Theme Focus
Social and institutional systems often judge women's credibility through expectations about femininity whether it be tone, body language or emotional expression. This leads to the expectation that women are to be evaluated on not just what they explicitly say but the mannerisms of how they say their words.
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Such is shown in the Amber Heard trial where public commentary heavily scrutinized her crying and emotional delivery, judging her for the performance of her testimony rather than the actual content of her words. Expressions of emotion can be interpreted differently depending on gender expectations through which women can be criticized for showing emotion or not showing enough emotion (seen as cold).
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In Machinal, Helen Jones experiences emotional breakdowns showing the intense social pressures placed on women which reflect the rigid expected standards of femininity and social conformity. As a whole, the judgements imposed upon women whether it be body language or expression shape how these expectations are expected to interpret the credibility and emotion of women.
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