NAMA JABATAN / UNIT: JABATAN BAHASA INGGERIS

INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU KAMPUS BAHASA ANTARABANGSA

LEMBAH PANTAI, 59200 KUALA LUMPUR

TUGASAN KERJA KURSUS

(INDIVIDU)
Nama : SYLVIA ISHANEE SELWIN

Angka Giliran: 2022212310094

Nombor Kad Pengenalan : 040716080306

Kumpulan/Unit : PPISMP TESL ( D )

Kod dan Nama Kursus : PEPS1112 EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

Nama Pensyarah : Moorthy A/L M.Subramaniam

Tarikh Hantar : 23/06/2023

Tarikh Diterima :
(Diisi Oleh Pensyarah)

Pengakuan Pelajar

Saya mengaku bahawa kerja kursus ini adalah hasil kerja saya sendiri kecuali nukilan

dan ringkasan yang setiap satunya saya jelaskan sumbernya.

Pengesahan Pelajar

Saya mengesahkan bahawa maklum balas yang diberikan oleh pensyarah telah saya

fahami.

Tandatangan Pelajar : Jumlah markah:

Tarikh : 23/06/2023
The Common Enemy

It was the 6th of June, 1944. The Soviet Union had formed an alliance with a country that in
other circumstances would be against each other, the United States of America. You see, they
found a common ground on which their alliance stood. They shared a common enemy. Dawn
broke and the sky grumbled, ashes and thick smoke set a historic scene. After months of
preparation and brutal battling, Germany finally surrendered. The victory was sweet and
liberation was in the air. Now what do the events of World War II have anything to do with my
topic today you may ask? Ladies and gentlemen Today, I stand before you to share how our
allyship between genders can help defeat our common enemy, the patriarchy. I’d like to
address a topic that is often overlooked in discussions about gender equality: how the
patriarchy negatively affects men.

Patriarchy is a social system that encompasses every aspect of society from culture to
economy, where it is assumed that men are superior to women (Almeida, 2021). In this social
system, women are to assume a subordinate role in society. I know most of you here are well-
versed in how the patriarchy undoubtedly benefits men over women, but we fail to see how
this social structure oppresses the very people it was made by and for. The unspoken rule that
men should be masculine and powerful has left little space for self-expression. Since femininity
is seen as a weakness, men are presumed to not show any of it. This narrow outlook of
masculinity can be suffocating and limit men's ability to express their authentic selves.
Gentlemen, let me ask you something, have you ever been judged for your hobbies or habits
that are deemed too feminine? Like listening to Korean pop, liking women’s fashion, the way
you sit, and even preferring romcoms over action movies? You see, society has deemed it
acceptable for a woman to act masculine. Yet the same society bashes men for showing even
an ounce of femininity. Men can’t express themselves healthily and this greatly affects their
mental health. The notion that men can’t cry or show vulnerability contributes to the
deterioration of men’s mental health. I’m sure a lot of you have heard the words “boys don’t
cry” or “be a man”. It is words like this that discourage men from seeking mental health. Men
face a higher likelihood of experiencing mental health problems like depression and anxiety
because they feel pressure to hide their emotions and face their challenges alone.

Freight not ladies and gentlemen! There are ways we can help undo these negative effects of
the patriarchy. The first and most important step is to simply recognise the patriarchy’s
negative effects extend beyond just women. Only then can both genders realize their fight is
not with each other but rather with their common enemy, the patriarchy. The masculinity norms
placed on men have ruined men’s attitude towards mental health help. There’s a study that
discovered men who strongly conform to traditional masculine norms tend to delay seeking
help until they reach a crisis point or exhaust their own resources. (Seidler et al, 2016) It’s
such an unfortunate thing to hear. What we as a society need to do is encourage men to
express themselves and open up. It may sound simple but trust that a simple word of
encouragement can go a long way. Giving them a safe space where they can share their
feelings and be unapologetically themself can help a lot with their mental health. Aside from
that, we shouldn’t criticise someone for going against their gender norms and instead
celebrate their differences. It is vital to reconsider and criticise men's strict gender roles and
expectations, pushing for a broader understanding of masculinity, and providing room for
emotional openness, vulnerability, and personal growth. After this speech, I want you to tell a
male friend or family that you’re there for them. Maybe even give them a pat on the back or a
hug.

My fellow allies, we have to join forces in dismantling the patriarchy. Only then can we create
a society where men can be their true selves without fear of judgement or punishment. Let's
build an environment that uplifts and empowers everyone, regardless of gender. We need to
help each other out on this battlefield. Leave no man or woman behind. I am sure that one
day, we can triumph in victory in a world with true gender equality for all. But until then my
soldiers, we have to support our comrades in this brutal war against our common enemy. As
David Foster Wallace put it, “Nothing brings you together like a common enemy”. Ladies and
gentlemen, my fellow allies, thank you for lending me your ears.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Almeida, Y. V. de O. (2021). Intersectional Dialogue While Combating LGBT-Phobia in

Schools (pp. 24–43). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4072-5.ch002

Bilsker, D., Fogarty, A. S., & Wakefield, M. A. (2018). Critical Issues in Men’s Mental Health.
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(9), 590–596.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743718766052

Cahn, N., & Ní Aoláin, F. (n.d.). Gender, Masculinities and Transition in Conflicted Societies
NAOMI CAHN FIONNUALA NI AOLAIN HIRSCH LECTURE: GENDER,
MASCULINITIES, AND TRANSITION IN CONFLICTED SOCIETIES.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1516709Electroniccopyavailableat:https://ssrn.com/abstract=1
516709Electroniccopyavailableat:https://ssrn.com/abstract=1516709

Guy-Evans, O. (2023, April 20). Patriarchal Society according to feminism. Simply Sociology.
https://simplysociology.com/patriarchal-society-feminism-
definition.html#:~:text=Patriarchal%20ideology%20is%20the%20idea,life%20and%20wi
thin%20the%20workplace.

Ikeda, A., Kobayashi, T., & Itakura, S. (2018). Sensitivity to linguistic register in 20-month-
olds: Understanding the register-listener relationship and its abstract rules. PLOS ONE,
13(4), e0195214. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195214

Nash, C. (2020). Patriarchy. Patriarchy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/patriarchy