5. Psychology Constructs the Female
1. How does Weisstein begn the article? Why do you suppose she introduces her topic that way?
2. What is "feminine" according to the psychologists Erikson and Bettleheim? According to the author? What are the social cnsequences of this definition of the female role?
posted by DrEmmerling at 10:09 PM
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1.Weisstein begins the article with psychologists’ point of view on the role of women. She gives quotes from each psychologist explaining “that a woman is defined by the ability to attract men.” She then explains that she feels opposite of what these psychologists have chosen to prove. She feels that a woman cannot be defined by psychology, because “psychology does not know”. I think she starts her article this way to introduce a completely opposite view from her own. It gives the reader perspective on the issue of women and their role in society.
2.According to psychologists Erikson and Bettelheim, “feminine” means how attractive a woman is to a man. These two have a positive correlation; the more attracted men are to a woman, the more feminine she is. According to the author, “feminine” is what restricts women in society. The more “feminine” a woman is, the more she will be excluded from certain activities and interests.
1. Weisstein begins the article by warning us about the validity of so called "facts" about the psychology of women. She believes that staking too much on the observations of psychologist can impede the liberation of women. Because we look to psychology to discover what liberation actually is, an analysis of women as having an intrinsic need to be a house wife could discourage career-bound women from pursuing that path. Weisstein introduces her article in this manner to educate us in some of the absurd claims made about the psychology of women by certified doctors. WIth this knowledge we will be more careful about who's opinions we choose to follow. We are more likely to analyze the validity of a scientific statement before believing it if we are alerted to the bias involved in the statement.
2. Erikson and Bettleheim view women as being defined by who they choose as their husbands and how well they attract men. they believe that women are psychologically, as well as physically, built to have children. The children are not even defined as the mother's children by Erikson, but as the father's children. Weisstein believes that society dictates how people act. Society tells women that they must be desired by men, and that their worth is determined by how well they attract men. When psychology experts such as Erikson and Bettleheim reenforce this view with scientific reasoning it only encourages society to maintain the current views and continue to value women through the approval of men.
1. Weisstein begins the article by nullifying the pursuit of psychologists to define the limits of human potential. She points out that conclusions have been based on assumptions, such as the supposed intrinsic nature of the woman, rather than evidence. Most importantly, she points out that the effect of social constructs on an individual’s personality have been completely neglected in explaining the nature of the “two genders.” (I use quotes to point out the invalidity in the belief that someone is either male of female, as supported by Weisstein’s discussion on hermaphroditism.) It was necessary to begin her argument this way in order to progress into counterarguments including theories without evidence, effects of social constructs, and biologically based theories. All of her arguments are consistent in that they emphasize that before one can explain cause for behavior, one needs to establish a sexually unbiased society.
2. According to both Erikson and Bettelheim, femininity is determined simply by a woman’s success in motherhood. However, Weisstein argues that without a sexually unbiased society, we cannot begin to differentiate between what is intrinsically feminine and what is traditionally feminine. For this reason, Weisstein is unable to provide a fair definition of femininity.
1. Weisstein begins her article with actual quotes from male psychologists. The quotes show these particular experts views on women and Weisstein says that as surprising as it may seem this is the general consensus of a woman’s role in society. I think that she starts out her piece this way because these quotes have shock value and will pull the reader in. The men say things like, “A young woman’s identity is already defined in her kind of attractiveness,” and “As much as women wan to be good scientists or engineers, they want first and foremost to be womanly companions of men and to be mothers.” These quotes give a good base for her arguments that will follow, and give good background to how male psychologists and the society was thinking at that time.
2. Erikson and Bettelheim define feminine as how well a woman is able to attract males and her ability to be a successful mother in raising her husband’s children. They think that all women have a desire to reproduce and that everyone woman’s ultimate goal is to find a mate and build a family with them. They make these theories without any concrete evidence and they are merely basing it on sociological norms and how they assume women should act “naturally.” Weisstein says that society plays a role in marking women into a stereotypical category. She says that they are labeled as inferior but if they “know their place, which is in the home, they are really quite lovable.” (Hacker, 1951) Overall I think that they author blames society for the ways in which women are labeled and in how feminine is defined.
Weisstein begins the article disagreeing with the stereotypes people have about women. She blames the birth of stereotypes on psychology, and says that psychology does not know. She introduces her topic this way because she later in the article supports her thoughts with evidence. I liked the way each segment of her evidence is titled, announcing what she will be talking about. It is good that she does that because she hops from from Freud's experiments, to talking about those who are hermaphrodites, and more.
Erikson and Bettleheim believed that a woman is defined by her ability to attract men, eventually becoming a mother and a housewife. According to the author, it is what others expect from us what we become. This is true not only with gender issues but also for any situation such as--> a soccer player, a celebrity, a father, a president, etc.
Female roles cause social concequences such as the fact that some women take these roles too seriously, and others who try to fight them. There are those females who do believe they are submissive, just like gender roles define them, and therefore become that way. These women are not submissive because they were born that way, but because they believe in a absurd generalization. Other women are tired of being put in a group, and retricted to gender roles that are nonsense.
1. Weisstein begins the article discussing how psychology is concerned with describing the limits of human possibility. She then includes quotes of numerous psychologists and their opinions on the human possibility of women. For example, psychologist Bruno Bettelheim states, "We must start with the realization that as much as women want to be good scientists of engineers, they want first and foremost to be womanly companions of men and to be mothers." Weissmen moves on the explain that the central argument of her article will be that psychology cannot predict what women feel, want, and their true nature. I feel this is a strong introduction and that she choose this method because it introduces the subject of her argument by introducing the opposing viewpoints.
2. According to Erikson and Bettelheim, "feminine" is how attractive a woman is to a man as well as her success at motherhood and being a wife. Weisstein argues that the word "feminine" is actually a stereotypical category made for women to dictate how they should act (most likely in the hopes to be appealing to men), and it is this word that also restricts women from doing exactly what they want. I feel overall, that society believes this stereotypical role of women known as "feminine" because psychologists like Erikson and Bettelheim provide a scientific argument, while women such as Weisstein provide merely their opinion.
1.Weisstein begins this article by quoting different psychologists view of the role of a woman. These quotes are obviously showing how woman's roles are very much resrticited and limited in society and I believe that is what Weisstein was trying to get across to the reader.
2. In the minds of Erikson and Bettelheim, "feminine" was defined as how attractive a woman was to a man. This is implying that the core of a woman, her feminintiy, is gaged by that of a man. Weisstein, a feminist herself, expressed her disliking of this definition and stated that "until social expectations for men and women are equal, until we provide equal respect for both men and women, our answers to this question(what are the differences between men and women) will simply reflect our prejudices."
Jessica Ryan
Weisstein begins the article with a sample of quotes and facts about women's role in psychology. Famous psychiatrists have accepted and promoted the idea that women are solely sexual beings and are valued by their attractiveness. She introduces the topic like this because it can be seen as chauvanistic and therefore she denounces their opinions as she strives to make a better point.
Feminine according to those famous psychologists is a homebodied woman who's goal in life is to be a male's companion and mother children. Weisstein believes that the promoted femininity is what is holding women back from the field of science and society. Certain activities cannot be persued by women if they are only meant to cook and clean and parent, therefore she is restricted in the social world.
1. The way that Weisstein begins this article is by presenting contemporary views about women and their psyche as seen from the perspective of male "experts". She shows that it seems to be common knowledge at the time that women find identity and meaning through attracting men and bearing their offspring. The male psychologists are saying that the reason for this is because that is the way that women are biologically and psychologically made, which Weisstein disagrees with. She says that these "experts" are simply giving excuses for the social construction of gender roles.
2. The psychologists Bettelheim and Erikson believe that being female means having a desire to attract men and through this attraction be freed. Weisstein disagrees with this argument and says that these views about women are what having been supressing them for so long. Society expects them to be this way and so it is hard for them to excell in other areas that are dominated by males.
Weisstein begins her article by establishing the use of empirical evidence versus "results", data, and other forms of information used to support scientific claims. The author is concerned with the way psychology, as a study, may be perpetuating gender stereotypes. She acknowledges that while these actions may not be intentional, they produce biased results caused by expectations of psychologists conducting social experiments. Weisstein believes that we place too much reliance on psychology when it comes to understanding gender socialization, especially since some hypothesis that have been "validated" through experimentation may be refutable.
Traditional psychologists believe that "Feminine" corresponds to more passive behavior, a nurturing character, and a reliance on men. Erickson claims that while "boys will be boys," women feel pressure to fulfill the role of wife and mother before concerning herself with the finer things in life. The author thinks that traditional psychological analysis of "female" has only added to the alienation of women in society and an increase in attention to the ways that women are "different" from men. Women deal with gender according to their social context, and many psyshologists have neglected viewing cultures that address femininity as a sign of strength. Their unwillingness to provide holistic evidence suggests that researchers are more concerned with being right than providing hard evidence. For this reason, the author rejects the validity of psychological research regarding gender.
1. Weisstein beings the article by quoting male psychologist's studies on women. These quotes all classify women in traditional roles: mothers, caretakers, and wives. I think one of the most powerful quotes for a male pyschologist is: "A woman is defined by the ability to attract men." I think she does to set up her own argument which is the opposite these male psychologists. She must recognize her opponents viewpoints in order to falsify them.
2. According to Erikson and Bettelheim feminine is how well a woman relates to a man. If something is very attractive to a man, then it is feminine. According to Wesstein, feminine is simply a label that tells women what they should do. It limits their freedom and put social pressure on them to conform.
1. Weisstein begins with strong quotes, quotes put in place to shock the reader. This initial jolt of shock causes the reader to fully engage the article and evaluate it. These quotes provide the foundation on which she builds her arguments.
2. “Feminine” is how attractive a woman is to a man. Essentially, Erikson and Bettelleim are saying that a woman’s beauty, her very core, should be evaluated not be her own peers, but by her superiors: men. This definitely puts women down. If a man controls a person’s perception of their own attractiveness, the man controls their life. People naturally want to be pretty/handsome and desirable, and will do many things to appear attractive.
1. Weisstein begins the article with Psychologists' point of view of the role of women and what their ultimate goal of life basically is. She states that women are merely looking for a man to nurture. I believe she brings this idea up in the very beginning of her article becasue she wants to raise question in the reader and allow for the reader to understand how common this practice is in the US. Then, after the reader understands this common practice, he/she is presented with the author's side. Something is always more valid if it is presented with an opposite opinion.
2.Erikson and Bettelheim claim the women's only role in life is to find an mate and attract them with physical atributes. There psychological way of attacking this issue is purely done along the lines of "limitations". I believe that the author doesn't even really know the definiton of "feminine", but she feels that it is not fair to restrict the image of woman to a certain stereotype. The consequence is "stupid" girls who submit to men such as these psychologists.
The rhetorical argument that Weisstein uses in order to begin her article uses a number of different quotes and ideas from different psychologists, all of whom seem to believe that women, before wanting to be established career women or independent entities, want to be mothers and wives. This is particularly effective in that it presents the opposite side of the argument first, giving Weisstein ample opportunities to tear it down and reshape this supposedly established paradigm.
For Weisstein the idea of “feminine” is a woman’s ability to attract a man, and she spends time talking about why this is wrong and invalid. The social consequences of this are far reaching in that the definition of being feminine relies on a man’s perception, and thus, to a certain extent, women are not even in control of their own level of femininity. What I find interesting about this idea s well is the exclusion of homosexuals in the idea of the feminine. Are lesbians not feminine seeing as how they don’t have the desire to attract men? Seeing as how the idea of feminine, according to Weisstein, is a sociological construct, it seems as though this is not the case.
1. Weisstein begins the article with psychologist's views on the role of women. These views have a certain shock value, a hook, that pull the reader in
2. Erikson and Bettelheim believe that feminine is how attractive a man beleives a woman is. This belief limits women to feeling all they have is beauty
1. The article begins by defining the liberation of women, attempting to give the reader a variety of viewpoints on the aspects of a women that helps her get up in the morning and keeps her going throughout the day. The author then goes on to state that all of these opinions were made by men and that they were unable to see past the nature of motherhood in defining a women. Finally Weisstein says that through research she would like to express that women must be defined by social context and not by inner traits.
2. According to Erikson and Bettleheim, "feminine" is being a mother, procreating and caring for her children. Weisstein believes that due to the extreme male bias in human culture.Similarly, feminine cannot be defined because if society constructs feminine then can it truly be called feminine? The social consequences of the inability to define feminine are monumental. Problems such as low self-esteem and dependency are just an introduction to the issues caused by the male-biased society which we all live in.
Weisstein begins the article by describing the position women have in modern society and uses quotes from psychologists. She disagrees with the opinions and stereotypes she uses in the beginning, and wants to change the traditional perceptions of male and female roles. Weisstein believes that psychology is not a legitimate way to understand and eliminate stereotypes of women. She uses quotes and opinion of others so she will be able to prove these opinions wrong later in her article.
2."Feminine," according to Erikson and Bettelheim is basically how successful a women is in being a mother and a wife, and how a women is able to attract males. The author disagrees with this definition of feminine and thinks that it is only degrading to women and puts them down. Until women are not seen as inferior to men and when they no longer hold these stereotypes, women will feel restricted and unable to gain equality.
1. Weisstein begins her article differently than other writers. She begins by mentioning quotes from famous psychiatrist regarding women as a sexual object. The opinions of the psychiatrist are written first to attract the reader’s attention and to make her argument more interesting and attracting. After Weisstein states how psychiatrist views women, then she gives her own perspective regarding the topic. I believe that she wanted her presented ideas to be different from male psychiatrist and she also wanted her ideas to be noticeable.
2. According to Erikson and Bettelheim the definition of “feminine” is when women have the ability to attract men and also be able to raise their own children. These two authors hold the same expectation on roles for women that our society has establish, which is for women to be house wives. However, Weisstein believes differently because she feels that the word “Feminine” limits the opportunities for women. In fact, she believes that this word has stereotypes assigned that limit women’s ability to do what they truly desire. Overall, Erikson and Bettelheim hold the same definition about feminine that our society has for women. This limits women’s opportunities of being successful and powerful.
Weisstein begins the article with very interesting quotes from different psychologists.i believe that she started this essay like this because it automatically captures the readers attention pulling them in to read the entire essaey. this essay give the reader one of the perspectives in which it discusses the issue of women and their role in society.
Question 2
according to psychologist Erikson and Bettelheim, "Feminine" conveys the meaning of how attractive a woman is to a man. for examle, the more attracrive a man finds a woman, she'll be defined as being more feminine. according to the author, it is "feminine" that is restricting women from being taken seriously in our society. i agree becasue i believe that the more feminine a waman is, the more will society exclude her from serious issues.
Weisstein talks about how the women is there for the man. Societely we are led to believe that the women should be auxilary to man and not her own person. This is important to understand. For every high powered CEO women there are thousands of women who feel just as strongly about being a good wife. Sexual bias in society is what causes this.
Erikson and Bettelheim tell us that being feminine is to show us how people are affected by this. To be a woman is to please man, thus you are more womanly the more you please man.
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