1.

What assumptions do you think are held by various groups across cultures about the following
issues?
a. Parenting
Many cultures around the world, mostly but not limited to conservative nations, assume
that parenting should be done by the mother. This is basically hinged on the perception of
women as being better suited with child-rearing as they are naturally more caring,
comforting, and sympathetic- which are also mere assumptions. This assumption of women
being the better parents is a product of the patriarchal state of society. The assumption is
that men should be the provider of the family. Thus, they are the ones who must have jobs
to support their spouse and children.

These assumptions reaffirm gender roles. Women, being labeled as more emotional or more
in touch with their emotions, are better fit to take care of the children. Men, assumed as the
stronger sex, is seen as superior and is not encouraged to stay at home and be with the
children. When these roles are reversed, men are frowned upon by their community. They
as seen as weak or unmanly, even at times, useless. This is the reason why men are
pressured to do all the work and feel insecure when the woman in the family tries to step up
and do more in terms of financial contributions. With these reasons, women are more
burdened to stay at home and do all the housework, take care of the children, while losing
all the opportunities of having their own careers.

Alternatively, this assumption on women being better caregivers to their children, still even
exists in the most liberated nations like the United States. In custody trials, women are
favored over men to get the children once a couple divorces. This is very disadvantageous to
men, as most often than not, they are left with being mere cash cows. They are not able to
establish bonds with their children. These assumptions on gender roles are burdensome to
both sexes in different degrees and contexts.

b. Abortion
Abortion, like birth control methods, are frowned upon by many groups in conservative
cultures. Majority of these groups claim that abortion is anti-life- a mere escape from a
lifetime of responsibility. Women are forced to take on the role of motherhood despite the
circumstances they are in just to silence the people in their circles who assert traditional
views on women’s bodies. This type of mindset shackles women into a fate they don’t want.
The fact that many women are forced to marriage, carry on the pregnancy on their own, or
take their own life because they have no control of their own bodies and lives, is sad to say
the least.

The burden of continuing the pregnancy weighs much heavier on the female than the male.
In many of these conservative groups, men can easily opt-out of the responsibility while the
female is forced to “face the consequences of her mischief” as many of these cultures
assume to put the blame on the women despite the fact that it takes two to conceive. In
cases where women are left to care for the child despite their age or economic status, are
forced to live scarce and miserable lives. This takes away opportunities from them as they
 take on the full-fledged roles of motherhood. This reality is still hinged on the idea that men
have a backseat role in child-rearing. They are given much leeway to refuse participation in
the responsibility of taking care of the child. Most often than not, men are deemed sufficient
if they give financial support, while women are seen insufficient despite the sacrifices they
make for their children.

c. Violence against women

One of the greatest assumptions when women are acted upon in violence by men is that it’s
usually the fault of the woman. It’s either because they did not submit themselves to their
husbands or men in authority, or they failed to keep the men in their lives happy. Women in
many cultures are seen as subordinate to men. This assumption in power dynamics between
the sexes, usually serves as the justification to the violence and allows men’s aggression on
women to be tolerated and overlooked. Many women live in horrific situations that is kept
to themselves until it’s too late. Women tend to keep the violence to themselves as the act
of reporting such incidences is seen as breaking the trust of the relationship or going against
their men. It is also seen as destroying the reputation of the man whom in many cultures are
put on pedestals as they serve as the representation of families.

The machismo of men, which is encouraged in certain cultures, aggravates the violent
experiences of women in the hands of men. Men are seen weak if they cannot control their
women. Many cases end up in violence because men retaliate in physical assault if women
refuse to submit themselves. These cultures assume that if men cannot pacify the women in
their lives, they are not good leaders of manly figures. Violence against women is built
around preserving patriarchal norms in society.

d. Marriage
The main assumption in marriage, heterosexual marriage, is that men will always wear the
“pants” in the union. This means that the husband is the main decision-making entity
between the pair. This also reaffirmed the assumption that men are the stronger version of
the species. This also creates problems for women as they are forced to “know their place”
or limit their opinions in the direction of the marriage and family matters. It is always the
decision of the man which is followed. Most often than not, the husband also carries the
financial responsibility, including but not limited to, family income, property, and
investments. With this, women are pushed to a corner of dependency.

The issue here then lies on concepts of divorce and family planning. Women are forced to
surrender parts of their body autonomies to their husbands. If not, issues including violence
or sexual harassment can subsists in marriage. Moreso, gender roles like child-rearing, house
making/ housekeeping, etc are also reinforced as roles of women. Women only have power
in relationships when they have strong family backgrounds or have great financial capacities.
Regardless, marriage takes away much freedom from women than men. After all, men will
remain as themselves unlike women who are expected to take full-on the responsibility of
wifehood.
2. Identify and state assumptions that women could propose to challenge the assumptions listed
in answer 1.
a. Parenting
Women could challenge gender roles in parenting by saying that men need to have a greater
involvement in child -rearing to influence children to become much stronger and have better
emotional management. This assumption is hinged on the context that men are seen as
more rigid when it comes to emotions. Women could say that with the greater involvement
of men in parenting, a more balanced approach could be used to raise more resilient and
stronger generation.

b. Abortion
Women could say that since men are the once producing more sex cells and has the greater
capacity to have multiple births fathered by them, that contraception and family planning
should be directed towards there bodies rather than on women. There should be pills to
reduce the sperm production instead of regulating the menstrual cycles of women. This
could lead to less unwanted pregnancies and eventually less cases for abortion. After all, this
is best as men are the ones who usually initiate lovemaking based on preestablished
assumptions.

c. Violence against women

Men should be allowed to express themselves more. Women could challenge these
assumptions by spreading assumptions that males who are more in touched with their
emotions, who communicate better, and express themselves better is the modern-day
definition of manliness. Mature men are more able to compromise and listen to their wives.
They can also say assumptions that label men who are aggressive and hard-headed to be
more immature and childlike. Characteristics which can be looked down upon.

d. Marriage
Women can propose that men who cannot take an opinion from their wives and do not
share the decision-making in the union, are insecure. They can then capitalize on this
assumption and fire assumption on them being immature and lacks the openness that men
should have. They can say that cultivating characteristics of sharing the burden of financial
responsibilities is a mature thing to do.

3. What are the essential differences between the assumptions in answers 1 and 2?
The essential difference between the assumptions in answer 1 and 2 is how these assumptions
perceive characteristics of men that should be reaffirmed. The assumptions in the first part are
grounded on specific traits that men capitalize on to reaffirm their dominance on women. On
the other hand, the assumptions in the second part are assumptions based on characteristics of
women which are projected on men which can be perceived as manly or more mature. Women
could capitalize on increasing their awareness on the traits they can imbibe on men rather than
focus on their own assumed characteristics. Better yet, women could capitalize on the idea that
there is no gender specific traits and that these traits are learned based on how children are
socialized while young.