Event 2--Eating Disorder Conference

So throughout the semester it's come up a couple of times in my blog how important the issue of eating disorders are.  Well this past October I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go a conference in Florida for the weekend.  Although I didn't go to every lecture (I kind of chose the ones I thought would be most interesting and most beneficial to me haha)  With this class in mind (& remembering I would eventually be needing a social justice event)  I decided to attend a lecture entitled: More Alike Than We Are Different: We Can All Be Affected, We Can All Recover.  The speaker was a bi-racial woman who opened by describing herself as a “crusader for joy and our common humanity.”  In her speech she talked a lot about how the media places these unattainable standards on woman, one of them being that they feel they must be of a single race.  She herself grew up bi-racial and although she was accepted amongst her peers and in her own community she sometimes felt that stepping of her own comfort zone opened her up to a world of judgment that somehow surrounding herself with others who did not know she was bi-racial would allow people the opportunity to judge her.  But of course as she got older and understand more and accepted herself this became a non issue.  This brought me back to the Anzaldua article about her being a mestiza—a person not belonging to a single category but multiple categories and that these categories intertwine.  The speaker of course also talked about how hard it is to be a woman in today’s society; having to constantly live up to impossible demands that society and the media are continually placing on us.  I also related the speaker’s points to Cinderella Ate My Daughter and how the media speaks to different sexes.  The speaker talked a lot about the media and how young girls are forced to look at pictures of women that are unrealistic—this reminded me of Noelle’s blog post about the media article. She posted a picture of a girl wearing a shirt that says “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!”  This is actually a popular picture in the eating disorder community.  In her speech, the speaker also touched upon men being affected by eating disorders as well and how a man with an eating disorder is seen as weak and less of a man.

Before this class I wasn’t exactly sure eating disorders were a feminist issue but now I understand how they are.  Eating disorders are a feminist issue because of the simple fact that it is an inequality an discrimination towards a group of people who don’t feel comfortable in their own skin because of the unattainable standards media has put in place for them.

Eventually, I hope to one day be the standing in the speaker’s shoes giving my own talk <3

Event 1--The Bro Code

The Bro Code was about how the media such as: TV shows, movies, magazines etc have their own set of ideas and values about how the men of today are supposed to act. They portray men as being ‘big’, strong and powerful people who can basically get women at the drop of a dime.  The film was broken down into four steps: Step 1: Train Men to Womanize, Step 2: Immerse Men in Porn, Step 3: Make Rape Jokes and Step 4: Obey the Masculinity Cops.  As the movie takes you through each step, it shows you how basically the men and more so the youth of today, are taught to disrespect men in order to gain a sense of power.

Step 1: Train Men to Womanize

This segment focused largely on how men are portrayed in the media.  Men in popular media today are pretty much just looking for sex.  Keith used the show Jersey Shore as an example.  This show could not be more about men wanting sex.  Personally, I’ve never seen an episode because I feel like I would lose brain cells if I did but of course I know about the show and it is totally ridiculous.  Once this show aired it was like every guy wanted to be Pauly D and every girl wanted to be Snooki.  Men see other men getting women and having sex with them as if it is a reward and they feel they need to earn that same honor.

>>I found this xtranormal I thought was funny! Snooki & Pauly D

Step 2: Immerse Men in Porn

This segment focused on porn and how easily accessibly porn has become.  Keith mentions that boys as young as 12 years old are being submerged into the pornography world.  As I was watching these segment I couldn't help but agree when Keith was saying that porn transforms how men see some women.  While writing this post I referred back to our sex positivity reading and how pornography was the first issue to unite sex positive feminists.  Basically pornography was viewed as a civil rights issue, arguing that porn was sex discrimination against women.  The sex-positive movement responded with the argument that the legislation against porn violated a woman's freedom of speech.  It is a woman's freedom of speech, men just take it in a disturbed direction sometimes because of how the media has taught them to use it.

Step 3: Make Rape Jokes

This segment focused on how "boy culture" makes rape jokes okay which is false.  The use of rape jokes offends rape victims and is violent towards women

>>I found this tumblr of why rape jokes aren't funny! I really liked it...http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/rape-jokes

Step 4: Obey the Masculinity Cops

This segment focused on the men in a boy's life reinforce how he is supposed to act.

This segment made me think back to the Kimmel reading about how boys are supposed to be a certain way--violent, etc.

being an ally. talking point 12

* I just want to say this piece was my favorite piece we read all semester.  Although it was a short and easy read I thought it was really powerful and raised a lot of important points.


As I was reading through this piece I sat back and was like, I don't think I've ever actually thought of myself as an ally before this class.  For a while I was always like "well, I think I am but, I'm not really sure and I don't know blah blah..."  let me explain--I mean sure it drives me f***** bananas when people use the phrase "that's so gay" or "that's so retarded" or when people make racist jokes or fat jokes or gender jokes or any type of discriminating jokes.  I'm the first to stop someone mid sentence or mid action when I see bullying or harassment or any type of situation where one person is making another feel uncomfortable.  I have no problem taking on the challenge of defeating oppression so if all that is what makes a person an ally...then I guess all my wondering can be over!

I kept relating this piece back to something I had heard last year at an event during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week... one of the speakers at the event kept saying throughout her speech that she was in recovery and was now a voice for those couldn't find theirs or maybe, unfortunately no longer had one.
>I thought of an ally as kind of being like that...a voice for someone else.  When it comes down to it, everyone knows somebody who needs an ally.

My favorite part of this whole piece was the Jesse Jackson quote:
"When a critical mass of white people join together, rise up, and shout a thunderous NO to racism, we  will actually alter the course of history."
it actually made me stop & stare at the paper and just kind of smile to myself.  In my head I was like how awesome is that, right on.

I also thought the point "we are all dominant and targeted simultaneously" couldn't have been any more true.  She used the example of a white able-bodied man--who, based on that is seen as dominant in those categories but yet can be targeted for being Jewish or gay.  I love how she pointed how that even if a person is dominant in every aspect of their life, they won't be forever! (I found that pretty clever :p)



**I thought this was an awesome piece to end the semester with & I'm really sad this class is over.  BUT I can't wait to take your class again in the spring!  I feel like this class really opened my eyes and changed my perception about a few things--definitely for the better!

Random Post! just thought I'd share with everyone

So I was telling Chris (briefly) at the end of class yesterday that in my Abnormal Psychology class we were covering suicide & gender identity and that yesterday we were having a guest speaker from Youth Pride Inc in Providence.

[In case there's some of you who are like me & have never heard of Youth Pride Inc (YPI) before: it is a safe place for members & supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning youth to come and feel accepted and work together.


The speaker was a transman (female to male).  He shared his story with us and he gave a presentation, similar to the one Chris gave when we covered LGBTQQ issues; he did the spectrum with us like we did in class:

Men-------------------------------------Intersex-------------------------------------Women

Male----------------------------------Transgender----------------------------------Women

Masculine---------------------------Androgynous--------------------------------Feminine

Gay--------------------------------------Bisexual------------------------------------Straight

He talked a lot about using the correct vocabulary and trying to watch what you say so you don't offend anyone.  This part of his presentation really hit home for me---my sister battles a pretty serious eating disorder (Bulimia) she's in & out the hospital & outpatient clinics and living with this for the past 7 years has made me really cautious (for lack of a better term) about what I say.  Certain things you say or names you call her can affect her differently than if you were to like say them to me or something.  I thought it was really important that he stressed that name calling, not just for LGBTQQ kids, but for kids and people in general isn't acceptable.

He also talked a lot about acceptance, that although Rhode Island has come a along way there is of course still a long way to go---it's a work in progress.  And the (I could have this out of sequence so don't quote me) "Stop it, Name it, Claim it"...if you say something you think or know is offensive or you hear someone else do it...stop, acknowledge it, own up to it, apologize and move on.  He said it's better to acknowledge the fact that you offended someone and apologize than just pretend like you never said it and it never happened----i thought that was really cool

And of course he invited everyone to stop by Youth Pride Inc (: 

It's right across from Classical High School in case anyone wants to check it out!

SOOO throughout his presentation & at the end he asked questions about our knowledge on these topics, I am so proud to say I was basically the only one who could answer his questions with enough confidence to feel like I knew what I was talking about, thanks to this class (:  A lot of kids were asking questions & I kept saying to myself  "THE ANSWER TO THAT IS _____" 

*I was really excited to see my two favorite classes actually intersecting; it was interesting to see the issue from a psychological perspective with my knowledge of the feminist perspective lurking in the background (:

I VOTED!

SO today was the first election EVER that I got to vote in & I was so excited, mainly because of this class haha
I walked up to the table and gave my name & address & blah blah blah and was like IT'S MY FIRST TIME VOTING! and the other people in line clapped (: there was an older woman sitting at the table checking someone else in, she leaned over and said to me: it's so nice to see a young, FEMALE exercising her right to vote...honestly it made me feel a little proud.

I was out with my dad doing stuff for the basketball league he runs, while we were out we drove by some of our districts headquarters, there was so much commotion going on!  Before this class I never really paid attention to politics but I felt for this election I was really informed which is probably a good thing since it was my first time haha.
On Sunday, while I was at my cousins his friend was over, I was in the kitchen & could hear yelling coming from the other room so of course I went to check it out & of course they were discussing politics.  It was the first politically intelligent conversation I think I've ever had

I've been watching the results with my dad, he works for the city of Providence so he understands this & is way more involved than I am.  I've also been asking friends & family who they've voted for.

What I find really interesting, maybe a little even unfair, is that in the end the electoral votes are the deciding factor.  I also kind of laughed, and I don't know why, that Romney didn't win Massachusetts's votes...I guess to me I just thought they'd vote for their own, but they are a democratic state after all.

I was a little surprised Elizabeth Warren & David Cicilline won...
Sheldon Whitehouse won too...I voted for him haha



that's all I've seen so far
I'm sure as I keep watching I'll be able to add more!

talking point 9! sex positivity

so in order for me to get a better grip on what exactly the readings were about this week, I did a little research on my own.

I basically just typed sex positivity into Google & sooo many different feminism articles came up.  I found a woman's (her name is Clarisse) blog entitled FEMINISTE...she posted an interview she had done; she had answered questions about sex-positive feminism...I found it really interesting so the link is below!

"Interview with a sex-positive feminist"

http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2011/12/16/interview-with-a-sex-positive-feminist/

Her first question & answer helped me get a better understanding (along with the wikipedia article) of what exactly sex-positive feminism is.

According to Clarisse (& a bit of wikipedia info too) sex positive feminism is the acceptance of various types of sexual approaches.  Basically, sex positive feminism don't engage in stereotypes.  Part of her answer to the first question is

                                         "...some people are really into sex, and some people aren't; but most importantly,

                                                all kinds of sex are okay as long as they happen among consenting adults."

this part of her answer made me look back to the 8 Ways To Be Positive You're Sex Positive article.  In this article, step 1 is realizing "having sex is healthy, but so is not having sex."  How I saw this is Clarisse basically saying what step 1 is saying...you want to have sex, great! go for it! but if you don't, that's okay too.  

What I got from the 8 Ways article (& Wikipedia and Clarisse's blog) is that sex is different for everyone---everyone engages in sex differently & sex can mean something different to everyone.

For some people, sex is an intimate thing they do with the person they love and only that person.  For others, sex could include a type of kinky fetish with whoever is willing (consenting) to take part in it.

In the Wikipedia article there was a section on pornography & how it was "perhaps" the first issue to untie sex-positive feminists.  In 1983 the city council in Minneapolis passed an anti-pornography ordinance--basically pornography was viewed as a civil rights issue, arguing that porn was sex discrimination against women.  The sex-positive movement responded with the argument that the legislation against porn violated a woman's freedom of speech.  

>After I read this I remembered what happened this past weekend, I was in Salem for Halloween weekend (HUGE HALLOWEEN FAN RIGHT HERE) & as we were walking through some mall type place we passed an "Adult Store."  In the window was an older looking poster of a pretty (but basically naked) blonde woman with the name Nina Hartley on the poster.  So now I just looked her up---she is an adult film star, most popular in the 70s, author & feminist who starred in basic sexual intercourse, foreplay, anal sex and bondage films.  She first became interested in porn & erotica novels when she was 14, is bisexual, has been in a polyamorous (a man & a woman together) relationship & is now currently married to a man but they both have their special friends--I guess like an open relationship type deal.

I found this YouTube video--an interview with Nina Hartley in The Man Room.

I thought this video fit with our readings--it's about her life as a sex-positive feminist

Her interview helped me understand the readings this week so check 'em out!

Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XROEOGwC00&feature=related

Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAJXTbSBukM&feature=relmfu

Part Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iLUsBbnzvY&feature=relmfu

talking point 8: Cinderella Ate My Daughter (reflection)

FIRST OFF I just wanna say that I was so excited about this article before I even read it!  The title caught my eye right away because I have this unhealthy obsession with this Cinderella!  It's funny because I read Noelle's blog before I posted this---too bad we didn't know each other when we were little, we could have Cinderella parties together J  

As I’m writing this I am staring at my Cinderella snow globe, Cinderella build-a-bear, Cinderella limited edition clock & doll, every version of Cinderella on VHS,DVD, Blu Ray, special edition…the list could go on & on haha

So obviously as I was reading this article Orenstein’s points about the Disney Princesses really stuck out to me.  Little girls always idolize the princesses…something about their lifestyle just speaks to a girl.  It’s funny because my cousin had a baby last January and all through her pregnancy she just kept saying, ‘I don’t care what my baby is as long as it’s healthy.’  When she found out the baby was a girl she was ecstatic to have her own ‘little princess’ the first gift she got was a Disney “Princess on Board” sticker for her car window.

I think the whole glitz and glam of the princess lifestyle is what attracts little girls.  They see brightly dressed girls covered in glitter and makeup and looking so beautiful they can’t help but want that lifestyle.  For my junior prom I told my mom I was wearing a princess dress and would not settle for anything less than something that made me look like royalty. 

$300 dollars later, I got my princess dress, which looking back on it---I wish I hadn't waste $300 on a dress! BUT I felt like a princess that night & it’s a night I’ll always remember!

Now that I’m older, I look at the Disney Princesses and wonder…how can such superficial people be this popular?  No one has a fairy godmother who can grant them wishes.  And how many stories do you hear about men kissing women out of their sleep? You don’t!

The world needs to lay off the superficial role models J

My only issue with this article is when Orenstein talks about the color PINK.

UGGGGGGGH!       

 Nothing in this world drives me more crazy than the color pink.  I CANNOT 

STAND THE COLOR PINK!

You will not catch me dead wearing, owning, or having anything pink.  Never have never will.  My mom actually tells me that when I was younger (like age 3-5) I would cry if she put me in pink clothes.

When I was reading this section I thought back to a conversation Noelle, Ronie & I had in class a few weeks.  We were having a conversation about the color pink (I don’t really remember why right now) but I was telling them how much I disliked the color pink & happened to be a day where Noelle was wearing a lot of pink haha

Some girls (&boys too) love the color pink.  I however cannot stand it—it’s too bright & peppy & perky & I just can’t deal with it haha------don’t ask for an explanation, I don’t have one haha  Therefore, I disagree with Orenstein when she says that the attraction to the color pink is in a girl's DNA....I'm living proof that that statement is false.

SIDENOTE: As I was reading this article I was also thinking about the article about the boys we read last week.  AND I couldn't help but think about the kid's game CANDYLAND.  The two highest places on the board (that pretty much ensure you're going to win) is King Kandy & Princess Lolly.  I may be over analyzing but I found it interesting that in order to win you have to land on a man's castle....why not a woman's?

"I'm Gay & Unapologetic!"

So I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday (Monday) and Thursday I'm having some contraption put on my head to test my brain activity for the migraines I've been getting since I was 13 (SUPER FUN WEEK RIGHT!?) 

SOOOO I'm out of classes & work until next week and because my cheeks are the size of basketballs & the contraption I'm getting put on is going to make me look like a robot mummy (picture someone with wires attached to their head and wrapped in a bajillion layers of medical tape & gauze...got that image? that's what I'll be looking like for 4 days!)   I will be cooped up in my bedroom for the next 6 or 7 days.

SOOOOO while I was laying in bed today...

I was doing some research on available internships for this coming summer (I'm really trying to get an internship at the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) headquarters in New York) and I came across this article written by Troy Roness, one of their members.

I found the article (below is a link) really interesting because it not only dealt with people accepting his eating disorder but also accepting him as a member of the LGBT community.  In his article he talks about coming out as a gay, Christian man with an eating disorder and the obstacles he had to overcome.  He's an amazing writer/ speaker so check it out!

It's Time...

What Are Little Boys Made Of? (Quotes/Reflection)

As I was reading through this article my mind was going off in SOOOO many different directions, I loved it!  For me it was a relatable article and I thought that really helped me understand the points being raised.  I felt that the article was trying to say that boys are violent, aggressive, obnoxious creatures who do not really show emotion due to this ‘code of silence’.  I chose a few quotes that I thought were the best representation of what the article was about.

In the beginning of the article there was a quote about the infamous nature vs. nurture debate:

Ø  “It’s nature not nurture that propels boys towards obnoxious behavior, violence and sadistic experiments on insects.  What makes boys boys is, in a word testosterone, that magical catch-all hormone that drives them toward aggression and risk taking and challenging this fact gives them the message…that boyhood is defective. (157)

After reading and rereading this quote I kept thinking, what do boys my age (college students) think of this?  So I decided to ask! I asked a few of the most important men in my life what their opinions were.

My dad and both of my friends believe that behavior, violence, aggression etc is a product of one’s environment.  They all had similar reasons: how you were raised, who you associate(d) with and how the men in your life behave(d) all contribute to your behavior. 

My Boyfriend on the other hand thought it was both genetics and environment.

I personally think it has a lot to do with environment.  If a boy is brought up in a violent environment or has aggressive parents, all he is going to know is violence and aggression which will probably lead to him acting out—obnoxious behavior.  I’m a firm believer that boys and girls are a product of their environment.

 For as long as I could remember I’ve been considered “one of the guys”---not because I liked “boy things” but because of my behavior.  I’m not big on emotions and feelings and all that crap haha.  I hung out with the boys more because I couldn’t take girls crying and being all emotional.  So When I read the quote:

Ø  “Culture of cruelty imposes a code of silence on boys, requiring them to suffer without speaking of it…”(158)

I immediately wondered what my guys thought.  My guys firmly believe that this ‘code of silence’ does not exist.  They all believed that men should always express themselves and their emotions.  I found this interesting coming from a group of 20 year old guys.  In my personal experience(s) I haven’t known of too many guys who are willing to just put their emotions out there for the world to see.  I feel that society (and myself too I guess) sees emotions as a weakness almost.  Society has this idea that men are supposed to be strong enough to hide their emotions, they’re not supposed to feel… thus living in this ‘code of silence’

My friend B is the complete opposite of me.  He is in total favor of emotions, he doesn’t believe in this ‘code of silence’.  He believes that men should never have to hide their feelings and should always express how they feel.  He gave me an example—he said his dad treats his mom like a princess (lucky her!) and always reminds her how he feels about her.  He said that when he is in a relationship he makes sure that there is no ‘code of silence’ that he always reminds his significant other his feelings without being ashamed. 

My friend J pretty much agreed with my other friend.  He 100% believes that men should always express themselves. He thinks that guys should always show respect, for women, men & well, everyone!  He believes that guys should always stand up for what’s right.

My boyfriend of almost 3 years believes that people, not just men, should always express their emotions (that’s probably why we have such a difficult time communicating :p)  He agrees with my other two friends that this ‘code of silence’ is just something else to make men look bad and that guys do have feelings and can show them.

The last quote I chose was the ending paragraph:

Ø  “Feminists imagine, and demand, that men (and boys) can do better.  Feminism offers the possibility of a new boyhood and a new masculinity based on a passion for justice, a love of equality and the expression of a full range of feelings.” (159)

I thought ending the article like this was perfect.  Feminism is giving men the opportunity to be that loving-emotional-do what is right – kind of guy without being completely isolated out of society.  Men like this do in fact exist, right now they are rare but hopefully someday they won’t be!

SIDENOTE:

-When I first read the title of the article I immediately thought of the nursery rhyme with the same title---What Are Little Boys Made Of? I thought it was fitting because this rhyme was written in early 19^th century & even then there was a battle being fought between the sexes!

random middle of the night post!

don't you just love those nights when you can't sleep----no matter how hard you try!?

ugh it's almost 3:30am, I've been trying to fall asleep for 3 hours! I've been on Pinterest (most addicting app ever!) and found something really interesting that I absolutely LOVED so I thought I'd share it :)


I loved this picture because I could relate to it...my sister has been battling an eating disorder for the past 7 years, since she was 10; she was in recovery and this past week she began the process for, again, being admitted to clinic at Hasbro for relapsing.
I believe eating disorders are a feminist issue. They speak to low self esteem which stems from feeling like you have a lack of control. Men and society place such emphasis on unattainable beauty that men and society are basically controlling women, ugh!

someday I hope that women (&men too who suffer from eating disorders) will realize BEAUTY IS NOT A SIZE!

La conciencia de la mestiza: Towards a New Consciousness

I thought Gloria Anzaldua’s article >> La conciencia de la mestiza: Towards a New Consciousness, was a fairly easy read. I felt that she made her point in a straight forward way and explained herself so the reader understood where she was coming from. She is trying to explain to the readers the complexity of being a new Mestiza

In her article she explains that mestiza means to be one of multiple races. She talks of the Mestiza as not belonging to a single category, but many---these many categories intertwine. Basically, a Mestiza has no definitive place to call home. As a mestiza she is trying to figure out who she is and where exactly she can call home.

While I understood the article i felt i was reaading it at face value.  After reading Kayli and Nancy's blogs, though, it helped put the article in perspective for me!  (thanks girls :D)

 

Kayli connected this article to the LGBT article we just read. She says: "In Rich's text she talks about how society or in this case her culture insists on being one way, and any other way or the Mestiza is not accepted in society. it is imposed on us from the beginning to be one way."  What I took from the article and what Kayli also mentioned is that a Mestiza is a creature who is separate and not traditionally accepted. I agree with kayli; Rich talked about society being born with this innate instinct that everyone has to be one way (in RIch's case it was heterosexual) and if they are anything different, well then they are not accepted Well a Mestiza doesn't fit in one category, she is multiple categories—so right away she is not accepted in society.  Kayli also mentioned the outer and inner struggle and how that can lead to not feeling accepted and developing a tolerance.

Nancy’s blog reflected on Anzaldua’s article.  Nancy raised some points that I found important and made me stop and think a little more about what I was reading.  Nancy points out that fitting in is crucial in our society; some even see it as being the most important component.  People crave the need for acceptance and in some cases may change who they are to fit in with a certain group of people.  Nancy makes the point that in order to fit in we feel like we need to follow social norms…like a rule book almost.  Nancy also points out ( and I also took this from the article) that the future depends on the breaking down of paradigms.

 

 

>> I think I’m starting to realize that I may have been a bit blind before this class or maybe I just didn’t want to believe it was true.  I had thought discrimination against certain races had been getting better.  I think I was looking at things in my direct view---in my high school and neighborhood and group of friends, race or skin color or ethnicity etc didn’t matter, the content and character of the person did.  As I’m being opened up to a new perspective I am beginning to see that things may not be as good (for lack of a better term) as I thought they were.  As corny as it sounds, it makes me sad.   Society definitely has a very long way to go.

Gay people can own homes too! (random blog)

so today I was in Massachusetts with my family and we were passing by this old mansion that my church used to use for like teen retreats and such.

I happened to really like this old house and was talking about it with my dad and he told me the MOST ABSURD story!

this old house is owned by the Catholic diocese and they had put the house up for sale. apparently a gay couple came to look at the house and made an offer on it. THE DIOCESE REJECTED THEIR OFFER because they refused to sell the home to a gay couple because it was owned by Catholics who are against gay marriage.

so now this couple is suing the diocese.
UGH this made me so angry; I am a practicing Catholic and never in my life would I refuse to sell something to someone just because they're gay!

I just figured I'd share that with everyone.

Compulsory Heterosexuality & Lesbian Existence...I think?

I had a really, really, ridiculously hard time with this article.

I’m still not sure that I completely understand it.

I’m hoping class this week will help clarify some things for me BUT for now I’m just going to give it my best shot and see what happens!

 

From what I understand (or at least I think I understand) is that Rich is defining compulsory heterosexuality as being what society demands; by that I mean that society encourages/persuades us to be heterosexual. Because of the restraints placed on those who identify as anything other than heterosexual and the impact society has on our decisions, we feel it is our duty to identify as heterosexual in order to not be cast out of society and be considered “different.”  Identifying as something other heterosexual is considered to be outside of the cultural norm which unfortunately leads people to believe and think that it is wrong to be attracted to members of the same sex.

 

Does that make sense?  Hopefully I’m on the right track!

 

As for Lesbian Existence, I took it that Rich was trying to make the point that lesbians are not treated as or considered to be equal in society.  Because of this, those identifying as lesbians have become more fearful of coming out and being who they are.

 

 

 

SIDENOTE….I feel completely UNconfident in this post haha

Talking Point Four!

While I was exploring the People Like Us website, I found various articles and interactive games that show you how even the littlest things identify who you are.    For example, there was this interactive quiz (Name That Class) that asks you a few different questions in order to determine your social class.  As I was answering the question, I found it kind of humorous where my answers where getting me placed.  One of the questions asked where/how I would get a sandwich if I was treating myself to one—my answer placed me in the blue collar social class.  Yet when I answered that I hoped my child would someday have a steady job, that answer had me placed in the trailer park class system.  Oh! And wanting to visit Disney makes me middle class!  I found it interesting that little things we tend to overlook can actually contribute to your identity and how others identify you.

On the Youngstown State University website I saw that there is a Center for Working-Class Studies.  This program was the first academic program to focus on issues revolving around and involving work and class.  This program paved the way for the new Working-Class Studies Association for people who are interested in the history and experiences of the working class people.  I thought it was awesome that this association teamed up with another program to shed some light on a new generation of workers.  The issues of work and class are obviously very important to these two programs and teaming up will only make their voices louder.

 

“Why and how is economic inequality a feminist issue?”

Ø  Before I could answer this question I felt that I needed a better understanding of what economic equality was exactly. As I searched for a definition I found that in simple terms, economic inequality is the gap between rich and poor or wealth and income differences. 

Ø  I feel that economic inequality is a feminist issue because there are different economic classes and women within those classes can face very different problems.  Women who are considered to be lower class may not have an education that allows them to get a decent job.  Whereas women who are considered to middle class have a bit more power and may tend to have a better education and then of course the upper class has more power than the middle class and may have an equal if not better education than the middle class.  Power increasing with class can be a product of having more access to resources than others.  Also, if women are married and both partners are working while raising children the issue of child care can affect each class differently.  Lower class women/families may not have the funds to send their child to daycare or may have no other child care options but to stay home or work under awful policies.  Middle class and upper class women/families may have more funds and may have the opportunity to send their children to daycare or may have the funds to have private child care at their home.  However, other than education and resources and funds there are a lot of men who still believe woman should not work; this way of thinking can also put a retraint on economic equality.  There are “old school” ways of thinking still floating around in society.  What I mean by this is, there are many people, men and women, who believe that men are supposed to go to work and women are supposed to stay home and take care of the children.  There are also people who still think that women cannot do the physically demanding jobs that men can do.  Only when people begin to open their minds a little more will we then see some change start to occur.

Everyone should have the right to get an education!

The issue I chose to focus on for this week's blog is education and how Obama and Romney differ on the topic. As I was reading the article I agreed and disagreed with some of the points each candidate was making. However, when it came the two discussing higher education, I 100% supported Obama. President Obama is trying to make higher education reachable. Obama believes that everyone should have the chance at a higher education (if they wish to have one of course). He doesn't believe that lack of funds should stop you from getting where you want to go in life; and I agreed with him. President Obama has already made several moves to help students such as creating tax credits for college students and having loans issued from the federal government instead of private banks.  Romney on the other hand, wants to revert back to private banks for student loans which will only end up costing the student more money after they graduate.  Obama’s plan (loans from the federal government instead of private banks) is expected to save about $60 billion over the course of 10 years!  Romney feels that the government shouldn’t be “writing blank checks to universities” because it will only drive the tuition up.  But what if someone cannot get a loan from a private bank?  Does that mean they are now forced to miss out on an education because they cannot afford it?  In my opinion, education shouldn’t be viewed as a privilege (I feel like that is how it’s looked at today) but instead it should be an opportunity.  Anyone wanting to go to school, further their education and have the opportunity to better themselves should be allowed to, even if they have to ask for financial help from the government.

"Can't we all just get along?" --Rodney King

In the book Privilege, Power and Difference, Allan Johnson argues in Chapter 2 (We're in Trouble) that "we need to feel that we belong to something bigger than ourselves..." As human beings it is in our nature to be social creatures---to interact with others in whatever capacity we can; it is a key component for our survival.  However, in a society that places labels on everyone it’s hard to be social when you may feel like you don’t necessarily fit in.  Today everyone is being judged and subconsciously judging others—we neglect to realize how powerful judgment really is.  In a world like the one we live in, how a person is judged by their peers is seen as a definition of who they are even if it is a completely wrong perception (which 95% of the time it is!)  I believe a good example of this is the argument Frye makes about the sexual activity of a female. 

In her article titled Oppression, Marilyn Frye brings to light the argument of women’s sexual activity and inactivity.  Frye argues that women are stuck in a bind because of the social expectations placed on them.  She argues that a woman is judged based on whether or not she engages in sexual activity.  If a woman engages in sexual activity she is labeled as easy, a whore.  If she does not engage in sexual activity she’s thought of a lesbian or ‘having something wrong with her’.  Either way she’s being judged and who she is being judged as isn’t necessarily who she is.  Undergoing such harsh judgments is preventing her from being social.  This brings us back to Johnson’s point of being a part of something bigger.  If we continue to live under the judgments that are being placed upon us we’ll never have that sense of belonging and being able to feel like we are a part of something bigger.  As Johnson said in his book “…you’d think we could treat one another with decency and respect and appreciate if not support the best we have in us.”

The F Word--Feminism in Jeopardy

While I was reading "The F Word" there were a couple quotes that made me stop and think more about what I was reading.  For instance the beginning of the article Rowe-Finkbeiner writes:

"It’s easy to take the past for granted as we go busily through our days working, going to school, spending time in the car and on the bus, attending meetings, taking care of kids, doing homework, wrestling cell phones, building careers, and creating lives.”

As I was reading this part I couldn’t help but stop when reading this quote—in my mind I just kind of stopped sat back and said to myself wow, how true is that.  In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives we never really stop and say “oh I get to have an education because so and so fought for it” or “I get to vote because so and so stood up for it.”  As years passed and women were given the right and had the ability to do more things, the significance slowly faded away.  It no longer seemed like a big deal that a woman could get an education or a job because women had now been doing that for years and years.  Somewhere through the years women forgot how special opportunities like an education or a job were.  Women were not always allowed to do the things men could do and while it may seem that now men and women are on an equal playing field in some aspects they are not.  For instance, men and women holding the same career position do not always make the same amount of money; men tend to make more.  In order for our society to move forward and to keep making changes the past cannot be forgotten.

When reading about The First Wave of the movement I saw this quote by Susan B. Anthony that really made me think about the Declaration of Independence; one of the most important and idolized documents in American history.

 “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who forms the Union….Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.   ---Susan B. Anthony”
This quote in the article by Susan B. Anthony could not be anymore correct.  When the Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 it was never specified that the Declaration was only implied for men; the declaration was a document that covered the rights of the people…people meaning both men and women.  Somehow, though, the Declaration was automatically assumed to be just for men but nowhere in the Declaration does it state that women were not included.  The Declaration of Independence was intended to protect the rights of all people—men and women alike.

What I found amusing in this article was that there was actually a text on how to be a good wife--- “The Good Wife’s Guide.”  It’s funny to me that there was actually a guide to follow which determined whether or not you were a good wife---to me that is a bunch of bull****.  I find it hard to believe that a single guide could be the determining factor as to whether or not your husband or partner deemed you fit enough to b considered a ‘good wife.’  A woman cannot and should not be considered a good wife based on a book; they should be considered good because of their character. 

The quote from the guide “Prepare yourself.  Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives.  Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.  He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.” made me laugh and as much as I tried looking at it through historical eyes I couldn’t.  The idea of getting ready for your husband to come home from work is comical in the sense that it’s basically saying you need to look good for your husband in order for him to want to come home to you.  I couldn’t help but think about this in terms of my own relationship; if my boyfriend didn’t want to see me because my hair or make-up wasn’t done or I didn’t look “fresh” and looked too tired, I would laugh in his face.  But I guess that is a luxury of today’s society they did not have—being able to stand up for what you believe and not having to change your view to make your partner happy.


In the article "Fear of Feminism" I found the quote "young women may believe that a feminist identity puts them out of the pool for many men, limits the options of who they mights become with a partner, how they might decide to live." really stick out in my mind as I read the rest of the article.  I think this quote has a alot of truth to it.  A lot of women fear the topic of feminism and fear being associated with feminism because of the challenges it can create when trying to find a potential partner, especially a male partner.  A lot of men disagree with feminism because they do not fullt understand it---they still believe a feminist is an angry woman demanding equality when in actuality it is much more than that.  Most women want to find a partner, marry and raise a family but identifying as a feminist makes them feel like a lot of doors are being closed and that certain men will not accept them.

 

 

After reading this article I found a video on YouTube that I found interesting.  It had me laughing at a lot of the answers people gave to the questions being asked. Especially the guy who said "They got their amendment passed in 1920 why are they still bitching..." or the man who said that the bible views the man as being head of the household, right in front of his wife who agreed with him!

 

Introduction!

Hi everyone!
I am a junior here at RIC.  I am a Psychology major also minoring in Womens and Gender Studies---I hope to someday work with teens with Eating Disorders.  I'm only on campus twice a week but it makes for a long day! The rest of my time is spent working at an early learning center, catching up on homework or sleeping!  I am from Rhode Island---I've lived in Cranston my whole life.  I'm really excited to be in this class; we've only had two classes but I'm enjoying it already!  I look forward to talking to all of you soon!