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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Double Standards

          Despite the huge steps towards feminism taken in the last century, equality has not been achieved. It is commonplace now to see women in the workforce in positions traditionally held by men, and men are more encouraged to show their emotions. A stay-at-home dad and working mother is socially acceptable. You may even see a man in pink nurses’ scrubs.
However, the double standards held for men and women regarding relationships negate the progress that has been made. According to this article, the general consensus of our population is that men have much more freedom within the boundaries of a relationship. A man having sexual relationships with multiple women is seen as a positive thing, especially by other men, who view “pimp” as a compliment. But by a completely different standard, if women have multiple relationships with men, they are seen as whores, which results in a loss of respect for these women in society. Why is this double standard fair?  
Without debating whether multiple sexual partners should be frowned upon or condoned, we should at least agree that the different standards held for men and women are unfair. If feminism is going to improve or even continue, the same ideas must be held for both sexes.