.Hello Everyone! I will discuss about an article from New York Times, Easing the Law for New Yorkers Shifting Gender by Matt Flegenheimer. Flegenheimer argues that New York City is trying to pass a law that allows transgender people to change their sex on their birth certificates by a blessing of any health care professionals. Under the current law, New York folks must submit a proof of gender-change surgery. New York City Council hopes that if this proposal gets passed, more opportunities will be created towards transgender rights. In the reading, “The Social Construction on Gender,” Judith Lorber argues that gender construction starts by determining the newborns’ appearance and sexual organs. Humans are categorized into male and female by expressing masculinity and femininity, which is influenced by parents, teachers, media, and many more. If we do not choose one of either paths or the opposite path, we are judged by society as different, unnatural, and unqualified. I believe that if New York City passes this law, it would support the transgender community by making merging its’ presence society. By removing the surgery requirement, many transgender citizens who are financially unstable do not have to force themselves to change their spiritual identity. Society must realize that rather than gender, human nature should not categorize people into the economic or social ladder. In order for transgender people to feel less like an outsider, we must realize that social constructionism creates gender as opposed to biological determinism.
Hi Yurie! I definitely agree that this law is a step in the right direction, however it makes me wonder why parents are even asked to declare their children's sex on birth certificates in the first place. Is there really a function for this declaration, and why are people so obsessed with know a person's gender? Though i'm sure the new law will help the transgender community, perhaps it would help everyone the most if we pushed for an initiative that required people to not declare their gender until they are sure, avoiding placing anyone in any gender category from the start.
Interesting topic Yurie! I concur that society should not stereotype transgender people as being unnatural, because who is society to decide what is and what is not normal? Something intriguing I was thinking about is what type of bathrooms would transgender people use? And should society regulate this?
Hello! When I was looking for an article I came across something about George Clooney's wedding. I know this doesn't seem like a topic for discussion in this blog but the article brought up the issue of a women taking a man's last name when they get married. This tradition reminds me a lot about the hidden curriculum because both unintentionally enforce gender roles. As the Martin article states, traditions like taking a man's name or the way a child in disciplined placed men on top of a hierarchy and reduce women to a passive and confined role. The act of taking a man's name can be seen as by a women as losing her individual identity. Those do not agree with this act can defy these traditions by keeping their name. Many of these women, who go against this tradition are often met with confusion or disapproval. I think regardless of whether or not you agree with these traditions it is important to take a step back and think about these traditions. This will allow us to take an active role in combating the effect that these traditions can have on women and girls confidence. Personally, I think that a women should do what she thinks is right and allows her to represent herself the way that she deems necessary.
This is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. I love my last name, because no one else has it.
I was helping my cousin mail her wedding invitations, and I noticed they said that the groom's parents are Mr. and Mrs. (male first name) (last name). I asked my cousin why it said that instead of listing both my aunt and uncle's first names, and her answer was "Yeah that bothered me too, but that's the way you're supposed to do it".
I think it is so remarkable that a tradition as commonplace as marriage can entail practices that are so blatantly unequal across genders. I've given a lot of thought to whether or not I would want to change my name when I got married, a question that shouldn't be so difficult to answer. Because I aspire to be an orthodontist, my last name in directly linked to my business which adds another dimension of inequity as I would sort of have to compromise one for the other. I liked your comparison to the "hidden curriculum" of preschools because it is a universal practice that is obviously unequal yet people never analyze it closely or even pay much attention.
I think your topic is super relevant to women's identities! I personally like my last name because it is short and simple as opposed to my first name. I wish society would not place such a heavy burden on women taking their husband's last name, because many celebrities keep their last names and what makes them the exception? I think if a woman wants to keep her last name, especially if she is the last in her family to have it, then she should be able to without facing criticism.
Hello everyone! I thought I'd share an article I found about a gender neutral pre-school in Sweden, since this relates to us reading "Becoming a Gendered Body". The school is called Egalia (Sweedish for equality), and it has several practices in place to avoid social expectations of male and female genders being transmitted to children. For example, the teachers refrain from using gender specific pronouns and only read and teach stories with animals in them to avoid the hidden curriculum of gender in typical fairy tale and Disney stories. Though I admire the goal of this school to stop gender disciplining and the spread of gender stereotypes, I personally believe their efforts to be futile. As Martin's essay showed us, a lot of the reinforcing or building of gender behavioral expectations were done unintentionally by teachers. For example, using physical contact more with boys versus words with girls or simply reprimanding boys versus telling girls to behave differently were all actions carried out subconsciously by instructors. Therefor it is likely that such disciplining is still occurring in Egalia, subliminally bringing in factors of gender. Furthermore outside influences like media, family, and religion all play a huge part in the formation of gender expectations, exposing children to norms during all their time outside of school. Though I believe the efforts of the school to be ineffectual, it would be fascinating to conduct a study similar to Martins in a "gender neutral" environment like this to see if any difference is made in the behaviors of teacher and children. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14038419
When I read the article about this school I thought that it was a really interesting idea. However, I think you are completely right. Gender has been so ingrained in our society that it would be extremely difficult to separate ourselves entirely from these practices. A lot of our gendered actions happen subconsciously and a teacher would have to go through intensive training to counteract all of that. Also, when these students leave the school they will be bombarded with societal expectations and will be feel obligated to fall into a gender role regardless of the preschool efforts. Overall, I think that this is an interesting concept but there are a lot of holes that would make the efforts ineffective
Kelly, I agree with you in that there a lot of holes in the idea but I think the effects of the effort itself would cause children to be a bit confused once they reenter society. Even though it is near impossible to eliminate the subconscious actions of teachers, the gender neutral curriculum may still have an effect on the children. I think it would be interesting to see if the children act differently than those who did not attend the gender neutral school.
mdegelsmith, I agree with you in that gender neutral curriculum may still have an effect on children significant enough to make it worth pursuing. As mentioned in the reading, no one can opt to live outside of the patriarchy, and this includes gender neutral schools (which was formed in reaction to patriarchal society, so exist within it). For this school to be truly effective, I think change would have to occur on a larger societal scale, such as the replacement of gender specific pronouns with gender-neutral ones in everyday language. However, all change begins somewhere, and I think the controversial idea of a gender-neutral school alone raises awareness about the concept of gender, which most people assume to be fixed and natural. This could then grow to bring about action.
Personally, I don't think this pre-school is a great idea. I am all for gender equality, however, I think not giving children a little bit of guidance at such a young age about how to behave may confuse them and the whole purpose of equality in the school may backfire since the children will have no basis on how they want to express themselves. Children learn from observing and imitating adults, and I think it is good to give them a little bit of guidance, while still providing them with the freedom to form their own identities.
There has been recent controvery between female video game developers/critics and a group known as "gamegate."
Here is the link that describes what Gamer gate is: http://gawker.com/what-is-gamergate-and-why-an-explainer-for-non-geeks-1642909080
Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist and video game critic who has created a series of videos called "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games" that you can find on youtube. Sarkeesian has been threatened numerous times for her videos and opinions. Today she was scheduled to speak at a university and had to cancel because the University's Center for Women and Gender received an email threatening a mass shooting if they did not cancel.
I think this is outrageous and very disappointing. Video games play a huge role in many people's lives especially our youth. Sexual objectification of women in video games is a common theme for many video games. It is sad to see how women are silenced and threatened when speaking about this topic.
This controversy reminds me of the idea that males tend to prefer the "gamer girl." There are always memes and posts on the internet saying how females were "sexier" and more "fun" if they were into video games just as much as men. In my paper, I wrote about how women were drawn in comics and graphics- I can agree that women ARE seen as sexual objects in video games.
I think that in the gaming community especially, objectification is a lot more blatant. Just a simple comparison between male and female video game characters tells a lot about how the game is structured. I find that this attitude pervades into a male gamer's way of thinking. Often times, female gamers will come across other players who invalidate their skills just because she is a girl, and often tease her by asking her to do traditionally female duties- like making a sandwich or going back to the kitchen. The fact that someone would cause a mass shooting over this, however, is extremely frightening, especially for a girls who are into video games.
"Women's Equality Day? Not At All!" - Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlynne-mcdonnell/womens-equality-day-not-at-all_b_5717625.html)
Although women are given a day to celebrate equality, it is mainly focused on women's accomplishment on getting the right to vote. I believe that women shouldn't be given just a "day" to exercise or be treated as equals- I believe that women should be treated as equals everyday.
It is now written in the laws that women have equal rights but I feel like it is easier said than done. Women are still prone to inequality and disrespect within this society. Everything that a woman does, gets belittled by men who strictly believe in patriarchy. If true equality exists for women, wages between the two sexes should be the same and there should be little to no rape occurring out in the streets.
It's saddening to see that word "equality" exists in society, but not exercised.
I completely agree with your thought that women and men are still unequally treated in most institutions. It is sad to see that current society still devalues women. We only think women are weak because men have always held superior positions. One way we can decrease this evident discrimination is implementing set standards for employment. Employees should be required to hire people based on aspects such as education or personality, not gender or race.
I went to a slam poetry event and one performer's words stuck out to me. He spoke about how men are "programmed" to want women. Programmed to be physically and mentally attracted to women, solely because they are women. As a male he says he has also been engulfed and captured in these very stereotypes. He sees disgust in himself when it is brought to his attention that we was "acting like a man." He has come to realize that being male socially goes hand in hand with being a "man," where the low pitch of your voice and your protruding genitalia define you. I found it very interesting to hear a man speak about this, criticizing himself, because these rants usually come from women. This poem pointed out and made clear the fact that man's ideals are engrained by society into males. This reminded me of Martin's article "Becoming a Gendered Body" in that gender is learned through your surroundings. It was inspiring to hear a man speak about himself and other males so critically in an effort to make others aware.
I also find it fascinating how this opinion and perspective came from a male, rather than a woman. I think it's interesting how he proves himself wrong in that he states that he has also been engulfed into the stereotype that men are programmed to be physically and mentally attracted to women, but the very fact that he can see that him being attracted to a woman is more than just being a male shows his tendency against this stereotype. His recognition of this means that he knows that being attracted to a woman is more than his genetic makeup. It was pretty cool how he was able to criticize himself. This relates to the 'Nature and Nurture' argument we learned about in class. Men are born men and have the genetics and makeup of an male, but it is nature that ultimately decides who he is. (At least in my opinion)
I also find this really fascinating. I don't think we hardly ever think about how males are programmed to be "men" in our society either. But also, men have more freedoms and equality and being a man hardly seems to bother them. I'm glad one man is finally being brave enough to look at himself and his thoughts and realized he was also molded to be a certain way, and he may not want that at all either. Love that this is talking about the other side that we don't always think about though when concerning gender.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjNcZvwjxI I will be talking about a commercial I saw on TV a while ago. This video portrays how women are seen when they act a certain way. It compares how women are labeled to how men are labeled when they do the same things. The video shows how the labels against women have a negative connotation whereas the labels against men have a positive connotation.
This video reminded me of the terms 'subjugated knowledge' and 'patriarchy.' Subjugated knowledge is knowledge that gets regenerated from positions of subordination. After analyzing this video, I made a connection to subjugated knowledge because the negative labels against women could have been regenerated over time, since statistics show that there were/are more men in higher positions of power. Patriarchy relates to this video because it shows how the support of a certain image of a businesswoman is seen. The labels against women are based on symbols and ideas that women are more emotional and bossy.
The video you posted definitely reveals how women and men are treated and seen differently in our society. When living in a male dominated society, women are not given the same acknowledgment of a man. Instead, women are seen negatively when they try to strive for the same goals as men. The part of the video where the mother studying is seen as selfish rather than dedicated really exemplifies the patriarchal system in which women are meant to stay home and remain maternalistic. I like the message that the video showed in the ending telling women to not let the labels hold them back.
I have always thought of myself as a good driver. However, no matter what, I have received comments from males (even if they have never driven with me), that I am a bad driver and parker because I am female. What does it mean to be a "good driver", and why does gender seem to influence if you are good at driving?
Madison, I would say being a good driver consist of driving not too fast, not too slow, changing lanes easily, parallel parking fast, basically seeming comfortable but doing it at a faster pace than usual. I have heard myths that say girls are a lot worse at parallel parking however I have not looked too much into it. I would agree and say it does not have to do with sex, this reminds me of sports. Because it is similar to hand eye coordination. All my personal experiences with good drivers vary and I have not noticed a difference.
The other day I was hanging out with my guy friends and a few lady friends. As we finished some Woodstock pizza, one of my lady friends burped. She got a lot of crap from the guys. Most of the girls didn't find it weird or yucky, but one of my friends said "its not okay for girls to burp!". I understand the manner and polite aspect of burping, but in that case it's not just girls that shouldn't be allowed to burp. Over the summer I also have a similar conversation with some guy coworkers, they also said its gross but they are in so many ways louder when they burp. In this case noise shouldn't be the issue either. It is a normal mechanism for girls to get rid of bodily gasses just as boys, because they do it too! What makes it so wrong when girls do it?
I'm really glad you posted on this subject! I used to be a believer in the "purity myth". While many see the purity myth as relating only to a girl's societal pressure to remain a virgin, I see it as also being the culprit for why girls are not socially allowed to burp or make themselves more physically and mentally comfortable by ripping one. As I said I used to be a believer; we can change!... I now know that women and men's digestive functions are not something gross to put aside or forget about. Burping relieves pain associated with acid reflux and when it comes down to it, if the body needs to do something to feel better, whatever that is, it is natural and thus beautiful. Our bodies and their processes are sacred, not to be dismissed as impolite!
After reading all the articles on gender discrimination, I have come to ask myself that why does it matter what reputable critics in the academia like Professor Richard Lynn has to insinuate about the intellectual capacity of women? The facts are women are just as intelligent, if not more, on average, according to the latest scientific discoveries which Lynn apparently failed to comprehend. Surely it's likely that most girls have felt insecure at some point as they grow up. But as they mature and master their abilities of critical thinking and logic and use these abilities when dealing with the myriad information through either social media or legitimate scientific discoveries, they know better than to buy into the stereotypes of women and laugh at those who neglect the cold hard facts that women are entitled to everything men are and are free to do whatever they want within reason. Really, who cares? They know better and you would be the stupid one to advocate otherwise.
Hi all, I recently read an article (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/15/don-t-be-fooled-by-apple-and-facebook-egg-freezing-is-not-a-benefit.html) on Apple and Facebook's plans to offer egg freezing benefits to their female employees. While at first glance these initiatives may seem beneficial and even liberating for women, I agree with the article in that offering egg-freezing benefits may be more harmful than helpful to female employees. Encouraging women to freeze their eggs seems like a quick-fix solution that ignores the real obstacle preventing mothers from advancing in the workforce: the assumption that mothers must juggle work and parenting while failing to hold fathers to the same standard. Facebook and Apple should revise their maternity leave policies and implement day care programs that address the reality of child-rearing while having a career rather than attempting to delay childbirth. They should implement paternity leave policies that encourage men to parent their newborns, relieving the burden on mothers that often force them to leave the workforce. I also think egg-freezing benefits are grounded in a patriarchal belief that values masculinity over femininity. By encouraging women to put off childbirth, Apple and Facebook are sending everyone the message that women must reject what makes them female and become more like the male employee. Attempting to regulate women's reproductive timelines measures women's success against how well they fit or strive to fit the masculine norm.
I didn't realize that we wrote about the same article! I agree that the egg freezing can be more harmful than helpful for women in the workplace and that women must be more like male employee. It seems that society doesn't believe that mothers can handle a "real job" other than parenting. There are successful mothers with careers out there.
An article that caught my attention was about companies like Facebook and Apple who are financially aiding their women employees to freeze their eggs. On the surface this seems like a great coverage for those who choose to delay pregnancy until an older age, but on a deeper level, it seems that this offer stands solely for the companies own beneficiary purposes. Child bearing and women taking a maternity leave can be troublesome and a setback for employers. It seems that this offer stands to program women to be more like men. Women who choose not to freeze their eggs will be more discriminated against in the workplace compared to those who do decide to freeze their eggs. With benefits to the company also comes with risk. Women are taking risks when deciding to go into labor at an older age, when it isn't biologically natural; risking herself and her baby. http://elitedaily.com/women/facebook-and-apple-freezing-female-employees-eggs/800127/
The other day when I was eating at the dining commons, I overheard some girls talking about getting dessert from the dessert table. One girl really wanted a piece of cake, but said she would not go unless her friend went with her because she didn't want to look like a "fatty." I found this really irritating that the girl was so concerned with what other people thought of her. I could see if she was overweight and did not want to be embarrassed about eating unhealthy food, but the girl was really thin and in shape. What really got to me was the dependence that girls have on each other to fit in and the pressure society puts on urging women and young girls to stay skinny. I think that young women should treasure their bodies and take care of them by eating healthy, but I definitely don't think it's healthy to jump to the conclusion that you will look like a "fatty" in the eyes of other people if you want to eat a slice of cake.
I completely agree with you. The body shape of a girl should not matter and should not be the subject of gossip since everyone is entitled to follow her or his wills. And it should definitely not matter if you are indeed a "fatty". It would be shallow for anyone to focus more on the outside of someone instead of on the inside. Girls and boys should feel secure in their own bodies no matter what shapes and sizes they have.
You are definitely right McKenna! The media and society definitely puts pressure on women to look perfect and to stay that way. Women should feel confident in their own bodies for their own selves and not to conform to what society judges as a "perfect body."
This article about what Blake Lively has worn on the red carpet while pregnant popped up onto my screen when I was checking my email yesterday and it really made me stop and think; Why do we as a society place such importance on how women present themselves, especially when they are celebrities. It seems so silly to be commenting on how her "baby bump" looked in her Gucci gown and yet this is just one example of so many similar stories trying to pass as journalism. I always wonder how things would be different if men bore children and the reorganization of traditional gender roles that would have to ensue.
I recently read this article about Isabella, a young transgender female, being bullied by other parents at school. The article explains how one parent told Isabella that she could not use the female bathroom. At first Isabella's school was allowing her to use the girls restroom but now they make her use a gender neutral restroom. It surprises me how none of Isabella's classmates never bullied her. That parent was so quick to judge an innocent young girl who is still trying to figure out who they are just like the rest of the other children. Reading this article reminded me of Leslie Feiberg's article called We Are All Works in Progress. She explains her story of being a transgender male in society. In the mid 1990's Leslie was dying of endocardtitis which is a bacterial infection that lodges in the valves of the heart. She tells her story of rushing to the emergency room with an 104 degree fever and having being denied by the doctor at the hospital. Although the doctor knew she was anatomically female, he told her to get dressed and never come back. The doctors' prejudice directed at Leslie during a fatal illness could have definitely killed her. Reading Leslie's story fills me up with disgust with how some people can just be so ignorant to one's own feelings. It makes me sick that this doctor would be her life at stake just because she was different. Trans individuals already face social punishment however they deserve the same rights in society that everyone else holds.
This clip is of a commercial for yoplait, iconic for its use of the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie" song. The video features a woman who eats the yogurt in order to fit a yellow polka dot bikini. At the end of the video, the strap falls off her shoulder, signaling she actually lost more weight than she hoped. This video is extremely problematic, because it demonstraets to young girls and people watching the commercial that only skinny women are "allowed" to wear a bikini, and that some form of weight loss is required before making the transformation to a bikini babe. The yogurt does not explain the health benefits of the yogurt, but only the weight loss factor, which is alluring to a lot of women. The yogurt industry in general is extremely feminized, focusing on fat loss. It is interesting to see how much the commercial puts emphasis on being skinny and small.
Alrighty guys, also hoping to put some laughter into your night watch this video. It is "men try on ladies' sexy Halloween costumes" and it's really funny. But, in a more serious manner, it really has brought to light how terrible the time of Halloween is in the standards of men and women. These guys also point out how it never really came to their mind about women wearing these costumes until they put them on themselves...and then they felt ridiculous. But really why do women always have to look sexy or something like that for Halloween? And the options..? One costume is a "sexy ladybug." Can anyone explain that? And if a girl wants a real Halloween costume, not skimpy outfits, then truly men seem to find it much more boring. I really just hate that standards have made it so women are supposed to be attractive on Halloween and guys can actually dress up and have fun. Also, some comments on the video are interesting to read. The best so far is "one more feminist video and I'm unsubbing." How is this video really that hard to handle? Added thoughts?
Olivia! I find this extremely interesting as I often hear girls saying "Halloween is the one time of year that we can dress slutty and don't have to worry about being judged for it." What makes girls want to dress slutty in the first place, and is this necessarily a bad thing?" I find this interesting in that I myself attended a Halloween party last night and just looked plain scary in the way I did my makeup. I actually found myself feeling extremely uncomfortable with the way that I looked all night, and was constantly wishing that I had dressed up in a way that made me look pretty. I think this comes down to the idea that girls want to look pleasing to the eyes of men.
I’m going to talk about hookup culture and my experiences with it as of late. This may be a little bit personal and I hope it doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable in any way, but this concept is the most glaring to me in terms of how men and women are treated and viewed differently when it comes to sex. I’ve had a few flings this summer, in which my friends have responded to in different ways. One of my friends responded to my actions by saying “Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want to tell your future husband about.” In my head, I was screaming “Are you kidding me?!” I’m sure you can all see the problem that I had with this comment. Why should I base my actions and decisions today on trying to act in a manner that would be acceptable to a “future husband” instead of just being myself and acting in a way that is okay with my own set of values. In effect, this statement implies that it is okay for men to judge girls who “sleep around” negatively, even though these same men who are being judgmental often do the exact same thing, but without all the negative connotations attached. In my experiences with certain guys, it seems that they do indeed lose respect for girls who sleep with them right away. But, why then do they not lose respect for themselves as well? There is clearly a double standard present here and I am starting to lose hope that we will be able to combat this double standard. I feel that many men and women alike carry this judgment around without really thinking about it first. I recently read an article written by a man that blamed women as the reason chivalry is dead in today’s society. In other words, women are too “easy” and thus men don’t have to bother to buy flowers or anything of that nature anymore. But when I really think about this concept, I think of men being just as easy, if not easier. Their main goal is often sex. So why are women being judged as being easy? In my opinion, it seems as if men are always given the final say in the matter and this is why women try to act in ways that will impress them.
.Hello Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI will discuss about an article from New York Times, Easing the Law for New Yorkers Shifting Gender by Matt Flegenheimer. Flegenheimer argues that New York City is trying to pass a law that allows transgender people to change their sex on their birth certificates by a blessing of any health care professionals. Under the current law, New York folks must submit a proof of gender-change surgery. New York City Council hopes that if this proposal gets passed, more opportunities will be created towards transgender rights. In the reading, “The Social Construction on Gender,” Judith Lorber argues that gender construction starts by determining the newborns’ appearance and sexual organs. Humans are categorized into male and female by expressing masculinity and femininity, which is influenced by parents, teachers, media, and many more. If we do not choose one of either paths or the opposite path, we are judged by society as different, unnatural, and unqualified. I believe that if New York City passes this law, it would support the transgender community by making merging its’ presence society. By removing the surgery requirement, many transgender citizens who are financially unstable do not have to force themselves to change their spiritual identity. Society must realize that rather than gender, human nature should not categorize people into the economic or social ladder. In order for transgender people to feel less like an outsider, we must realize that social constructionism creates gender as opposed to biological determinism.
Hi Yurie! I definitely agree that this law is a step in the right direction, however it makes me wonder why parents are even asked to declare their children's sex on birth certificates in the first place. Is there really a function for this declaration, and why are people so obsessed with know a person's gender? Though i'm sure the new law will help the transgender community, perhaps it would help everyone the most if we pushed for an initiative that required people to not declare their gender until they are sure, avoiding placing anyone in any gender category from the start.
DeleteInteresting topic Yurie! I concur that society should not stereotype transgender people as being unnatural, because who is society to decide what is and what is not normal? Something intriguing I was thinking about is what type of bathrooms would transgender people use? And should society regulate this?
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was looking for an article I came across something about George Clooney's wedding. I know this doesn't seem like a topic for discussion in this blog but the article brought up the issue of a women taking a man's last name when they get married. This tradition reminds me a lot about the hidden curriculum because both unintentionally enforce gender roles. As the Martin article states, traditions like taking a man's name or the way a child in disciplined placed men on top of a hierarchy and reduce women to a passive and confined role. The act of taking a man's name can be seen as by a women as losing her individual identity. Those do not agree with this act can defy these traditions by keeping their name. Many of these women, who go against this tradition are often met with confusion or disapproval. I think regardless of whether or not you agree with these traditions it is important to take a step back and think about these traditions. This will allow us to take an active role in combating the effect that these traditions can have on women and girls confidence. Personally, I think that a women should do what she thinks is right and allows her to represent herself the way that she deems necessary.
This is something that I have been thinking about for a while now. I love my last name, because no one else has it.
DeleteI was helping my cousin mail her wedding invitations, and I noticed they said that the groom's parents are Mr. and Mrs. (male first name) (last name). I asked my cousin why it said that instead of listing both my aunt and uncle's first names, and her answer was "Yeah that bothered me too, but that's the way you're supposed to do it".
I think it is so remarkable that a tradition as commonplace as marriage can entail practices that are so blatantly unequal across genders. I've given a lot of thought to whether or not I would want to change my name when I got married, a question that shouldn't be so difficult to answer. Because I aspire to be an orthodontist, my last name in directly linked to my business which adds another dimension of inequity as I would sort of have to compromise one for the other. I liked your comparison to the "hidden curriculum" of preschools because it is a universal practice that is obviously unequal yet people never analyze it closely or even pay much attention.
DeleteI think your topic is super relevant to women's identities! I personally like my last name because it is short and simple as opposed to my first name. I wish society would not place such a heavy burden on women taking their husband's last name, because many celebrities keep their last names and what makes them the exception? I think if a woman wants to keep her last name, especially if she is the last in her family to have it, then she should be able to without facing criticism.
DeleteHello everyone! I thought I'd share an article I found about a gender neutral pre-school in Sweden, since this relates to us reading "Becoming a Gendered Body". The school is called Egalia (Sweedish for equality), and it has several practices in place to avoid social expectations of male and female genders being transmitted to children. For example, the teachers refrain from using gender specific pronouns and only read and teach stories with animals in them to avoid the hidden curriculum of gender in typical fairy tale and Disney stories. Though I admire the goal of this school to stop gender disciplining and the spread of gender stereotypes, I personally believe their efforts to be futile. As Martin's essay showed us, a lot of the reinforcing or building of gender behavioral expectations were done unintentionally by teachers. For example, using physical contact more with boys versus words with girls or simply reprimanding boys versus telling girls to behave differently were all actions carried out subconsciously by instructors. Therefor it is likely that such disciplining is still occurring in Egalia, subliminally bringing in factors of gender. Furthermore outside influences like media, family, and religion all play a huge part in the formation of gender expectations, exposing children to norms during all their time outside of school. Though I believe the efforts of the school to be ineffectual, it would be fascinating to conduct a study similar to Martins in a "gender neutral" environment like this to see if any difference is made in the behaviors of teacher and children.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14038419
Hi Rachelle!
DeleteWhen I read the article about this school I thought that it was a really interesting idea. However, I think you are completely right. Gender has been so ingrained in our society that it would be extremely difficult to separate ourselves entirely from these practices. A lot of our gendered actions happen subconsciously and a teacher would have to go through intensive training to counteract all of that. Also, when these students leave the school they will be bombarded with societal expectations and will be feel obligated to fall into a gender role regardless of the preschool efforts. Overall, I think that this is an interesting concept but there are a lot of holes that would make the efforts ineffective
Kelly, I agree with you in that there a lot of holes in the idea but I think the effects of the effort itself would cause children to be a bit confused once they reenter society. Even though it is near impossible to eliminate the subconscious actions of teachers, the gender neutral curriculum may still have an effect on the children. I think it would be interesting to see if the children act differently than those who did not attend the gender neutral school.
Deletemdegelsmith,
DeleteI agree with you in that gender neutral curriculum may still have an effect on children significant enough to make it worth pursuing. As mentioned in the reading, no one can opt to live outside of the patriarchy, and this includes gender neutral schools (which was formed in reaction to patriarchal society, so exist within it). For this school to be truly effective, I think change would have to occur on a larger societal scale, such as the replacement of gender specific pronouns with gender-neutral ones in everyday language. However, all change begins somewhere, and I think the controversial idea of a gender-neutral school alone raises awareness about the concept of gender, which most people assume to be fixed and natural. This could then grow to bring about action.
Personally, I don't think this pre-school is a great idea. I am all for gender equality, however, I think not giving children a little bit of guidance at such a young age about how to behave may confuse them and the whole purpose of equality in the school may backfire since the children will have no basis on how they want to express themselves. Children learn from observing and imitating adults, and I think it is good to give them a little bit of guidance, while still providing them with the freedom to form their own identities.
DeleteThere has been recent controvery between female video game developers/critics and a group known as "gamegate."
ReplyDeleteHere is the link that describes what Gamer gate is:
http://gawker.com/what-is-gamergate-and-why-an-explainer-for-non-geeks-1642909080
Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist and video game critic who has created a series of videos called "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games" that you can find on youtube. Sarkeesian has been threatened numerous times for her videos and opinions. Today she was scheduled to speak at a university and had to cancel because the University's Center for Women and Gender received an email threatening a mass shooting if they did not cancel.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/14/6978809/utah-state-university-receives-shooting-threat-for-anita-sarkeesian-visit
I think this is outrageous and very disappointing. Video games play a huge role in many people's lives especially our youth. Sexual objectification of women in video games is a common theme for many video games. It is sad to see how women are silenced and threatened when speaking about this topic.
This controversy reminds me of the idea that males tend to prefer the "gamer girl." There are always memes and posts on the internet saying how females were "sexier" and more "fun" if they were into video games just as much as men.
DeleteIn my paper, I wrote about how women were drawn in comics and graphics- I can agree that women ARE seen as sexual objects in video games.
I think that in the gaming community especially, objectification is a lot more blatant. Just a simple comparison between male and female video game characters tells a lot about how the game is structured. I find that this attitude pervades into a male gamer's way of thinking. Often times, female gamers will come across other players who invalidate their skills just because she is a girl, and often tease her by asking her to do traditionally female duties- like making a sandwich or going back to the kitchen. The fact that someone would cause a mass shooting over this, however, is extremely frightening, especially for a girls who are into video games.
Delete"Women's Equality Day? Not At All!" - Huffington Post
ReplyDelete(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carlynne-mcdonnell/womens-equality-day-not-at-all_b_5717625.html)
Although women are given a day to celebrate equality, it is mainly focused on women's accomplishment on getting the right to vote. I believe that women shouldn't be given just a "day" to exercise or be treated as equals- I believe that women should be treated as equals everyday.
It is now written in the laws that women have equal rights but I feel like it is easier said than done. Women are still prone to inequality and disrespect within this society. Everything that a woman does, gets belittled by men who strictly believe in patriarchy. If true equality exists for women, wages between the two sexes should be the same and there should be little to no rape occurring out in the streets.
It's saddening to see that word "equality" exists in society, but not exercised.
Hi Sutthida.
DeleteI completely agree with your thought that women and men are still unequally treated in most institutions. It is sad to see that current society still devalues women. We only think women are weak because men have always held superior positions. One way we can decrease this evident discrimination is implementing set standards for employment. Employees should be required to hire people based on aspects such as education or personality, not gender or race.
I went to a slam poetry event and one performer's words stuck out to me. He spoke about how men are "programmed" to want women. Programmed to be physically and mentally attracted to women, solely because they are women. As a male he says he has also been engulfed and captured in these very stereotypes. He sees disgust in himself when it is brought to his attention that we was "acting like a man." He has come to realize that being male socially goes hand in hand with being a "man," where the low pitch of your voice and your protruding genitalia define you. I found it very interesting to hear a man speak about this, criticizing himself, because these rants usually come from women. This poem pointed out and made clear the fact that man's ideals are engrained by society into males. This reminded me of Martin's article "Becoming a Gendered Body" in that gender is learned through your surroundings. It was inspiring to hear a man speak about himself and other males so critically in an effort to make others aware.
ReplyDeleteI also find it fascinating how this opinion and perspective came from a male, rather than a woman. I think it's interesting how he proves himself wrong in that he states that he has also been engulfed into the stereotype that men are programmed to be physically and mentally attracted to women, but the very fact that he can see that him being attracted to a woman is more than just being a male shows his tendency against this stereotype. His recognition of this means that he knows that being attracted to a woman is more than his genetic makeup. It was pretty cool how he was able to criticize himself. This relates to the 'Nature and Nurture' argument we learned about in class. Men are born men and have the genetics and makeup of an male, but it is nature that ultimately decides who he is. (At least in my opinion)
DeleteI also find this really fascinating. I don't think we hardly ever think about how males are programmed to be "men" in our society either. But also, men have more freedoms and equality and being a man hardly seems to bother them. I'm glad one man is finally being brave enough to look at himself and his thoughts and realized he was also molded to be a certain way, and he may not want that at all either. Love that this is talking about the other side that we don't always think about though when concerning gender.
DeleteHi everyone!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjNcZvwjxI
I will be talking about a commercial I saw on TV a while ago. This video portrays how women are seen when they act a certain way. It compares how women are labeled to how men are labeled when they do the same things. The video shows how the labels against women have a negative connotation whereas the labels against men have a positive connotation.
This video reminded me of the terms 'subjugated knowledge' and 'patriarchy.' Subjugated knowledge is knowledge that gets regenerated from positions of subordination. After analyzing this video, I made a connection to subjugated knowledge because the negative labels against women could have been regenerated over time, since statistics show that there were/are more men in higher positions of power. Patriarchy relates to this video because it shows how the support of a certain image of a businesswoman is seen. The labels against women are based on symbols and ideas that women are more emotional and bossy.
The video you posted definitely reveals how women and men are treated and seen differently in our society. When living in a male dominated society, women are not given the same acknowledgment of a man. Instead, women are seen negatively when they try to strive for the same goals as men. The part of the video where the mother studying is seen as selfish rather than dedicated really exemplifies the patriarchal system in which women are meant to stay home and remain maternalistic. I like the message that the video showed in the ending telling women to not let the labels hold them back.
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI have always thought of myself as a good driver. However, no matter what, I have received comments from males (even if they have never driven with me), that I am a bad driver and parker because I am female. What does it mean to be a "good driver", and why does gender seem to influence if you are good at driving?
Madison, I would say being a good driver consist of driving not too fast, not too slow, changing lanes easily, parallel parking fast, basically seeming comfortable but doing it at a faster pace than usual. I have heard myths that say girls are a lot worse at parallel parking however I have not looked too much into it. I would agree and say it does not have to do with sex, this reminds me of sports. Because it is similar to hand eye coordination. All my personal experiences with good drivers vary and I have not noticed a difference.
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ReplyDeleteThe other day I was hanging out with my guy friends and a few lady friends. As we finished some Woodstock pizza, one of my lady friends burped. She got a lot of crap from the guys. Most of the girls didn't find it weird or yucky, but one of my friends said "its not okay for girls to burp!". I understand the manner and polite aspect of burping, but in that case it's not just girls that shouldn't be allowed to burp. Over the summer I also have a similar conversation with some guy coworkers, they also said its gross but they are in so many ways louder when they burp. In this case noise shouldn't be the issue either. It is a normal mechanism for girls to get rid of bodily gasses just as boys, because they do it too! What makes it so wrong when girls do it?
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad you posted on this subject! I used to be a believer in the "purity myth". While many see the purity myth as relating only to a girl's societal pressure to remain a virgin, I see it as also being the culprit for why girls are not socially allowed to burp or make themselves more physically and mentally comfortable by ripping one. As I said I used to be a believer; we can change!... I now know that women and men's digestive functions are not something gross to put aside or forget about. Burping relieves pain associated with acid reflux and when it comes down to it, if the body needs to do something to feel better, whatever that is, it is natural and thus beautiful.
DeleteOur bodies and their processes are sacred, not to be dismissed as impolite!
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ReplyDeletehttp://wms050finesectionfall2014.blogspot.com/2014/10/tuesday-a08-week-1-3-participation-posts.html
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all the articles on gender discrimination, I have come to ask myself that why does it matter what reputable critics in the academia like Professor Richard Lynn has to insinuate about the intellectual capacity of women? The facts are women are just as intelligent, if not more, on average, according to the latest scientific discoveries which Lynn apparently failed to comprehend. Surely it's likely that most girls have felt insecure at some point as they grow up. But as they mature and master their abilities of critical thinking and logic and use these abilities when dealing with the myriad information through either social media or legitimate scientific discoveries, they know better than to buy into the stereotypes of women and laugh at those who neglect the cold hard facts that women are entitled to everything men are and are free to do whatever they want within reason. Really, who cares? They know better and you would be the stupid one to advocate otherwise.
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/15/don-t-be-fooled-by-apple-and-facebook-egg-freezing-is-not-a-benefit.html) on Apple and Facebook's plans to offer egg freezing benefits to their female employees. While at first glance these initiatives may seem beneficial and even liberating for women, I agree with the article in that offering egg-freezing benefits may be more harmful than helpful to female employees. Encouraging women to freeze their eggs seems like a quick-fix solution that ignores the real obstacle preventing mothers from advancing in the workforce: the assumption that mothers must juggle work and parenting while failing to hold fathers to the same standard. Facebook and Apple should revise their maternity leave policies and implement day care programs that address the reality of child-rearing while having a career rather than attempting to delay childbirth. They should implement paternity leave policies that encourage men to parent their newborns, relieving the burden on mothers that often force them to leave the workforce. I also think egg-freezing benefits are grounded in a patriarchal belief that values masculinity over femininity. By encouraging women to put off childbirth, Apple and Facebook are sending everyone the message that women must reject what makes them female and become more like the male employee. Attempting to regulate women's reproductive timelines measures women's success against how well they fit or strive to fit the masculine norm.
I didn't realize that we wrote about the same article! I agree that the egg freezing can be more harmful than helpful for women in the workplace and that women must be more like male employee. It seems that society doesn't believe that mothers can handle a "real job" other than parenting. There are successful mothers with careers out there.
DeleteAn article that caught my attention was about companies like Facebook and Apple who are financially aiding their women employees to freeze their eggs. On the surface this seems like a great coverage for those who choose to delay pregnancy until an older age, but on a deeper level, it seems that this offer stands solely for the companies own beneficiary purposes. Child bearing and women taking a maternity leave can be troublesome and a setback for employers. It seems that this offer stands to program women to be more like men. Women who choose not to freeze their eggs will be more discriminated against in the workplace compared to those who do decide to freeze their eggs. With benefits to the company also comes with risk. Women are taking risks when deciding to go into labor at an older age, when it isn't biologically natural; risking herself and her baby.
ReplyDeletehttp://elitedaily.com/women/facebook-and-apple-freezing-female-employees-eggs/800127/
Week 1-3 Participation
ReplyDeleteThe other day when I was eating at the dining commons, I overheard some girls talking about getting dessert from the dessert table. One girl really wanted a piece of cake, but said she would not go unless her friend went with her because she didn't want to look like a "fatty." I found this really irritating that the girl was so concerned with what other people thought of her. I could see if she was overweight and did not want to be embarrassed about eating unhealthy food, but the girl was really thin and in shape. What really got to me was the dependence that girls have on each other to fit in and the pressure society puts on urging women and young girls to stay skinny. I think that young women should treasure their bodies and take care of them by eating healthy, but I definitely don't think it's healthy to jump to the conclusion that you will look like a "fatty" in the eyes of other people if you want to eat a slice of cake.
I completely agree with you. The body shape of a girl should not matter and should not be the subject of gossip since everyone is entitled to follow her or his wills. And it should definitely not matter if you are indeed a "fatty". It would be shallow for anyone to focus more on the outside of someone instead of on the inside. Girls and boys should feel secure in their own bodies no matter what shapes and sizes they have.
DeleteYou are definitely right McKenna! The media and society definitely puts pressure on women to look perfect and to stay that way. Women should feel confident in their own bodies for their own selves and not to conform to what society judges as a "perfect body."
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkvakGvvivU
Deletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/21/pregnant-blake-lively-ryan-reynolds_n_6020936.html?cps=gravity
ReplyDeleteThis article about what Blake Lively has worn on the red carpet while pregnant popped up onto my screen when I was checking my email yesterday and it really made me stop and think; Why do we as a society place such importance on how women present themselves, especially when they are celebrities. It seems so silly to be commenting on how her "baby bump" looked in her Gucci gown and yet this is just one example of so many similar stories trying to pass as journalism. I always wonder how things would be different if men bore children and the reorganization of traditional gender roles that would have to ensue.
I recently read this article about Isabella, a young transgender female, being bullied by other parents at school. The article explains how one parent told Isabella that she could not use the female bathroom. At first Isabella's school was allowing her to use the girls restroom but now they make her use a gender neutral restroom. It surprises me how none of Isabella's classmates never bullied her. That parent was so quick to judge an innocent young girl who is still trying to figure out who they are just like the rest of the other children. Reading this article reminded me of Leslie Feiberg's article called We Are All Works in Progress. She explains her story of being a transgender male in society. In the mid 1990's Leslie was dying of endocardtitis which is a bacterial infection that lodges in the valves of the heart. She tells her story of rushing to the emergency room with an 104 degree fever and having being denied by the doctor at the hospital. Although the doctor knew she was anatomically female, he told her to get dressed and never come back. The doctors' prejudice directed at Leslie during a fatal illness could have definitely killed her. Reading Leslie's story fills me up with disgust with how some people can just be so ignorant to one's own feelings. It makes me sick that this doctor would be her life at stake just because she was different. Trans individuals already face social punishment however they deserve the same rights in society that everyone else holds.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-family-says-they-re-bullied-because-daughter-is-transgender-1.2786006
This clip is of a commercial for yoplait, iconic for its use of the "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie" song. The video features a woman who eats the yogurt in order to fit a yellow polka dot bikini. At the end of the video, the strap falls off her shoulder, signaling she actually lost more weight than she hoped. This video is extremely problematic, because it demonstraets to young girls and people watching the commercial that only skinny women are "allowed" to wear a bikini, and that some form of weight loss is required before making the transformation to a bikini babe. The yogurt does not explain the health benefits of the yogurt, but only the weight loss factor, which is alluring to a lot of women. The yogurt industry in general is extremely feminized, focusing on fat loss. It is interesting to see how much the commercial puts emphasis on being skinny and small.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRPf_H9X9PE
ReplyDeleteAlrighty guys, also hoping to put some laughter into your night watch this video. It is "men try on ladies' sexy Halloween costumes" and it's really funny. But, in a more serious manner, it really has brought to light how terrible the time of Halloween is in the standards of men and women. These guys also point out how it never really came to their mind about women wearing these costumes until they put them on themselves...and then they felt ridiculous. But really why do women always have to look sexy or something like that for Halloween? And the options..? One costume is a "sexy ladybug." Can anyone explain that? And if a girl wants a real Halloween costume, not skimpy outfits, then truly men seem to find it much more boring. I really just hate that standards have made it so women are supposed to be attractive on Halloween and guys can actually dress up and have fun. Also, some comments on the video are interesting to read. The best so far is "one more feminist video and I'm unsubbing." How is this video really that hard to handle? Added thoughts?
Olivia! I find this extremely interesting as I often hear girls saying "Halloween is the one time of year that we can dress slutty and don't have to worry about being judged for it." What makes girls want to dress slutty in the first place, and is this necessarily a bad thing?" I find this interesting in that I myself attended a Halloween party last night and just looked plain scary in the way I did my makeup. I actually found myself feeling extremely uncomfortable with the way that I looked all night, and was constantly wishing that I had dressed up in a way that made me look pretty. I think this comes down to the idea that girls want to look pleasing to the eyes of men.
DeleteHey everyone!
ReplyDeleteI’m going to talk about hookup culture and my experiences with it as of late. This may be a little bit personal and I hope it doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable in any way, but this concept is the most glaring to me in terms of how men and women are treated and viewed differently when it comes to sex. I’ve had a few flings this summer, in which my friends have responded to in different ways. One of my friends responded to my actions by saying “Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t want to tell your future husband about.” In my head, I was screaming “Are you kidding me?!” I’m sure you can all see the problem that I had with this comment. Why should I base my actions and decisions today on trying to act in a manner that would be acceptable to a “future husband” instead of just being myself and acting in a way that is okay with my own set of values. In effect, this statement implies that it is okay for men to judge girls who “sleep around” negatively, even though these same men who are being judgmental often do the exact same thing, but without all the negative connotations attached. In my experiences with certain guys, it seems that they do indeed lose respect for girls who sleep with them right away. But, why then do they not lose respect for themselves as well? There is clearly a double standard present here and I am starting to lose hope that we will be able to combat this double standard. I feel that many men and women alike carry this judgment around without really thinking about it first. I recently read an article written by a man that blamed women as the reason chivalry is dead in today’s society. In other words, women are too “easy” and thus men don’t have to bother to buy flowers or anything of that nature anymore. But when I really think about this concept, I think of men being just as easy, if not easier. Their main goal is often sex. So why are women being judged as being easy? In my opinion, it seems as if men are always given the final say in the matter and this is why women try to act in ways that will impress them.
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ReplyDelete