Where+Are+We+Paper

Type in the content of your page here. Tracie Bornheimer Womans Studies 203 Feb 14,2010

Oprah Winfrey is proven to be a very powerful woman in the world today even though male dominance is the given standard and rule. Earlier in Winfrey's career she had to deal with an inferior gender position issue which is common in a Patriarchal System that can exist in societies.Presently Oprah Winfrey is able to advoid the effects of a Patriarchal System,but in the past the effects still lingered.

The talk show host Oprah Winfrey is a icon in the television industry. In his Book Where Are We, Johnson states," Male dominance does mean that where there is concentration of power,men are the ones most likely to have it they are the default. Nor does male dominance mean that all woman are powerless" (p 6). Being a female Winfrey has proven to be a very powerful and influencial figure in the world today. Winfrey's power as a woman stands regardless of male dominance being the rule. For example Winfrey's television talk show provides powerful and influencing information to millions of viewers every day. Oprah Winfrey's show helped to support Barack Obama during his campaign to become president of the United States. Presently Winfrey's show is bringing awareness to the dangers and consequences of texting while people drive in their vehicles. Texting in vehicles is becoming a major problem in our country everyday causing serious accidents involving a huge number of fatalities. The power that is displayed in a woman's talk show like Oprah's could influence our U.S. government to establish knew laws to prevent texting while driving.

Although Oprah Winfrey is a very powerful and influencial woman today by owning and running her own production company Harpo Productions,her career did not start out that way. The beginnings of her career was affected by having an inferior gender position to deal with while working with men. Meaning Winfrey was inferior to men in the work place. For example Winfrey started her career by working in basic radio and television broadcasting. Compared to owning and being in charge of all production responsibilities for her current production company,in the past she had to deal with being in a less dominating role, an inferior gender position as a woman. Winfrey was dealing with being inferior to men while working on the job. Johnson states," Men may have such expierences because of their race or other subordinate standing,but rarely if ever because they're Men" (p 23).

The outcome of Oprah Winfrey's career is an exception to the male dominating Patriarchal System that effects the majority of woman today,eventhough gender position was a common concern earlier on in her career.