Introduction to Women's Studies

Bribing the Kiddies

2008-12-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

I was walking through the store today, and since it's so close to Christmas, I noticed a lot of, "Be good or you'll be on Santa's naughty list." Even when it's not Christmas, I notice a lot of parents bribing their children these days. It's not just men or just women, but a pretty equal mix. Quite honestly, I think if it works go for it, but there must be some line that good parenting can't cross.

As younger women, I suppose we don't have to worry about this too much, but babysitters, cousins, and aunts use the technique too. When do you think bribing kids to be good becomes a problem?

Chivalry v. Sexism

2008-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

I remember one class that we had earlier in the semester, where we discussed chivalry and if we considered it sexist or not. I was really surprised by how many girls thought it was because it allowed the man to feel like he had to take care of the woman.

I still can't agree with it, and it's actually been bothering me because my boy friend is one of those plain chivalrous guys. He walks on the outside of the sidewalk, opens all the doors, and so on. But at the same time I don't think he's belittling me by doing so. It's nice to have mutual respect for people and to do nice things for one another. I'm not trying to make this sound like a rant, I really am still just plain, old confused about the other side of the argument.

Any extra thoughts?

Women in ROTC

2008-12-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

I used to be a cadet in AFROTC (that's the Air Force branch) over at ND. I had a blast in it, and I was sad to go, even though it wasn't for me, but there were some things now that I look back on the experience that should have been changed for women cadets. While there was never any blatant sexism in the wing, I remember a few aspects of the program that were definitely male-oriented. Such as the mandatory amounts of push-ups or even the uniform we had to wear. Our short-sleeve blues outfit was uncomfortable and not designed for a woman's body.

I was just wondering if any of you girls had ever been involved in a club or organization that had small aspects that would seem completely find from the outside until you experienced them yourselves, and if so, what were they? I think we still have a love way to go until we are a completely equal society, and it's often these little changes that make a huge difference.

Senior Comp Results.

2008-12-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share my comp results data with everyone... Again, my hypothesis was that religiosity would increase benevolent sexism (women on a pedastool) and that Catholics would have higher benevolent sexism than non-Catholics. The charts show that religiosity does effect benevolent sexist views, but that Catholics actually have lower attitudes of benevolent sexism! I think my results may be a bit skewed however because my population was heavily Catholic and I did not have an even distribution of participants.

Class Petition!

2008-12-15T09:49:00.001-08:00

Katie and I have created the petition for the WOST requirement course online! Please click the link and sign it!!!

According to its mission statement, Saint Mary’s mission is to educate women through a “broad-based course of study” that encourages “depth and breadth of knowledge, competence in quantitative skills and modern languages, the ability to think clearly about complex problems, and the capacity to communicate with precision and style”. It also states that our college is committed to forming a “liberally educated woman” who is prepared“for roles of leadership and action”.

In the spirit of our college’s mission, the intent of a liberal arts education, and the importance of feminism in our culture, we, the undersigned Saint Mary's College students and faculty members are requesting that Introduction to Women’s Studies, or at least a WOST program course, be made a part of Saint Mary’s College’s core curriculum. Philosophy, religious studies, art, math and other graduation requirements of a liberal arts education create a well-rounded scholar.

We believe that at a women’s college, the core curriculum should create a well-rounded woman scholar. Introduction to Women’s Studies, and the WOST program courses give young women – a demographic shown to disdain feminism today – a fresh perspective on how their gender has influenced their lives and choices. They are empowering courses with unique material that may not be encountered in other core requirements.

Our mission states that, “Saint Mary’s pays particular attention to the rights and responsibilities of women in the worlds of work, church, community, and family”. We believe Introduction to Women’s Studies best exemplifies this focus, and is a necessary piece to the liberal education of women at Saint Mary’s College.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SMCWOST/

I am also going to send my letter separately. I would encourage everyone to do the same if you have time - the more letters and signatures the more seriously they will take us!

Good luck with finals!

Twilight

2008-12-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

So we have talked about Twilight a little in class. What we didn't talk about is the director Catherine Hardwicke. The opening of Twilight, which was around 70 million dollars, is the biggest opening for a film directed by a woman ever. Now, you can argue that Twilight has a built in audience that would have gone to see this movie regardless of the director, but I think it is still really cool. However, Hardwicke has been dropped from the sequel and was replaced by a guy. She was dropped because she refused to have the next movie shot immediately, so it could be released by next fall, a ridiculously short time period. OK, I get that the producers want the movie out soon, but why couldn't they get another female director?

Jobs

2008-12-15T07:14:00.001-08:00

Lat week in the NYTimes there was an interesting op-ed piece about Obama's plans to create new jobs. The author talked about how the bulk of his plan will create jobs for men because the plan is to work on road and bridges. This work obviously creates jobs in construction, a field that is only 9% female. However, Obama also plans to work on repairing our schools. He really wants to improve early childhood education, a female dominated field (98% percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers are women). I like that even if this is done unintentionally, these two plans will create jobs for both men and women.

Changing Attitude

2008-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I went to watch my dad coach his high school hockey team. After the game, my dad and I were talking to another coach and he began telling us about the female goalie he has on his travel team. He told us he used to really like having Maggie on his team because she created good chemistry for the team. The boys would treat her like their little sister. Now, however, the boys aren't so accepting. Maggie is better than most of the players and this is evidently difficult for the boys to accept. I thought this was interesting how the boys attitude changes as they get older even though the situation doesn't change.

The Dark Knight

2008-12-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Dark Knight came out this past Tuesday. One of my roommates bought it so we all decided to watch it together. I saw it earlier this year in the theater, but the second time watching it I got to thinking about who plays the super hero and who plays the damsel in distress. In The Dark Knight, Christian Bale, a man plays Batman, while Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a woman, plays the damsel in distress in the movie. This is how it has been for years. With the exception of a few, the super hero is always a male and the person being saved in usually always a female. This portrays the man as being the strong one and the woman as being the weak one. This shows that this gender stereotype of male meaning strong and woman meaning weak is still portrayed in movies today.

Cooking Magazine

2008-12-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

The other day while checking out at Meijer, I picked up a cooking magazine to browse through while waiting. One of the articles advertised on the front read something along the lines of "30 minute meals your man will love!". This stuck out to me, are they assuming then that the woman is going to be the one doing the cooking? What about 30 minutes meal your woman will love? Probably a phrase you wouldn't be able to find in a cooking magazine, as it's most likely assumed that majority of the population reading these types of magazines are women. Just another example of a stereotype given to women through the advertising of magazines.

Caution Men Working

2008-12-14T09:51:00.000-08:00

The other morning I was driving to work and came across some road construction. I was stopped at the light right beside the construction zone. They had the area taped off, with cones. On the tape read, "CAUTION MEN WORKING". The thing is, majority of the construction workers I saw, with the exception of 2, were women. I do know that usually when I see construction workers they are men, but not always! If I were the women workers at this site, I would be offended by this tape. What it should read is "CAUTION MEN AND WOMEN WORKING". Before taking this class I don't know if I would have even noticed the tape, but I do now and I think it's wrong. It's like saying men are the only ones really getting credit for the work and that men are the only workers you really need to look out for, and be cautious of.

Facebook Group and Online Petition

2008-12-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Liz and I have created a facebook group and started an online petition for a Women's Studies class to be required, check it out. We figured the group would be a good way for us to all keep in touch after class and also a good way to mobilize and get people to sign the petition.

Join it and invite all of your friends. If we all join together and invite a bunch of people to sign the petition, we can get a TON of signatures and hopefully we can make an impact.

Here's the facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50835359837

and here's the online petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/SMCWOST/

Surviving on Less Than a Dollar a Day

2008-12-12T05:18:00.002-08:00

I was browsing random new stories this morning, when I came across one that caught my eye. There was a story about a couple, both high school teachers, who decided to perform an experiment involving their monthly grocery budget. They wanted to see if they could survive on no more then a dollar a day for food. They wanted to try this for several reasons; the first was that they wanted to greatly cut down on their grocery budget due to economic issues. Then they began thinking how many people in the world survive on a dollar or less a day to eat.

So, they decided to go for it, and they succeeded. In order to accomplish this task they had to buy in bulk, and the foods they bought were long-shelf-life items. They also found themselves typically eating the same meal everyday. In the morning they would eat a bowl of plain oatmeal. For lunch they ate a PB & J made with home made bread, 1 table spoon of peanut butter an 1 tablespoon of jam. Then for dinner, they ate rice beans and tortillas. They also had to drink a little tang everyday in order to prevent vitamin c deficiency, thus Scurvy.

The couple described their experience as very enlightening. Their change in diet made them aware of some of the challenges that many people in the world face everyday. This experiment also made them more aware of how much they really needed to eat in order to survive. Both realized that they typically overate a lot before they did this experiment. Since the limiting food budget forced them not to over eat, they both lost weight; the husband alone lost 14 something pounds in this month long trial. So what do you guys think?

Have you ever tried one of those survive on 5 dollars a day, or 20 dollars a week things? I’ve never done anything like that, but after hearing of this story I think it might be a very educational experience to try some form of this experiment. And what a better time than break to try this! After the big family-holiday meals are done, we could try maybe surviving on 20 dollars for two weeks or something. Since we will not be in class, we will not have to worry about a change in diet effecting or school performance. So, I’d like to make a pledge now that I am going to try a form of this experiment over break, will anyone else join me in this pledge?

Cougars

2008-12-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

So I was reading article online today about women cougars. These are older women who date younger men. There was even a special on E about the top women cougars. Why don't older men who date younger women have a nickname like this? I mean look at Hugh Hefner...he dates women who are more than half his age. What do you think about this? Is it wrong for women to be singled out like this? Why is it such a big deal for a women to date a younger man but not for an older man to date a younger woman?

(Un)Feminist Guilty Pleasures

2008-12-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was on feministing.com and saw a cool section called (Un)Feminist Guilty Pleasures, where contributors list things they secretly love that have the potential to conflict with feminist ideals. So far only a few things are listed, but they include the show Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo (which I've definitely watched way more than once), Reggaeton music, and Spanx. I like this section because it shows that you can fully be a member of society without totally sacrificing your feminist ideals...it's all about being aware and maintaining your beliefs in spite of what's around you. Do you think it's possible to be a feminist while indulging in some questionable guilty pleasures, and do you have any (un)feminist guilty pleasures?

Let's Have a Get Together!?

2008-12-11T07:05:00.001-08:00

Well all keep saying how we are going to miss this class so much and of course everyone who is in the class. SO why don't we have a night once a month, week, something for the next semester where we all can chit chat and bring back the memories from class?!?
Yes, it might be hard for all of us to find the perfect day that will work for us but it is worth a try. After break, if the blog is still open, (lets hope it will be) we can all just post what day would work.
So what do you say, try to have a get together or not??

Hope

2008-12-10T21:17:00.001-08:00

This semester I have been volunteering my time at Hope Ministries which is a type of shelter that houses men women and families until they can make the money to be on their feet. I have seen many women there with children who were left from their male partners with nothing. I wish we feminist could have done soemthing for these women and men at Hope. I have heard many stories from them and all I can do is listen because I am just one person, but if WE could have or even will together as a whole donate or even volunteer our time to those in need we could promote these women to fight more for their rights and get the motivation to be on their own two feet!

Favorite Women's Studies Memory!

2008-12-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

I thought it'd be fun to see what everyone's favorite memories are, so...

What are your favorite women's studies memories? : )

Is it Really Over?

2008-12-10T20:23:00.001-08:00

First and foremost, I would like to thank Lily for giving us the opportunity to come together in a non-threatening environment to talk about issues that are not usually discussed in an open atmosphere. I'm happy that we were not afraid to speak our minds, and I felt like I could throw out any topic and there would be a meaningful response. It was evident that every girl was interested in the topics at hand, and I've actually never seen a more talkative class in my life! I think this class also gave us an opportunity to think about why these issues aren't discussed, and that we can help with the cause. There was always something interesting to be learned, and in every class, many girls would end up telling funny stories or experiences (I especially enjoyed period day). I think this gave us the opportunity to get to know each other on a more personal level as well, and that really made the atmosphere so much more enjoyable. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite classes that I have taken at Saint Mary's and I'm going to miss being excited for Tuesdays and Thursdays just because I knew something amusing was going to happen. Last, I would have to admit that at first, I was not very happy with having to post to a blog or comment on others. However, I have fully changed my opinion and I am a supporter of keeping the blog open even though the class is over. It has become a place that I can visit and speak my mind on whatever issue I feel I need to talk about. This class should be required for the entire school. And that is all.

GO GROUP E

peace.love.and feminism.

Carly

Visionary Feminism

2008-12-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

In class on Thursday, we were all asked what we thought "visionary feminism" was, and the way in which we all responded was a silent blank stare. Since then I have been thinking about what "visionary feminism" is to me. After much thought, I have decided that "visionary feminism" is being in the present, but actively looking and working towards the future. Now, let me explain a little more. By "being in the present," I am saying that we have to understand and be educated on what is going on around us and how it relates to what we believe as feminists. Next, we "look towards that future," by looking at these situations around us and deciding what we want to change about them and how we are going to make these changes. This can be defined as the vision. Finally, we "work towards the future" by actively putting our ideas to work and doing things, not just thinking about things, to visually make a positive change in our society. Over all my idea of "visionary feminism" can be explained and acted upon in three steps. Educate. Visualize. Apply. Now "visionary feminists," go change your world! :0)

Continue This Women Studies Course

2008-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

First and for most, I need to say that I am really going to miss this class. Looking back, however, I can also say that I regret not taking a more active role in this blog. Throughout the semester, I would find myself getting on the blog just to read everyone's thoughts and opinions. I would often be quite interested in what was being said in the different posts and comments, but for some reason I very rarely would comment or post for that matter. I really do not know why I would not simply blog right there and then when I was thinking about everything, maybe it was just pure laziness, who knows. Anyways, what I am saying is that I wish I would have written more posts and responses to others' blogs. Recently, since I have beseldomlyn writing more posts and commenting on more blog posts, I have really come to enjoy hearing others' opinions and letting mine be heard.

So now I have a question for everyone. What do you think about keeping this blog active even though this class is ending? Of course, there would probably be fewer posts and comments, but it still would offer a place for us to discuss things that are on our minds. I also know that many of us expressed how much we enjoyed this class. My thought is that keeping this blog active would offer a way to keep this Women Studies class going even though the semester is coming to an end.

So What Do You All Think?

Weekly Blog Posting Group E- What I got out of this class!

2008-12-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, I am very excited for our pizza party tomorrow! Also, I just wanted to say that I learned a lot from this class. It helped me understand more about issues that are going on with women today. I especially loved watching and doing group projects. I will never forget the project we Group-E's did! It was fun to interview people on their views about sexuality. Even though it was awkward at times, it turned into a huge success! With our different clips from movies and great choice of music, we created a great project for everyone to watch!

Also, I thought it was very interesting to hear about different people's views on body image. I felt the group who did the presentation on body image did a great job in portraying how women are striving to get thinner and thinner each year. The slogan, "Nothing can taste as good as skinny feels," really struck me. It was hard to believe that there are women out there who use that as motivation to stay skinny! Personally, I also have had self image issues myself. It was interesting to hear people in our class talk about this subject. When people laughed and discussed how ridiculous it was that women go through extreme lengths to look good, this made me feel better. It helped me to not take myself so seriously and obsess over body image. Finally, I really liked the class and feel that I am really going to miss it!

Male Feminists at Notre Dame

2008-12-10T14:56:00.001-08:00

http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2008/12/10/News/TShirts.Raise.Awareness.For.Gender.Problems-3576601.shtml

Today in the Observer, I was rather happy to see an article entitled, “T-shirts raise awareness for gender problems.” I was also pleasantly surprised to read in the article that Notre Dame has a Student Government Gender Issues Committee; I did not know that this committee existed. The article discussed how 1,000 students, both men and women, will be wearing teal shirts, representing the fact that one in four women are survivors of attempted sexual assault or rape. That statistic is why there are 1,000 shirts being worn. There are approximately 4,000 under-grad women at Notre Dame, and if you do the math, one fourth of that is 1,000. Anyways, I was really encouraged that men were signing up to wear the shirts as well as women. As one man interviewed in the article says, “[A man wearing the shirt is saying,] I’m wearing the shirt and you can hold me accountable and I will hold other men accountable.” To me, the fact that men are willingly asking others to hold them accountable for these actions is a great step in a positive direction. I really appreciate that these men are willing to set up to the plate and take responsibility for these actions.

Weekly Blog Posting - Group E

2008-12-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

Since we don't actually have any readings for class tomorrow I figured I would just ask the obvious question, who is going to miss this class after tomorrow? I know I will. It has taught me to appreciate more about my gender and to notice how we are still shown to be inferior. I hope that this class will give me the courage to stand up for women's rights. Good luck to everyone during finals and I am looking forward to the pizza tomorrow. :)

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

2008-12-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

In a Leadership/Psychology class I am taking this semester, we were talking about what is a leader and who can be leader. We discussed a little bit about how women in the past, and even in the present, have not been viewed or acknowledged as leaders. Our professor passed out an article entitled “1943 Guide to Hiring Women,” which appeared in a magazine in 1943. This article, which is rather recent when taking all history into account, shows how much gender roles and stereotypes were enforced and viewed as the truth in every case in 1943. Even though we still have a long way to go in the women’s movement, after looking at this article it is encouraging to see how far we have come.
Here is the article:

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

"Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy."

Feeling Sexy??

2008-12-10T09:53:00.001-08:00

I know in class last week we kept talking about doing things to feel sexy. So I starting to think about things that people may actually do in order to feel sexy, attractive or get attention. One thing that come to my mind are all the pictures that people, mostly girls, take of themselves and post on Facebook, MySpace or other internet sites. Now, I am not talking about the pictures of them having fun with friends or hangout with family. The photos which I am referring to are the ones where girls are just sitting in front of the camera posing or making sexy faces or whatever. Why are these photos posted? They are not of any particular memorable event or anything. What is the interest in sharing them? Therefore, I really started wondering why women and girls do this so frequently. It is an attempt to be sexy, to feel sexy? I know when girls put photos like that online they get a lot of comments saying, “You are so pretty” and “Hott Picture.” Is that why girls, and sometimes men, do this? Now, I know, if we say “feeling sexy” is the reason these photos are posted, many would deny this idea, probably because they do not want others to know that they define their sexiness and attractiveness through others. Just think about it. If the reason for posting these sorts of photos is to get other people to comment about us and our appearance, are we not just bagging others to define whether or not we are sexy? So then if all this is true, do we really define what feeling sexy is to us or do others define what feeling sexy is to us?

Who Are You... REALLY??

2008-12-10T09:12:00.001-08:00

I know in many pasted blog comments I have mentioned that many people give of their right to define who they are to others around them by conforming to the mold. Therefore, I am very much inspired by people who are not afraid to be who they are, really own who they are, with their ‘as is’ tag and all. I know over the last few years, I have really been dedicated to truly owning and loving who I am, weird, crazy, creepy traits and all, even if others do not approve or like them. For instance, I randomly spit, and I get this weird enjoyment out of killing and squashing bugs. Yes, I know, weirdly shocking. So this is my question to everyone else, what are your some of your traits that you are embarrassed about and sometimes hide from others? Then after identifying these things, I hope you are encouraged to just completely and honestly be you and not playing the facade by letting others define you. :0)

2008-12-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.popeater.com/television/article/oprah-embarrassed-by-her-weight/272026

I am not sure if everyone saw this today pop up in their internet news feed, but the fun, self, body loving Oprah states that she is "embarrassed" of her body and weight! SHe now weighs 200 pounds and stated that she "has fallen off the wagon". I beliive that she should embrace the weight gain instead of looking at her old slimmer self. Oprah is an amazing woman and i feel as thought she should not think down on herself because of her looks but think about all the charities and organizations she has formed and donated thousands, even millions to! A reassuring thing is that Oprah states that she does not want to get "skinny" but instead "strong, healthy and fit"! It is also astonishing to me that her previous weight loss was from a liquid diet that she literally starved herself to loose weight! What do you think about this article and Oprah's new image at 200 pounds?

Victoria's Secret

2008-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Liz's question about whether or not Victoria's Secret is liberating to women or demeaning to women. I have gone back and forth about this but I have come to a conclusion and I really think that the answer is somewhere in the middle. I know this isn't much of a decision but I don't feel like there is a clear cut answer. I believe that giving women a store for themselves empowers them and gives them a sense of ownership. However, I think women shop Victoria's Secret with the thought that if they do then someone will like them for their clothes or because shopping there makes them "sexy." I think that this is the trap that most women fall into when deciding to shop at Victoria's Secret.

Holidays.

2008-12-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

As we come off of the Thanksgiving holiday and approach the Christmas holiday, brings me to the class discussions on gender roles. While you were home for Thanksgiving were you sitting on the couch watching t.v., particularly football, or were you in the kitchen helping mom, and grandma. During this Thanksgiving I noticed that my family was all about gender roles that we talked about in class. Thanksgiving to me is all of the women who live in town and come early are all in the kitchen cooking for the dine, with the exception of one uncle who is a chef. While all of the men sit on the couch watching the football games for the day, the men only do things at commercials or before the BIG game that they have been waiting to see. This year the Cowboys played right during our diner time, they all disappeared to the basement with the 72 inch t.v., with their diner of course. All of the women and the children under the age of 13 yrs. old, were upstairs eating diner. There was no sitting around a big table where everyone says what they are thankful for. It is food and t.v for men, but making the food and cleaning up the food for the women. Is this anything like your Thanksgiving? I know this is how my Christmas will go too? Does this resemble your holidays at all?

Taylor Swift

2008-12-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

After reading the blog about feminism and musics I started thinking about exactly what music I listen to. One of my favorite singers is Taylor Swift. A lot of her music is written about her life. She is always writing songs about guys. She says if you break her heart or treat her badly then she will write a song about you. I believe that this is a form of feminism. She is not holding back how she feels. She was criticized recently because she wrote a song about her break up with a Jonas Brother. It was funny because she was criticized by another female musician. Isn't the whole point of music to sing and write about life? Why is it such a big deal for a girl to write about a guy breaking up with her or cheating on her? Women are called bitches and whores in so many songs and those men are hardly criticized. I think that she is a strong women for being able to honestly write about her feelings. Millions of people listen to her music and I think that being able to write honest music about your feelings is something to look up to.

POWER!!

2008-12-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

Can you remember when you were in kindergarten and you were the office runner for the week? You were given that very special piece of paper that you were to make sure made it to the office because it was a special note or the attendance sheet for the day. You were to walk down that long hallway, well at the time it was, and were not to let anyone take it away from you. Do you still ever get that feeling of I am special and I am important? Well, I know I have. When was the last time you got that important feeling of power?

Voices of Women's Studies Graduates

2008-12-09T12:06:00.001-08:00

I found Gross' article,Voices of Women's Studies Graduates, very compelling. I appreciated how they all discussed how women's studies has influenced their overall view of the world and being a woman in general. Constance Rivera's comment, "Political Science may have prepared me to be a better poliitician, but Women's Studies prepared me to be a better person." really struck me. I feel like, after reading this article, I can now give someone a more clear answer as to why I have a Women's Studies minor. I no longer feel like I have to justify myself and my minor, rather, I can be certain in why I have my minor and what it will do for me.

The Victoria Secret issue

2008-12-09T11:59:00.001-08:00

I asked in class last week whether Victoria Secret actually helps or hurts women and I still haven't come up with a satisfactory answer.

Part of feminism is being in control of your own sexuality... Victoria secret gives women a place to buy underwear that is "sexy". But does the lingerie allow you to control your sexiness/sexuality or allow you to conform to the male requirements of what is sexy?

At the same time its provocative advertising/fashion show objectifies women. However it is an underwear store - how are they supposed to advertise??

The clothing in Victoria Secret is not particularly more revealing than the clothing in Macy's lingerie section. My Calvin Klien bra has more lace on it than the same bra from Victoria's Secret. It is mostly the advertising that sets VS apart from the lingerie department. Even thought the advertising appeals sexually to men, it also provides an unrealistic ideal of its product to women, and isn't that the goal of successful marketing? Again, most of what they sell is women's underwear and lingerie - the clothing most closely related to sex - so how do they advertise without using female sexuality?

I guess this is similar to the question of whether strippers can be feminists or even whether stripping is liberating or demeaning? Who is it that controls women's sexuality in our society?

povery and women

2008-12-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

In my relgious studies class; Faith in Action, we discuss the factors of poverty and its relation to race and gender. There was one huge statistic that really hit home for me and that was the that 70% of people in poverty are women. This got me thinking about all the related factors that must cause this. Teenage pregnancy, women being inferior to men in the work force, and just the major issue of how we are "down graded" because of our gender. I find this really upsetting and wanted to know others reaction to this statistic and what you believe could be other causes too!

Feminist Role Model

2008-12-09T11:36:00.001-08:00

In the beginning of the semester, we talked about whether Sarah Palin was a feminist, and whether her public persona helped or hurt feminism. Personally I am not sure of the best answer to this concerning Palin, but it does make me wonder who are the best role models of feminism?

I know that men can definitely be feminists, but I am going to limit this pool to women role models for now.

Who has exemplified and furthered feminism in our time? Should we measure women by their success, career choice, celebrity, philanthropy, education...? Has Hilary Clinton or Oprah had a more positive effect on feminism in the public eye? What about celebrities today, who are completely worshipped by the media and the public? Do any of them further the cause of feminism?

I'm sure there are many examples, and my choice of role model reflects my own personal bias, but I believe that Audrey Hepburn was a woman who encouraged feminism and is a good role model for the feminist movement.

Feminists are stereotypically too "rough around the edges" and have rejected their femininity. Audrey's public image never had this problem. Through her entire career in the spotlight, Audrey maintained an image of conservative class and grace. Unlike many female actresses in her time (ie Marilyn Monroe) she never exploited her sexuality or used it as a means to success. She kept her femininity and used her fashion sense to create a persona that persons admired and respected. Although Audrey's characters were sometimes depicted as subservient to their male counterparts(i.e. My "Fair" Lady), they always had "a mind of their own" and demanded respect (Eliza Doolittle's final song in My Fair Lady establishes her independence from her male counterpart and teacher, Henry Higgins. Its main chorus is, "I can do without you!"). Also, she never played roles that degraded her gender or sexuality.

I believe Audrey Hepburn is a good feminist role model for more than her movie star status. Later in her life, Audrey dedicated herself to philanthropy. Audrey did more than just write a check, she actually travelled to impoverished places around the world and worked hands on in their communities to improve the standard of living. She also used her fame to increase awareness of global poverty and raised money to help different causes.

There are many women who have furthered the cause of feminism around the world. I think Audrey Hepburn (who also happens to be my favorite actress/icon of all time) is a less common, but important example.

Action Assignment - Letter to President Mooney

2008-12-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't actually sent this letter yet, as I am not sure if the President is the best person to go to about changing core requirements.

Dr. Mooney,

When I came to Saint Mary’s College in the fall of 2005, I did not consider myself a feminist. For me, attending a women’s college saved me from wearing makeup during the week and changing out of pajamas for morning classes. Soon into my first semester as a freshman, I appreciated other benefits of studying in a single sex environment. The dynamics of the classroom, dorm and dining hall were free of a social pressure I hadn’t been previously conscious of. I loved that Saint Mary’s was a women’s college, but I still was not a feminist.

In fact, along with many of my peers, I was against feminism. For me, Feminism was a dirty word – a movement that wanted to take all power away from men. Feminists burned bras and made public scenes. They were open with their sexuality, which was often lesbian. Even the less extreme feminists hated men and rejected women who chose to focus on family instead of career.

At 18, completely wise in the ways of the world, I was sure I would never be a feminist. This January, I will present my senior comp to the Psychology department, The Effects of Religiosity on Ambivalent Sexism. In May, I will graduate with a minor in Women’s Studies. Clearly, I have had a change of heart, and I am a better person for it.

The Women’s Studies courses I unknowingly signed up for during my time at SMC changed my perspective on feminism and its place in my life. Courses like “Stereotyping and Prejudice”, “Social Psychology”, and “Women’s Health” provoked me to think about what it really means to be a woman in our society, and provided me with proof of the sexism that unfortunately still exists. Without intending to study feminist issues, I became aware of my own prejudices and learned what feminism actually entails. Feminism is not a dirty word; a feminist is a person who stands up for the rights of women and all minorities in the workplace, the home, the classroom and in society in general. Feminists don’t hate men – some men are feminists – and fighting for women’s rights has nothing to do with one’s sexuality.

I am so grateful that my eyes were opened through these courses at SMC. I also regret my attitude and misconceptions about feminism prior to this enlightenment. I fear that, although my past ignorance has been lifted, there are many young women who still feel as I once did about feminism. I happen to be a psychology major, but many majors do not include courses that fall under a Women’s Studies requirement. Saint Mary’s mission is to educate women through a “broad-based course of study” that encourages “depth and breadth of knowledge, competence in quantitative skills and modern languages, the ability to think clearly about complex problems, and the capacity to communicate with precision and style”. It also states that our college is committed to forming a “liberally educated woman” who is prepared “for roles of leadership and action”.

In the spirit of our college’s mission, the intent of a liberal arts education, and the importance of feminism in our culture, I am requesting that Introduction to Women’s Studies be made a part of Saint Mary’s College’s core curriculum. Philosophy, religious studies, art, math and other graduation requirements of a liberal arts education create a well-rounded scholar. I believe that at a women’s college, the core curriculum should create a well-rounded woman scholar. Introduction to Women’s Studies is a course that gives young women – a demographic shown to disdain feminism today – a fresh perspective on how their gender has influenced their lives and choices. It is an empowering course with unique material that may not be encountered in other core requirement courses. Our mission states that, “Saint Mary’s pays particular attention to the rights and responsibilities of women in the worlds of work, church, community, and family”. I believe Introduction to Women’s Studies best exemplifies this focus, and is a necessary piece to the liberal education of women at Saint Mary’s College.

Thank you for your consideration of adding this course to Saint Mary's College’s core curriculum.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Froehlke

Class of 2009

2008-12-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Action Assignment

2008-12-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

For my action assignment, I decided to write a letter to the editor about an issue, and although it is not clearly related to women's studies, I wanted to write about the federal government phone tax because it is something that relates to a lot of things we have talked about in this course (especially Kate's recent post about women being opposed to the Iraq war):

In 1898, the United States government issued a federal tax on phone bills in an effort to pay for the Spanish American War. At the time, very few Americans owned telephones, and the tax was therefore considered a “luxury” tax that would affect a small percentage of the population. The tax was removed in 1902, but re-imposed by the War Tax Revenue Act of 1914 as a “temporary” tax.
One hundred and ten years after the original implementation of a phone tax, Americans are still paying a monthly federal tax on their phone bills, and the money is still largely used for military endeavors. The greatest difference is that, in America, telephones now outnumber citizens. What was once considered a small, ineffectual tax has raised nearly $89 billion from 1966-2001 and roughly $6 billion every year thereafter. According to the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee (NWTRCC), one half of money collected from the federal phone tax goes to present and future military expenses.
In 2006, the Treasury Department stopped issuing the tax on long-distance phone calls, yet the tax is still imposed on local phone service. Many who disagree with the war in Iraq have no idea that by simply paying their monthly phone bills, they are helping pay for the war.
Because the federal tax on a phone bill is itemized, it is easy to subtract the amount of the federal tax from the rest of one’s phone bill. Groups like NWTRCC and Hang Up on War encourage war-objecting citizens to refuse payment of the federal phone tax. A note or statement explaining the reason for federal tax payment refusal should be included with the remaining balance when sent to the phone company.
Such an action is in line with numerous other forms of war resistance that have taken place throughout history. As Henry David Thoreau once famously said, “If a thousand [people] were not to pay their tax bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them and enable the state to commit violence and shed innocent blood.”

Action Assignment

2008-12-09T10:16:00.001-08:00

For most of this semester i've been part of a mentoring program right here in SMC. I mentor a first generation college freshmen and have regular meetings and sessions together with other Saint Mary's students. We've talked a lot about what it means to be Saint Mary's woman, but overall a woman. We've talked about issues of race and gender in SMC and outside this bubble of a school. As a mentor, I've tried to encourage her to try some new things like a womens studies course. She seems to be a very responsible young lady. Our sessions have focused on academics, future career possibilities, issues of race and racism, feminism, spirituality, etc. Together her and I will be mentoring a high senior from the community. We will also all three of us do a project together. While it feels nice to be a mentor, I think my mentee is very mature and doesn't really need my help. Yet, its nice to have a person to lean on if something else fails, and thats what I have tried to be for her. Since both of us are very busy, especially her, its hard to meet more often but our sessions always go along well.

Meet the Press

2008-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

As someone who actually watches the news this kind of frustrated me.

Link

No offense to David Gregory, I'm sure he will be a great host/moderator, as were Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert. But another white guy, really? How awesome would it have been to have a female moderator? Or an African American moderator? Let's try something new for once. Oh well. At least Rachel Maddow has her own show. Which everyone should watch because she is fabulous.

Music & Feminism

2008-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

LAst week in my American Popular Music class, we were approaching the 90's and discussing female singers/songwritters. Two names came out "Joni Mitchell" and "Alanis Morriset."
During the 60's and forward, Joni Mitchell attained so much credibility for her songs, that she is one of the only female singer/song writters that was compared to other male singer/song writtters without playing on her feminity. Mitchell was compared and treated as another one of the great singer/song writters without taking her feminity into it, becuase she was so high regarded. Usually women's feminity always plays when they are compared to men. For me it is very interesting becuase does that mean that she is was so good that she was up to men standards, or just that at that time it didn't matter? Alanis Morriset on the other handm wrote "Thank you" during the 90's and was widely criticized for it. The song, it includes curse words like "Fuck" and she sings in an angry tone becuase she was dumped and replaced so quickly. She was expressing her emotions at the time. However, you can see the sexism int he industry and from regular women and men who listened to the song and criticized her becuase they thought she hated men, and that it was unladylike to talk about intimacy so explicitly and say curse words so int he open. She was a strong woman speaking her mind.

Action Assignment

2008-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

While in high school, I participated in three varsity sports: basketball, volleyball and softball. I worked very hard at my three sports but often experienced the down side of being a female athlete in a school where football, boys’ basketball, wrestling and baseball dominated the athletic program. On multiple occasions, my parent’s had to confront our high school’s athletic director and principal about the lack of attention paid to the girls’ sports. There was so little attention paid to the girls’ sports while I was there that on two different occasions, one in a conference championship game and one in a sectional round game my senior year, our softball team was not scheduled a bus to transport us to the game, which was 45 minutes away. We were left to transport ourselves so that we didn’t have to forfeit the games. This is just one example of how girls’ sports were and still are mistreated in my high school.
Once reaching Saint Mary’s and taking my first women’s studies class, I became much more aware of the discrimination that was taking place in my former high school. I began doing a lot of research in to the Title IX act and looking at its true meaning and how my high school complied with it. I have a younger sister who is still in high school and is an all-state volleyball player and my dad is the volleyball coach, as well as a sister who played at the same high school and then played college volleyball. Because of this, I have stayed very connected to the high school and what is going on within it.
After doing the research, I showed my parents what I had found and none of us were surprised. The high school was clearly not in compliance with Title IX, in any way shape or form. As issues continued to arise, my dad was able to take my findings to the administration and present them with facts of their incompliance. My dad has been able to make a lot of progress for his volleyball team in terms of financial supports and administrative support because of the research that had been done. While it may seem that he is using the research to black mail the school, he has honestly only presented it as fact and uses it to show the inequality that exist in the school’s athletic department.

Action Assignment

2008-12-09T07:06:00.001-08:00

For my action I wrote a letter to the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board (MDVPTB) for their work on ACT 389. The group was put together by Michigan legislation to research domestic violence along with pushing for stronger laws for the victims and against the violators. In my letter, I commend the group for the tremendous progress they have made over the years and thanked them for their help towards the domestic violence cause. I also stated how I was thrilled to see them add a section to the law that casts grants to domestic violence victims in order to pay for the help they need, whether it be medical, psychological, or personal. When I looked at the law against domestic violence offenders, I was surprised to see that the violators could only get a misdemeanor charge along with a $400 fine or up to ninety three days in jail-this includes physical abuse. In my eyes, I don't believe the charge is enough, nor the fine or sentence. Therefore, I asked the MDVPTB to work towards making domestic violence charges (especially physical charges) stronger by suggesting the act become a felony, increasing the fine, and upping the days in jail. I once again thanked them for their efforts towards the domestic violence cause and encouraged them to consider the suggestions that I have made. I am excited to receive the response and see what the Board has to say.

Group C - Weekly Blog Post

2008-12-09T01:20:00.000-08:00

I recently finished watching the finale for America’s Next Top Model. I know it has been over for a few weeks now, but since I am usually very busy I watch the show later online. Anyways, at the end of the show, they mention that if you think you have what it take to be America’s Next Top Model, then go to the website and apply. After hearing this, I was interested in what someone would have to do in order to apply to be on America’s Next Top Model so looked at the eligibility requirements. http://www.cwtv.com/images/topmodel/antm_cycle12_eligibility.pdf
However, I was so surprised when I read number eight on the list.
“ 8. You must be at least five feet and seven inches (5'7") in height.“
I was just really surprised that they would place a height regulation on applicants, because every season Tyra makes a huge deal about have plus size models enter the competition, making the argument that they are real, curvy beautiful women. She is trying to show a more realistic image of women. However, by excluding women under the height of 5”7’ from the very beginning of the application process, Tyra is working against the very thing she is working for when she includes plus size models. She wants to make a change and show a more realistic model, but the reality is that most women are under 5”7’ tall. Saying that women who are under 5”7’ tall cannot be models and is no different than saying plus size women cannot be models. I feel that Trya’s fight for change in the modeling world is inconsistent because even though she is trying to give plus size women a chance, she is still denying shorter women that same opportunity. What do you all think?

Violence Against Women Act

2008-12-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

For my action assignment, I chose to address the issue of violence against women by sending a letter to my two senators, Carl Levin (D-MI) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). I wrote my letter on the topic of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In the letter, I praised each Senator for their past support and co-sponsorship of the VAWA. I then shared my findings with them from a past policy project I had done on the Violence Against Women Act. First, I discussed the current statistics on the number of women affected by violence and the effect this has had on the United State’s economy. Next, I explained how the VAWA has been both a beneficial and cost-effective program, by discussing the positive effects the VAWA has had on the number of reported cases of violence against women and the amount of government money saved by the VAWA’s implementation. Finally, I reminded the Senators that the VAWA is up for reauthorization in 2010 and reminded them of the importance of their continuing support.

Hopefully by sending this letter, the senators’ offices will read it and learn more about the success of the VAWA. Also, though I know it’s a long shot, I hope that they will push for other senators to continue supporting the VAWA as well.

Charmed

2008-12-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

I was at lunch today and I couldn't help but overhear a conversation involving two females who were discussing bras. One of the girls said "Yeah, and this weekend I'm going to wear my sexy bra that has the "sexy" charm on it so I will feel sexy and good about how I look. Maybe I will even find a boy that night." This statement really got me thinking about this class. Does a silly little charm that hangs from a bra suddenly make girls feel good about their body? Does the fact that the bra is from a store aimed at high class individuals impact the effects that it has? I find it extremely interesting how brand name things completely change a girl's confidence in her body especially when all bras nearly produce the same results. Clearly, the girl was quite sure that a male would be interested in her and seems to give credit to her sexy charmed bra.

Action Assignment

2008-12-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

For the action assignment, I decided to contact the YWCA Battered Women's Shelter to inform them on Megan's Law which I have previously researched in my Social Policy class for social work. The shelter for battered women that I contacted is located in Evansville, Indiana. I contacted the shelter by sending them an email informing them on the importance of this law I am familiar with.
In the letter, I first introduced myself stating I am a junior at Saint Mary's College and also gave them my intentions for the letter. I stated I had done a great amount of research on Megan's Law in my Social Policy class. Also, I let them know about the provisions of the law where it requires all sex offenders to register in all 50 states. This is to help ensure the safety of the community from potential sexual predators who may have just moved into their neighborhoods. I also informed the shelter that Megan's Law was created after a tragic event that led to the murder and rape of an innocent girl five year old girl, Megan Kanka.
I informed them that if there had been sex offender registration laws before Megan Kanka was murdered, she may have been saved. Her parents would have known about the two time convicted sex offender who had just moved into their neighborhood if the law was put into action.
Also, in the letter I informed the shelter about a web site where individuals can look up potential sex predators. The website, familywatchdog.com is a great web site to help track potential sex offenders. I informed them this would be a great web site to pass along to its members of the shelter since this can potentially save women's lives from being battered or abused in any kind of way.
Finally, I urged the shelter to pass this information along with the women who reside there. I attached a copy of a flier with information about Megan's Law and web sites they could go to in order to track sex predators. Attached to the letter, I also provided extra copies they could hand out to their residents to inform them about the success of Megan's Law. I urged them to let the women they help also pass this information along to their friends and family.

Gender Roles and Men's Support for the War in Iraq

2008-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

I just got done working on a sociological statistics project where we researched men and women's views on the war in Iraq. From researching a 2007 CNN survey of 1093 participants from all over the US, our group found a couple of very interesting facts.

Though men and women had the same level of disapproval for the Bush administration and the same level of belief in a U.S. victory in Iraq, men were still significantly more likely than women to support the war in Iraq.

A few of the articles my group read for this explained that men are significantly more likely to show support for violent military action, significantly more likely to favor banning gay marriages, and significantly more likely to show interest in buying SUV's than women because they were "overdoing gender". Men are also much more likely to be republican (ha, go figure...)

The findings didn't really surprise me that much because we've been talking about gender roles all semester long and how gender feels that they need to "act out" their roles. However, I guess I had never really figured the whole gender role thing in terms of support for the war, so I still found this to be interesting.

Does marriage equal love or is it just a legal binding?

2008-12-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

Does marriage equal love or is it jsut a legal binding? This question has come up among my friends. I personally have always invisioned myself married with children at some point at my life. That is just me. However, what does marriage mean? For many it means legal security; to have some type of safety net. For some, it provides them with the mean to legally secure some type of monetary compensation for children, etc. For some, they want to be recognized as a couple in the eyes of God. Yet, is marriage really needed? Does it obscure the meaning behind, which is to spend the rest of your life with your partner to be loved and love back? Or is that even the meaning, or does it have another one? For women, I think many of us have been sold the idea that marriage is necessary and something that we should aspire to, even work for. I personally believe in marriage and I desire it, but, what does that mean for the women and men that do not want to get married, but want to share their lives with a life long partner in a monogomous relationship? Is marriage simply socially constructed?

Discrimination in Sports

2008-12-08T13:40:00.001-08:00

I was recently watching an episode of ESPN 360 and it was about a twelve year old girl basketball player, who was playing AAU basketball on a boys team. After a year of dominating the other teams she was playing against, the league decided to ban her from playing with her team. They claimed it was not within the rules for her to play because she was a girl. Her parents immediately filed a law suit against the league, claiming gender discrimination. The league claimed also that her dominance was affecting the boys, and that she was very unsportsmanlike in her play. When her teammates were interviewed, however, they expressed feelings of appreciation and competition when playing with the girl. It turns out that the people who have a problem with her participation are the parents of the team she is playing against. This shows that, even in youth sports, girls are supposed to play a certain role, inferior to men. After a year, she was able to play with her team again. Unfortunately, she lost a lot of time for inexcusable reasons.

2008-12-08T11:44:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday I went out to Fever for their college night as the designated driver. Usually going anywhere on a college night as the DD isn't going to be the most enjoyable experience, but I decided to make the best of it and do some some people watching for my own entertainment. I discovered a few things that I thought were worth noting.

For one, even if you carry a coke in your hands people assume (especially men) that it's alcohol, and because of that will approach you much more often. Secondly, when a guy would approach me it was obviously with a future hook-up session in the back of his mind because he thought that since I was drinking I would be getting drunk in the near future.

Don't believe me? I asked every single one of them. Alcohol is the best truth serum in my opinion, and maybe they chalked my boldness up to cheeky flirtation, but when I sarcastically asked, "Do you think you're going to get anywhere flirting with me?" they all smiled and said yes. It was enough to make you swear off men for good.

When attempting to talk to my drunken girlfriends on the way home, I asked them why we even bothered putting ourselves in that situation. For a second the car got quiet until someone shouted, "because we can and it gets us drinks!" They all started laughing like we were the ones who benefited from this master scheme, but after our classes it irks me. We're the ones being degraded because we submit to taking these drinks, and after watching it done for an entire night it really bothers me what people will put out of their minds for the sake of living in the moment.

Male teachers

2008-12-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

It is quite apparent that the elementary education profession is dominated by females. Being an education major, I have learned many things regarding gender. In class, my teacher told the class that if there was a job interview between us and a male, the male would get the job. I was completely floored because females work just as hard as males to earn a degree, so why should the men be at an advantage. My teacher explained to us that because there are so little men in the education field that they are going to receive the job first. School districts believe that it is good for students to not only have female teachers, but males as well. I don't believe that the school district wants male teachers so they can instill responsibility and strictness because female teachers can do the same. Do you believe that this is fair for men to use their gender as an advantage over women?

Do women have too many choices?

2008-12-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I was at the mall shopping with one of my guy friends. I dragged him into Sephora, a makeup store, to look at some makeup I wanted to purchase for my mom for Christmas. As I was looking at the different colors and shades, trying to decide which one would be best for her and which one I liked to most, my friend made a comment. He said, "I would hate being a girl, there's way to many choices with makeup and clothes, I could never decide". I didn't really put much thought into what he said at the time, but as the day went on I started to really think about it. I'm still not sure what I think of his comment, it confused me because when I think of feminism I think of having choices and options, which is why I want to know what everyone in this class thinks. Do you think women have more choices than men? Or do men have just as many choices to make? What do you think about his comment?

Learning Activity Group A

2008-12-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

For my learning activity I went to the United Nations Women Watch website. I found an article on gender violence in Iran. Women and girls are paying a disproportionate price for violence. Some are suffering widowhood, targeted violence, discrimination and repression, lack of access to education and health care and increased violence at home. Even though it is 2008 women still do not have a lot of rights. It is crazy to think that in some countries women are beaten just because they are women. This does happen in the United States but it tends to happen more in other countries. All women should have access to education and health care. In this day in age health care and education should be a human right. Why is there still so much violence against women? Why does it happen more in certain countries? It seems unfair that women have to worry about these issues while most men do not. Violence against women happens more often than violence against men. Women should feel safe in their own homes regardless. Discrimination and repression are hateful. Even in the United States people are still discriminated against. It is sad that laws have to be passed in order for their to be equal rights for all.

Too Little, Too Late

2008-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 6, 2008 was the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights! As usual I could not fall asleep, so I got up to surf the television for something to watch. I ran across a program, "Scream Bloody Murder" on CNN - which for the most part takes you through all of the genocides that have taken place throughout the world. The most consistent thing that I heard was that, only after "enough" blood has been shed, did anyone do anything about the genocides that were taking place in Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur etc... that only after enough people have been murdered, did the world powers (The US included) finally hear the pleads of UN peace keepers and others who were advocating for the stop of these genocides. Another thing that I found to be consistent is that many people do not like the word "genocide", that it contains some sort of "witchery" or "tabo" to it, as if my categorizing mass murders as genocides, it unleashes something that other wish not to have to clean up. I suppose that I truly just do not understand, because if people are eventually going to intervene (other wise that would deem the US and other world powers heartless). So why is it that so many have to die, that so many need to "scream bloody murder" an infinite amount of time for people to intervene. Why can't we just stop it before it starts... I just don't understand, hearing and watching this documentary has left me speechless, saddened, confussed, disheartened, and completely disappointed with the world powers of today.
Here is the website for more information on the documentary: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/scream.bloody.murder/index.html

Women and History

2008-12-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

As a history major, I'm obviously very interested in the role of women in history, especially how they are remembered, and how women are treated in history classrooms (i.e., is history still only about white men?). The History Boys is a really great film about high school students in England preparing to enter Oxford. They have only one female history teacher, who delivers this speech after getting annoyed with her all-male students:

"Can you imagine how dispiriting it is to teach five centuries of masculine ineptitude? Have you never wondered why there aren't more women historians on TV?... History is a commentary on the various and continuing incapabilities of men. What is history? History is women following behind. With a bucket."

Do you think this assessment is too harsh or right on? In grade school and high school (and even know), did you feel like your history classes still focused mostly on men? And do you think it's necessary to specifically have a class about "women's history"?

Is being a woman really being a slave?

2008-12-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

We read an article in my italian class last week that I thought was interesting. It was written in 1973 by Natalia Ginzburg, and Italian woman. The article is title "E davvero una servitu essere donna?" which basically translates as "Is being a woman really being a slave?" In this article, Ginzburg talks about her many issues with the feminist movement of the 60's and 70's. Here are some of her thoughts from the article:

1. "Women of the world unite" is a false sentiment because social problems should be tackled by men and women working together. She believes that men and women must work together because they are incomplete without each other based on the fact that it takes both a man and a woman to make a child.

2. Feminists think that simply being female automatically binds women into a social class, which Ginzburg doesn't believe is true, she believes that the "feminine condition" is not enough to create a social class.

3. According to Ginzburg, feminists believe that being a housewife is humiliating.

These are just a few of her many points against feminism. I think it is really sad that she has taken a powerful awesome movement and twisted it to seem horrible and degrading to women.

QUIZ: What do you know about men and women?

2008-12-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

This quiz is difficult but very telling about your preconceived notions regarding gender roles. Heck, I only got 10 right and I was guessing on a lot of them. However the best part is how they got to the correct answers with the various studies. If you have time to answer 18 short true and false questions you will be pleasantly surprised!

http://www.gagirl.com/quiz/gender.html

Group D: The American Woman is a Bitch or a Ho

2008-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

I thought a long time about how to categorize the typical 'American Woman' as seen on T.V. Thinking long and hard only two main categories came to my mind. Hopefully I am wrong but even the housewife or loving mother can be placed in the 'Ho' category under the "I ain't no ho" section. So here are the categories and descriptions:

The Bitch

a. The power driven/hungry bitch - This is basically the picture of the successful woman. She followed her dreams and is still miserable. At least it appears that way. She is usually unmarried and childless. Examples are Condeleza Rice and Oprah. Married with children examples are Hilary Clinton and Sara Palin. These of course hold celebrity status but we all know of someone with mediocre status that is like this.

b. The misery loves company bitch. This type of bitch complains about everything. The more they complain the more you realize how screwed up the person is. Some of their valid complaints get over exaggerated because they are so bitter. They usually had messed up childhoods and then continued the cycle into their adult lives. They are the most unhappy contented miserable bitches you have the misfortune of coming in contact with.

The Ho

This is what the world sees. The entire world sees the American Woman as a Ho. A low standard, vile, promiscuous, scantly clad Ho. This really needs no explanation, but since the truth hurts this is where the American woman will get most defensive when accused of such wanton behavior. And man this is horrible to think about but it's what they see about us thanks to Hollywood.

a. The Stank Ho. She just a Ho, she knows she’s a Ho (and proud of it).

b. The ‘I a’int no Ho!’ Ho - This is the most common Ho. This is the epitome of the American woman. She’s ultra liberal, she loves to show off her body, and she doesn’t even realize she’s a Ho. See she’s educated, with a good job. She may not even sleep around that much. May even be married, but of course she got married after having sex with her then boyfriend. The idea of no sex until marriage is a foreign concept. She’s mature. Knows her body and carries her own protection (against pregnancy, disease, dog bites, whatever!).

What type of men do women respect?

2008-12-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

I respect a man that doesnt have a wandering eye, one with the passion and drive to follow what he wants, and one who is smart and clever. A sense of humor always helps but strong will power is definitly needed. But what does this mean in respect to me as a feminist? It got me thinking about what a healthy relationship is in regard to being a feminist.

Should feminists be completely independent? What is the ideal partner for an independent woman? Does there need to be some co-dependence in order to make the relationship stick together? I definitely do not have the answers to those questions but I do know what I look for in a relationship and whether that is feminist of me or not I don't know.

Day Without a Gay

2008-12-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Next Wednesday the 10th is "Day WIthout a Gay"

It is a day when people should "Call In Gay" and instead go out and volunteer with any organization! It's not necessarily about gay rights but about fighting hate in general. Here is a link to their website. They have a bunch of different resources to find somewhere to volunteer, more information on the day and a bunch of other cool stuff. You should check it out!

Day Without a Gay

Idea for Activism: Vote!

2008-12-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

In the Shaw and Lee text, they suggest "Ideas for Activism" which are examples we can use for our "Action Assignment." In one of our chapters, it simply suggests "Vote!" I feel like that is too easy, so I decided I would do more than just vote. This post will be how I helped President-Elect Obama win the 2008 Presidential Election. I realize I should have posted this a month ago while it was still fresh in my mind, but I don't think I'll forget anything important.

First of all, I have to clarify that even though I hold an elected student government position here at Saint Mary's College, because Saint Mary's does not endorse political candidates, I had to remember to try to quiet my political beliefs in certain situations because I shouldn't be "influencing" anyone. While I was sometimes successful at this, I was more successful at discussing my beliefs with people on-campus.

Anyway, I got involved with an off-campus group called "Students for Change" (great name for an activist group, right?) and I found my fit. I volunteered with them to help elect certain political officials who are pro-women. Unfortunately, not everyone I campaigned for won the election (example: Jill Long-Thompson ran for governor for Indiana. If she had won against the current governor Mitch Daniels, she would have been the first woman governor for the state of Indiana). Because I got involved with this group, I had so many more opportunities to become involved than the average voter. I even got to meet Jill Long-Thompson and her husband. If she runs again, I sincerely hope that Indiana residents vote for her.

Working with "Students for Change" included the typical campaign office volunteer work. For instance, I called voters, I registered voters, I helped make political posters and signs, I sealed envelopes, I canvassed door-to-door, and all the other little tasks that volunteers do. I decided to take it a step further and start a carpool. I would drive students from SMC (or students from ND if I knew they needed a ride) to the Office and back, and also drive them around the greater South Bend area to neighborhoods where they could canvass. I would say I mobilized about ten volunteers who otherwise would not have actively campaigned for Senator Barack Obama, for the simple reason of not having access to a car on-campus. Let's face it: you can only do so much on-campus, because most Saint Mary's students know how they will vote, and many vote absentee for their home state.

On Election Eve (November 3rd-early morning 4th), I opted to "sleep" at the Office. While I was there, I realized sleep was not important and that my efforts were most needed that night. I spoke with the people who came down from Michigan and Chicago to help with the election in South Bend, and they let me work on important things in the middle of the night. Then I spoke with the ride coordinator for Students for Change, and she gave me the assignment of picking up the mayor's niece from the mayor's house at 5 am so the mayor's niece could help with the polls that day. That felt really cool and made me feel important to pick up this Chicago student (Hannah) who happened to be related to the mayor (whom I have met and he is a really cool guy).

After I took her to her location and made sure things were running smoothly at the office, I drove into downtown South Bend and held a poster while people were driving into work. I should have taken a picture, but the poster said something like "Honk for Obama, Obama Mammas!" I stood on a corner from 6-8 am and it was such an amazing experience. Partially because I hadn't gone to sleep yet, partially because I had already worked so hard on this election, but mainly because of the reactions I received from other people. The majority of people who responded were responding favorably. I did get a few people shake their heads, spit, stick out their tongue, or just get really angry. I understand that people are slow to change. It made me happy though, because some people who I thought looked like typical McCain voters, were really responsive to my sign in a positive way.

Aside from Students for Change, I did the standard individual campaigning on my own. I sent in my absentee ballot to Ohio, I wrote a letter about "pro-life" to USAToday and to the Observer (only the Observer printed it), I spent most of the money I made over the summer and during the first months of school on the Obama campaign, I bought and wore shirts and advertised everywhere I went, and I went and saw Barack and Michelle whenever they came close to a city I was in. I also added the middle name "Hussein" to my Facebook account to show how ridiculous it is to make fun of a candidate for a middle name. (I do have to say that some people attacked me for this, but most people who commented, loved it).

Why did I get so passionate about this election? Well, I've been passionate about politics ever since 1992 when I voted for Clinton in kindergarten, simply because his name started with "C" and cats were my favorite animals and cat also starts with "C." That was the first I really understood that people can make a difference. I'm sure I was into politics pre-kindergarten though, because I was born in DC and sometimes we would drive around the White House at night or go to the museums and things downtown. I later wrote a letter to Clinton about changing the country, and when I look back on my political ideas, they resembled something like Communism... but my parents did not crush my dreams and tell me that "my" idea would fail. (I never finished the letter...) Another reason is that I'm from a traditional Democrat family, and I get this Democrat blood from both sides of my family. My maternal grandfather worked closely for/with the Kennedys in the early 1960s in DC and later campaigned for Congress a few times. While he unfortunately lost, he was (and maybe still is?) the President of the Youngstown Democrats. (My mom was kissed by Ted Kennedy when he ran for President in 1980 as a thank-you for driving him and his camera crew around Youngstown). My father was the Young Democrats President at Notre Dame during the Reagan Era, and these were years when it was not cool to be a Democrat. I think he said even though he worked so hard campaigning for Democrats, the only Democrat who won while he was campaigning in South Bend was the county coroner (and he ran unopposed). A third reason is because I am from Cleveland, and I know how important Ohio is in every election. 4 years ago I did everything for Kerry except vote because I was only 17, and what a sad night that was. I felt like it came down to Ohio and that somehow I failed Ohio. I was determined not to let that happen again, and did everything I could and probably more in Indiana. Now, fortunately for me, my candidate significantly won and it didn't come down to one state's votes. Yet going into election day, you still have to be cautious, so I lived with the attitude that this election could come down to Indiana, and specifically St. Joseph County. Had the rest of the country been divided more equally, this might have happened.

Anyway, my point is that it is so important to vote, but it is even more important to vote actively if you honestly care who wins. Then you feel a part of history, no matter who wins. People who don't vote have no right to complain, unless of course, they are under 18. On election night, I felt so good. I felt like somehow, I was part of the reason Obama won. Obama had been my top priority (yes, above school, student government, and my physical health), and to see that my hard work had some sort of effect, no matter how small, made all the difference in my life. I cried during his speech. I told the people I was with that "in this moment, I like Obama more than Elvis." Upon graduation, I hope to further my education in DC or be one of the few lucky people who gets an internship in DC. Also, and this might be the larger part of my current/future long-term action assignment, I announce my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States in 2024, the first year I'm eligible to run. Election that year falls on November 5th, my mom's 63rd birthday.

Please let me know if you have any questions about anything above, or anything at all. :)

Beyonce- If I Were a Boy

2008-12-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

I can’t really say that I’m a huge Beyonce fan, but I heard one of her new songs on the radio the other day and ended up liking it. It was kind of weird and interesting to hear a popular song discussing gender roles.

Most of you have probably already heard it, it’s called “If I were a boy”. It goes like this:

If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it
Because they’d stick up for me

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone its broken
So they think
that I was sleeping alone
I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home (to come home)

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted (wanted)
Cause he’s taken you for granted (granted)
And everything you had got destroyed

It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say its just a mistake

Think I forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong

But you're just a boy
You don’t understand (yea you don’t understand)
How it feels to love a girl
Someday you’ll wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you've taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
But you're just a boy…

I realize the song is about some jerk guy that was cheating on her, but it still seems a little unfair peg all men as the inconsiderate cheating type. The song also makes it seem like women never cheat, which also isn't true.

Check out the video for it, it's pretty interesting. Beyonce does a sort of role reversal with her boyfriend and there's a twist ending.

Beyonce - If I were A Boy (New)
by Le-Tour-2Lor

Victoria Secret

2008-12-05T09:30:00.001-08:00

Ever since the Victoria Secret fashion show one of my friends has become extremely obsessive. I was talking to her on the phone and she frantically had to hang up to go work out. She has had previous weight struggles, however normally she is content with her weight and appearance so I asked her why she was so anxious to head to the gym. She told me that she watched the Victoria Secret fashion show and wanted to get a body like those girls. I explained to her that it was not realistic and shouldn't compare herself to models. She said her body was extremely sore from working out yesterday because right after the show, she hit the gym. Clearly she is sore because she pushed herself too far, however that isn't stopping her. She is determined to look like a Victoria Secret model. The message that the fashion show gives is that all pretty girls must be skinny. It also says that in order to wear the clothing from Victoria Secret and feel sexy, you must be have the same body types as these models. The show only shows one body type: skinny and tall. I can only imagine how this fashion show affected the beliefs of young girls on their body image. Has anyone else has been faced with a similar situation?

Chick Flicks

2008-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday instead of going out my friends and I, guys and girls, decided to watch 'Love Actually'. One of the guys had never seen it and was pretty much enthralled by the entire movie. At the end of it he said, "I loved that. I don't know why it is considered a chick flick." Which got me to thinking, why do we have the title of 'Chick Flick' for movies? There is 'Dude Flick' that I have ever heard of. Why do we single out certain movies and name them for girls. While 'Love Actually' is a fabulous movie, I was interested to see how much guys liked it to. We all debated the best story line and why one was better than another. I think that if we put such movies into a genre that has the title "Chick" in it, men automatically turn away. While some people use the term "Romantic Comedy" it is still referring to their female viewers. Maybe one day we can find a title that won't scare off men from wanting to watch heartwarming movies.

Does same-sex marriage cause as much controversy as Elvis did?

2008-12-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Check this out. While it is five years old, it applies to both issues we talked about in class today (and by both issues, I mean Proposition 8 and Elvis). What do you think? Personally, in the comic I like how the kids' fashions are different.

VS Models

2008-12-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

Heidi Klum has had three children and looks amazing. Also another VS model had a baby 2 or 3 months ago and was able to walk in the show. This is all that the media talks about. How did you drop the weight? Was it hard? Its the same questions. Well it probably wasn't hard for them because they have personal chefs cooking for them and personal trainers who make them work out. If we all had this then we would be able to look that good all the time and drop that weight as soon as we had babies. This is not possible though. When you have a child you are supposed to take your time dropping the weight and you are not supposed to exercise for a while. So they are giving us false expectations and those expectations are not good for our health.

V-Secret Fashion Show

2008-12-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

So I dont believe the WHOLE class watched it, but it was pretty cool. Actually while my friends and I were watching, we noticed that most of the models were not that disgustingly skinny! Although they did have tight and flat stomachs, they had muscular legs, regular arms, and actually had curves; well from our perspectives! Although their body type is very rare, I know for a fact that Adrianna Lima eats cheese burgers and still looks great, my friends actually met her in person at the V-Secret store in L.A. and actually said she was a very normal women. She actually had meat on her bones and had curves.

Metaphors for Deity

2008-12-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

As a Catholic, the only metaphors for a deity I know are for God. The metaphors Father and Lord are the two I remember being taught the most. For me, these metaphors were helpful in growing closer to God as a child, and they served as a support for the metaphors I would develop later. If I was taught that God could metaphorically be called Love or Hope, I do not think I could of grasped those concepts. I feel that if someone is devout to God and not to a religious organization, they will not get caught up in the argument of what to call God. However I see God is not necessarily how anyone else sees him, so I would not attempt to change how anyone would want to describe the essence of God.

The new metaphors given in the text of God as mother, lover, gambler, etc., I find to be as limiting as the metaphors of God as a male figure. If someone wants to argue that calling God a father is limiting then I believe the same argument should be made for comparing God to a mother. However someone decides to metaphorically speak of God or any deity is a matter of personal choice obviously. Since God is not comparable to anything earthly or human and metaphors are used to explore realities, I feel that any "new" metaphor should not be shocking. If a person can not independently think of other metaphors for God, I do not think the fact that God is often imaged as a male figure should be blamed.

Group C Blog - Finals

2008-12-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Although this is my first year here at SMC, I feel I have done the this part before - FINALS. It always seems that as one group of classes begin to end that nasty 5 letter word pops up again. With that comes with hours upon hours of studying and also along with that comes hours upon hours of homework, projects, and oh those last tests that NEED to be done before the finals. It just seems that at this time of year are are so many things that need to get gone and no time to do it. In those days, there are times where I think, man I can do this, and then days like today, when everything seems to go wrong, I think to myself, man I wish I could just go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. Yet in the end, somehow, and I truly don't know how, I seem to get it all done. Now why is that? Well I don't know. Maybe it is the "inner" woman in me, that just knows that multitasking is in my body. I've seen women in my own family deal with the daily throes of life as if it were nothing. Yet, then I look at the men, and boy, they seem to get frazzeld, blame all their woes on others (usually the women), and then grudingly get it done. Well, maybe that is just in my family, but in stressful times do you feel that life just seems to come crashing down, yet you still somehow find a way to get it done, do it well, and still look as nonfrazzeld? In part I am just babling on, I just found it interesting especially in these hard times, the differnces in how things get done when examining the two genders!

Weekly blog group C

2008-12-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

In Jenny Joesph's poem "Warning", she evaluates the difference between and elder woman and a woman of youth. The difference is actually compelling in the manor of how uptight and proper she is suppose to be when younger compared to how she states she will be when older. She states that young women are not suppose to swear in the street, set a good example for the children, must have friends to dinner, and read the papers. Yet, when older she will spend her pension on brandy, sit down on the pavement when shes tired, press alarm bells, wear her slippers in the rain, learn to spit, and many more. This is very strange because today i feel as though younger women posess what she will be when she is older, not what she expresses we young women should be like and that older women today are more proper and uptight than we. Do you beleive this or do you find that we are very proper women?

Ed Rendell's Microphone Incident

2008-12-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know if any of you saw this story, but recently at a National Governors Conference, Gov. Ed Rendell made an off the record remark about Janet Napolitano that was accidentally picked up by a mic he was sitting near. Rendell was talking about Napolitano's appoinment to lead the Homeland Security Department, and was quoted as saying: "Janet's perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it."
On CNN, Campell Brown then addressed the incident and called Rendell out for the stereotype his words imply:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJZmRlblzkg
What do you think about Rendell's comment and Brown's remarks? I remember Brown being vocal about sexism during the election as well, and she seems to always keep an eye out for things that appear harmless, but in actuality reinforce existing problems.

VS Fashion Show

2008-12-04T07:14:00.001-08:00

Last night was the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show where extremely tall, and extremely skinny models strut their stuff in front of the world with nothing but a few feet of lacy fabric on their bodies. I watch the show every year, but had an extremely different opinion about the show this time than ever before. Usually, I watch the girls walk down the runway with envy trying to pick who I would want to become in a new life, and telling myself that I need to work out until my legs don't touch anymore. However, this year I was thinking about how this is just another way that women have to live up to non-existent standards because we all know that millions and millions of men sit in front of the TV and get an "idea" of what the typical female body should look like. Then, they run around comparing every girl to the ones that they've seen in the fashion show and maybe even wonder why there are so few of them out there. It's sad that television sponsors a program that gives men a false image of women, and gives women a false sense of what they should become in order to be beautiful. I wish before the show, the producers would warn the viewers that its these women's job to stay skinny, tan, and lean. Likewise, they have the best make-up and hair artists in the world to make them look as beautiful as they do in the show, and that these women make up less than 5% of the world population. It wouldn't be the greatest solution, but at least it would be a start.

2008-12-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

I was talking to some of my childhood friends recently about how we felt about our body images when we were younger. I can say that personally I always thought I was fat, since I was a little kid. For example, I remember sitting in my PE class in about 3rd grade and not wanting to sit "indian style" because I thought my legs looked fat. It's really sad that I felt this way. What amazes me to this day is that I never watched much TV when I was younger, which makes me realize that it's not just advertising that affects how we feel...somehow this is instilled in us from a young age. Anyone else have this experience? All of my friends did...

Group C Blog: Any Ani Difranco fans out there?

2008-12-04T03:13:00.000-08:00

So I was listening to one of my favorite songs, Not a Pretty Girl, by a favorite artist, Ani Difranco, and I thought, hey, Ani is pretty feminist. So I thought maybe I could get some questions from all you women answered about the song. Here are the lyrics:

I am not a pretty girl...
that's not what I do.
I ain't no damsel in distress,
and I don't need to be rescued,
so put me down punk.
wouldn't you prefer a maiden fair?
isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere?
and I am not an angry girl,
but it seems like I've got everyone fooled.
everytime I say something they find hard to hear,
they chalk it up to my anger
and never to their own fear...
and imagine you're a girl,
just trying to finally come clean,
knowing full well they'd prefer you
were dirty and smiling.
and I am sorry,
but I am not a maiden fair...
and I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere.
and generally my generation,
wouldn't be caught dead working for the man.
and generally I, I agree with them,
trouble is you gotta have yourself an alternate plan.
and I have earned my disillusionment,
I've been working all of my life.
and I am a patriot,
I have been fighting the good fight.
and what if there are no damsels in distress,
what if I knew that and I called your bluff?
don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down,
whether or not you ever show up?
I don't want to be a pretty girl,
I wanna be more than a pretty girl,
there's so much more than a pretty girl.
--------------------------------------------------
Now for your thoughts:
I would love to hear everyone's reaction to the song!

...and if you heard the song it, well, I think Ani has an amazing voice, lyrics...and she's just awesome. But anyways...feel free to answer any (or all) of the questions I had for everyone below :)

-Were there any lines that jumped out to you specifically? (and were you taken back, liked it, etc)
-Any vivid images or thoughts from the song or line(s) in the song?
-So, I was wondering what everyone thinks a "pretty girl" is?
-Would you consider "pretty girls" feminists or no? Why or why not?
-Do you think feminists are viewed as "angry girls" often?
-Do you think people are afraid of feminists?
-What do you think of the lines "and imagine you're a girl, just trying to finally come clean, knowing full well they'd prefer you were dirty, and smiling"?
-What do you think she means when she says "I have earned my disillusionment"?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Myself, the entire song jumped out at me the first time I heard it.

I personally hate it when a guy thinks he can do everything for me...when he thinks I'm weak. I'm a "tomboy", I've always hung out with the guys, and been "one of the guys", so I don't see myself as a "pretty girl". I think of a pretty girl as a lot of the women today...not women who just dress up, or women who think they need a man to survive, or women who are worried about their looks...but women who encompass all of that...they are unsure of themselves, freak out everytime they don't have a boyfriend, a guy giving them their complete attention, or even just guys giving them looks. A "pretty girl" to me is someone who is so worried about what men, and even women, think about them, that they forget who they are, and what the true beauty of being a woman is. I typically would not think of them as a feminist, because I think of a feminist as a strong, independent woman.

I think a lot of women think of being "saved" or "rescued"...but I think a lot of it has to do with society and advertising. Like we've all heard plenty of times, women are supposed to be passive, and sexy, aggressive, all at the same time. The balance better be just right. If a girl is too "manly", and assertive, it was typically (and still commonly) looked down upon. Girls will be girls, and boys will be girls. Don't switch roles!

I think that feminists will always have some type of negative stigma attached to them, and an angry girl can be one of them..but I love the lines "I am not an angry girl, but it seems I've got everyone fooled. Everytime I say something they find hard to hear, they chalk it up to my anger and never to their own fear" I wonder if more people than I realize think this. That if I speak my mind about something, and I'm labeled as a "feminist", do people think it's because I'm an angry feminist? And are they really that afraid of change? It seems rather silly to me...

When she says "generally my generation, wouldn't be caught dead working for the man....trouble is you gotta have yourself an alternate plan". I think of Wal-Mart. There are many people who don't agree with Wal-Mart, or large corporations in genearl, and yet they shop there because they say they can't afford anything else...and I am not trying to point fingers, but it is kind of crazy, isn't it? It's pretty hard and a big sacrifice sometimes to stand up for what you believe in. Things that might be horrible, or even considered evil by some are often times the things that are most appealing to the general public, which is why it is hard to stop such businesses, stores, etc. "Generally" we agree on things such as these, there are plenty of corrupt corporations, businesses, and stores out there, but people need jobs, they need to save money...and they will go where it's cheapest and easiest.

I love the lines about trying to come clean, knowing they'd prefer you were "dirty and smiling". I have a lot of ideas of what I think she means by it...and it changes almost every day. But I'd like to hear your input on it. :D Maybe we're trying to finally break free of the traditional roles, or of conforming as women, but "they"-society, men, older generations, want us to be that way, or "dirty", but we are supposed to smile, because we should be happy performing tasks for men. Women aren't supposed to speak up. They an only sit back, get walked on, kicked on...just sit back and smile ladies.

Group D:Weekly Blog. What would you do?

2008-12-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight one of my best friends came in my room balling because her best friend from home found out that she was pregnant. The girl is only 19 years old and the father is her boyfriend of a year and a half. She told her mom and her mom was extremely supportive telling her that she would take care of the baby while she was at school and would set up babysitters, so her daughter could finish college and look for a real job. The girl has her mind set to having the child and is not even considering abortion, however her boyfriend is trying to encourage her to have an abortion. He was extremely pro-life and was completely against abortion, but once he was personally placed in the situation, his beliefs and morals changed. We believe that girl wants to keep the baby because it sounds fun and exciting and wants to be a cute, young mom, but once it actually comes time to give birth, then she will regret her decision. The couple do not even have plans of staying together, which would mean that the child would grow up with separated parents, which can be a huge problem. My 8 year old "half" brother believes that my dad is his biological dad, because my step mom went through the same situation as this young girl. Once the girl got married (to someone else) the child would have to deal with the hurt and confusion caused by his parents. She is 5 weeks pregnant and must decide within a week whether to keep the baby or have an abortion. What do you think is the right thing to do? Do you think her mother is taking her daughter's responsibility by offering to care for the baby until her daughter matures? As a pro-life individual, do you believe that your beliefs would change once you were put in the situation? I always read about other people being faced with the struggle of being pregnant and deciding what choice to make, however I never thought that I would be affected personally and give advice on what actions to follow through with. I realized that several things I believed in became more realistic when I was giving advice because I considered many more factors.

A Guys Rant About Gender Roles!

2008-12-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

The following response is from a guy regarding gender roles. I asked him to just speak his mind on this topic since we seem to keep coming back to it in class time and time again. He decided toys made him the angriest. I hope this give you all a different perspective!

Gender roles in toys are total bullshit. I hate how there’s female toys and boy toys. It’s just reinforcing this stereotype that if you are born with a certain set of genetaillia you must be a certain way. Girls play sports, guys stay at home and cook and clean and watch Oprah, girls drive trucks and wear Doc Martins, guys become fashion designers. Gender roles are like smoking on tv, prevalent in the 1950’s and now disappearing.

Now if you want to get even more involved, I always wanted a Ken doll. I thought it’d be cool to have just a regular dude to play with instead of g.i. joe or some type of truck. My mom always said “no that’s for girls you don’t want to be a girl do you?” Which always garnered the response of, “ew girls are yucky”.

Girls can have easy bake ovens but guys have to have creepy crawlers. Now that is just horribly unjust. Why the hell do girls get to make succulent treats and we get to make non toxic (yet non edible) spiders and worms? Even today a cash register at kb toys was branded 2 separate ways. The toy itself was the exact same, except the packaging was hot pink on one and had a girl on the front. The one one was, you guessed it, blue with a boy on the front. ITS A CASH REGISTER PEOPLE, IT DOESNT CARE WHAT GENDER YOU ARE… just as long as you got money

Learning Activity: Feminism Activities on a College Campus

2008-12-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

While surfing the "feminist.com" website and their tools for activism within the feminist community, the one that struck me the most was the Feminist Activism for the College Grrl. Here, feminist college students can create activities to bring awareness that they believe should be concentrated on and what should be taken into great consideration. As a Latina feminist, for the past two years, I have been bringing awareness of immigration and the broken family. Immigration has been a big issue within the United States, and since the election, it has been a key issue since it has been under surveillance since Bush. Week of Action is a week filled with forums, informational sessions, and activities with South Bend community members. This is one action that has been taken into action, but I am hoping this year it will be bigger and better than the other two years. Hopefully, my other fellow feminists and La Fuerza members can help me fulfill this dream. This action could not be done without my fellow feminist women and college students.

Group D Weekly Blog Posting. The Myth of the Nuclear Family

2008-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

We live in an ongoing and constantly chaning world. Our society has changed dramatically in many aspects in the recent decades, including the nuclear family. While there are still many families headed by heterosexual couples, there are many people who lead single headed homes either heterosexual, homosexual, or lesbian. Whichever the case, when it comes to custody it is well known that the government usually grants it to the mother, becuase it is believed that she will be able to better take care of the children, and it is natural for her as a mother to keep the children and take lead of the childrearing. But what if a mother does not want to keep the children, perhaps for reasons of not being able to, or becuase she thinks the children will be better of with their father. Do you think that leaving the childrearing to the mother is sexist? Is it an advantage? Is it natural? Should custody be given to the fathers instead?

Learning Activity: Feminism on Campus

2008-12-03T15:38:00.001-08:00

For the Feminist Learning Activity, I followed a link describing how to start a feminist movement on our campus. While Saint Mary’s is very empowering for women, I thought that I would check it out to see if there were any suggestions on how we could improve as a whole. While we have both a Women’s Center, a Women’s Studies Department, and various clubs all dedicated to the cause, I started to brainstorm other possible options. While the clubs offer a great support system and volunteer opportunities, they are not always advertised to everyone on campus. I don’t think I’ve seen one email or flyer for our feminist club this semester.
I think it would be really fun and (dare I say it) educational, if we had a feminist book club. I always like taking a break from the daily grind and escaping in a book is a lot better than vegging out in front of the TV. It would be an amazing way to share ideas with other girls on campus, and perhaps we could even bring in local high school girls from the community to join us. Authors such as Adrienne Rich, Sylvia Plath, and Maya Angelou are always popular, and they leave a lot of room for thoughtful discussions that could pave the way for some of the high school girls.

New Metaphors For Deity (Learning Activity)

2008-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Growing up Catholic, you never really think of God as anything other than Father, King, or Lord aka MALE! Other metaphors in the text mention God as Mother, Lover, or Companion. I personally think that by limiting ourselves to thinking about God in these metaphors, male or female, we make religion, spirituality, and God to literal. By limiting ourselves to metaphors we get caught up in them, and forget the more important things that religion and spirituality should focus on, such as love and respect.

But that is just my two cents. Who cares if you say the right prayers, go to confession enough, or follow the rosary just right, as long as you respect your fellow person, and show others love and kindness?

Boy Bands and Girl Groups

2008-12-02T20:16:00.000-08:00

Remember the Backstreet Boys, Eden's Crush, N'Sync, or perhaps the Spice Girls?
Well, do you remember begging your parents to buy you all the collectables from your favorite groups? Pop music in the late 90’s was led by several groups that consisted of all boys or girls such as Eden’s Crush. The individuals that composed these groups were carefully selected by music companies. Each group was supposed to convey a certain image to the public. group member’s identities were carefully detailed and worked on to exude the image desired to convey to their public. Also, they are not original, or unpredictable. Each member has an assigned role and taught how to answer to interview questions in such a way that they can maintain their image; boy bands are especially successful. Boy bands are designed to “safe” and unintimidating, to not upset parents. They are given a sweet, attractive, and innocent image that is perceived as naïve romanticism, and yet at the same time hint at the erotic. Parents do not see them as threat and let their young teenage daughters become adoring fans of them. Both boy bands and girl groups target the average White middle class girl because they have disposable income and they will spend large amounts of money to get the latest t-shirt of spreadsheets that port the image of their favorite boy band crush. This can still be seen in contemporary bands such as The Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers are composed by three White teenage boys with a designed image; the cute funny one, the cute smart one, the cute cool one. They each have their role to execute. When watching the Disney channel and the Jonas Brothers were asked how you become a rock star, all they ever answered is how to dress and o design your image, it is not even about the music anymorel. While boy bands have a large teenage fan base, girl groups tend to disappear faster than boy bands. It can be seen with the long presence that the Backstreets Boys and N’Sync has had in pop culture. Girl groups however are quicker to disappear. While most boy bands have an innocent and romantic look, Eden’s Crush heightened their sexuality and revealed their bodies much more easily. Their strong sexual appeal was meant to cater to a young male teenage fan base that was interested and curious about the opposite sex. The sexuality Eden’s Crush represented was not intimate, about love, or caressing, it was about control and dominance. It can e argued that it was the sexual power to dominate men and to be above female peers, because a strong sexuality gives power. Eden’s Crush or even the Spice Girls strong sexual image is intimidating for young teenage girls that are struggling with their insecurities because of the pressure put on them by their peers and a culture that demands them to conform to. What do you think?

Men wearing bras

2008-12-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

I was watching the news last week and stopped when I heard the words "men" and "bra" in the same sentence. I didn't think I was hearing myself correctly, however I was. In Japan, men are beginning to wear bras because they "need to know how women feel". I was completely stunned by this and have mixed feelings about it. Do men believe that because they are wearing bras that they magically gain insight to a woman's world? I find it interesting how one piece of clothing can suddenly change the minds of others. But then again, are they saying that they will know how women feel by simply wearing a bra? I believe that there is more to being a woman than wearing undergarmets. I'm not sure how long this trend will last or what affects will end up having on the men. The way that the news delivered this story made it sound as if the men need to know what pain women go through by wearing bras. But quite frankly, I don't think that any pain is caused by wearing a bra. Maybe men will have different perspectives. It would be interesting to know how the men responded to this movement.

Learning Activity #2: Women Leaders

2008-12-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

My book edition did not have the UN learning activity, but it did send me to a website about women leaders around the world. Of the approx. 200 nations, states and other members of the United Nations, 22 have currently serving woman leaders... about 10%. I noticed that several of these women are queens, including Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain. I do not know much about other systems of government, but as far as I have heard, the royalty of Britain are only figure heads. The Prime Minister actually handles all matters of state and foreign affairs. Should "Queens" really count as women leaders of nations? The idea of a queen seems to perpetuate certain sexist traditions to me.

Unfortunately (and not surprisingly) the United States is far behind other nations in allowing women into positions of power. Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton came close to the White House this election. Hopefully next time around we can finally catch up with much of the rest of the Western world.

2008-12-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the link I said I would post for during my group presentation. This link is to the magazine article about "Hot Women" getting the jobs. I think that this article is extremely demeaning to women and our intelligence. I believe that this article just goes to show that, although a lot of progress for women has been made, there is still a lot progress that needs to be made, especially with men's perceptions of women.

http://www.recoilmag.com/news/unemployment_rate_zero_percent_0304.html

The Department of Justice: Office of Violence Against Women

2008-12-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a meeting today and I thought I would share the information via the blog in case I forgot to mention it in class. Representatives from the DOJ's OVW Office came to Saint Mary's today to talk about potential grants to develop programs on our campus to prevent violence, especially sexual violence against women. They informed us of the statistics, but I would be preaching to the choir if I gave you the statistics again. Anyway, SMC is going to create a Grant-writing Task Force and we'll need students... let me know if you would be interested.

Here is their website: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/campus_desc.htm

One thing I learned today that I hadn't realized before is that stalking is a form of violence. Another thing (which seems like common sense) is that even if you have been underage drinking or doing something illegal, if you think you have been date-raped, you need to let the authorities know right away. You will not get in trouble for the underage drinking, but it might save your life (or someone else's).

The DOJ told us, too, that people take things more seriously if someone they know is passionate about it. For instance, you might see date-rape happen on an episode of Law and Order, but it doesn't seem real to you. If you saw a video of two of your best friends roleplaying a date-rape scenario, you would feel a personal connection and take it more seriously.

Let me know if you need more information on any of this. Again, we talk about these issues in class so often, but for your friends and relatives who aren't as fortunate as our class-- please let them know. Like our book says within the introduction in Chapter 13, "If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem."

Becoming a Bishop

2008-12-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

In today's Shaw and Lee readings, there was a gray box which was entitled "Becoming a Bishop." The short story was about the first African American woman who became a bishop of the United Methodist Church in the mid 80's. Leontine Kelly was only the second female bishop in the United Methodist Church and the first of color. The fact that the Catholic Church is yet to ordain female priests makes me wonder if it will ever happen, and if it does, will a woman of color ever be ordained? I am not Catholic and so my understanding of its practices is quite limited, however, I feel that the Church is very behind in some of the progress that has been made for women. I'm just curious to see if the Church will ever catch up to the progress that is being made around it.

Thanksgiving roles

2008-12-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the holiday season, I decided to post on what I have observed as women's roles within this season. Last week we celebrated one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I was sick with the flu, and not able to enjoy the best meal of the year as I had hoped to. However, being sick allowed me to take a back seat to all the festivities going on around me and observe my family and their roles in celebrating.

Thanksgiving started a few days early for my Mom. She went grocery shopping several times, prepared stuffing, pies and other dishes that would be cooked on Thursday, cleaned the entire house, and planned the menu and timeframe of the day. When Thursday arrived, my Mom stuffed the 20lb turkey (we had relatives over), and spent most of the day in her apron, preparing other sides and appetizers, and visiting with my aunt, who was helping her in the kitchen. After desert and our company had left, my Mom stayed up late handwashing the china, silver and crystal-ware. She insisted on doing this task alone, because she didn't trust anyone of us not to break something. None of us protested.

My younger sister (11) was in charge of chores. She set the table with the "fine china", peeled potatoes, cleaned up around the house, and babysat our younger cousin.

My younger brother spent the first half of the day on the couch (I was guilty of this too, but I had an excuse), watching the Detroit Lions get crushed. Apparently they are going to be 0 - 17 this season? After the Lions game, he suggested to my Dad that they put together a game of backyard football.

My Dad helped my Mom with the turkey in the morning. He then watched the football game with my brother, uncle and cousins. The group proceeded to play a game of two-hand-touch football at the local school nearby. When dinner was about ready, my Dad mashed the potatoes and carved the Turkey.

From my observations, it seems that women assume all the responsibility of the work at Thanksgiving. For the men in my family, it was a day of family, football and lots of food. For the women, it was a day of family, cooking and lots of food. I am definitely thankful for my family and for this wonderful holiday; I just never realized who it is the most fun for.

A Dance I Found

2008-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

If you may not already know, I am extremely into dancing and watching dance. I recently found a dance video on youtube.com from my favorite choreographer, Emily Shock. It's about a girl who is getting ready for her husband, only to find out that he has cheated on her. The husband is mad and makes her feel bad, but at the end wants to make her feel better, only so he doesn't feel guilty for leaving her. The dance came with a small excerpt and poem from the choreographer:

This is the story I imagine...

There is a woman getting ready for a night out with her husband...she stands in front of a mirror. puts read lipstick on. straightens out her dress. arranges her hair just how he likes it. she shows some skin. just for him to notice. He comes in from work...just ready to explode from guilt. He is angry when he sees her. All because anger is the easiest thing for a man to feel. He wonders what the hell she is all dressed up for, since he doesn't even think she is beautiful anymore. Tells her to take off that awful lipstick...take down that hair..and then he tells her

that he couldnt help himself

that it is what it is

so simple.

he has fallen in love with someone else.

shrugging his shoulders.

shrugging off the blame.

and she...

looks herself over.

she knows that after all these years

after her body carrying his child

after she has molded into only his wife...she knows she is ruined. no other man will love her.

she has already been too worn.

and he wants to wash his hands of them. or her. for it all to disappear. so that he can move on.

all spotless and new. he resents her.

she wants to be numb so she doesn't have to feel the pain. or the loneliness. or the reality of being done. of being old and unloved.

she looks to him to make her feel okay.

and he just wants her to feel okay.

so that he can walk away

without feeling guilty.

Here is the video and watch the different movements. You can see where the poem goes with the movements. I really like this dance because I think it explains what a lot of women go through. A man does something wrong and then tries to make the woman or wife feel bad about it, like its her fault. The man then tries to make her feel better, so he can feel better about the bad thing he has done, not for the sake of the woman.

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpgwf6qjZhc

Enjoy!

spanish novelas drive me nuts!

2008-12-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Spanish novelas, I am not what you call a die hard fan. Don't get me wrong, there have been some shows where I became hooked completely and could not miss a moment of it. There would be a specific time devoted to that particular show. As I sat with my abuelita over break, it finally hit me that most of these novelas have the exact same plot. There is a teenage girl, who is either an orphan, house servant or something drastic happened to her who falls in love with the main guy character who is considered to be a player and really does not care what his future is like, because he has the money to do whatever. They end up falling in love, but they keep it a secret because someone in the family of the guy disapproves because the girl is from the wrong side of the tracks or is not good enough for their child. The girl always has to have a name of some sort of purified for. (i.e. Milagros, Maria Jesus, etc.) Then, the holy girl is distracted by a friend/or family relations to the main guy character and ends up marrying him because the other guy can't get his crap together to ask, or was lied to by saying that they are brother and sister, or that they were the ones that caused such a ruckus in that girl's life. Years pass on and they realize that they were meant to be and they end up getting married and living happily ever after. This never happens in reality. Some portions of the story might, but the others are so drastic! But, if this is what is entertaining, then that is absolutely cool. Like I said, once you watch one episode, you are hooked for life!

American Girl

2008-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

In one of my history classes, we were discussing American Girl books and dolls---something almost everyone in the class had been into. The history of the American Girl franchise is fascinating, as the dolls, accessories, etc. are incredibly expensive and therefore targeted only to upper-middle class girls. While almost every girl at my white, middle class grade school was fully a part of the American Girl franchise, I wonder if girls of color or girls of lower economic status cared about American Girl at all. If that's the case, can these books and dolls really represent all American girls, or just a select few?

Learning Activity #2

2008-12-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

It seems like, after looking at both undeveloped and developed countries, the underlying problem is in the social structure of each country. Some countries, like Algeria, are still trying to develop their government and overcome past adversities. This makes it difficult to pinpoint one specific area that those countries are struggling to find equality for men and women. Algeria is only able to scratch the surface of gender inequality. Other countries, like France, are able to focus more exclusively on the issues of female portrayal and exploitation and discrimination. France is able to dig much deeper and attack the causes of gender inequality directly.

For example, Algeria is currently looking to religion and its impact on the treatment of women and how they can work with the religion to alleviate the discrimination on women, as their government currently gives women full rights as citizens. While the Algerian government is focused on this broad issue, France is currently looking at the portrayal of men and women in the text books they use. They are refining the process that they use to select books.

The U.N. is concerned with all of these issues it appears, both large and small. However, they can not attack all of them. It appears, right now, that they are focusing a lot of attention on sexual exploitation and pornography of women and children.

I Think this Class is Impacting my Dreams

2008-12-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a rather random Blogg. I remember an odd dream I had last night, which is odd in its self, since I rarely remember any of my dreams. The dream took place in Ancient Greece. At the beginning of the dream I was watching everything as if I were a ghost. I could see people, but they could not see me. At this time I couldn’t understand what anyone was saying. So, I was just observing Greek life for a while, than the dream changed. I became trapped in a woman’s body, but as a watcher only. I had no control over what this person said or did. Based on what I saw, I think this woman was a servant girl to a wealthy household. She was doing a lot of work, but didn’t seem to be part of the family. Then night came and the servant went to sleep.
In the middle of the knight another woman woke her up. At this point I switched bodies again, now I was in the body of the woman who was waking up the servant girl. I didn’t know what was going on, but both of these women seemed to, and they very quietly left the home. They seemed very scarred and nervous. I got the impression that second woman was rescuing or freeing the servant girl. They traveled all night by foot. The moon was full and the stars were very clear.
When it was coming close to daybreak, the two women arrived at a dead looking tree in a clearing. Although the tree didn’t have any leaves or fruit on it, it did have white sheets hanging from it. Some tattered looking and some new. Sitting by the tree was an old woman wrapped so much in cloth that I could only see her hands. The old woman was holding an unclothed baby close to her chest. I could not see most of the baby either, but I had the feeling that the baby was girl. Both the baby and the woman were crying and right by them was a puddle of water. I think their tears created this puddle.
As we walked closer to the tree, I noticed something strange about the puddle. It did not reflect its surroundings correctly. I realized then that it was some kind of portal. The rescuing woman then gestured for the servant girl to take off her robe, which she did and hung on the tree. Then she stepped into the puddle and went right through. There was bubbles and water everywhere. Then I woke up.
So, yeah, I said it would be a random blogg. Normally I would not have posted this, but since this dream had some major women studies undertones, I decided to. This dream was very vivid to me, and I can’t get it out of my mind. Any dream interpreters out there?

Dawn Dish Soap for Women Only

2008-12-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last night I was watching TV and a new commercial for a new product of Dawn, "Dawn PLUS hand renewal" came on. It is a new kind of dish soap that "has the amazing grease-fighting power of Dawn. But this great dishwashing liquid also transforms the look and feel of your hands in just five dish washes." This quote was taken from their website, in which they have a sweepstakes for this new product; the winners can be eligible to win something obviously aimed toward women, not men.
"What better way to show off how much you love taking care of your hands than with a lovely ring or bracelet? Enter the Dawn Hand Renewal “Transform Your Hands” Sweepstakes for a chance to win:"

Grand Prize Winner will receive $3,000 that may be used toward a ring or bracelet of their choice.
Six Monthly First Prize Winners will each receive $1,000 that may be used toward a piece of jewelry of their choice.
Daily Prize Winners will each receive a 22oz. bottle of Dawn Hand Renewal in Pomegranate.

The new product alone I thought was very sexist in that it was obviously designed for women, implying that they would be the ones doing the dish washing. But I was even more surprised when I went to their website and discovered their sweepstakes to win jewelry, in order to promote this product!

Hooters: What Do You Think?

2008-11-30T15:05:00.001-08:00

I was recently watching an MTV documentary about peer pressure and there was a girl on the show who worked at Hooters. She was being pressured by her co-workers and managers to get a boob job because her cup size wasn't really up to Hooters standards. I was absolutely appalled that she actually agreed to get the surgery...only because of pressure...not because she wanted it. The girl even confessed that her boob size didn't really matter to her and that she was happy as she was-until she heard people tell her she needed bigger boobs. The sad thing is that she actually went for the surgery! This goes to show how much of an influence our peers have on our perceptions of our bodies. Thinking about Hooters makes me mad. I must say, I do like their buffalo wings-but thats another story. I can't believe we have a public restaurant that only hires women to wear skimpy outfits-only for mans pleasure. It's just another aspect that can go in the books of inequality and exploitation of women.

Group A blog

2008-11-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

I saw Twilight this weekend and even though I liked it there were a few things that annoyed me. I feel like most movies today depict women as needing to be saved. In twilight Bella was always getting into trouble and having to be saved by Edward. I recently saw Changeling and it seemed like it was more of the same. The main character was a strong woman but was also taken advantage of by men. Are there any movies out there that show strong women who can take care of their selves? It just seems that a majority of movies are about women screwing up or needing to be taken care of, and this is not an appropriate view of women in our society.

Disney Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations About Men

2008-11-24T21:36:00.001-08:00

I’m one of those girls who grew up watching Disney’s movies and wishing they were the princess of those stories, waiting for the day my prince charming would swap me off my feet and take me to live in his beautiful fairy castle; so wrong. Women’s and men’s expectations are not perhaps directly affected by things like Disney movies (they are simply fairy tales), but their movies do give girls a portrayal of what a woman should expect to have and be. It can help shapes a young girl’s expectations of the perfect man. It gives off the impression that as long as you are beautiful, then she can have any man she wants. Also, I think it gives girls the impression that they need to fit a certain image of what they should be. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Women and the United Nations

2008-11-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/directory/statistics_and_indicators_60.htm

Our "Learning Activity" involves the activity on page 616 in WVFV. It requires us to see what issues face women worldwide, and what the UN is doing to address these issues. The site is broken down into sections including Gender Info 2007, The World's Women, Progress of the World's Women, Education of All Global Monitoring Report, Status of the World's Children, Human Development Report, and State of the World Population. I glanced through some of the reports, and while it seems as though the UN cares deeply about all our problems and while they provide solutions, I'm curious to see how effective they would be. In one of my other classes, the Psychology of Violence, we just finished watching a movie today called "Shake Hands with the Devil." This movie is about the Rwandan genocide and how the UN sent Romeo Dallaire to maintain a UN presence there, but did little else. I was deeply upset that the UN did not provide Dallaire with the supplies necessary to try to prevent the genocide or at least alleviate it. The UN still has not apologized or recognized Dallaire's extraordinary efforts (which were not supported at all by the UN). Several of Dallaire's men have since committed suicide as a result of failed attempts to deal with survivor's guilt. While this has little to do with the assignment for class, I figure that if one UN aspect fails to do what it should do, who is going to prevent that from happening on other levels? From what I can tell, the UN isn't helping out with the genocide in Darfur either. While I like seeing the policies outlined for women and the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, until I see some great action, I'll remain a "Doubting Thomas" regarding the UN and all of its major actions and/or inactions.

Thanksgiving: Fair?

2008-11-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

Its that time of the year again when family comes together to celebrate the annual holiday of Thanksgiving. Students are excitedly packing up to return and feast like its their last meal of their lifetime. As I was sitting here thinking about the mass amounts of mashed potatoes and turkey that I'm going to consume within the next couple of days, it occurred to me about who will actually be making my meal, and how I, as a woman, am going to contribute to this cause. It may be different in your home, but my entire Thanksgiving meal is made by my mom, aunts, and female cousins. While the women are hard at work, the men are in the living room, lazily watching football and catching up on life. Since I am the youngest girl, I am somehow still exempt from cooking (probably because I would end up poisoning a relative), but after the meal is over, I am required to help with cleaning all of the dishes along with the rest of the women. The men go back to their respective spots on the couch...and they nap. In fact, the men in my family have absolutely no task in preparing for Thanksgiving except for showing up at the table and devouring as much food as possible; this is extremely unequal and unfair. So, my task this Thanksgiving is to educate my male relatives along with female relatives on the inequalities during Thanksgiving, and hopefully make a difference in who contributes to the meal and clean-up. Also, I would like you to think about the gender roles of Thanksgiving in your home, and to make a change if it is necessary. Bon Appetit!