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That’s a Wrap

The end of the semester is quickly approaching with one more day of class and a week of finals. In this past week of class, we have finished up the memoir written by Kevin Powell and pretty much every theme we have covered through the semester came to tie up the lose ends. Honestly, all of the themes such as reproductive rights, gender identification, feminism, masculinity, gentrification, etc. plays a large role in everyone’s lives whether or not they realize it. All of these controversies and fights happen day to day in local communities, a nation as a whole, and even the entire world. The Gallagher’s and the show Shameless show these issues that Kevin Powell and everyone else experience on a local level in the city of Chicago, Illinois.

I really do not have much to say this week other than learning in depth about all of these social, economic, and health issues really impacted me. I guess some might even say that it lit a fire in me. These issues made me very angry with the way that society and the government deal with things such as gentrification and reproductive rights. I also had a sense of empathy for people going through a transition or not identifying with one specific gender. I can only imagine how they feel, maybe isolated and depressed in the highly gendered universe. All of this exposure made me want to get up and do something. The government needs to change. Social aspects need to change. The world needs changing to become more open and welcoming to everyone. The world also needs to change in relationship to our bodies and other regulations. When will others learn that you cannot control all choices made by people. We need a sense of independence and should have the opportunity to make decisions on our own, I mean after all, that is being an adult, correct? To have the responsibility of making choices, but the government takes that away from us in many different forms, whether it is with gun control, abortion rights, rights to contraceptive, etc..

Overall, I just feel as if Shameless does an all around awesome job of showing all of the shitty qualities that are going on in the world on a local level. I definitely suggest that you watch the show if you have not already and pay special attention to the issues that the writers and producers are highlighting. It may change your perspective on a lot of things going on in the world.

#gws201002

The Gallagher’s Fight Gentrification

What is gentrification? It is a long, confusing word that in my opinion is meant to trip people up. The definition of Gentrification is the process of renovating or improving a house or a district to conform to a middle-class taste. Now, I have learned about gentrification briefly in other classes such as Sociology and Anthropology, but now we are touching on it in Gender and Women Studies. This leads me to believe that it is a much bigger issue than what I am thinking it to be.

While learning about gentrification and watching the Vice Land documentary in class, I began thinking about this blog and the Gallagher family. It came to my mind that the Gallagher’s and the South Side of Chicago are currently facing gentrification. The “slums”, “poor neighborhoods”, “the ghetto”, or whatever you want to call it are being pushed further and further away from the city of Chicago. These South Side residents are being pushed from their homes with no exact place to go.

Specifically, the Gallagher’s neighborhood in the show is going through this. City developers began to buy up some of the houses and allow middle-class, white families who earn a decent living to move in and start to take over the street. However, this does not fly with Frank Gallagher. When the developers begin to try and buy Sheila Jackson’s house, Frank somehow manages to get the house to use as a shelter for the homeless. Now, even though this gets out of hand as one of Frank’s schemes, it takes a hit on gentrification because now that there is an unruly homeless shelter on the street, it deters higher income families from taking over the neighborhood, which was their overall goal.

I can see how the idea of gentrification may sound appealing and that it is doing good, but in all reality it is taking away the diversity that we apparently “praise”, and it is taking away affordable housing for people who cannot afford to go elsewhere. So, what are your thoughts on gentrification?

#gws201002

Kevin Powell and Lip Gallagher

Now this may seem like an odd match up, but if you take a closer look at things there are some similarities. Kevin grew up in the ghetto of Jersey City as did Lip Gallagher who grew up on the South Side of Chicago. If that did not signal to you that both people are underprivileged, well they are. Although, Lip have a little more leverage since he is white. We can even get more into things, as both of these men stand out in their high schools because of their great academics yet both had some behavioral issues.

Now, there are more similarities, but lets just get into things. As mentioned before, both boys were recognized by their great achievements in school regardless of their behavior issues. Kevin went on to win multiple writing contests and received recognition this way. Lip on the other hand was recognized for cheating - taking the SAT/ACT for other people.

Both of these boys from the ghetto, who were told by multiple people that they would never make it out because of their involvement in petty crime and that they were underpivlielged. These two went over everyone’s heads and did what people believed that they could not do. Both Kevin and Lip went on to college that was completely paid for by their academic achievements - and financial aid. They finally made it out of the ghetto. They finally have overcome their stereotypes. I think that is awesome. I cannot believe that in both of their high school’s it was seen as a bad thing to be smart, but do you see where it gets you? Knowledge truly is power. It is power that brings on ample opportunity, so if you have the chance to go to a college or university, do not take it for granted! There are people who would kill to get a higher education and to make a better life for themselves!

#gws201002

Gallagher Masculinity

Well, another week has gone by and we have started talking about masculinity: what it is, how it is shown, what it means, how society thinks it should look like, and pretty much anything else. Now just like every other week, I am going to compare this week’s findings to the Gallagher family from the Showtime television show, “Shameless.”

If you have seen the show, imagine the characters in the house - specifically at the kitchen table talking about how they are going to pay the bills, afford food and necessities, among many other items. Everyone - not Frank or Monica - pitches in. Unlike how society plays into men being the bread winners of the family, everyone in this family works hard to pitch in to what they call the squirrel fund.

Now, as they get older and time goes on, I felt that when Lip was going off to college to pursue a degree to make money, I felt as if he felt that he had an obligation to someday provide for his family. Now, I am not certain that was how the creators wanted it viewed, but that was my interpretation.

We can also look into Mickey and Ian’s relationship. I feel that both were “manly” in societies eyes: Mickey being a tough guy using guns and violence, and Ian joining the military. However, there is also a side that people may not see as masculine such as the fact that they are dating each other or how Ian is mentally unstable.

No matter the fact of masculinity and what society thinks it is. I think it is all a hoax. No one should be able to define you. If you think you are masculine then you are. You should be able to define it yourself. If you are a man and want to shed a tear, go for it. If you are a man and want to wear a dress, do it. If you are a man who wants to date other men, ask the guy out! No one should be able to tell you doing the things you love to do makes you less of a man. For God’s sake it is completely human to have emotions! So, if I learned anything this week, it is to do what makes YOU happy, not other people.

#gws201002

Gallagher in Guyland

Well, this week in class we started talking about what is known as “Guyland.” Guyland is basically when boys have to grow up, but they do not want to take on the responsibilities of a full adult because they see the next four years of college as the last to have the most amount of fun there is. This often includes a lot of drinking, not knowing what is next, hazing, pretty much anything avoiding adult responsibilities.

So, this week I want to talk about a Gallagher in Guyland, Lip. As many of you may know Lip had his head on his shoulders to start. He is extremely smart, starting college on a scholarship, had an internship, and was a TA. Then it was like he lost his sense, did not know where he wanted to go, or what he truly wanted to do with his life. He put his college life on the line and began binge drinking. I mean he had always drank, but this was being taken to a whole other level. His family and friends had started comparing him to Frank! Now you know it has to be bad.

Anyway here Lip is in Guyland, putting off responsibilities and actually getting kicked out of school. How could you just throw away a great opportunity like that. He just wanted to have fun without being a true adult. This actually happens to a lot of young males that attend college. As sad as it may sound, every family friend I know that has gone to college, had to drop out because of their never ending drinking, which led to bad grades. They did not realize that they had to actually do the work. Never-the-less, people will continue on saying, “Guys will be guys,” but let’s be real, they need to face their responsibilities just like everyone else.

#gws201002

Reproductive Rights: Do We Have Them?

Okay, this is going to be a touchy subject for some people, considering you cannot simply please everyone and everyone is entitled to their own opinions about it. So, lets jump right in to the “social” issue of reproductive rights and whether or not we actually have those rights.

Back in the day women were shamed for wanting birth control or having unwanted pregnancies. Some of those with unwanted pregnancies then decided they needed to get rid of the child fast and in any way they could so performed dangerous abortions. They were even sent away so that no one would suspect that they were pregnant, but I am positive people could have figured it out. Even in today’s society abortion and reproductive rights are still widely up in the air. After abortion became legal and planned parent hood had received some government funding, it is not like jumping through hoops to get an abortion, some people will not have access to birth control due to the lack of funding, and much more. People even think that they have the nerve to tell you what to do, how to raise your child, and so on. Therefore, your private life is now a social matter with no reproductive rights to your name. What is wrong with society.

Take Shameless as an example. Young Debbie Gallagher had gotten pregnant. Instantly, her older sister had planned for her to get an abortion because she was still in high school and could not afford another kid in the Gallagher household. Coincidentally, Fiona was accidentally pregnant at the time as well, so as a tactic to get Debbie to get an abortion she used something along the lines of we can go together, as if it is a bonding experience. Now I get that Debbie was pretty young to have a child, but it is her child and her body: shouldn’t she have a say in what happens? I think so. In the end it did work out because both girls did what they wanted, but just the struggle they had to get there was a little much.

Sure, you can have your opinions, but in the end I am going to do what I want with my body.

#gws201002

If you can’t say no, it means no

This whole semester has gotten into some pretty in depth and controversial conversations over gender equality, race, class, and along with many others. Now we push ourselves to take one step further to talk about a problem that many people know about but do not address because it is not a socialized topic or concern. We are getting into rape culture.

Now, I know that we mainly have been talking about the use and abuse of women when it comes to rape and just how a woman’s body is seen as a sexual object for a male. None of that is true because women are equally as powerful as a man, sometimes physically and emotionally, but ALWAYS intellectually. Even though we have been talking about rape and sexual assault agains women, my example is the use and abuse of a man’s body. After all, feminism is about equality of men and women.

In Shameless, Debbie Gallagher had always had self esteem issues in regards to her looks. She felt as if she could never get a guy to give her the time of day, but when she did, she lied about her age and acted like someone completely different. He eventually found out and they had remained friends, but one night they attended a party that Debbie threw herself. Her male interest proceeded to become very under the influence and even passed out in Debbie’s bed. Debbie saw an opportunity (not a good one), and she decided to have sex with him while he was unconscious and unknowing. The picture above was the morning after, thinking she was victorious.

Unfortunately, this type of thing happens everyday to both men and women. Whether the victim explicitly says no and the rapist still continues or if the person is unable to respond. This unfortunate act needs to be addressed and known by everyone that it is NOT okay and that you must get get consent!! If a person is too intoxicated, unconscious, or whatever and is unable to respond, then that should be taken as a hard NO! Just remember, if you can’t say yes, you can’t say no!

#gws201002

The Gallagher’s vs The Privileged

Over the past week in class, we have discussed privilege, what it looks like, who has it, what it does, that it does not mean power, and all other things privilege. I am going to give you a quick overview of what privilege means and looks like so we are all on the same page here. Well privilege means that someone or a group of people have an advantage over other to certain things whether they be objects, rights, intangible ideas and thoughts, etc.. Privilege today in our world looks like they average white, american family. It seems to be this idea of “white privilege.” Many white families have more access to jobs, job security, wealth, better education, can afford better housing, can afford non necessary objects, you name it, they have an advantage. However, not all white people are as privileged and it if they are it certainly does not mean they have any sense of power. So, with this in mind, let us take a closer look into the ways that the Gallagher’s are/are not privileged.

Now, just based on the looks of the family, we already know that they are white, therefore they already have a winning aspect on their side for privilege. However, even though they are white, they do not have many of the things considered to be privileged. For example, they have a roof over their head, but it is on the South Side of Chicago, IL. That right there down plays their white privilege. By living on the South Side they live in a bad neighborhood and do not have access to good schools. They are missing out on the education that anyone has the right to. Also, due to Frank and Monica’s substance abuse, all of these kids suffer in this household to keep the electricity, gas, and water on. Basic utilities that are pretty necessary in today’s world. One way their white privilege plays into their favor, is that it is much easier for them to get jobs. If you watch the show, you may have noticed that Fiona, Lip, and Ian have all gotten plenty of jobs. Sure they may have gotten turned down here in there but it is something their race plays into. In society, it may not seem like it, but it is easier for a person who is white to land a job - white privilege.

Now let’s take a look at things with Frank and Monica - the drug and alcohol addicted parents. They are privileged as well even though it may not seem like it. You see, they chose to live the way that they do. They were not just thrown on the street or in the South Side and told to get addicted to drugs and not provide for their family. It was their own choice, so they gave up some of their privilege. But, in a sense they gained some in a way they wanted. They do not have to work. Frank gets disability for a fake reason! His privilege is being able to scam the government so that he does not have to work and gets paid to do so! Monica on the other hand has privilege since she is a white woman. She was able to get a ride from any truck driver she wanted to just because of this reason, well she may have offered some drugs in return. Even the people who throw their privilege out the door are still capable of having some whether it is based on their race or not.

If their is one thing you take away from this, I want it to be that because Frank and Monica threw their privilege out the door for dangerous and addicting substances, it affected the privilege of their entire family! I mean watch the show if you must! They are stuck on the South Side of Chicago, Fiona had to give up her education to help provide for her siblings who are not getting a good education, and sure they have a roof over their head, but that is about it. They are struggling in all other aspects.

#gws201002

The Gallagher Charm

Charm: everybody has their own charm or charisma, but it is very personable and everyone gives off their own.

Within the major hit television show, Shameless - you should already know what show from my page, the Gallagher family has their own stigma, charm, or charisma. Take a minute to yourself if you have seen the show and come up with some ways to define the charming family.

What kind of things did you come up with? I know what came to my head as soon as the question arose.

The Gallagher family is in one word, problematic. Sometimes to other people, but mostly to themselves.

Let’s start with the beginners of the family: Frank and Monica. Both are immersed in the world of alcohol consumption and drug usage. Anything these two can get their hands on to be anything other than sober. The neighborhood knows these two as crazy and psychotic. People know that when these two are in the area, to stay clear because things are about to be messy, drunk, high, and problematic. When these two come into the mix it is always harmful to others, specifically their family.

Now within the family, there is Fiona, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. Also, Sammy if you want to include her. Now for the most part they are pretty normal working to put a house over their heads and food on the table. However, Fiona has been doing this before she even graduated right? Well, that’s just one way the alcohol and drug consumption by Frank and Monica messed up the family. As normal as they can be, they all have their problems. Fiona is always dating the wrong guys, Lip has turned to alcohol and got kicked out of college, Ian was diagnosed manic, Debbie went off and had her own kid while in high school, Carl joined a gang to sell drugs, and well Liam is still young and innocent.

As you can see, pretty much ALL of the family’s problems started from the alcohol and drug abuse by their parents. While they were using, not enough love, attention, or compassion was given to these children. They were barely even given food! Alcohol and drug abuse needs to come to an end! Families and other’s lives are at stake of being affected by this addiction. Something must be done.

#gws201002

The First of Many

As the showtime television show, Shameless, produces more and more episodes, the audience grows as well. Even though season seven of this incredibly addictive show has just wrapped up, I want to take the time to go all the way to the beginning.

This show revolves around a large family of eight that even keeps growing. They live on the Southside of Chicago, Illinois. Unfortunately, for these children their parents are constantly abusing drugs and alcohol, so they are poorly taken care of. Lucky for them though, they have adapted to the live style and can fend for themselves.

In my opinion, I think that it is both positive and negative to have a television show such as this one showing the effects of substance abuse. I believe that it can have a positive influence on viewers because even if they are not directly related to someone who abuses drugs and/or alcohol, they can see the impacts it creates and how it negatively affects the loved ones around the abuser. Even though, I see a positive impact on some viewers, I also think that it can have a negative outcome as well. I think that because people see they show as interesting, addictive, and funny they may not see that there is a serious issue with the overuse of drugs and alcohol. It is almost as if people create an association with obsessive use of drugs and alcohol with comedy and laughter.

Do not get me wrong, I love this show, but I just think someone needs to consider the affect it can have on people and their use of substances. Someone needs to make sure that it positively shows what can happen when using, like the negative consequences it has on the user. I think by doing this and showing the world, it will hit someone’s - a substance abuser’s - core values and deter them from taking another drink, smoke, injection, etc..

#gws201002

Being an Advocate

Many people in this world are considered advocates, and many people in this world have different ideas or definitions of what an advocate is. So, I would like to take the time to present the definition of what an advocate is.

From looking up what an advocate is online, I have come to the conclusion that an advocate is a person that expresses support or defense verbally or in writing for both themselves and others.

Now, what a person decides to advocate is totally up to what he/she/or however they want to identify as believes in and is passionate about. Just recently, the Women’s March commenced all around the world. Being me, I would consider every single person that marched an advocate of either Women’s Rights, Equality, Anti-Trump, or all three.

As for myself, I do not keep up with current events as much as I should, therefore I do not have a large stance on most controversial topics. However, I do know that I support Planned Parenthood and would advocate for it. I feel passionate for advocating Planned Parenthood because I am constantly thinking about the “what-if’s” and how they will affect my future. To go into a little more detail, I - as I’m sure most other females - think about the possibilities of an accidental pregnancy. I think that birth control should be widely available to women as contraception and should not be outrageously priced. I also believe that you have the right to an abortion, whether you are for or against it because it is your body and you should be able to do as you please with it. A child, especially an unplanned child at any age, is a HUGE responsibility both financially and emotionally! Therefore, I believe you should have the option to the resources available to you to plan such as contraception, emergency contraception, or an abortion.

Even though I do support Planned Parenthood, I have never been involved in activism. I can honestly say that I have not been involved due to time constraints, not wanting the attention - both negative and positive, and I guess age. Ever since a young age, I have been involved in both sports and clubs that go year-round living little free time to advocate. Also, I feel as if my age has impacted my lack of activism because I feel that if I wanted to at a young age my parents would want me in such an intense crowd such as the Women’s March or the Trump Riots.

Hopefully, some day in the future I will have both time and confidence to stand up proudly for something I believe in!

#GWS201002

Gender Activist Blog Search

As of a day or two ago, it has been asked of me to find a few different blogs on Tumblr that represent Gender Activists and address some questions to influence deeper thinking on the topic of gender being a fluid concept. As of now I have found some blogs that intrigued my interest and took a look.

The first blog that attracted my attention was Postdamsage-blog-blog. This page was developed by students at a New York City based college to mainly support women's rights and equality. Some of the pages strengths included gifs, pictures, quotes, and information all about women’s rights. One thing that specifically caught my eye was an image from Saturday Night Live from the late 20th century. This specifically hit me because the caption had mentioned that it was still an argument today, which is crazy because it is so many years later! One would think that with all that time we could have resolved those issues. One thing I did not enjoy about the page were some things were incredibly biased or opinionated. I understand it is a blog but you should still be considerate of others. My reaction to this page was just shock at how long women’s rights movements have been taking place, yet barely any progress has been made. It makes me want to get involved in fight for equality, especially since women are viewed negatively in the business world.

This further intrigued me to look up something further than just Gender Activists, so I typed in, “Gender Fluid.” I pulled up the blog germainedelarch. The person behind this blog seemed to describe themselves as trans. What I thought to be a strength on this page was the story of the writer’s challenge to undergo a double mastectomy. Basically, they were denied the surgery unless they can get a not from their psychiatrist that diagnosed them with, “gender dysphoria.” This got me thinking that this is crazy! There is nothing wrong with this person and they are definitely not mentally ill! I really did not find anything negative about this page. And in regards to my reaction, it would motivate me to stand up for those who want to go through with a sex change or identify as gender fluid or anything!

Lastly, I found a page called metamorphicnavigation. This page was about two companies who had teamed up to reveal the truths about gender fluidity, trans, etc. I thought that it was strong in resources that aid in getting documents such as passports and drivers licenses changed to the gender you identify with. One thing I felt was lacking was personal posts and testimony; it mainly focused on news stories, which is good but there needs to be a balance.

To wrap things up, all of these blogs have created an itch that I need to scratch to stand up for the community and the fight for equality.

#GWS201002

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