social constricts

I, personally think that today's lesson on personal constricts was interesting because I know that people at school do separate and divide themselves from other people for many different reasons, but I never mentally processed the things we separate ourselves from. I find that age is a big social constrict for me because I see that my friends separate themselves from some of the older upperclassmen. I see that adults and parents underestimate adolescents because they are simply "too young to understand" as Ashley had stated in class. I know that my family treats me as though I am still a child. I also see that people separate themselves by the way they dress, what kind of music they listen to and their personality. In today's society there are many people that judge you right off the bat on what you wear, what music you could be listening to and how you act, like what DiMarco said today in class. I believe that not only age plays a factor, but how someone else perceives you when they first meet you. I remember that some of my friends did not really like me or appreciate me until they really got to know who i am as a person and they got to know and understand where i come from for acting the way I do. LeGuin also uses some social constricts in her book, but I think she may have tried to avoid doing so. In her book I feel as though that gender is a huge role in where you will get in life, she uses he as the main pronoun for many of the characters and I feel as though it is a sign that the male race will always dominate over females. I feel as though the female role in the book is a shortcoming, that females are not appreciated and in society there are still some people that are sexist and stereotypical that women can't do things that most men can do. I understand that girls are born with more fat than muscles but it doesn't mean that women can't be successful body builders and i know that girls are supposed to be "dainty" and "fragile" but there are tough, strong, intelligent and outstanding women that are no where near dainty and fragile. Overall, I have learned through the left hand of darkness that darkness and light complement each other. Without one, you can not have the other, without good there is no bad. I also have learned that gender plays a role in what you are expected of and what a person can really accimplish. LeGuin is a really good writer and at times it was difficult to understand, but in the end, I can understand the message that she was trying to send. I understand that she not only teaches us that the male role is unjustifiably dominant, but there are other factors that make people in our society divide and isolate themselves.