As we head back to school this semester, I would like to continue on the topic of women in society!
In the world today, many women feel pressured into the fields of STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These subjects are considered to be the harder choices and for some reason, society has used this to coerce girls into feeling like they must pursue a career in one of these areas. Some think that since women were forbidden for so long from practicing these subjects, they ought to be pushed into them now. This is not to say no girls want to be a scientist or an engineer; in fact one of my closest friends at the University of Mississippi this summer, Gillian Davis, was studying to be an engineer, and she amazed me! But I fall on the other side of the coin. I stink at math and science; my strengths lie in english and history. But because women are “oppressed” in society today, teachers and mentors push girls into STEM. This relates to the so called “wage gap”. Despite the numerous factors that are neglected in these studies, many studies find that women make 70 cents to each one dollar a man makes. If you closely examine it, it can be seen that this is because girls do not fall into STEM fields as much as boys do. This may seem like its oppressive but keep in mind this is a choice some women make. Like me, I would NEVER choose to spend my life making computers or calculating statics to build a bridge. But this does not mean that a man has somehow stolen this from me or prevented me from fulfilling my potential. It just means that my brain is made differently from a mans and I would prefer to pursue politics or history. If you are a girl in school today and you hear teachers pushing you towards math or science when you would rather spend time in history or english electives, make sure you tell your teachers that. Remind yourself to pursue what makes you happy and what you are good at, because we all have different strengths! If you’re like Gillian and you are a calculus genius, then go change the world. But if you’re like me and you like going through history and figuring out why things happened, then go change the world. See you soon guys. Have a great first day of school! For more information on the FAKE wage gap check out this PragerU video: Wage Gap
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Hi friends, hope everyone has had a fantastic few weeks! I know I have.
So continuing on the topic of women in society, I would like to address moms. We all have one. And many people think they must have the worst jobs in the world. And the job isn't easy for sure! When you have kids, your life is no longer your own. All your interests shift and you must become committed to focusing your energy to shaping the life of another person who can be totally dependent on you for up to 18 years. So why do moms do it? Many express the joy they find in seeing their children grow and discover the world. Others say that their children make them better people. But the most compelling thing I have read comes from parents.com: “I love that at the age of 33 I can fly a kite, blow raspberries, act like Scooby Doo, look forward with childish excitement to the Smurf's comeback (movie will be in a theatre near you in May, whoot!), cut in front of lines with a crying baby, sing-along with Elmo while stopped at traffic lights (with the windows down!), go sled riding at the park, decorate sidewalks with chalk, use both men's and women's restrooms, run through public sprinkler systems, eat cake at children's birthday parties, observe ants, play tag, build cities in the sandbox, order a Happy Meal (for myself), and laugh hysterically at Sponge Bob without looking stupid.” With all these joys, why do feminists today try to tell women that being a stay-at-home mom is oppressive to women? One feminist, Simone de Beauvoir, even ventured as far to say that “No woman should be authorized to stay home to raise her children. Women should not have that choice, because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one.” She describes the choice to stay home and raise her children like it is burden, and maybe somedays it is, not a joy. While a woman may feel that her career is limited by having children, it isn’t. Being a mother is the greatest job in the world. Personally I find this to be such a blessing because of my personal faith. Cited in Proverbs 31:28-29, a man praises his wife for her wonderful works: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” So girls and women. Don’t believe that you cannot be a mom and be an amazing worker or woman. Being a mother is a rewarding job that will bring joy to you're heart every day and should never be viewed as anything — oppressive, patriarchal, robbing — other than a blessing! If you’re a teenage girl reading this and you’ve never been asked for inappropriate photos from a guy, then count yourself lucky. But I guarantee it will come one day. The text, the Snap or the DM.
When I was a freshman a guy, who I believed genuinely liked me, asked me how far I would go if we dated. When I was a sophomore, a boy asked me to “sext”. And once I hit junior year, I received an inappropriate photo from a boy. This summer, while I was spending time on a college campus, I was asked to do something to a guy and to send nudes, by two different guys, within 12 hours. I was outraged. Coming from a private Christian school, I was not oblivious to the world of sexualized teen culture, but I had never experienced it this directly. My friend told me that this is a normal occurrence in her world. This opened my eyes to the world around me. In society today, a trend exist among guys who think that it is perfectly acceptable to request naked photos, or more, from a girl; whether it be over Snapchat, text or Instagram. But the problem is, society doesn’t hold them accountable. You don’t see teenage girls asking boys for ‘dick pics’. I’m not saying that this never happens, but it is not as common and it when it happens, girls don’t get off clean like boys do. They get labeled slut, hoe or desperate. I am not a feminist beyond the original meaning, the idea that men and women ought to share equal rights. But this summer, when I was asked to send nudes and to do other things for boys, I began to see the double standard that our culture has allowed to become normal. This is not okay. It is not a lie that women have been sexualized in society. But this doesn’t mean we must comply. Young girls, do not send boys nudes if they ask. I don’t care if they are your boyfriend or the guy you have had a crush on for 5 years. It is not right for boys to ask this of females and to think that it is ok. Our bodies are beautiful temples. No one should get to share it with you over Snapchat, Instagram or text. If a guy asks to do something with you that you are not comfortable with, say NO. Remember that you hold control over your body and your choices are yours to make. If something happens that you are uncomfortable with, tell someone. This article may sound like some feminist vendetta, but I really just wanted to put it out there that this double standard exists. And to remind girls that when that day comes that a boy asks for nudes, asks for a ‘favor’ or sends something you don’t want to see, you are in control and can say NO. Another great source on Feminism today is Dennis Prager’s video “Feminism 2.0”
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AuthorA preppy Texas girl ready to take on the world! Archives
June 2019
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