Sexism Definition

This is rather late, but I have the bad habit of watching a lot of an anime series if it turns to be worth watching. So it goes with Highschool of the Dead. I admit it has too much fanservice, dumb camera angles, and too much jiggling, but the situation is well-developed, the voice acting is good, and it seems to keep the drama up. So, it seems worthwhile to watch.

So, what is sexism, and how is it expressed in culture?

Well, there are certain ways in which we interact that cannot be done unless we know the other's gender. Pronouns, clothing, how to address someone, all of these are in some way used as gender markers for how we interact. Frye goes on to a number of ways farther than we do gender-announcing and whatnot, but I want to focus on language.

If there's one thing I've noticed in the Wheel of Time books, it appears to be the case that the women in the series are more than willing to verbally abuse, and dress-down the men. Egwene especially does this to Rand most of the time they interact in the series. It's not the playful way Min interacts with Rand, but a very blatant way of insulting him to degrade him. Hell, the man is the Dragon Reborn, it's not like he can be brought down, or even forced to forget what he is, and what's been forced on him.

Furthermore, I really can't think of a meek woman in the series. They're all headstrong, willful, or even far dareis mai. Comparatively, it seems to be the case that the men in the series are far more meek. Take the Two Rivers men, all of whom are used to the pushy goodwives of their village, the Women's Circle, and even the Wisdom. They take it as a matter of course as the series goes on that the women they are with are more than willing to run off and put themselves in danger. All the while telling the menfolk that they aren't needed, wanted, or even that they're useful. Nynaeve is particularly a perpetrator of that.

I think from this I want to say that the gender scale is tipped in favor of women in The Wheel of Time series. Also, considering the amount of queens they meet, as well as how the White Tower is the one stable political force for the last three thousand years, women would seem to have a stronger initial status because they can't be infected with the taint on saidin.

Huh, that helped focus my thoughts more than I thought it would. Sorry for not doing the Latin of the Wheel of Time opening, got carried away in cartoons.