Work like a man, Act like a lady

Today in class we talked about how women are the mediators between culture and nature. This really stuck out to me when we were speaking of the different jobs that women carry out (like babysitting) that go unappreciated. I kept thinking not only does womens work go unappreciated because of the mediator title, but it also causes a large amount of stress to women for perfection. When women perform a task that is generally done by males, my experience is that they are held to a higher standard for the said task. It is almost as if they are competeing with the men for a right to be able to perform the specific task generalized for the male being. Kind of like saying "If women can't do it better than men, then why do it at all?"

I feel like this concept is highly portrayed in everyday life, even beyond the status of being the mediator between culture and nature. In today's society women are expected to fulfill the male and female role at the same time, and balance those roles appropriatley. Hence having to mediate the role of both male and female at once. I find this to be extremely true in the workforce. Women are expected to gain the education that men due in order to perform a certain job (which is fair) yet in some cases they are expected to wear more feminine clothes because they are a women. Women, by society, are also expected to look 'sexy' while performing these jobs. Meaning they must portray the educated male as well as the sexy female in every situation. I find this true in my personal life as well. Being on a coed athletic team we are expected to do just about everything that the guys team does. We practice together, do workouts together and compete together. But if we come into practice without having some kind of alternative sex appeal we are treated differently than on days we might have on makeup or wear short shorts! Once again, we are being told to perform on the same level as men, yet also have the status of a women. I feel like we teach our children this from a very young age! The thought that sparked this whole thought was when I was younger my dad told me I need to "Work like a man, Act like a lady". Coming from a farm and outdoors family I was expected to do everything the boys did. My dad made me go out and replace fence posts with my male cousins, and expect me to be able to perform at the same level. I grew up doing these things my whole life, then when I got a little older and started acting like the boys (talking like them, behaving like them) my dad told me that he was going to send me to a Little Lady class because I need to "learn how to be a girl".

My whole point through this post is that throughout out lives we are not only the mediators between culture and nature, but we mediate between the dominant and submissive roles. As women, we are expect by society, to play the role of both the male dominant and the female submissive if we want to be considered a productive member of society!