The evolution of women
In the fight for unity among our cultures, religions and politics, two KU women stand up unified, but fatally in contrast. They are taking the summer as an opportunity to both express and promote their drastically contradictory opinions in order to enlighten you on the beauty of diversity and prove that in spite of it all, we can all just get along.
By Yelena Pavlik (Contact), Jessica Wicks
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
This week Yelena and Jessica examine how the concept of femininity in the American mindset is constantly evolving. How do women cope with their societal expectations and how should men respond?
Yelena: We have come such a long way from stay at home moms whose primary concern is getting dinner on the table. Some women, including myself, do not want a family. We put our careers first. Consequently, we disregard the newfound role of “super-mom” who does it all with kids in tow. It is not necessarily a bad position for women in society, more can be said for focusing efforts on a specific goal and achieving it instead of spreading oneself too thin.
Jessica: Before we talk about how much a woman can put on her plate, let’s examine the real issue: what is femininity? No matter how different we are among each other, women have qualities inherently wonderful and unique from men. We have to get away from the idea that in order to be successful women, we must deny our gender. We need to stand up and be the best we can be as women. That means accepting our differences from men, not as weaknesses, but advantages. Then we can work with men to further society in a self-fulfilling way.
Yelena: The role of women carries so much more weight today than ever before. Of course with the upcoming election, we have prominent figures, such as Hillary Clinton, who are striving to accomplish a previously unattainable goals. Regardless of your political standpoint, this is a triumph for our sex, and it will allow us to go further than ever before in the political spectrum. Perhaps now, when a seven-year-old girl says she wants to be president someday, it will be plausible.
Jessica: I agree that Hillary’s success (not yet reached, I might add) is extraordinary. Yet I think without the support of her family she would not be in that position. Does that mean I think that she is not qualified? Absolutely not. In fact, I think she is better than Obama because of her experience in the White House: an experience she would not have received without Bill Clinton. On that note, I think that women should not be ashamed to rely on their families as support in their careers. Men and women have complimenting abilities. Hillary is a great example of a successful woman, but she is also a good wife and mother. That is not a bad thing.
Yelena: The concept of a successful woman has a variety of aspects. One woman’s success may be a family with children, while another’s may be a solid career. Women have evolved from meek background figures to prominent sex symbols. Take a look at one of the top rated shows on TV: Playboy’s The Girls Next Door. It shows women using their bodies to feature success. I am offended these women would demean themselves for a man’s attention. With that said, it is a means to an end. Only women can do such a thing in today’s society, and that shows progress among women. That is proof of our ability to benefit from our sexuality. The women on the show have received fame as well as money, i.e. success. If men did not want this women would find other ways to achieve success.
Jessica: Women today, as in every other generation, have an innate desire within them to be recognized as women, beautiful women. Some define their beauty in different ways: money, careers or sexual attention. No matter how the definition is skewed, every woman wants someone to appreciate her femininity. The women on that show are seeking attention to fill a void that this generation has created in making women objects for a man’s selfish and impermanent desires. Women have so much more to offer than the superficial and short-lived beauty men pay for. Men, if you want to live up to your own masculinity, you need to find the truly successful woman: the one who respects herself by making you fight for what it is that makes her beautiful. And I promise, the prize is much greater.
Jessica Wicks is a Bakersfield Cali, senior in journalism
Yelena Pavlik is a Plano Tex., senior in journalism
