when you think traditional working class, you think manufacturing, blue-collar, ham sandwich. dirty jeans, a stiff drink. you probably think men. but what does it mean to have a working-class woman identity? do those attributes transfer? the problem is i think there really isn't one. unless you want to count 16 and pregnant. unless you want to count maury. can you think of any other popular depictions of working-class women? terrible?...yeah.
so the choices for working-class women are to identify with male attributes (toughness, disregard for personal appearance, crassness), to live up to absolutely demeaning stereotypes (which all reek of animal-like breeding), or to not identify at all. femininity is still carefully guarded by the upper classes. it requires clothes, shoes, makeup, money. the ability to look good even if you are playing hardball. that doesn't work in any way for working-class women.
so what are we telling our daughters? who are they growing up to be? how can we help them find a place in a world that literally does not see them?
i have no idea. and it makes me really sad.
No comments:
Post a Comment