September 2009 Archives

Thus far, this class has been extremely interesting. This is my first time truly being exposed to information on multicultural feminism. Therefore, there have been a lot of new terms, however it's a new perspective to understanding issues regarding class, gender, minorities etc.

Hi Guys... please bear with me, as this is my first attempt ever at blogging (Facebook is the closet I've ever come, and I maybe do a "status update once every 3 month!) and,currently, I feel awful.  Boo!

Anyways, one aspect I'm really excited to continue to explore through out the semester is intersectionality.  It is such an important element to consider, as we need to be conscientious of the multiple "layers" that surround different people (of all genders) to better understand situations and/ or viewpoints.  It reminds us that although we may have the best intentions in mind, speaking for, or on behalf of a group we personally are unable to fully represent (due to different cultural, sexual or gender affiliations) may often marginalize people even further, by essentially creating an "other" group, however unintentional it may be.  I'm completely on board with the idea intersectionality, because it seemed as if early feminists only focuses on what the upper-class, white, straight women was interested in at the time, and that proved to only further polarize women since only a certain group, or idea was accounted for, and considered the 'norm.'

As someone pursuing a double major in GWSS as well as Sociology of Law, Criminology and Deviance, it's interesting to me to see how the two different majors have put a somewhat different spin on the topic.  Although they share major similarities, the concept of intersectionality through Sociology (where it was first presented to me) has been a bit different, so I'm looking forward to learning more on the topic, and the perspective through GWSS courses.

Zenzele mentioned in class that Black and Hispanic men are the most likely to be sentenced to death by our legal system.  Adding to this concept of intersectionality, I wanted to also lend support by sharing a fact I learned in my Race, Class & Gender course that pertains to the death penalty.  That is 92% of the people currently on death row are below the poverty level.  To me, this shows a clear correlation between race and class, and makes it undeniable that the law is colorblind, or dissuaded by funds, as it tries to present itself. 

Examining these issues further by peeling back the layers continues to expose and enlighten me to issues regarding not only race, class, gender & sexuality, but also the law, politics and policies that continue to disadvantage certain groups of people.  I personally feel outraged at things I've learned through class, as well as things I've learned via my own research.  Undoubtedly, this has contributed to my desire to be a lawyer who focuses on human rights and activism issues, and I feel grateful to have a much sounder concept of intersectionality, and at the same time, understand that I have much, much more to learn.

 

First to echo what others are saying about the class-- I am excited about this class.  It seems as if this is one of the only classes that will be a breath of fresh air.  Now on to the good stuff... :-)

 

Hello! I wanted to start of my blog by saying that I am really excited about this class. I think that we have had some really exciting discussion so far! I was very intrigued by the exercise that we did in class on Tues. All of the situations were so hard to sift through and I thought that it really made me think outside the box. There are truly so many difficulties that women face when involved in domestic violence situations that are not thought about on a superficial level. I think that it is really important to have a class totally dedicated to minority women because the reality is that no matter how we say   it white is the norm. There are ample statistics, as we have already read, that show a clear line between the treatment of white women and the treatment or brown and black skinned women. Being white does not mean that we don't experience violence it just means that there is one less intersecting layer that is not present that white women have to deal with and that is race. White women can still be poor, or disabled, or gay which gives them other hurdles to deal with but they are not a minority nor do they have a historical history of slavery, genocide, and outright violence which was fully supported by whites.

 

Firstly, I have been really, really enjoying all of our readings and class discussions! I don't yet have anything to criticize, but just a few things that have been thinking about with each reading. That is, I can't help but wonder what can be accomplished to combat domestic violence within the constraints of the world we live in. Our first set of readings, in The Color of Violence, certainly alluded to a much more broad effort of overthrowing the capitalist system, which Zenzele warned us about. This was actually exactly what I was looking for, and generally what I hope to find in any sort of written work on feminism. Intersecting oppressions, in fact all of the violences we have discussed, occur in a capitalist world. Could any sort of absolute progress, and breaking of oppression, actually be made in world structured around profit and class systems? While it really is such a broad, almost abstract at this point, goal to dissect, I think it is also important to be able to imagine what exactly our world should look like. Even more important of a question for me, is what other option is there, besides a literal revolution of the oppressive system?

I just wanted to get a couple things off my chest, that relates to one of our readings by Caroyln West, in Violence within Ethincally and racially Diverse Communities. I really agree with alot of the issues that circulaate around domestic violence iwthin the homes, and what causes it. I understand fully and can relate to alot of the situations they talked about within the book but what i don't undersand and what really bothers me is the fact that some victims are considered unworthy of sympathy when they fight back. As a domestic abuse survivor I would really feel hurt and hopeless if i were to gather the little bit of strength i have to fight back from my predator. Tyr to gather resources and finally leave, and to be turned around or arrested as well for self defense. I just don't understand how and who gets to decide whether someone is unworthy of symppathy and who gets to decide wether its self defense or not. What are the restirctions or what quialifies as self defense?

The first time I saw this commercial, I didn't really see what was wrong with it - I saw it as vulgar and yes disgusting, but I didn't see how this commercial, as do most of the media we see today, perpetuate systems of inequality and oppression.  I remembered this video as I was reading our text from last week and watched it again with a new perspective: I see now how I had internalized the images as just "normal" part of our culture, not something to offend me, another example of how we often internalize our own oppressions and become part of the problem as such.  

Type in this URL and watch it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XiZk74GkgM

No, the video is not and SNL skit making fun of whitecastle or something to that extent.  It is an actual commercial.  Here we witness a pig playing the role of what is generally a woman's job, a stripper, and displaying itself in for (in this case) mans consumption.  Inherent in this analogy is violence: the pig is doused in BBQ, butchered and then prepared into juicy burgers to be consumed. These images both commodify and oversexualize women.  Women are meat, they are to be consumed, their image is for pleasure, you can sell, buy it, consume it.  Women are sexual objects.  

This video has clear ties to domination - gender violence, psychological violence and structural violence (hence it being a "normal" scene within media).  As far as intersectionality, I'm not sure where race or class fit in here in terms of oppression but they are definitely apart of what's going on. 

 

Disgusting!

While I am enjoying our class conversations thus far, I have a couple of critiques and ideas that I think are worth considering.

The first idea that I continually think of during our discussions and readings is that of whiteness. Our readings and class topics are attempting to create a space for women of color's issues, particularly domestic violence, to be heard. In order to do this, our analysis focuses exclusively on women of color. Unfortunately what happens here is that whiteness becomes the 'unmarked,' even a yard stick. For instance, because we rarely (not never, but rarely) talk about what happens in the case of white women with domestic violence, it starts to appear as though white women are not victims of domestic violence and/or that white women are the "norm." When whiteness is not mentioned, it's the blank, the normative, and the without-culture. Of course whiteness has culture, and it can be dismantled just as much as the many versions of "color" can.

Now for the caveats: I'm not saying that we should add white ladies' issues in, or that what we're looking at isn't worth looking at (I would say just the opposite!). What else are modern feminists to do? We've forgotten to interrogate the intersectionality of many issues, which has left out race, and therefore we're practically backtracking. This is just something to keep in mind while we do this. Don't assume that whiteness is monolithic or blank or without culture, and most importantly, don't let it become what is the "normal thing" in your head.

Hi! I am excited for this course. I have been thinking about reality and how people have to present themselves as a certain type of person to be accepted. One of the readings discussed how a black battered woman who is incarcerated is told not to talk about her children to avoid stereotypes and then a white battered woman who is incarcerated is encouraged to weep over her children and show how she is a caring mother. In another class, we discussed coming out stories and in certain circumstances it can be easier to be seen as straight or to not challenge the assumption that one is straight. It amazes me how much of ones life is constructed. The way I chose to present myself has ramifications. I work at a clothing store, which for the most part encourages fashion in a very conventional way. A few days ago an individual came in who was wearing a dress and shopping in the woman's department, however this individual had masculine facial features and one of my co-workers was obsessed with deciding if the person was a man or a woman. It took up a good part of a half hour of my co-workers time. It amazes me how important it was to my co-worker to know what this person's "real" gender was.

The readings on intersectionality this week, and particularly Leti Volpp's "Feminism versus Multiculturalism", prompted me to analyze and reflect on my time spent in China.  My impression of Chinese women and their place in Chinese society is much different after spending time immersed in their culture.  Before leaving on my trip, I was told that to respect  Chinese beliefs about women, I should dress conservatively and not draw attention to myself.  I dutifully packed high-collared shirts, long pants, and modest dresses.  To my surprise, upon landing I found myself in a land of hot pants, six-inch heels, and plunging necklines.  The person who'd advised me on dress had left China only eight years before.  Most people I talked to confirmed it: in recent years Chinese women have rapidly been shedding historically oppressive gender roles and instead moving toward a new agency in sexual expression and financial independence.  Though many older Chinese women still abide by the traditional gender politics illustrated by the Confucian "Three Obediences" (first obey your father, then your husband, then your son), the younger Chinese generation of women are breaking the mold by pursuing higher education, providing for themselves by holding professional jobs, and dating men without the goal of marriage.  This evolution and redefinition of gender norms is, according to Volpp, something that we in the West tend to believe applies only to ourselves.  We assume that foreign cultures are inferior and stagnant.  In Carolyn M. West's article, "Domestic Violence in Ethnically and Racially Diverse Families", she makes repeated mention of the traditionally submissive role of females in Asian cultures.  With the rapid change (social and otherwise) occurring in China, Asia's most populous country, the West may soon have to recognize a change in the Asian gender model.   

I have to admit right now I'm having a little bit of trouble with the material as a whole. It's not that I don't understand the content it is that I find the entire system irreparably problematic. I think that many of the concepts are too broad. Then when i figure that each person experiencing inequality or domestic violence should be helped on an individual and interpersonal level but that does not address the problems within the larger society. So i find myself working in toward specific problems then working back out to the larger picture and back again. I understand the systems attempt to help everyone, for example activism to help prevent domestic violence, but it sometimes is helpful to realize that not one person or one group can help everyone. It would be beneficial for women's rights if people worked to lead specific and specialized areas. All of what I'm saying may in fact be obvious but I think this is my way of working through the material. As I work through one of my issues another one arises. Somehow the second issue complicates the first issues.

When speaking of intersectionality we discuss race, class, gender and sexual orientation but we forget to discuss the species. Every year more than 9 billion animals are killed for food in the United States alone. 98% of the 240 million chickens used for eggs in the United States live their entire lives crammed into cages where they do not have enough space to even spread their wings. Chickens being bred for eating are killed in production lines where they are forced to watch their friends in front of them have their throats slit and killed. Those statistics are only two forms of animal usage in the United States:meat and eggs. More than 1 million animals are tortured every year in the United States for some sort of testing whether it be rabbits getting bleach forced into their eye to test their reaction to the chemicals or monkeys being burned with cigarette lighters to test their limbs' reactions to pain (U.S. police force test). 

multiracial feminism.pdf

gwss3590 syllabusfinal.doc

Click here to view syllabus and/or any updates or changes. 

These papers are an important opportunity for you to develop a unique perspective on a particular topic featured in the course.  In your paper, you should raise one or two critical issues that are featured in the readings, then explore and analyze these issues according to your own interests and developing areas of expertise.  

You are required to write two critical responses essays throughout the semester. You must the instructor of which articles you plan to respond to by Sept 22.  These papers are due the Wednesday of the week their articles/topics is discussed in class.  

Each student is required to lead class at least once throughout the semester. Pick a week that interests you and sign up in class by Sept. 19.