Sociology

Gender has always been a sensitive issue the world has never failed to face over the decades. Since time immemorial, a lot of gender issues have already been addresses in relation to the aim of making the rights and privileges of men and women equal. However, a lot of gender issues still appear to echo through the four walls of the society today. Does this mean such issues never ceased Does this mean the issue of gender inequality will never be resolved Or does this mean the world is yet to face worse scenarios in the future In line with the aim of answering these questions, a lot of literary works have been made, artworks have been created and songs were composed. Each piece of art delineated the artists view on how grave and problematic the problem of gender inequality really is. In connection to this, this discussion shall explore on the meanings and entailed by three popular songs during the 1970s namely, A Boy Named Sue by Cash, Whattaman by Salt and Pepa, and I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor. This objective of this discussion shall focus on determining what the main messages of these songs imply. This shall also work on analyzing the specific concerns and issues that artists were trying to address or voice out through these compositions.

The Unending Dilemma of Gender Inequality
During the 1970s, gender inequality was already a typical subject matter of discussions and debate. In the United States alone, a considerable amount of attention has been paid on issues concerning gender, and the government was observed to actively participate in necessary legislations regarding such issues. It was during this decade when a lot of legislations were passed in relation to the common aim of addressing the problem of gender inequality. One of these laws is the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975. This bill was the governments response to the incontestable discrepancy on the provision of benefits and privileges between sexes. Moreover, it was also undeniable that during that time, men were really favored over women in terms of several aspects and one of these is employment. The Center of Economic Policy Research CEPR defines sex discrimination as a situation where a person of one sex is treated less favorably on grounds of sec than a person of the other sex would have been treated in the same circumstances (CEPR). During that time, this definition has been very significant as a lot of cases of gender discrimination were continuously reported. To prove this, a lot of art works, literature and even songs were composed under the inspiration of these issues. One of these is Johnny Cashs A Boy Named Sue. This song is a good example of how strong gender discrimination actually was during this period of the late 19th century. The song speaks about a boys rage which was brought by the humiliation he suffered due to his feminine name, Sue. In these lines, the boys rage looks somewhat exaggerated, but it nonetheless portrays how low and humiliating the impression on women was during those times

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean, My fist got hard and my wits got keen, Id roam from town to town to hide my shame. But I made a vow to the moon and stars That Id search the honky-tonks and bars And kill that man who gave me that awful name  A Boy Named Sue, 3rd Stanza (Silverstein, 1969)

Evidently, this song reflects the very negative impression on women during the 1970s. Although some lines are obviously overstated, it nonetheless reflects a considerable reality on how women were seen during those times. Apart from this, Salt and Pepas Whattaman also appears to display a similar message. Unlike the Cashs song which obviously entails negative notions on women, this song simply uplifts masculinity in a very merry rendition.

Whatta man, whatta man, whatta man, whatta mighty good man My man is smooth like Barry, and his voice got bass.A body like Arnold with a Denzel face. Hes smart like a doctorWith a real good rep, and when he comes home, hes relaxed with pep.He always got a gift for me every time I see him.  Whattaman, 2nd stanza (James, Crawford  Azor, 1994)

Unlike the first song, no discriminative words about women were mentioned in this song however a seemingly overstated notion of masculinity appears to be emphasized. Apart from these songs, Gloria Gaynors very popular hit during 1978, I Will Survive, also appears to displace a meaningful thought about the state of gender inequality during that decade. One of the most popular lines in the song goes like First I was afraid I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong, I grew strong I learned how to carry on  (Perren  Fekaris, 1978). Evidently, this song, instead of emphasizing on inequality, focuses on woman empowerment. In looking at the context of these three songs, it can be observed that the theme of the messages considerably changed from the period of the oldest song up to the newest. Salt and Pepas Whattaman, apparently displaces a more cheery and positive message as compared to the two older songs that portray the more problematic era of the 1970s. However, No Doubts Just A Girl appears to prove though there have been some efforts for gender empowerment, gender discrimination against women still exists. These lines obviously displaces a familiar kind of female sentiment to gender discrimination Oh Im just a girl, living in captivity  Your rule of thumb  Make me worry some  Oh Im just a girl, whats my destiny  What Ive succumbed to  Is making me numb (Stefani  Dumont, 1995).

Obviously, these songs displace a similar dilemma which appears not to cease through the years Gender Inequality. Each song did not fail to mention something about which gender appears more dominant over the other and which one is weaker. However, it can be observed that the newer songs from the 90s depict less cumbersome issues on the subject matter, while the older songs from the 70s depict the more serious issues on gender. This implies that indeed, there might have been certain developments of the issue of gender inequality. Definitely, the movements may have caused some alleviation on the rights of women. However, the four songs nonetheless show that although there might have been developments, the issues of gender inequality and stereotyping still exist.