Socialization – Women’s Role in Society
It is through this process that we negotiate, through constant self-development, our position as to where we fit in. Once our role is defined, we begin the arduous task of becoming an integral part of this structure.
The road to socialization, however, is sometimes paved with boulders. Specifically, defining one’s gender role and how it relates to society’s expectations of what that role represents.
If it is true that “all the worlds’ a stage, and we are merely players in it,” then it is society that is choosing and directing the script. It is the process by which we act out the parts of this script that determines our successes and failures.
When I attended high school in the 60’s, the curriculum consisted of business courses designed for executive positions. I worked diligently toward this goal and eventually became an executive secretary. While I thought this career was the “Cadillac” of positions, and thus I never dreamed of pursuing anything else, nor did I feel that I had the attributes to attain a higher position in the workforce.
This is what I worked so hard to achieve and yet, many years later I asked myself: “Is that all there is?” While I knew I had potential, I nonetheless knew “my place.”
Almost 45 years and many successful careers later, I have returned to the one facet of my life that I ignored – writing. My self-development was thwarted, not because of my unrealistic expectations, but because of the restrictions placed upon me by society’s definition of women in the workplace.
These standards were waiting for me on the stage along with my diploma. My lines had been written, but I never had the opportunity to read the entire script. Would it have made any difference if I had? Not likely. I embarked on a career that was equivalent to a high-powered corporate executive today. Have the agents of socialization changed the status of our role as women?
Case in point: In 1992, a statistic cited that out of the nations entire Congress, only 6% are women. It was stated that “Gender plays an important role in the selection of government positions based on ethnicity. Therefore, the choice will almost always be a man. He is more capable of getting funding for his campaign than his counterpart, whereas a woman will receive a token pledge.” During the 70s, if a woman ran for Congress, she would have probably received a $100.00 campaign donation versus a $1000 pledged to her counterpart.
Things are quite different today, as evidenced by the recent Presidential campaign. However, women have not gained as many seats in Congress as they should. Thus, the script needs to be re-worked.
Family, religion, education, politics, media hype, and peer pressure all contribute to the social polarization of women. These agents of socialization do affect the identity of the female role in today’s society. As one struggles to maintain individuality, it is amazing that anyone could survive the scrutiny that is dispensed by society.
Forty five years ago, I had the ability to climb the ladder of success. What I lacked, however, was the understanding that I could. Today, I have the ability to achieve and become the best at whatever I wish to be. What I gained is the understanding that I can.
By: Lillian Varrassi
About the Author:
Filed under Womens Interests by on Jun 30th, 2010. 