Shower Products for Men

I was randomly surfing youtube when I chanced upon this testosterone-filled, ultra masculine video advertising shower products for men. Personally, I felt that there are many not-so-subtle messages embedded within the video about gender stereotypes. It also pokes fun at some of the products currently on the market for men: cue the Lightspeed 3000! I have always wondered why the new razors that appear on the market have increasing number of blades with finer blades within blades and finest blades within the finer blades blah blah. Do we really need that many blades that essentially perform the same functions? Or is it just more masculine and manly to have more and thus the products sell better? What are your thoughts?

Tannen's "Can't We Talk?"

First impressions after reading the short piece was - how very true! However, as we delved deeper into the discussion, one particular issue popped into my mind: is 'Gender' due to Nature or Nurture? One of my group member argued that 'Gender' is essentially a product of the socialization process that we all inadvertently go through. This runs contrary to the essentialist, primordialist or the 'it's in your blood' argument. I tend to agree with my group member more than not. Nonetheless, if we were to buy into this argument fully, it begs the question: What about the very first human beings? Who or what socialized them into the 'gender roles' that have since been passed on to us?

Another group member mentioned that perhaps it was the evolution process that humans went through that shaped our 'gender roles'. For example, men in the past tended to be the hunters while women generally take care of the family and the young. These, he argues, causes men and women to develop differing skill sets which eventually crystallized into the 'gender roles' as we know them today. The question then becomes: why were men more predisposed towards hunting roles whereas the women, towards caring and nurturing roles?

Perhaps there is no straightforward answer after all and it is simply another case of "did the egg or the chicken come first"? What do you say?

Me! :)

Hi everyone! My name is Yong Hong and I am a Year 4 Political Science (PS) student. Do not ask me why I chose to major in PS cause that is a question I often find myself wondering about! =P

I am kind of a weird person in that one week I can stay at home with my butt virtually attached to the couch playing games all day long and for the next, I will be out virtually everyday doing anything ranging from basketball, badminton, swimming, jogging to simply sitting by the sparkling blue sea and reading! So my answer to questions regarding whether I am outgoing or not is... I sincerely do not know!

That aside, from the two seminars we have had so far, I forsee a semester of much fun, laughter and interesting conversations ahead. :)

"He Said, She Said" - Why Men and Women think so Differently