Gender expression and identity

The exercise with the diamond of gender was a good illustration of the many forms of gender identity and expression. The concepts of gender identity, expression, sex, and sexuality are easily confused. It is really easy to think of gender as simply dimorphic, male and female. But seeing how we can classify ourselves between male, female, agender, and "other," shows clearly the fluidity of gender expression and identity. It made me realize how accustomed I am to the dimorphic idea of gender, that I am really never expecting that someone would identify as other. I would, instead, make the assumption of their gender identity based on their gender expression and biological sex. So even if someone identified with a women gender identity, that person could still express their gender as male. This class opened my eyes to how many assumptions I make about people's identities solely on how they dress and their physical appearance, and how I automatically put people in a male/female box. I supposed when we encounter people who don't fit into one of these two categories we are often uncomfortable, especially after childhood when a little mixing of gender expression is tolerated. It also makes me realize how marginalized people are when they don't identify in the binary gender. I will have to work to counter the assumptions I make when I interact with people.

I saw this advertisement on facebook and immediately thought of how gendered it is. The three categories of the feminine are the childish girl (ridiculous that she should have a mind) a woman (who, forcibly, is filled with attitude and sass) and a lady (who is poised and refined, passive). This is a good example of how women are can oppress themselves, thinking that these choices sound impressive or good. This ad is obviously targeting women, to get them to think of Bailey's as a "feminine" drink.

Walker - Pornography, black and white

Alice Walker's presentation of pornography as an industry that us not only sexist but incredibly racist  shed a light on the topic that I had never considered. I always thought of pornography as de-humanizing and objectifying women, but I never realized that there was a difference in the way that white women and black women are portrayed. I think this goes to show that the sex industry appeals to the most base part of men (I say men on purpose; whether women watch porn or not, it is the men of society who are the targeted consumers). Walker illustrates that this debasing industry dehumanizes not only porn stars but also the consumers; the husband in her story was detached from himself and unable to honestly make love with his wife, because he realized that he would have to face himself if he did.  It is incredibly important to realize that pornography affects people differently; be you male, female, black, white, lesbian, gay, or anything in between those falsely dichotomized categories, be addicted to pornography or having a partner who is not only damages relationships but also a persons sense of self. It changes the landscape of our society, and reinforces the worst of the sexist, racist, and gendered stereotypes. Sadly, I don't know what the answer is to this predicament because pornography (as a form of prostitution) is jokingly referred to as the oldest industry in the world; it will only go away once demand goes away. And one way to get rid of the demand is by acting like the strong female in this story, who rather than ignoring it or sweeping it under the rug, confronts the disgusting racism and sexism of pornography and forces those around her to confront it as well.

"I'm an athlete, but I'm still a woman"

The video clip shown in class brought out a serious point; women athletes have to work to prove that they are feminine, heterosexual, and the way to prove that is by stripping and showing their bodies. In order to get sponsorship, and continue being an athlete, women have to submit to these gender stereotypes in the way that they are portrayed off the field. The only way for people to not feel threatened by these athletes is if they prove their femininity. Men are admired for their athletic form, but women are criticized if they are either too muscular or too large. Sports that portray women as strong and dominating are not as popular, are not shown on the media; they are on the fringe of the sports world. It is similar to the representation of female politicians. Once women get in a role that are typically masculine, meaning a powerful, dominant position, they have to automatically feminize themselves in the media. This is just proof that society is still uncomfortable with women who adopt roles that are seen as traditionally male. I cannot imagine how oppressive this is for female athletes in the public sphere.

Gender and Reproductive Health Care

I thought that this was the best presentation so far. There was a lot of information presented that I did not know and I think the discussion was very productive; we were able to address a lot of different ideas. Perhaps it seems like this discussion should have been focused on the extremes of the discussion, such as pro-life v. pro-choice, but I was glad that a large part of the conversation focused on sex education. This is a part of our society that is extremely lacking. I agree with the author of the shorter reading for their discussion, that most people (exp. women) can come together, whether pro-life or pro-choice, to say that the number of abortions should be reduced and can be reduced through better access to contraceptives and better sex education among children. It is stunning how much this information is stifled in our society, how embarrassed people are to talk about sex and how taboo the subject is before the age of, say, sixteen. We have to first acknowledge that there is a problem, the problem of teenage pregnancy and unwanted children, and then move forward to address the cause of this issue. I think that the government and our representatives have been woefully silent on this issue, or, if they are not silent, they are arguing against it, which is ludicrous. There needs to be an active movement towards better, more open and more effective sex education in the United States if we want to actually make a difference, whether abortion is available as an option or not.

Women in Politics

I really enjoyed the discussion in class about women in politics. One thing that I had a problem with was the discussion of the first lady versus women in politics in general. The required passive, supportive role of the first lady is really too bad. Michelle Obama is a very strong, intelligent woman who could be a very effective politician, but because she is first and foremost the first lady, she is constrained to the role of the mother, dealing with non-controversial issues. Most of the news about Michelle Obama focuses on her style. However, I think that this phenomenon does not apply to women in politics in general, such as women in congress and local politicians. This is not to say that women are still discriminated against in politics; but female officials who are elected do not have quite the same expectations that women be passive, non-decision makers, and fashion focused. The looks and the passivity are not as important as they are with the first lady. But women still are expected to be mothers, to be caring, to be unaggressive, to be caring, to be family focused, even when they make those decisions. Perhaps the conversation about first lady vs. elected officials is different. But I hope that we get to the day when we are having this discussion about the first gentleman.

Prosecuting Rape

We had a difficult discussion in class on Thursday about rape. It started out pretty tame, everyone discussing what a rape culture is and how women feel threatened by strange men etc, with everyone agreeing for the most part. However, the discussion really got tense when Lydia brought up the fact that women cannot just blame the system for the fact that rape cases are hard to investigate. The tenor of the conversation was very accusatory, with one side defending the legal system for doing all they can on lack of evidence and the other side saying that women who have been raped cannot be expected to act in a purely rational manner of preserving evidence, since the experience is so traumatic. We did not have the chance to discuss the matter in depth, but it brought up a very legitimate point; rape cannot be compared to other crimes in terms of prosecution. Rather than arguing over whether to tell women that they have to preserve evidence of rape, the question we must ask is how can we work to make the legal system more effective in prosecuting cases of rape when the reality of the crime is so different from other crimes. We cannot expect women to run to the police as their first reaction to a rape; this is simply unrealistic and shows a naive understanding of the psychological trauma for a rape victim. But it is impossible for judges to convict without any evidence, and I don't believe that we should move to have supposed rapists be convicted from the testimony of just one person. In order to effectively rape we really must work to eliminate rape culture, to educate women about the realities of rape and sexual violence, and make it easy for women to seek help if they are victims of rape.

wow...

http://stop-hating-everything-i-like.tumblr.com/post/33921694822/pilgrimkitty-ai-yo-thunderwishes

I thought at first that when I saw this blog post, the girl who was posting it identified with the ad, but then I saw the comments underneath:

Shouldn’t it be “Mama didn’t raise a Rapist or Murderer”? Isn’t that how society should go? 

Oh yeah because you tell me a chick pulling a gun on a guy in a situation ISN’T somehow going to turn into how she went over the fucking edge and what the fuck is wrong with chick’s now adays?

Lets also not forget about how there is a Black women in jail for firing a warning shot at her abusive spouse not hitting him but the wall and she was the one arrested for firing a gun not him for the abuse. so yeeaaaah

This pisses me off so 

much.

Angiers

I think that Angiers brings up an essential point when she says that we largely overlook aggression and violence between girls. Little girls are not expected to fight, even though little boys are. Women grow up being told they can't be aggressive, can't be violent, but they are. Maybe this is why female violence manifests itself so differently than male aggression. Women are generally passive aggressive, using psychological violence. I thought that the comment in class, that women use exclusion as a tactic of violence, was particularly astute. Men are usually much more direct. Women feel that they can't actually act out the violent feelings that they have, can't show anger, have to express it through tears and cattiness, because being violent makes them less feminine. For men it is the opposite; men have to be violent. It is really problematic to have these dichotomous expectations of how we should express our emotions.

Changing femininity

I enjoyed the discussion we had in class on Tuesday.  Perhaps (probably) discussing femininity is more engaging to me since I can relate to it as a woman. I was most intrigued by the question of whether or not femininity is changing with time. I think that what we are really seeing is not that girls feel pressured to be "feminine" more early, but that girls are sexualized more early. Femininity does not equal motherhood or fertility anymore, but sexual attraction. For girls to really be women, to really be feminine, the pressure is not to have children, be good cooks, sew nicely, etc. The pressure is to look attractive to men. Obviously there are still behavioral expectations of being a little lady, being demure, etc. But women can escape those feminine behavioral expectations as long as they are sexy. In our society, women can be single, powerful, dominating, as long as they are sexual. A woman who is single, powerful, dominating, and not sexy is just a bitch. Beauty is the ultimate validation, because as long as you are beautiful, no one will question if you are a woman. In line with this thought is the fact that a beautiful lesbian is shocking. People would ask, why are you a lesbian? But an unattractive lesbian is not so shocking; rather, it is what people expect. Ugly women have to prove their femininity, beautiful women get a free pass.

You win some, you lose some

I was particularly struck by a comment made last class. I believe it was Celia who pointed out that masculinity has to be gained. Men have to prove their masculinity by acting like a man. But in contrast, women are expected to be womanly, and it is assumed that they are feminine until they act against those notions. Therefore femininity is something that women have to hold on to, but they can lose it if they act too manly. This explains a lot about traditional gender roles. Men have to constantly prove their manhood and live in the extremes of rage, power, etc. Women, on the other hand, have to be careful not to do anything too drastic, to be more careful and quiet lest they assume a man's role. It seems that in order to effectively re-define gender roles, we also have to redefine the ways in which we execute femininity and masculinity.

Sexy Halloween, for the ladies

Halloween costumes are a very obvious way to see roles of masculinity and femininity. Men and boys are expected to be manly, strong figures, like firemen, super heros, and the like. Girls are expected to be cute princesses and women are expected to unleash their sexy side. Just another way to play up stereotypes. I thought that this photoset does a good job of displaying just how ridiculous the "sexy halloween" costumes are becoming in the US. My personal favorite is the sexy first edition old man and the sea. Hemingway would be proud.

http://itsallanallusion.tumblr.com/post/33393589872

Masculine violence.

It was really interesting to see the comparison of dolls from the 1960's to the 1990's. The fact that men have become much bigger and women much smaller is an interesting reflection of what society sees as the ideal. It takes even more now to be masculine. Men have to be bigger, more violent, in order to be acceptable masculine. Men feel that they have to be overly "manly" with other guys just to prove themselves. This is really injurious to men and to society at large. It creates direct violence, like domestic abuse towards women, and also indirect violence, like suicide by homosexuals.

Another part of the video that shocked me was the scenes of women being abused in videos, the fact that that is accepted. But if a woman is violent towards another woman or, even worse, towards a man, it becomes shocking and even horrifying. Men are supposed to be violent but women are suddenly threatening if they do the same things. The bad thing is, when women are fighting for equality, they often feel that they have to rise to this masculine standard of violence. Women are allowed to be violent now, like Charlie's Angels and Catwoman, but only as long as they are sexy at the same time. So now woman have to be sexual, beautiful, powerful, and violent in order to be strong and considered equal to men. We have to destroy the need for violence in both genders.

psychoanalytical feminism

It is very difficult for me to accept psychoanalytical feminism as a legitimate explanation for gender differences. I do believe that people develop in different ways in different stages, but I don't think that this all revolves around the relationship with the mother. The concepts of oedipus complex and penis envy have, I think, been pretty throughly debunked and are not really accepted in the mainstream. Freud was on the right track by focusing on human development, but his focus on sex was over the top. I am glad that we discussed Freud's early work, focused on repression of women's sexual abuse. It is very interesting that he had to change his views because of his male colleagues who did not accept his research. I wish that Freud had continued to push his ideas, because he could have pushed a different conception of femininity.

Iron Jawed Angels

This movie infuriated me. I hate to think about what these woman had to suffer in order to achieve something so fundamental, and the ways in which they belittled by those in power, how their fellow women belittled themselves. But I am eternally grateful that they persevered. The fact that in such recent history women were not even considered full citizens boggles my mind. It brings to mind the struggles of middle class women in the victorian ages accused of hysteria. Women were praised for being emotional but not allowed to show emotion. At least, not too much. And not too little either. Women were confined in the boring middle, placid beings with no extremes, and any woman who went to the extreme was not a real woman. I think my favorite character was the senator's wife because of the transformation she underwent as a suffragist. She was perhaps even stronger than the other characters, because she gave up her family for the cause. I was very impressed by her strength. I hope that I would be like these woman if I was fighting for such a cause. I think it's very important that we remember what has been done for us and not take these rights for granted. Needless to say, I will be voting this November!

Post-Modern and Third Wave Feminism

Post-modern/third wave feminism is definitely the kind of feminism that I fall under. I felt distanced when reading the perspectives of first and second generation feminism, like I had to either reject my "feminine" side completely or struggle with the difficulty of balancing both male and female roles at once. I know that I want to be a mother and I know that I want to be a professional, and thinking about doing both at once is daunting. It is comforting and inspiring to know that there is a newer, more open form of feminism that allows women to define what makes them feminine. While in traditional, patriarchal society, women were told what to do by men, it seems like first and second generation feminism were all about women telling women what to do. Third-generation feminism allows all women, no matter their background, to pursue the things that they think make them women, the things that allow them to live to their full potential as women, without fear of being bad feminists.

Biology's influence

I am really glad that Professor Widman came in to class today to discuss sexual differences. I am of the opinion that biological differences between the sexes must not be ignored if we are to truly understand the evolution of gender roles in society. There are reasons going far back in human history that can explain why women have a certain expected role (mother, nurturer) and why men have a different role (provider). These biological factors don't mean that we are controlled by our genes, or predestined to a certain role because of our evolutionary past. But that there are differences to be recognized, and to overcome these limiting stereotypes that are linked to our past we must first acknowledge that they exist. If women are generally expected to be mothers and men are expected to work, then society must be able to provide resources to allow those roles to change (ex: child care for working mothers, paternity leave for working fathers). I don't think that we are limited by our biology, but I do think that societal limitations were often due to biological and evolutionary factors.

Is this real masculinity?

The description of Gilder's theory of conservative sociobiology in the Clatterbaugh reading is, frankly, a load of tripe in my opinion. The idea that men are naturally "antisocial" and must adopt masculine principles in order to fit into society makes absolutely no sense. Gilder acts as if there is no emotional or intellectual incentive for a man to be part of a family or society at large other than to spread his genes. He is basically saying that men have absolutely nothing to contribute to society. And I find his view of the woman's role offensive as well. That a woman's purpose in life is to domesticate a man? Excuse me, I have better things to do with my time than to run around trying to find a husband to domesticate, so that I can save society while he gives up his precious sexual liberty, the poor man. This is just such a weird idea, I can't believe it ever caught on. And I actually do believe that biology plays a crucial part in social functions. But this is just way over the top, and insulting to all humans. Gilder takes biological fact and twists it into some strange conception of society that sounds more like Orwellian science fiction than real life. Blaming the problems of society on the rise of feminism is a pretty weak argument. His claim that men "drop out [of the workforce] virtually in proportion to women" is actually quite interesting, as there has been a rise of female employment. However, in the current economic downturn, it is women who have been hit the hardest, because the large majority of women are employed in the public sector, which is the first sector to have jobs cut. I hope that Gilder had many daughters who rebelled against him and went on to become very professionally successful in life.

Gendered understanding of Conflict

I am so glad that I read this assignment, because it really spoke to me. I think that I may actually try to focus my research for the class on this topic. The gendered repercussions of conflict are obviously overlooked by the countries of the "North" as they rush to provide assistance. I think this is a huge problem in many areas, especially development. I have thought a lot about the negative affects of conflict intervention and aid on the communities they are intended to help. After visiting the Gambia, I realized that many organizations give whatever aid they think necessary, which may offer a quick fix but may have side affects that are even more detrimental to the situation. This could be strengthening already present gender inequalities, denying women access to resources and/or power, and continuing situations of poverty. It is essential to look into all aspects of a society before implementing such projects. Jeff Helsing's speech also addressed this issue. I was impressed that the USIP makes a huge effort to work with local communities and research the issues at stake an possible repercussions of intervention before beginning any sort of post-conflict work. I am curious now as to whether or not they consider the gendered aspects of such intervention. Post-conflict aid is generally necessary in under-developed countries where women are already quite undermined in society. There is an argument to be made that, in order for societies to fully develop, gender equality must be addressed, because women are important actors in their communities. I am very interested in the topic and I hope to explore it further throughout the semester.

What is Violence?

The last class was sort of confusing for me, because it actually is very difficult for me to come to a definition of "violence." Something that is so serious also seems very subjective. Is it defined by the person committing the violence, or the person who is on the receiving end? If our conceptions of the world change across culture, how can we create ultimate definitions of violence? When an act of violence is committed it seems so clear. But when it comes down to creating an all-encompassing definition, it is not so easy. I hope through the course of this class I will better learn to identify what is violence and to distinguish different forms of violence.

The Campus Hook-Up Culture, Good or Bad?

I recently read the article "Boys on the Side" by Hanna Rosin in The Atlantic. In this fascinating article, Hanna argues that the hook up culture prominent on college campuses does not demean or endanger women, but actually empowers them. Hooking up, or engaging in less serious, physical relationships, allows women to focus on their careers. It does not objectify them as some may be lead to think. In fact, women as a whole have more control over themselves, their bodies, and their lives. We do not simply have to settle down, marry, have kids, as soon as we graduate. Women are no longer leaving college with a MRS degree. We want to focus on our careers first, which puts relationships on the back burner. Hanna is arguing that sex is the great equalizer. Basically, women can now pursue sex just as casually as men can, without the stigma.

This article kind of reminds me of the movie Down With Love (one of my favorites). It takes place in the 60's just as women are finding a place in the culture of the workplace, and having to deal with men who thing of them as secondary. The main character argues that a woman must abstain from love and learn to have meaningless sex, like a man does, in order to move ahead in the work place. What is obviously tongue-in-cheek commentary on 60's work culture has actually come true in a sense. It doesn't mean that people aren't falling in love and getting married - most women, and men, in college admit that they do want to marry eventually. Just not yet. Gone are the days of chivalrous quarterbacks holding the doors for cheerleaders for whom they buy sodas. The new dating culture has modernized along with the women who partake.

Women's Rights are Human's Rights

This article was encouraging for me to read. As an international studies POE, I know that creating international law is difficult and often discouraging, and that it is very difficult to challenge the norms that guide a society. I am glad to see that women and women's groups have been making progress across the globe to end violence toward women and all people. They have been successful in challenging the structures that promote, or at least tolerate, such violence. It is also encouraging that governments are now held accountable for the actions of their citizens. This means that a country's government must invest in women's rights policies or face the disapproval of other countries and possible discipline on the international level. Battery, sexual abuse, and repression of women is often protected or ignored because of a claim that such things are kept "within the family." The fact that government's are now held responsible means that it is much harder to dismiss such violence as personal or private. It is no longer trivial.

The right to a life free of all forms of violence is a powerful and strong claim, one that needs to be made. Though such policies don't necessarily ensure that women will be safe from violence, they at least provide the legal framework to prosecute perpetrators of violent crimes against women and set an international standard against violence. The policies make it clear that the world at large is moving towards a more protective, supporting, and accepting atmosphere for all global citizens.

Gendered Micro-interactions

I was kind of shocked today to realize how even a simple action like putting on chapstick is gendered. I never thought about the fact that men and women hold a chapstick differently, probably without thinking about it. I am going to try to be more observant of event the minor actions, stances, position that we do unconsciously which gender us. It is true that even watching someone walk across campus from afar, you can usually tell if they are male or female.
I also thought that it was interested how we automatically feel uncomfortable with gender ambiguity. When you are unsure about someone's gender or how someone's gender identity it does create a rather uncomfortable atmosphere. We are so used to people conforming to the gender structures of society that we do not even notice them until they are challenged, and then it becomes suddenly obvious. The last post that I made was about a father who started wearing skirts when his son was wearing dresses. I think it is inspiring to see someone willing to flout the rules of society to such an extent that he may even be alienated, all in order to make his son feel more comfortable.

Father's wearing skirts

Here is an awesome link about a father who, when his son wore dresses to feel comfortable, chose to wear skirts himself.

http://gawker.com/5938676/?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Gender Rolls

We are hardcore feminists!

The reading "You're a hardcore feminist, I swear" really hit home for me. I have interacted with girls (or women) in the past who were completely reluctant to call themselves feminists or to even try to forward the status of women in society. It is always frustrating for me when people think they will alienate themselves from their friends, partners, crushes, etc. by calling themselves "feminists" just because society tends to use that label as a bad thing. We need to stop using the word "feminist" as a dirty word. It is kind of like what we discussed in class, that many bad names used against both men and women ultimately boil down to some pejorative of "woman,"or insinuate womanliness as opposed to manliness. I hope that this class will make me and my peers more aware of the way that we gender our conversations and more open to conversations that challenge our perceptions. There are many different ways to be a feminist, just as there are many different ways to be female and many different ways to be male. This class will hopefully help us uncover all of those meanings.