Jim On:Selfe's Narrative #3

Cynthia L. Selfe in this narrative brings up the issue about a technological work place that will allow for a non-gender work place. Where people will be able to be credited for their work not based on their gender. She also goes on to tell about how we have not, so far succeeded in this lofty yet very difficult adventure. She explains in sort, that the gender role of males and females or so ingrained in American culture, they we have made very little progress in changing them.
Although there is a new technological landscape that as Selfe puts it, “retains a value on innovation, hard work and individual contributions of people of both genders, but only as they are practiced appropriately- with in the traditionally gendered context we have historically and culturally ratified for women and men in our culture (pg 307).” The landscape seems to follow the same pattern that is the way of American culture.
The essay goes on to explain a little of how the roles of women and men have been put into play in this country, how after WWII that women that were in the workforce during the war were sent back home so that their men would have jobs. During this time there was advancement in the home that set up the image that the women had it pretty good at home while the men worked hard to make the women’s life easier. It also gave omen the time to be the better mother and wife, the time to look into the things that the man did not need to know, like advancements in vaccines, nutrition etc.
The women now had the time to look good for her husband, to pursue aspirations of her own, perhaps education. In time the role of women began to show up in the work place again but in a slightly different way. Perhaps the competent secretary, yet pleasant to look at and have around.
So I think what Selfe is saying here, is that not to much has changed in our gender roles. Will the new technology allow for that change to occur? It does not seem so as of yet. Do American women and men really want it to change? It is hard to tell. I think that as far as people being recognized for their personal achievements, we are doing much better with this. Do men want women to be no longer alluring? Do women not want to be considered not alluring any more? Do we really want to look at each other as the same? Who knows?
Maybe, equals yet still different.