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| Former Wichita District Attorney Nola Foulston |
Smarsh then goes on to say that her generation "got better messages about women than Grandma's did.
Would you say that ambitious women are still considered suspect today? Or would you say that our society has reached a point where the majority of people don't hold men and women to different standards?
Happiness is something everyone deserves. Children deserve it just as much, if not more than adults. Without happy memories to fall back on, children will grow to be unhappy adults. I believe that it is not just the children’s parents who should create this happiness, but other grown-ups in their lives, and themselves. Every child is different. However, a few things remain constant to synthesizing happiness. Love, from adults and their peers, and love in their hearts for themselves and others. Another thing that is required is being nurtured. Being cared for at home and at school, having friends, and once again just being loved.
ReplyDeleteJessica King
I think that the amount of people in society is almost balanced between people that suspect ambitious women, and those who hold men and women to the same standards. Most people that I know are very big on women's right, especially in politics and the work place. I put myself on this side of the argument, a "feminist point of view" if you would like to say. And although women and men have been fighting for this equality, and have made many advances in women's equality, there are still many people who believe that women should be under a man. Especially in politics, many women get less representation and many believe that they should get less. On the brighter side of things, we have more women running for high offices and many that are looking to change representation for the better to further reach the goal of equality between men and women.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I agree with Smarsh that today’s generation receives better and more positive messages about women than did past generations. There are many advocates for women, as well as messages on social media and television, that encourage girls to do whatever they want with their lives. I would say then that many people do not suspect ambitious women today. However, there are some people who still are suspicious these women as well as hold men and women to different standards. Personally, I have been blessed to have people around me who motivate me to follow my dreams no matter how aspiring they are, but I also know some girls whose families hold different guidelines for men and women and thus do not encourage their girls to seek work outside of the home. Even though some people are still like this, which shows room for more improvement, I believe that overall society has become more open to women who pursue ambitious careers and goals for their lives.
ReplyDeleteBethany Bengs
Smarsh is right in saying women receive better messages today than they did in the past. Women face less scrutiny when advancing through their careers, but we are far from a perfectly equal society. Progress has been made, but we need to make more. Women still only make $0.79 for each dollar men make, which is an obvious disregard for a woman's value in the workforce. Ambitious women are often even belittled and called "bossy" for taking charge when they're qualified to do so. Smarsh's grandmother's disdain for Nola Foulston was typical of that time, because society viewed the working woman as a problem. We need to do more to encourage women and men to seek out the jobs that truly inspire them, rather than the job they think is socially acceptable for their gender. -Dixie Redman
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe ambitious women are still considered suspect today. For example, people applaud star male athletes to be cocky and arrogant. However, when a female athlete tries to do this, they suddenly become “full of themselves” or “unprofessional”. Yes, I do agree with Smarsh that our generation has become better with gender equality. However, we have a long way to go to get past the stereotypes and barriers to be able to truly achieve equality.
ReplyDeleteAlthough women are much more represented and respected today than in the past, I do feel like society has a long way to come before strong, ambitious women are no longer considered suspect. Women who take charge are often considered bossy or annoying, even when the woman is in the perfect position to be a leader. For example, my older sister is a medical school student. She is only one of two women in her class. She often explains to me that she feels as though her comments in the medical field aren't as respected as her male colleagues. Being a woman in a male-dominated field has been very intimidating for her. I think this transfers into today's society in that women are often assumed to have no desire to make successful careers for themselves, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
ReplyDeleteAs a society I believe we are as closer to true gender equality than we have ever been. We are seeing the most women campaign for presidency than ever before, and they are getting significant backing. I think that it is easy to say that the majority of people aren't truly sexist anymore, and that the consensus would generally be that any job can be done by a man or woman.
ReplyDeleteI believe that many females in all aspects of the work force are held to a much greater standard. In a dog-eat-dog world we are expected to take what we want, but with poise and elegance, say what we need to say without being bossy, and look good while doing all of these things. In business we are often pushed to the side as though we just simply could not understand the things that men could or do the things that a man could. Female singers cannot co-exist without fans pitting them against each other with who the prettiest is instead of gaging them by their talents. They are expected to walk out on stage half-clothed, makeup done, long hair, ready for man's approval. Ambitious women are often criticized today because people fear what a woman can accomplish when she sets her mind to something.
ReplyDelete-Macy Phillips
Here in America, women are now more commonly seen to hold high positions achieve great things. It could be better, but there is huge progress compared to Nigeria where I am from. Back home, women are still thought as those whop belong to the kitchen. They are not supposed to be achievers so that their husbands would not feel threatened. It is improving, although slowly. Here in America, it seems like women empowerment has come a long way but there is still room for improvement. I believe it could be better atleast until we stop hearing "first woman to do this...." on the news. It should be a common thing.
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