The female body is socially constructed in different ways over categories concerning race, sexuality and gender. Society has a huge control over women’s body and sometimes influences them to make “choices” that are harmful to themselves. This paper focuses on Fausto-Sterling’s The Bare Bones of Sex and how medical research has failed to consider the impacts of social factors and not just biological ones on bone health; Thompson’s A Way Outa No Way… in which eating disorders are solely claimed to be due to society’s norm of physical appearance and the restriction of eating problems to just white upper- and middle-class heterosexual women; and lastly Davis’s Loose Lips Sink Ship which addresses the increasing popularity of labiaplasty in the United states and the outrage shown towards African women who indulge in female genital mutilation. The following paragraphs will discuss the ways in which the female body has been neglected in society and “choices” made to conform to society’s norms. Fausto-Sterling expresses concern over the negligence that medical researchers have shown towards bone health of women. Issues pertaining to the body are classified into sex and gender, and sex encompasses everything biological, while gender takes care of the rest. This sought of classification is rather problematic because it hinders women from being included in medical research. The author states that the “body is composed of genes, hormones, cells and organs - all of which influence health and behavior – and culture and history” (Taylor 327). The body is shaped by whatever cultural experiences it undergoes. But the lack to incorporate this into medical research makes it a bit difficult to improve women’s health. The author uses bones to stress her point; osteoporosis is known to occur more in women than in men, now this does not take into account the ethnicity, diet or activities
"Skin blemishes made it impossible for me to really enjoy myself. I was always worrying about the way I looked" (Brumberg, p. 87). Woman all around the world share the same problem, they feel unhappy and self-conscious with the appearance of their bodies. In The Body Project by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, she successfully illustrates the way adolescents begin to change focus from inner to outer beauty in the early 19th and 20th centuries. Through use of personal diaries and historical research, Brumberg shows her readers the physical differences between girls then and now. Brumberg talks about an array of topics in her book – periods, acne, dieting, piercing, virginity, and sexuality. From their roots in the 1800’s through the Victorian era and into modern society the reader gets a glimpse of the way young women evaluate their bodies and turn them into body projects, and is still to this day sweeping the nation more than ever.
Internationally, issues revolving around the female body and reproduction are extremely controversial. For a woman, her body is a very private matter. At the same time, however, a woman's body and her reproduction rights are the center of attention in many public debates. Several questions regarding women's reproductive rights remain unanswered. How much control do women have over their bodies? What kind of rules can be morally imposed upon women? And who controls the bodies of women? Although the public continues to debate these topics, certain conclusions can been made concerning women and their reproductive rights. An undeniable fact is that government has a large degree of control over female reproductive organs. All around the world, time and time again, several national governments have implemented policies, enacted laws, and denied women control over their reproductive organs. Several governments have crossed the border between intimate and public matters concerning women's reproductive organs, by making laws about contraceptives, abortion, and family planning programs.
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.
Systems of power and inequality has become more widely present in society today. Gender inequality is a mechanism of the discriminatory and violent system which impacts towards health as it damages a numerous number of women across the globe. This is what I will be proving in my paper. In Roxane Gay’s novel, “Hunger: A Memoir of (my) body” is based off herself as she talks about her appearances, body image, race and gender.
Osteoporosis is one of the main types of bone diseases that is more commonly developed in the adult years of men and women, but can also affect younger aged people too. This disease contributes to “…decrease bone mass, increased skeletal fragility, and an increased risk of fractures…” (Caple & Schub. 2014). Bones are constantly being replaced by new bone hence it is living tissue. Osteoporosis eventually occurs when new bone has failed to be developed. In Canada, “1.5 million Canadians 40 years of age or older (10%) reported having been diagnosed with osteoporosis, of which, women were 4 times more likely to report having osteoporosis than men” (“What is the impact,” 2010). Women are at greater risk then men because the hormone changes in women can affect the bone density. Estrogen is essential for bone density but after menopause the levels fall resulting in bone loss. On the other hand, the cause for men is still unknown. However, testosterone: the male hormone helps to keep bones healthy. Even though men still produce the male hormone at an old age, there is still a risk of osteoporosis because the levels have dropped. Occasionally bone loss occurs without any cause, and later realizing that it is a silent theif when you ultimately develop symptoms (“Osteoporosis – Review,” 2014). In most instances osteoporosis is preventable, even though it is not reversible and harmful disease.
The women’s movement had been characterized by women's wish to acquire equal legal status to men by obtaining civil and political rights recorded in the Constitution and legislation. In Romania, the first wave of the feminist movement had been held simultaneously with the women’s movement in West, and it had been a movement of the elite, educated women with access to international information. An important period of this movement was before the establishment of the Romanian Constitution in 1923. It was the most democratic Constitution and women started an intense activity of lobbying for their rights until 1947. Between 1947 and 1989 Romania was pushed under Soviet influence by the Red Curtain, and the feminist activity was eradicated. Although Communism proclaimed gender equality between men and women, this had been acted contradictorily in public sphere and private life. Freedom has been detracted by the Communist Party, and women’s private lives had been controlled by the Party by limiting their legal rights. After the Romanian Revolution in 1989, it was taken a modest initiative on the situation of gender equality and women’s rights in Romanian society. Since 1989 until the present, Romanian women’s roles and rights in society is becoming a priority in Romania. In addition, the promotion of equal opportunities for women and men is also a priority in the democracy, and under Western influence and European legislation. This essay will attempt to outline the difficulties representing the causes of the women’s movement and some of the effects of social, economic and political rights.
The novel Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, written by Isabel Quintero, portrays the extreme pressure women from traditional/cultural households encounter in order to be seen as “picture perfect.” Women have to be and act accordingly to the expectations of their family and community in order to be respected and valued as a “lady.” One mistake is all it takes to become known as “a mala mujer” which is why women are anticipated to protect their body as they would their life.
Body image is among of the top reasons for developing psychological conditions in the country based upon the bias of what is shown through the screen. Since the nineteen-nineties an alarming trend has come to pass as a result in the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, to oppose this the exact opposite became popular to become skeletal in appearance with bones showing naturally through the skin. Becoming an accepted notion to starve in order to attain this new angelic appearance, rising above the notion of overly plentiful food by not eating until the body became undernourished. Even the naturally thin models were not skinny enough trying to appeal to this new craze. The resulting effects became depression in this pursuit of perfection, with competition becoming higher among women with finding mates, with this idealized persona becoming the image to men of what women should
The Women's Rights Movement was a significant crusade for women that began in the late nineteenth century and flourished throughout Europe and the United States for the rest of the twentieth century. Advocates for women's rights initiated this movement as they yearned for equality and equal participation and representation in society. Throughout all of history, the jobs of women ranged from housewives to factory workers, yet oppression by society, particularly men, accompanied them in their everyday lives. Not until the end of the nineteenth century did women begin to voice their frustrations about the inequalities among men and women, and these new proclamations would be the basis for a society with opportunities starting to open for women. The supporters of women's rights strived for voting rights, equal pay in jobs, no job discrimination, and other privileges that would put them on the same level as men in both society and in the workplace. Starting with the Seneca Falls Declaration in 1848 and continuing through the twentieth century with documents like the United Nations Declaration of Women's Rights, women became significant leaders that aided in the advancement of twentieth century life and society.
The National Women's History Project. "The Path of the Women's Rights Movement: A Timeline of the Women's Rights Movement 1848-1998." Living the Legacy: The Women's Rights Movement 1848-1998. 17 April 1999, <http://www.legacy98.org/timeline.html> (15 October 199).
Women in history were subjected to an oppressed role, which men were in control. Many of these women created groups to talk about these problems such as the Seneca Falls. Women fought for equality, but some were happy with the status quo, and some simply became the change.
After WWII, many movements in the United States secured greater liberties such as social, political, and personal freedoms. Along with many others, the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements were very successful during this time. These movements were both significant in our society because they changed the history of the United States.
In conclusion it is possible to see how the media promotes a physical and psychological disease among women through the usage of unrealistic body images as it urges them to change their bodies, buy “enhancing” products, and redefine their opinions. Such statements may appear to be ridiculous, but for young women who are seeking to perfect their body according to how the media portrays “good looks” it is the basis for corruption. Confidence, contentment and healthy living are the keys to a perfect and unique body image and no amount of money can advertise or sell as genuine a treatment as this.
In today’s society people are becoming more open about their gender. Celebrities are becoming trans-gendered and this is affecting society because it leaves people in confusion on if the person is male with feminine traits. This causes society to view a trans-gendered person different than others because they chose to change their gender from what they were born as at birth. Changing from male to female allows people to view that person to be weak because generally the male is the dominant sex in life. In culture women are marked by wearing dresses, their body structures and having the title “Mrs.” while men remain unmarked by their clothing and appearances.
Exact Beauty: Exploring Women's Body Projects and Problems in the 21st Century. Mandell, Nancy (5th ed.). Feminist Issues: Race, Class, and Sexuality (131-160). Toronto: Pearson Canada, Inc. Schulenberg, Jennifer, L. (2006).