Power is an extremely vague term; there are

no set qualifcations that cause an individual

to be powerful. However, in this huge spec-
trum of power, the single common factor is
the infuence that powerful individuals exert
over others. When one possesses power, he or
she also has the ability to change the opinions
of his or her followers and alter the courses of
their lives by providing them with either men-
tal or fnancial aid.
Because of such a component of power, the
term is not only applicable to politically ac-
tive individuals such as Barack Obama, the
US president, but also relevant to those such
as Oprah Winfrey, media proprietor, or Flor-
ence Nightingale, founder of modern nurs-
ing, who are known for their infuence over
others by the vociferation of their beliefs and
aid to those in need.
However, given the important facet of pow-
er of having infuence over others, it seems
unusual that women tend to use their renown
in a way that gives more to society than do the
allegedly more powerful men.
Tere is a lot of recent evidence indicating
that men and women act in fundamentally
diferent manners when it comes to the use of
power, said Anthony Loveday, AP Psychol-
ogy teacher. History has shown that female
fgures have a tendency to advance in a col-
laborative manner and to seek to build con-
sensus, while male fgures, due to both bio-
logical and social factors, utilize power in a
more independent and aggressive manner.
Although exceptions do exist, the general
inclination is that women who wield power
do more with it than men, mainly because
they had a harder time rising to power. Re-
search conducted by the National Bureau of
Economic Research indicates that 10.6 per-
cent of men receive promotions in the span
of a year, while only 7.6 percent of women do;
this result shows a statistically signifcant gen-
der gap in promotion rates favoring men.
Power has always been a mans world,
said Adam Gagan, social studies teacher. But
things have been changing and now, women
are playing larger roles in society than ever
before. With this newly found power, infu-
ential female fgures ofen seek to accomplish
more and attempt to help other minorities
liberation from their inferior status as to al-
low development as a group rather than as in-
dividuals.
To accomplish more in aiding others, fe-
male leaders tend to donate a greater amount
to philanthropic organizations as opposed to
male leaders, who appear to interest them-
selves more in self-development. According
to a study in 2010 by Womens Philanthropy
Institute at the University of Indiana, wom-
en are 40 percent more likely to donate than
men in amounts that are twice of their coun-
terparts. On the other hand, men seem more
interested in increasing their renown with the
funds they already have, for out of the trafc
circles funded by men and women in power,
69 percent have been named by men, com-
pared to a seven percent afer women.
Such disparities between the ways power-
ful individuals spend their funds and exert
infuence clearly demonstrate the inherent
diferences in the methods the two genders
choose to rule in. However, because women
have gained signifcant authority only during
the last two decades, it may yet be too early
to determine the efectiveness of one genders
practice of power over the other.
Rather than comparing the two types of
power, I think that we should look at the rise
of women as a progressive movement towards
balance and further equality, Yeonjae Han
(11) said. In the past when males dominated
most aspects of the workforce, there was an
overrepresentation of ferocity and masculin-
ity in the work culture. However, with an in-
crease of women and their communal concept
of power coming into light, I think that there
is more opportunity for women to be repre-
sentated in the big picture.
LONG LIVE THE KING
Women in power are more focused on aiding others,
men on self-development
By Christine Jeong
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LONG LIVE THE KING
The Paradox of Women Empowerment
Miley Cyrus explicit performance at the 2013
Video Music Awards (VMAs) ignited a series of
debates on Cyrus responsibilities as not only a
public fgure but also as a woman in the music
industry. According to Te Independent, a fresh
debate has begun on the place of women in the
modern world, regarding whether or not sexual
expression in the arts and media is a means of
uplifing or condemning female empowerment
and how women can successfully empower
themselves. Societys expectations remain di-
vided.
Te debate was propelled forward afer Irish
singer-songwriter Sinead OConnor wrote a let-
ter to Cyrus, warning her of the dangers of wom-
en being prostituted by the music industry. Con-
nors letter, though widely praised, was sharply
criticized by singer Amanda Palmer, who felt
that telling Cyrus what to do to empower her
own sex was in fact the opposite of women em-
powerment. Te UK Parliament also stepped in
to criticize Cyrus as an anti-feminist. Cyrus an-
grily lashed out and told the BBC Newsbeat that
she sees herself as one of the biggest feminists
in the world by telling women not to be afraid
of anything. She also retorted that female nudity
is beautiful, not undermining.
Miley Cyrus might think she is the biggest
feminist in the world, but she has no taste, Ji-
hoon Yang (10) said. She is trying to say girls
should be proud of being naked. She gives the
wrong impression of what woman empower-
ment really is all about. Women empowerment
is so much more than what she makes it.
Te merging of female sexuality and music is
not new to the public, and neither are the po-
larized viewpoints on the relationship between
sexual expression and women empowerment.
American singer-songwriter Madonna, who is
ofen referred to as the Queen of Pop, helped
kick-start a sexualized music era in the 80s.
Madonna believes that having the freedom to
express oneself sexually establishes self-em-
powerment. She was, however, also accused of
glorifying women as sexual objects. Such was
the impression she gave in her performances; in
the 1984 VMAs, for instance, she sparked con-
troversy as she sang Like a Virgin whilst rolling
around suggestively in a revealing, punk-style
wedding gown and her infamous Boy Toy belt.
Madonna paved the way for other contro-
versial stars, like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and
Miley Cyrus. Sexuality has been integrated into
the music industry to the point where audiences
consider singers like Taylor Swif singular due to
her lack of sexual expression. Tat lack of sexual
expression has garnered her praise. Supporters
see her as proof that women do not have to get
naked to become popular. On the other hand,
Swif has been criticized as an anti-feminist for
her lack of sexual expression; these critics see
her as submissive, hesitant and suppressed. Tis
is an image that has been further strengthened
by the romance-centered, lovelorn nature of
Swifs songs.
Society has demonstrated an increased oppo-
sition to this kind of passive romance, and this
is evident in other forms of media. Tis was the
case with the Twilight saga, a series of vampire
romance novels by Stephenie Meyer in which a
human girl, Bella Swan, falls in love with a vam-
pire who wants to kill her. You may wish she
had lofier goals and a mind of her own, said
Jennifer Reese in a review of Breaking Dawn for
Entertainment Weekly. Despite being criticized
as an anti-feminist, Meyer was ranked #49 on
Time magazines list of the 100 Most Infuential
People in 2008, and named one of the Most In-
fuential Women of 2008. Meyer also stated that
Bella was an example of feminism because she
was able to determine her own life course.
American actress Natalie Portman, a self-pro-
claimed feminist, believes that Hollywood tends
to favor unrealistic representations of women.
Te fallacy in Hollywood is that if youre mak-
ing a feminist story, the woman kicks ass and
wins, she said in an interview for Elle UKs No-
vember issue. A movie about a weak, vulnerable
woman can be feminist if it shows a real person
we can empathize with. Every woman, stated
Portman, should be accepted, whether or not
they are sexually expressive.
I think the problem [with women empow-
erment] is that people actually think that there
is an ideal empowered woman, said Courtney
Caldwell, English teacher. It makes women try
to ft themselves into molds. Teres the Miley
Cyrus [mold], and then there are those [women
in power] who are like buttoned up, independ-
ent men. Miley Cyrus may not be my brand of
feminism, but she is still a woman in power. I
have friends who have settled down and have
children, and theyre criticized for it. And others
criticize me for being independent.
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Layout by Patricia Song
By Sarah Y. Kim