Free Essays on Gender

Gender An in Depth Analysis of Gender Relationships Throughout history and in all cultures the roles of males and females vary. Relating to the piece of literature "Girl" written by Jamaica Kincaid for the time, women's roles were to work in the home. At the time that this work was written, women mainly stayed at home and did housework while few of the very poorest households required the woman to work in an industrial job. Kincaid wrote of the specific roles and responsibilities that a mother would tell her daughter. By what she wrote, one can fully understand what was expected of a woman at that time and in that particular culture. By understanding the culture in which this piece of literature is written, the gender roles, the rules of behavior for a woman and the relationships between genders can be realized. The general myth about women and their gender role in the American society is that the mother works in the home and supports her man in every way. In the literary work "Girl", Kincaid shows clearly that the woman's role in this work was to serve the family and to work mainly in the house. The mother writing this story tells her daughter that "this is how you iron your father's khaki shirt so that it doesn't have a crease" (Kincaid 412). By her ironing his khaki shirt, he is better prepared for work to support his family. Today's society does not always provide these clear roles since many women work a full time job and the house chores are a responsibility for both to handle, though the woman is still mainly held responsible for the home. There should be a constant search for equality in gender roles. Kincaid explains how the man is working to bring home the money and the wife supports his work. Though men and women are supposedly equal, the roles they must play in a particular relationship may be unequal. The conflict that will be revealed in the future is the desire to have the status that ... Free Essays on Gender Free Essays on Gender It’s Up to Me I have always been friends with boys, so we always did what boys would do. We would play basketball or football, watch boys cartoons such as The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or anything else that boys were always doing at a young age. But that is where the difficult point is in trying to figure out how I was gendered. I never wanted to play with girls toys or do anything that the girls did when I was younger, I pretty much chose to do everything that boys do. From the earliest days that I can remember, my best friend Danny was always around. We were basically best friends since birth, well, maybe just my birth, he was two years older than me. We did everything and nothing together. We would play sports watch television and movies, and play video games together. Even when we were doing nothing, we were doing it together. Every night, we would walk down the block to Blockbuster. It didn’t matter what my sister or his sister wanted to watch, we had to rent some sort of action movie. After every movie, we had to go and â€Å"play fight,† which was always known in my head as â€Å"Danny’s time to kick my ass.† He was two years older than me, and twice my weight, so it was pretty much a given. Even though I would get beaten up all the time, I still had fun, it’s what I wanted to do. When I wasn’t getting beat up, I was getting beat at a game of basketball, but I loved the sport and always wanted to play anyway. It was the best thing for me, because Danny was way too good so every time I played against him I got better, so at school I beat everyone like nothing. Any time my parents came home with new toys for me to play with, they were always toys that were made for boys. It’s not that they tried to force them on me, because everything that they bought me was something that I wanted. The only times that anyone would see me playing with girls toys was taking my sister’s Barbie corvette and dri... Free Essays on Gender The Truth about Masculinity and Society’s Hindrance In this day and age one would think that the flaws of society 100 years ago wouldn’t be prevalent today. Unfortunately according to William Pollack this isn’t true, and actually he seems to be quite correct in his assumption. Boys are not shown the appropriate attention too the correct problems in society today. This failure is apparent in school, home, work and just about everyday in daily activities. Males are seldom advised to show their emotions and weakness in any way, or they are automatically seen as an outcast of some sort. Or even worse if they do show emotions they are labeled as gay, and this carries a type of negative connotation in society today that it shouldn’t. This problem is actually getting to the point that it is affecting the overall out come of academic performance in boys. Also there is a gender gap between the negative attentions that is displayed to boys as apposed to girls. When it may be something that isn’t right on the exterior of the situation and could easily be understood within a few questions. This makes the girls in class twice as likely to be more confident in what they want to do later in life, and as a future. Society has changed its view on the place of a woman, and has allowed woman to move up the corporate ladder so to speak. The problem here is that it hasn’t changed its view and place of the male. The male is still expected to keep in all of his emotions and this isn’t healthy. It isn’t healthy for the individual and also for the people that interact with him. This problem starts very early in the home and with the mother not dealing with the emotions of the boy, instead she is telling him not too cry and acting like a girl. This displays the female as a weak and vulnerable creature and the male is supposed to distinguish its difference by this. This mask of masculinity seems to be worn so well even ... Free Essays on Gender Children learn gender roles In reading Katha Pollitt’s â€Å"Why Boy’s Don’t Play with Dolls† it showed how she has seen gender roles in her life. Her essay brings up many good points that need to be addressed in the future, but I believe you can only take one step at a time. I think that there are still gender roles today, but that they are becoming more insignificant. I believe most gender roles are learned by children from their parents and in the school systems. Children learn at a very early age what it means to be a boy or girl in our society. With all the gender stereotypes and biases, it is no wonder that sex segregation exists. During childhood, children are exposed to many factors that influence their attitudes and behaviors regarding gender roles. These attitudes are learned in the home, in schools, and even at the playground where children play among their peers. From the time they are born, children have already been assigned a gender. Blue blankets are used for baby boys, and pink ones for girls. It is difficult for a child to grow up without experiencing some form of gender bias or stereotyping. When in school, many of their ideas and beliefs are reinforced by their friends, teachers, and other adults. For example, when teachers ask their students to form two lines, there is usually one line for boys and the other for girls. When children play, they avoid playing with the opposite sex because they prefer the company of "their own kind." The result is a self-imposed segregation between boys and girls. Research has been done on this phenomenon. Many sociologists have been trying to explain gender roles and differences. Some say sex differences are biologically determined and some believe they are socially constructed. Children behave according to their assigned gender roles as early as two or three years old. From preschool on up to middle school, children live in two separate worlds girls and boys. Inside the cl... Free Essays on Gender Gender An in Depth Analysis of Gender Relationships Throughout history and in all cultures the roles of males and females vary. Relating to the piece of literature "Girl" written by Jamaica Kincaid for the time, women's roles were to work in the home. At the time that this work was written, women mainly stayed at home and did housework while few of the very poorest households required the woman to work in an industrial job. Kincaid wrote of the specific roles and responsibilities that a mother would tell her daughter. By what she wrote, one can fully understand what was expected of a woman at that time and in that particular culture. By understanding the culture in which this piece of literature is written, the gender roles, the rules of behavior for a woman and the relationships between genders can be realized. The general myth about women and their gender role in the American society is that the mother works in the home and supports her man in every way. In the literary work "Girl", Kincaid shows clearly that the woman's role in this work was to serve the family and to work mainly in the house. The mother writing this story tells her daughter that "this is how you iron your father's khaki shirt so that it doesn't have a crease" (Kincaid 412). By her ironing his khaki shirt, he is better prepared for work to support his family. Today's society does not always provide these clear roles since many women work a full time job and the house chores are a responsibility for both to handle, though the woman is still mainly held responsible for the home. There should be a constant search for equality in gender roles. Kincaid explains how the man is working to bring home the money and the wife supports his work. Though men and women are supposedly equal, the roles they must play in a particular relationship may be unequal. The conflict that will be revealed in the future is the desire to have the status that ... Free Essays on Gender Gender and Informal Social Control Pt. I Starting at birth children are instantly assigned a gender. Childhood is the most influential time for children to learn the factors, which teach them attitudes and behaviors regarding gender roles. These ideas are reinforced through parents, teachers, peers, and even media. Sociologists have been trying to explain gender roles and differences only to find an argument of wether sex differences are biologically determined or a result of informal social construction. Traditionally, gender has been used primarily to refer to the categories of masculine, feminine, and neuter. This usage is supported by the practice of many who reserve sex for reference to biological categories, while using gender to refer to social or cultural categories. Gender is based upon the way one is treated, looked upon by others, and the way one presents themselves to others. People attempt to classify gender by observing an individual’s sex, however, usually end up classifying a person by the way the person presents themself. Gender can’t be equated with biological and physiological differences between males and females. The building blocks of gender are socially constructed statuses. Gender roles are taught to children at a very early age to unconsciously comply to their assigned roles. Activities, games, media, and feedback from adults expose children to the process of gender role socialization. A sense of â€Å"self† is a direct correlation to the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes that the child is exposed to. Gender is developed through informal social controls. Sex is classified as either of two categories, male or female, based upon the reproductive organs and their functions. Sex is a biological and physiological classification of organisms. Society expects that a person’s sex should correspond with their gender. Sex is an ascribed status. The genitalia one is born with is a de...

From Fired to Hired How to Deal with Sudden Job Loss

From Fired to Hired How to Deal with Sudden Job Loss If you’ve been laid off or gotten fired, this sudden job loss can  feel like the end of the world- the end of stability, the end of your paycheck, the end of your career. It can feel like a big black hole of uncertainty. Whether it was the result of something you did, or the result of a complicated web of back-room decisions that aren’t entirely clear to you, the end result is the same: you need a new job, and you need one fast. So how does one go about doing this, when you feel defeated and unemployable? Well, it’s not an easy process, but getting back in the game as quickly as possible is what you need to do.1. Embrace the Grief2. I Got Laid Off. What Can I Do?3.  I Was Fired for a Reason. Am I Unemployable?Embrace the Grief (Briefly)When it happens to you, it’s devastating. When it happened to me, I had an inkling it was coming- the crisis-laden company I worked far was slowly and systematically eliminating positions at the end of every quarter, lik e hurling deck chairs from the Titanic. Still, although I certainly knew it was a possibility, and that I should probably start coming up with a Plan B, I didn’t†¦and then on that Friday morning, when I was invited into a manager’s office for a vague â€Å"meeting,† I realized my doom had caught up with me: I would be included in the next round of layoffs. I don’t actually remember much from that morning, except breaking my longstanding rule of never crying at work, and feeling at a total loss for what to do next.RELATED:  How to Bounce Back From a Lay-offHowever, even if I did have a great Plan B lined up for myself in the event of my job loss, I still don’t think it would have overcome those initial feelings of grief and failure. At TheLadders, they liken job loss to any other kind of grief, with similar stages:This isn’t really happening, not to ME. I’m a good employee, I get my work done, I toe the company line.This wonâ₠¬â„¢t really stick. They’ll recognize their mistake, I’ll come back on Monday, and we’ll move past this crazy misunderstanding.How DARE they do this to me? I gave them the best four years of my career.This is all my fault. If I had just done more, I’d still have my job. I sucked at my job, and they finally realized it.I’m never going to leave my house again; this is so humiliating. Everyone’s going to judge me for losing my job.What actually happened here? Why did this happen to me, and what can I do about it? What do I want to do?Okay, things have changed and I need to get a job. What should I do now? Even if you saw it coming, even if it’s not your fault (economics, company politics), even if it is your fault- it’s horrible to find yourself in the position of being rejected professionally. So if/when it happens to you, I recommend taking a little bit of time to absorb reality and let yourself move through these stages before you dive back into the job hunt. You need to be in the right mindset, otherwise you’ll be less than your best self as you search for your next opportunity.I Got Laid Off. What Can I Do?If you’ve just been laid off, your job loss was likely due to circumstances that were beyond your control. That can make it even harder to get back on track, because you may never know why your name came due on some list in HR. You’re not left with a specific idea of what you can do to improve your professional game and frame it for the next job. If that’s the case, see this as a chance for a general professional makeover.RELATED:  So You Just Got Fired. Now What?Decide what you want to do.Do you want to stay in this industry? Is it time to go back to school, or try something new? Take stock of your skills, your experience, and your career goals, and use those to figure out what you want to do. If the conclusion you come to is, â€Å"I need the same kind of job ASAP to p ay my bills,† that’s great too. The important part is that you take the time to think through your immediate needs and wants for your career.Overhaul your resume.Whether it was last year that you last pulled out this doc, or many years ago, this is your chance for a fresh start. Don’t just recycle your tired old resume–put in the time to make it an accurate representation of where you are right now in your career.Work your network.Side benefit: you don’t have to be discreet about your job search like you would if you were still at your old job and trying to fly under the radar. You can be openly searching for new opportunities, reaching out to recruiters and former colleagues on LinkedIn, announcing on social media that you’re looking for a new gig. Don’t be afraid to let people know what you’re looking for in your next job.Your network could also be great for providing moral support, even if they don’t have concrete job leads for you yet. Don’t underestimate the power of friendly voices helping you get through a tough transitional phase in your professional life.Dive into the job search.Once you’ve given yourself some lead time to wallow a little in your post-layoff grief, it’s time to start looking for your next job, pronto. If you have financial resources that allow you to take your time, great. If you don’t, it just means you need to spend less time on the grieving and reflecting, and be ready to start combing job boards, searching for specific companies you’d like to work for, and getting your resume in order. The average job search takes six months, so the prospect of speeding up that process can be daunting- but not impossible!Be honest.In interviews, your job loss will come up, especially if there’s now a gap between that job and your current job application. It’s okay to admit you were laid off- it’s a common experience, and interviewe rs get it. If you use phrases like â€Å"they eliminated my position† or â€Å"the company was restructuring,† people understand, and will likely sympathize without putting an invisible red flag next to your name. There’s no shame in rebounding from an unexpected job loss. And you can use this as a chance to emphasize your resilience and your commitment to your career. The best way to look at the post-layoff job search is as a search for opportunity. Sure, it’s one with the added stress of needing (rather than wanting) to find a new job, but it’s an opportunity nonetheless.I Was Fired for a Reason. Am I Unemployable?No! Going from fired to hired is possible. If you were fired for illegal or unethical activity, well, that makes your battle a more uphill one. But if you were let go for a mistake on the job, or for poor performance, this is your chance to grow bigger than that†¦or find another career path for yourself. What it comes down to is th is: people make mistakes. It’s up to you to frame that mistake as one you’re not going to make again, and that you’ve overcome.Think hard about your next job.You were fired from your last job- is that directly attributable to a particular action (for example, you were chronically late), or to an inability to do the job? If it’s something like the former, and it is more of a personal issue to tackle than a professional one, that’s something you can work on by yourself, while emphasizing your qualifications. If it’s that you couldn’t do the job, then this is your time to decide if this is a path you want to continue traveling; is there another job that would be better suited to your experience and your skills, especially after you got burned with this one?Frame the narrative.Putting â€Å"got fired† or â€Å"let go with cause† on your cover letter or resume is going to lead to a quick â€Å"no way† from most employe rs. You can fudge this a little by saying â€Å"I left† suggest that you were laid off. Just be aware, when you’re coming up with your narrative, that you might be called on this, either via a background check or interview questions about how you left your previous job. It’s important not to lie outright, but you can try to control the narrative.Get outside references.If you were fired, you’re likely not going to be going to your former boss for a glowing review. If you have other colleagues there who can speak to your good qualities (and won’t talk about the, um, less-than-stellar circumstance of your departure), use them. Even better, get references that aren’t related to your last, disastrous job. You need to rebuild your professional brand, and you want to use good support to do that.A reference from your former company may not even be out of the question. If you’re gracious, and acknowledge that you understand why this happened, they may be willing to give you a discreet letter of recommendation.Keep moving.After you’re fired, you have less runway for a job hunt- you might not qualify for unemployment benefits, and if this was sudden, you might not have a ton of resources saved up for a long job search. It’s important to be ready fairly quickly to start searching for your next job.Reinvent yourself.This may be necessary, especially if you have done something serious and specific that led to your job loss. It’s not enough to maintain your career status quo anymore. It’s time to improve your skills, take classes, maximize your resume, and decide what it is you really want to be doing. This may require you to take a cold, hard look at why this last job didn’t work out, and what you can do to move past that. Maybe this will mean switching careers, where you can emphasize your skills while shifting the focus away from your previous experiences. After all, your most recent job d idn’t work out for a reason- isn’t it possible that you’re in the wrong field? Either way, this is an opportunity to figure out what your career phoenix looks like, rising from the ashes of old mistakes.However you came to lose your job, the pain and fear of it are very real. It’s so important not to let that start to define you, or your career goals. If you’re proactive and willing to spend some of your unexpected down time taking a close look at who you were when you lost your job, who you are now, and who you want to be, that can help you bounce back from even the ugliest setbacks. And remember: you’re not alone! The job market is full of people moving in and out for all kinds of reasons, and you’re not the first one to try to stage a comeback. Many of us have been there, and are proof that it’s not the end of the world. Good luck with your journey!