Midterm II

Heteronormativity is defined by the text as the way heterosexuality is constructed as the norm (172). This means that social, familial and legal rules force us to conform to these culturally dominant heterosexual standards for identity.
Heteronormativity in turn encourages ideals of feminine and masculine roles. These feminine and masculine roles then set social norms for how men and women are supposed to act. In society social norms are constantly changing. Currently in today’s American society masculinity is synonymous with such terms as power, dominance and control. Women are on the other end of this spectrum. Heteronormativity helps encourage this by the emphasis on men being dominate and setting it as a standard for their identity. Masculinity as defined as power also carries over into the workplace and the home. Men are encouraged to take the leadership and dominant provider role in both situations.
In the workplace men most often hold the higher office statuses. They are most likely the ones to take credit for achievements in collaborative efforts over women. At home in most marriages women are often considered the nurturers and men the providers. When women do work outside the home it is the societal norm for them to still have the majority of the household chores and care giving for the children. All of these are examples of sexual scripts, which reflect social norms, practices and workings of power (165).
One other area where heteronormativity is increasingly prevalent in our society is on the topic of reproductive health and policies. One of the most hotly debated topics today is gay marriage. Gay marriage, reproductive policies and heteronormativity are all directly linked. One of the major points in the argument against gay marriage is that one of the reasons for the institution of marriage is for reproductive purposes. Biologically speaking becoming a parent can only occur between a heterosexual, male and female couple. This once again is imposing the social norm on people. However people are still arguing that adoption should also be a primarily heterosexual practice. Critics of gay marriage are saying that for a child to have a proper up bringing that they need both a male and a female parent. There is no actual evidence that this is true, research actually shows that lesbian partners make perfectly fit parents. This is all just based on the rules and social norms that heteronormativity sets up.
Another important issue that we have discussed so far in this course is how the body is an important site for gender expression. In today’s society the body can be used in many different ways to express individual traits.
“Bodies, however, are not only reflections of social norms and practices but also sites of identity and self-expression.” (pg. 231) The body is one place that every individual has control of. It has become synonymous with personal freedom. Today people control their bodies by tattoos, piercing and dieting. Some people even go as far a plastic surgery. Young women often have very little control in many areas of their life so they see their bodies as one are that they can control.
Altering your body is a new trend in today’s society. It is something that is becoming more and more socially acceptable. Today women’s bodies are often thought of as sleek soft and hairless, all traits that are associated with powerlessness. Women also are expected to have thin toned bodies.
The text states “These images of perfect bodies are fabricated by a male-dominated culture and are reinforced by multi-billion-dollar industries that serve to maintain both corporate profits and patriarchal social relations (pg 229).” This quote emphasizes the role that the media plays in shaping body images of women today. You are seeing advertisements that sexualize women and enforce images of thin, large breasted individuals. In advertisements today the majority of the time they also put emphasis on the fact that white features are better, especially when it comes to hair. These images are putting certain ideas in the minds of women that are causing them to buy their products that make them look that way. A prime example of this is how over the last several years the diet industry has been at an all time high in sales.
Sexual violence can also be linked with gender expression. Beauty ideas often reflect various ideas of power. These ideas are often expressed through our bodies. Today white standards are often what are considered the norm. Double standards within society also create a feeling of superiority among men. This makes men feel the need to be dominate over women and often times to show this they led to violence.
Like many other issues within the society these things could be resolved and made better if there was an overall equality between men and women in society. This is something that the feminist movement is working towards and hopefully will come closer to in the future.