Social Contract: The Unread Terms & Agreements

            The structure of men and women unique and complimentary, however, the body of a woman is co-owned by both men and women. This idea is often translated into the objectification of women where women are used and looked at. While this knowledge is made aware and addressed, it is systematically accepted within the political, economical, and social realm. Their existence ultimately serves to fulfill a purpose for the Other.

            A prime example putting the ownership of the body of a woman in question is the debate of the reproductive rights. Although Jennifer Nelson, in her literary work, “Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement,” primarily addresses the racial discrepancy that exists between a white woman and a woman of color’s access to abortion, she also acknowledges the issue of access across all women. She cites Ellen Willis, stating “No woman should have to demean herself by begging and borrowing for an abortion when she had decided she wanted to terminate a pregnancy… Abortion rights was about ‘asserting autonomy and subjecthood,” (3). In other words, abortion, to woman is a decision of life and death for both the unborn child and the mother. And yet external parties dictate these decisions; the government restricts accesses to abortion and abortionists deny services, with the goal of silencing the voices of women.

            While Nelson addresses the disparities that exist across the race and social standings of women, she does not describe the gender inequality that results from the objectification of women.  In a patriarchy dominated society, male politicians and doctors dictate the reproductive rights of women. As a result, the voices of women become silenced. In Audre Lorde’s “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action*,” Lorde attempts to explain the detrimental effects of being silenced. Lorde argues “‘you’re never really a whole person if you remain silent,’” reinforcing the natural characteristics of both men and women as human beings. In a patriarchal society, Lorde believes “that we [women] were never meant to survive,” demonstrating the dehumanizing effects that have risen from the objectification of women (42).

An Ad reinforcing a woman's dependency on men; it depicts women as a lesser human being.

            The media is no exception to the subjected influence of a male dominant society. Like the government, it partakes in stripping a woman’s ability to speak and act. For example, in Samina Ali’s Huffpost Media article, “What You’ll Never Hear From the Media About Muslim Women,” Ali addresses the unequal portrayal of women within the media. Like ads, Ali argues that women are made into a static image. It nurtures the ideal stereotypical image in conjunction with how society wants women to be displayed. According to Ali, a Muslim woman, based on media portrayal exists in three common ways, “veiled, oppressed and most dangerous of all, homogenous. The media, in a sense, further reinforces the legislations and mindset of the government. Not only does the media assert what a typical Muslim woman should be, it generalizes the existence of women. At the foundations of Ali’s argument, Ali illustrates the dangers of media; not only doe the media depicts how a woman should be but it also dictates what a womanshould value.

The act of voting on the ideal body of a woman; at the same time, it is belittle those that do not meet the beauty requirements of society.

            However, the power of media lies beyond the messages and ideologies it reinforces by making the ideal woman, within a patriarchal society, tangible. It relentlessly targets audiences of all ages. It determines the values and how values may be assessed. For example, the media has placed the utmost value on the beauty of a woman; she is evaluated solely on her outer appearance. By placing a criteria on what a successful woman is, the media goes beyond the act of silencing women in society and attack the minds and bodies that do not fit society’s criteria.

            Despite the media’s negative influences, a medium can also be manipulated to produce the opposite effect. In Melissa Harris Perry’s “Crooked Room” from Sister Citizen, Perry attempts to dissect media in order to analyze and understand the role of media and its relationship to the governing rules of society. The underlying concept that describes this relationship is the social contract made between society and its citizens. However, the social contract does not ensure equality within the realms of identity recognition. Perry argues that the marginal and stigmatized members of society “face fundamental and continuing threats to their opportunity for accurate recognition,” emphasizing on society’s failure to present equality, (38). Although the media has manipulated the framework of the social contract into a double-edged sword, Perry promotes media literacy in the minority’s battle against unequal identity recognition. Organizations such as Always, who have started the #LikeAGirl is one of the many examples of the social movements that have erupted during the 20^th century. These social movements pursue equity through the means of education. By raising awareness to the legislatives that restrict women, the social movements have given women across the world, a voice and the ability to act.

Citations

Ali, Samina. "What You Will Never Hear From The Media About Muslim Women." Huffington Post. 2013. Web.

Harris Perry, Melissa. “Crooked Room." Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. 2011. Web.

Lorde, Audrey. “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action." Sister Outsider. 1984. Sister Outsider. Web.

Nelson, Jennifer. "Introducction." Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement. 2003. Web.