Gender Roles

Arisnelly: Sex refers to the biological differences between the two sexes - chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs. Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture depict to be masculine or feminine. Society's perception of modern day gender presentation has changed substantially and is constantly shifting, as the four fun-facts below illustrate.

1. Pink used to be considered a "boy color" and blue a "girl color". 

   

   Pastels became popularized in the early 1900s when a retail trade publication tried to distinguish between the two sexes with colors. "Being a more decided and stronger color, [pink] is more suitable for the boy," the article stated, "while [blue], which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."

2. High heels were designed and created for men, being deemed as "masculine" for a century. 

   

   To protect the foot in its strap while shooting an arrow from a saddle, Persian soldiers used to sport high-heeled shoes while horseback riding. This simple gesture amused the European elite, who went on to endorse the horsemen's masculine footwear for their own fashionable purposes in the 1600s.

3. Lace was considered a "manly" fabric for the upper-class. 

   

   Like the aforementioned high-heeled shoe, lace began to catch on in the European market around the 16th century. It was complicated and elaborate in its design, taking over ten hours to produce (with a price to match all of the hard work it took). Up until the 18th century, mainly "aristocratic, upper class" men wore it.

4. Cheerleading began as a Boys' Club, because it was too "manly" for girls. 

   

   The first alleged cheerleader was University of Minnesota student, Johnny Campbell, who was able to gain the confidence of a 1898 football crowd to follow his chanting lead. Campbell's legacy was preserved by Dwight D. Eisenhower, Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan -- former U.S. presidents who also happened to be cheerleaders.
   
   
   Gender roles are only a representation of society's ideals and expectations, and should never define who you are as an individual.
   

   

Sadia: As a brown girl growing up in a what can be very constrictive culture, it has made me feel suffocated. I sometimes feel like I am trapped in a box that is defined by patriarchy which decides what my role and purpose is as a female. The idea of men and women having specific roles in daily life is seen everyday in outward sexism, but is especially highlighted when I speak about ambition and goals for the future. More times than I can count, I have been told that my ultimate goal in life should be to marry a nice brown guy and have kids. There’s nothing wrong with being married or having a family, but being told that from the age of 10 -- which is as early as I can remember -- makes me feel as though I have been raised to be married. I have been molded to believe that my needs and wants should not take precedent over my future families, and that my ultimate purpose in life is to be a caretaker.  However, I have noticed that this idea of marriage and home life is not sewn into boys my age. They are instead told to study hard in school, and follow the typical Indian stereotype of becoming an engineer or get a degree in IT. Trapping young minds in the stifling constraints of outdated culture serves nobody. This culture, which is (slowly) progressing with the millennial generation, has many boundaries to break and many uncomfortable conversations to be had with parents who will come to realize that their daughters are not born to be wives and provide them with grandchildren. Gender roles in all cultures, especially for women, have been used as weapons of control against females who have the brains and willpower to be just as great as men. It is the fear of change and progressiveness which prevents a society from practicing equality amongst men and women. It’s up to the men of this generation to reject conventional roles, as women work to break glass ceilings and rise above what holds them down.

Slut-Shaming

Let's talk about sex.

Specifically, slut shaming -- and how we all inadvertently contribute to it.

The Oxford Dictionary of English describes slut-shaming as "the action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behavior judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative". If that term doesn't sound familiar to you, perhaps you've come across it on social media where celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift are targets of relentless online harassment for "posting slutty pictures", and "having too many boyfriend's".

Society does not bash an eyelash at derogatory words such as "slut", "whore" and everyone's new favorite term -- wait for it! -- "thot". We have all become immune to words implemented to shame women for embracing their sexuality and femininity.

Slut-shaming is a sexist action because only women are criticized for their sexuality, whereas men are congratulated for engaging in the same kind of behavior. It is the embodiment of a sexual double standard: boys will be boys, and girls will be sluts.

A false sense of feminine idealism is manifested at a young age for both sexes by the media and other sources they are exposed to -- women are expected to be sophisticated and sexually knowing, otherwise they run the risk of being deemed unfeminine and irrelevant.

Celebrities are not the only people who have faced the wrath of hell's fury at the hand of slut-shaming; it is a common practice in Hackensack High School as well. The Fappening, an event that took place in April of 2014, was responsible for the illegal publication of private images stored on the iCloud accounts of famous celebrities. Jennifer Lawrence was one out of many females who received a substantial amount of media backlash for having her personal pictures made public -- incidents that happen too often on school ground.

Earlier this year, a friend of mine had intimate pictures of her leaked onto Twitter by a resentful ex-boyfriend. After sharing this harrowing experience with me and a few of our other friends, her first question was: "What do you think of me now?". Rather than worrying about the illegal actions perpetrated by her ex-boyfriend and the morality of the situation, she thought about what almost every female in her position would be thinking -- how she would be perceived for it, because that is what society has subconsciously embedded into our minds; to point the finger at the person preyed upon, instead of the actual assailant.

The effects of slut-shaming are more detrimental than just simple name-calling (although it is clear that being slandered publicly can be a painful experience, as the increase in rate of slut-shamed females proves). As soon as a woman is branded as a "slut" or a "whore", there is the possibility of her being at the receiving end of sexual contempt, which can lead to other heinous crimes, such as assault.

She may become an easy target for other forms of harassment and even rape, being that her peers deemed her as someone who is "easy" and "unable to say no". In 2013, a young girl who was raped at a party in Steubenville, Ohio, was denigrated by the public, given the "drunken slut" label as the people around scrambled to make sense of the severity of the crime. Slut-shaming has been given the unfortunate opportunity of shaping societal dissertation on rape, abuse, and harassment.

Perhaps you are a female reading this article and thinking "none of this applies to me"; a mindset I once had as well. The truth of the matter is that as long as you are female, the possibility of being subjected to discrimination simply because of your sex will always be admissible, until society is able to come to the proper consensus that it is wrong and those who partake in it should be condemned.

Everything begins with us -- the youth that is willing to listen and make some kind of change.

At one point or another, most of us have been guilty of thinking or referring to someone else as a slut. We understand that it is an offensive term, yet still use it anyway due to strong social conditioning. It is crucial that we make ourselves aware of the sexual double standard and refrain from identifying other human beings with a dehumanizing term.

Parents, be open about sexuality with your children. The more you educate your child about sex, the less likely they are to go out and search for the answers themselves.

Teachers, recognize that slut-shaming is a legitimate issue and properly reprimand those who offend others by engaging in it. People should be held accountable for their actions now, in order to ensure that their behavior does not go unwarranted later.

It is not enough to simply have only yourself abstain from that kind of language; we must correct, inform, and educate those around us as well whenever the terminology is used to ban it for good and make a difference. 

It is possible, and it starts with you.