Normal Woman

A discussion of stereotypes associated with being a woman: Where these stereotypes come from, how they affect our perception of ourselves and others, and how acknowledging them is the first step to living outside of their limitations.

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Normalwoman2016.com

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Normalwoman2016.com

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"The Meaning of Feminine" --NormalWoman2016.com

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Chimamanda, I could not agree more. If you haven’t had a chance to read this or listen to her TED Talk, do it soon! It is both straightforward and insightful.

Normal Woman

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Run like a girl. Throw like a girl. Hit like a girl. Lead like a girl. Fight the patriarchy like girl. Basically, kick ass like a girl!

Women and Sports - check it out!

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Women and Sports

The term “like a girl” in reference to athleticism basically means “you can’t do this sporty thing very well” and sets a tone for girls that they simply aren’t g…

My latest blog post! The amazing women contributing their experiences and perspectives to topics surrounding female stereotypes have hit another home run! Check it out!

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Want to read more about how women get shit done? Visit Normal Woman, where 12 very different women discuss the idea of Women as Leaders

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I was taking a law school admissions test in a big classroom at Harvard. My friend and I were some of the only women in the room. I was feeling nervous. I was a senior in college. I wasn’t sure how well I’d do. And while we’re waiting for the exam to start, a group of men began to yell things like: ‘You don’t need to be here.’ And ‘There’s plenty else you can do.’ It turned into a real ‘pile on.’ One of them even said: ‘If you take my spot, I’ll get drafted, and I’ll go to Vietnam, and I’ll die.’ And they weren’t kidding around. It was intense. It got very personal. But I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t afford to get distracted because I didn’t want to mess up the test. So I just kept looking down, hoping that the proctor would walk in the room. I know that I can be perceived as aloof or cold or unemotional. But I had to learn as a young woman to control my emotions. And that’s a hard path to walk. Because you need to protect yourself, you need to keep steady, but at the same time you don’t want to seem ‘walled off.’ And sometimes I think I come across more in the ‘walled off’ arena. And if I create that perception, then I take responsibility. I don’t view myself as cold or unemotional. And neither do my friends. And neither does my family. But if that sometimes is the perception I create, then I can’t blame people for thinking that.

Hillary Clinton

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Appropriately, leadership is the theme of Normal Woman’s first post. We’ve got a new POTUS and his cabinet is slowly filling with controversial members, making us all very aware that ou…

“Working in education, most of my bosses have been women. Intelligent, driven, passionate women with a clear vision and strong belief in the work. It was easy to follow them and learn from them because they embodied the traits of true leaders. I’m sure this can be said about many men as well. Essentially, men and women are equally as capable of taking charge, driving work forward and really making things happen.

However, when I ask you to think of an executive, do you imagine a man or a woman? Probably a man, right? Because there have always been more men in leadership roles and that is the image most associated with the CEO-type. Though, things are changing. Women are purposefully being included in corporate advertising and we are slowly moving away from pigeon-holing women as caretakers and nothing more.

But the social conditioning primarily remains.”

PLEASE CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO READ MORE!

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Let me begin with a description of the name Normal Woman. Aside from the fact that it’s hard to find a url name that isn’t already taken, I wanted to be as straightforward as possible, …

My first blog post! Please check it out below and click the link to see the full blog. I’ll be posting my first full-length piece about one of the topics below in the next week!

Let me begin with a description of the name Normal Woman. Aside from the fact that it’s hard to find a url name that isn’t already taken, I wanted to be as straightforward as possible, embedding the theme in the title. I’m hoping people perk up and say, “Wait a minute. What does she mean by that? What is normal anyway?!” Because what I hope to do with this blog is explore female stereotypes and the idea of  the “normal” woman. I want to challenge the status quo and bring to light how these stereotypes play out in the lives of women every day. I have very strong opinions about where gender roles and stereotypes originate and this blog will serve as an opportunity to explore topics like:

WOMEN ARE INNATE NURTURERS

WHAT IS FEMININE?

WOMEN ARE EMOTIONAL AND SENSITIVE CRIERS

HOW CAN HILLARY POSSIBLY REMAIN RATIONAL WHILE PMSING?!

“SMILE, BABY. WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SERIOUS?”

WOMEN DON’T LIKE GETTING DIRTY

WOMEN AREN’T DRAWN TO SCIENTIFIC OR MATHEMATICAL PROFESSIONS

WOMEN ONLY PRETEND TO LIKE SPORTS – OTHERWISE, THEY MUST BE LESBIANS

You won’t just here my voice, however. The plan is to explore these topics with different groups of women, learning from their experiences and perspectives. I have asked multiple women to collaborate with me on this project. Women from various backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, and life experiences. Sharing their take on the topics above, seeing how they compliment and contradict one another, will serve as an interesting forum for thoughtful discourse.

Ultimately, I hope to create a place to respectfully discuss what it is to be a woman, without judgment or agenda. A place to analyze and explore stereotypes in order to move past them. A place where women can share their opinions, learn from others, respectfully challenge one another and grow in the understanding of various perspectives on womanhood. We have shared experiences, as well as backgrounds, minds, and opinions that are uniquely our own. Let’s learn from each other in a way that is productive, open-minded, and kind.

In a time when coming together in understanding and respect is most necessary, let’s set the tone.