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Does Differences Between Gender Have an Affect on a Person’s View on Saving Money?

Often, people tell the difference between a man and a woman by their physical appearance.  An ideal woman is more emotional, compassionate, manipulative, and understanding, and observant than men. Whereas ideal men are perceived to be more stubborn, thrill-seeking, self–centered, aggressive, irrational than women. Considering these differences, do males and females think and react differently from each other? Does the difference between men and women impact the choices they make? If so, can financial decisions be one of those choices?

My mother in-law and father share different views on financial concerns. My mother in-law believes you should save for the “unknowing”. My mother in-law told me, “It is smart to be prepared than to be miserable.”  My father believes you should spend money, while you have it, or you “lose out.” My father loves to say ” Work …no pleasure… I am not in jail…and I sure ain’t gonna act like it either.” What are some possible reasons they don’t agree? Would you say my mother in-law is too cautious? Would you say my father is being too irresponsible?

Could it be that women have a need to feel financially secured? Is it the fact women are natural care-givers, so, they do not only think about themselves? Are men so sure of themselves, they do not have any reason to look past the present? Could it be said it is just another way to live a life “on the edge?” Does differences between gender have an affect on a person’s view on saving money?

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“Paris is Burning” versus ” The Homeless Community of the Piers”

William W. Purkey  quoted “You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth.”  After exploring the documentary, ” Paris is Burning” and reading the essay ” The Homeless Community of the Piers”, I have  come to understand that in order to live a life that makes you happy sometimes  have to do  what’s best for you without worrying what others say. In my essay I’m going to compare and contrast the discussions brought forth in each platform.

“Paris is Burning”, talks about how homosexuals attend balls so that they have the freedom to be who they are and be around people just like them. It is a visual platform that allows us to see these people and their experiences. They also tell their personal stores about their success and failures and because it is visual, we are  inundated with actual images they speak about allowing us to go inside of there world. They allow us to see the glamorous said and when they speak about the not so great aspects we began to fell sorry for them. Similarly ” The Homeless Community of the Piers” also talks about balls and houses but their main focus is the pier community for GLBT. Because this is an essay we given more details and facts allowing us form our own mental pictures about what the author is conveying to us.

Also, in ” The Homeless Community of the Piers” and “Paris is Burning”  they both spoke about “coming out” to your family. However, Paris is Burning had more distinctive stories where a few men told us their individual experience. One gentle said that his father went to his mothers house and said ” your sons a woman” later the mother found women’s clothing in his room and burned them propelling the man to sob like “a little baby”, he said. The transvestite Venus said that he wouldn’t  reveal his sexuality to family because he didn’t want to humiliate them. While in the essay the author gave us different categories about the pro’s and con’s of one revealing to their parents that she or she is gay. He said ” youths who maintains a relationship with there parents might not reveal their lifestyle for fear that they might be thrown out or even abused”.

Another similarity is that they both talk about prostitution and homelessness, however in Paris is Burning” they refer to prostitution as hustling. In the essay the author says prostitution plays a vital role in the lives of the young ones and is their primary connection to the outside world. On the contrary in “Paris” while there is prostitution, the men go to the balls because they want to  the extravagant prizes that goes along with wining, such as trophy’s and cash prizes.

In conclusion the two platforms have similar arguments, but they focus on different aspects. Although America have come to except people for their different lifestyles the battle to be different is still a work in progress.

 

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Black in America: What it Means to be an American

In his essay “Discovery of What it Means to be American,” James Baldwin compares and contrast, from personal experience, what it means to be a Black in American. Inequality in America still exist today among race,social status, and creativity.  In my essay I will focus on each point interrogating Baldwins views and opinions about the issue .

Baldwin expressed his thoughts about the hardship he had to face as a Negro or even a Negro writer in America. He writes, “I left America because I doubted my ability to survive… from becoming merely… a Negro writer.”  He felt isolated and divided because he began to believe what white people said about him. He wanted make a connection with other people. In contrast, in Europe, he says that he could connect with the black and white Americans.They were not divided there in Europe. Furthermore whether you were born to a slave or a free man made no difference, because on this foreign land they were searching for the same thing, their identity.

Baldwin also states that status was not  important in Europe  as it was in America. Europeans were not  insecure about what career they held. Baldwin says ” In Europe a man can be as proud of being a good writer as of being a good waiter.” However Americans are so busy trying to climb the ladder and keep their status. Baldwin states,  “It was easier to cut across social and occupational lines,” in Europe and that still can be said today in the 21st century.  In America, your status and race still plays a role. It can define how people perceive you and how you were treated.

Lastly, being an American writer, even Negro American writer in Europe is very helpful to your career, yet it can be crippling. Baldwin says, ” An American writer feels he is accessible to everyone and open to everything. A writer has so much opportunity. “The freedom  that an American writer finds in Europe brings him full circle, back to himself , with the responsibility for his development where it always was”. Whereas in America you are limited by your color and social status . If you are black you may not even be published at all. Even today American go to Europe because they have more freedom and can voice themselves openly and are loved there. People are much more open minded. In conclusion, Inequality in America still exist today among race,social status, and creativity.