Adam Nesheim
English 122-5010
July 01, 2014
Everyday Sexism Why did the woman cross the road? I don't know, but what is she doing out of the kitchen? Studies show that when sexism is used in a humorous manner such as one like this, its viewed as socially tolerable and brushed under the rug. However sexism against women is a very big issue in this country. It's shown today in our advertisements, work fields, and everyday life. It cannot be stopped indefinitely but it can be reduced a culture will have to be created. Sexism is a discrimination based on a humans gender. Statistically in America the prejudice is taken out on the women. Women today are harassed daily and I believe this is a problem. A plan of action should be addressed and commenced within our youth. First lets dive into gender stereotypes in advertisement. Our first thoughts of a women's role currently on television is either a housewife or sex symbol. If a women's cooking ability isn't being displayed, then it would be her half naked body. In other countries for instance, Israel bans billboards and magazine strips that represent sexual humiliation. If that were the case here in America I bet my bottom dollar that most of our beer companies would be in dire need of marketing positions. As a result If I were to act upon this, that's exactly where I would start. In contrast behaving well isn't going to change the matter in this situation. This brings me back to Laurel Ulrich's slogan, "Well behaved women seldom make history," If I were going to make a large scale attack on our countries media, Hollywood would be the place to start. Finally when the first Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963, full time women earned only 59 percent as much as a male working full time. In 2009 the female-to-male pay ratio was 0.77. In almost half a decade the ratio has raised close to twenty percent. What I don't understand is, it's still not equal! A study was shown by the American Association of University Women noted that women gradates with the same major and doing the exact same work are continued to be paid less. This is absurd. My first stir of action would be in congress. I believe that if somehow all the women in America took a week off work protesting their human rights there would be a massive epidemic in our country and results would be answered. As our founding father Thomas Jefferson once said, "All men are created equal". This shows to me that even Jefferson at the time was semi sexist. I would change the quote and cross out the word men and replace is with the word human. Therefore even though the wage difference in America is rising, it still isn't equal and can be altered. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me". I believe this old time saying is false. There are thousands of verbal abuse incidents everyday that we do not see or even hear about. I believe that this form of sexism occurs the most. It is very sad the way people have been raised to treat women in our society. When I was young my mother once told me, "speak and treat every women as if she was your mother." and I've been doing so ever since. It is something very simple that I believe can make a huge difference. But something as simple as this cannot change a generation. We will have to take action within our youth and create a culture. The foundation of every state is the education of its youth. This is where the change will be made. My plan of action involves the children starting as young as the fifth grade all the way to high school seniors. The first step will be the older influence. This will be mandatory for eighth graders and high school seniors for promotion to the next level. The Seniors will talk to the middle school kids as the eighth graders will talk to the incoming sixth graders in elementary school. A sexism workshop essentially called "We