Untitled

[childmarriageblog-blog]

8th post: Summary

The problem is very serious because the statistics on how many girls are affected each year is huge. According to UNICEF, approximately 39,000 child marriages happen every day, and 14.2 million girls annually. (UNICEF, 2013) Not only do these child marriages happen in one country, or continent, but they happen in parts of the world; from Africa to Asia to the Middle East to some communities in England.  The problem seems so foreign to us because we do not hear of cases in the United States, but I bet if it did, it would be getting more support from others and more attention from the media. The amount of life and education these girls are missing out on by getting married is bigger than numbers can explain. By reading about the stories about all of the girls that were affected, like Nujood or Gadya, I can try to imagine myself in their place, and think of the hardships I would have to face. I love school, I love having freedom, I love only worrying about my self sometimes(I have to admit). However, with that fate assigned to me, all of that freedom and selfishness would disappear, and I would have to raise a baby while still raising myself, all the while being with someone for the rest of my life whom I do not love. From my research, I have developed a deeper sorrow for the girls that have to go through this.  

One issue that we covered in class that I can definitely relate to this topic is the commentary we listened to - “No Más Bébés.”  The victims in that commentary were Latina women, who were unintentionally signing a document that allowed the doctor to tie their tubes so that they couldn’t have any more babies. They had their rights taken away from them. Like the young girls, the lack of education made/makes the situation more difficult. Also, the women in “No Más Bébés” felt a great pressure while it was happening, in regards to signing the papers and being unaware of what was happening. We can compare that the young girls feeling a great deal of pressure of marrying someone, and making the deal a pleasant one. At the same time, some of the girls(after being married), stated that they were so young that they really didn’t understand what was going on at the time.

References:

“Child Marriages: 39,000 Every Day.” UNICEF. N.p., 7 Mar. 2013. Web. <http://www.unicef.org/media/media_68114.html>.

[neveengws-blog]

39,000 child marriages occur every day and that statistic makes me sick to my stomach. These young girls do not have anyone defending them or their rights. They are having their childhood stolen from them. Feminism involves sticking up for women whose struggles often may not be the same as yours, so feminists everywhere need to advocate for these innocent girls!

[sex-edandbodyimage-blog]

5th post: Mom Sits In Son’s Sex Ed Class

For a case study I decided to choose an article titled “I Sat In on My Son’s Sex-Ed Class, and I Was Shocked by What I Heard My Son Responded by Standing Up to the Teacher’s Arguments with Science” by Alice Dreger. Although the U.S is considered more of a “progressive” country, it seems as though most people are still reluctant to share their experience with the “taboo” subject of sex and sex education. It is for this reason that I feel looking for case studies about a personal experience was particularly difficult. This article is a realistic example of the state of sex education in the U.S by going directly inside the classroom when it is being taught. Most adults do not have access to see how sex education is being taught in present day because they are no longer elementary/high school students so it is difficult to see the gravity of the situation from an outside perspective. Most of us can only assume what is being taught in classrooms and assumption is not enough to make judgement on a subject as important as sex education.

In the article, Alice Dreger finds out that her son who is a freshman in high school is learning about abstinence as sex education. Alice is a sex researcher specializing in intersex therefore her son is very much so educated on the subject of sex education already. Both Alice and her son agree that abstinence only education is ineffective so they decide to do some research on the subject and bring it to his next class. Alice decides to sit back to observe while her son prepares to confront the sex ed teachers with the evidence he found. Her son challenges the visitor by asking if her teachings are evidence based and why she teaches abstinence when it does not decrease premarital sex and instead increases unsafe practices such as sex without contraception. One of the sex ed teachers also says “You’ll find a good girl. If you find one who says ‘no,’ that’s the one you want” (Dreger) directly teaching the opposite of the “no means no” consent basics.

After the class is over Alice confronts the sex ed teachers by screaming and swearing. The effects of this were that Alice was “subject to special monitoring at her son’s school, allegedly for saying “fuck” in front of “children” after class ended” (Dreger). According to Alice, the school is located in a “progressive school district in a liberal college town” so from a cultural standpoint the viewpoints of the sex ed teachers did not match the culture of the area (Dreger). Alice herself is a sex researcher who is extremely familiar with the subject matter if not an expert therefore, this definitely affected her harsh reaction to the lessons taught in the sex ed course. Alice ends the article by stating that more often than not conservative people are more involved in the sex ed curriculum than more liberal people, explaining why sex ed is ineffective and inaccurate. 

Source: 

Dreger, Alice. “I Sat In on My Son’s Sex-Ed Class, and I Was Shocked by What I Heard.” The Stranger. 15 Apr. 15. Web. <http://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/04/15/22062331/i-sat-in-on-my-sons-sex-ed-class-and-i-was-shocked-by-what-i-heard>.

[neveengws-blog]

Alice dreger took the initiative to confront the faulty sex ed classes taught in the US. Stating that “abstinence is the best choice” is not an effective teaching method considering the fact that teaching abstinence does not decrease the likelihood of pre-marital sex. I believe that schools need to update their teaching methods because the world is changing at a fast pace. There are so many other safety tips students need to be learning in order to always feel comfortable with sex. 

[whatsthedealwithbreasts-blog]

REFLECTION

Prior to my research for this project, the extent of my knowledge of female breast empowerment was Lina Esco’s film, “Free the Nipple” and social experiment videos on youtube featuring breastfeeding moms. As I began my research, I started to really take notice of all the struggles that breastfeeding mothers go through. Not all 50 states provide mothers with the freedom to feed their babies just anywhere. State laws that prevent mothers from providing for their children in the most natural way known to the world harms all the mothers who don’t have other places but outside to go to feed their children. It discredits mothers who want to provide their babies and themselves with all the health benefits that come with breastfeeding and often makes them turn away from breastfeeding prematurely or never to start in the first place. While in the states where public breastfeeding is legal, women still face discrimination among their peers. The social experiment videos I watched broke my heart-breastfeeding mothers constantly had to apologize for feeding their children if someone happened to be nearby them. I expected people to maybe shy away from them and avoid confrontation, but instead, strangers would shout at the breastfeeding mothers, telling them how disgusting they are and how ashamed of themselves they should be. What shocked me even more was that women, more than men, were scolding mothers for feeding their children. Young women expressed their disgust, older women pulled their husbands away and shamed mothers, anyone and everyone had a voice on the subject.

While public breastfeeding was an easier topic to tackle for me, public exposure of the breast for other reasons was a little more complex. I had grasped the idea of sustaining life with the tools of our bodies, but I couldn’t pin point the exact cause and effect of recreational breast exposure. The first thing I learned in the scholarly article I read was that the exclusion of the female breast from things “allowed to be exposed” and the inclusion of male breast on the list is a direct violation of the clause of the 14th amendment, equal protection under the law. Under state laws which limit women’s bodily exposure compared to men’s, equal protection is no longer achieved. As we strive to create more equal environments for men and women alike, this violation cannot be overlooked, as it hinders our progress. However, while I am all for women being able to express themselves the way men are, it was hard for me to answer my mother’s question when I filmed a discussion with the ladies of my family on the topic, “would you want to go out and show your breasts in public?” I wouldn’t. I would not be able to find a level of comfort in doing that, and I can’t imagine my parents’ judging looks if they knew I had. I was raised in a semi-traditional, very old school Bosnian Muslim household. I was raised to understand the difference between men and women, rather than their similarities. This is where my goal to educate my family on the importance of women’s rights to breast exposure crumbled. While I could preach to them all day about the importance to have equal rights, I could not myself answer my mother’s question with certainty. “But it isn’t about going out and doing it” I had said. “It’s about having the freedom to, having the right to that choice, having equal power.” But that wasn’t the answer to the question. And so I was stuck in between trying to spark a change in attitude, and myself being silenced by the time-old stigma that has been put on the female breast. It doesn’t make my belief on the matter any less credible because of my personal choice, but I can’t help wonder how I can add to a movement when I myself may question the very being of it.

[neveengws-blog]

I did not know that the double standard of bodily exposure was a direct violation of the 14th amendment! It is surprising that, even though it is illegal, showing the breast of a women is still banned by society. I am a Muslim American and even though it was not directly said by my parents, I always knew that men and women had different rights when I was growing up. I was taught that its okay for a man to do something simply because he is a man and if I tried to do what the man does, it is unacceptable.

The controversy still surrounding breast feeding is shocking. There are statistics which state why breast feeding is good for both the mother and the child yet people still choose to discriminate against women who publicly breast feed. It is just wrong.

[cbravo5-blog]

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20055380,00.html

Vanessa Hudgens (pictured above) was a star on Disney’s High School Musical. In 2007, Hudgens was dating High School Musical costar, Zac Efron. On Thursday September 6th, a nude photo of the actress were leaked on the internet. It is important to note that these private photos were released without her consent. But the public began to judge her for these intimate photos that were clearly meant for her boyfriend. Her representative stated that the photo was “taken privately. It is a personal manner and it is unfortunate that this has become public.”

The following day more photos of the star were released, again without her consent. Instead of recognizing the issue as an invasion of privacy, Hudgens was quick to apologize to her fans and to the public in general. She said, “I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken the photos…” Afterward, a Disney Channel spokesperson released a statement mentioning that “Vanessa has apologized for what was obviously a lapse in judgment. We hope she’s learned a valuable lesson.” The article ended with a mention that the studio was in talks about bringing Hudgens back for any High School Musical sequels.

This is related to my topic of slut shaming because Hudgens was scorned publicly for the way she choose to display her body. The photos she took were meant for her boyfriend, and were released without her consent. Yet so many were quick to judge and although she was not guilty of any serious offense, she and the studio apologized because of her choice to take such photos. But no one came forth to take responsibility for leaking such photos. She was a female adult but was not allowed to display her body in a way that showed pride. This happens to average people all the time, photos meant for significant others are shared without consent. But celebrities are especially vulnerable to this phenomena with the release of pictures, sex tapes, etc.

[neveengws-blog]

It is frustrating to know that she had to apologize for photos that were not hurting anyone or anything but her own image. Society judged her for pictures that were not supposed to be seen by anyone in the first place. The privacy of women is always violated and the victims are expected to apologize for having sexual desires and ways of satisfying their significant other. It is disgusting how society upholds women to such a difficult standard, while men can post half nude photos themselves and not be forced to apologize and take the criticism of society.

[femmenistsam-blog]

Course Reflection :)

I came into this class expecting that I would not learn anything. I was expecting a cookie-cutter, vocabulary based women’s studies class that would be so easy, it would bore me. I was proven wrong! I am so glad the content in the class had a focus on intersectionality and discussed ideas and articles and readings that are relevant to our young lives in Chicago. I had no idea about so many feminists and their writings and discoveries. I especially appreciated El Mundo Zurdo and all of the feminist poetry we got to read for class. I love poetry and feminism, so that was great for me. 

After this course ends, I will not stop my fight for the feminist struggle. It is always ongoing for me. I’m glad we learned about the feeling of burnout that comes with trying to educate everyone in your life about feminism- that was my biggest frustration prior to taking this course. It made me reassured that just because someone in my family or someone older than me argues against my feminist beliefs, that doesn’t mean I am wrong. I decided recently to switch my major from Teaching of English to Urban Education (so I will be teaching K-6 instead of high school English), and I plan on influencing my students and educating them on feminism, body positivity, and consent in an age appropriate fashion. I will also continue to fight for sex worker liberation and for social justice in general in our beautiful city. I think teaching in CPS will be a great way for me to continue to fight for the feminist struggle. 

[neveengws-blog]

I also expected the same, typical women’s studies class! I believe you’ll do great things shaping the young minds of the future. I loved all of your input into class discussions, such as the story of persuading your relative vote to for bernie instead of trump, etc, etc. The way you interpreted poetic text was also awesome and I’m glad we got to work together on the group project. Hopefully one day, social justice and equality for all will be achieved.

[justinal13]

Prior to taking this class, I had always considered myself to be a headstrong woman. I was strong-willed, independent, and considered myself a feminist. I still do consider myself to be all of these things to this day, but after taking this class, I realize that there is so much that I hadn’t known. I wasn’t aware that the feminist movements had been divided because the rights of minorities weren’t included in the original feminist movement which consisted of mainly upper class white women. Neither did I ever think that the feminist movement wasn’t just for women. People of all genders are able to be part of and assist in the feminist movement. This class has truly broadened my view of the world. We can’t just slap labels on people and tell them that they were born as this so that’s who they are, and they can’t change. I feel like life is truly about evolving, finding yourself, being comfortable in the skin you’re in, and making alterations only if you feel that they are necessary.

If there is one thing that I have learned from this class its that we are our biggest obstacles. We can’t truly help ourselves and others who face the same issues until we address the ways in which we contribute to our issues. It’s the notion of struggling with one’s own oppression, and doing all you can to not be a hypocrite. We all say that certain things aren’t right or shouldn’t be done, yet we do them ourselves. We have to find ways to cease and prevent us from committing such acts. We have to stop oppressing ourselves and each other.  We all have one common goal, to end oppression. As a minority woman, I will continue to fight in the feminist struggle by fighting the self-oppression I have against myself, and the oppression others have against me. I won’t take no for an answer. I will continue to be blunt, modest, and true to myself regardless of where I am, what career field I choose, and who I am with. I will not allow anyone to treat me differently because I am a minority or a woman or both. I’ll correct people on their gender bias and discrimination. For those students who may need to be taught a real life, more insightful lesson, I’ll refer them to GWS 101 with Professor Erica Chu.

[femmenistsam-blog]

Justina, you ARE a headstrong woman. I’m so glad I met you and sat by you every day in this class. You made it such a great experience for me! You were always prepared for class and interested in the readings and willing to chat with me about them. I totally agree with you re: what the class has done for you. It has also broadened my view of the world. We do have one common goal, and we need to keep our intersectional, complex identities in mind while struggling together to work toward the common goal.

Keep shining and hustling, girl. 

[neveengws-blog]

I agree with Sam! Justina you’re such a strong and empowering woman! I loved getting heated over class discussions with you because you have a very open-mindset. This class really has made us more insightful of our surroundings.

[neveengws-blog]

Course Reflection

Taking GWS 101 this semester has reinforced my previous feminist views. I have always considered myself to be a very open-minded person, but this class has taught me to always think of other perspectives as well before making a conclusion about something. I have learned how feminism has no limits as to who the movement applies to, and that the most important factor to a successful movement is unity. Our class readings have educated me with not only statistics, but relatable experiences throughout history that I can use to strengthen my feminist arguments. 

I will continue to fearlessly pass on my knowledge after this class. Terms I myself had not heard before, such as intersectional analysis,  and hypermasculinity, could make all the difference in changing the mindset of other ignorant people. As a woman of a minority, it is important to have a open-minded and educated background and this class has helped me enhance that quality of myself!

Photo Creds

[miss-andrist-gws]

On Tuesday, I went to listen to Alicia Garza, one of the co-creators of Black Lives Matter, speak about the movement and her involvement in it. She started off by stressing that “hashtags don’t start movements, people do.” Meaning that even though her and her sisters started the hashtag, does not mean they started the movement. Which is why they refer to themselves as “co-creators” to the movement. She made sure to let us know that the movement is much older than any of us. While the movement of black freedom has been going on for a while, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter came about from a love letter written by Alicia. She wrote the letter after George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin’s murderer, was found not guilty on all charges. Alicia said she wrote the letter in a time when black people needed love the most.

Alicia Garza and her sisters wanted to create a space where black people can resist state violence and anti-blackness. They wanted a space where black people can be free. However, the media takes it as the opposite. They are often called terrorists, police killers, ect., and are linked to any protest involving black people. While listening to Alicia, I found some specific things very interesting.

For starters, I loved the way she calls herself a co-creator. I learned how far back this movement goes, and even though the hashtag is newer, the things they are saying are not. The reaction to black freedom movements are not new either. The names they’re called and the way they’re portrayed in the media is just a way to discredit the movements. As Alicia said, they were born from a love letter but the right wants to make it seem they’re out here wildin’. One of my favorite things Alicia said was “demanding a better way to protect our communities isn’t anti-police, it’s pro-people.”

·Another thing I learned was about the usage of the term “black-on-black crime.” Alicia said that that term was created by a social worker to show how black communities are dysfunctional. When in reality, no one cares more about our communities than black people. We often call each other out to keep one another in place. It’s something I see, hear, and even do all the time but I never noticed exactly the bigger picture behind it. Also, Alicia pointed out that there is crime in every community, but only in black communities is there a special name for it. Which is why she prefers the term “inner-communal crime.”

 I greatly appreciated her stressing the importance of taking action. First with her talking about how people make movements, not hashtags. And then again when she spoke on people always making comments about what BLM needs to be doing. She says the problem with saying “what y’all need to be doing is..” is that it doesn’t include you. People can’t just sit on the sidelines and try to coach, they have to stand up and fight for what they believe in.  

[neveengws-blog]

I loved your description of the event! You can tell that Alicia and her sister truly give everything they can to the cause because of the the way they humbly take credit for the hashtag. Hstory repeats itself, which is why we supporters of the black lives movement should not be bothered by the name calling or opposition to the hashtag. As Alicia said, the attempts by others to break the spirit of black people and the supporters shouldn’t be focused on because the movement truly is pro-life. Nothing negative comes out of this movement.

[femmenistsam-blog]

Blog Post: Alicia Garza speaks at UIC

Alicia Garza is the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. She spoke in the Illinois Room on Tuesday about her experience developing the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, and talked about how the movement is just the beginning in the fight to black freedom and liberation. She began her speech by talking about Trayvon Martin, and how she was floored by the fact that it was 2013 and black people are still demonized for their existence. She decided that the black community needed a little love, and needed to know that their lives matter, so she wrote a love letter to the black community. From that letter, the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag developed, and Alicia stated she wouldn’t take credit for it until about two years after it was an active hashtag on twitter.

What I really took out of Alicia’s amazing speech was when she said, and made the audience repeat back to her, “Hashtags don’t start movements. People do.” She talked a lot about how social media is a great resource to pilot the movement and organize, but it’s not twitter or Facebook that do the work. It’s the people. Alicia spoke with such empathy and elegance and created such a warm environment in the room. She took questions from the audience at the end and answered them with such honesty. A man asked her about how to recognize his white privilege and what to do about it- she told him to start a dialogue with other white people in his life. This was a valuable piece of advice for me as a white person who seeks to do ally work as much as I possibly can. 

I’m glad Alicia is getting credit where it’s due. A lot of the BLM movement focuses on Black Males..but what about the black women? Black women like Alicia are the ones who piloted the movement, and deserve to be the face of it. She talked about “trickle-down activism” and how it’s the idea that if the movement liberated black men, it would automatically trickle down to all of the other types of black people. She said, “it doesn’t work like that.” I never thought about that concept and how it relates to intersectionality until she said that. She really opened my eyes to concepts regarding the Black Lives Matter movement that I had never considered before. It was a great and historical experience to hear her speak. 

[neveengws-blog]

I love reading about strong and independent women such as Alicia! It’s crazy seeing this hashtag all over Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc and to know someone started this universal impact by saying just a few words. Although the movement indeed is not in the hashtag, the hashtag unites black people and their allies all around the world. Historical experiences like this are why I appreciate our use of technology!

[unicornonfireblog-blog]

GWS related event: women living with HIV

I went to the exhibition women living with HIV. 14 Chicago women with HIV were interviewed and their stories told. All of them participate in the Women’s Interagency HIV study (WIHS) where they got HIV treatment and often found support. Every women has an assigned sign in the exhibition to mark comments, stories and sometimes even pictures. The women tell the audience how they got the disease, found out, live with it now and how it changed them. In addition to that, there are a lot of information about infection rates and how treatment for women has changed over the years. Before 1988, HIV was widely considered a disease mostly men, gay men, had. And while numbers of infected men were peaking, very few women were diagnosed and treated and “suffered disproportionately”. Since then, treatment has radically improved and there are also more foundations to help (women).

Many of the 14 women were hiding their diagnosis from their families, but very often it gave them the push they needed to fight for their own lives. Some of them got clean after being diagnosed to fight HIV. All of the women struggled with their diagnosis, but as the quote in the picture says, “I struggle and that is my strength”, many of them felt strong and inspired for fighting and living with HIV and turned their life around after the diagnosis.

I was very shocked that many of the women were infected at a very young age, without knowing much about HIV. Some of them were abused, infected by partners or by using drugs. HIV is a horrible disease that can be treated nowadays, as the exhibition shows with these very strong and inspiring 14 women. More HIV-Education could prevent women of getting infected in the first place or at least spread awareness about the disease and treatment. 

[femmenistsam-blog]

I have always thought that there weren’t really any treatments available for women with HIV, but I’m glad that this event educated people on the fact that there are and that it is possible to survive with it. I wonder if it is still considered a “death sentence” as it was in the 1980s. I think a lot about the politics surrounding HIV and AIDS and how the Reagan family sat back and watched it all happen. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about. I think STD prevention needs to be taught better and treatment needs to be available to all people, because it is possible to create a future where HIV doesn’t exist and also one where people who contract STD’s are respected and can live normal, healthy sex lives. 

[neveengws-blog]

I wish I had the opportunity to go to this event! I am not very familiar with the history behind HIV, or knowledgeable about the treatments so this already seems to be very eye-opening. It is fascinating looking at the medical advancements made since to late 80′s when HIV was considered a death sentence. Nowadays we are barely reminded about the consequences of this horrible disease. Hopefully that is due to effective treatment.

[joyfullyprofoundbunny-blog]

Event Post– Her Story

The event was more than perfect. It began with the movie, there were 10 mins episodes and 5 total, and ended with a discussion with the actors from the movie. First of all, the movie was beyond amazing. There was so much emotion put in it and the actors did an amazing job.

The discussion was personal and it was the moment where the actors were able to connect with the audience. I loved how funny everyone was but most importantly they were welcoming. There was a girl who made a comment to them that I felt connected to. She said she knew she would never experience what the women went through, but understanding what they went through and being open minded is what matters the most. I personally never really thought about how hard it is for people who identify themselves as transgender to have a regular life when there’s other people who think so negatively about what it means to be transgender. It is important to educate others because just like everyone else, they are people too. Most of the reasons why transgender people commit suicide is because they feel rejected by society and it shouldn’t have to be that way. I loved the discussion so much. I wished I would have recorded it. These actors are amazing people as well. It was great to see them explain how they were related to whom the played on the movie.

[justinal13]

This event discussed the struggles of the lives of transgender people. Even though they are transgender, they are still people. They still have feelings, emotions, and a heart. They want to be treated as such also without having to hide their identity to suffice society. Society always ask people to be true to themselves and be who they are, but when its done in a way that society doesn’t agree with, society says no not like that. If one continues to go against society’s idea of what being yourself is, it will make your life hard. No one wants to feel left out or as thought they don’t belong. No one wants to feel lonely as though they don’t have anyone. Every one needs to be able to feel as though they are accepted as they are at least by one person regardless of how head strong one is. That’s just part of being human. For one to make anyone feel any differently, or hated due to who they truly are makes me question one’s humanity in a way.

[neveengws-blog]

I loved the discussion too! The actresses are so funny; I was cracking up at every comment. Taking an inside look at the hardships of Ross’ dating life was also very interesting since they based it off of her real life experiences.

I completely agree with Justina. The loneliness someone must feel because they are not accepted for who they truly are is heartbreaking. The public always needs to be reminded that IF IT IS NOT YOUR BODY, IT SHOULD NOT BE ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS. It upsets me when someone discusses how another person carries themselves. I hope that one day people will be able to decide who they want to be without anything but support from the individuals around them.

[neveengws-blog]

UIC Event

The sex awareness fest held at UIC proved to be very educational and fun. I assumed it would be just like any other sex ed seminar, where people would go over the same facts we have been hearing since we were younger but it was quite the opposite. Visitors were given a lei when they first walked in, and a sheet with a mapped description of each display table/kiosk. In order to receive a free smoothie and a t-shirt, you had to attend a certain number of kiosks (I obviously was there for educational purposes only!) We learned facts about sexually transmitted diseases, consent, and more through games with one another. Winners were given prizes and the event was an overall success.

First of all, I appreciated how welcoming the people were who lead the event. Not only was I learning more about sex-related information in a fun way, but I also made some new friends as well. The event shed light on sexually-transmitted diseases too. It is important that the dangers of having unprotected sex are emphasized, especially with students above and at the age of 18. I loved the kiosk discussing the importance of consent as well. Events like this one are a good reminder to us all that safe sex and consensual sex is important.

Photo Creds

[neveengws-blog]

Extra Credit Post: Her Story

I had the opportunity of attending the screening of a web series titled Her Story, starring Jen Richards, Laura Zac, and Angelica Ross. The show follows the struggles of everyday life and dating for transgender people. Instead of portraying the transgender women as sexualized, Her Story captivates the audience as viewers watch a feminist reporter (Zak) fall for Violet (Richards), a beautiful, transgender woman. Her Story also gives viewers an inside look to the life of a working, transgender woman who is not obviously transgender and the reactions from the public when she is outed.

After the screening, the stars of the web series held a discussion with the audience. I loved the energy between each of the actors and also the energy between the actors and the audience. It was overall a very positive experience. First, each actress introduced herself and then all three went into detail about how they were able to produce such an amazing web series. Not only were they genuine and good humored, I loved seeing how well the actors connected off screen. I was very entertained hearing how Richards went from assuming it was going to be a small, less expensive production to hearing a high budget increase day by day. I believe the hard work put in by these women to educate the public on how it really feels to be a transgender woman was a complete success. I, myself, was already familiar with the struggles of transgender men and women but this web series really gave me a whole new insight as to what they experience on a daily basis. Shows like this will really influence others to be more open minded about transgender women and the equality they deserve.

Photo Creds

[sociologyvibes-blog]

“Street Harassment: Current and Promising Avenues for Researchers and Activists.”

For the 4th blog post, I chose Laura Logan’s piece about street harassment. This reading outlined the issue of street harassment. It attempted to define it, give relevant statistics, analyze its effect on women, and overall contribute to a better understanding of the problem.  

I felt that it was relevant because of an experience over the weekend. I was out with a friend, and he began to start yelling “you’re beautiful” at any woman he passed. I told him that it could be construed as street harassment, but he didn’t fully understand why, and thought he was doing something with good intention and helping boost self esteem for people. If anything, it potentially lowers it by making women feel that their worth, and what makes them noticed, is their outward beauty. 

Although it wasn’t the most malicious example of street harassment, I still felt like it wasn’t a good thing to be doing. The women in question probably didn’t find it as flattering as he thought it was, and saying that to random people was ultimately insincere. My hope is to be able to better explain the problem with this should it happen again. 

[neveengws-blog]

I think what your friend did might lower one’s self esteem because he was yelling it at every girl. If a woman sees a man saying the same thing to other women, she would assume his words are not said with good intention. She might also think she is not worthy enough of her own unique compliment. I still do think that some guys will never understand the effect of their cat calls or why women don’t like the random compliments.

[lopezfour-blog]

4th Post: Course Reading

Unhappy Trails: Female Truckers Say They Faced Rape and Abuse in Troubled Training Program by Anna Merlan 

Link to article:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12784237/GWS%20101%20Spring%202016/Merlan%20-%20Unhappy%20Trails.pdf

The article by Anna Merlan interested me a lot because woman who want to become truckers are taken advantage of by men. These men are typically truckers who are in charge of training the women. In a sense, the women shadow the male trucker for a couple days so they could visually learn/experience the role of a trucker. It was shocking and very upsetting to read how woman are physically harassed and threatened by male truckers. The most upsetting part about this entire issue of abuse of power from the male truckers is that women will go to the company and the company will not act upon the incidents. Therefore, the male truckers are consistenly getting away with this type of harassment. 

My personal connection to this article is the fact that I have uncles who are truckers. I am not sure if they personally abuse women in that sense, but I wonder if they are familiar with cases where this type of sexual abuse occurs to woman when they are in training. This article caused me to think about my uncles and made me hope that they are not the type to abuse a woman like that. This article also opened my eyes towards this type of harrassment because I would not have imagined that these types of incidents would really occur to a women while she’s in training for a job. To begin with, it’s very unprofessional and women are not being taken serious by men. The simple fact that men believe that they could take advantage of a person like that irks me. I hope that others learn to respect women who want to become truckers and that this type of harassment is overheard and decreased to prevent future uncomfortable situations for woman. 

[neveengws-blog]

It irks me as well. It really is shocking when you think about how many women are afraid to go into certain professions because of the fact that they might be sexually harassed or violated. It is also disturbing to think a woman might be perfectly able to do a job better than anyone else but may never get the chance to because in order to get that job she must give in to a man’s demands/control. Even in our society today, there are still significantly smaller numbers of women in different professions and this reason may account for that.

[neveengws-blog]

Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique discusses American women and their obligations to their husbands and children during the 1900s. Women had no destiny other than to “glorify their own femininity.” The center of the life of a woman was once again the kitchen, and the rights women had fought so hard for a century earlier were replaced with the statistics of 60% of women dropping out to be married. Women were gladly taking the occupation of a housewife once again so if a woman did not feel fulfilled cleaning after her husband or children, she would start to think she was not normal since other women looked satisfied with their similarly dull lives. Friedan describes how women started feeling “empty” and “tired”, words used when discussing their lives with their doctors. Friedan claims that some doctors even called this “housewife’s syndrome” (275). The unhappiness of these women was suddenly broadcasted everywhere during the 1960’s but there was still no solution to this nationwide epidemic. Home economists and college educators offered solutions that, in reality, just increased the chances of keeping women in the position of a housewife. Women wanted something more than the role of a housewife, cook, chauffeur, mistress, etc. Friedan lists steps in her writing in order to help women take control of their identity once again and not conform to “the conventional picture of her femininity” (279). The first step is to see housework not as a career, but as something that needs to be done quickly and efficiently. The second step is to see marriage as it really is instead of glorifying it. Friedan also claims women need to find jobs, not ones they take because they need extra money or to kill extra free time they have. Women need to take control of their identity, find a job which meets their standards and capacity to work. The only way for someone to find themselves is in their own creative work and that is what Friedan continuously emphasizes in the text.

I agree with Friedan's argument that the only way to find yourself is to work hard in your own creative work. I relate to this article because I am reminded of the “ideal” image of a woman being only a housewife and mother every day. I am a 19 year old Palestinian Muslim. Men in our culture expect women to do everything, from cooking and cleaning to raising children on our own while they work to give the financial support for our family. In our modern day culture, women do strive to create their own career and be independently successful but the majority of our Middle Eastern men and parents still believe that the ideal women will cook, clean and serve her husband and children. I hope that readers of this text learn that limiting yourself to the life of a housewife, or anything less than what you can actually accomplish, results in a dull and empty life. Working hard to do what YOU want to do is the only way you will ever be completely satisfied.

Photo creds:

 social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/files/2013/04/housewives.png

[neveengws-blog]

My experience with Body Dysmorphic Disorder 

My Body Dysmorphic Disorder Recovery

Intersectional Body Positivity 

Finding Body Peace

The body positivity videos posted by Annie Elainey were very eye opening to me. Annie discusses her experience with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and her recovery. She begins by telling the story of what triggered the downfall of her self-esteem. Upon graduating elementary school, Annie and her father went out for a congratulatory dinner. Annie’s father blatantly told Annie that, when he has enough money, he was going to allow her to get a nose job. This confrontation took a toll on her, and she began to slowly obsess over her body and distinct features she thought of as flaws. Annie defines BDD is the psychological disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with imaginary defects and preoccupied with physical appearances. She also tells viewers that people with BDD make frequent attempts to change appearances, and either spend too much time looking in mirrors or avoid mirrors completely. The risk factors for BDD are negative life experiences, such as childhood teasing or bullying, societal expectations, or having other psychological disorders such as anxiety or depression. Annie puts great emphasis on the power of societal expectations and the effect of misrepresentation of human bodies in the media. These misrepresentations influence people to have low self-esteem because their body is not as beautiful as the body portrayed in commercials, tv shows, etc.

Annie then discusses how she dealt with BDD. Her recovery process involved removing toxins which triggered her BDD, such isolating herself from negative people and also “detoxing” herself from social media. This “detox” allowed her to ignore societal expectations of the ideal body. She freed herself from all media which misrepresented female bodies and triggered her mind to think she was not pretty or good enough as she is. Annie also went through a mental recovery. She mentions in her video that the first step to dealing with BDD is to accept that everything taught to you has the potential to be wrong, and that there are things you need to “learn” and things you need to “unlearn.” Annie needed to unlearn that beauty can be defined. She reiterates that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To be beautiful, you must believe that you are beautiful. Annie also mentions how body positivity is intersectional. She discusses topics varying from fat antagonism to respecting the different body autonomy choices people make, ageism, ableism, colorism and racism.

Overall, being at peace with your body goes hand in hand with not only accepting the mantra that you are beautiful, but also by being proud of yourself. By watching Annie’s videos, I learned that hating on your own body, or the body of others, proves to be harmful to yourself. Also, true peace comes from realizing your true value does not have any relation to your physical appearance. I can relate to Annie because when I was younger, my father was not very supportive. I would constantly be mentally abused and insulted. I started to think of my height as a disgusting trait because I was so tall and I would always think I was never skinny enough to be physically appealing. BDD is a very big issue, especially with the modern day societal expectations of women. I believe Annie did an excellent job at portraying this.

Photo creds: 

lookthroughmylensblog.com