Guy-gal stereotypes
By Jennifer Batoon
don’t applyWHILE boys and girls seem to come from different planets, certain assumptions about personality traits can lead to harmful stereotypes. It is a regrettable fact that, while there have been many advances in the feminist movement, men are still regarded as the "dominant sex."
A column entitled "Boys are from Mars, girls are from Venus,"
by Kaiser High School student Emily Lee, was published in this space
on Oct. 7. The column drew 23 responses from Sacred Hearts Academy
students. More are printed here.Although prejudices cloud the vision of society, individuals cannot be categorized according to the societal bias placed on them because of gender. Each person has a unique character which has been molded from birth by factors other than the absence or existence of a Y-chromosome.
It is true that in the business and political worlds, men are sometimes thought of as leaders, while women may be expected to be their subordinates. However, this outdated view has been disputed by many women who have not let gender bias stand in their way.
There are many women leaders who serve as role models for future generations: Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, Janet Reno and Sandra Day O'Connor, to name a few. These women would defend their right to be in their high positions because they have earned their status.
To have females in charge is not so novel an idea as some people might think. In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott began the feminist movement with their Seneca Falls Convention. And who can forget Susan B. Anthony, a well-known advocate for women's rights? Women are just as aggressive and tough as men in taking strong leadership stances in society.
BOYS are more interested in sports than girls? I don't think so! Tell that to Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Tee Williams, Dominique Moceanu or Monica Seles. There may be more opportunities and public attention focused on men's sports, but that doesn't stop millions of athletes who don't require jock straps.
Many aggressive girls play the same sports as boys, including soccer, football, baseball and other contact sports. Interest in sports is not a result of gender; rather, it's a matter of personal values, likes and dislikes.
The article also said boys are logical thinkers while girls are emotional thinkers. Yet one cannot ignore the many men in touch with their "inner child" and many sharp-witted women.
Women may express emotions and feelings with one another, while possessing rational, logical thinking skills like any other human being. Boys may not be as expressive as girls, and perhaps this is a result of the same kind of stereotyping that has taught them that it is "unmanly" for a boy to cry. They have been psychologically pressed into an idealized "manly" form, but they were not necessarily born to withhold emotion.
People of both genders communicate through conversation, and sometimes gossip. Boys talk about girls just as much as girls talk about boys. While it may be an unorthodox idea for many people to imagine boys gossiping, it does happen. Everyone needs an outlet to express their emotions, especially when it comes to troubling matters dealing with the opposite sex.
While that all-important Y-chromosome controls gender and determines certain characteristics unique to each one, boys and girls are creatures too complex to be neatly bundled up into clear-cut categories.
Family values, religion, education, parental role models, media exposure and many other factors contribute to a person's psychological growth. Individuals cannot be judged on gender alone; it is character that truly counts.
Jennifer Batoon is a senior at Sacred Hearts Academy. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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