Respect for Women: Has It Improved That Much?

When I last wrote my blog, I discussed the importance of moral relativeness in considering whether Othello should bear responsibility for Desdemona's death. One of the important issues in making this determination that I considered was that women were treated with less respect in Othello's time. They were considered to be subservient to men and somewhat second-class citizens. Another factor was that chastity was more important in that time period. Therefore, when a woman cheated on her husband in this time she would have not only violated the everimportant virtue of chastity. She would also anger her "master" who provided for her. If he killed her it would not have been a big deal. We discussed this in our class today and as a group, we seemed to pride ourselves on how far we have come in respect for women. If a husband had suspected his wife of cheating in our time, he wouldn't jump to conclusions and just kill her. However, I think we have to ask ourselves if Western civillization has really progressed that much in regard to respect for women.

In recent times, we have critisized Eastern cultures and their treatment of women. One philosophy in particular that is condemned is Islamic Fundamentalism. It is true that many of these fundamentalists beat women, prevent them from earning an education and treat them as servile creatures somewhere below men and above an animal. I do not defend these actions in any way. But, we have to acknowledge that women are in some ways held in a higher regard in Islamic Fundamentalism than in modern Western culture.

This may seem outrageous to some, but I believe that Western culture has actually regressed in respect for a woman's body. In the last fifty years, women have gained many rights, but they have become increasingly objectified in pop culture. Magazines, television, movies and fashion have reduced the image of a woman largely down to her outside appearance. A woman's accomplishments seem to have become less and less important. The feminine ideal has become more and more shallow. If you look at a lot of celebrities today you can see my argument.

Many female celebreties have made it soley based on their looks. Has Paris Hilton ever accomplished anything worthwhile? Has Jessica Simpson ever gone to college or even completed high school? Nicole Richie? It seems that the mark of a woman is being based totally on her sex apeal in our Western Society. I think it encourages girls not to do meaningful things like go to college, work at a prestigous position or even just be a modest, but caring house wife. There is no shame in just being a stay-at-home mom. Objectification of women does not end with the celebrities we glorify, it also occurs in the music we listen to.

Much of todays music (not just rap music) demeans women. Many of the lyrics are disrespectful. They describe women as sex objects. These lyrics tell men to use women. They tell women basically to expect this. So we not only see the images of women being objectified, but we have to hear it too. This is our "advanced" culture.

At least in Othello's time and in Islamic Fundamentalism, women were treated with dignity when it came to their bodies. Women were prided on being chaste. Women to some degree were raised to aspire to higher things. They would want to be more than just "hot." A good woman would raise her children correctly, manage to deal with a demanding and unapreciative husband, and keep her house clean. Although many women would find this not much to aspire to, its more than Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie or Paris Hilton could ever accomplish. The women in Othello's time and the era of Islamic Fundamentalism are better role models for todays generation than any of these celebrities. They believed in things bigger than themselves and their bodies.