from: Lizzet
I chose this picture because during sporting events we want and expect girls to be aggressive so they can win. If we could feel the same way in our, or their, lives what kind of lives would they exemplify. On the field the girls play as a team, push the ball up-field, and strive to win. A cheer of "aggressive" normally leads the game and again at half-time to get it into their heads that the goal is to win. There is no distinction between an all-girls team and an all-boys team winning. Off the field, dynamics may be drastically different. Are the girls expected to be as aggressive in school, in their lives, in day to day living the way it is expected of them on the field? If girls continued that aggressiveness off the field, how would they be accepted and portrayed by our society and how confident would they be as they grew older and developed? In the picture are two of my daughters. The older of the two is considered by most to associate more with otherwise coined "boys things"; having played werewolf and not Barbie and climbed trees and gotten her hands dirty. Yet, my younger daughter who loves dress-up and dolls is the one who charges the ball the hardest and plays baseball refusing to play softball. How much of a dynamic comes from their interaction on the field, from outward influences, or from inner thoughts? While the picture captures the aggressiveness on the field and its implications off the field, we cannot lose sight of the pink on the shoes and hair bows in the picture, and how there are many more influences our children are experiencing then any one aspect alone.
5 comments:
I think that aggressiveness is a good character trait in many fields and pursuits, but both men and women need to learn where the line is between good aggression and over-aggression. In the real world, the best manifestation of aggressiveness is self-confidence and determination. The very worst type of aggression is violence, whether it is in the home or anywhere else. For a man to be aggressive in the workplace is viewed as a good thing; for a woman to be is seen as unfeminine, though they should be, if they want to succeed and punch through the glass ceiling. I like sports, and when I have children, male or female I will encourage them to play some because it greatly helps one’s self-esteem and helps them to be a real “go-getter” in life.
~Chris R (for-credit comment)
Another thing to think about is that aggressive girls or boys for that matter can be seen as bossy. which can also have a negative affect. I see that "lets be aggressive" attitude on the field all the time. is it because we want our girls to be aggressive like boys and not be as passive as they can be off the field. as a parent it is your job to find the middle road on aggression for both boys and girls. as chris said aggressiveness is a good characteristic. and this term can also be called assertiveness...maybe that is the politically correct word either way it does help you get what you need or want in this wonderful place we call "society". for both men and woman. for men it is a little more acceptable and woman it can be interpreted many ways depending on the audiance. pushy, bossy, intrusive, nosey lots of things.
Lizzet,I love this picture! This picture brings back so many happy childhood memories for me.I grew up playing organized sports and loved the outlet it provided me with.The goal for every player on the field was to be aggressive yet,when high school sports team began for me it became a issue not to get into a fight on the field.it was not "ladylike".
I'm not quite sure I can agree with this statement. I totally agree with girls being aggressive on field and off the field being girls at their best, but being as aggressive as boys is what I'm not sure about. Being a girl who has played soccer all her life, I know that it's a rough sport, but I also know that guys is a lot tougher. I played on a guys team and I could not keep up. Guys are faster and a lot more aggressive. I don't think a certain sport can show distinct aggressiveness, but I think a certain team or key player can show more aggressive attitudes.
I think that if there were more sports for girls to let out there aggression, they might be able to control their emotions better. I mean as a guy, i can say that most guys have the emotional capacity of a puddle, so when guys get aggressive in sports, maybe its just their male nature that conquers. I think that yes, males are naturally more athletic, but that doesnt mean women cant love sports, dominate in them, and be just as good if not better then a man. For example, I would love to see how well most guys would fare against Serena Williams... :\ Did you know that the pitcher for the womens USA softball team struck out the entire Yankees lineup? impressive to say the least.
Girls have so many more emotions then guys do ( nature vs. nurture...who knows) but I think we can all agree that women for the most part a bit more emotional. SO I think if women play sporst and that helps them cope emotionally from something, let them. Like i said in an earlier post, if women want to beat the crap out of eactother and push themselves to the limit, then let them. In terms of soccer, Mia Hamm is one of the greatest soccer players...man or woman...period, one of the greatest. Maybe if women were more aggressive, they would play a more dominant role in society, because i will tell you something ladies, if there is enough of you, strong dedicated, determined... a man will crumble. It is in our nature to be dominant, but it is also in our nature to take care of you too.
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