assignment 5

1. What are some of the stereotypes gay men portrayed on TV that Savage discusses in his piece?

Savage describes one specific stereotype of how gay men are portrayed on TV. He recalls the detectives on Barnie Miller, which took place in NY, acting very swishy, carrying a purse and also owning a poodle. He then begins to talk about The Choir Boys, which was a movie in the 1970s that took place in Los Angeles. These people had the same characteristics of the gay men in NY, except their poodle was died pink. This is the stereotype that is seen on TV as Savage recalls.

2. Describe one TV show from the 1990's or 2000's and how gays are stereotyped. Or can you give an example of a show that didn't portray gay or straight people in a stereotypical way?

Thinking about this question, two TV shows actually popped into my head. The first, Will & Grace, was the story of four people, two men and two women, who were all great friends. The two men were gay but portrayed different stereotypes. For example, the one man, Jack, was more into his looks and appearance rather than the other man, Will. Will’s best friend was Grace, which is a common stereotype of a gay man. Most gay men have friends of only the female gender. It is unusual to see guys being friends if one is homosexual.

The other show that comes to mind is Friends. Basically the story of six friends, one of the men, Chandler, is always perceived as gay. He is an attractive character on the show but the comments that he makes and the way he acts comes off as gay to some people. Also, there was an episode where another male character, Joey, wore a “man purse.” The rest of the characters on the show basically made fun of him for wearing a purse because men do not typically wear a purse unless they are more of the feminine side.

3. Describe your feelings about gay men adopting children. Do you think that children who grow up in gay families have a higher likelihood of becoming gay? How do you think children who grow up in gay families versus straight families might be different or the same and why?

I think that gay men should have the right to adopt children. They are people in relationships trying to start families but unable to. I believe that anyone who wants to have a family, gay or straight, regardless of the reason why they cannot have children, should be able to adopt. Having a family is definitely an important part of anyone’s life and to not have a family would be tragic. The children growing up with two gay parents will, most likely, be looked at differently from their peers and their friends. It is not a common thing for two men to have a child; however, I think the child will eventually be able to live the same life as those with straight parents. The children will be able to play sports and still participate in activities. Also, just because a child’s parents are gay does not mean that the child will also be gay. For example, Savage is gay and his parents knew it right from the start. With Savage’s child, he knows he is not gay. He says how the boy threw a perfect spiral and wants to play with guns. And just like his parents knew, Savage knows from the start that his son his not gay. Being raised by gay parents definitely takes a toll on a child but that will not effect the child’s own sexuality.

4) After completing the Reading #35 "Gay and Lesbian Families: Queer Like Us, briefly describe the research findings comparing children from gay and straight families. Are these findings what you expected or different from what you thought?

Cannot find the reading required to answer this question.

Assignment 4

Personally, I feel a child, whether girl or boy, acts the way the other children do. Another factor is the family life because siblings play an important role in child development and characteristics. From personal experience, I grew up with three older brothers, two of which were constantly around because they still lived in the same house. When I think back to my childhood, I do not remember playing with Barbie dolls or playing dress up or anything of that matter. I remember wrestling in the basement and playing baseball and football in the backyard. Because of my family life, I was a tomboy growing up and never experienced any of the girly features of being a child. Since I did have only older brothers, I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like if I had older sisters or even a younger sister. I think my life as a child would have been much different. Even trying to associate with the girls in school was difficult because they played beauty parlor and things that like. I was never exposed to anything of that sort.

Not looking at family life though, our society, through magazines and television, portrays certain images for both girls and boys. When a young girl opens a magazine, for example Teen, she is overwhelmed with advice as to how to get a boy to like you and the latest fashion trends as well as the skinny models that are in the pictures. Because of these models, a girl has an understanding that she must look like that and that’s the only way boys will like her, which is entirely false. Another part of society consists of the music videos. Watch any music and see the girls were provocative clothing and dancing poles. These children, who are not even teenagers, automatically assume their jobs. If it’s a girl, she thinks this is her duty to dance and be half-dressed for the boys. The boys, on the other hand, assume that a girl’s job is to please him. He is supposed to work but at the end of the day, the girl must cater to his every demand. If this image is being portrayed now, one cannot help but think about what these children will be like in ten, fifteen years.

I think in today’s society, people, not just teachers, need to be open minded to the different concepts that surround us. It was always said that when a woman is having a girl, she should be showered in pink. A boy should be completely blue. Why? This is strictly because of the norms. There are so many other colors that could be associated with girls and with boys and even both. If a boy wants to play dress up, he should be able to. Dress up shouldn’t be primarily for girls and sports shouldn’t be primarily for boys. There is a middle ground that should be established but because many people today are old fashioned when it comes to this, they simply see a boy playing dress up and automatically, it’s frowned up. These people do not realize that playing dress up is a sense of imagination and creativity. Also, if boys want to play with a baby doll, they should be able to. When the boys are playing with this toy, a lesson could be taught about how to nurturing and caring and how to hold a baby correctly. Everything a child does can be transferred into a lesson that benefits both girls and boys but in order for this to happen, people need to realize that times are changing. What used to be forbidden years ago is being accepted more and more common. The norms are always changing; they will never be set in stone. That is why it is imperative for everyone to keep an open mind.

Assignment 2A

1. According to the Fundamentalist theory, an “instrumental leader” was a one individual amongst a group that was chosen to be a representative. This person was to lead the group discussion about how to go about the task that was assigned. The “expressive leader,” also commonly known as the “socioemotional leader,” was a person who was required to keep the groups’ spirits up with warm and supportive remarks as well as jokes. Robert Bales, a psychologist who conducted many experiments, coined both of these terms. There was a direct connection between these two “leaders” and how it pertained to family life. In the 1950s, the husband was the primary bread-winner and was concerned mostly with supporting his family. Because of his financial support to the family and the amount of labor worked, the husband would be given the role of the “instrumental leader.” The wife, on the other hand, who was typically a stay-at-home mother, would be the “expressive leader” due to her caring and nurturing of her children. She also provided support to her husband.

2. During the 1960s and 1970s, theorists became critical of the fundamentalist perspective, mainly because of a major demographic change. This change was the addition of women in the workforce. Men were no longer the primary breadwinners because women were now beginning to work.

3. Conflict perspective is basically a gender bias. It is viewed as the men having all the power and the women are at the bottom. There are no equal rights but only inequality, power and social change. It is common during the conflict perspective to view individuals or groups of individuals and see how well one dominates over another. Once again, this is strictly about power.

4. Social exchange theory is based on the discipline that people are viewed as normal individuals who decide whether to exchange goods or services by thinking about the benefits they will receive. Exchange theorists say that husbands bargain for power whereas the wives bargain for household work or taking care of the children. This is also in exchange for the husband’s earnings.

5. The feminist theory is based primarily on gender. It is based on the domination of women by men. It was also developed to help better understand the inequalities between the genders.

6. Do you find it difficult to maintain a steady occupation while also staying committed to your family?
A. I would study the family at a micro level because it is more personal.
B. I would use the gender method.
C. There will be approximately 20 married couples in the study.
D. Do you find it hard to balance your work and your family? Are your children’s grades affected by your work habits? Is your household dominated by the female role?