Familial Power and Roles

The idea of family goes beyond just faces of the people who raised you, the concept is molded by social expectations with certain members of the family playing specific roles. Individuals that do not fit these roles are often socially stigmatized such as female-led households and children that do not take to gender roles. For example it’s frequently claimed that gay couples have short, unstable relationships and cannot raise children without attempting to ‘convert’ them to homosexuality. These claims are simply not true and these circumstances depend on individual experiences, a child raised by two fathers may chose to be like their parents or they might just turn out to not be gay at all. Gay parents may have little if any desire to try and ‘convince’ their children to become gay. Heterosexual parents however are very quick to start enforcing gender expectations of children, buying gendered items and clothing for a newborn.

The structure of families often depends on a hierarchal scale of power of which the elders are at the top and being seen as wise leaders and mentors, this kind of hierarchy gives privilege to older males as female members of the family are expected to work around the house. Marriage is also strongly influenced by a gender based power dynamic. Nowadays with more acceptance of non-binary genders and sexualities the structure of relationships and marriages can become more equal and stable for each individual. Me and my partner are working on not letting how we were socialized as kids negatively effect how we are today now that we live together.

The True Hardworkers - 4/5

I didn't even at first look atall the work put upon a woman as unpaid labor which is exactly what it is! Society is always trying to make the woman to have it easy when really it's the total opposite. The stated that the woman everyday work involves cleaning, cooking, childcare, pet care, house, lawn, and garden maintenance, grocery shopping, and household management. This list doesn't even include the work the woman is in titled to have called "kin-keeping" which involved them: remembering birthdays, sending cards, preparing for holidays, organizing vacations, keeping in touch with relatives, and providing "spousal career support" by entertaining, volunteering, and networking. Even after including that list as well it still doesn't include her own career that she has to worry about.  Any human, man or woman, girl or boy not matter of age would be a wreck mentally and physically. The woman is what is really holding the entire family together by herself mostly. They say this causes stress-related problems and mental and physical exhaustion for women trying to juggle all of these. Yet they like to label women as these "emotionally unstable creatures" when majority of the time they should've cried or screamed they didn't but when they do just that one time she's then seen as "overreacting". Oh how great it is to be a female in this world !

Marriage reaponse

I feel is that marriage is looked upon as an expectation for a woman. That we needed to be married at some poi t in our lives, but why do we need to. Some people may not want to marry, some may just want to deal with their careers. But in the early days you were to be married and if no one wanted to marry you, you were considered unwanted. And I never understood why that was a thing. And sadley it's still a thing today. Every woman should not be obligated to marry someone, and should not marry so early in their lives. Your 20s is your time to travel, your career, make moves, and do things that you have never done before.  Also married isn't jail people, its a contract that legally proves that you are togetuer who love each other and are happy toknow that you may spend the rest of your remaining years with that person.married should be charished not taken advantaged. But you people in this world who do that. Is it right? No, but does it happen yes. Marriage shouldn't always be an obligation in our lives so lets change that s little bit.

Birth Control Response

I know I am super later on this respnse,but jere it is. As a young woman of 20 years of age, living in this era, birth control should not be something a woman have to pay so much for. It should cost or be as much as people sell or give away condoms. I feel if or nation can give away free condoms and put them on shelves with ease that they should do the same for birth control. But now woman are now having to ise birth control for different reasons not just keeping them from having children. Me, for example, I have a nexplanon in my arm. It's mainly help me with my menstrual flow due to my 2 weeks of flowing in high school. It help some woman with their health and well being and not just for protection from sex. And if we can start educating our you ladies about it, at least they would know more and be prepared to know that they do have a choice.

Mothers Working - Oziel Juarez

Reading the last section "Mothering," in  Family Systems, Family Lives provides information on how social systems in our society just end up hurting mothers in the long run. The last couple of paragraphs explains how poor mothers are looked down upon for taking welfare, but also looked down upon because they "abandon" their children at daycares. This logic is incredibly flawed because the mother is getting looked down upon regardless. Let's say that she did want to have a baby, she had her child and now that she's trying to support her child, because her baby daddy left, she's being degraded because she doesn't spend as much time as they should with the child, whatever time that may be. I know from personal experience how going to daycare is a positive thing. Maybe it depends on what daycare institution one goes into, but me and my little sister went to a daycare for a couple of years while my mom worked from 8 till around 6 pm. We knew that our mother had to work and support us, we made friends and grew with our environment at the daycare. It was an experience that we grew with that was negative in any way. A good majority of rich parents have nannies who do the majority of parenting for them and they all have a stigma attached to them.

Marriage Response - BP

After reading the articles this week, I find it really interesting how there seems to be no good examples of balancing marriage. We see that the varying authors are either all for marriage or warning readers to avoid it altogether. I know that the opinion of marriage varies from person to person, but I see that most people do aspire to be married. How could we not? All celebrity news, every reality TV show, and every new disney movie ends with marriage and a happily ever after. I see that people tend to model their personal lives and relationship goals around people they don't know and relationships they only see in the media. People wonder why their marriages are failing, but still think that every moment is supposed to be roses and love letters. I am a firm believer in the saying that there is somebody for everybody, and growing up I know we all at some point thought that too. We all have to realize and prioritize the things we find important and be willing to compromise along the journey. Yes, I do think marriage is necessary and is something we should not get rid of just because others have not quite figured it out. It's just all about finding the right balance with the person you choose to be with, like Lisa Miya-Jervis mentions keeping both last names or going against the traditional man-and-wife roles of deciding who cooks or cleans were decisions they both chose to make to better the bond within their own marriage (375). She concludes the article by stating, she won't forget everything that feminists before her have fought for, in regards to the previous struggles of marriage, but that she will "forge a new vision of what marriage is "(376). That's how we all should approach it, taking out the outdated parts and making it work by our own standards.

It’s Complicated - Emily Martinez 3/28

During class, we talked a great deal about marriage. What it is, what it does, how it has changed over the years. Some insisted that it is unnecessary given our day and age, while others still cling to the concept and what it originally stood for. At its bare bones, marriage is an agreed union between two people, be it religious or civil. It binds one person to another, in theory for life, but realistically until the two again agree they no longer wish to be in the union.People drift and change and want new things. It’s life. It’s humanity. However, this does not mean marriage should be dismissed. At its core, it is a beautiful ceremony, and I’m not talking about the dresses and decorations. Humans are a romantic bunch. We learned to read and write and distinguish love from just a desire to mate and we’ve been writing poems ever since.

Marriage is a tradition dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. Is it necessary? No. No tradition is necessary. Yet we still practice them. Why? Because humans like the idea of things. Doesn’t it sound nice to be so in love with a person that you want to spend your entire life with just them? Is it practical? Not really no. But if people want to get married, then let them. That is their choice as two consenting adults. As for marriage, like all traditions it will change and morph into whatever society makes of it. I don’t think it will ever truly phase out, but I expect the ideology to change heavily within the next decade.

Weekly Response 3/28--Kellen Gable

Getting married while calling yourself a feminist can sometimes be hard because many other feminists see it as a betrayal to the cause of feminism and others seem to be disappointed in your choice. I think that is all it really is--a personal choice. If you want to get married and be a feminist then you should be able to without judgement from the people that are supposed to be supporting you in everything you do. There is, of course, all of the patriarchal traditions tied into marriage like the father "giving away" the bride to her husband as if she is property going from one man to the next and the white dress that symbolizes purity. But I feel that now marriage is seen, or at least it should be seen, as a partnership between two people that want to be together for the rest of their lives and less as a contract where a woman is given to a man. Especially now that gay marriage is legal, it is less about men gaining control and more about two people that are in love and choose marriage as the next step in their relationship. Being a feminist should not stop someone from getting married if that is what they choose to do and other feminists should support them in all of their choices because getting married does not change what a person sees themselves as.

My Mother - Henry Wilkinson, 3/28/17

When I think about my family, I often wonder what my mother was like before the world hurt her. The way women are treated, the societal inequalities that women face, and family issues all contributed to who my mother is. She is a good person, an admirable parent and teacher, and I love her very much, but I know that the world has placed a lot on her shoulders. My grandfather, her father, was a college professor so teaching was in the family- it makes sense that she would go on to become a teacher. However, she once had ambitions of working for the CIA. Her application to work there was accepted and she got as far as the screening process where officials interviewed various people in her life to see if she would make a good agent. It was always so cool to me when I was little knowing that my mom almost became a spy. But in the last minute, right when she was offered a job, she realized that it was too much for her. She realized that working for the CIA would be too much of a pressure on top of all the other things she had to deal with, and she decided to stay a middle school teacher.
She is good at what she does, and the fulfillment she receives from her job is more than I could ask for, but I still have to ask myself, "had the world not hurt her, would my mother be an agent?" I don't know what thought process she went through when deciding to stay a teacher, maybe marriage had to do with it, maybe she wanted to be a present figure in her children's lives. I'm more than thankful for having her be so involved with me growing up. I also wonder, is this really what she wanted all along? Did she make the decision to stay a teacher in order to fill the roles set out for her by society: to nurture, to teach, and to be the caregiver of the family. Given, my mother and father shared care giving responsibilities, but I still wonder... and wonder. Did she stay a teacher so that her job wouldn't "outrank" my father's, who is the Head Golf Professional at the UNC Golf Course? Did she want to be on an "equal level" with him? I do not know the answers, but after our discussion about marriage in class and reading the texts we were assigned, I have a lot to contemplate over.

Can We Salvage from the Past-Bria Shelby

I think the question of why we still have marriage is a valid one that came up as a topic both in class and in the article "who wants to marry a feminist?" The institution of marriage was mainly invented in order disadvantage women in every way possible, yet we keep up the tradition. Even feminist  still get married which seems to contradict their belief systems. But as the author of the articles, Lisa Miya-Jervis, says it is about taking the bad, oppressive things out of marriage and keeping the good. We see this ideology in many of the seemingly fun traditions that tend to have not-so-good roots. For instance, holidays like Thanksgiving are based on a history of Europeans invading the land of Native Americans and slaughtering them. But today we make Thanksgiving about Macy's day parades, big dinners, and Black Friday sales. The same goes for the confederate flag; it was once a symbol of white supremacy but now people (mostly) use it as a symbol for southern pride. So when do oppressive traditions become something harmless and all exclusive? It is all about evolving traditions to a point where we learn from past mistakes and making them into something new accepting . But then again, some things might have so many offensive qualities that it may not be worth saving. Another question that we have to ask ourselves is whether or not certain traditions are salvageable. In this case I think that marriage can be.

Weekly Response- Ann Arnett

When trying to decide what constitutes as a family and marriage, many people have many different ideas. Some believe that a family and marriage can only be shared between a man and woman. Others are open-minded and support marriage between same-sex couples and heterosexual couples. They also believe that a family can be constructed in many different ways. Families are individuals that come together to care for each other and their children if they choose to have them. It is not just a married man and woman that constitutes as a family. Family members often have different roles. Men are seen as the breadwinners, while women are the caretakers. With family being able to be constructed in different ways, these roles can cause problems. With a woman being characterized as a caretaker, she is often given opportunities for jobs that mimic that role. These are sometimes low paying that are unable to support her whole family if she is a single parent. Women also have a harder time finding opportunities to move up in their careers, because companies create fewer opportunities for women to advance. Women sometimes also have to take jobs that pay less for a more lenient schedule that allows them to care for their children. Companies are often looking for men. Whereas men have more opportunities to move up and make more money, they are offered less flexible schedules to spend time with or care for their families. With such a broad definition of who qualifies as a family, society must create jobs with equal opportunities for men and women. This will allow whoever is leading the household to properly provide and care for their family.

The Importance of Choice

After reading through the majority of the articles this week, I see a common theme regarding marriage coming up. There seems to be an emphasis on choice in these articles - Chapter 7 and the articles, “Marriage and Love,” and, “Who Wants to Marry a Feminist.” This is especially pertinent in the latter article. The author, Lisa Miya-Jervis, wants to drive home the idea that choosing to marry or not to marry should be a choice left to individual people. Nothing should ever be implied or expected, but if one decides to follow through what may be considered a more traditional path, they should not be outcast by the feminist community for doing so.

It seems that what happens quite a bit through third-wave feminism is that, when fighting for equity and oppressed groups, we may tend to glorify those traits and shame innocent but traditional values. It becomes a problem when we forget that forging a traditional path for oneself is fine - and even empowering - as long as it is one’s choice to do so. I appreciate Miya-Jervis’s statement, “To reject marriage simply because of its history is to give in to that history; to argue against marriage by saying that a wife’s identity is necessarily subsumed by her husband’s is to do nothing more than second the notion.” Basically, what I take from that is that instead of outright rejecting or ignoring marriage, we should focus on fixing what is wrong with it - because marriage still works for some people!

Personally, I think this could be addressed many ways. First and foremost - it should never be expected for someone to or implied that someone should get married. If someone doesn’t want to get married, no one should shame them for it. In addition, marriage should not be seen as something that is strictly monogamous and heterosexual. There should be ways for people to be in same-sex marriages (there are in the US now, but people are still shamed for same sex marriages), and there should be ways to people to be in marriages with more than one person at once or multiple people to be in the same marriage. Perhaps it shouldn't even be called marriage - but people who are in a consensual, romantic relationship of any kind should be allowed the same legal benefits of those who are traditionally married. Perhaps the best route would be to remove the legal benefits from marriage and let that be for people of all walks who are in romantic relationships or in a family. Marriage would then be a personal fulfillment; legality issues that come with marriage could be determined by other, more reliable tells, such as how long the people involved have been living together.

How would you address the issues these articles talk about?

Reflection on own Family Values - 3/29

Immediately reading Chapter 7 I was able to identify actual terms that described my parents marriage and my family values in a whole. In the second paragraph it states:

            "Scholarship on the family has demonstrated that family forms are historically and culturally constructed in global context and that family is a place for the reproduction of power relations both nationally and transnationally. Families worldwide are increasingly shaped not only by social structures within each society, but also by uniquely global forces, including worldwide demographic shifts, transitional employement across national and political borders, regional and internal til also violence, and worldwide culture systems. In this way, families are primary social units that maintain other institutions and reinforce existing patterns of domination. At the same time, however, family networks provide support systems that can reduce the indignities and/or challenge the inequities produced by various systems of inequality in society."


My parents thought that them getting married was the mandatory step that had to be made to grow, and what they thought was best because of they already had 2 kids together. Yet once they got married their relationship changed for the worst rather than for the best. Yes, they loved each other and things were much smoother before the marriage and they couldn't figure this out before until 15yrs later when they decided to separate. Being under the "title" of marriage changed their perspective of each other. My father viewed my mother as a woman that shouldn't work but just stay take care of the home and children. A lot of her opinions began to not matter as much as it did before because she was just the wife that didn't know as much as him because he was out working. As for my mother she thought that she should accept that role but it only left her miserable which reflected in her attitude towards everyone, she began to push her anger upon us instead of him. After while the relationship only stayed a float because of the children, known as a kinship the. Now 15yrs later not being able to bear each other no longer,  they realize they lost all respect for each other because of the roles they felt they were obligated to go by instead doing what's best for them to make their marriage work.

Proposal Clothes & Identity - Crystal, Bria, Corwin

For years people have categorized and judged people because of the choice of clothes they wore. We want to show how a clothing and identity doesn’t always correlate. We will be giving information on why you shouldn’t assume such particular identity traits pertaining to ones gender identification and type of personalities upon people just because of clothing.

Zine Proposal

March 27, 2017

Cherokee Hill

Violet Newborn

Taylor Williams

For the Zine we are proposing to discuss feminist art and our opinions on it.  The Feminist Art we will be covering, ranges from paintings to fashion.  We are interested in art that empowers us opposed to degrading women.  Regarding feminist fashion, we will be discussing how to world of fashion is at war with women's rights to wear what they want.  We will also being talking about feminist poetry, music, and horoscopes.  

Pop Culture Zine Proposal - Keely, Madison, Ann & Oziel

For our zine that we will be creating, we plan to focus on female empowerment through the mainstream culture. We will focus on how this is portrayed through music, photography, film, and fashion. We will also point out who is creating these empowering works through these mediums, as well as what makes them empowering.

    In addition to our individual opinion pieces and other required pieces, we intend to do a Top 10 list, a book or movie review, and a music review. Madison will focus on doing a film review, Ann will focus on fashion, Keely on photography, and Oziel on music.

PROPOSAL: Does Feminist Art trigger PTSD?

Asking women to look at feminist artwork and tell me if empowering or triggering?

Because I am curious to see if one woman's creative voice can be another woman's offense. I have personally came across very powerfully empowering pieces that have moved e and others that have triggered me. And as an artist I want to produce art that is healing to no matter who experiences it. I have also reproduced pieces that were pretty much just my self-hatred spewed onto a canvas unaware of its influences. So I’ve become curious if one’s voice of freedom is universal or could it trigger a woman’s PTSD.

Anything that reminds you of what happened right before or during a trauma is a potential trigger. They’re usually tied to your senses. You may see, feel, smell, touch, or taste something that brings on your symptoms. While triggers themselves are usually harmless, they cause your body to react as if you’re in danger. Including graphic images of violence or the threat thereof even the images of children playing freely can be emotionally disturbing to an adult survivor who has never had that experience feeling deprived of her childhood which in turns just reminds her of their experience.

I am choosing works from random  feminists that I myself could not look at it due to it’s emotional triggering effects that regress me to my past. An estimated one out of every nine women develops PTSD. I will interview several women I know who suffer from PTSD for this zine I debated on whether or not to warn them of the images first or just let it have a natural reaction without suggestion. Being that these ladies trust me and this is probably not the first time I pushed them out of their comfort zones as their life coach. I coach adult survivors of childhood sexual traumas. Teaching them how I have  applied  life skills and practices into to my own day to day life. To thrive to reach success I may not feel they even deserve due to PTSD. I simply will show them the images of feminist artwork for my school project and ask them if it’s empowering or degrading?

Update most have agreed out of their trust in me. But out of  interest and curiosity for themselves to measure their growth.

Morning love. So I have a HW assignment. I'm doing an article that asks women specifically adult survivors (my tribe) . If a piece of artwork is empowering or triggering? Would you like to participate? No names of course just your immediate reaction and response to the images.

I suggest take a moment or go ahead and do it as you go on with your day to day which ever is most comfortable. Some images are graphic in sexual violence or the intent thereof. This is not due til a week from today.

I suggest take a moment or go ahead and do it as you go on with your day to day which ever is most comfortable. Some images are graphic in sexual violence or the intent thereof. This is not due til a week from today.

Great. So u know u can keep talking to me in depth about anything I'll try my best to keep you grounded in our love and trust. Just let me know whenever you're ready. I will send them via email all at once.

568 

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/women/women-trauma-and-ptsd.asp

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-are-ptsd-triggers#1

Proposal-Women and Religion

     Although most societies in the world are patriarchal, it varies vastly across the board depending on the traditions of certain cultures. Traditions often stem from the religion that is taught. Many religions and traditions, because of its emphasis on male domination, form the basis for injustice toward women, ranging from subtle inequalities to outright blatant disrespect. Our topic focuses on women in different religions across the world and the varying forms of feminism that counteract discrimination against women. We will first look at the expected roles and negative stigmas toward women based on both western and eastern religious teachings. We will then see how they compare/contrast with one another. This examination includes the exploration of cultures in the west that practice Christianity (and its many sects and denominations), Judaism and Islam and cultures in the east that practice hinduism and Buddhism. We will take a look at the stigmas surrounding women of each faith, women's roles and how they are treated  in society based on faith and traditions, and the uniques forms of feminism with which women have responded.

Zine Proposal - Kellen Gable, Emily Martinez, Henry Wilkinson

For our Zine, we will be exploring the topic of Body Positivity. Articles will include: discussions of media influence and representation, an interview with an advocate for body positivity, a co-authored article about our own personal experiences, an advertisement about loving yourself,  Do’s and Don’ts, Top 10s, and fun horoscopes. The overarching theme will be that of a self-help magazine, fun, playful, and full of bright colored and well thought out information

The Healthcare System vs Environmental Issues

Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russia, Spain, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom are all countries that have free healthcare.  But the United States do not have free healthcare and isn't available for a large portion of the country.  “Unavailable” referring to the unemployed , or part time workers.  As stated in Chapter 7 of Women's Voices: Feminist Visions, Edition 6, “President Obama’s healthcare reform efforts resulted in the absence of a public option and limits on abortion coverage.  Still, these changes in healthcare made sure that everyone in the United States have some kind of health insurance coverage.”  This is progress and progression.

Although, 19 million women did not have health insurance in 2013 and “low-income women (who are disproportionately women of color) to postpone care and delay preventive procedure (364)”.  This is due to the fact that “women are more likely to be employed in part time or full time work without health insurance benefits (364)”.  This all leads up to a much larger problem.  Environmental racism is an oppression based on toxic wastes and chemicals being dumped into poor income communities.  This causes their to be more health issues with the people living in these areas like women being more likely to chronic conditions and acute problems due to unsafe drinking water, pollution, and the pesticides.  Some of the chemicals include home bleach and cleaning supplies.  Another important issue which is environmental estrogens.  They are a synthetic estrogen that “mimic human estrogen and how estrogens affect the body.  These indirectly disrupts the way human estrogen is produced (372)”.  Synthetic estrogens do not break down well and stay in fat cells that lead to diseases like breast cancer and testicular cancer.

Sex, power and intimancy

It's weird how even things like sex and romance can have a major impact on the perceptions of gender.  Even impacting how we identify and define ourselves.  It starts with the sexual scripts that are taught to us since childhood that tell us “how we are supposed to feel and act as sexual persons” (Shaw and lee, 163).  These sexual scripts ultimately help establish and maintain gender roles and heteronormativity.  I understand that this is build into our minds, but it seems really hard to unlearn something like gender roles.  Only because the beginnings of these learnt roles start with whether you are brought home from the hospital in a pink or blue blanket.  Society needs to be taking baby steps to reverse this way of thinking.

On a different topic, the idea that virginity does not exist really challenges gender roles and heteronormativity. This is by not giving males a reason to “own” their spouse and it also gives women something that would lessen the discrimination against women who are not virgins.  Purity Balls are dances fathers take their young daughters too to make them swear the virginity to there fathers.  With this in mind, it seems society has an obsession with young, pure (white) girls.  But only girls that are pretty or even “sexy” (ew).  Vladimir Nabokov wrote about these kind of young girls in Lolita and calls them Nymphets which is referring to mythical Nymphs that are young female mystical beings that exploit and seduce sexually deprived, older men.  This is so extreme in our culture that there's a “daddy complex” with both men and women.  Girls with “daddy issues” are praised and are seen as hyper sexual because it gives men a reason to be sexually dominant and/or aggressive (which I'm not against and past no judgment).

In conclusion, everyone should be able to love whom they wish and not have society putting predispositions in your minds that restrict us in relationships.  I have come understand this through the essay Romance: Sweet Love where Peck states, “the desire to love is not itself love, love is as love does.  Love is an act of will- namely, both an intention and action.  Will also impose choice.  We do not have to love.  We choose to love.”

Inscribing Gender on the Body- BODY POSITIVITY

Society shames both women and men into thinking we are too fat, too thin, too big, too small, too pretty, too ugly, too short, or too tall.  But it's important to see that no one will ever fit the photoshop model and how it's much more important to learn to love what you have.  Stated in “Inscribing Gender on the Body”, “these practices (beauty practices of the 19th century) made women faint, appear frail, dependent, and passive-responses to 19th century notions of middle class femininity.”  It started in the Victorian era with corsets that restricted their breathing and crushed their stomachs all because of the patriarchy and male supremacy that's been sticking around like sap oozing out of a tree.  That has led up into the 19th century in the way women want to be see as.

But with fashion and media showing women with a small waist and big breasts, it changes society's perceptions of how women “should” look like.  These perceptions are like “the norms” that not all people can live up to, and shouldn't have too.  These norms are shown everywhere in the Media and give people body positivity issues because they are told they aren't good enough.  Men have he same issues with body positivity regarding what is portrayed in the Media.  Men are seen as all muscular, or nerdy and small, and it's not a healthy way to categorize anyone into fitting stereotypes.  Both women and men are told that average sized bodies are fat and unhealthy.  The Media also supports malnourished models claiming that beauty is all about size, but not acknowledges that anorexia as an eating disorder is a serious, treatable problem.

Abort Irrelavant Opinions - 3/22

The part the moved me the most reading this weeks reading was the topic of abortion. I've always had an opinion on it but I never knew the factual backgrounds of it that the reading was able to inform me about. It fascinates me the most that the 47% of "Pro-Life" believers are men. MEN ! The same men that doesn't care for a child as a woman, doesn't have to birth a child, doesn't have to nurture a child, yet has such a strong opinion on the abortion method. Don't get me wrong I do believe that people are obligated to their opinions but the fact that the government feels as if the man has more of a say so on what the woman should be able to do with her body is completely absurd. It all leads back to patriarchy, giving the man this power, to make the man the sepreme. Although, the man is the highly percentage sex that uptionly leaves the child, forcing the mother to raise the child on her own. Then normally when the woman has to raise the child on her own she struggles with having to provide and nurture on her own, while already struggling to get a good job because of high rate of sexism in the work force. So then when she's forced to be on welfare and use foodstamps she looked down upon as wanting a hand out when none of this was what she wanted from the start.

Sterilizing Minorities - Oziel Juarez

Oh my God, reading about forced sterilization among women of color was/is so infuriating! And the fact that those a**hole doctors were originally able to get away with doing so money on minority women is also very infuriating! What kind of sick and demented person would think "You know what, today I will sterilize some minority women so that the white race will pull through! White is right!" Those people are crazy and need to put in prison to rot forever. I have not done further investigation to see what happened to those doctors, but hopefully they were severely punished and not just revoking them of doctor's license. I have a funny feeling that the latter was the only thing that actually happened to them, though. Those poor women, being ripped away of something they did not consent to. I feel so bad for those women who had no kids and one day wanted them, sorry for those who had kids and wanted more, and those who maybe never wanted kids to begin. These women were abused and molested by these sh*thead doctors and they'll never be able to go back because of them. Their lives are forever ruined because of these doctors, regardless of whether they wanted children one day or not. Now some of the women are probably afraid to go to doctors like gynecologists because something similar could happen to them. Also the fact that sterilization is offered in Medicaid but birth control isn't speaks volumes. They want those who can afford birth control to use it and one day stop to let their child continue in this life of capitalism, but if they can't afford birth control, then sterilization it is! They simply don't want poor babies. Also abortion is big no-no. So if you can't afford a baby and can't get an aborition then they'll be stuck with the baby for at least 9 months. Woo, big a woman is very hard work.

The Birth Control Debate - Henry Wilkinson

For men, Birth control is not an issue they have to think about. They are not the ones who are pregnant, their lives are not completely altered by them fathering a child. Women, however, continually have to worry about sex, pregnancy, and abortion. For decades people have tried to control a woman's body and despite the fact that abortions were commonly practiced up until the late 1800's, abortion clinics have increasingly diminished over the 20th and 21st century. It all stems from male doctors trying to regulate the system and prejudiced people using a false version of Christianity to mask their own prejudiced and sexist views. Gloria Steinem said it best: "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament." Men do not think about the consequences of their actions while a woman constantly thinks about pregnancy, what she would do in the event she were to become pregnant, would she keep the child, etc. In the mid 20th century, to become pregnant was to be the end of a woman's career. If she were working, she would not be able to keep her job in many cases. Our society has thankfully moved away from this, but pregnancy still dominate's women's lives. If she waits to have a child, she's being selfish. If she has a child young, she's an idiot. Whereas, men do not worry about using condoms, they do not worry about birth control, they do not think about how having a child will alter their bodies (because it doesn't). Yet, men still try to regulate women's bodies. Men still try to create laws that control what a woman can and cannot do with their bodies. Men try to create systems around an experience they could never experience. Tell me how this isn't flawed, I ask you. It is my firm belief that only women should be able to make laws regulating women's bodies.

The Luxury of Being a Woman

Despite prevention and treatment, women are still dying all over the country from AIDS. Reproductive rights are limited and have obstacles that affect women poor, black and those in transition.

Reminds me of a story a few decades back of a man who had finished transitioning but ended up with life in prison. He was raped several times a day and was treated horribly because he was now considered a woman locked down and surrounded by hundreds of sexually deprived men. After contracting the HIV over time with a lawyer was able to be transferred to a women's prison to save his life. There he was officially classified as a female and received a lot of reproductive and medical rights he wouldn't dream of qualifying for as a man. Being that he was a lifer it took them twelve years for this process  but this issue brought attention to Congress who in turn advanced the quality of healthcare for women inmates which were non-existent years. Even then it took a man becoming a woman to bring attention women's rights as an incarcerated person. There are many women who are pregnant during their conviction and conceive during incarceration from guards and conjugal visits. So just because a woman is imprisoned her basic health needs as a woman do not go away. Thanks to this guy’s transition into being a female opened the doors for an overlooked  community of women  to be  served with healthcare needs. So seems like the luxury of becoming a woman is a step up from being born a woman but that’s a whole other blog topic.

College Students & HIV Risks

This week’s readings all brought interesting perspectives about healthcare to mind. The collaborative article “HIV Risk Behavior Among College Students in the United States” took me by surprise. I knew that college is a place where most students “break free” and choose to do what they want to do, but to see the statistics stacked up showing just how many students are careless and active is definitely eye opening. What makes it worse is that this article was written in 2009, so what are the statistics now in 2017? Many people say that they are “just living life” and having fun, but never stop to think that HIV is something that could happen to them. In the article, it mentions, “although the threat of HIV is viewed seriously by students, they continue to feel little need to practice safer sex” (322). Everything about HIV has been misconstrued and twisted, as far as, how this generation understands the subject. It seems many people think that HIV  is only a thing of the past or that it only affects a certain group of people, yet the studies show that college students are very knowledgable about the subject (321). So it’s easy to recommend sending out more pamphlets or giving more lectures to educate students about HIV, but it looks as if more knowledge on the subject doesn’t change the dangerous behaviors that students are performing (322). What’s the solution? I’m not sure, but I hope we are able to find one soon because the issue will only continue to grow and spread and consume those involved, which based on the statistics, includes the 75% to 90% of college students in the U.S. (320). 

Weekly Response 3/21--Kellen Gable

The fact that birth control pills and other forms of female birth control are so expensive and fairly hard to come by is one of the many ways men and the government and the medical industry control women and what they do with their bodies. They have medicalized female birth control--you have to go to a doctor to get a prescription for pills or go to a doctor for an implant. Men do not have this problem. All they have to worry about is buying a five dollar pack of condoms and a lot of times they will not even do that because “they don’t feel good.” Neither does childbirth. And if a woman cannot afford birth control for whatever reason and she gets pregnant and isn’t ready and wants an abortion, she has to hope she lives in a place that has legalized it. The entire abortion and reproductive rights debate can simply be boiled down to the fact that men want to control women in any and every way they can.

What Would Jesus Do? - Emily Martinez 3/22

This week got me thinking about the pro-life protesters generally seen outside of Planned Parenthoods. The majority of the time they are middle aged or older and claiming to be Christian. But are they really? Where in the Bible did it say “Thou will heckle people on the street?”? They wield signs, threaten and act in violence, yell, scream, and shame anyone who should enter and exit PP. It’s horrible and remarkably unChristian like behavior. Last I checked “Do unto others as you would have done to you” is still a Golden Rule given by JC himself. If they are so against the procedures practiced there, then why not try to peacefully dissuade or offer assistance to the people entering? A woman is going in for an abortion. Do you think screaming at her will improve the situation? No. She is already in a frightening predicament and their jeers make it all the more traumatic. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. These protesters want people to listen, however they won’t lend an ear to the person’s own view. In order for change to happen, both sides of the story must be told first. Only then can a resolution be found. If they would just take the time to be kind, perhaps a different perspective could be found.

Silent Oppession is Deadliest-Bria Shelby

Before reading the articles in the textbook, and listening to  class discussions, I did not really take notice of the inequality that people see in the the medical industry. I was aware of the issues of abortion and the restrictions that women undergo, but other health issues were not known to me. I think that I knew it on a subconscious level, but it never seemed to be on my radar. What is both interesting and  disturbing  from the readings is how much our bodies are controlled by health care authorities and how dangerous they may be to our well being. Laws have been made that restrict women, especially women of color, from being in the best physical condition they could be in; women may even be in worse states after seeing their trusted doctors. To me this is the most deadly form of oppression to women and all minorities groups because it is masked behind people  we are supposed to trust. We are taught to put our lives in the hands of doctors  but many of them end up doing unethical things to women like opposing contrceptives, misdiagnosing women based on stereotypes, and sometimes reinforcing eugenics by sterilizing certain groups.  It is hard to fight this type of institutionalized discrimination because it is so engrained in us to trust these things and think it to be normal. We do not question it because we consider these people who do these things to us as respectable people. The medical industry and the laws behind them have done things not worthy of our trust, yet we continue to trust them anyway; we may not now realize what is being done, but we must soon find ways to fix this injustice

Stop Praying for Me, I’m Just Here for Condoms - Taylor Williams

The fight to gain reproductive autonomy has been a long one. Since people decided that birth control was immoral because it’s a woman’s “duty” to have and raise children, this argument has dragged on. The accessibility of birth control has contributed to a rise in illegal abortion rates in poor communities as well as deaths from said abortions. How can someone call themselves pro-life when they are a part of the system that has caused so many deaths of innocent women? Women who, if they had the means to prevent getting pregnant in the first place, would not have needed an abortion at all. Existing as a pregnant person is expensive. It costs nearly as much as going to college easily. Many poor women cannot afford the medical care they need to ensure a healthy pregnancy and so they go without, potentially causing themselves and their children harm. The idea of “just carry it to term and put it up for adoption” is difficult to fathom because of the amount of pain and money that goes into being pregnant. Missed work days cannot be regained by putting the child up for adoption. Just because the child is not in your life for does not mean it has not affected it. Pro-life people tend to see pro-choice people as being heartless murderers but it is really about acknowledging that your experiences and opinions do not reflect those of everyone else in the world. It’s about recognizing that you and everyone else are individuals with your own lives. It’s about trying to understand that there is always more than one side to someone. Support each other instead of fighting over who is right. Aborting is difficult to go through, I’m sure, and those women do not need someone telling them they’ll go to Hell on top of it.

Week 10: Weekly Response Ann Arnett

A woman’s reproductive rights have always been a source of controversy. In the 1900s, women had less access to birth control and abortions, but they had more control over the birthing process and held more knowledge than hospitals that were just beginning to offer services for births. As more women began to turn to hospitals for births, they lost control over the birthing process and safe procedures. When going to the hospitals, women endured unnecessary procedures and drugs that were meant to “help” the process. Women also had no control over a choice of birth control, or they faced discrimination over who could obtain birth control. Women of minorities often were given sterilization procedures without knowing what was happening to them. As time has progressed, we as a society have grown out of some of these. We no longer force sterilization procedures among women, although insurance does cover these whereas it doesn't always cover birth control. Hospitals are working to give women more control over the birthing process. The major debate of reproductive rights in today’s society is abortion and birth control. Donald Trump and republicans are planning to defund Planned Parenthood, insurance to stop coverage of birth control, and to ban abortions. These things will take away from the woman’s choice of what she can do with her own body, as well as restrict her access to reproductive health care. Americans must work to protect rights for reproductive health.

Extra Credit Response to The Cult of Virginity

I know that my response is late, but U had a lot of time to think about it so it may be a little lengthy. So on watching this film there were a lot of things that I saw that are wrong. I will start with the purity balls. My honest opion about these types of events are down right wrong. Yes it may be a way for a father to protect his daughter's virginity,but this I believe is a little out of hand. Some of the girls were as young as 5 and 6years old. How is she even gonna remember any of the events. I also underatand that a girls first love is her father, but this is a little weird in my personal notebook. A father can only do so much that he can to keep his daughter from having sex, but you can't protect her from every time she goes to school or go to a party. When she gets older she wants to be able to experience being a teenager. The only thing parents can do is be there and. Support their child's decision.

Rise Up Against Your Fashion Overlords - Taylor Williams

Gender-based physical expectations are mainly targeted toward women, the group harmed most by them. Many women experience some form of eating disorder because of the beauty standards enforced on them by other women or by society overall through media such as advertisements or films. Shaving has been pushed on women by advertising agencies since 1915 when sleeveless dresses became popular (an ad featured in Harper’s Bazaar, a fashion magazine of the time called underarm hair objectionable. -WYSK). The main reason they began marketing to women being that they weren’t making enough money just marketing to men. This societal expectation has grown to cause people to believe that body hair is gross and unnatural despite the health benefits having it provides -- it is there for a reason, after all. Shaving around genitals puts you more at risk for infections and injury as well as chafing. Pornography causes inexperienced people to be surprised that bodies are formed differently than those shown and may increase bad sexual experiences overall. Fashion has enforced a reliance on capitalism by making women’s clothing more cheaply and costing more for less functionality. For example, most women’s shirts are made from thin cloth, causing the need for a second (or third) layer. Men’s shirts, however, tend to be made for longer life and can be worn without anything underneath without risk of being pretty much naked. It also has caused physical harm to women by making them view themselves as being the “wrong” shape and causing them to try to change the way their body looks to make it more acceptable be it by starvation, dieting, or corsets. (see also: foot binding) The image of women being below men physically and mentally has been prevalent throughout history (excluding ancient Spartan women and several African tribes where women are more powerful than / equally powerful to men).

1. WYSK “Pit Stop: A Quick History of Women and Shaving”  http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/pit-stop-a-quick-history-of-women-shaving/

Extra Credit

I have to admit I was quiet during the purity video mainly because I heard my voice over the years to my daughter. I had no idea my beliefs were not my own but so normalized by society especially growing up in the 70's. I had no clue I was just recycling bullshit. I am saddened but educated and aware that I have no clue and need to do a self -evaluation of my belief systems and morals for that matter. It all seems silly, but luckily I am grateful my sixteen-year-old daughter Raegan, is more of an individual than I was at her age. It is amazing how you can be so sure about something that you never give it any thoughts about where you got the information in the first place. So much to learn and so many freedoms to challenge.

The many times I've critiqued when she was younger as to what a "lady" does and doesn't do. And oh how sex was wrong, and there is no greater honor than getting married. I recall telling her that it is her father’s job to keep her pure. I also recall her telling me immediately afterwards that that was her job. I even went as far to telling her that no guy would want her if she has had a too many guys know her body. Luckily I instilled being smarter and just as strong as boys too.I did not see the benefits in these belief systems yet I just simply recycled them. Well, when you know better you do better I shall do better by empowering Raegan to be Raegan.

Stereotyping Culture

According to Kimberly Springer, a queer black female sexuality means to be eccentric, strange, or unexpected. Springer gives examples such as being silent is surprising as a stereotypical black woman who is loud and hypersexual. She brings to our attention that black women's first identity was from being a slave.  And consistently assigned the identity as Mammy or Jezebel status in today's society.  Black women are supposedly loud and bitchy so to add lesbianism to the mix is just the cherry on top. But a queer black female heterosexuality is a  sexual person whose wants and needs are self-defined. She reiterates how she is the opposite of such stereotypes in her daily life as a lady. The black females sexuality will continually be predetermined by everyone, but black women remain exempt from the privilege of having individual identities.

Springer states as an asexual black lady her daily existence goes against her conditioning. Her queer theory is all about challenging her heterosexual privileges.  By noting the downfall of labeling queerness as an identity or even political. I agree we need to start the dialogue that reinvents black sex in ways that do not contradict ourselves. Society Being silent just tells society mainly our culture that it is okay to keep quiet and  In conclusion, she asks the question can black women achieve a truly liberated black female sexuality? I say yes more on an individual level due to the large majority groups already taking on stereotypes as their culture and belief systems.

The Lost Identity of Males

The ideals of "becoming a man" has historically shaped the world with fear, conformity, and unearned power.  The homosocial enactment is ingrained in men's mind and what ultimately created sexism, homophobia, and racism. The thought the men will be disowned, physically assaulted, and excluded in society for even being the slightest bit “feminine”.  What even deems in action of femininity? Well in society standards it's being weak, emotional, or simply wearing the color pink. As Michael Kim Mom states in his essay, masculinity as homophobia: fear, shame, in the silence in the construction of gender identity", "men are under the constant careful scrutiny of other men- Women have in men's minds, such a low place on the social ladder of this country that it's useless to the find yourself in terms of a woman”. Let's use a man buying a pack of tampons for an example of what Kimmel is saying: men have issues buying tampons in public because of the fear of another man seeing him buying it. Another man might see this as a weakness because they seem "whipped” (Being completely controlled by a woman to the point where you will do or say anything that she tells you to.) . Not because women "the weaker sex" will google seeing it or even approve because it is not actually a big deal. With all of this in mind when was understand that no one can have equal rights until men stop thinking of themselves as the "all-powerful gender police" is start standing up with the rest of us to make this world a better place.

The Purity Myth Response - BP

After watching the Purity Myth video and reading the article that went along with it, I did not know what to think. I am so glad that the video came before the reading because if I would have just read the article I would not think that these people were real. The one guy describing "brutal" rape or the lady talking about having too many options... like seriously??  I knew abstinence was encouraged among the youth but I never stopped to think that it was just pushed towards young girls and not young men. I do believe in abstinence, but not solely to promise my virginity to my natural father. I guess I look at things differently because of the way that I was raised and even the teachings I receive now. I do believe abstinence can work and does work effectively among a lot of people, not just girls. It all boils down to the approach and how it's handled. Like the duct tape example, I really enjoyed that analogy because it put things in a way that was easy to understand and that connected. So my overall opinion is a lot of people choose to remain abstinent for their own reasons, but just because this video highlighted the weird part of the virgin world does not mean that's how everyone views abstinence and virginity.