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Americans seem to have a funky relationship with umbrellas. Some outsiders and visitors have observed this little phenomenon: they see Americans forgo the umbrella and just trudge through the rain.

In contrast, some East Asian cultures (Japan, for example) practically require an umbrella for rain AND shine. It’s just what people do to protect themselves from the rain and the sun.

So what’s the deal with Americans and umbrellas, then? Don’t they want to get protected from the elements?

While there aren’t any scientific explanations to determine what causes this phenomenon, a handful of social articles and observations in people’s blogs on the internet give way to a few reasons:

1. People don’t want to be inconvenienced and hassled by having to carry umbrellas.

2. People aren’t so bothered by a little rain here and there; if it’s gonna rain, you’re probably gonna get wet!

3. People will just deal with the weather as it comes (sometimes forgetting the umbrella or sometimes just purposefully leaving it).

People in Oregon and Washington (and most of the Pacific North West, really) for their year-long rainy weather, are some of the people who are most notably anti-umbrella. One of the main reasons that Oregonians don’t carry an umbrella is the sheer inconvenience of having to carry it.  People want to keep their hands free, and for a place where there seems to be varying levels of perpetual mist, it’s just too much of a hassle having to worry about it if you’re going to get wet anyway.

Another reason that people have cited for keeping their umbrellas at home is because it’s just rain! If it’s not a hurricane or some torrential downpour, people don’t see the big deal when it comes to getting a little wet. After all, it’s not as if most people are going to be walking in the rain from destination A to destination B for much too long. And if they are, a lot of people prefer to wear raincoats and parkers – again for convenience and to keep their hands free.

Plus, think about the wind! So many people have endured the demise of their umbrellas in the midst of a downpour when it inevitably turns inside out. Sure, there are companies who have created much stronger and sturdier umbrellas that can weather (ha!) the storm, but most people would rather just turn their head away from the rain and keep it moving.

Something that’s a little bit subtler about this phenomenon is the “cool” factor of being able to brave the storm. For people in the PNW, seeing someone with an umbrella can show natives of who is from that area and who isn’t. Something a little bit more insidious is this notion of going through the rain without an umbrella can be seen as “tough and masculine” considering the history of umbrellas, by way of parasols, were considered as feminine accessories in years past.

Ultimately, for the people who forget their umbrella or leave home without it, the world doesn’t stop. People will just have to think of much more creative ways of covering themselves, with newspapers or backpacks or plastic bags over their head. Or, they’ll accept their fate from the rain gods.

References:

https://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/03/do_oregonians_really_hate_umbr.html

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/the-complexities-of-using-an-umbrella-in-new-york-city/

https://bite-japan.com/kako-m/umbrella-e.html

https://blog.willamette.edu/worldnews/2015/02/27/why-don%E2%80%99t-you-americans-wear-socks-and-use-umbrellas/

https://q13fox.com/2017/10/17/we-dont-want-no-stinkin-umbrellas/

https://midnightamane.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/umbrella-culture/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11169323/Why-real-men-dont-use-umbrellas.html

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Truly a question for the ages. Many a person has wondered what is going on with male-identifying individuals. Is it that their brains are wired differently? Actually, research shows that there is no discernible difference between the brains of men and women—different biological tests have been done (looking at hormone levels, as one example), but there is no conclusive evidence that biology is the basis for gender differences and behavior. Many social scientists believe that in accepting biological explanations for gender, the implication is that gender inequality has to continue to exist. Instead, people believe that differences in gendered behavior are related to social and cultural circumstances. Gender, and with it masculinity and femininity, is a social construct that changes over time depending on what cultural norms are established. This impacts how men and women behave, communicate, and interact with each other. Research understands gender to be a marker of social difference, thus ideas of “masculinity” and “femininity” are often reinforced through cultural norms and through economic and social systems.

So, why are boys so complicated? It could have to do with how they communicate and display emotions. Traditionally, emotional control has been a marker of “masculinity,” and something that society uses to show how men and women differentiate. This can result in the conception that men don’t share their true feelings, leading to the creation of books such as What Men Won’t Tell You but Women Need to Know or movies such as the upcoming movie  “What Men Want.” This aspect of masculinity and the expectations set for men to be emotionally withholding or less communicative can contribute to another reason why boys are so complicated, which is the idea of toxic masculinity.

Toxic masculinity is one narrow expression of masculinity, that permeates different aspects of American culture. Toxic masculinity is defined by aggression, sex, status, and violence; strength is the most important, and emotions are seen as weaknesses. The idea that men don’t cry, or that “boys will be boys” stems from toxic conceptions about what manhood means. If most people believe that men are naturally violent or uncommunicative, then men are excused for any consequences for that type of behavior. Toxic masculinity isn’t asserting that all men are violent—in fact, the conversation was started by men to try and consider how certain conceptions about gender had affected their lives. It’s the idea that boys believe they should act in certain ways because of how “manliness” is portrayed by our society.

Boys being complicated probably has to do with the way society constructs ideas regarding masculinity, and how that, in turn, affects the way boys behave, communicate, and display their emotions.

Works Cited

Berkowitz, B., & Gittines, R. (2008). What men won’t tell you but women need to know. New York: Harper.

Clemens, C. (2017, December 21). Say No to “Boys Will Be Boys.” Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/say-no-to-boys-will-be-boys

Clemens, C. (2017, December 7). What We Mean When We Say, “Toxic Masculinity.” Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/what-we-mean-when-we-say-toxic-masculinity

Gough, B. (2018). Contemporary Masculinities: Embodiment, Emotion, and Wellbeing. Leeds, United Kingdom: Palgrave. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1007/978-3-319-78819-7

Halberstam, J. (2014). Gender. In B. Burgett, & G. Hendler (Eds.), Keywords for American cultural studies (2nd ed.). New York, NY: New York University Press. Retrieved from http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/nyupacs/gender/0?institutionId=1724

Kellison, J. (2016). Masculinities. In A. Goldberg (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of lgbtq studies (pp. 746-749). Thousand Oaks,, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781483371283.n261

O’Malley, H. (2016, June 27). The Difference Between Toxic Masculinity and Being A Man. Retrieved from https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/the-difference-between-toxic-masculinity-and-being-a-man-dg/

What Men Want. (2019). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7634968/

N.A. (2018). Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. https://doi.org/10.24926/8668.2401

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Finding a job can seem like a daunting task, but the process is more manageable if you break it into steps. The first step is to consider what kind of job you’re looking for. Are you looking for a part-time job to work while you’re in school or a full-time position for after graduation? For part-time positions, consider finding an on-campus position using the On-Campus Job List or browse the other part-time employment resources provided by University Career Services. 

If you’re thinking about what to do post-graduation, there are all kinds of resources available to you at UNC. You can schedule a one-on-one appointment with a career counselor, or browse Handshake, which is UNC’s online portal of job and internship listings. To narrow down your interests, consider using the Focus 2 self-assessment tool, which helps clarify your work interests and skills — and how those might fit into different possible career paths.

        Once you have a better idea of the types of jobs you are interested in, you can start browsing job postings, compiling application materials, and learning more about your field(s) of interest. Reach out to people working in your field (especially UNC alumni!) to request informational interviews — these are low-stakes opportunities to make connections in your field and learn about different possible career paths within your area of interest. In a dissertation about informational interviews, Kimberly S. Hogelucht found that “informational interviews are much more than a networking tool. They are a way to secure internships.” A recent article for Inside Higher Ed covers common mistakes that students make during the informational interview process and how students can use these opportunities more wisely.

        As you conduct informational interviews and narrow your interests, continually search for job postings in your field. LinkedIn and Indeed.com are good places to start, but also search for the job boards that specifically cater to your chosen field. For example, idealist.org provides job listings in the nonprofit sector and USA Jobs compiles federal government job listings. Many local professional associations also have job boards with a list of open local positions. For example, the North Carolina Paralegal Association and the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Triangle both have career centers on their websites. Searching for local professional organizations will not only help you identify open positions — you can also attend local educational and networking events, where you can meet others who are already working in your field. These organizations often have student membership discounts, mentorship programs, and scholarships to attend conferences and other events in your field.

        The final step in to actually apply to positions! Use the wealth of resources that UNC offers to help develop your resume and cover letter and to practice interviewing skills. Remember that it takes time and persistence to secure a job offer, and it helps to be strategic in your searching. In a New York Times article on “Job Hunting in the Digital Age,” a recent college graduate recommends “[talking] to people and not to a resume website.” Your job search will be more efficient and rewarding if you spend time learning about your field and meeting people who could be mentors and colleagues, as well as polishing your resume and clicking submit.

By: Cait Kennedy 

Works Cited

Hogelucht, K. S. (2011). Tapping the hidden job market through informational interviews: A qualitative examination of students' and professionals' perspectives (Order No. 3475602). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (892767080). Retrieved from http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/docview/892767080?accountid=14244

Magaldi, T. 3 Informational Interview Mistakes. (2018, July 2). Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2018/07/02/tip-effective-informational-interviews-opinion

Siegal Bernard, Tara. Job Hunting in the Digital Age. (2016, April 8). The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/education/edlife/job-hunting-in-the-digital-age.html

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