McKinney 1

Elizabeth McKinney
English 1231.11
Dr. Druann Bauer
10-18-11
The Advantages of Being Male in the 21st Century
There is no doubt that men have ruled the household since families began. Up until
recently, men went to work, paid the bills, and made all the decisions concerning their families
by themselves. This can be traced back to the era of the cave men, when it was still the males
who hunted and made the fires, and up to the twentieth century, when men were educated and
women were not so that men would be the breadwinners. As an individual growing up in the
twenty-first century, it is easy to see the differences between the roles men and women are given
by society.
So why is it that women are still not at their full potential? The United States, which
preaches equality for all, has set a standard with men that women cannot, or are not allowed to,
reach yet. If only everyone would open their eyes and pay attention, they would see that this
scenario is wrong, and they should fix it.
It is true that women have made great advances in society, and they make up more than
half of the population in colleges, according to Thomas Bartletts article. The Puzzle of Boys
(342), but they still have a ways to go in order to be at the same level as men. The men in this
country definitely still hold the power. Males are more likely to be given this power because they
have more experience in that particular field than women do. The women cant get the job
because they are not experienced enough. However, women cannot get that experience because
no one will hire them. Women need to be given a chance to prove themselves, to show this
country, and the world, how beneficial women can be.

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Take sports, for example. In the early sports, only men were allowed to compete. In
Greece and Rome, women would occasionally try to sneak in to participate. When this was
discovered, athletes had to play their sport nude, so that women would definitely not be able to
sneak in. This practice began in the early Olympics, but even today, the excuse for a male
beating a female is Oh, its because shes a girl. Females are expected to lose to a male because
males are supposed to be bigger, faster, and stronger. Not to mention theyve had years more
experience than women have. The older generations can remember days when girls were not
allowed to participate in sports in their high school or college. According to the article A
Sporting Chance: Title IX and the Seismic Shift in Womens Sports, a judge, after passing a law
to prohibit girls from competing on a boys cross country team stated, Athletic competition
builds character in our boys. We do not need that kind of character in our girls (348). Up to
1972, when Title IX was passed, those words were familiar for women. In her article titled A
Sporting Chance: Title IX and the Seismic Shift in Womens Sports, Elinor Nauen tells us Title
IX is a Congressional law that states no institution that receives government funding is allowed
to stop a person from participating in a sport (349). Even today though, despite Title IX, girls are
discouraged from competing in some sports at certain schools. For example, a sophomore female
student transferred from a public high school to a private high school. She had wrestled at the
public school and wanted to continue at her new school. When she tried to sign up for the team,
the head coach told her he would make her life hell for the whole season. This just shows how
unfair societys molds and rights are for women and men.
Aggressiveness is a characteristic found both in sports and in the workplace. Any athlete,
regardless of gender, is encouraged to be aggressive on the playing field, because the team wants
to win. When it comes to the office, though, women are often regarded as cruel or cold-hearted

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when they are aggressive. Aggressive men, on the other hand, are honored as people who know
what they want and go for it, without letting anyone in their way.
Women need to be given the same equal, unconditional rights that men are given. They
are often put into the roles of mother, housewife, cook, or maid. Women should have more
opportunities to hold positions of power instead of being shunned in favor of men. Why should a
well-educated, talented, young wife stay at home with the kids instead of going out and earning
money, so she and her family can have a better life? In most cases, females are naturally more
caring than men, and they are more likely to pay attention to the needs of individuals than men
are. This is probably the main reason why females are considered the stay at home gender.
However, think of what women could do in the workplace with that kind of attitude. Women
have had to work hard to gain their rights, so they understand and can empathize with the
common working class today. Men, on the other hand, have been guaranteed these rights from
day one, so they are not as empathetic to the struggle to overcome obstacles.
Society in general considers womens looks more important than mens looks. Women
are told they need to be skinny, to be beautiful, to look ten years younger than they are, and more
just to be accepted. Women are supposed to be fashionable, and always look respectful and
presentable. Men, however, are often told, Youre a guy. Youre not supposed to be able to
match your clothes. Women are under constant pressure to look good, but when they are paid
less than men, how can any woman afford to look better than a man?
Coincidentally, males are more likely to be the head, or the face, of a company than
females are. Males are considered dominant in the workplace, and should therefore be given the
dominant role of being head honcho. It doesnt matter what they look like; a man could be an ex-

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underwear model and now be the CEO of Wal-Mart, or he could be old, balding, and overweight
and the owner of the newest, most popular social networking site. But when a woman is elected
to be the face of a company, however rarely it happens, she better be attractive, or she wont keep
that position for long.
Money is also a factor that is different for men and women in the workplace. It is widely
known that men, in certain fields, earn more money that females in that same field do. Even if
the two individuals have the exact same job and situation, with the same degree from equally
prestigious colleges, the male will earn more money. This situation can be seen most often in
schools, as male teachers or professors earn more than female teachers or professors. This is also
a factor in the higher payment rates for males. The men are getting all the top positions, so they
get paid the top amounts.
That being said, there is no doubt that women have come a long way from being simple
housewives. Now, they can be educated and successful, but they are still being held back. With
the same freedom, encouragement, and respect that men are given, women could lead this
country, and the world, to a better place. Females tend to be more attentive and caring than men,
which would be a nice change to see in higher political positions. Therefore, instead of sticking
to tradition and electing men, try electing a woman. The worst that could happen is she would
fail, which has happened to plenty of men throughout the ages. Give women a chance to shine.

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Works Cited
Ackley, Katherine Anne. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Readings across the Disciplines.
Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College, 2000. Print.
Bartlett, Thomas. The Puzzle of Boys. 2009. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Reading
Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College,
2000. 340-345.
Nauen, Elinor. A Sporting Chance: Title IX and the Seismic Shift in Womens Sports. 2008.
Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Reading Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine
Anne Ackley. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College, 2000. 348-352.