Cultural Myths about Women Inequality - Free Essay Example

Introduction

Communication takes different forms, including the use of word of mouth, sound, or images. Although the use of images appears less impactful, the method proves handy in communicating mythical information. The image Inequality in the Workplace will provide important information on the myths surrounding the roles and capacity of the female gender in the workplace and society. Through its shading, background, foreground, positioning of the two workers, and even objects like computer monitors portray the delicate position of female workers compared to their male counterparts. This perception is pronounced in the story Girl, when the speaker describes the position of girls in society, executing many different roles to the advantage of the male gender. The two pieces of literature indicate the myths that communities hold about the female gender concerning their male counterparts. This paper seeks to interpret the two works to unveil the perceptions that institutions have regarding the role of male and female members.

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The Foreground

The foreground of Inequality in the Workplace has a presentation of a woman occupying a large area of the front side of the office table. This presentation points to using the female gender to attract men who lack standards and presents women as a tool for ensuring the psychological comfort of the male gender. The positioning serves to attract customers and give them an impression of sanctity or legitimate business. This perception is common, not only in life among community members but also in business settings. Most of the events that involve gatherings usually have a set of ladies who are charged with welcoming and entertaining guests (Iida 209). However, scrutiny of the element, together with other features in the picture, reveals the contrary. A close perspective of the same component, especially its facial expression, hints at the agony that women might be experiencing in this place as their workstation. The idea of baiting is similarly present in The Girl, where the speaker advises the girl how she should behave in the presence of men who do not know her, and take advantage of them before they learn about her true self (478). These expositions justify that women are only forced to execute some functions since they do not have alternatives.

The image's background is plain white, despite the many different black colors in the image. The white background hides the gender discriminatory practices at the station. While bosses pretend to practice equality in the eyes of those who might be advocating for fairness in workplaces, their fundamental practices take the opposite trajectory. Interpreting this background in conjunction with the foreground reveals how most employers exploit naive female workers to serve the perpetuation of the mighty state of the male gender (Dalingwater). This myth is also evident in the Girl. The speaker guides the girl on making men work and advises her to use all means possible to achieve her man (479). The idea of worshiping the male gender becomes evident when Kincaid advises the girl not to feel bad if the man she is luring does not heed her request, but uses alternatives that would make the man comfortable (479). These expressions reveal the discriminatory practices in societies, exploiting females' sexual orientation as enticements for profits.

The shading of the image reinforces the myth that women are the weaker gender. The coloring of the whole display reveals a sad state of affairs. With everyone in the picture looking gloomy, the dull black-and-white shading amplifies the sorrows at the workplace. While the woman is nicely seated with the cup safely placed before her, the male partner has his cup spilling contents towards her direction. This presentation reveals the injustices that male workers deliberately execute, majorly of which harm the females. These deliberate discriminatory practices exist since the male workers know they have protection from evil employment regulations. Authorities indicate a lack of goodwill in reverting such a mess. The female gender is supposed to accommodate such misfortunes and even hide reality; in the picture, the lady is expected to mop the table. This perspective reveals the godly treatment that the male gender expects to receive from the women. The preferential treatment of the male gender is also evident in Girl. Kincaid tells the girl that 'on Sunday, try to walk yourself like a lady but not like the slut you are bent on becoming' (478). The speaker further directed the girl not to speak to wharf-rat boys or even issue directions (Kincaid 478). Kincaid enumerated many expectations of society from girl children that serve to simplify the life of the male gender. The wider list of tasks and expectations spared for the female gender indicates the prejudice the speaker has for the girlchild.

The positioning and arrangement of items to the corresponding characters add to male chauvinism. Different aspects, like the general indication of the male being of substantive body size and according to relatively small body size for the female partner, indicate the intention of the author to highlight the discrimination against females in the workplace. The spilling of contents from the male worker's cup towards the female partner who assumingly should clean the table and the peripheral positioning of the lady's desktop monitor while the man's monitor remains on the desk also reveal how female workers barely enjoy their presence in the station. The female worker has no adequate access to the office table, forcing her desktop monitor to the peripheral, a place where it can easily fall off. In The Girl, Kincaid advises the listener on how to test the freshness of bread. When the girl shares her thinking that the baker might not allow the squeezing of the bread, the speaker deceitfully rebukes, questioning her why she wants to be the type of woman any male baker would not allow near their bread (Kincaid 479). These presentations elucidate on the placement of females as second in the pecking order, and should not benefit from the provisions in workplaces until men are comfortable (Dalingwater).

Conclusion

Culture has different myths concerning the roles of different genders. These myths pass through different forms, including narratives and images. In Girl and Inequality in the Workplace, the authors present their tales about male chauvinism, pointing to different ways through which some practices sabotage the role of the female gender in society and the workplace. The narrow focal plane in both the image and the story provides a focused exposition of the inequality and the expectations that communities hold on the female gender. Since I possess the spirit of advocating for gender equality in workplaces and any other arrangements in society, the image rekindles my attention to discriminatory practices that most females experience and boosts my desire to fight for gender equality.

Works Cited

Dalingwater, Louise. "Neo-liberalism and Gender Inequality in the Workplace in Britain." Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique. French Journal of British Studies 23.XXIII-1, (2018). https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/1802. Accessed 06 October 2020.

Iida, Aki. "Gender Inequality in the Workplace by Kazuo Yamaguchi." Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 9.2 (2018): 207-211. https://www.ceeol.com/content-files/document-758465.pdf. Accessed 06 October 2020.

Kincaid, Jamaica. Girl. The New Yorker, 1983. Print.