The Caste System

Aeden Sutherlin
The Caste System
Continuously strong are the prejudices originated from societal classes dominated by economics and the ruling race, once called caste systems in India. Caste systems have been put in place for us and commonly are hereditary, who can be held responsible? There is, not only imposed gender constraints, but also societal class constraints and when they are both challenged simultaneously it becomes rather interesting. The outcome of this fused role reversal in “Sex in the City” is disturbing because it shows that men have not changed their views on woman being more successful. The issue is ever changing and there are many men who are willing to stay home, take care of the children and let the woman work, however this episode supports the patriarchal idea of men having to be the dominant economic provider.


In the outside source referenced here, it is apparent that both gender and class constraints conflict Miranda from “Sex in the City”, season 2, episode “The Caste System”. She is a successful lawyer while her boyfriend is a single minded bartender. The argument of her friends is that he will always be a lower class than her so they will never work out. She doesn’t care about the apparent class difference but he does. When confronted with having to buy an expensive suit for a law firm party, the boyfriend breaks up with Miranda claiming that he will never feel good about himself knowing she is in a higher paying job with more responsibilities and ambitions.


It is argued that if the roles were reversed there would be no problem, there seems to be an assumption that it is alright for the man to have more money than the woman but visa versa is unacceptable. This is an obvious hereditary cultural ideology passed down. One may argue, however, it could be a biological trait where the man needs to provide for the woman, such as the cavemen did; a hard sell.


As McDonald states in “Romantic Comedy” (pg. 49), “Such a restrictive view of gendered behavior indicates contemporary societal assumptions about the two sexes, as well as the anxiety raised by reports like Kinsey’s which implied these assumptions could not be substantiated”. These gender assumptions included the idea that woman did not desire sex and when Kinsey reported the opposite, society was reassured, “regardless of this, they were still prepared not to give in to their desires but would wait for a man who would marry them first”. (McDonald, T.J. Romantic Comedy. London: Wallflower, 2007, pg47) Organizations passing down this gender ideology and constraint must be shocked and appalled with the radical ideas put forth in “Sex in the City”, even if it still promotes marriage. Any reversal of these assumed gender roles is inevitably humorous, as is seen in many romantic comedies (pg. 49), in the case of Miranda it turned out to be tragic.


Gender constraints are the primary focus of “Sex in the City” and despite it being a romantic comedy it is a radical romance. This episode and many more show a side of women that until now has only been revealed to the chosen few. No matter how frivolous the characters may seem to some there is a bit of each character in most western women. The author has captured the contemporary woman and all her complicated physical and mental thoughts and needs. She is constantly conflicted with the historical view of woman as opposed to her own modern idea, as seen with Miranda and her boyfriend.


The character that emanates the most radical change in the view of woman is Samantha. She uses men for sex and there are no strings attached which is exactly how she wants it, most of the time. Even in her occasional need for more than sex from her mate she still demonstrates a male attitude. There is a scene where her boyfriend tries to take her hand but she doesn’t want to be so intimate to the detriment of falling down a sidewalk hole, she only wants to have sex, not cuddle. Miranda also shows a male side when she does not want to cuddle in bed with her boyfriend Steve, he is the one who wants to snuggle, typically a female trait; yet again an assumed gender attribute.


The strongest most appealing women in television have typically been waiting their whole lives to be married and are only working until it happens. Look at Mary Tyler Moore, one of the most popular shows for girls in the seventies and even though she was a contemporary working woman she was only bide ding her time until the nuptials. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote in “The Vindication for the Rights of Woman”, “strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty;…I attribute to a false system of education gathered from books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than wives; and the understanding of the sex has been so bubbled by this specious homage, that the civilized women of present century, with a few exceptions, are only anxious to inspire love, when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition, and by their abilities and virtues exact respect”. She believed two hundred years ago that women are worth more than just their charms and should act with reason or above it, as William Blake put it, with the Poetic Genius. (Blake, William. Duncan Wu Anthology Romanticism, third edition, All Religions Are One. USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006, pg. 174)
It has taken this long for real change to happen and to finally see characters in popular culture that question the very ideals that make up our society, not the least of which is the constraints made up for women.


“The influence of biology has been rejected in favour of understanding masculinity and femininity as cultural constraints”. (Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies, theory and practice. London: Sage Publications, 2008, pg 285) These constraints are in a constant state of flux and the discourse achieved has brought about change. The concept of womanhood is being explored like never before because the awareness of cultural constraints and the change of attitudes towards traditional beliefs. Women no longer need to be married to have children and they can be monetarily successful without the help of a man. This may seem like progress to some but many men still cannot deal with the idea of women being completely independent, as seen in the episode of “Sex in the City.”

WORKS CITED
“Sex in the City”, season 2, episode “The Caste System”.

McDonald, T.J. Romantic Comedy. London: Wallflower, 2007.

Wollstonecraft, Mary. Duncan Wu Anthology Romanticism, third edition, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.

Blake, William. Duncan Wu Anthology Romanticism, third edition, All Religions Are One. USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.

Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies, theory and practice. London: Sage Publications, 2008.