Journal #2

Women in today’s modern society have to face many stereotypes and gender roles. Stereotype meaning “to describe overly simplistic interpersonal impressions.” (McCornack and Morrison 81) and gender roles, “a shared societal expectations for conduct and behaviors that are deemed appropriate for girls or women and boys or men.” (McCornack and Morrison 158) and the idea that women need to have these specific marriageable qualities such as, cooking and baking, hosting, and other household duties. Women also have to live up to specific body ideals and goals, as well as trying to balance their day to day life like school, jobs, and relationships. They have to do these all perfectly as failing to do so made them seem unattractive or like “a mess”.

Personally being the only girl out of the four children my expectations were much different. The pressure of cooking, cleaning, taking care of my grandparents and siblings, even though I was the second to youngest was nearly impossible. If my mother got sick, her responsibilities would fall onto me as no one else knew or even worried about the things that needed to be done to keep the house clean or other necessities that needed to be done. If you were to go and ask a handful of young girls and women if they have been taught about how to do these things or if they currently do them, the majority would agree to feeling as if they are having these expectations or responsibilities. I have faced anxiety, depression, and eating disorders because of these extremely gender biased expectations. As mentioned earlier I was the second to youngest with my oldest brother being ten years older and my second eldest being five, my two oldest brothers rarely had to worry about cooking or cleaning. They generally went to work with my father to assist him in his needs but got paid for helping him, as my mother and I would sit together and do the laundry or bake the cake they have requested, for free. While I’m not saying men do not face hardship and terrible gender roles, this is my personal narrative and my viewpoint to this issue.