Identity Essay, Research Paper
A person’s identity means more than people initially realize. Who we are, not
to mention what we are, affects the way we are treated as human beings. Identity plays a
vital role in society, especially in the case of gender. The world is traditionally a
patriarchial society, historically, men run the show, receive all the priveleges, and enjoy
all the benefits; however, Rachel Sylvester, writer for the Sunday Telegraph in England,
wrote an article that sheds new light on the subject of male domination. In her 1996
article, Sylvester tries to convince people that women are making a strong ascent to the
top of the social ladder, while men are fumbling their way around at the bottom.
Sylvester begins the shocking fact that in 1995, there were more reports of
discrimination to the EOC (Equal Opportunities Commision) from men than there were
from women. She then mentions that in the United Kingdom men are formingmovement
groups in retaliation to their discrimination. Is the discrimination of men that
widespread? Are women passing men on in the gender race? Statistically, it seems quite
possible.
Sylvester proves her point first by stating results from a British medical
journal which claims that the sperm count in men is falling so fast, that in sixty years,
men’s reproductive organs will be obsolete. She then concludes men’s identities as
breadwinners of the family “have virtually been destroyed” (2) According to Sylvester,
men and women’s participation in the work force is now equal: women’s percentage of
employment has increased by thirty-eight percent; men’s has fallen by twenty percent.
She then claims that men are no longer in control of marriges: three fouths of all divorces
are initiated by women. Also, men’s suicide rate is now four times greater than women’s.
Sylvester claims, there has been a swap, between men and women over paranoia in the
way they look. Men are “becoming anorexic and checking into plastic surgery clinics in
the thousands” (2), while women are now learning to be less obsessed with physical
appearance .Sylvester’s article includes Warren Farrell – “the only man to have been
elected three times to the National Organisation of Women in New York. Farrell left the
group because he feels the women’s movement has gone too far and “hon
to a fine art”(2). Farrell refutes the claim that women are discriminated in the work place
in his book, The Myth of Male Power: by stating that the reason men are earning more is
because they are putting in more hours on average than women. A man does an average
of forty five hours per week compared to a woman’s thirty six. He also refutes the claim
that men abuse their spouse more than women by citing numerous surveys which prove
that women admit they beat their husbands, an accusation that is hard to take seriously.
Sylvester includes these interesting points to convince her reader to accept her
new theory of new female domination. But, in my opinion, there are other sides to her
argument that she failed to mention. many of her points . In response to her statistics on
the increase of females in the work force and the decrease of males, it seems to me that it
is common sense that if one group increases in numbers, the other group must
decrease.As the majority in the workforce in previous years, if more women are working,
which i believe they are, the men’s percentage would rationally drop.If the male
percentage were still rising , then it would not be equal. Sylvester’s claim that seventyfive
percent of women initiate divorce; this in my opinion, does not define a loss of control in
the marriage. In my view, the one who needs to file for a divorce is the one who lost
control. As for her suicide conclusions, both men and women attempt suicide. Perhaps
the men perform it more efficiently.
Rachel Sylvester brings up interesting and valid opinions on the movement
toward female domination. She provides evidence and statistical information to support
her theory; however, it is still only a theory, and I disagree with it. I think that some men
would agree with Sylvester because many do not recognize the privalages that come from
simply being male. People tend to take for granted privalages which have always been
there. I believe, however, that women have made gigantic leaps in their gender identity
and that the balance of power between men and women is becoming more equalized. On
the larger scale, however, until men’s centrality in all the most powerful institutions in
society is not inevitable, women cannot become the dominant force, at least not in
American culture.