Re: Culture

I think culture determines much of our behavior. Serial killers, sexual offenders, and prostitutes often come from unstable home environments. Intimate connections have more influence on our character development than the greater societal impact. However, society's norms do play a part in forming our perceptions. For instance, today's "hook up" culture has increased the acceptability of casual sex. Though our generation is no more promiscuous, the "dating era" seems to belong to a distant past. Some celebrate the sexual freedom of today; declaring women have more liberty to determine their sexual experiences. Am I less of a feminist because I believe in courtship? I think the "hook up" disempowers women. Now we wait for the man to define the relationship because we do no want to seem needy, bitchy or annoying for asking more from a relationship. If you look through magazines from Teen Vogue and Seventeen to Glamour and Cosmo, women are being directed on how to please their women. Articles are written from the perspective of "hot guy panels" that write what not to say, do and wear. During the age of Pride and Prejudice, the woman judged her suitor, and the guy was a gentleman. I know I am not the only one who feels this way about romance. Didn't this lady make a windfall off of girls' fantasies? 

I think Andrea is defined by her financial, environmental and familial circumstances. I do not know if our current society promotes a rape culture, but men are definitely presented as dominant figures in sexual relationships. Well, men have a gender advantage in most spheres of our culture.