The Triple Bind
The Pressures on Teenage Girls in America
Growing up in any culture there are rules and traditions on how a child should act. As they grow up there are still those rules, but they become more unspoken rules that are socially accepted. These are the pressures of becoming an adult and fitting into the world around you. For girls these pressures are even more extreme due to the burden of being the “weaker” sex. This term is changing, but it is changing because it is now expected of girls to do things just as well, or better than their male counterpoints. Girls are supposed to be smart, docile, attractive, strong, self-sufficient, and all around the best at what they do. The triple bind is helpful to teenage girls because the triple bind helps girls strive for excellence in every activity they do to be just as good, or better than, boys. The triple bind is an unspoken trilogy of rules that girls are supposed to live up to nowadays. Girls are now supposed to be good at “womanly” things (being kind, tolerant, sexy and obedient), to be good at “manly” things (being competitive, strong, and successful) and, to be perfect 100% of the time. These are contradicting views and some believe that it confuses women but others believe that it gives women more choice and gives them the respect of expecting that they can do more than just tend a home. The triple bind, according to the author of “What is the triple bind?” Stephen Hinshaw, is a set of rules that makes girls do everything and be perfect, but I believe that that is an over dramatization. The triple bind is a set of rules that push girls, but can be accepted as easily as they can be denied. Girls are the ones who feel the pressure, but there isn’t any one enforcing these rules or handing out punishments if they are not followed. The triple bind holds girls to the old standard of learning things so they could take care of a home and family but also gives them the option to be competitive and play sports and choose a
Growing up in any culture there are rules and traditions on how a child should act. As they grow up there are still those rules, but they become more unspoken rules that are socially accepted. These are the pressures of becoming an adult and fitting into the world around you. For girls these pressures are even more extreme due to the burden of being the “weaker” sex. This term is changing, but it is changing because it is now expected of girls to do things just as well, or better than their male counterpoints. Girls are supposed to be smart, docile, attractive, strong, self-sufficient, and all around the best at what they do. The triple bind is helpful to teenage girls because the triple bind helps girls strive for excellence in every activity they do to be just as good, or better than, boys. The triple bind is an unspoken trilogy of rules that girls are supposed to live up to nowadays. Girls are now supposed to be good at “womanly” things (being kind, tolerant, sexy and obedient), to be good at “manly” things (being competitive, strong, and successful) and, to be perfect 100% of the time. These are contradicting views and some believe that it confuses women but others believe that it gives women more choice and gives them the respect of expecting that they can do more than just tend a home. The triple bind, according to the author of “What is the triple bind?” Stephen Hinshaw, is a set of rules that makes girls do everything and be perfect, but I believe that that is an over dramatization. The triple bind is a set of rules that push girls, but can be accepted as easily as they can be denied. Girls are the ones who feel the pressure, but there isn’t any one enforcing these rules or handing out punishments if they are not followed. The triple bind holds girls to the old standard of learning things so they could take care of a home and family but also gives them the option to be competitive and play sports and choose a