Sociology - Final Essay Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sociology - Final Essay - Term Paper Example We would think that because of feminism, our society would be aware of the sexist attitudes involved therein and try to get rid of them as soon as it can; however, that is not the case. Families in America are still patriarchal and marriage is similarly male-oriented. To give a few examples, a woman who exerts more control in her marriage is often termed a â€Å"shrew† and is viewed in less esteem than a woman who is submissive to her husband, or always puts the needs of her husband before her own. On the other side, a man who exerts more control in the marriage is not looked down upon, rather he is applauded for taking charge and taking more responsibility, with those men who have handed over the control to their wives judged to be effeminate or meek. The family is a sphere where our society perpetuates constant sexism without it being brought to task, except perhaps by the feminists (who, it may be added, are often looked down upon for this very reason, as this is considered to be an effort of feminists to break down the institution of marriage itself). Much is needed to control the sexist behavior that presents itself in a marriage. For a marriage to be truly equal and free from any sexism, perhaps the best course would be for us, as a society, to come to an agreement that it is just as important for a woman to have her needs fulfilled in a marriage as it is for a man; whether these needs are personal, emotional or professional; a woman has just as much rights to try to get fulfillment as her husband does in the marriage. The feminist approach seems daunting and scary to us, however, upon closer inspection we can easily see that it is not so much as the breakdown of the institution of marriage that is warranted by following the feminist path, but the total emancipation of women in the sphere of marriage, so that they can be on