gender discussion

Our class discussion on Tuesday was very interesting. It certainly seems clear that women in positions of power and authority are stuck in a conflict. They are truly in a lose- lose situation. If these women are too feminine, they are not taken seriously and are unable to gain the respect they deserve for their work, abilities and accomplishments. However, if these women are not feminine enough and instead demonstrate traditional masculine qualities at work such as competitive drive and aggressive behavior, they are ridiculed and insulted for not “doing” the feminine gender appropriately. Essentially, these women’s femininity is put into question, often being criticized for being too “butch” or manly.
This bind that women have found themselves in is really just a response to more and more women in our society gaining ground and securing high level positions of power. We live in a patriarchal, male dominate society. When women begin to challenge gender boundaries, men resist in an effort to maintain their position of power and control. By attaching a social stigma to women who are powerful and career driven, this therefore maintains the status quo, essentially protecting men’s dominant position in society.