Gender has played a vital role in shaping the way we think in our society. The central theme of this blog is that boys have specific functions, and girls have particular parts. It also suggested that boys are only happy when they behave in a certain way, and that same is right for girls. For instance, boys are supposed to be healthier, and girls are weak. Growing up in Nepalese culture, I have always told to do certain things such as; I could not go to swimming with boys, help mom with house chores, water the garden, I could not wear shorts, nor I was allowed to wear tight tops and so on because I am a girl and I believed that girls are not supposed to do such things. On the other hand, my dad would buy a video game for my brothers, and they would play all day long, but my parents would not say a thing to them. Even though I was a little girl, I had to get up early in the morning and cook breakfast for all of us before heading out for school.
Moreover, I am brought up from Nepalese culture, so I have always believed that women are less powerful than men. For instance, if a person watches a movie where an Asian practices karate, a generalization would be for that person to assume that all Asians know karate. When it says in one panel that boys invent things and girls use what boys develop, it is generalizing, which can be harmful to people who believe the generalization. It can also be dangerous and unfair to those who are targets of the stereotypes. For example, if I am an employer who hires engineers or scientists and have that generalized viewpoint, I might refuse to hire a qualified woman because my perception is that women can not invent and that they can only use what is invented by men. Also, I might employ a man just because I assume that gender makes him qualified, which is not valid. Gender has nothing to do with talent, ability, or intelligence. People who make generalizations that reflect their belief that men are locked into specific roles and women are locked into certain functions are unfair to both men and women. If they believe that the generalization applies to them, they are unjust to themselves as well.
