"Hey, What's up?"
This is how my guy friends answer when I make phone call to them. As we all know how women and men talk is different, which we call feminine speech and masculine speech. As a woman, I was told how to talk by my parents very strictly. When I was a little child, I was not sure why they told me like "you have to talk like this way because you are a girl." Now, I started to understand why because it is one of the gender norms.
According to the text book, Women's Voices Feminist Visions, the difference how to talk shows the gender differences in status and power. It also says that features of women and men in speech. Women's speech, for instance, it is more polite, less profane, and uses more standard forms. What I think women and men in speech is we can often find it on the phone call. On the phone, how women and men talk is different not only for speech, but also pitch. Women usually use higher pitch.
In Japan, for instance, having feminine speech as women is considered very important. In many occasions in Japan, women have feminine speech such as restaurant's waitress, shop clerks, banks and so on. Very extreme example of this, for instance, young clerks at clothing shops use high pitch voice and say "hi, may I help you?" Sometimes, we see this on TV. Comedians pretend like young shop clerks and make fun of them.
Yes, masculinity and femininity means not only looks, but also gender performance. Sometimes, gender performance attracts people who is opposite sex. It is always close to our life in general.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
is it getting women's dominant society?
In the last blog, I talked about women's change which means women are getting more opportunities in society. Yes, this might be true in many places in the world because many women started to get higher position at work or even run business. According to the Toyo Economy Inc Japan, many women in the world became president of the big companies in 2010 compare to 10 years ago. For instance, 44% of women occupy presidents in big companies in Norway, and 15.2% in the US.
So now, what men have to do? Are they still in the same situation which they used to be? Do they still keep to work and say 'women should be at home and do house work.'?
My mother called me this morning and said one of her men coworkers will take paid off for baby time. Yes, this means not only us, but also society knows that women and men's change such as more women have better job. Therefore, 'paid off for baby system' for men would probably mean 'gender norm's change' which means men or fathers have to take care of their children more than they used to do instead of women or mothers.
Moreover, I heard from one of my friends that her mother earns more than her father since her mother is a CEO of a big company. We can tell gender norms are getting different from several years ago. We are not in a period of typical and traditional gender norms. According to the article 'The End of Men', in 1970, women contributed 2 to 6 percent of the family in come which is few. Now, however, women contribute 42.2 percent of the family in come. Moreover, four in ten mothers are the primary breadwinners in their families.
Women's opportunities in society has changed which means change of men's role in society at the same time. We are in a generation more men are taking care of their children instead of working. The gender role we used to have is changing.
So now, what men have to do? Are they still in the same situation which they used to be? Do they still keep to work and say 'women should be at home and do house work.'?
My mother called me this morning and said one of her men coworkers will take paid off for baby time. Yes, this means not only us, but also society knows that women and men's change such as more women have better job. Therefore, 'paid off for baby system' for men would probably mean 'gender norm's change' which means men or fathers have to take care of their children more than they used to do instead of women or mothers.
Moreover, I heard from one of my friends that her mother earns more than her father since her mother is a CEO of a big company. We can tell gender norms are getting different from several years ago. We are not in a period of typical and traditional gender norms. According to the article 'The End of Men', in 1970, women contributed 2 to 6 percent of the family in come which is few. Now, however, women contribute 42.2 percent of the family in come. Moreover, four in ten mothers are the primary breadwinners in their families.
Women's opportunities in society has changed which means change of men's role in society at the same time. We are in a generation more men are taking care of their children instead of working. The gender role we used to have is changing.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Women's change?
In around 1950s in the US, there used to be more house wives. At that moment, women are considered to stay at home as house wives. That is why we still have image of women being at home for house work. Do you think it is still the same in 2011? Or would you think there is any change?
I would assume that you think it is getting different. More women have opportunities to work and even promote their position nowadays. Women's opportunities or change in employment, for instance, have you ever seen the film nine to five? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVKTZ4CEM90 This film tells us the change of women's image. We are in a period that women started to have more freedom such as having jobs and career.
When I was a child, my mother was a house wife, and only my father had job. I assume that this is typical image of gender role which we used to have. Would you think children in 2011 have the same image of gender role? They might have the same image, but more children would probably have the different image of gender role.
In Japan, for example, parents who use day care for children are increasing in 2010 compare to 10 years ago according to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. This means, of course, more wives work so they need day care for their children. I would say children would not have the same image of gender role what children in 10 years ago used to have because more women work.
If this situation continued, women get strong position at work or even society, what would be the influence for men? Is there any change for men as well?
I would assume that you think it is getting different. More women have opportunities to work and even promote their position nowadays. Women's opportunities or change in employment, for instance, have you ever seen the film nine to five? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVKTZ4CEM90 This film tells us the change of women's image. We are in a period that women started to have more freedom such as having jobs and career.
When I was a child, my mother was a house wife, and only my father had job. I assume that this is typical image of gender role which we used to have. Would you think children in 2011 have the same image of gender role? They might have the same image, but more children would probably have the different image of gender role.
In Japan, for example, parents who use day care for children are increasing in 2010 compare to 10 years ago according to Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan. This means, of course, more wives work so they need day care for their children. I would say children would not have the same image of gender role what children in 10 years ago used to have because more women work.
If this situation continued, women get strong position at work or even society, what would be the influence for men? Is there any change for men as well?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Female Gaze?
Have you ever heard of the Laura Mulvey's theory 'Male Gaze'? This theory basically means you all see women in the media as men's perspective. In the film, for instance, how would you see a very beautiful woman wearing sexy short dress? You might see her as men's perspective without noticing even if you are woman. In her theory, women in media are considered sexual object and to-be-looked-at-ness.
I have some examples which you would probably find the male gaze in media. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wtQdoYrwJI&feature=BF&list=PL4283F6DF81C0BD5B&index=4
This is a video of Marilyn Monroe, The River of No Return. When she sings in front of a lot of men, they look at her like as a sexual object. I assume that audiences of this video probably watch it from men's perspective. This is what Laura Mulvery calls 'Male Gaze' in media.
Now, you would probably be getting familiar with this theory. Don't you wonder if there's 'female gaze'? It might be as not common as male gaze which we could often find in many films and TV. However, we could still find out in some places. Female gaze, for instance, I have very familar exmple people in the US. When you go to shop to the famous American Brand, Abercrombie and Fitch, you will find sexy guy models advertisement in the shop or even on the shop bags. http://image-search.yahoo.co.jp/detail?p=Abercrombie%26Fitch&rkf=1&ib=18&ktot=0&dtot=0 I think that this is female gaze which means men could be a sexual object for women, too.
Moreover, when I traveled Tokyo Japan, I saw some cool and Masculine clerks in the same shop. I thought this might be purpose to get women's attention which is kind of connected with female gaze.
Male or female gaze is always interesting because we unconsciously use those in our everyday life. When you use media such as TV, film and magazine, do you unconsciously use male gaze or female gaze?
I have some examples which you would probably find the male gaze in media. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wtQdoYrwJI&feature=BF&list=PL4283F6DF81C0BD5B&index=4
This is a video of Marilyn Monroe, The River of No Return. When she sings in front of a lot of men, they look at her like as a sexual object. I assume that audiences of this video probably watch it from men's perspective. This is what Laura Mulvery calls 'Male Gaze' in media.
Now, you would probably be getting familiar with this theory. Don't you wonder if there's 'female gaze'? It might be as not common as male gaze which we could often find in many films and TV. However, we could still find out in some places. Female gaze, for instance, I have very familar exmple people in the US. When you go to shop to the famous American Brand, Abercrombie and Fitch, you will find sexy guy models advertisement in the shop or even on the shop bags. http://image-search.yahoo.co.jp/detail?p=Abercrombie%26Fitch&rkf=1&ib=18&ktot=0&dtot=0 I think that this is female gaze which means men could be a sexual object for women, too.
Moreover, when I traveled Tokyo Japan, I saw some cool and Masculine clerks in the same shop. I thought this might be purpose to get women's attention which is kind of connected with female gaze.
Male or female gaze is always interesting because we unconsciously use those in our everyday life. When you use media such as TV, film and magazine, do you unconsciously use male gaze or female gaze?
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