HW7: Chapter 2-Discussion

Chapter2

Discussion

What are the effects of gender role reversals featured in anime cartoons in the Philippine Society?

Gender Role Reversal Definition 

 
Gender role reversal is the act of doing the role of another person in a way that men behave like women and women behave like men. It make one discover a new personality that it makes a person experience a behavior from the other side. Women are given the chance to prove their worth in the society that they could do men’s work while men are also given the chance to show that from being dominant; there is other side of them that is not far off from women. They could also do household chores and care for the children. Men as well can cry when needed because like women, men also are emotional being. Through role reversal, one is able to come out from the long years of being stuck in the old idea and gives one the opportunity to know, witness, or discover oneself. However in actuality, what shapes our gender roles is our culture.
 

 CULTURE

Culture exists from the moment we are born. It governs our lives throughout our existence which vary among different cultures. It sets values and attitudes towards lives and dictates one to behave according to its expectation. These societal expectations and values mandate males to be “masculine” and females to be “feminine”. Culture sets what man and a woman should be. Generally, men are viewed as active, strong, brave, courageous, dominant as to making decisions and aggressive when it comes to women while women are viewed as submissive to men, nurturing, and adaptive to her environment. These standards limit one’s ability to experience new things.
 

Philippines also follow its own standards. These standards came from the influence of the Spaniards which invaded Philippines in the past years which eventually became a part of our culture. This includes Filipina being viewed as the “ilaw ng tahanan” wherein they were tied to the house and their roles were exclusively for housekeeping and a support to males. She is responsible for nurturing the children while her husband is at work and submissive to men. Women are prohibited from going to school and to work. They are not allowed to participate in politics because it is a man’s work. 

On the other hand, men face more opportunities than women. Men are more prioritized in terms of education and work opportunities. They are viewed as the provider of the family and protector of women. But because of the gradual changes in culture, one is given the chance to bloom. However, according to the article Culture, Society and Masculinities, the prevailing tradition is that Filipino men are expected to be the “ama ng tahanan” and the satisfactory performance of this role is the ultimate indicator of a truly masculine male.

One model of a traditional Filipina is Maria Clara of Noli Me Tangere. She was the faithful and obedient daughter of Capitan Tiago who was represented as the weakest woman in the novel setting. Despite having all the characteristics of being an ideal woman that every man wished to have, she does not have the power to impose her will. She is submissive and cannot decide of her own. She honors her parents too much that she follows their will even if she does not want to. She had never loved anyone except for Ibarra. Rizal had shown Maria Clara as the symbol of purity and innocence of a sheltered native woman during the time of Spanish occupation (NOVEL: NOLI ME TANGERE BY JOSÉ RIZAL.).
 

On the other hand, one traditional Filipino male model is Jose Rizal. He possessed the trait of being a brave hero who kept and fight for his ideals up to the end to speak for his country even if it would cost his life. He also possessed the trait of being active and aggressive when it comes to women or what is termed as “babaero”. According to the article Rizal, the Romantic, there were at least nine women linked with Rizal namely Segunda Katigbak, Leonor Rivera, Leonor Valenzuela, Leonora Consuelo Ortiga, O-Sei San, Gertrude Beckette, Nelly Boustead, Suzanne Jacoby and Josephine Bracken. Leonor Rivera Leonor Rivera was his near-cousin and childhood playmate who had played the greatest influence in keeping Rizal from falling in love with other women during his travel. Unfortunately, their relationship did not last because of the disapproval of Leonor’s mother. However, Rizal found his heart on an orphan who was rumored to be a whore and allegedly a spy for the Spanish named Josephine Bracken.
All of these characteristics are what defines male to be masculine and women to be feminine which was being reversed in anime that are based on the Japanese culture. This practice is now common in Japan which also influences Filipino culture through the use of anime.

2 Factors Appraising Role Reversals Featured in Anime

A. Content 

According to an article, content is one factor that appraises gender role reversal. The symbolic content of a certain TV commercial or show has the potential to strongly influence the audience which could also be found in the context of anime where stories are sometimes made realistically that enables one to keep in touch. Commercials use certain strategies to catch the attention of the viewers to patronize a product. Similarly in anime, it contains plots that are similar in reality like Slamdunk which portrays team work that can be seen in real life sports competition. It work on a level that is universal in that most people around the world despite cultural and traditional differences can recognize and identify with a story imported from another culture. This simply means that through the content, anime has the potential to open us into a new idea of gender roles. 

B. Characters 

Character is another factor that appraises gender role reversal. It influences a person through the depiction of similar role in reality. For example is the portrayal of the female character Kaoru of Samurai X, a kendo teacher who owns a dojo and upon the continuation of the story met 3 men whom she treated as a family and allowed them to stay in her place wherein she portrayed a woman being the breadwinner. She was the one working despite the fact that she lives with 3 young men. This character portrayal does contribute in influencing our own culture.

Effects of Role Reversals Featured in Anime in the Philippine Society

A. Empower Women 
 
For the past centuries, women have been deprived of many privileges or rights in the due to the standards set by our culture. They were neglected in terms of education and work. They were viewed as someone who was just a support for male and a housekeeper. But due to the role reversal featured in anime, women are being empowered because they are being viewed in a different perspective. They are being recognized as someone who can also protect. They are given the chance to prove themselves that they are not just for housekeeping but they could also be a leader. Some Filipina women who became leaders are former presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 

Traditionally, the woman exchanges her submissiveness in exchange for protection which the man can provide but as women become more educated and successful, they are empowered and it is these changes that dislocate men from their gendered place in society. Thus, men have to redefine their roles by encompassing housework to re-assume a degree of balance in their partnership (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/02/womens-pay-packets-shift-domestic-order).

Based from the interviews conducted, 8 out of 10 women agreed that the role reversals today lift their spirits up. It was an awakening for women that women can also do some things that men can. They are given the chance to prove that women can live without men. 
 
B. Destroy “machismo” image of men 
 
The definition of the word “macho” is a debate. For some, it evokes great male pride and for others, it reeks of negativity and abuse. According to a research study What is a “macho” man? By Emiliano Diaz de Leon, macho only means to be a “male”. The traditional notion of masculinity displayed in the role of a father is “limited to protecting and providing for children”. Such masculinity is dependent on not doing the things that mothers do. A true macho is a man of his word and has a sense of responsibility for his own well-being and that of others. He is like a mirror, reflecting support and clarity to one another. Some women prefer macho men but some do not because they often think of macho men as uncooperative, unsympathetic, aggressive and disinterested in parenting. New research suggest that women from countries with healthier populations prefer more feminine-looking men while in countries where poor health is particularly a threat to survival, women leaned toward “manlier” men. (http://online.wsj.com/article/ ). 
 
Gender role reversal does affect the macho image of a man because it puts man secondary to women. It affects their pride that from being dominant, they were now being viewed as equal to women. Some male characters are being protected by female characters. They are the one being saved instead of them saving which sometimes make the character irritated because he cannot accept being defeated by women. An example is Tate Yuuichi of Mai-Hime wherein despite his kendo skills; he is still being beaten by women. However, according to a research, the machismo of men is not measured physically but by how he shows himself. This only proves that when men are seen crying in public does not mean they are not men. They are just being real to what they feel because men are emotional beings too. 
 
Based from the interviews conducted, 7 out of 10 men have accepted the role reversals happening today as part of a change in our culture. Although it somehow affect their masculinity, they accepted the fact that there are things that only women can do and men cannot. They do not find it as an issue because giving authority to women is part of their being a gentleman. Actually, some of them hated being served by women because it seem to appear that women are really more knowledgeable than men where in fact, they can do it on their own. This means that this role reversal is a positive factor for men for it adds points to their masculinity.