New love interest could zap you of your money inte...
New love interest could zap you of your money interest
Date: January 1, 1970
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The article, whose purpose is supposedly to advice people to avoid financial problems, uses language that is demeaning to women and normalises long term extra-marital affairs.
This article may be used to:
- show blatant stereotypical presentation of women
- draw attention to derogatory language.
- draw attention how data /information is selectively used to emphasise an agenda.
- raise discussions on relationships between men and women.
Trainer’s notes
This article, which is supposedly to advise people to take care of their finances, is heavy with stereotypes and demeaning language. It reduces women to assets, referring to them as “interest” meaning that they are a “plus” or“addition” to men’s lives or “capital,” rather than individuals in their own right. Women are presented as ungrateful with ever increasing demands. Though the article makes mention of the woman in the story having obtained a university degree, the writer says that she is “not prepared to work” and lives off the man, while he is a “hard worker” who saved his money to start a small business. The reader wonders at the inference that she is lazy because when she met this man she only had a matric certificate but studied to get a degree. It takes a hard work to get a degree, which the article fails to give credit to the woman for. Without her side of the story, the reader can ask whether she was not able to find a job or was she prevented from working in some way ?
During the entire article, the man is portrayed as having an injustice done to him, without ever questioning his decision to have two homes and two relationships, and lying to his wife about the family finances. The article normalises this kind of behaviour.
As well, the writer fails to outline the opposite problem, where women meet men, and those men do not work but are continually supported by the woman. An insight as to what this means for women’s empowerment and financial security would also have been of interest.
Discussion Questions
- What are the key messages in the article?
- What key messages is the article failing to send out with regards to multiple partners? 3. What are the financial security issues related to multiple partners? How does this related to health and HIV concern.
- What other ways could the used to educate people on the importance of taking care of their finances without demeaning women.
- Analyse the language used .What does it say of the writer’s attitude to women? Discuss other measures that could be used to save money
Training exercises
- On two separate flip chart papers, write men and women. List all of the attributes that the article portrays for each.
- Conduct a survey, as men and women what their financial security concerns are? Are the similar or very different.
- Re-write this article into a gender aware commentary.
Download : New love interest could zap you City Press 9Nov SA
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