- Published: September 29, 2022
- Updated: September 29, 2022
- University / College: University of Chicago
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 46
Lessons about Gender Roles in the Cultures In her essay, ” The Tragedy of Female Circumcision,” supermodel Waris Dirie gives an account of her experience with female genital mutilation against her will back in her native country Somalia. Different cultures have different gender roles that are assigned to both boys and girls at birth. In the essay, traditionally, girls were supposed to be faithful to their husbands and that was the main reason why they were circumcised. Girls who had undergone the act then receive parental and communal approval of maturity when they conform to gender expectations and adopt the cultural roles. They were considered to be clean after the cut, and this was a licence to marriage (Dirie 11).
The essay, ” The Brothels Bottom Line,” highlights the various evils young girls are subjected to in the brothel business. According to the story girls are sex objects that men can buy to please themselves and dispose whenever they please. They are used as tools of trade by brothel owners, who attach no value to them, to a point of beating them to death. Others are stitched their private parts to become virgins solely for the purpose of their owners making more money. While there are people who attach good gender roles to girls’ economic growth, like involving in businesses, others do not see the use of women apart from pleasing men (Kristof 4-8).
Gender and Our Culture
The essays have various lessons about the role of gender in our culture. They show that gender plays a big role in shaping our children’s destiny. Gender assigns various roles to people and they assume these roles to their maturity. While in the essay ” The Tragedy of Female Circumcision,” the author was circumcised because her grandmother and great grandmother had too been circumcised, the girls in ” The Brothels Bottom Line” essay who had become used to prostitution found it hard to leave the business. Gender plays a great role in shaping our reasoning and determines who we are at maturity. Srey Mom in the essay had become addicted to methamphetamine and decided to stick to it even after being saved from the brothels, she opted to go back to the habit. From both essays, it is evident that gender is responsible for assigning people various roles that they play in their cultures. Although they point at the negativity of the said roles, gender is also responsible for positive roles assigned to people in the society.
How Gender Moves and Behave in Global Culture
Globally, different cultures have different perceptions regarding gender. While the culture of various third world countries like Africa and some Asian countries assign specific roles to women and men, in developed countries like America and Europe have no gender disparities. In some African countries, it is a taboo for a woman to undertake a man’s roles. Women are required to be submissive to their husbands and respect them. When such women come to developed countries, their perception of gender roles change significantly. In different parts of the world, different cultures will have different gender roles and what is said to be wrong in a certain culture could be accepted in another culture. However, there are various gender roles which are universally accepted and are similar in all parts of the world. For example, it is the duty of women to give birth and take care of the children, a role that is biologically defined.
Works Cited
Dirie, Waris. Desert Children. London: Little, Brown Book Group, 2006. Print.
Kristof, Nicholas. Striking the Brothels Bottom Line. Web. New York Times, January 10, 2009. Web. March 20, 2013.