Race and Gender Schemas Essay

A persons sexual urge lineation affects how they treat all new(prenominal) visual modality regardless of age, race, or amicable aim because we demand that all(prenominal)one fits into one of two categories antheral or female. on that point are other cultures that do non have a double star sexual pr spellice outline, and allow spate to occupy a third position combining traits that Americans would see as male or female. It is unfortunate that sex schemas are so restrictive and create expectations and judgments nigh peoples authentic selves that can damage the psyche (Valian, 208).As a stylus to navigate the social population, sexual urge schemas can be important, nevertheless standardized schemas for race and social class, they can reinforce hierarchies that restrict a tremendous part of the population. Below, I leave talk about my own grammatical sexuality schema, how I view the gender schema of my hostel, and how it could be convinced to better As media bec omes an ever more(prenominal)(prenominal) powerful force in shaping the fields perception of itself, an individuals struggle to maintain a unique identity and self-understanding apart from media influence becomes increasingly difficult.Damaging to the paper of the self are the racial, gendered, and class-based stereotypes (al flairs artificial and frequently physically, fiscally, and ruttishly unattainable), which are in general perpetuated and, because of their persistence, are apparently not broadly questioned. The prevalence and power of gender (especially female) stereotypes in the media are addressed in this p My own gender schema has changed radically from when I was younger.I can remember intercommunicate my mother is that a boy or a girl? about a person whom my mother identified as a woman, however who had a very square, angular face with large eyes. Later, I conditioned to incorporate larger scale features (curvy hips or breasts large shoulder-to-waist ratio) into m y schema. Although I was embossed as a girl and have always looked female (if not always perfectly womanly), I dont always act like a girl I am somewhat hostile when playing sports, Im not shy about inquire questions, and Im sometimes stoic about my emotions.This reflects my gender schema for males typical men are aggressive in sports, readily bring questions, and do not express emotions. By contrast, typical females in my gender schema are concerned with their carriage, are not aggressive on the playing field, tend to be shy if they ask questions, usually assume that they are not in a position of authority, and express their emotions freely. My stately re presentment of male and female physical features has relaxed slightly since childhood gage of the women I was with in high school were more angular than curvy. tied(p) though I grew up in a fairly teach part of the world, men and women placid used nonconformity to gender stereotypes/schemas to ill-treatment each other a cross group lines (women insulting men for be too female-like men insulting women for be too male-like). Also, I was more cautious of people who did not fit my gender schema, because these schemas predict behavioral and cognitive tendencies, however unreliably. Although our society has changed significantly even in the bygone 30 years, gender schemas themselves are still very restrictive.It may be the case that plumphers have increased their contribution to childrearing time so pocket-sized because the gender schema for males still dictates that a man spend the dress hat hours of his day at his job (TenenbaumLeaper, 616). Women are expected to conform to peoples gender schemas by liking children and being caring, sympathetic people all qualities of good mothers. However, it is never clear that every woman you obtain wants to be, or is even capable of being, a mother. Many people still retain a gender schema that does not allow for women in positions of power in the workplac e.The industrialized nations gender schemas support a discriminatory society by propagating an ideology of an innate and entirely pervasive, sex indomitable social structure (Devor, 147). This is as bad for men as it is for women. For every woman passed over for promotion at work because their bosss gender schema classifies them as a mothering type, unsuited for the fast-paced world of their chosen industry, at that place is probably a man in a high-pressure job that would like to ask for paternity leave, but doesnt want to be belittled by the guys. From my perspective as a woman, and as someone who has felt pressure to conform to a feminine gender schema, it faces like women get a worse discern if everyone uses the male/female gender schema in which typically-feminine behavior includes letting other people have their way, assuming you are not in a position of authority, and paying more attention to your appearance than your skill set. For gender schemas to change in society at large, gender schemas must change for children.The best way to do this is by exposing children to gender-atypical men and women in an pass judgment way, expanding childrens gender schemas and symbolically making it acceptable for men and women to be as masculine or feminine as they have like. some other way to take the claws out of the American gender schema would be to legitimize mingled with-gender roles, either by working towards acceptance of transgendered and transsexual populations or by studying the gender schemas of other cultures as a way to shift our own prejudices about what constitutes maleness and femaleness. Shifting our gender schemas will allow peoples inherent strengths and weaknesses, rather than their adherence to stereotypes, to be the most important determinant of how we treat others. Heightened public awareness of two the existence of and potential damage caused by these stereotypes is essential if they are to be eliminated. Frequently, though, they are d ifficult to combat and even to identify because of the ways in which they are presented.Overwhelming amounts of time and energy are devoted to stir a small, specially selected piece of ground of the population as models of physical perfection. These individuals are, predominantly, video and movie celebrities, fashion models, and sports figures. The glamorous ways in which these occupations are opthalmicized by the media are seemingly impossible to separate from the physical appearance of the people who hold them.The glamour that surrounds the media presentation of the lives and careers of these individuals extends, not surprisingly, to the clothes that they yield and the way that they look. In fact, so much attention is given to fame appearances that entire television programs are devoted to little else but visual exploitation of notoriety clothing and their tangible products of their latest fad workouts. The media presentation of the celebrity em luggage compartment has a single unifying thread, regardless of the particularized job title of a given celebrity.Celebrity bodies are propensityd, twain subjectively and objectively. The media, without question, shapes this public response. It can be argued (and has been, on many occasions) that, because the media portrays celebrities bodies as taking, suitable, and good, they become national symbols of these characteristics. Conversely, bodies that do not meet this lofty terminal frequently are, consciously or unconsciously, regarded as bad or ugly. check the most recent (and extremely popular) advertising tack used by Subway, the national fast food sandwich chain.Jared, the protagonist of the recent slew of television commercials, allegedly lost hundreds of pounds while on a nourishment consisting primarily of the chains fare. Jareds before pictures show him advantageously larger than his current size, but they overly show him alone, with no friends or family. In stark contrast, however, his afte r action shots consistently show him not only thinner, but also constantly in the presence of a beautiful woman, presumably his significant other. The advertising message is clear fat=bad, ugly, unhappy and alone, thin=happy and with attractive partner.Through these commercials, Jared has assumed celebrity status, solely on the basis that his body has changed to approximate more well-nigh the current standard of attractiveness. Sadly, though, there is a severe disconnect between the male and female body types lauded in the media and those of the public at large. A shockingly small minority of the population has the genetic dispensation to match with what the media purports to be attractive. For women, desirable physical characteristics (as they are portrayed in the media) include being thin, long-legged, slim-hipped, and large-breasted.The media-portrayed desirable physical characteristics for men include being muscular and possessing a full head of hair. Some characteristics are p ortrayed as desirable in both sexes, such as being tall, fit, athletic, young, and light-skinned. In the breakout between what is implicitly beautiful in the eyes of the media and the physical reality of the popular majority flourishes a market of self-improvement products and services, ranging from hair disgrace and give wayup to tanning salons, foddering, and plastic surgery.It seems as though nearly everyone, at some point in his or her life attempts to alter him- or herself in a physical way, in order to conform more c losely to the marketed norm of attractiveness and desirability. Television, magazines, and newspapers are filled with advertisements promoting self-loathing, while offering miracle, body-altering cures. The body that does not conform to a sexy, sleek stereotype becomes a thing to be hated, improved upon, and generally tortured into submission.A portion of the damage caused by such a mentality is quantifiable, though rumination of the huge profits accumulat ed yearly by various diet programs and plastic surgeons. The impose on _or_ oppress of this presentation of the human body can also be seen in our current societal epidemic of disordered consume, including anorexia, bulimia, over-exercising, spendthrift dieting, and over-anxiety over food. While the population subset living with and recovering from disordered eating is still predominately composed of women, the number of men with disordered and dangerous eating habits is on the rise.In addition to physical damage, intangible psychological harm results from body image problems to which the media contributes daily. When men and women are faced with the implication that their bodies, if they break-dance to conform to an impossibly stringent set of standards, are unattractive, unhealthy, and unlovable, they begin to lose confidence in themselves. The perception that a single, narrow range of body types is acceptable and healthy for men and women is not only in error, but contribute s to widespread social discontent.Instead of celebrating the diversity and beauty of the human form, the media stifles our desire to sapidity comfortable with ourselves in an attempt to fool us into accompaniment a billion dollar self improvement market, from which the media garners tremendous fiscal benefits. In addition to (and perhaps more devastating than) the physical and emotional damage caused by the current media-driven obsession with achieving an arbitrary physical perfection, our society faces losing serious social perspective.As it is currently used in the media, the body is stripped of its uniqueness and forced into frustratingly narrow constraints good/bad and attractive/unattractive. Little or no public attention is given to the numberless other factors around which a persons identity is structure kindness, generosity, honesty, friendliness, work ethics, personal motivation, intelligence, and spirituality. By focusing too intensely on the physical, our society risk s losing sight of the fuller sense of what people are, and what makes us sincerely yours beautiful.My LAP is going to talk about a personal cognise that I have encountered with a family member. I have a familiar who fits the schemas that we have spoke about in class. I feel that my chum has been dealing with identity issues for a long time since his childhood. How do you deal with being something that you dont feel you are? Being in this class has me see that everything is not black and white. Schemas are tho a stereo type and everyone that may be something does not always seem to be the case.sometimes there are many reasons that people feel that they are a part of a schema it can be caught up in how people act. Many things on TV make people want to try things like being attracted to the same sex. only when sometimes it can be what is going on in your environment. Sometimes I feel that I am a part of a schema I am one of the only black females at my job that is around wide vari ety of Reform Jews and to me I feel sometimes that I am not suppose to be there but I hold my head up high and animation my enthusiasm very high. So schemas are every day and it just does not have to be about sexuality.