Chauvinism_and_Sexism

Little Tiffany was sitting alone on a bench while she watched a couple of guys play football. When she was asked why was she alone she responded, saying, “My brothers won’t let me play because I’m a girl.” And so, little Tiffany introduces us the constant topic of chauvinism and sexism that affect the lives of millions of girls, women and, surprisingly, men as well. “Some animals are more equal than others,” (Orwell 134). In this case, men are more equal them women, or that’s the general belief in chauvinism and sexism. These days, we live in a society where everybody is equal. Are we, really' Does society really sees a man and a woman as equals' Most people would agree that they are. However, what is chauvinism and sexism in a community where people are ignorant of these issues' Can women really get high job positions with the same opportunities as men, socially' It is a common known fact that society does not view men and women alike. They have gender role expectancies. Traditionally, men are supposed to work and earn money for the household while women are supposed to stay home and raise the family. According to Daniel Cohen’s article “Chauvinism, Sexism, and Patriarchy”, “society still sees motherhood as women’s primary role, and girls are molded to be mothers.” That’s true since little Tiffany is left alone to play with the dolls given to her in hope, unconsciously, to raise her maternal instincts. Meanwhile, her brothers are given cars, guns, construction toys, and sport encouragement to increase their “masculinity”, or at least what society defines masculinity as. Our community, however, is ignorant of the daily acts of chauvinism and sexism. We’ve stopped thinking too deeply about things and just accept them as they are, even if it’s not the best. Like marriage, for example, what does being married mean, though' Is it really just for a man and a woman to start a family together in partnership and love' What does this means for the woman' “My grandmother married at fifteen,” says a student at a local, private school, “she said her father let her marry because she knew what being married implied and that was to obey, cherish, and love her husband and to also raise the family they’d make together. My mother did the same and it is expected for me to do so as well.” What does this mean, then' Are society, culture, traditions, and even religion making us, unconsciously, into some sexists and chauvinistic pigs' How can this affect women’s contribution to society if we’re unconsciously gender biased' They don’t have the same job opportunities as men. If we recall back to World War I and World War II, who took care of the countries’ economies while men were sent off to fight' Women did. Women worked “man” jobs while men fought. And they did a good job. When World War I ended, there was great economic flourish-ment in many countries. So why are men still preferred to some jobs, the most important ones, over women' Maybe it’s that’s way because there’s a common belief of men being smarter than women. In an interview to Adrian Furnham, a professor of psychology at University College London, by Newsweek, it was stated “men and women are fairly equal overall in terms of IQ.” However, it was also stated “men and women perceive men being smarter across generations. Both sexes believe that their fathers are smarter than their mothers and grandfathers are more intelligent than their grandmothers.” What can we do' This isn’t equality. Little Tiffany sitting alone watching her brothers play football because she’s a girl isn’t equality. We should not be misled into believing it is, like Napoleon, in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, did with the other farm animals. We’re all supposed to be equal but we aren’t. Women are undermined by society and the truth is, unless we all change the way we approach things and our beliefs, this isn’t going to change.