Gender Roles in Things Fall Apart

2013-2014

Gender Roles?

• In order to talk about gender roles in Things Fall Apart, we have to understand the difference between three different concepts:– Sex– Gender– Sexuality

Let’s Talk About Sex

• Someone’s sex is defined by their biological components. One’s sex is (generally) determined at birth.– Women develop breasts that lactate milk.– Men, generally speaking, have denser bones.– Genital differences determine sex.– Usually defined as either male or female (although

third sexes do exist [intersex])

Gender

• Gender is a societal construction.– The characteristics of a gender are determined by

the society. • Gender determines roles, attitudes, and

behaviors that are deemed acceptable for masculine and feminine roles.

• Many societies recognize third genders (Two-spirit in NDN tribes)

Sexual Orientation

• While sounding similar to both sex and gender, and often times being related to the two, sexual orientation is related to attraction.

• It is a way individuals identify themselves, but is unimportant to our discussion.

Sex vs Gender Roles

• “Male” and “Female” are sex categories.• “Feminine” and “Masculine” are gender categories.

– What is a “real man?” What is a “real woman?”• Gender Roles

– In many parts of the world, women do more housework than men.

– In many parts of the world, men are the primary money-earners.

– In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive cars.– In Vietnam, men traditionally smoke and women do not.

Source: http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/

Why Should I Care? (cuz I say so)

• Gender roles are a part of society, and conformity/nonconformity influences and affects our lives.

• QUICK WRITE: in Things Fall Apart, how do gender roles affect Okonkwo? Nwoye? The wives?

Okonkwo’s Greatest Fear

• QUICK WRITE: 1. What is Okonkwo’s greatest fear? 2. How do you know this? 3. How Okonkwo characterized? 4. How is his father characterized? 5. How might gender roles have effected who

Okonkwo became?

Srsly, y should i care???

• How do gender roles affect us today?– Politically? At home? At work? At school? In Public? In

Private? Economically?

– QUICK WRITE:1. Define a “real woman.”2. Define a “real man.”3. Write a solid paragraph describing how gender roles

affect you in your daily life.4. What can we learn from Okonkwo (in regards to gender

roles)?

Your Group’s Task• Find an advertisement from a magazine that

uses gender roles to promote a product (blatant example: AXE commercials)

• Create a small poster with you ad being sure to answer the following questions– Who is the target and how are they being

targeted?– What is the message being conveyed by the

advertiser?– Do you agree with the message? Why or why not?– Be prepared to compare to TFA (don’t put this on

poster