern society’s use of mass media including TV, radio, newspaper, as well as print media has largely influenced people’s ideas regarding themselves and the society at large. This is evident from their behavior towards themselves and their community as well as their treatment of the environment. While some experts believe that the media is to blame for most of the negative behavioral traits among the active members of society, the majority agree that the media makes people understand and develop a positive sense of association with their society within which they live, making it easy for them to identify and get their role in it.
Society has stamped an image into the minds of people of how the role of each gender should be played out. There are two recognized types of gender, a man and a woman, however there are many types of gender roles a man or a woman may assume or be placed into by society. The ideas of how one should act and behave are often times ascribed by their gender by society, but these ascribed statuses and roles are sometimes un-welcomed, and people will assume who they want to be as individuals by going against the stereotypes set forth by society. This paper will examine these roles in terms of how society sees men and women stereotypically, and how men and women view themselves and each other in terms of stereotypes that are typically ascribed, as well as their own opinions with a survey administered to ten individuals. What I hope to prove is that despite stereotypes playing a predominant role within our society, and thus influencing what people believe about each other in terms of their same and opposite genders, people within our society are able to go against these ascribed stereotypes and be who they want and it be okay. Through use of the survey and my own personal history dealing with gender stereotyping I think I can give a clear idea as to how stereotypes envelope our society, and how people and breaking free from those stereotypes to be more individualistic.