Gender Norm Analysis

The gender norm I chose to violate was not wearing makeup. I chose to violate this norm because I realized how uncomfortable I am not covering up my face when other people are going to see me, no matter how short the amount of time they will be seeing me. This specific norm is tied to gender because of what it represents socially. There are numerous females in the west who use makeup in order to cover up perceived flaws and try to achieve perfection. As an industry, makeup has been used based on the low self-esteem and strives for perfection that western society imposes upon women. As long as there is that strive for perfection, there is a good majority of women putting cash into the makeup industry. Again, while makeup is a great outlet to be creative and express oneself, it

This supported the concept of the act-like-a-man box, where men are consistently pushed back into a narrow box emphasizing masculinity every time they try to step out. I have the ability to enhance the parts about me I like and to play around with different looks, but men in western society do not without being ridiculed for it. I believe gender roles have a very strong influence on behavior. When one cannot do something outside of what is considered the norm without being questioned or bullied over it, most individuals will want to act in a way that keeps them from being confronted. Of course, this is a wide assumption and does not include every single person in western society today. Some people want to stand out or go against the norm in order to do what they believe in, but this is not a possibility for everyone. While makeup can be fun and creative, it also does carry out a beauty standard that very clearly sets the guidelines between what it considered traditionally feminine and what is traditionally