Gilligan

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that men and women were created differently. People always talk about how men and women should be treated the same, when in reality they are different. They handle situations differently. In Woman’s Place in Man’s Life Cycle, Carol Gilligan expresses the differences between the way that men and women regard relationships. She starts off by explaining both of the sexes during infancy. Mothers treat their daughters as more like them, and so females have a certain attachment with their mothers. Males on the other hand are treated like opposites by their mothers. To become masculine males separate themselves from their mothers. When I read this it made me think about relationships in family. Mothers and their daughters have a more intimate relationship. They are able to show their love and affection for each other. Males on the other hand are not as intimate with their mothers because they want to maintain their masculinity.
Since males are used to being separated and being an individual, this makes it hard for men to be in a relationship. Females on the other hand are able to attach to someone, and they do not like to feel separated. This makes it hard for men and women to see eye to eye in relationships. Females feel that they need a companion, and males feel that they do not. Men in return are less sensitive to the needs of women. Not all women have a need for a companion, but it is just their nature to want to love, nurture, and care for someone.