Final Blog
In the beginning of this semester I was frustrated with this course material. The theories were too broad for me because I was only applying them to my own plus-four life. I was in no means trying to be ignorant, and I thought of myself as always being an open-minded person. I grew up in Northeast Minneapolis and I lived amongst largely diverse people, however I never thought that these other people’s lives could be so dramatically different from mine. My neighbors had different philosophies, different limitations, and different knowledge than my family. So when I heard these theories, I believed that they were false and over exaggerated. Concepts like Richardson’s idea of performing gender seemed as though theorists were looking too far into everyday life and over analyzing it, however, this performance of gender explains many situations because it is how our society works. Frye’s piece on Oppression seemed way over exaggerated and completely out of line. However, as the semester moved on and we explored the idea of a +5 lifestyle it was clear to me that I live a VERY privileged life. The course was not about me, however about humanity in general. Wow, what a wake up call. I kind of feel like slapping myself for thinking that way. There is a certain lens that you have to look though to completely understand where these theories are coming from (rose-tinted? Heh...). The course seemed to unite women from all walks of life, recognizing that we all have struggles, from trying to find your place in society as a homosexual, to trying to find the balance of gender roles in family life, to fighting for fair maternity laws, to dealing with domestic violence within a marriage. I know this is going to sound corny and I am sorry that I could not spare you, however this has been quite a journey for me. I have met some of the most intellectual women within those classroom walls. Thank you so much.