Women Medicalization is the Direct Result of Gender Inequality - Term Paper Example

Women Medicalization is the Direct Result of Gender Inequality According to Ritzer and Ryan, medicalization is the process in which “previously non medical aspects of life come to be seen in medical terms, usually as disorders or illnesses” (141). Medicalization seems to play a vital role in shaping, emphasizing, controlling and/or regulating certain norms and social hierarchies. Women medicalization as an outcome of gender inequality can be elucidated through the conflict theory; a sociological perspective that critiques the social political inequality present in social groups. Unlike the interactionist theory that focuses on age related changes and social interactions of people and the functionalist view that illustrates the interconnectedness of social systems, social conflict theory describes the manifestation of inequality due to social class differences. Social class differences can be manifested in different ways. Gender inequality is one example of social class frictions. This social difference has created a notion that women are inferior when compared to their male counterparts. Women are seen as servants of the men, and they have to depend on men for survival in the society. Gender inequality has created a mind set that women come as a second option in the society. Thus, feminism; a movement that fights for women equality in society has evolved. Women medicalization is one notable out come of social frictions at the level of gender inequality. Feminists view gender inequality as the key contributor to behavior and social organization that drives women’s moral and financial dependence on men. The dominance of males is clearly illustrated through the medicalization of the female body. Contemporary western societies have established high, unattainable standards of the female body and face and supported these standards for commercial and social reasons. The medicalization expresses the inequality that exists for women and is propagandized for commercial purposes. The Los Angeles Times reported that Dr. Matlock is for the idea “the woman is the designer and the doctor is just the instrument” (Davis 7). The contemporary mass media has also established aesthetic standards for women appearance. From an early age, children are made to internalize how the female body and face should look. Disney cartoons, for instance, portray protagonists with large eyes, ideal skin and flawless body proportions that are impossible in real life. Girls grow up watching Little Mermaid, Snow White and Cinderella with excellent bodies along with charm and numerous talents, and absorb these images of a grown up woman. The characters never make clumsy moves; they sing and dance marvelously. The faces are better than the winners of beauty contests. It is surprising to note that from early childhood, girls are instilled with the notion that beauty complements inner merits. Such activities negatively affect young girls who grow up with the idea that they are imperfect and clumsy. On the other hand, the desire for commercial gain encourages the mass media to link attractive female appearance and female beauty. Commercialization of the female body started in the early 1920s, and advertising has been used to connect female appearances with consumer products. This exerts unnecessary pressure on female audiences. Mass media put unnecessary pressure on women to improve their appearance, and those who fail to invest money and energy feel inadequate. Women fail to recognize the fact that the ideal combination of body and face rarely exists naturally. Thus, when some of them acknowledge their imperfections, they turn to cosmetic surgery in order to improve their looks. Moreover, the ideals from advertisement posts and magazines are becoming more and more unattainable as Photoshop makes its wonders. Numerous design software tools have become into being, and they are continuously getting diverse and sophisticated. As ideals become more elaborate, real life women look homely, to say the least. Women may not express it out loud, but each understands the abyss her appearance and the impossible ideal. Again, Medicalization comes to the rescue. Medicalization of the female body is a billion dollar industry, and no country or culture is immune to it. From ordinary body paintings in sub-Saharan regions, to the most sophisticated surgeries in Europe and North America, women endeavor to improve their appearances. Davis argues that the evolution of a new, strict standard of beauty, rigid enough to induce surgery does not occur in vacuum (13). According to him finance, technological shifts and cultural and financial power plays a significant role in shaping the desire for complicated plastic surgery procedures. In rich countries, cosmetic surgeries have become standard procedures. In China and other Asian countries, women undergo the procedure of creating increased eyelids which “opens” their eyes. Although the procedure is expensive and risky, Asian women consider it a necessity. In fact, young girls see it as a means of increasing their market value in terms of marriage prospects. In Russia, enlarged breasts and pouty lips are becoming a cultural norm. If a woman does not fit the standard, she signs up at a surgeon’s waiting list. Medicalization exploits emotional pain by turning into an expensive, but treatable medical condition. Most women are for the opinion that improving their face, skin, and body is as necessary as buying a piece of garment or jewelry. Lack of confidence and increasing societal pressures often propel changes in weight, skin color, shapes and size of body parts. While a single procedure is affordable, sets of procedures that might turn an ordinary woman into a Hollywood star are prohibitively expensive. That is why medicalization is regarded as a social evil. It decreases the sense of self esteem; an ordinary woman feels imperfect and ordinary. In an attempt, to reduce social stress related to gender inequality, Preves asserts that sex is anatomical; gender is social (33). On the other hand, in his attempt to prove gender equality from the sperm and egg point of view, Martin regrets the fact that stereotypes imply female biological processes are not only less worthy as their male counterparts, but also that women are less worthy than men (485). Martin argues that female and male biological processes are natural, and they cannot be used to determine superiority between males and females (486). It is cultural norms that shape different genders, and medicalization of the female body is the direct result of different gender approaches. As Freedman argues that “cultural norms create male and female as central identities, but we could as easily categorize humans based on behaviors or personal traits” (204). Gender inequality has been cross culturally and historically established, and it still persists even in the most developed democratic societies. In the Egg and the Sperm: How Science has constructed a Romance Base on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles, Emily Martins states, “textbook gender imagery is being revised. However, the new research…simply reflects elements of textbook gender imagery in a different form” (251). Feminist movements challenge conformity to expected social ideals, and this leads to transformations in basic economic arrangements, moral standards and family roles. Women in modern Western societies are learning to act from a position of choice, thus, the power of law and custom is not blindly and unconditionally on the side of males. Nevertheless, there are still aspects where women experience gender oppression. According to Conley, women are more likely to be objects of sexual exploitation (502), and still perform an enormous amount of domestic work maintaining homes, and providing emotional support to family members (444). On top of this, women experience discontent because mass culture unattainable standards for their exterior appearance. As Ann Fausto-Sterling states in “Dueling Dualism”, gender and behavior are inseparably connected…“behaviors are social activities, expressed in interaction with distinctly separate objects and beings” (21). Women have to respond to the highest standards of appearance, perform feminine duties, and maintain unisex career expectations. In conclusion, medicalization of women’s bodies is one of the indicators of inequality. While women are honored as family caretakers and protected by laws, they do not enjoy complete parity. Medicalization is one vivid reflection of the inequality. Works Cited Conley, Dalton. You may ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011. Print. Davis, Simone. "Loose Lips Sink Ships." Feminist Studies 28.1 (2002): 7-35. Web. Fousto-Sterling, Anne. "Dueling Dualism" Sex, Gender and Sexuality. Ed. Abby, Ferber, Kimberly Holcomb and Tre Wentling. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Freedman, Stelle. No Turning Back: The History Feminism and the Future of Women. New York: Ballantine Books, 2002. Martin, Emily. "The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has constructed a Romance based on Stereotypical Male-Females Roles" Sex, Genger and Sexuality. Ed. Abby, Ferber, Kimberly Holcomb and TreWentling . New York: Oxfoed University Press, 2009. Print. Preves, Sharon. "Intersex Narratives: Gender, Medicine and Identity". Sex, Gender and Sexuality. Ed. Abby, Ferber, Kimberly Holcomb amd Tre Wentling. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Ritzer, George and Michael, Ryan. The Concise Encyclopedia of Sociology. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2011. Print. Read More