Simon De Beauvoir On The Status Of Women

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Simon De Beauvoir was a supporter of the existentialism philosophy and suggested “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman”, claiming that women are perceived as “other” or “ second to man” in a patriarchal society in which men are treated as “first sex”, in order to warn people of the sex-gender distinction. De Beauvoir laid the foundation of second-wave feminism by attempting to describe women’s situation in the past and the present, arguing that there are no real differences in terms of fundamental capabilities given by women’s conditions, and women are subject to the same degree measures as men (De Beauvoir, 1949, p.14). This essay focuses on explaining the meaning of “Many of the faults for which [women] are reproached – mediocrity, …show more content…

What De Beauvoir tries to explain is that because women are excluded in every possible situation in the society, and focusing their attention to what is relevant to them, they become the symbol of nurturing and in a position of slave in the society. Women inhibit the role of objects in which they become inessential, inferior, incomplete and ordinary waiting for men to save them, submitting regardless of the frustrations they undergo. De Beauvoir argues that this gender imbalance consequently leads to no justification or freedom being defined for women, creating significant differences between the roles of females and males (De Beauvoir, 1949).
De Beauvoir contends that male dominated societies; where men are the primary authority figures and women are subordinate, have enforced cultural norms that hinder women’s progress in order to demonstrate that historically, women have been downgraded to being “immanence”, enlightening that society has assigned women the passive acceptance of roles that are socially constructed (De Beauvoir, 1949, …show more content…

De Beauvoir discusses that the concept of femininity rests on the realization of being inessential and the other, claiming that it is impossible for women to experience many social prohibitions and expectations and still become a human. De Beauvoir argues that women should be able to transform one’s self and one’s world, in order to project towards the future. She continues her argument by stating that because sexuality is trapped in love, it would consequently lead to settling for less and self-deception, proclaiming the position of the desired subject and freedom for women (De Beauvoir,

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