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The Oppression Of Women

Decent Essays

Historically, men have been considered the only sex and women, the Other, and as a result, men’s views and opinions have created myths of what women in society are expected to conform to and exhibit. Many of the expectations developed are restrictive and oppressive to women. One such expectation that men have developed and perpetuated is that a woman exists to fulfill his sexual needs. Man is the superior being and his “ideal woman” is one that will unquestionably submit to his domination (Beauvoir 201). In addition, men’s domination over women, places women in a state of dependence. Women are largely reliant on men for economic necessities and security. However, women’s reliance on men, leaves them vulnerable to male’s oppression on them. …show more content…

Fantastic expectations are incredibly oppressive, but so is reality. Women are virtually guaranteed to be oppressed in every facet of reality because of male’s overwhelming dominance, but women hold some responsibility in society’s ability to ensure that masculine dominance and feminine subjectivity continues to persist. Women enable societally oppressive attitudes toward them as they accept their position as the Other through submission and justification (Beauvoir). Therefore, men are not only to blame for women’s oppression. Women have been subjected to such oppression, domination, and apparent lack of agency because in society, both men and women have justified its existences. This has enabled man to continually shape women’s perspective, a perspective that they are inferior, they exist to please, and that they are the Other sex (193). Women reason that there is a purpose behind their position in society and in many ways, work relentlessly to conform to what man has deemed appropriate rather than revolting and attempting to combat such oppression. Not all women are guilty of such subservience, in fact, historically many have attempted to rebel and attempt to delegitimize male’s superiority yet, all have been met with male oppression and halted. Small gains have been made giving women more fluidity within society, but women are still limited in numerous ways. However, such gains act to threaten what society has deemed appropriate

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