~post number four~

Blog post #4

1)   The ‘languaging’ strategy that I used was power. Power in our language is shown in our daily communication through social media, written and verbal communication, television, songs, movies, and other means of communication. “It is important to recognize that how something is said gives language the power as much as what is said”. This is a potent statement that shows how what we say something can bring more significance than what is vocalized. Our tone of voice and the language that we chose can overwhelm and shock. People have been in a constant struggle for equality with terms that society has deemed them that do not necessarily represent them as equal, or even human. This type of institutional discrimination has been expressed since the forced migration of Africans as slaves to the Americas. How is it fair that our patriarchal society dominated by white males has the power to degrade other human beings? The power of our words is shown in social movements. The words that social movements publicize can act in favor or against their cause and mission. Words are powerful.

2)   The ‘languaging tactic’ of my chose would be labeling. Labeling in all areas of society can evoke positive and negative reactions and generalizations. Men and women face a certain type of gender labeling on what is accepted for each sex, like for instance, how gender socialization has been installed in us since birth. Girls have always been socialized to be second behind boys in our patriarchal society; it is evident in different agents of socialization like toys, media, parents, and even schooling. Hidden curriculum instructs boys and girls how to act and what to be like. Labeling boys as ‘sissies’ when they won’t participate in manly tasks or show emotion is a perfect example of how our society puts labels with gender. The statement: “Social movements use negative epithets as labels to stigmatize those who do not join the cause” shows that social movements utilize labels to show power, shock, and expression to their audience.

3)   This commercial shows a fantastic way how little girls want to change gender roles. It begins with the girls playing with girls being incredibly bored with stereotypical pink toys and Barbie’s. The girls in the commercial then turn over their house into an engineering fantasy; they begin to build things out of toys and transforming their house in ways that stereotypically only boys would, and girls never would. The little girls want to get away from the power and labeling that has been associated with the female gender for centuries. “It is time for a change, we would like to use our brains. We are more than princesses” shows the power in gender socialization and that girls and boys should have more flexibility in how they are seen in society. These little girls see the power impacted in gender socialization and labeling from something simple like toys. They don’t want to be underestimated anymore, they want to change the world and build things like boys.