Chaper 4 Entry

     Reading and analyzing Chapter 4 really exposed me to cultural and gender differences and how they have an effect on a society.  Before reading the chapters, I watched a video that allowed me to see how effective a culture may have on an individual.  In the video, an experiment was conducted that explained the gender differences in sexuality.  During the experiment, when men were approached by a stranger they were more likely to sleep with the stranger as opposed to women who were asked the same question.  I often wonder how things, such as the results from this experiment, turn out this way and what makes this acceptable in our culture.  Why would it be viewed as “cool” for men to sleep with strangers but women are perceived as a “whore” when doing do the same act? One double standard that I find amusing is women and men at the movies.  When women cry at the movies, people may find this sweet and endearing.  But if a man sheds a tear during a movie, he is viewed as soft and not as manly. He may have to cover it up by saying something like, “Something was in my eye” or “It takes a real man to cry during Bambi.” But where do things derive? 

     Our society often conforms to things such as this.  They derive from existing beliefs, traditions, and attitudes that are passed down within a culture from generation to generation.  Depending on the culture, certain things are looked down upon which results in certain behavior among individuals.  We often adapt to the customs of a culture and live by what’s acceptable and what’s not. For example, in the book is stated how in Arab societies, heterosexual men often greet one another with a kiss. In America, and other Western countries, this act would not be easily accepted and viewed as homosexual.  Many things are also portrayed all over the media that makes certain this acceptable to individuals.  Many music videos and “reality” television shows show men in a dominant position which basically allows the culture to adapt to what they are exposed to.  But what will happen if a culture is exposed to limited things that will not allow them to form cultural and gender double standards? Would this be possible?