FOOTBALL AND LINGERIE: What more could a man want?

When speaking about gender roles and how we display our gender, sports sometimes present a conflict. For example, in the NFL, there are no women on any team. I went on various question sites to try to find out why people thought this was so and they all seemed to present the same answer; women are generally weaker than the men on professional football teams, therefore, having both men and women on the same team could result in the women being seriously injured. Valid point. So then what does this have to do with women being actually interested in the sport? A stereotype that is very widespread about football and many other sports is that women are not, or should not be interested in sports. It isn’t considered the “norm”. For a woman to be a die hard football fan, some people would assume she was gay, that she was raised in a family with all men, or that she was trying to fit in with the guys. It seems that some sort of excuse has to be made for a woman who doesn’t fit into the mold a man puts her in. I don’t mean to insinuate that all men are this way, but in my experience, many men react in a similar fashion. Many men seems surprised when a woman knows a good amount about sports, but heaven forbid a woman actually try to play the sport… unless of course she’s half naked.

This then brings to me to my next point. Men are expected to be the villains and the heroes in movies, do the handy work and play sports. These are roles woman are not expected to do and they aren't handled very well until they have on little to no clothing. Then it becomes more acceptable. Why it is so difficult to tolerate a woman doing a man's job until she wears something "sexy"? Its such a double standard. A woman should be able to stand next to a man, do the same things he does, and not have to subject herself to being seen as a sexual object. Man have to stop doing it and women have to stop letting it happen.

Ashley Rivera

I Want To Be Made Into A Cover Girl

By: Ashakia Macklin

5"5 brown eyes is usually the saying you hear when people describe the "perfect “girl. Or how about the hundreds of magazine covers, ads and commercials you see with the "perfect “girl on the cover. She usually very slim, blue eyes and long blonde hair. Not to discriminate against models but when the last time you seen a girl like the ones pictured on the ads walking around in society. Truth is there are not many. Companies edited the pictures to sell their product while main stream America is trying to be just like that girl. In today’s society they have so many products and infomercials to help you be that "perfect" girl. Stores are packed with products like anti-aging cream to help keep the body young. Infomercials are on all times of the day trying to sell products that will "guarantee" a new slim body for you. Did you ever stop to think who does this affect, who reads these magazines? The answer is Main stream America teens! Teens are  heavily impacted by the media and what they see. So if that all they see that who they want to be like. Media creates controversy in a teen life. White girl sometime affected more by what they see in the magazines oppose to minorities. They [ white girls] want the skinny legs with the flat stomach or that  rich healthy hair like their favorite pop star. Black girls on the other hand say they are not affected as easy, they don’t really care about the girls in the magazines because their not them. To get a better understanding how  easily media influences the youth I took a two minute walk around the mall. Within a minute a found an ad advertising people to come get their eyebrows done because "looking your best is for everyone". Is this ad suggesting you must look your best to impress everyone ? It could be easily interrupted that way.  A ad in Victoria Secret show cased a brown hair , blue eyes, slim models suggesting five ways to make a girl feel "incredible". So you mean to tell me if I do all the things on this ad I too can look and feel like this girl? These are the questions I was left with after taking my walk. To sum my post up I just wanted to point out how although the media can not tell us what to think , they have a heavy impact on our everyday life                                                                                                  .

Bad Boys, Bad Boys

By: Katherine Peralta

Gender, what is gender? It is the socially learned expectations and behaviors associated with members of each sex. So how does bad boys, bad boys connect with this? Well, in careers like law enforcement and criminal justice or movies like Mission Impossible and Live Free Die Hard, society expects men to be the main stars. Why don’t women play such a role, as a special agent? There are a few movies of women playing this role of a tough special agent like the Silence of the Lambs and Untraceable. “Why” is the question.

I never knew that in the work force women were paid differently than men. I was highly disappointed and I guess that if you’re a woman reading this, you are too. It’s something that has tried to be passed by congress that women get paid equally but it fails over and over again. Is this gender stereotyping or prejudice? Gender stereotyping is based on a person’s gender; stereotypes about women are most likely to be negative, rather than men stereotyping. The Human Capital Theory explains the gender differences. Why should women be treated unequally compared to men? According to the Dual Labor Market Theory, women gain less than men because they have low paying jobs and men work in different segments. Another thing that affects the pay is gender segregation. Women get placed in different sectors based on gender. Employers assume “She’s a women, she can’t do that; it’s a guys job!” Why should women get treated differently. YES, I do agree that some jobs can be difficult for women but as long as it’s able to be completed, I say “It’s just perfectly fine!”

                          

This is a perfect example of the hard work women go through to join the FBI; they dedicte themselves to accomplish their goal and strive for what they want.

So now to my point, in careers like in the FBI, people picture a well built male agent but they don’t count in the female agents. Now at days, women are needed in the FBI. There are about 2,000 women in the FBI who serve as agents all over the country and in overseas offices. They play a major role, contributing to the FBI with their skills and experiences. Most of the women that join the FBI, apply because they had misperceptions they had about the FBI or thought that the headquarters only hired men as agents. Let me just say they were WRONG!

                                    

Personally, I love the fact of joining the FBI; I love everything about it. I’m looking forward to pursuing this career; I know that its hard work and that maybe just maybe I do get paid differently than men but let me and women, just hope this is over and we accomplish to get equal treatment like men. Women can make a big difference in the work force.                                                                                                                    

There is No Such Thing as Good Hair

Kachina Pindell
"She got that good hair"....What is good hair? This is a question that I have often asked myself.  I have heard friends, hair dressers, and classmates say this all throughout my life. It seems like a phrase I can't get away from. Unfortunately, this is a phrase I often hear amongst black women. For black women, good hair is hair that one can comb through easily. "Good hair" is straight, long and can be managed without any strenuous activity. It is also something many black women believe they dont possess. This mentality is something that comes from what is portrayed in society and on television. We are constantly bombarded with hair advertisements that are pushing relaxers that make hair straight and more manageable. Chris Rock released a movie called "Good Hair" that gets a first hand account on what black women say about hair while in the salon as well as the standards they live by to maintain "good hair".

This movie Chris Rock has put together is a good message to send to society. He asks women about why they want to acheive "good hair" and even shows viewers how bad relaxers and perms are for one's hair and scalp. This trailer also shows Chris Rock trying to sell "black hair" that can be used as wigs and extensions. Many people frowned and made faces at him because this type of hair is undesireable to them. No one was interested in purchasing it. This shows how society is caught up in the idea of "good hair" being straight and long.
When I was younger, I used to get relaxers consistently to control my hair. When I turned 16, I saw my natural hair growing in and I liked the curls and waves I saw coming in. I decided to grow it out. Many people disagreed with this idea but I deviated from that belief I have known all my life. Now at the age of 20, I have managed it just fine without a perm. I want the world to know that even if someone's hair is shorter, darker or not as easy to manage, that does not make it bad and it is not something that is only found amongst black people. That is a terrible stereotype that has been propelled throughout society. I have seen people of many different ethicities with many different textures and I have learned that all hair is beautiful. I also want people to understand that I dont think there is anything wrong with experimenting and trying different styles. There is nothing wrong with having straight hair. I want everyone who reads this blog to understand that no matter how difficult it is to maintain specific textures, no one should ever feel like they should change the structure of the hair they were born with to satisfy society. Take pride in your texture ladies and learn how to work it!

Gender Stereotyping

By Vandola Brown

Do you realize where many of your thoughts and beliefs  may have came from? We live in a society where there is a wide spread of gender stereotype and children often learn roles that are not always fair to both sexes. As children grow and develop, the gender stereotype they are exposed to, mostly at home, are reinforced by the child’s peers, school experiences, and television viewing  and are carried over from childhood throughout adulthood. It is difficult for a child to grow to adulthood without experiencing some form of gender bias or stereotyping, whether it is the expectation that boys are better than girls in math or the idea that females can nurture children.
  

Children learn at an early age what it is to be a female or a male. This exposure comes from the parents. From the time their children are babies, parents treat sons and daughter different , dressing infants in gender specific colors, giving gender differential toys, and expecting different behavior from boys and girls. Parents encourage their boys and girls to participate in sex-type activities including playing with dolls and engaging in  housekeeping activities; while boys plays with trucks, engage in blocks and sport activities. Both mothers and fathers may contribute to the gender stereotyping of their children , but I think father tend to reinforce gender stereotyping more often than mothers.

As a preschool teacher, I experience a father who contributed to gender stereotyping.. When little Johnny’s father came to pick him up, he saw that Johnny was in the housekeeping area with best friend Amy dressing the dolls. When he approached Johnny he said,” Boy, you are not a faggot and stop playing with those girls toys. Men don’t play with dolls.” I than asked Johnny’s father if he had a moment to talk. When he answered yes, I discussed the different skills Johnny was learning and developing while in the housekeeping area. Skills such as social, one he will definitely need to grow become a man in our society. Children should  be able to make choices without being hindered by stereotyping. When the conversation was over, Johnny’s father thank me. He said ,” I never gave it a second thought that I could be hindering my child instead of helping him. Suppose his talent is to became a great chef one day. I guess my father didn’t understand it either.” Gender stereotyping can go from generation to generation.




 
  

Deviance

By: Diane Mitchell

Deviance is "a state or condition markedly different from the norm." Sometimes we wonder why people act in deviance, but there are many reasons why. I can say that most people have acted in deviance many times without even knowing. Breaking the norm sometimes are very normal and sometimes it's more severe than others.

In a prison there were men that tattooed the white of their eyes. One man said that "it was different and that's why he did it." He wanted to do something extremely different from what the rest of society did when it came to tattoos.

This two year old toddler from Indonesia smokes "two packs of cigarettes a day." In Indonesia there are many toddlers that smoke at that age and that's because the government didn't really educated them about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. In our society a two year old toddler shouldn't smoke anything. They shouldn't even know how to light a lighter. We all know that Toddlers should be playing with toys and just being active in activities that will prepare them for kindergarten. There are lots of people that act in deviance. On Halloween, believe it or not people are acting in deviance because we are dressed in costumes to be something we are not. Sometimes when people go out to clubs they may act in deviance by dancing way too wild and getting very drunk. If a person is gay, they are considered deviant.

As you see deviance is not only seen in violence, it's more than that. We all in some point of our lives deviated. Even if we was just playing around by doing crazy things to make people laugh or to get someone's attention. People can act in deviance in many ways. So just because you might see a person deviating does not always mean that the person is bad. We have to remember that everyone is different in their own way.

Into the Dark Side

By: Kennia Martinez

We have all seen them. They interest us all yet, repel us with their style and ways. Who are these people who dare to be different  and at times, scary? They are the Goths, and I am sure at some point, we have all encountered them. The Goths or Gothic people are a counterculture against the ‘norm’. A counterculture, of course, being a subculture that is created against the values or beliefs of the dominant culture. Society looks down upon these unique people and find their style quite repulsive, and this causes stereotypes. A stereotype is a simplified judgment of a certain group of people that categorizes as something that they might not be and sometimes are not at all.

They are known for their dark clothes, heavy make up and depressive attitude. It first started as a form of music in the 1980’s in England and has since evolved into a form of expression, fashion, and music. In this picture below there are examples of the various stereotypes society has come to believe about Goth people. Like all stereotypes some may be true, but usually most are not, as shown in the picture. It is the style that scares others into believing such things. (See second picture) Fun fact: Goth is not a religion.

Above is a picture of  how a Goth is a counterculture. Obviously a human being, still her style sets off disapproval. Someone would remark her as a “weirdo” because it looks hot outside, yet there she is in a black dress. Other may say that she is a devil worshipper because they do not understand why someone “normal” would wear such a style. In truth, Goths embrace their difference and take pride in it. Furthermore, they believe in a darker view of the world, but that does not mean they worship the Devil. They see the world in a different perspective than everyone else. Some of the best ideas and people have come from seeing the world in a different perspective. Why judge what you do not understand? Has not history taught us many lessons in this field?

The next photo is of a friend of mine who is known to be Goth. Though her style may turn parents off you could not find a more loyal, funny person. People tend to judge her and her kind based on how she chooses to dress. She’s nothing like what society thinks of Goths: she doesn’t worship the devil, she’s not mean (unless provoked), she’s not evil (she’s actually very funny and a good friend), and she’s a normal human being.

My intake in Goths is that they have a different taste in clothes and music and maybe even beliefs (certain Goths), but this is the factor that makes them interesting. This counterculture is growing rapidly and society need to at least give them a shot. People will always break off from society, but remember they were once like you and me. And seriously stereotypes are most of the time wrong. Like these: Puerto Rican are crazy and will stab you, Jewish people are cheap, all Cuban men are controlling, men with clean finger nails are jerks, etc. As we know there’s an exception to all stereotypes. I take offense to being called crazy, when I’m not. So, next time when your ready to stereotype another group of people remember that you might be offending them and that your judging them without even knowing them. Besides, the weirdos make the best friends.

Commercial Ethnic Stereotype… is it all in fun or taken too seriously?

by Astrid Beato

A stereotype is an over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. For example, all black people are lazy, all white people are racists, all Italians are in the mob, all Hispanics are illegal aliens, etc. 

  

Commercials based on ethnic stereotypes should be a concerned because of the negative, offensive message that the commercials are representing or is it all just for fun and humor and shouldn't be taken personally? In today’s society we all know or should know at least that we shouldn’t judge or treat differently people of color or where they are from or what race or ethnicity anyone is, etc. Seeing the big picture there are racists, and discrimination does happen but not as frequently as before. Society is changing and so is how people think, so why can't some of us joke and laugh about funny ethnic jokes that are presented in commercials without being offended. For example here is a commercial aired at the Superbowl that people claim to be racist.

From my experiences there are days when I hangout with friends and we sometimes make fun of each others ethnic background based on typical stereotyping. For instances, Dominicans eat plantains everyday and raise farm animals and Mexicans only eat tacos and cleans people houses. Sometimes you can’t help yourself from laughing or giggling because sometimes the jokes are true, but not to an extent where “they” always do that or "that" always happens, but of course it all depends with who and how close you are with your friends to make racial jokes.

Racial stereotypes are even in places that people don't even notice that is happening. For example, in children’s movies racial stereotypes are not attended to offend any race. Here is a link where of this source. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS3e-n8Mj7I (might want to skip the first minute of the video.)

 Here is a video of contradicting stereotype. When people think of Scotland they think of white skin people with red hair, but in this video they are Asian descended but are from Scotland which in a stereotype world doesn't make sense.

In conclusion we shouldn’t take any of these commercials personally, in my opinion because it’s all in fun plus these commercials are clearly a little too exaggerated. Also stereotyping is everywhere and it is inevitable so might as well get a little chuck out of it, even if it’s your own race.

Fitness Confusion

 By Sa'ood Abdul-Basit

 

The other day, I  happened to walk into the Y and noticed something different.  Usually the magazines available for member's reading pleasures are decorated with slim women or in some cases, men, promoting the same thing, "Weight Loss". 

Flex Magezine

Flex Magezine

This time I felt in a way, "accommodated"  when I saw the new edition of Bodybuilding Magazines(Examples Above) made available in the gym, after all, the last thing I want to do is lose weight.   America appears to have a obvious obsession with promoting weight lost. Some say because we are the country with the highest rate of over weight people.  Still is it correct to promote majority of the time slim as being fit?  I'm not against anyone who is slim(I am myself) or would like to become slimmer etc.   Still I feel it is wrong that being "In shape" is overly associated with a slim figure,  after all being slim does not necessarily mean you have a healthy body.

It is my theory that this common practice makes most people follow a low food diet when it comes to working out programs. The main problem is that people do not understand what exactly they would like to achieve with their bodies, but whatever it is they assume it can be achieved by a low calorie diet.


Ladies, do you want to lose weight? lower bodyfat percentage? Gain weight? Increase your Curves?

Guys Do you want to lose weight? get a sixpack? gain muscle? increase muscle Tone? Build Mass?

All these things can be asociated with each other, but in many cases, they can not be all achieved at once.
Lets say calories for example, what are calories?  calories are simply energy for your body .  We all need calories to survive,  the average person burns around 5000 calories each day! Calories come from food,  the amount of calories in each food depends on the type of food itself and its serving size.  Just because a food has less calories, does not necessarily mean it is more healthy, just as foods with more calories are not always less haelthy.(Again Food Type is what  matters the most with this issue)

Workout and Diet 
Different diets suite different workout plans.  A person trying to Build muscle mass would eat completely different from a person trying to rapidly lose weight.

Bodybuilding diets: For us who want build huge muscle  this is the basic of how we want our diet. Consist of a high carb and protien rich diet, usually requires you to eat more calories than you burn each day, this is commonly known as the "Bulking stage".  Secondly, mainly for competive bodybuilders, there is a second stage known as "Cutting",  that serves to rid your body of excess fat and improve the apearance in muscle tone. Carbs are usually only consumed before and after workouts,  protien is still a rquirement to maintain the muscle,  less calories and meals that are of low fat percentage( Clean Meals).

Workouts should Include Heavy Weight lifting and  limited Cardio(during the cutting stage, more cardio is needed)

Weight lost Diet:  Whether you've seen or heard of it from Oprah, the View, Rachel Ray etc. Diets like these maybe perhaps the most commonly promoted in America.  This is for those of us who wish to drop body weight rapidly.  As you probably already know low Calories are a must, meals are usually aimed to be "clean" or as low fat as possible.

Workouts Should Include Cardio, and some weight lifting to maintain muscle(simple weights or Heavy)


I cant be certain why weight lost diets are so stressed in our society. Perhaps it is due to what I stated earlier(The claim America is the highest rate of overweight people in the world).  But I have another suggestion,  Perhaps it is due to the sexist views that women must maintain a slim figure to be considered acceptable by media promoted standards. I believe men do also have a image projected to them as well, of course muscle is a sign of masculinity in our society and many parts of the world.  But I don't feel men are pressured to match the media projected images as much as women.

This issue reminded me of sociology mainly because it relates topics such as  "Weight Loss Obsession". I would label it a social norm in our society based on media facts such as the  Magazines, Television programming, and word of mouth.      

To conclude, most of us do not have the same body type so  before you decide you want to transform your body through diet and exercise,  consider your current body status and do your research first.

Gender Roles

By: Jessica Diaz

What is male? What is female? This answer depends on the gender roles you were exposed to as a child.  Gender roles are behaviors and attitudes expected of males and females by society.  As a child gender roles come from a variety of social influences our lives. Gender roles are influenced mostly at home, media, and school.

This video shows kids being interviewed on gender role expectations and gender role stereotypes.

One influence comes from our parents and how they treat the boy and girl differently. Girls are treated more gentle then boys. Boys are expected to be more active and rough when playing then girls. Girls look at their mothers for examples on how they dress and act. Children look at their parents and see the mother cooking, cleaning and taking care of the kids. A father will work and come home with the family income. Parents go out and also by clothing for their children and is always seen that boys wear blue and girls wear pink.

Another influence on gender roles comes from the toys children play with. Parents would give their little girl a doll and a boy gets a toy truck. Giving theses kind of gifts gives off an early expectation on what kind of roles they play. The kinds of toys that little girls receive give messages about feminine traits like dress up and make up. The kinds of toys that little boys receive give messages about masculinity for example cars and building blocks. Even their bedrooms are specific colors.

Television also influences their choice of toys. Children see remote controlled vehicles being advertised by a little boy playing. Girls see advertisement of dolls being played with by little girls. The sexual stereotypes they give off on television and media are also influencing gender roles.

Gender roles are influenced at a young age and the children are repeating what they observed by their parents and media. This video shows that society determines what it means to be a male or female. Gender is taught to you through parents, school and media. The kids are only 4 in this video and they already have stereotypes on how males and females should be looked at by society. If you want children to change their aspect of gender roles you have to show them by being role models in their life.