Movie Paper
The movie, North Country has shown the controversial nature and the ugliness of the sexual harassment issue that is still prevailing in the developed as well as in the developing countries (Collin-Vezina, Dion, and Trocme). The story of the movie is an indication of the fact that the prejudice and bias against the women have never concluded in spite of the persistent claims of the theories regarding the efficiency of the law in promoting the equality between men and women. The movie North Country, has, however, also pointed out towards the fact that how the declared official equality of law has paved the way to humiliation, abuse, degradation, and inequality in the male dominating societies.
a. In the North Country, a true story is represented, a story of the female miner named Josey Aimes, who has to face the economic bias and gender hardship in the workforce. However, it is a fact that every day in most of the parts of world, women have to face the same situations (Nagindrappa, and M.K). This is because of the fact that there are several factors that exert social pressure on working women, the significant factors are social hierarchy, gender empowerment among males, sexual orientation, dominating nature of males, and stereotypes against females. Because of these factors, women have to sexual harassment, inequality, and unfair wages within the labor force. The various incidence of the sexual harassment that women miners have faced include
- Unwelcome touching: It is represented in the movie that the male colleagues touch them against the wish of the females. This, however, includes pinching, grabbing, and kissing.
- Offensive language: In the movie, the male colleagues have used insulting words against the females, they are humiliated by saying that they do not belong in mines. She was also labeled as a slut and emotional woman various times in the movie.
North Country is a tormenting story of Josey Aimes, who is a single parent and is making efforts in order to support her kids by seeking employment opportunity along the way. Furthermore, she has left the offensive relationship with her ex-husband, and tries to find comfort within her family, where she is taught that a woman just belong to her husband. This can be analyzed from the fact that mother of Josey Aimes, who is an assiduous housewife, has encouraged Josey to stay with her husband, even with the disparity, pain and sufferings. Moreover, in an attempt, to regain her strength, and to become independent she asks about the job from her one and only friend named Glory living on Minnesota.
However, at the time, i.e., in the year 1989, the conditions and the circumstances were not favorable to the working females, so Josey also found it extremely complex to find her position and place among the workers. Additionally, after getting grip on her past of sexual harassment and sexual abuse, she has taken a stand against her male colleagues at the mines, and ultimately brought a remarkable change in the laws relating to the sexual harassment. The men provided the justification for the sexual harassment of women miners that the jobs should be kept for men, and female should belong to the children at home.
b. When Josie raised the charges of the sexual harassment, some of the key characters have changed their traditional gender ideologies that they once held, this is because, previously they were unaware of the no discrimination policy at the work, they considered age, race, gender, and tradition important in the work. The traditions were, however, indicative of the fact that males should be working, and the women should stay home. Furthermore, discrimination is also promoted by the organization’s hierarchy (Berry), so they were just considering the hierarchy. The standards of mine were also such that they allowed men to live their desired lifestyle without any interference.
Josie’s raising of charges has made them clear that the system of social change and cooperation characterize the family life in the organization, which has helped them to change their traditional gender ideology. The charges also made it clear that the women are facing gender stratification in the society, which is disturbing for a female. Gender stratification is serving as an invented boundary that is segregating women from earning an equal level of money, prestige, respect, and incentives that men get at their work. This has also played an important role in changing the gender ideologies of some of the characters.
Josie’s raising of charges has played a significant role in changing the perception of some characters such as Josie’s father and mother who considered that women miners’ situation is an individual experience. Rosie’s voice raising has cleared the fact that working women are facing many problems due to male dominance in the organization that is leading to the sexual harassment and sexual abuse of females. So, it is a collective social issue not an individual one.
C). However, before the occurrence of the lawsuit working female miners were regarded as a bad luck, in spite of the fact that they were central to the work related to mining. The women miners were not encouraged much. Working in the minefield was regarded as a dirty job and most of the miners have even refused to so, but women has to do because of their family. The working of women in the mines, however, became a problem and an issue for the friends, community, family, and also for themselves. But, the first lawsuit of sexual harassment has provided ease to the females.
Women miners, however, break the gender conventions that women are not eligible to work underground and she is not a bad luck if she is working at such places. They have improved the working conditions for the females. For example, in the movie North Country it is shown that the women were not allowed the required bathroom breaks, and the men were free to take a break in order to go to the bathroom, as a result of this a female miner developed bladder infection.
They have changed the gender roles associated with the mining industries, and also widened the traditional rights of women to earn her living. This has changed the identity of female minors as well as the male colleagues.
The female minors got their right to work according to their own will without any external pressure, and sexual harassment, and the male colleagues recognized the right of women and to earn for their family. The situation would not have been different if the women miners had been the persons of colors. This is because they are already treated, in a way that they are a minority showing racial discrimination, however, if they were the persons of colors then similar treatment would be exercised considering them a minority group. For example, Josey was called slut and cunt by her co-workers, because she was a female doing job, similarly they could call the persons of colors with different names, humiliating for them. So, it can be said that gender play an essential role in shaping the working women’s experience, but this is also an issue of the social class, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and race.
In a nutshell, the movie North Country examines the roles of the women in the work force. Gender and many other factors such as ethnic background, social class, and the personal life can affect the performance of women at work, and her wage for doing job. Furthermore, the movie is also a representation of the fact how males use their gender in order to influence their peers including both male and female peers, and dominate themselves in the workforce. Many gender issues are also discussed in the film. However, the men have performed several cruel as well as indecent acts, and women who have not done anything wrong are regarded as whores just because they are working in the mines. Moreover, traditional gender roles and the ideas are also presented many times during the entire movie. For example, mother of Josey has given a talk in order to teach her what is a mother is meant for her child. This can also be analyzed from the fact that the boss of Josey has told her that to work in the mines is not easy for females, and in case she runs into trouble she has to deal with them in a manly way.
Furthermore, the movie has represented women in several different ways such as they are uncertain, strong, weak, and flirty. The movie has shown every character that a women display during her life. Moreover, it also displayed the strength of a woman, their self respect and their ability to deal with the problems, and helped for carrying the suit of sexual harassment into the movement of class action, which is an indication of the fact that women can unite under a common objective irrespective of the background issues. This is, however, an empowering depiction of the females.
North Country is a feminist movie as it has addressed a major points relating to the feminism and respect of females. All the individuals are equal and they deserve respect and fair treatment irrespective of the gender, class, and race, and this is particularly emphasized in the movie. The major focus in the movie is on discrimination, sexual harassment, violation of ethics, and character development. Men are running the hierarchy of the organizations where intimidation, criticism, and slander are used in order to keep the females under the thumbs. The complaints of females are, however, discredited with the charge of the sexual promiscuity. The rumoring of the sexual behavior of a woman points out towards the fact that how women are treated at their job and in the workplace. She is not allowed to speak rather instructed to keep her behavior under the control. The male employees working in the mines do not follow any ethical considerations and keep on insulting females. All these factors help a woman to become strong and fight for her rights.
References
Collin-Vézina , Delphine , Jacinthe Dion, and Nico Trocme. "Sexual Abuse in Canadian Aboriginal Communities: A Broad Review of Conflicting Evidence." A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health 7: 27-47. Print.
Nagindrappa, Manikamma, and Radhika M.K . "Women Exploitation in Indian modern society." International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications 3: 1-11. Print.
Berry, Daphne. "Inequality in organizations: stereotyping, discrimination, and labor law exclusions." Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal 3: 236 – 248. Print.
