Week Nine: The Social Construction of Gender

While I would love to think that gender inequalities don't apply to myself I know that I am treated a little differently based on my gender. I would say one of the most evident things that can be looked at as a gender inequality is the fact that I work at a doctors office as a receptionist a classic woman job as stated in the textbook. I came to a realization a couple summers ago while looking for a job with no luck that a lot of the easy jobs to get on Craigslist were moving furniture, and while I would be more than willing, I would be less than hired for most of those positions seeing as I lack the natural "strength of a man." I continued looking for jobs and also found my disadvantage of womanhood when talking to a friend who discussed with me the possibilites of working at the hospital as someone who helped out with patients. I was hopefull for the position until my friend cut it to me straight and said that I was probably not going to be able to get the job because they want big people who can move heavy patients around from their beds to the bathroom and the like. I wish that I could say that this statement is such bull, but being a somewhat thinner girl with a huge lack in muscles, I understood that the job would not be for me. But at the same time I have seen plenty of girls my age and otherwise with quite the muscle and ability to perform just as well as a fellow man. So I say that while some girls are more frail, so are some guys, and while some guys pack more power-so do some girls.