Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Final Say
For my last post, I briefly want to say that I really enjoyed this class. It was definitely one of my more favorite classes I have taken at Juniata. I love philosophizing about and discussing gender. Thank you Celia for making Gender and Conflict so enjoyable!! It was a truly a wonderful class!
Mental Disorders and Gender
I really enjoyed the two presentations on mental disorders and gender. It was interesting to see the differences between men and women in respect to the disorders they get and their associated treatments.
First, I learned that the word hysteria is from the word hystera, which is Greek for uterus. The uterus was originally believed to be a separate entity within the female body that caused sickness (hysteria) if not satisfied. Women had to satisfy their uterus by engaging in sexual relations or by having kids. The evolution of the "cures" for hysteria is as follows: marriage -> marital sex -> manual stimulation -> vibrator. I love how the vibrator evolved to "cure" hysteria!
Our gendered ideas of disorders are as follows: depression (female), eating disorders (female), alcoholism (male), ADHD (male). Surprisingly, all these stereotypes are true, except ADHD occurs equally in both sexes. It is suggested that eating disorders are under-diagnosed in men, because obsessiveness over obtaining a big body can be form of an eating disorder. Often times male stresses are caused due to stresses at work as well as the stresses of having power. Women, on the other hand, have more home-related stresses, as well as stresses due to lack of power. I was surprised when Celia said that out of married men, single men, married women, and single women, married men are the most happy while married women are the least happy. Married women have the most stresses, because they have to uphold the image of a good wife and mother in addition to working outside of the household. There have been some biological factors found which make people more prone to different mental disorders. This leaves the question, are mental disorders social, biological or both??
In respect to treatment, both men and women prefer to have female therapists. I found this very interesting. While recovery is generally equally successful, women are expected to have less strength in recovering than men. Mental health drugs have medically been tested a lot more on men than on women. 8% medical studies center on women while 80% focus on men.
One comment I found interesting about anorexia is that one definition of anorexia is loosing 15% of your body weight. What if an obese woman weighing 200 pounds decides to loose weight. She would most likely be safe loosing 25 pounds without being considered anorexic. I do not like this particular definition of anorexia.
In conclusion, I found the mental health presentations to be extremely interesting. Mental health in relation to gender is definitely a topic I would want to do further research on.
First, I learned that the word hysteria is from the word hystera, which is Greek for uterus. The uterus was originally believed to be a separate entity within the female body that caused sickness (hysteria) if not satisfied. Women had to satisfy their uterus by engaging in sexual relations or by having kids. The evolution of the "cures" for hysteria is as follows: marriage -> marital sex -> manual stimulation -> vibrator. I love how the vibrator evolved to "cure" hysteria!
Our gendered ideas of disorders are as follows: depression (female), eating disorders (female), alcoholism (male), ADHD (male). Surprisingly, all these stereotypes are true, except ADHD occurs equally in both sexes. It is suggested that eating disorders are under-diagnosed in men, because obsessiveness over obtaining a big body can be form of an eating disorder. Often times male stresses are caused due to stresses at work as well as the stresses of having power. Women, on the other hand, have more home-related stresses, as well as stresses due to lack of power. I was surprised when Celia said that out of married men, single men, married women, and single women, married men are the most happy while married women are the least happy. Married women have the most stresses, because they have to uphold the image of a good wife and mother in addition to working outside of the household. There have been some biological factors found which make people more prone to different mental disorders. This leaves the question, are mental disorders social, biological or both??
In respect to treatment, both men and women prefer to have female therapists. I found this very interesting. While recovery is generally equally successful, women are expected to have less strength in recovering than men. Mental health drugs have medically been tested a lot more on men than on women. 8% medical studies center on women while 80% focus on men.
One comment I found interesting about anorexia is that one definition of anorexia is loosing 15% of your body weight. What if an obese woman weighing 200 pounds decides to loose weight. She would most likely be safe loosing 25 pounds without being considered anorexic. I do not like this particular definition of anorexia.
In conclusion, I found the mental health presentations to be extremely interesting. Mental health in relation to gender is definitely a topic I would want to do further research on.
The Devil Wears Prada
I saw this movie over Thanksgiving break and I just want to make a quick comment on it. Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly, a high power woman in the fashion industry. As a woman of high standing, she is obviously portrayed as a bitch. She is always bossing people around, making Andy run errands all over the NYC to please her. She even asks Andy to get her daughters the Harry Potter manuscripts before the book is published. Along with being a bitch, Miranda has a messed up home life. Her kids do not appear to be well behaved, because they tell Andy to bring the binder upstairs instead of just leaving it on the table in the hallway. At the end of the movie, Miranda tells Andy that she will be going through a second divorce. When Miranda is later criticized, Andy defends her saying that if Miranda was a man, she would be 10 times more respected.
In my opinion, this movie perfectly exhibits the stereotypes of high power, working women. High power women are in a double bind. If they are demanding and hard on their employees, they are a bitch. If they try to be nice to their employees, they are 'soft' and not fit for the job. There appears to be no middle ground. Being a woman leader is really hard. Society is not used to seeing women in high powered positions, so no matter what the woman does, she is criticized. Of course, Miranda has a messed-up home life, because a woman who devotes her life to her career cannot be a good mother or wife. Such women are too career-driven. This upset me. It is not fair that women in high power are always blamed for failing relationships. Relationships are two-sided. After thinking about the movie, I believe that Miranda was really good at her job, even though she probably did go overboard with the Harry Potter books. Andy's statement just about sums it up, the only reason Miranda is so heavily criticized is because she is a woman.
In my opinion, this movie perfectly exhibits the stereotypes of high power, working women. High power women are in a double bind. If they are demanding and hard on their employees, they are a bitch. If they try to be nice to their employees, they are 'soft' and not fit for the job. There appears to be no middle ground. Being a woman leader is really hard. Society is not used to seeing women in high powered positions, so no matter what the woman does, she is criticized. Of course, Miranda has a messed-up home life, because a woman who devotes her life to her career cannot be a good mother or wife. Such women are too career-driven. This upset me. It is not fair that women in high power are always blamed for failing relationships. Relationships are two-sided. After thinking about the movie, I believe that Miranda was really good at her job, even though she probably did go overboard with the Harry Potter books. Andy's statement just about sums it up, the only reason Miranda is so heavily criticized is because she is a woman.
Analysis of "I was there in the room"
"I WAS THERE IN THE ROOM"- Vagina Monologue skit by Eve Ensler
I was there when her vagina opened./We were all there, her mother, her husband and I,/and the nurse from the Ukraine with her whole hand/up there in her vagina feeling and turning with her rubber/glove as she talked casually to us — like she was turning on a loaded faucet./I was there in the room when the contractions/made her crawl on all fours,/made unfamiliar moans leak out of her pores/and still there after hours when she just screamed suddenly/wild, her arms striking at the electric air./I was there when her vagina changed/from a shy sexual hole/to an archeological tunnel, a sacred vessel,/a Venetian canal, a deep well with a tiny stuck child inside,/waiting to be rescued./I saw the colors of her vagina. They changed./Saw the bruised broken blue/the blistering tomato red/the gray pink — the dark;/saw the blood like perspiration along the edges/saw the yellow, white liquid, the shit, the clots/pushing out all the holes, pushing harder and harder,/saw through the hole, the baby’s head/scratches of black hair, saw it just there behind/the bone — a hard round memory,/as the nurse from the Ukraine kept turning and turning/her slippery hand./I was there when each of us, her mother and I,/held a leg and spread her wide pushing with all our strength against her pushing/and her husband sternly counting, “One, two, three,”/telling her to “focus, harder.”/We looked into her then./We couldn’t get our eyes out of that place./We forget the vagina — All of Us
what else would explain/our lack of awe, our lack of reverence./I was there when the doctor/reached in with Alice in Wonderland spoons/and there as her vagina became a wide operatic mouth/singing with all its strength;/first the little head, then the gray flopping arm, then the fast swimming body, swimming/quickly into our weeping arms./I was there later when I just turned and faced her vagina./I stood and let myself see her all spread, completely exposed/mutilated, swollen and torn,
bleeding all over the doctor’s hands/who was calmly sewing her there./I stood and her vagina suddenly/became a wide red pulsing heart./The heart is capable of sacrifice./So is the vagina./The heart is able to forgive and repair./It can change its shape to let us in./It can expand to let us out./So can the vagina./It can ache for us and stretch for us, die for us/and bleed and bleed us into this difficult, wondrous world./I was there in the room./I remember.
As a total Vagina Monologue fan, I have to say that this skit is absolutely beautiful. Since I did my final paper on birthing rights, I am going to analyze the birthing model used during this skit.
First of all, it is evident that the laboring woman was given the freedom to move. Eve Ensler describes her daughter-in-law crawling on all fours in pain from the contractions. Giving the laboring mother the freedom to move during labor is in line with the humanistic model of birth. This is good!!
Secondly, the woman is described as giving birth on her back, with her feet in the air. This reflects the traditional lithotomy position. The lithotomy position fits the technocratic model, because it was designed for the comfort of the doctor, not the women. It makes contractions much more painful. This is bad!!
Thirdly, Ms. Ensler describes herself as pushing against the leg of her laboring daughter-in-law. As far as I know, this practice is rarely used any more. It carries a risk for causing the pubic symphysis to separate, resulting in life-long crippling and eliminating the chance of ever giving vaginal birth again. This practice fits under the technocratic model and is really dangerous and harmful!!
At the end of her birth, the doctor is sewing her up. This means that she either tore naturally, or that she was given an episiotomy. If she was given an episiotomy, that is not good, because they often cause more vaginal trauma than giving birth without one. Episiotomies are a technocratic procedure. If she gave birth without an episiotomy, this would signify positive, women-centered, humanistic birthing practices.
I was there when her vagina opened./We were all there, her mother, her husband and I,/and the nurse from the Ukraine with her whole hand/up there in her vagina feeling and turning with her rubber/glove as she talked casually to us — like she was turning on a loaded faucet./I was there in the room when the contractions/made her crawl on all fours,/made unfamiliar moans leak out of her pores/and still there after hours when she just screamed suddenly/wild, her arms striking at the electric air./I was there when her vagina changed/from a shy sexual hole/to an archeological tunnel, a sacred vessel,/a Venetian canal, a deep well with a tiny stuck child inside,/waiting to be rescued./I saw the colors of her vagina. They changed./Saw the bruised broken blue/the blistering tomato red/the gray pink — the dark;/saw the blood like perspiration along the edges/saw the yellow, white liquid, the shit, the clots/pushing out all the holes, pushing harder and harder,/saw through the hole, the baby’s head/scratches of black hair, saw it just there behind/the bone — a hard round memory,/as the nurse from the Ukraine kept turning and turning/her slippery hand./I was there when each of us, her mother and I,/held a leg and spread her wide pushing with all our strength against her pushing/and her husband sternly counting, “One, two, three,”/telling her to “focus, harder.”/We looked into her then./We couldn’t get our eyes out of that place./We forget the vagina — All of Us
what else would explain/our lack of awe, our lack of reverence./I was there when the doctor/reached in with Alice in Wonderland spoons/and there as her vagina became a wide operatic mouth/singing with all its strength;/first the little head, then the gray flopping arm, then the fast swimming body, swimming/quickly into our weeping arms./I was there later when I just turned and faced her vagina./I stood and let myself see her all spread, completely exposed/mutilated, swollen and torn,
bleeding all over the doctor’s hands/who was calmly sewing her there./I stood and her vagina suddenly/became a wide red pulsing heart./The heart is capable of sacrifice./So is the vagina./The heart is able to forgive and repair./It can change its shape to let us in./It can expand to let us out./So can the vagina./It can ache for us and stretch for us, die for us/and bleed and bleed us into this difficult, wondrous world./I was there in the room./I remember.
As a total Vagina Monologue fan, I have to say that this skit is absolutely beautiful. Since I did my final paper on birthing rights, I am going to analyze the birthing model used during this skit.
First of all, it is evident that the laboring woman was given the freedom to move. Eve Ensler describes her daughter-in-law crawling on all fours in pain from the contractions. Giving the laboring mother the freedom to move during labor is in line with the humanistic model of birth. This is good!!
Secondly, the woman is described as giving birth on her back, with her feet in the air. This reflects the traditional lithotomy position. The lithotomy position fits the technocratic model, because it was designed for the comfort of the doctor, not the women. It makes contractions much more painful. This is bad!!
Thirdly, Ms. Ensler describes herself as pushing against the leg of her laboring daughter-in-law. As far as I know, this practice is rarely used any more. It carries a risk for causing the pubic symphysis to separate, resulting in life-long crippling and eliminating the chance of ever giving vaginal birth again. This practice fits under the technocratic model and is really dangerous and harmful!!
At the end of her birth, the doctor is sewing her up. This means that she either tore naturally, or that she was given an episiotomy. If she was given an episiotomy, that is not good, because they often cause more vaginal trauma than giving birth without one. Episiotomies are a technocratic procedure. If she gave birth without an episiotomy, this would signify positive, women-centered, humanistic birthing practices.
Valenti: Material World- Sex discrimination, etc.
Valenti does a wonderful job of discussing sex discrimination in the U.S. Before I comment on what Valenti wrote, I want to share a personal story. When I lived in Ecuador, my Ecua-mama told me that she once applied for a promotion at the bank where she worked. They required everyone who applied to take the test. There were 10 promotions being offered. Mama found out that she had the second highest score on the test, and she was so excited for her promotion. Her boss never called. Eventually, she contacted him only to be told that she did not get the job, because she was a divorced, single mom with too many problems in her life.
I have told many women the story about my Ecua-mama and most are upset afterwards. What most women do not realize is that sex discrimination is still common in the U.S. In fact, there was recently a woman in Huntingdon county named Kiki Peppard who was turned down a job for being a single mother. Wal-mart was involved in a scandal a few years back where they did not give their female workers benefits. In her article, Valenti mentions a few other examples, including Virgin Airlines and Viacom. As Valenti says, it is illegal to discriminate based on sex, so why does it still happen?? The people who do the hiring like to hire people who look like them. The bottom line is if white men do the hiring, then...yeah...
I was surprised to hear that women without children are hired 44% more than women with children. I was also surprised to hear that when women with children are hired, they make an average of $11,000 less than women without children. $11,000 is a substantial amount!! It is horrible that companies assume that kids automatically make women less hard-working and devoted to their jobs.
Valenti's article also taught me that if women were paid for their labor in the household, their salaries would average $134,121 a year. America is also one of only two industrialized nations that does not pay leave for child care. In addition, some Americans pay up to half of their salaries for child care. This is a huge turn off to having kids!
Valenti also said that women are 40% more likely to be poor than men. She questioned is this is because society naturally pays jobs dominated by women in the social services (teachers, waitresses, etc.) less. The government has recently been promoting marriage as a method of dealing with poor women!! Bush restructured the welfare program to put $100 million a year towards religious marriage promotion programs instead of towards education, job-training, and childcare!!
All in all, I really liked this article by Valenti. She is probably my favorite feminist author I have read this semester. I feel like I can relate to her completely. She makes her articles fun and informative to read.
I have told many women the story about my Ecua-mama and most are upset afterwards. What most women do not realize is that sex discrimination is still common in the U.S. In fact, there was recently a woman in Huntingdon county named Kiki Peppard who was turned down a job for being a single mother. Wal-mart was involved in a scandal a few years back where they did not give their female workers benefits. In her article, Valenti mentions a few other examples, including Virgin Airlines and Viacom. As Valenti says, it is illegal to discriminate based on sex, so why does it still happen?? The people who do the hiring like to hire people who look like them. The bottom line is if white men do the hiring, then...yeah...
I was surprised to hear that women without children are hired 44% more than women with children. I was also surprised to hear that when women with children are hired, they make an average of $11,000 less than women without children. $11,000 is a substantial amount!! It is horrible that companies assume that kids automatically make women less hard-working and devoted to their jobs.
Valenti's article also taught me that if women were paid for their labor in the household, their salaries would average $134,121 a year. America is also one of only two industrialized nations that does not pay leave for child care. In addition, some Americans pay up to half of their salaries for child care. This is a huge turn off to having kids!
Valenti also said that women are 40% more likely to be poor than men. She questioned is this is because society naturally pays jobs dominated by women in the social services (teachers, waitresses, etc.) less. The government has recently been promoting marriage as a method of dealing with poor women!! Bush restructured the welfare program to put $100 million a year towards religious marriage promotion programs instead of towards education, job-training, and childcare!!
All in all, I really liked this article by Valenti. She is probably my favorite feminist author I have read this semester. I feel like I can relate to her completely. She makes her articles fun and informative to read.
Valenti: Material World- the wage gap
First of all, like Valenti, I hate the wage gap!! It is a huge problem in this country that is not emphasized enough by young women. I have no comprehension of people who make their living off of denying the pay gap. The idea that some women are telling others to go back to the household seems unreal to me. The IWF president Nancy Pfotenhaur is an example of such a woman who makes her living by justifying the waste gap. What if some women can't go back to the household? There is such a thing as financial responsibility. If women like Nancy Pfotenhaur are so keen at convincing other women to work in the household, then why aren't they in the household? The men who justify the wage gap are often high, powerful white men who make enough money that their wives can stay in the household without causing financial difficulties. Growing up, my father once told me that women make less than men, because they pick lower paying jobs. Naturally, as a young, naive child, I believed him. Today I realize that my father just watches entirely too much Talk Radio. The fact is that more women graduate from college then men. My father always emphasized the importance of education, because it would increase my eventual salary. If more women graduate from college, and people with a college education generally make more money, than shouldn't women make at least the same amount of money than men? My father was contradicting himself without even realizing it. Back to Valenti. I absolutely love her sarcasm, which is visible in the section title "who needs a dollar when you have 76 cents?" This section talks about how we only improved the pay gap 16 cents since the feminists movements began in the 60s. For being recognized as years of great progress, we didn't come very far. The bottom line is that the pay gape is unfair, because of the sexism it creates in society. 'WHO NEEDS A DOLLAR WHEN YOU HAVE 76 CENTS?' I do.
Disney's Belle
I really want to blog about the how Belle is portrayed in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. In this movie, Belle is portrayed as being very intelligent. She loves to read. The first song in the movie says the following "Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar/I wonder if she's feeling well/With a dreamy, far-off look/And her nose stuck in a book/What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle." This song undermines Belle for intellectually challenging herself. She likes to read and is therefore weird. In this scene, Disney delivers the message against the intelligence of women. On the other hand, it is important to also take note that Belle is the heroine of the story. Little girls are supposed to want to be like Belle. From this perspective, the image of Belle as intelligent is a positive influence on little girls.
When Belle first meets the beast, he treats her abusively. He yells at her and sends her to bed without dinner. When Belle enters the West Wing, the Beast goes on a rampage, destroying things and causing Belle to run from fear into the cold, and snowy outdoors. The beast then saves Belle's life from a pack of wolves, and from this time on, their relationship becomes more friendly and loving. The message from this series of events tells little girls that if you put up with his abuse long enough, he will realize his wrong-doing and be loving towards you. This message is awful, especially since the overly-forgiving Belle is the one little girls are supposed to relate to. Disney movies are fun to watch, but they always contain a slew of gender messages.
When Belle first meets the beast, he treats her abusively. He yells at her and sends her to bed without dinner. When Belle enters the West Wing, the Beast goes on a rampage, destroying things and causing Belle to run from fear into the cold, and snowy outdoors. The beast then saves Belle's life from a pack of wolves, and from this time on, their relationship becomes more friendly and loving. The message from this series of events tells little girls that if you put up with his abuse long enough, he will realize his wrong-doing and be loving towards you. This message is awful, especially since the overly-forgiving Belle is the one little girls are supposed to relate to. Disney movies are fun to watch, but they always contain a slew of gender messages.
Valenti: Pop Culture Gone Wild
I really enjoy reading this author's work, because she is down to earth and uses language that speaks to a younger generation of women. In this particular chapter, Valenti talks about the double bind of the sexuality of women. Women are supposed to be sexy, always. If they are sexy and abstain from sexual activity, they are prude. If they engage in sexual activity they are sluts. Women can't win. They are expected to be sexy, yet to abstain from sex. What a contradiction!! Valenti discusses the increasing porn culture and how it often makes women feel obligated to perform acts like flashing their boobs or making out with another girl to turn on a guy and to feel sexy. The porn culture is everywhere. It is especially prevalent in the abundant playboy paraphernalia. Girls Gone Wild is the best example of porn meeting real life. The producers walked around New Orleans, finding girls who were willing to flash their boobs at the camera. Now the GGW industry is booming. The porn industry has made many girls feel like sex is meant to contain dirty talk, screaming, and madness in order to please the guy. Yet, most porn stars do not orgasm. So, the porn industry is promoting girls to have fake sex. With all these society influences on female sexuality, it is hard for females to know how to behave sexually. Valenti concludes that females should feel free to act sexually as they choose, as long as they are comfortable with their actions and are not doing it because society says they should. Women should also be aware of the societal influences that affect their actions, even if it will not change how they act.
I really liked Valenti's conclusion to the article, because it left the door open for females to behave sexually in whatever manner they see fit. She did not pass judgment on women, but challenged them to be true to themselves in their actions. I really respected this.
I really liked Valenti's conclusion to the article, because it left the door open for females to behave sexually in whatever manner they see fit. She did not pass judgment on women, but challenged them to be true to themselves in their actions. I really respected this.
She's got to be a macho girl
This article was interesting, because it focuses on the changing sexuality of women and of the American youth. Women and young girls in society are becoming more and more bold towards asking guys out. A half century ago, it was not appropriate for women to even call a love interest on the telephone. Yet, girls are now not only calling boys, they are even initiating sexual activity. The traditional roles of dating are disappearing. The youth are becoming more sexually adventurous and more fearful of long-term relationships. Some say that the feminist movement is responsible for the bold sexuality of girls. However, the media also plays a big part. MTV often portrays girls as being sexy and as engaging in frequent sexual contact. "Sex and the City" also portrayed a form of non-long term dating. Lots of new songs continue to feature lyrics which portray women as initiating sexual contact. The lyrics in Destiny Child's "Independent Woman" say "[I] only ring your celly when I'm feeling loney/When it's all over, please get up and leave." There is also a sort of status that comes to the middle school girl who is the first one to date. Another factor that could play into the young dating scene is that many of today's youth have watched their parents suffer through divorce. They have come to fear long term relationships, because they do not want to have the bad ending their parents did. In the end, many girls are receptive to their new role as the sexual aggressor. As Lila Zimmerman from Lancaster, Pa quotes at the end of the paper "'They don't have to be the embarrassed ones,' she said. 'I guess now it's our turn.'"
I thought this article was very interesting. Personally, I do not have a problem with the changing sexuality of American youth. Girls had to sit around and wait for a date for so many years. I think it is great that they are now gaining the confidence to ask out the boy. For the past two years, my sister has asked a date to her high school homecomings. Had she not of asked, she probably wouldn't have had a date. I give her props.
I thought this article was very interesting. Personally, I do not have a problem with the changing sexuality of American youth. Girls had to sit around and wait for a date for so many years. I think it is great that they are now gaining the confidence to ask out the boy. For the past two years, my sister has asked a date to her high school homecomings. Had she not of asked, she probably wouldn't have had a date. I give her props.
Gender and Sports
The presentation on Sports and Gender was very interesting. I enjoyed hearing about the sports uniforms and how they have changed throughout history. I never knew that beach volleyball regulated the size of the uniforms that women wear. Female sports seem to be turning more towards sexuality to attract an audience. Female athletes that partake in sexual advertisements are criticized for being in the ads if their playing declines, whereas most males are not criticized for their endorsements. When tennis player Ana Ivanovic participated in sexy advertisements, this was automatically responsible for her bad season, because it took away "from her practice time. If you type Ana's name into google, tons of results come up referring to her as a "hottie." Yet, it you type in Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, no such results appear. The results for Serena Williams include "who is Serena dating." The public seems to occupy themselves more on the personal life and body image of the female athletes compared to the male athletes. Male athletes are also more likely to be shown in action and in uniform in their photo shoots than female athletes.
The discussion on Title XI interested me, because I have to say that I think Title XI needs to be reformed. Title XI states that there should be complete equality in universities between women's and men's sports. This means that equivalent teams need to have the same number of players. The issue is that it can cause some teams to be cut due to lack of participation from the other gender. Under Title XI, women's sports need to be given the same amount of funding as male's sports. The problem with this is that football drains most of the male finances. Since there is no female parallel to football, many male sports teams are left underfunded, because the football teams use up the money. I once worked with a guy who was a really good swimmer. He got a partial ride to Pittsburgh for swimming, yet he would had received a full ride if he were a female. Pittsburgh university gives out less male scholarships for swimming, because the rest of the scholarship money goes towards football. While Title XI greatly helped to promote women's participation in athletics when it was written, I think it needs to be revised so that it does not limit participation and so that football is a separate financial entity.
The discussion on Title XI interested me, because I have to say that I think Title XI needs to be reformed. Title XI states that there should be complete equality in universities between women's and men's sports. This means that equivalent teams need to have the same number of players. The issue is that it can cause some teams to be cut due to lack of participation from the other gender. Under Title XI, women's sports need to be given the same amount of funding as male's sports. The problem with this is that football drains most of the male finances. Since there is no female parallel to football, many male sports teams are left underfunded, because the football teams use up the money. I once worked with a guy who was a really good swimmer. He got a partial ride to Pittsburgh for swimming, yet he would had received a full ride if he were a female. Pittsburgh university gives out less male scholarships for swimming, because the rest of the scholarship money goes towards football. While Title XI greatly helped to promote women's participation in athletics when it was written, I think it needs to be revised so that it does not limit participation and so that football is a separate financial entity.
Frye
In her article, Frye makes a distinction between oppression and feelings of misery. Oppression differs from misery because it is a set of barriers or obstacles that are systematically related to each other without a positive outcome. Misery, on the other hand, is only temporary and offers a positive outcome in the end. For instance, if a wealthy person is injured in a skiing accident, they will experience temporary misery due to the pain of the broken limbs. Yet, they will end up in a superb hospital with excellent care and in a few weeks, they will no longer suffer. Frye relates temporary misery to a bird cage with a single bar. If the bird wants to escape, it may be inconvenienced to fly around that bar, but it can still get out. Oppression, on the other hand, is a bird cage with a continuous series of bars, systematically placed to prevent the bird from escaping. No matter how hard the bird tries, it cannot escape.
In class, we used the example of wearing glasses to demonstrate the difference between oppression and temporary inconvenience. If Celia decided that she were only going to give As to the people in the class with glasses, there would be ways around that oppression. You could talk to the dean, drop the class, transfer to another college, etc. However, if the fact that only people with glasses got As was a universal standard, there would be no way for those without glasses to do well in college. This situation has no positive outcome for non-glasses wearers, because they cannot escape the cycle.
I really enjoyed this article by Frye, because I thought she did a really job of pin-pointing what constitutes oppression.
In class, we used the example of wearing glasses to demonstrate the difference between oppression and temporary inconvenience. If Celia decided that she were only going to give As to the people in the class with glasses, there would be ways around that oppression. You could talk to the dean, drop the class, transfer to another college, etc. However, if the fact that only people with glasses got As was a universal standard, there would be no way for those without glasses to do well in college. This situation has no positive outcome for non-glasses wearers, because they cannot escape the cycle.
I really enjoyed this article by Frye, because I thought she did a really job of pin-pointing what constitutes oppression.
Cudd
Cudd presents an article on how oppression against women manifests itself in society. Cudd argues that the oppression of women stems from the institution itself, and that rational decisions do not change the fact that a woman is being oppressed. If a woman decides to stay at home instead of her husband because he earns more money than she does, this choice both rational and oppressive. Due to the institution and unequal salaries, the man automatically earns more, giving the woman no other choice than to remain in the household. By remaining in the household, the woman is choosing to continue the cycle of oppression against women. The same is true for prostitution. If a woman chooses to be a prostitute because she has no other way of earning money, she is oppressing herself by continuing the cycle of prostitution. Cudd discusses the irony in society, because oppressed people often play a key role in continuing their oppression. In class, we mentioned the idea of marriage. While the woman have the freedom to say "yes or no" to a proposal, they lack the liberty that men have to decide who they want to ask to marry them and when they want to get married. Yet the majority of women, myself included, want to be proposed to. The idea of a proposal is a romantic ideal that women would have to forgo if they were to pop the question.
There are 4 criteria that Cudd considers essential to identifying oppression. 1) physical/psychological harm is apparent 2) groups are identifiable independent of oppressed status 3) someone benefits from the oppression 4) the oppression involves coercion or force. If we apply the example of prostitution, it is evident that, regardless of rational decision, prostitution is a form of oppression. It causes physical or psychological harm to the woman, because she partakes in sexual activity against her desires. The prostitutes are identifiable from other people, because they sell their bodies. The men who hire the prostitutes benefit from the oppression of these women. Prostitutes are often forced into work, because they feel there is no other method of earning an income. Therefore, while some women choose to be prostitutes, they are oppressed and ironically contribute to their own oppression.
There are 4 criteria that Cudd considers essential to identifying oppression. 1) physical/psychological harm is apparent 2) groups are identifiable independent of oppressed status 3) someone benefits from the oppression 4) the oppression involves coercion or force. If we apply the example of prostitution, it is evident that, regardless of rational decision, prostitution is a form of oppression. It causes physical or psychological harm to the woman, because she partakes in sexual activity against her desires. The prostitutes are identifiable from other people, because they sell their bodies. The men who hire the prostitutes benefit from the oppression of these women. Prostitutes are often forced into work, because they feel there is no other method of earning an income. Therefore, while some women choose to be prostitutes, they are oppressed and ironically contribute to their own oppression.
Microfinancing
The microfinancing lecture was very interesting. I have always seen microfinancing as a very helpful way of helping people get out of poverty. I now realize that it can often have quite the opposite effect. People can try to use the money productively, but buying a cow is not going to do much for their financial status. The milk productivity cycle of the cow as well as the costs of feeding the cow will most likely leave the family in the same position in which they started. Loans do not usually result in increased women's rights, as the inability to pay back a loan can sometimes result in women being forced into sexual favors to receive more time to pay back the loan.
Dr. Pelkey does some microfinancing in India, but he works more to teach women various trades. Once a woman learns a trade, she has a valuable skill that can bring her money for the rest of her life. This further promotes women's rights, because the woman gains financial independence from her husband. Statistically, women are more likely to spend money on education and health care than men are, so having financially independent women will benefit society as a whole.
It was really neat to hear Dr. Pelkey talk about microfinancing, because he has hands on experience in the field. I would love to go on the summer India trip to further understand the process Dr. Pelkey uses to help the local woman. The whole issue really fascinates me.
Dr. Pelkey does some microfinancing in India, but he works more to teach women various trades. Once a woman learns a trade, she has a valuable skill that can bring her money for the rest of her life. This further promotes women's rights, because the woman gains financial independence from her husband. Statistically, women are more likely to spend money on education and health care than men are, so having financially independent women will benefit society as a whole.
It was really neat to hear Dr. Pelkey talk about microfinancing, because he has hands on experience in the field. I would love to go on the summer India trip to further understand the process Dr. Pelkey uses to help the local woman. The whole issue really fascinates me.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Gender and Musical Instruments
As a saxophone player, I have often been prompted to consider the gender of instruments. When looking at a concert band, there are definitely some instruments that are considered more traditionally masculine than others.
Percussion, for instance, usually has a very masculine image. It is a field dominated by men. The strict rhythms have little melody (unless accompanied by bells). Percussion is essential in keeping the beat and holding the band together, especially in a marching band situation. The Penn State Blue Band percussion section demonstrates their masculinity by throwing down their cymbals and engaging in a series of rhythmic push ups.
Low brass (tubas and trombones) are the lowest wind section in the band. These sections, like percussion are heavily dominated by men. Low brass is important because the low tambors drive the crescendos and dynamics of the wind instruments.
Flute, on the other hand, is primarily dominated by women. The higher notes tend to float above the other instruments. It is a quiet instrument, and does not have nearly the amount of influence that percussion has in holding the band together or that low brass has in driving crescendos.
I would consider saxophone to fall very close to the middle with its gender ratio. The saxophone is a middle-ranged instrument; playing equal amounts of higher and lower music. Its influence on the beat of the band is not as great as percussion or brass, but greater than flute, because it is a lower instrument.
The point of this blog is that I find it interesting that the "less powerful" instruments are dominated by women whereas the "more powerful" instruments are dominated by men. Within my high school marching band, there was always a huge push for drum corps. from many of the guys. Drum corps. are marching bands that use only percussion and brass instruments (tubas, trombones, melaphones, and trumpets); i.e. the majority of the male-dominated instruments. The flute and clarinet players used to get angry with the pro-drum corps. guys, because such a band would mean that their participation was not needed. I realize now that this idea could have been an unconscious (or conscious) form of sexism.
Ending the gendered instrument stereotypes in the music field could be a very difficult process. It would mean that elementary music teachers would have to encourage guys to play flute just as much (or more) than girls to help them overcome the "flute is for girls stereotype" and to allow them to feel comfortable with their instrumental choice.
Percussion, for instance, usually has a very masculine image. It is a field dominated by men. The strict rhythms have little melody (unless accompanied by bells). Percussion is essential in keeping the beat and holding the band together, especially in a marching band situation. The Penn State Blue Band percussion section demonstrates their masculinity by throwing down their cymbals and engaging in a series of rhythmic push ups.
Low brass (tubas and trombones) are the lowest wind section in the band. These sections, like percussion are heavily dominated by men. Low brass is important because the low tambors drive the crescendos and dynamics of the wind instruments.
Flute, on the other hand, is primarily dominated by women. The higher notes tend to float above the other instruments. It is a quiet instrument, and does not have nearly the amount of influence that percussion has in holding the band together or that low brass has in driving crescendos.
I would consider saxophone to fall very close to the middle with its gender ratio. The saxophone is a middle-ranged instrument; playing equal amounts of higher and lower music. Its influence on the beat of the band is not as great as percussion or brass, but greater than flute, because it is a lower instrument.
The point of this blog is that I find it interesting that the "less powerful" instruments are dominated by women whereas the "more powerful" instruments are dominated by men. Within my high school marching band, there was always a huge push for drum corps. from many of the guys. Drum corps. are marching bands that use only percussion and brass instruments (tubas, trombones, melaphones, and trumpets); i.e. the majority of the male-dominated instruments. The flute and clarinet players used to get angry with the pro-drum corps. guys, because such a band would mean that their participation was not needed. I realize now that this idea could have been an unconscious (or conscious) form of sexism.
Ending the gendered instrument stereotypes in the music field could be a very difficult process. It would mean that elementary music teachers would have to encourage guys to play flute just as much (or more) than girls to help them overcome the "flute is for girls stereotype" and to allow them to feel comfortable with their instrumental choice.
Gender and Education
The presentation on Gender and Education was very interesting. Below I am going to discuss some of the new ideas I learned.
1) I found the video of the parents playing with the kids to be very fascinating. When the mother and father both played with their son, the father tended to engage in more direct physical interaction with the boy, while the mother encouraged the boy to be physical with himself, but not towards her. The mother tried to play with the tea sets and other toys that were more gender neutral and that facilitated non-physical play.
2) Right from the time babies are born, they are treated differently. Boys are bounced around and held away from the body, while girls are always held close to the body and are stroked. The ironic thing with this is that girls are biologically stronger immediately after birth than boys.
3) My favorite case focused on the boy who told a story in which one character died. When the girls heard this story, they were angry, because they did not think that death was an appropriate ending to the story. They thought the character should have fainted. After a long discussion, the class concluded that stories could only contain death if a bad guy died. The incident with the story shows that girls are less likely to fantasize about violence or to be accepting of violence than boys. Even though many boys fantasize about violence, they usually do not have a true concept of death. In play, death only lasts a few seconds and they get upset if it lasts longer.
I really enjoyed this presentation, because gender and learning was not something I had thought about a lot in the past.
1) I found the video of the parents playing with the kids to be very fascinating. When the mother and father both played with their son, the father tended to engage in more direct physical interaction with the boy, while the mother encouraged the boy to be physical with himself, but not towards her. The mother tried to play with the tea sets and other toys that were more gender neutral and that facilitated non-physical play.
2) Right from the time babies are born, they are treated differently. Boys are bounced around and held away from the body, while girls are always held close to the body and are stroked. The ironic thing with this is that girls are biologically stronger immediately after birth than boys.
3) My favorite case focused on the boy who told a story in which one character died. When the girls heard this story, they were angry, because they did not think that death was an appropriate ending to the story. They thought the character should have fainted. After a long discussion, the class concluded that stories could only contain death if a bad guy died. The incident with the story shows that girls are less likely to fantasize about violence or to be accepting of violence than boys. Even though many boys fantasize about violence, they usually do not have a true concept of death. In play, death only lasts a few seconds and they get upset if it lasts longer.
I really enjoyed this presentation, because gender and learning was not something I had thought about a lot in the past.
Rape and War
The presentation on rape and war was really sad to listen to. Rape has always appeared to be a consequence of war. What makes me really upset is when rape is used as a tool of war. Rape during war has many physical and psychological effects on the women including bruising, broken bones, genital mutilation, humiliation, and loss of worth. Communities can be torn apart by rape, because it stimulates and normalizes violence within the society. This can result in more trafficking of girls and women, food insecurities, increased orphans, increased rape in the households, and diminished feelings of community security.
There are many wars in which rape was used as a method of warfare. During the 36 year Civil War in Guatemala, the theme of the war was "pacificacion y panzificacion," i.e. kill the men and impregnate the women. A similar technique was used in the war in Bosnia. Eve Ensler does a beautiful and tragic skit in the Vagina Monologues which commemorates the women of Bosnia who were raped. Here is the skit:
MY VAGINA WAS MY VILLAGE
My vagina was green, water soft pink fields, cow mooing sun resting sweet boyfriend touching lightly with soft piece of blonde straw.
There is something between my legs. I do not know what it is. I do not know where it is. I do not touch. Not now. Not anymore. Not since.
My vagina was chatty, can’t wait, so much, so much saying words talking, can’t quit trying, can’t quit saying, oh yes, oh yes.
Not since I dream there’s a dead animal sewn in down there with thick black fishing line. And the bad dead animal smell cannot be removed. And its throat is slit and it bleeds through all my summer dresses.
My vagina singing all girl songs, all goat bell ringing songs, all wild autumn field songs, vagina songs, vagina home songs.
Not since the soldiers put a long thick rifle inside me. So cold, the steel rod canceling my heart. Don’t know whether they’re going to fire it or shove it though my spinning brain. Six of them, monstrous doctors with black masks shoving bottles up me too. There were sticks and the end of a broom.
My vagina swimming river water, clean spilling water over sun-baked stones over stone clit, clit stones over and over.
Not since I heard the skin tear and made lemon screeching sounds, not since a piece of my vagina came off in my hand, a part of the lip, now one side of the lip is completely gone.
My vagina. A live wet water village. My vagina my hometown.
Not since they took turns for seven days smelling like feces and smoked meat, they left their dirty sperm inside me. I became a river of poison and pus and all the crops died, and the fish.
My vagina a live wet water village.
They invaded it. Butchered it and burned it down. I do not touch now. Do not visit.
I live someplace else now. I don’t know where that is.
The Rape and War presentation made me aware of another war in which rape was used as a tactic of war; the current war in the Congo. The video of the raped women made me want to cry. I cannot imagine living in a country, so torn by war and rape that more than 50% of the woman have been raped. The soldiers rape girls of all ages; from 4 to 84. They are not selective.
My Grandmother grew up in Austria during WWII. She has always told me about the massive number of rapes that she heard about in the surrounding villages. After the war ended, the German and Austrian territories were occupied by the Americans, British, French, and Russians to help keep peace. My grandmother said the Russians were notorious for raping women. She lived under the French. One day a Moroccan/French soldier grabbed her by the hand as she was headed to the store and tried to pull her into an ally to rape her. She was saved by one of the other local villagers. Unfortunately, this experience caused my grandmother to construct various prejudices, and she wasn't even raped. I cannot imagine how torn a woman would be who did suffer from rape during war.
There are many wars in which rape was used as a method of warfare. During the 36 year Civil War in Guatemala, the theme of the war was "pacificacion y panzificacion," i.e. kill the men and impregnate the women. A similar technique was used in the war in Bosnia. Eve Ensler does a beautiful and tragic skit in the Vagina Monologues which commemorates the women of Bosnia who were raped. Here is the skit:
MY VAGINA WAS MY VILLAGE
My vagina was green, water soft pink fields, cow mooing sun resting sweet boyfriend touching lightly with soft piece of blonde straw.
There is something between my legs. I do not know what it is. I do not know where it is. I do not touch. Not now. Not anymore. Not since.
My vagina was chatty, can’t wait, so much, so much saying words talking, can’t quit trying, can’t quit saying, oh yes, oh yes.
Not since I dream there’s a dead animal sewn in down there with thick black fishing line. And the bad dead animal smell cannot be removed. And its throat is slit and it bleeds through all my summer dresses.
My vagina singing all girl songs, all goat bell ringing songs, all wild autumn field songs, vagina songs, vagina home songs.
Not since the soldiers put a long thick rifle inside me. So cold, the steel rod canceling my heart. Don’t know whether they’re going to fire it or shove it though my spinning brain. Six of them, monstrous doctors with black masks shoving bottles up me too. There were sticks and the end of a broom.
My vagina swimming river water, clean spilling water over sun-baked stones over stone clit, clit stones over and over.
Not since I heard the skin tear and made lemon screeching sounds, not since a piece of my vagina came off in my hand, a part of the lip, now one side of the lip is completely gone.
My vagina. A live wet water village. My vagina my hometown.
Not since they took turns for seven days smelling like feces and smoked meat, they left their dirty sperm inside me. I became a river of poison and pus and all the crops died, and the fish.
My vagina a live wet water village.
They invaded it. Butchered it and burned it down. I do not touch now. Do not visit.
I live someplace else now. I don’t know where that is.
The Rape and War presentation made me aware of another war in which rape was used as a tactic of war; the current war in the Congo. The video of the raped women made me want to cry. I cannot imagine living in a country, so torn by war and rape that more than 50% of the woman have been raped. The soldiers rape girls of all ages; from 4 to 84. They are not selective.
My Grandmother grew up in Austria during WWII. She has always told me about the massive number of rapes that she heard about in the surrounding villages. After the war ended, the German and Austrian territories were occupied by the Americans, British, French, and Russians to help keep peace. My grandmother said the Russians were notorious for raping women. She lived under the French. One day a Moroccan/French soldier grabbed her by the hand as she was headed to the store and tried to pull her into an ally to rape her. She was saved by one of the other local villagers. Unfortunately, this experience caused my grandmother to construct various prejudices, and she wasn't even raped. I cannot imagine how torn a woman would be who did suffer from rape during war.
Gender and Security
The conversation about Gender and security was interested, because I never thought of security as requiring a single group to be "on top." A person/group who is "on top" feels in control of the situation and does not feel threatened. Therefore, keeping a high status and forcing others into oppression can guarantee security. A perfect example of oppressing others to maintain security is the United States' imperialistic politics during the cold war. In the height of the Cold War, the U.S. bombed many countries throughout Latin America who posed either communistic or economic threats to our country. In my mind, the bombings were not justified, because they were a form of oppressing "weaker," developing countries. Guatemala suffered U.S. bombings when they tried to give some the land from our foreign banana plantations to their poor. The U.S. owned 70% of the best farming land in Guatemala, while the vast majority of the Guatemalan population did not own a square foot of land to live on. The bombings in Guatemala resulted in a military regime and a 36 year civil war in Guatemala. While security appears to be a positive image for the people "on top," there are often many negative consequences for the people on the bottom. When creating personal and global security, it is always important to think about the impacts security poses for the lesser group. If the United States would not have bombed Guatemala, would they have posed an economic threat to our country?? My guess is no.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Mythical African American Male
I think the idea of the two African American male stereotypes is very accurate. The "Sambo" image presents black men as lazy, irresponsible, docile, and dependent while the "Brute" image presents black men as primitive, animal-like, and sexually aggressive. I feel like these stereotypes do not only exist in America. In Ecuador, black men are seen as sexually aggressive due to their larger penises ("Brute"), while indigenous men are seen as sexually inferior due to their smaller penises. Ecuadorian black men also carry the stereotype of being lazy, and they are also robbers. I feel these African American stereotypes appear in many parts of the world, not just the U.S.
According to the article, many school teachers naturally expect lower performance from black students. I am aware of studies which have been done on the value of education in cultures. Blacks place near the bottom as far as culturally putting value on education and grades. My mom is a teacher. She attended an in-service day which presented these cultural studies to teachers. How do these studies tie in with the expectations of teachers for black students? If teachers are aware that blacks statistically show less educational concern due to their culture, will teachers start expecting less of black students? I have a black cat at home who often behaves stupidly. When my mom was telling a story about our cat to one of the teachers at her school, the teacher replied as a joke "I know why your cat is so stupid, she is black!!" From everything I have heard from my mom, many teachers see black people as being less hard-working and less capable in school. It is unfair to black students that this stereotype exists before they have a chance to prove themselves.
According to the article, many school teachers naturally expect lower performance from black students. I am aware of studies which have been done on the value of education in cultures. Blacks place near the bottom as far as culturally putting value on education and grades. My mom is a teacher. She attended an in-service day which presented these cultural studies to teachers. How do these studies tie in with the expectations of teachers for black students? If teachers are aware that blacks statistically show less educational concern due to their culture, will teachers start expecting less of black students? I have a black cat at home who often behaves stupidly. When my mom was telling a story about our cat to one of the teachers at her school, the teacher replied as a joke "I know why your cat is so stupid, she is black!!" From everything I have heard from my mom, many teachers see black people as being less hard-working and less capable in school. It is unfair to black students that this stereotype exists before they have a chance to prove themselves.
Response to: Safe Boys, Safe Schools
This article discusses the need for boys to remain in the 'box' of masculinity. There is a contrast between weak and strong. Many boys feel pressure to be strong, both physically and emotionally, which can lead to emotional detachment. Emotional detachment is the key factor in allowing violence to occur. Once the aggressor is removed from the sentiments of the victim, it is easier for them to commit acts of aggression (such as sexual harassment, verbal disrespect, etc.). Many boys develop homophobia, a fear of femininity, as a strategy to keep them in the 'box'. The idea of homophobia expands further than a simple fear of homosexuality, and this fear is experienced universally by boys. The idea of homophobia is not battled in many school. Boys who are not seen as masculine "jocks" are harassed as "homos" or "rejects." This harassment is probable cause for many of the school shootings, as the "rejects" see a need to prove their manliness through violence.
Some schools are working now to give boys an opportunity to find positive male role models (who differ from the violent men often portrayed in the media). This occurs through programs like Men Helping Boys with Choices. Schools in Scotland has banned the use of homophobic words such as "sissy" from schools.
In my opinion, I agree with that homophobia is present in many teenage boys. When my boyfriend, Justin, and I first started dating (at age 16), there was a bi-sexual boy who had a thing for Justin. This "crush" bothered Justin to no end. He was terrified that others were going to associate him with being gay or feminine (even though he was dating me?). I used to tease him about the "crush" as a way of pushing his buttons (and because I found it ridiculous). Looking back, I should have talked to Justin on a more serious level about what was going on to help him relieve his insecurities instead of making jokes like other people did...
I really like how the schools in Scotland are banning the use of homophobic words in schools. This is a really positive start to changing the outlook of masculinity (and possibly even increasing the acceptance of homosexuality).
Some schools are working now to give boys an opportunity to find positive male role models (who differ from the violent men often portrayed in the media). This occurs through programs like Men Helping Boys with Choices. Schools in Scotland has banned the use of homophobic words such as "sissy" from schools.
In my opinion, I agree with that homophobia is present in many teenage boys. When my boyfriend, Justin, and I first started dating (at age 16), there was a bi-sexual boy who had a thing for Justin. This "crush" bothered Justin to no end. He was terrified that others were going to associate him with being gay or feminine (even though he was dating me?). I used to tease him about the "crush" as a way of pushing his buttons (and because I found it ridiculous). Looking back, I should have talked to Justin on a more serious level about what was going on to help him relieve his insecurities instead of making jokes like other people did...
I really like how the schools in Scotland are banning the use of homophobic words in schools. This is a really positive start to changing the outlook of masculinity (and possibly even increasing the acceptance of homosexuality).
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Eco/Marxist/Multicultural & Global Feminisms
There are many factors that I like about Eco-feminism. Eco-feminism believes that women is naturally associated with nature. Man make it their goal to overcome nature; and therefore, to suppress women. Looking at nature from a linguistic standpoint, there is Father-sky and Mother-earth. The sky is above the earth, indicating male superiority over women even in nature. The goal of Eco-feminism is to take the association of women with nature and to turn it into a positive image. A beautiful example of women standing up for their connection with nature occurred in a village in Nigeria. The men wanted to cut down the trees to sell them for money. The women valued the trees, because they provided firewood, shade, and protection from the river (with erosion, flooding, etc.). To prevent the men from chopping down the trees, the women tied themselves to the trees. I love this example of women coming together to protect their connection with the environment.
Marxist and Socialist feminism focuses mainly on the rights of women in the workplace. I love this branch of feminism, because I see equality in the work place as a huge issue in the United States. Marxist/Socialist feminism asks why jobs dominated by men are paid higher than jobs dominated by women. It focuses on the invisible labor of women that men do not have to worry about, such as child care, cooking, cleaning, and reproduction in times of war. For me, work rights (and division of work) both inside and outside the home are extremely important. Marxist and Socialist feminism is very appealing to me.
Multicultural/Global feminism recognizes the diversity of women in the world. It resists the idea of female essentialism and identifies with the "multiple jeopardy" of many women between race, class, etc. Multicultural/Global feminism tries to incorporate the interests of women in both the 3rd and 1st world nations. One of my favorite aspects of Multicultural/Global feminism is the want to replace the word "feminist" with "womanist" to indicate pro-woman as not being anti-man.
I see Eco, Marxist, and Multicultural feminism as all positive aspects of feminism, and I can relate to all of them.
Marxist and Socialist feminism focuses mainly on the rights of women in the workplace. I love this branch of feminism, because I see equality in the work place as a huge issue in the United States. Marxist/Socialist feminism asks why jobs dominated by men are paid higher than jobs dominated by women. It focuses on the invisible labor of women that men do not have to worry about, such as child care, cooking, cleaning, and reproduction in times of war. For me, work rights (and division of work) both inside and outside the home are extremely important. Marxist and Socialist feminism is very appealing to me.
Multicultural/Global feminism recognizes the diversity of women in the world. It resists the idea of female essentialism and identifies with the "multiple jeopardy" of many women between race, class, etc. Multicultural/Global feminism tries to incorporate the interests of women in both the 3rd and 1st world nations. One of my favorite aspects of Multicultural/Global feminism is the want to replace the word "feminist" with "womanist" to indicate pro-woman as not being anti-man.
I see Eco, Marxist, and Multicultural feminism as all positive aspects of feminism, and I can relate to all of them.
"Tough Guise"
I really enjoyed the movie "Tough Guise," because I felt like it brought interesting ideas to the concept of violence in our society. Violence in America is committed 90% of the time by men. Our society naturally assumes that men are responsible for violence. When you look at newspapers, the headlines focus on the victims of male-committed crimes and the perpetrators of female-committed crimes. The newspapers do not state male-perpetrators in headlines to avoid being over-obvious. Yet, society may need the over-obvious to be stated to openly connect gender with current violence issues.
There is definitely an uprising to the feminist movements from men like Dice Clay and Howard Stern. Both of these white men attract an audience through degrading women both sexually and professionally. The audience that these shows attract is often men who are not comfortable with the rising power of women. It is sad that such men have to listen to degrading humor to make themselves feel important.
In politics, feminist power is seen as threatening to the right wing. Extreme right-winged people want to see America like it was in the 50s, where men worked and where women were in the household. Ronald Reagan took office immediately after many advancements in feminism, racial equality, and gay rights. These rights began to decline after Reagan was in office. Another right-winged politician who is anti-feminism is Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh creates negative images of what he considers the "typical feminist."
The last interesting bit from "Tough Guise" that I want to mention is male action figures. Since the woman's rights movement, the arms in male action figures have increased dramatically in size. In comparison, the ideal female figure has decreased in size, becoming more frail. In the 50s, Marylin Monroe was a fashion icon at a size 12. Today, Kate Moss is a size 2. Men in the media have become bigger while women have become smaller. Is this a way for high powered men to take control of increasing female power? "Tough Guise" suggests it is.
I really enjoyed the movie "Tough Guise." It addressed some feminist issues with the media that I was not previously aware of. It was interesting for me to see how politics and the media have worked together to portray messages to the American public, as in the increased body size of male action figures or in the character Rambo, who was created to redefine masculinity after loosing the Vietnam war. The concluding message of the movie was that men need to individually have the courage to stand up to the "Tough Guise" stereotype and to support girls and women in their search for equality. I feel this message is really positive, and it gives hope for woman's rights and decreased violence against women.
There is definitely an uprising to the feminist movements from men like Dice Clay and Howard Stern. Both of these white men attract an audience through degrading women both sexually and professionally. The audience that these shows attract is often men who are not comfortable with the rising power of women. It is sad that such men have to listen to degrading humor to make themselves feel important.
In politics, feminist power is seen as threatening to the right wing. Extreme right-winged people want to see America like it was in the 50s, where men worked and where women were in the household. Ronald Reagan took office immediately after many advancements in feminism, racial equality, and gay rights. These rights began to decline after Reagan was in office. Another right-winged politician who is anti-feminism is Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh creates negative images of what he considers the "typical feminist."
The last interesting bit from "Tough Guise" that I want to mention is male action figures. Since the woman's rights movement, the arms in male action figures have increased dramatically in size. In comparison, the ideal female figure has decreased in size, becoming more frail. In the 50s, Marylin Monroe was a fashion icon at a size 12. Today, Kate Moss is a size 2. Men in the media have become bigger while women have become smaller. Is this a way for high powered men to take control of increasing female power? "Tough Guise" suggests it is.
I really enjoyed the movie "Tough Guise." It addressed some feminist issues with the media that I was not previously aware of. It was interesting for me to see how politics and the media have worked together to portray messages to the American public, as in the increased body size of male action figures or in the character Rambo, who was created to redefine masculinity after loosing the Vietnam war. The concluding message of the movie was that men need to individually have the courage to stand up to the "Tough Guise" stereotype and to support girls and women in their search for equality. I feel this message is really positive, and it gives hope for woman's rights and decreased violence against women.
Post-Modern and Third-Wave Feminism
Post-Modern Feminism is known as "feminism for intellects." It focuses on the dichotomy of language and how it enforces gender stereotypes. In language, men are usually associated with positive terms like activity, sun, culture, day, speaking, and high while women are associated with negative terms like passivity, moon, nature, night, writing, and low. Post-modern feminism tries to break the trio of the phallus/penis/pen by playing with language in writing. It is criticized for being "all talk, no walk," because it is too much about writing and not enough about political movement.
Third-Wave feminism is considered to be "lived messiness." It focuses on the contradictions and differences lived by women in society. Whereas second-wave feminism focused mainly on the needs of white women, third-wave feminism tries to understand the individual needs of women of all races and social classes. Third-wave feminism's main goal is female empowerment. It contradicts second-wave feminism, because it focuses on power-feminism instead of victim-feminism. The criticisms of third-wave feminism are the lack of a defined goal, which results from trying to accommodate so many types of women.
Third-Wave feminism appeals more to me than Post-Modern feminism, because it takes an international perspective. After living in Ecuador and seeing the injustices to women in other countries, I like that there is a type of feminism that tries to consider the concerns of everyone. I do understand how it can be unproductive, because women in Ecuador face very different issues than women in America. I wish there was a way to take the ideas of Third-Wave feminism and make them more productive.
Third-Wave feminism is considered to be "lived messiness." It focuses on the contradictions and differences lived by women in society. Whereas second-wave feminism focused mainly on the needs of white women, third-wave feminism tries to understand the individual needs of women of all races and social classes. Third-wave feminism's main goal is female empowerment. It contradicts second-wave feminism, because it focuses on power-feminism instead of victim-feminism. The criticisms of third-wave feminism are the lack of a defined goal, which results from trying to accommodate so many types of women.
Third-Wave feminism appeals more to me than Post-Modern feminism, because it takes an international perspective. After living in Ecuador and seeing the injustices to women in other countries, I like that there is a type of feminism that tries to consider the concerns of everyone. I do understand how it can be unproductive, because women in Ecuador face very different issues than women in America. I wish there was a way to take the ideas of Third-Wave feminism and make them more productive.
Historical Perspective of Male Dominance
I want to briefly write about the historical perspective of male dominance that we discussed in class. Originally, humans had a hunter-gatherer society, where men and women were most likely equally valued. The men hunted while the women gathered, but neither role was seen as superior. When horticulture became popular, women still were viewed equally, as they helped with the farming and with the kids. Agrarian societies caused women to be valued less, because land ownership automatically fell into the hands of men. During the industrial revolution, women were forced to stay at home with the kids while men went out and worked. This further increased the division of the sexes.
The historical perspective also takes politics into account as to why men are superior to women. The hunting-gathering societies were most likely rules by privileged families as opposed to a single, chosen leader. This system gave women power as well as men. When the feudal system took over, the new found "state" governments had to find a way to control the people. By controlling the women, the governments could have control over production and reproduction; whereas controlling the men only gave the opportunity to control production.
The evolution of politics and the development of the division of labor through history make sense to me. I can see how the repression of women could be a gradual process. If the historical theory argues that female oppression is gradual, does this imply that Renaissance women were more free than the women of the industrial revolution? I am not sure that this is accurate. In the Renaissance, women were the property of men. They served mainly 2 purposes; to reproduce and to be icons of wealth. Women wore elaborate dresses, embroidered with their husbands' crests. The oppression of women is easily seen in Renaissance art, where women are painted in profile, without life-like characteristics. Leonardo Da Vinci is often seen as a feminist painter, because he was one of the first painters in history to give women personality and identity. I have a feeling that women during the industrial revolution were seen to have some identity instead of being considered void of personality. While the historical perspective of male dominance makes logical sense to me, I have a reason to doubt the theory.
The historical perspective also takes politics into account as to why men are superior to women. The hunting-gathering societies were most likely rules by privileged families as opposed to a single, chosen leader. This system gave women power as well as men. When the feudal system took over, the new found "state" governments had to find a way to control the people. By controlling the women, the governments could have control over production and reproduction; whereas controlling the men only gave the opportunity to control production.
The evolution of politics and the development of the division of labor through history make sense to me. I can see how the repression of women could be a gradual process. If the historical theory argues that female oppression is gradual, does this imply that Renaissance women were more free than the women of the industrial revolution? I am not sure that this is accurate. In the Renaissance, women were the property of men. They served mainly 2 purposes; to reproduce and to be icons of wealth. Women wore elaborate dresses, embroidered with their husbands' crests. The oppression of women is easily seen in Renaissance art, where women are painted in profile, without life-like characteristics. Leonardo Da Vinci is often seen as a feminist painter, because he was one of the first painters in history to give women personality and identity. I have a feeling that women during the industrial revolution were seen to have some identity instead of being considered void of personality. While the historical perspective of male dominance makes logical sense to me, I have a reason to doubt the theory.
Mr. Juniata
Mr. Juniata is a wonderful spectacle on campus that gives to charity. I always make it a priority to go and to support Circle K. This year was especially interesting, as I found myself paying increased attention to the gender innuendos.
The first gender stereotype occurred with a banana. Many of the guys in Mr. Juniata wore tight costumes. One of the contestants put a banana in his pants (which he pulled out at the end of his act and ate), exemplifying the societal pressures for men to have large penises. Bananas are also items that society sees as phallic, raising the idea of phallic-associated items vs. vaginal-associated items in society. I feel the phallic association of everyday items was best pioneered by Freud, as phallic and vaginal symbols were significant in his interpretations of dreams. This Mr. Juniata skit definitely shed light on gender ideals in our society.
A second, interesting, gender idea occurred in the Indiana Jones skit. Here, the contestant used the idea of the "male conqueror" for his skit. This theme of men as conquerors is constantly in the media today. I loved this skit, and I thought it portrayed our idea of men in Hollywood to a tee.
The last gender stereotype I am going to discuss was present in the escort portion of Mr. Juniata. One of the contestants gave his 2 escorts a pan and a bottle of laundry detergent. While this was meant to be ironic and funny, I found it to be an interesting statement about what society still thinks of women. Even though associations between women and housework are slowly being broken down, they are still extremely prevalent.
Mr. Juniata was wonderful this year. I found it especially interesting to analyze the gender statements throughout the show. I am glad that Circle K used the show to help a charity and that it is a successful fundraiser.
The first gender stereotype occurred with a banana. Many of the guys in Mr. Juniata wore tight costumes. One of the contestants put a banana in his pants (which he pulled out at the end of his act and ate), exemplifying the societal pressures for men to have large penises. Bananas are also items that society sees as phallic, raising the idea of phallic-associated items vs. vaginal-associated items in society. I feel the phallic association of everyday items was best pioneered by Freud, as phallic and vaginal symbols were significant in his interpretations of dreams. This Mr. Juniata skit definitely shed light on gender ideals in our society.
A second, interesting, gender idea occurred in the Indiana Jones skit. Here, the contestant used the idea of the "male conqueror" for his skit. This theme of men as conquerors is constantly in the media today. I loved this skit, and I thought it portrayed our idea of men in Hollywood to a tee.
The last gender stereotype I am going to discuss was present in the escort portion of Mr. Juniata. One of the contestants gave his 2 escorts a pan and a bottle of laundry detergent. While this was meant to be ironic and funny, I found it to be an interesting statement about what society still thinks of women. Even though associations between women and housework are slowly being broken down, they are still extremely prevalent.
Mr. Juniata was wonderful this year. I found it especially interesting to analyze the gender statements throughout the show. I am glad that Circle K used the show to help a charity and that it is a successful fundraiser.
Gender and Biology
Since I have not blogged in a while, I am going to backtrack a few weeks and work myself up to the topics we are doing for this week. First, I want to write about the Gender and Biology lecture from an anthropological perspective. The first item from the lecture that interested me was the difference in the brain regions. The INAH section of the brain has 4 sections. Only sections 1 and 4 are the same anatomically in both men and women; however, the INAH sections 2 and 3 in gay men are identical to women. This fact interested me, because it makes sense that gay men would have similar biology to women. Could the difference in the INAH sections 2 and 3 contribute biologically to the traditional, dominant, manly characters found in some straight men or are these characteristics created culturally?
Other brain differences include the size of the corpus colossum (which is bigger in women than in men)and the sections of the brain used. When listening to a story, men tend to be more lateralized, using only the left half of the brain, while women tend to be more whole brained. When solving a problem, women use the right hippocampus while men use the left. There are obvious differences in the thinking patterns between men and women. Do these thinking patterns contribute to our gender differences?
When giving directions, men use cardinal directions and mileage while women use land marks. In general, men tend to be better at navigating then women. My dad has always told me that I am the only woman he knows that can read a map. Rather I should take this as a compliment to myself or as an insult to my gender, I have not yet decided. Evidence does show, however, that women navigate worse when they are ovulating. This leads me to believe that navigation is closely related with hormones.
The last factor I found interesting from the lecture was the difference in attraction between men and women. The qualities women find most attractive in men are money and attitude towards kids. Men are most interested in younger women (between 22 and 27), symmetry, average-ness, and hip to waist ratio. Women want men who can provide for a family while men want women who are young enough to produce a lot of offspring. When I think about it, these characteristics seem pretty accurate. However, it does bother me that women are gold-diggers and that men are most-interested in looks.
Other brain differences include the size of the corpus colossum (which is bigger in women than in men)and the sections of the brain used. When listening to a story, men tend to be more lateralized, using only the left half of the brain, while women tend to be more whole brained. When solving a problem, women use the right hippocampus while men use the left. There are obvious differences in the thinking patterns between men and women. Do these thinking patterns contribute to our gender differences?
When giving directions, men use cardinal directions and mileage while women use land marks. In general, men tend to be better at navigating then women. My dad has always told me that I am the only woman he knows that can read a map. Rather I should take this as a compliment to myself or as an insult to my gender, I have not yet decided. Evidence does show, however, that women navigate worse when they are ovulating. This leads me to believe that navigation is closely related with hormones.
The last factor I found interesting from the lecture was the difference in attraction between men and women. The qualities women find most attractive in men are money and attitude towards kids. Men are most interested in younger women (between 22 and 27), symmetry, average-ness, and hip to waist ratio. Women want men who can provide for a family while men want women who are young enough to produce a lot of offspring. When I think about it, these characteristics seem pretty accurate. However, it does bother me that women are gold-diggers and that men are most-interested in looks.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
"Men as Gendered Beings"
I agree with Kimmel and Messner's view on gender, race, and class. People, in general, only identify with the cultural factors which cause them oppression. White, middle-class males are the 'norm' of society and, therefore, do not experience cultural oppression. I liked the story about the black woman, the white woman, and the white man looking into the mirror. The white woman looks into the mirror and sees a woman. The black woman looks into the mirror and sees a black woman. The white man looks into the mirror and sees a human being. Both the white woman and the white man are blind to the features that avoid them oppression, because these features are the 'norm' to them.
Personally, I do not look at my race as a significant part of my identity. My gender, however, is very significant. The only time I truly identified with my race was in Ecuador. I felt angry, because I was given privileged treatment over others due to my race. In Ecuador, white is the 'ideal,' but it is not the 'norm.' It was definitely good for me to be put in a situation where my race had different significance, even though I sometimes felt guilt for the cultural repercussions of the 'white ideal' in Ecuador. The mestizo (half white, half indigenous- the majority of the Ecuadorian population) people often have identity issues, because they are neither white nor indigenous. They do not know how to classify themselves. They strive to be white, and they do not want to be indigenous, yet they are both. It is not uncommon to hear about couples breaking up, because she wasn't white enough for him, etc. Between the racial prejudice in Ecuador and me being the 'ideal' racial minority, I began to see my race as significant. Upon returning to the States, I re-adapted to the culture and no longer see my race as significant. I look into the mirror, and I see a woman. While I was in Ecuador, I looked into the mirror, and I saw a white woman.
Personally, I do not look at my race as a significant part of my identity. My gender, however, is very significant. The only time I truly identified with my race was in Ecuador. I felt angry, because I was given privileged treatment over others due to my race. In Ecuador, white is the 'ideal,' but it is not the 'norm.' It was definitely good for me to be put in a situation where my race had different significance, even though I sometimes felt guilt for the cultural repercussions of the 'white ideal' in Ecuador. The mestizo (half white, half indigenous- the majority of the Ecuadorian population) people often have identity issues, because they are neither white nor indigenous. They do not know how to classify themselves. They strive to be white, and they do not want to be indigenous, yet they are both. It is not uncommon to hear about couples breaking up, because she wasn't white enough for him, etc. Between the racial prejudice in Ecuador and me being the 'ideal' racial minority, I began to see my race as significant. Upon returning to the States, I re-adapted to the culture and no longer see my race as significant. I look into the mirror, and I see a woman. While I was in Ecuador, I looked into the mirror, and I saw a white woman.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Gendered Ads and Food
For my analysis paper, I wrote about the new Mitchum deodorant advertisement campaign. I think these ads are degrading to both sexes. Although, when I showed them to my boyfriend (Justin), he did not appear as offended as me. He thought some of them were funny. Of course, I got on a rant about gender stereotypes and how women are not sex objects, etc. After a little thought, Justin decided that some of the ads were definitely offensive (or maybe he was just trying to stop my rant...?). When I see ads like the Mitchum ads, my thoughts immediately go towards the underlying messages. Justin (like many people) enjoys ads based on their face value without evaluating the underlying social content. I think if more people took the time to analyze ads, they might make different consumer choices. For example, due to Dove's positive advertising of the female body, I try to stick to their brand when buying hygiene products.
After discussing Mitchum (and ensuring that Justin was not buying their deodorant), our conversation transferred to food. Did you ever notice that the salad line in Muddy is about 90% female? Society seems to dictate that women should be thin, and therefore, eat salad. Men, on the other hand, should eat meat. Right after Justin and I talked about this stereotype, a commercial came on TV with a man eating a hamburger (ironic, right?). Another example of the idea of gendered food occurs in the movie "Shallow Hal." When Hal's girlfriend orders a lot of food at McDonalds, Hal mentions that he likes a girl who eats more than just a salad. The gendered food stereotype is something I never picked up on before talking with Justin. I am going to pay more attention to it and see what I notice.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
You're a hardcore feminist. I swear.
I loved the article "You're a hardcore feminist. I swear.," because I felt it addressed many issues and stereotypes that people associate with feminism. I call myself a feminist. Yet, my father seems to think that the 'typical' feminist hates men and is a lesbian. This stereotype has led to many interesting dinner conversations...no dad, I have not made the political decision to become a lesbian... I have met some feminist lesbians (one in particular who is a lesbian out of political choice), but I feel there are lots of non-lesbian feminists in this world, too...like me. As a feminist, I do not consider myself a man-hater. I support male rights. For example, I see male circumcision as a crime against men. I will be the first one to stand up and defend men when it comes to circumcision. My other favorite stereotype that I get when I tell people I am minoring in Women's Studies is "haha, dyke studies..." Yep, that's a good one. I've learned to shrug off the stereotypes, because I love working with and learning about women and gender too much to let stereotypes get in my way. In fact, now when I tell peers that I want to be a gynecologist, I usually just look at them and say "Yep, I want to look at vaginas all day." Somehow blatantly mentioning the word vagina wipes the awkward look off of their faces.
I don't feel like I am an 'exception' to the feminist stereotype, because I feel the stereotypes are false. I am a typical woman who wants rights for humanity and equality for women, and therefore, I am a typical feminist. I like how Valenti described the feminist T-shirt in the article which states "This is what feminism looks like." The shirt tries to emphasize that feminists are normal people. Good stuff... Personally, I am not bothered by stereotypes, but I can see how many women would be. I like how Valenti tries to normalize feminism. Hopefully, her efforts will work and more women will identify as feminists.
I don't feel like I am an 'exception' to the feminist stereotype, because I feel the stereotypes are false. I am a typical woman who wants rights for humanity and equality for women, and therefore, I am a typical feminist. I like how Valenti described the feminist T-shirt in the article which states "This is what feminism looks like." The shirt tries to emphasize that feminists are normal people. Good stuff... Personally, I am not bothered by stereotypes, but I can see how many women would be. I like how Valenti tries to normalize feminism. Hopefully, her efforts will work and more women will identify as feminists.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Chris Barker: Gender, Race, Culture
In his article, Chris Barker makes an interesting observation about gender, culture, and race. "...what it means to be a woman, a child, Asian or elderly is formed differently in different cultural contexts...It matters whether we are black or white, male or female, African or American, rich or poor, because of the differential cultural resources to which we will have had access."
When I was in Ecuador, I experienced a difference of 'treatment' within the culture, because of my race and gender. I am a white female. In Ecuador, everybody in my apartment complex spoke to me in the formal tense. However, the janitor at our apartment complex, Javier, was black. All the people in the apartment complex addressed Javier informally, even though he spoke to them formally. At first, I did not take this language differentiation seriously, but then I realized that the language difference had racist roots. After coming to this revelation, the difference in language choice between Javier and me became infuriating. Whenever I saw Javier, I made a point to speak to him formally. Whether this helped or not, I am uncertain, but I like to think that I helped a little in combating the racism Javier faced daily. Javier was one of the kindest people I know, and he was always in the best of spirits. Perhaps, he did not find the discrimination bothersome, or perhaps he was just used to it. In Ecuador, being black makes you a lower part of society with less cultural resources. Maybe it is not like this in parts of Africa, where the culture is predominately black...
As a female in Ecuador, I experienced discrimination. Walking down the street to the bus stop every morning meant putting up with whistling from men on the streets and with honking car horns from men driving by. Being white, I was an especially good target for men to whistle at, as I looked foreign, and I was assumed to have money. If you ask an Ecuadorian men why they always whistle at women, they will tell you that it is a compliment, because you are pretty. To me, it was degrading. It made me feel like property. I do not see myself as property (whether attractive or unattractive- that's irrelevant), and I do not see my vagina as a reason for people to whistle at me and try to make me feel like coveted property.
Ecuador was an amazing, dynamic culture. It is a developing country, so many of the issues (such as racism and sexism) are more visible and blatant to the eye. Living in Ecuador allowed me to better observe similar issues in our country. I am sure that many of the girls in our class have been whistled at in America and have taken offense to it. I am also sure that others in the class have observed differences in treatment in America due to race. As Chris Barker says, your gender, race, and class are important, because they can increase or limit the cultural resources/respect that a person gets. I believe that this is true of every culture in the world, not just of the U.S. and Ecuador.
When I was in Ecuador, I experienced a difference of 'treatment' within the culture, because of my race and gender. I am a white female. In Ecuador, everybody in my apartment complex spoke to me in the formal tense. However, the janitor at our apartment complex, Javier, was black. All the people in the apartment complex addressed Javier informally, even though he spoke to them formally. At first, I did not take this language differentiation seriously, but then I realized that the language difference had racist roots. After coming to this revelation, the difference in language choice between Javier and me became infuriating. Whenever I saw Javier, I made a point to speak to him formally. Whether this helped or not, I am uncertain, but I like to think that I helped a little in combating the racism Javier faced daily. Javier was one of the kindest people I know, and he was always in the best of spirits. Perhaps, he did not find the discrimination bothersome, or perhaps he was just used to it. In Ecuador, being black makes you a lower part of society with less cultural resources. Maybe it is not like this in parts of Africa, where the culture is predominately black...
As a female in Ecuador, I experienced discrimination. Walking down the street to the bus stop every morning meant putting up with whistling from men on the streets and with honking car horns from men driving by. Being white, I was an especially good target for men to whistle at, as I looked foreign, and I was assumed to have money. If you ask an Ecuadorian men why they always whistle at women, they will tell you that it is a compliment, because you are pretty. To me, it was degrading. It made me feel like property. I do not see myself as property (whether attractive or unattractive- that's irrelevant), and I do not see my vagina as a reason for people to whistle at me and try to make me feel like coveted property.
Ecuador was an amazing, dynamic culture. It is a developing country, so many of the issues (such as racism and sexism) are more visible and blatant to the eye. Living in Ecuador allowed me to better observe similar issues in our country. I am sure that many of the girls in our class have been whistled at in America and have taken offense to it. I am also sure that others in the class have observed differences in treatment in America due to race. As Chris Barker says, your gender, race, and class are important, because they can increase or limit the cultural resources/respect that a person gets. I believe that this is true of every culture in the world, not just of the U.S. and Ecuador.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Gender and Race: the 'ideal'
The reading by Nakano-Glenn was very interesting to me. Colored men are taken as the universal racial subject, while white women are taken as the universal subject of gender. The author then points out how colored women are left out of both categories, making them "invisible both as racial and as gendered subjects." I found it interesting that white men are also left out of the 2 categories. However, unlike colored women, white men are not considered "invisible".
When Nakano-Glenn introduces the issue of class, she discusses Asian immigration. In America, middle and upper class Asian immigrants, who are educated and wealthy, are naturally 'whitened', while lower class, non-educated, Asian immigrants are naturally 'blackened.' It is as if society automatically believes that white people are richer and more educated than black people. In my opinion, it is these stereotypes which allow white men to be left out of gender and race discussions, while not becoming invisible. It is as if the white male status is assumed to be 'ideal.' But is it?
Last May, I met a man from South Africa. He explained to me that on a job application in post-apartheid South Africa, a person is required to put their gender and race. Black women get the most points, followed by black men, indigenous women, indigenous men, white women, and finally white men. Therefore, it is much easier for a black woman to get a job than a white man. The question in my mind was: is that job policy ethical? Assuming that white men have the 'ideal status' in society, this policy could be ethical to make the job search more fair. However, what is the 'ideal status' and what makes it ideal? Are white men 'ideal' because they supposedly face the least discrimination or are their other factors? Should the people who are born into this 'ideal' status genetically (by being male and white) be given fewer points on job applications to make up for a culture's natural discrimination against women and people of color, even though they have no control over their race and sex? Does anybody really know who experiences more discrimination, a man of color versus a white woman? Is this South African policy taking the issue of race and gender too far or does it really help to create equality?
After reading the article by Nakano-Glenn, I immediately thought of South Africa and the racial, gendered, job policy. The South African society has attempted to turn the 'ideal' upside-down to make the "invisible' more visible. Is this good or bad?
When Nakano-Glenn introduces the issue of class, she discusses Asian immigration. In America, middle and upper class Asian immigrants, who are educated and wealthy, are naturally 'whitened', while lower class, non-educated, Asian immigrants are naturally 'blackened.' It is as if society automatically believes that white people are richer and more educated than black people. In my opinion, it is these stereotypes which allow white men to be left out of gender and race discussions, while not becoming invisible. It is as if the white male status is assumed to be 'ideal.' But is it?
Last May, I met a man from South Africa. He explained to me that on a job application in post-apartheid South Africa, a person is required to put their gender and race. Black women get the most points, followed by black men, indigenous women, indigenous men, white women, and finally white men. Therefore, it is much easier for a black woman to get a job than a white man. The question in my mind was: is that job policy ethical? Assuming that white men have the 'ideal status' in society, this policy could be ethical to make the job search more fair. However, what is the 'ideal status' and what makes it ideal? Are white men 'ideal' because they supposedly face the least discrimination or are their other factors? Should the people who are born into this 'ideal' status genetically (by being male and white) be given fewer points on job applications to make up for a culture's natural discrimination against women and people of color, even though they have no control over their race and sex? Does anybody really know who experiences more discrimination, a man of color versus a white woman? Is this South African policy taking the issue of race and gender too far or does it really help to create equality?
After reading the article by Nakano-Glenn, I immediately thought of South Africa and the racial, gendered, job policy. The South African society has attempted to turn the 'ideal' upside-down to make the "invisible' more visible. Is this good or bad?
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