General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Where have societies' views of women come from? [View all]davidn3600
(6,342 posts)It's a combination of things...
Most parents today instill sexism without even knowing it. We treat our sons and daughters differently. We raise them differently. Stereotypes are all around us growing up. We tell stories like fairy tales of the princess always waiting for her prince to come and save her. We tend to want to shelter and spoil our daughters while giving our sons more freedom and motivation to control their destiny.
To the great majority of people, men are considered leaders, providers, and protectors. And that's true even today in 2013. Men are expected to provide for the family and society DOES expect this of men. Trust me as a man I can tell you that every man in this country feels that pressure. It exists. So when women are making more money...it becomes a source of animosity. It's not because he hates women...it's because the fact women are making more than he does threatens everything he's been taught about how he's supposed to fit into the society. And therefore he feels like a failure. And this is something most feminists fail to understand. Society puts pressure on women to submit to the gender roles...but it also puts pressure on men.
Organized religion does play a big role. But even atheists are sexist. So I dont think that's the only factor. A lot of it is old traditions.
A few examples.... Some people still think a man should ask the woman's father for permission to marry. Women still routinely take her husband's last name. I know people claim to do this to make things easier or more romantic...but notice you almost never see the man taking the woman's last name. Such a thing is extremely taboo in our culture and many times met with scorn. There are even some states that don't allow it. It's a deeply rooted practice designed to make sure inheritance follows the paternal line. That was the reason for it. And most of us will follow it whether we are Christian or not...sexist or not. Old traditions die hard.
So we can go on and on here with one example after another. The fact of the matter is that these stereotypes are all around us. They've been all around us. And we do give into many of them whether we realize it or not. These are extremely difficult roles to break free from.