Gender and Bathrooms Blog Post

This blog does make really interesting points. The world, in general, considers women the secondary figure to men. Women are just the variation of men, therefore not a true representation of "mankind." I'm not saying that everyone believes that or promotes it, but it is almost engrained in our thinking in society. Unconsciously we act as though women cannot be as good as men in certain aspects, sometimes unfairly. As for how we characterize men in America: men are seen as having to be tough, a man's man, and the one who does all the work. Women are seen as being meek, timid, and the support system to the man. In our society there are still hints of that notion that women are meant for housework rather than a career. The men are seen as responsible entirely for "bringing home the bacon." We also seem to characterize all men as being predatory like the blog said. The picture shows a male figure looking over the stall at a female figure, therefore inferring that all men should chase after women constantly and be overly protective of them. This really demeans men, and generalizes them into one indifferent group. In the same sense, women are always pictured as being gentle, shy characters. They are often pictured looking down at the ground as if women cannot stand up for themselves or defend any kind of position. This is also demeaning and generalizes all women as objects that need to be fended for and protected; almost as a helpless figure.


Without realizing it, something as simple as bathroom signs automatically classify all of us as indifferent, non-unique members of a gender group. The signs infer that all women should act a certain way and dress, act, ext. in the same way. The signs in the same way infer that all men should have certain characteristics, and if you don't you aren't a true man. This stresses the sense of conformity that is so prevalent in our society today. If you don't conform to certain standards and expectations of your gender, then you fail as an individual and are not generally excepted. Reading this blog really opened my eyes to the judgments we make about others without even realizing it.