Navigating Gender Stereotypes

This study explores gender roles and social norms in women’s involvement in war by comparing and contrasting The Ballad of Mulan and The Rose of Versailles. The study examines the characters of Mulan and Lady Oscar and proposes that women do not gain entry into the male-dominated military institutions by challenging the patriarchal system, but rather by assimilating into the military norm of masculinity on a conditional basis. While both characters are symbolically undermining restrictive gender norms, they must take on masculine behaviors, identities, and values in order to succeed in the institution. The study shows that patriarchy allows women’s participation in the military in a conditional manner, by adaptation and not by structural change. The analysis draws from a feminist perspective, social role theory, and social cognitive theory. It focuses on the interplay between the institutions of patriarchy, gendered military expectations, and individual agency. Feminist theory accounts for the continued existence of patriarchy in military settings, social role theory looks into the role of gender norms in the recruitment and promotion processes, and social cognitive theory looks at how self-efficacy helps women overcome institutional barriers. The study utilizes a qualitative comparative method using a close textual analysis of relevant scenes that include recruitment, military training, peer relations, promotion, and gender revelation in both texts. The results show that Mulan and Lady Oscar make symbolic gains in the military realm, but ultimately their experiences reveal the structural constraints to inclusion in the patriarchal military system.