Superwoman Syndrome - When Best Isn't Good Enough

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Aidan_Maconachy]Aidan Maconachy

Despite the gains women have made over the past few decades, �liberation� hasn�t always panned out to be liberating.

In real life terms, liberation for many women means assuming multiple roles, taking on multiple responsibilities and being the subject of multiple expectations. Working women who hold down demanding professional jobs are expected to be great mothers, attentive spouses, extended family coordinators, resourceful meal planners, interesting sex partners and not just do it well ... but live up to the unrealistic expectations encoded in female role model depictions on the media.

The comparisons are everywhere. Turn on the tube and there is Martha Stewart, who despite jail time, looks in top form as she effortlessly genies up another culinary miracle - just after redecorating the kitchen, retiling the roof and grooming the dog. Switch to a reality show and women who according to the experts have �image issues� are transformed into primped and sprayed �improved selves� - while the camera pans back to pics of their challenged former selves in order to remind viewers how far they have come. Turn to another channel and there is the super successful author J.K Rowlings signing books after chatting with her accountant about how to best invest the millions her literary talents have earned. Switch yet again and there is rail thin Victoria Beckham striking a pose that advertises the benefits of flexing an iron will in the dieting department.

Women who are perceived as super successful can make those who are influenced by such comparisons think they are coming up short. Even women who are doing very well by any reasonable standard.

An interesting study published in the behavioral science journal, Sex Roles, confirms the view that constant exposure to female icons of success on the media, can negatively impact young women - even giving rise to feelings of anxiety, excessive dieting and compulsive/obsessive disorders. A survey conducted by Sex Roles in New York included interviews with 900 school age girls. They spoke of the enormous pressures to succeed both academically, in extra-curricular activities and in living up to the expectations of demanding peer groups.

What about the male angle in all of this? As women become more empowered, are men stepping up to take pressure off a partner juggling multiple roles? Some are, but a lot aren�t.

The old attitude about �woman�s work� still holds true. Male partners who change diapers, wash the dishes, cook and do the laundry often see it as a concession. Men who take on these tasks willingly have in many cases developed a new perspective on gender roles and no longer adhere to the traditional role divisions. But there is a long way to go.

Women need to tune out the superwoman fantasy. It�s a tabloid fiction and is never the way it appears in the media. The perfection cult that conveys the message that the way you are is never good enough because hey - you can always be better - is unrealistic and is making a lot of women sick. Psychologists are finding that women who are most susceptible to these types of pressures often experience feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Loss of sex drive, dietary issues and feelings of inadequacy are also quite common.

Last time I watched a reality show that claimed to be in the business of making women look more attractive, I actually thought the �before� photo of the subject was way more attractive than the dolled up version the �experts� were all applauding.

It�s a good thing to want to look your best - but an obsessive-compulsive urge to look your super-best can be a problem.

Aidan Maconachy resides in Ontario, Canada. He has a BA Hons and a BEd. He taught in the UK and Canada, and has been a contributor to a variety of magazines and newspapers over the years. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/