Is Female to Male as Nature Is to Culture? Research Paper Example

Within the essay, Orton discusses the relationship that has been developed within society between women and the culture that they are a part of.  The way in which women are expressed in symbol through cultural dialogue is often a contradiction in the way that they are presented.  In this sense, it seems that the power that women have attained within society has varied widely from culture to culture throughout history.  She argues that it is important to take these cultural differences into account when trying to understand the relationships that these women have had in the past, and how this will affect their future.

Within the context of the paper, she addresses the universality of this oppression.  In this sense generalities concerning how these relationships occur can be drawn across a broad range of cultural contexts.  When viewed through this perspective, it becomes obvious that women have, throughout most of history, been the objects of generalizations that have taken their ability to act independently from what society has come to expect from them.

The ideologies, symbolic devices, and arrangements of social constructions all play a large role in how women are perceived and how they are expected to behave within society.  These perceptions have a direct influence on how the women perceive themselves.  Oftentimes, this influence creates a sense of inferiority within the psyche of the women.  Ultimately, Orton argues, women will be subservient members of society, due to these barriers.