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Student name: Rhiannon Gupte

Student ID number: 816000724

Faculty: Social Sciences

Campus: University of the West Indies, St.Augustine

Degree Program: Bsc.Psychology

Date: 28th November, 2016

Tittle of Portfolio : The role of patriarchy in contributing to the perpetuation of gender inequality and male marginalization in modern Caribbean society.

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I found this Caribbean Civilisation course to be very refreshing as it provided me with a new perspective on concepts and knowledge pertaining to the Caribbean. I think the knowledge provided in this course is critical for any Caribbean citizen’s understanding of our region, and thus, it was particularly useful in shaping the way we view our society and ourselves.

I am extremely pleased with all of the knowledge that I've gained throughout this semester. Not only was I provided with new knowledge but I was also provided with a new perspective on certain topics that I would have previously been exposed to at a high school level.

We were given the opportunity to engage with the material by being allowed to voice our perspectives and discuss the various topics in an internet forum. What I particularly found enlightening was the fact that I was exposed to a number of different perspectives from my classmates from different geographical locations within the Caribbean region.

I chose this particular artifact because I believe this concept of “Knowledge is Power” was adequately captured throughout this course. The knowledge presented allowed me to broaden my horizon as I was exposed to a vast amount of information that ultimately led to a feeling of empowerment.

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•In many religions, it is a common belief that men should hold all the power in the household. This concept is supported by their religious teachings which place emphasis on the importance of men rather than women. These teachings often fuel the system of patriarchy by regarding it as a natural or sacred concept that is essential to the smooth operation of society. As such, most religions advocate that male should be the “breadwinners” while females should fulfill their domestic roles as mothers, caretakers and housewives. As a result, males feel pressured to adhere to these religious teachings and conform to such designed gender roles, and those who do not fulfill these roles are usually viewed in a contemptuous manner and labelled as ‘disobedient’ or as “less masculine” in comparison to the other males.

•Evangelical groups that emerged in the Caribbean have challenged the restrictive positions of women that were dominant in the traditional  Christian churches. At the prime of evangelical church establishment women were given positions as pastors and positions as strong religious leaders. This is linked to Africanism where women have always been afforded dominant roles. This is particularly evident in the Orisha faith.  Despite the glass ceiling effect being present in both traditional Christianity and evangelical faiths, the latter group has been instrumental in paving a new way for women to gain some level of empowerment by affording them certain positions.  This female empowerment as a result of challenging patriarchy, has led to, in some instances, the role of the male in the home being diminished. This is due to the fact that women in these evangelical groups are empowered and no longer depend on the the role of the male for survival. As a result, these marginalized males often feel as though they are emasculated or not worthy of the title as a "man", as they are not fulfilling the traditional stereotypical gender roles associated with men in society.

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I chose this particular picture because I believe it truly embodies what males experience when they pursue jobs in typically female-dominated fields, such as nursing or teaching. According to the article “China’s male nurses face ‘prejudice and ridicule” published by ShanghaiDaily.com (2016), the stereotypical notion that males should not pursue ‘feminine jobs’ is still prevalent. It was highlighted that one particular male nurse was subjected to a number of difficulties such as societal pressures, stress and the perceptions by some patients that he was a pervert. This stereotype is evident in Caribbean societies as well, as it is clear that young males are pressured to pursue jobs in traditionally male-dominated fields such as being a doctor, lawyer or engineer.

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•Upon simple observations of the students in my own lectures and tutorials, it was clear to me that a significant percentage of my colleagues are female. According to Bailey (2000),  60% of the graduates from the University of the West Indies are women.  Thus, indicating that women are taking advantage of their ability to attain an education.This trend is one in which I noticed also existed at a secondary school level where the number of male students returning to pursue their education at the sixth form are significantly lower than the females. This is perpetuated by the fact that from an early age boys and young men are socialized differently than young females. Young men are bombarded with images of masculinity or notions of masculinity that do not prioritize the importance of education. Young males are socialized to believe that going to school is unimportant as it is girlish and will ultimately result in their humiliation as their masculinity is threatened.
• Contrary to popular beliefs, male underachievement is an issue that is prevalent in our contemporary Caribbean society. Sociologists suggest that this may be the result of labelling, low levels of encouragement by parents and socialization. From an early age, young females are taught that they need to work hard to attain an education and achieve academic success. It is embedded in their minds that in order to be a successful, powerful woman in society they must be educated. Conversely, early socialization for males places focus on exhibiting masculinity. As a result, they are taught to believe that masculinity and high levels of academic success do not go hand in hand. Errol Miler in his theory on male marginalization suggested that young males are disadvantaged as a result of this early socialization as they are not encouraged to pursue an education and be successful.Thus, while young females are challenging the system of patriarchy and working towards achieving and improving in society, young males are underachieving and slowly but inevitably becoming increasingly marginalized.
•The patriarchal system which upholds the value that the male should be the breadwinner is ingrained in the minds of young males from an early age. Instead of young males associating masculinity with academic success, they are taught from an early age that masculinity is linked to being economically stable and providing for the home. As a result, young males place greater emphasis on entering the workforce and obtaining a job to earn an income than going to school and attaining an education.

•From the era of independence, females in Caribbean society have made great strides in defying the barriers to attaining an education. The fact that education was not a luxury bestowed upon women in the past has led many young females to take advantage of the wide range of new opportunities that they are afforded in various fields. The women’s liberation movement of the 1970’s was instrumental in paving the way for young females who are now placing a greater focus on pursuing education. As a result, the number of career-oriented women has significantly increased and less emphasis is placed on the traditional roles of women as housewives and caretakers.

•One particular gender bias that arises from such circumstances is the fact that women who pursue jobs in traditionally male-dominated fields are viewed as ambitious and admirable. However, males who aspire to pursue jobs in female-dominated fields are not held in the same high regard as females who defy these socially determined gender roles.

•The unfortunate reality remains that the proportion of males whose identity is shaped by achieving academic success in school is significantly lower in comparison to the proportion of females. As a result, young males are left in a conflicted state where the development of their gender identity is concerned. Acts of physical dominance and violence are viewed as goals that young males should ultimately strive towards if they are to be considered truly masculine. While the act of obtaining an education is viewed as less important and attractive in developing their identity. On the other hand, the young males who view education as important are not as motivated as young females to strive towards success. This is due to the fact that the previous male generations in society were always allowed to obtain an education . As a result, young males in contemporary societies do not understand the full extent to which they should seize and appreciate this golden opportunity.

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I chose this particular picture because I think it perfectly captures the essence of the pertinent question that was raised – Does Feminism truly promote equality? It also raises the question as to whether or not women truly want equality in every aspect of society, or is equality merely a concept in which women advocate for in some facets of society. For example, the fact that women still uphold the views that men should be the individuals to pursue their significant others in relationships is particularly interesting. The concepts of marriage proposals and wooing your significant other are still widely viewed as the duties of the males in society-and why is this?

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Does Feminism truly promote equality, or is is it just another form of sexism?

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Does Feminism truly promote equality, or is is it just another form of sexism?

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•A key concept that requires particular attention is feminism and its role in perpetuating gender roles. Feminism essentially has contributed to the marginalization of men and their roles. Most of the perspectives put forward by feminists advocate for the rights of women- this rightfully was a concept that was necessary for equality of both genders in the past. However, over time, it is possible that the concept of gender equality has been somewhat altered to advocate the rights of solely one gender – women. The reality remains that men also face a number of inequalities and the societal expectations that they are required to fulfill had led to a significant number of males being unable to fulfill their expected roles.

•Contrary to what some may think, women are indeed making strides in some facets of society and are surpassing males in a number of areas in our lives. One example which support this claim is the fact that more often than in divorce cases, the mother is usually the one who is given custody while the father is given the responsibility of paying for child support. This example highlights the fact that this system of feminism which favours the mother as the ideal caretaker, should view the father as the breadwinner who bears the burden of paying for expenses. Similarly, the concept of patriarchy fosters the ideology that it is natural for the father to provide for the family, even under such circumstances. As a result, the system of patriarchy expects that the male should uphold the traditional values of being the provider. In a sense, the role of the male becomes marginalized as he is expected to conform to such traditionalistic values but simultaneously his power in the family has been diminished.

•Another concept which is interesting is the fact that the issue of  a “pay gap” is one that may be subject to interpretation. The reality is  that in a number of societies it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an individual and pay someone a higher/lower wage based on their sex. This raises the questions as to whether or not women are failing to own up to their own failures or abilities to perform duties efficiently as well as, are they taking advantage of the disadvantages that the previous generations of females experienced?

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I believe these issues of patriarchy and male marginalization are pertinent to a complete understanding of the social relations in our modern society. It is important for individuals to broaden their horizons and understand that while women in society are oppressed by patriarchy, the fact of the matter remains that not all men in society benefit equally from this system. Another noteworthy point is that performing tasks that are deemed to be “a man’s duty” may not be as easy as one may think. For example, men are usually expected to take initiative and pursue the female in romantic or sexual relationships.

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Are males in society victims of Patriarchy?

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Are males in society victims of Patriarchy?

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•In terms of gender, it is evident that men are subject to a number of privileges in our society, women however, are not privy to some of these privileges.  As a result, most individuals hold the belief that men are incapable of being victims of this system of patriarchy which has dominated all aspects of our society. This has led to the establishment of a number of perspectives or ideologies that advocate for the rights and empowerment of women. While I believe it is important to ensure that women achieve this sense of empowerment, the issue still remains that patriarchy is a system that negatively affects both males and females.

•Patriarchy is a system that places great emphasis on the male being the breadwinner of the household, and as a result, they should be the ones to hold all the power in society. On the surface this may sound that the concept of patriarchy is in favour of males and their privileges, and while to an extent this is true, the reality of this situation is far more complex than individuals realize.

•Our society has established the notion of what exactly it constitutes to be a man and to be a woman- the expectations associated with both of which must be followed. For example, a common perception associated with women is that they are typically the gender more like to be more open and willing to express their feelings and emotions. Conversely, it is only natural and typical that males remain elusive and hide their true feelings. These beliefs stems from socialization from primary agents, such as the family, and secondary agents such as the school and church, that perpetuate these stereotypical notions of gender. From an early stage in their lives males are subject to the notions that showing their natural emotions is something attributed to women, and as a result, if they are to be viewed as “masculine” they must mask their feelings.

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•In egalitarian societies this view makes sense that from the very beginning of mankind, it was important that patriarchal values existed as the physical survival of individuals in society heavily depended on the males who possessed great physical strength. Men were given the responsibilities of hunting and gathering food, as well as, ultimately ensuring the protection of mankind. Engelssupported this view by stating that a sexual division of nature existed, but it was cooperative and egalitarian. As hunters, men were responsible for bringing meat to the table, while women took care of the social spaces in which the extended families lived, planting, preserving, and preparing food, maintaining the collective living space. These gender roles or sexual divisions were also evident in early Neo-Indian civilisations where men were also expected to fulfill the economic needs of society while women were responsible for the domestic roles of child-bearing, child-rearing and socialization.

•Despite the origin of the concept of patriarchy being unclear, it is evident that patriarchy is not a new concept to our modern day Caribbean. It is important to note that in these societies, great emphasis was placed on the physical abilities of men for society to survive. However, despite the fact these physical capabilities are not as crucial for the survival of contemporary societies, the patriarchal notion that men should fulfil the economic roles is still dominant.