Doing Gender Essay

One of the most seemingly overlooked topics in the society is the question on sex and gender. In most cases, sex and gender are being taken as related, if not synonymous, insights in the course of sociological context. However, it is aimed in this paper to point out that there are indeed differences between the two concepts, and these differences are significant in contextualizing sex and gender among individuals in the society. Hence, to point out clearly, sex and gender differences are essential in â€Å"doing gender† and assessing it. First and foremost, to do gender is perceived as to act or behave based on what had been the presupposed actions of an individual, depending mostly on his or her sex/gender assignment. There are two main types of the correlative notions of sex and/or gender: to be male or to be female. Following so, it had been long established in most societies that a male individual should do according to the standards of what a male must do. These are behaviors that commonly relate to physical attributions such as strength or power, and are manifested in ordinary actions and preferences like being sports-minded, taking engineering or mathematical courses, and the likes. On the other hand, females are taken in a less important light, that is, by identifying her to be of weaker and of subtler tendencies, such as doing the housework, following what her father says regardless of reason, and so on. It is â€Å"well recognized that the [†¦] household is constituted by a division of labor that defines certain kinds of work as domestic, unpaid, and usually women’s, and other kinds as public, paid, and usually men’s† (Connel, 1987, p. 122). According to West and Zimmerman (1987), â€Å"Sex [†¦] was what was ascribed by biology: anatomy, hormones, and physiology [while] gender [†¦] was an achieved status: that which is constructed through psychological, cultural, and social means† (p. 125). This could be a very simplified difference between sex and gender: It is with how the concepts are distributed in the different fields or aspects. However, it must be understood that the difference is merely that sex is a biological concept and gender is a social concept; â€Å"sex is a determination made through the application of socially agreed upon biological criteria for classifying persons as females or males† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 127). In this sense, sex may also be taken in a social context, in that it applies several sociological determinants in order to prove or identify it. The categorization of an individual’s sex is determined rather by a common-sensical manner most of the time, in which the observant deduces the sex category to the sex itself of the individual in question, in absence of the more vivid biological justifications of a person’s sex. It is common understanding that there had already been established social norms that contribute to the categorization of a person. The process of categorizing males and females as indigenous identities uses this test: â€Å"if people can be seen as members of relevant categories, then categorize them that way† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 133). Naturally, people take the identity of a person at face value, unless there is a strong ground that makes them apply certain criteria that will try to test further that person’s sex. Gender, quite relatively, moves on with what the society implores on one’s identity. A male person must be masculine; a female must be feminine. We would like to digress then, that the acceptance of sex and gender merely as concepts does not totally stop here. Gender, in some cases, goes beyond adherence to what is socially acceptable. To do gender is â€Å"not always to live up to normative conceptions of femininity or masculinity; it is to engage in behavior at the risk of gender assessment† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 136). Therefore, we are taking into consideration the ways in which people could see further than what had merely been established by the society. Doing gender is not just accepting or agreeing to what the society tells us to; it is â€Å"creating differences between girls and boys and women and men, differences that are not natural, essential, or biological† (West & Zimmerman, 1987, p. 137). The differences that we would like to see revolves not only on shallow aspects but also on how we could integrate these differences into going further down the line and probably initiating actions that will give a new light to the concepts of sex and gender. As what West and Zimmerman (1987) says, â€Å"social change, then, must be pursued both at the institutional and cultural level of sex category and at the interactional level of gender† (p. 147). We can illustrate doing gender in these following scenarios: In a typical neighborhood, the wife was able to get home from work earlier than her husband. She was wearing an old rose blouse, a matching old rose slacks, and high heeled shoes. She went straight home after her classes from the town high school. She has just been recently married with her husband, and they do not have children yet. She then proceeded to do the cooking for their dinner, while at the same time, she quietly took note of her students’ exam papers she still had to check later. When her (engineer) husband came, he greeted his wife and went to the kitchen where they ate their dinner. They talked about work and later agreed that the husband will wash the dishes afterwards. This routine has been in effect since the time that they got married and lived together. In this scenario, it is very clear that there is an â€Å"engendered† division of labor especially inside the household. The productive side is not merely given to the husband since the wife also earns through being a teacher. In a similar manner, the reproductive side is not solely attributed to the wife because they have agreed to share on doing the household chores. The gender roles are not purely associated with what is feminine or what is masculine. Even if washing the dishes may construe the feminine side, the husband still agreed on doing it. At least in this case, the couple was able to manage â€Å"contradictions between relational identification and gender differentiation† (Dryden, 1999, p. 87) in the sense that they both realize not only the essence of marriage as a relationship but also as a matter of gender difference that they could compromise about. Similarly, in the same neighborhood, a little girl points at a blue balloon. She wanted her mother to buy it for her. The old male vendor was looking intently at the girl, commenting that because she is a girl, she should take the pink balloon instead. The little girl shook her head and pointed at the blue balloon. Her mother was able to resolve the situation by buying the blue balloon. Simplistic in nature, this scenario may pose as a very ordinary activity, but a lot of people always see things like the way the vendor did. There are always assignments among boys and girls – that boys should choose blue things and girls should choose pink things. It is almost linearly righteous to take these preferences as normal things, but it must be understood that the identity between a girl and a boy does not merely punctuate from their color or toy preferences. We cannot just assume that just because the girl was a girl, she should have a pink balloon. To do gender is to go outside the confinements of the socially-accepted norms. To do gender means not to reinforce the social norms since these could block the freedom of a person to prefer or to choose what he or she really likes. To be a boy or to be a girl does not follow with how the society must shape him or her. In this case, it is fortunate that the girl’s mother completely understands how to â€Å"engender† her child by not just adhering to the accepted norms in the society. Learning about doing gender is an important part of capacitating oneself in the sense that it makes people understand day-to-day activities of people, male or female alike. Doing gender is vital in assessing the identities of individuals. It not only supersedes from the power of gaining knowledge, but it is more of reinventing how we deal with ourselves and other people in terms of sex and gender. The gender differences may prove to be worthwhile as basis for re-contextualizing and reconstructing the concept of gender.As in West’s book â€Å"Doing Gender, Doing Difference† (2002) gender is â€Å"always a doing† (p. 193). References Connel, R. W. (1987). Gender and Power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Dryden, C. (1999). Being Married, Doing Gender: A Critical Analysis of Gender Relationships in Marriage. U. K. : Routledge. West, C. (2002). Doing gender, doing difference: inequality, power, and institutional change. U. K. : Routledge. West, C. & Zimmerman, D. H. (1987). Doing gender. Gender and Society, 1, 125-148.

Candide Essay

Some might say Voltaire portrays women as objects of desire and is capitalizing on the subject but to get his point across using satire, some people will have to get offended. In Candide, Voltaire is critiquing and satirizing sexism. An example of how sexism and rape were satirized and critiqued in chapter 11 on pg 40 â€Å"I was beauty and grace itself, and I was a virgin. I was not so for long; that flower that had been reserved for the handsome Prince of Massa-Carrara was ravished from me by the pirate captain. Indeed My Lady the Princess of Palastrina and I had to be very strong to endure all we underwent until we arrived in Morocco. But let’s get on; these things are so common that they are not worth speaking of. † Rape is a very sensitive subject. The old woman talked about the incident in a nonchalant tone and said that it was so common that it was not worth talking about. Voltaire did this to satirize what were becoming society’s â€Å"normal† views on such brutal acts. He was letting us know that rape was such a frequent thing in the time period in which he lived, that it was being viewed by society as â€Å"normal â€Å". In order to understand the book properly, it is important to recognize that Voltaire was attempting to portray the problems within society such as sexism, by using satire to help the people this era realize what they were doing was wrong. Candide Essay Some might say Voltaire portrays women as objects of desire and is capitalizing on the subject but to get his point across using satire, some people will have to get offended. In Candide, Voltaire is critiquing and satirizing sexism. An example of how sexism and rape were satirized and critiqued in chapter 11 on pg 40 â€Å"I was beauty and grace itself, and I was a virgin. I was not so for long; that flower that had been reserved for the handsome Prince of Massa-Carrara was ravished from me by the pirate captain. Indeed My Lady the Princess of Palastrina and I had to be very strong to endure all we underwent until we arrived in Morocco. But let’s get on; these things are so common that they are not worth speaking of. † Rape is a very sensitive subject. The old woman talked about the incident in a nonchalant tone and said that it was so common that it was not worth talking about. Voltaire did this to satirize what were becoming society’s â€Å"normal† views on such brutal acts. He was letting us know that rape was such a frequent thing in the time period in which he lived, that it was being viewed by society as â€Å"normal â€Å". In order to understand the book properly, it is important to recognize that Voltaire was attempting to portray the problems within society such as sexism, by using satire to help the people this era realize what they were doing was wrong.

South Africa's Current Political System Research Paper

South Africa's Current Political System - Research Paper Example In order to understand the relationship between South Africa's diversity and its contribution to the nation's position as an emerging economy, it is worthy to look into the political history of the country and how it links up to South Africa's current position in the past 15 or so years. South Africa has had five different constitutions since 1910 (Klug, 2010). This can be traced to the 1902 Boer War between the British settlers and other European settlers of Dutch origins [Afrikaners] (Klug, 2010). Although Black South Africans fought in the Boer War, they were excluded from the negotiations that came up afterwards and this led to the creation of a constitution that guaranteed rights to the British and Afrikaners. Later on, laws that segregated the White minority [of about 10%] and the Black African majority known as Apartheid led to a system where Blacks were kept as a servant caste in the nation (Segal and Cortm 2011). Apartheid led to a situation where the Whites with links to Eu ropean nations and the United States, used laws to promote a capitalist idea of industrial growth, mining booms and agricultural productivity (Lowenberg and Kaempfer, 1998). This caused South Africa's economy to boom in the period between 1948 and 1994 when Apartheid was entrenched in the society. The link between the White minority and the developed world led to the investment of Western capital into the economy. This also allowed South Africa to export and make a lot of money and build strong world-class infrastructure (Feinstein, 2005).  

Depicting God Through the two literatures presented Essay

Depicting God Through the two literatures presented - Essay Example The drastic change presents a perception of God that is not consistent, but rather incidental, depending on the point of life of humans. The sustained harmony for seeking God that is depicted in Holly sonnet 14 is drastically eroded in Holly sonnet 10. The drastic changes depicted by the two sonnets regarding how humans love and quest for God is constantly shifting to courageous and confident hope for a happier life, is an indication of the transitional nature of human emotions, who find it necessary to have a cordial relation with God at some point, and then after they are certain they have conquered sin, the emotional change triggers a change of their heart, which are no longer broken or remorseful but rather confident and bold (Stirling, 244). The major difference between Holly sonnet 10 and Holly sonnet 14 is that; one is a depiction of God as the God who grants boldness and confidence, while the other depicts God as powerful and merciful, who is able to change people and make th em new, and who takes away their sins and cleanses them. In Holly sonnet 14, Donne presents human quest as that of a contrite heart that constantly seeks God, a heart that seeks to get united to God, that at the end, humans may enjoy the happiness of eternal life that God has promised to those who seek him with broken heart. Humans wants God to completely smash their heart for himself, through instilling in their hearts a constant desire to love God, through strong lamentations that God may â€Å"Batter†¦heart, three-persond God ; for you† (Donne, 6). Therefore, Holly sonnet 14’s quest is for a reunion with God, which is then contrasted by Holly Sonnet 10, which is a boastful proclamation of the boldness and lack of fear to face death, a contrary presentation of human quest from Holy sonnet 14. In Holly sonnet 10, humans have reached a point of courage, and there is no longer remorse for their sins, nor deep

Art in the Renaissance Period Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art in the Renaissance Period - Research Paper Example In this paper, I aim to clearly and succinctly discuss the unique characteristics of Renaissance art by highlighting on three aspects: firstly, the philosophical underpinnings that drove the movement toward humanism; secondly, the essence of human beauty and its translation to fine arts; and lastly, the purpose of a Renaissance artist in society. In the end, I wish to underscore that the unique articulation of the idealistic conception of human beauty—as brought about by philosophy—influenced many Renaissance artists in the creation of their individual pieces of art which all conformed to the achievement of ‘human perfection’. Historical Context of the Renaissance The Renaissance was a cultural revolution that began in Florence, Italy in 1400, and spread throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. Since the reinforcement of humanism became the central focus during this period, the artistic themes during the Renaissance shifted from the theological and the supe rnatural expression of the relation of God with His creatures to the individual empowerment and worldly experience of man. In this sense, the Renaissance reinterpreted the pagan classical literature and philosophy of the Greeks and Romans in order to challenge contemporary Catholic beliefs (Kreis A, 2009). It must be pointed out, however, that the Renaissance was triggered by the increasing sophistication of society during that time, as fuelled by economic growth, improvement in the educational system, and political stabilization (Haughton, 2004). Firstly, the construction of libraries and other educational hubs allowed people to gain more knowledge about the histories of past cultures, which paved the way for better appreciation of Greek and Roman cultures. Secondly, the maturing influence of wealthy families in Italy helped fund certain art projects, such as sculpture, painting, and architecture, and made them available for public viewing. Renowned families like the Medic Family o f Florence and the Sforza Family of Milan channeled in most of their personal savings to certain projects which were geared toward the beautification of cathedrals and small churches (Haughton, 2004). With this, it can be said that the Renaissance redeemed the status of liberal arts by discovering its special place in societal life. Beauty in Renaissance Art Since Renaissance art was focused on reviving the appreciation of human essence by underscoring the physical and spiritual facets of man, the success of such goal rested heavily on the exact articulation of human beauty. This idea consolidated the definitive characteristic of Renaissance art—that which is ‘beautiful’. As such, it is crucial to point out that although the definition of beauty was subject to both the artist’s and viewer’s interpretation, there were certain elemental features which Renaissance artists took into consideration during the creation of their art. From the perspective of sensible art experience, Renaissance painters and sculptors were able to incorporate other disciplines to enhance their artwork. For example, anatomical dissection led to new accuracy in depicting the masculine and feminine physiological features; mathematics developed the laws of perspective to position human figures into believable landscape; and chemistry blended new pigments to bolster the artistic impact (Haughton, 2004). These innovations can be seen concretely in Boticelli’

Appraising Legal Concerns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Appraising Legal Concerns - Research Paper Example Contract Law Contract law is the most fundamental governing law of any procurement project. It is because procurement projects commence after signing the legal contract. Managers must be completely aware of all legal obligations of a contract so they may not step out of line. A comprehensive definition of contract law is; â€Å"An agreement between two or more persons which creates an  obligation to do or not to do a particular thing. Its essentials are competent  parties, subject matter, a legal consideration, mutuality of agreement, and mutuality of obligation.† (Fleming, 2003) But more suitable definition of contract law (regarding procurement management) is; â€Å"A contract is a mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller  to provide the specified product and obligates the buyer to pay for  it† (Institute, 2000) However, most of procurement projects involve more than just mere buying and selling of goods and services. Procurement includes partnersh ips and joint ventures and they legally bind the participants to perform an action. That is why it is better to use the definition for contract law which has a broader perspective. Taking a deeper look into the broader definition, following ten points can be concluded; a. A contract is a promise between two or more people or two or more parties b. ... The other party that needs to accept the offer has to accept it unconditionally f. If the accepting party wants to make adjustments (modification) to the original offer, the original offer will become void and a new offer will be formed. This process can continue until there is an offer from one party and an unconditional acceptance of it by the other. g. Concurrency is obligatory; all parties to the contract must agree to the same exact terms. h. A contract becomes only legal when there is ‘consideration’ involved. Consideration is anything that has value and is offered in exchange of something (goods or service). Consideration doesn’t necessarily have to be of the same value. i. The purpose of a contract should be legal as illegal contracts have negligible value in the eyes of law. j. All contracts need to be in the proper legally acceptable format. This usually requires the contract to be in black and white form (on paper) and signed. Mostly real estate contrac ts and contracts of simple buying/selling are classic examples (Fleming, 2003). Agency law By the standards of this law, any agent that will be appointed by the company (principal) will hold the same position in the deciding about procuring goods as the CEO. In other words, the agent will be acting on behalf of the company. Whatever contract he will enter the company into, the company will be liable to abide by the rules and promises of that contract. In the Latin phrase, the relationship between agent and principal is described by the  phrase,  qui facit per alium, facit per se, i.e.  the one who acts through another, acts in his or her own interests (Wikipedia contributors, 2011). Regarding the matter at hand which

Marketing Case Problem Solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Case Problem Solving - Essay Example The dips are marketed along with the Frito Lay’s Brand name which is household to other various salty snack foods and is nationally recognised. There are a variety of dip flavours and these account for various percentage sales depending on their popularity. Vegetable dips are popular and are located everywhere in the supermarkets. On the other hand, popularity of cheese dips for instance was in response to growth of Mexican food phenomenon spreading across the country. A close analysis of the case study reveals that the current strategy used for marketing dips is a joint effort where they are promoted under the umbrella of Frito Lay’s brand name which is known across the spectrum and is very popular with the consumers. The dips are not marketed as single entities since these often play an accompaniment role to other meals. The majority of Frito Lay’s dips were sold in supermarkets though a smaller percentage was sold through small grocery stores, service stations as well as other different private institutions. Their current sales and distribution strategy is time consuming where the sales person/distributor will perform all the tasks from unloading to packing the shelve as well as approving in store merchandising. The marketing strategy was product oriented which was also innovative. The merchandising location next to salty snacks is another marketing strategy that is employed by Frito Lay’s Dips. For most part, dips are jointly promoted together with Frito Lay snacks as these are complimentary products. In most cases, dips are not consumed alone but they often go along with another meal or as desert after a meal. Aggressive marketing of these as single entities can be costly and can result in the loss of customers since they may end up being confused as a result of the numerous varieties of dips on offer. Whilst it cannot be ascertained which is more popular between chip and vegetable