Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Once in cabinet we had to deal with the fact that there had been an outbreak of assaults on women at night. one minister suggested a curfew: women should stay home after dark. I said, "But it's the men who are attacking the women. If there is to be a curfew let the men stay home, not the women.
-Golda Meir, former Israli prime minister
-Golda Meir, former Israli prime minister
Saturday, February 23, 2008
the namesake
in the beginning of the movie the namesake, Ashima gives up her friends, her family, and her entire country to marry a man that she meets for the first time. this is what their families want them to do. this is what they are expected to do.
i would rather give up my husband than give up my life. maybe that's why american marriages fail so much, or maybe i'm just not ready for that.
the point of the movie, however, did not strike me as being about gender as much as it was about freedom. at the end, Gogol goes off to travel, and be free. i want to travel like that and be free for a while.
the namesake was a good movie. it made me want to be free.
i would rather give up my husband than give up my life. maybe that's why american marriages fail so much, or maybe i'm just not ready for that.
the point of the movie, however, did not strike me as being about gender as much as it was about freedom. at the end, Gogol goes off to travel, and be free. i want to travel like that and be free for a while.
the namesake was a good movie. it made me want to be free.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
christian feminists...
this semester i realized that it's totally ok to be a Christian and a feminist. Egalitarians believe that God created men and women equally in his image. they also believe that men and women are equally responsible for sin.
Egalitarians reject the idea of the hierarchy and believe in mutual submission in marriage.
They believe that the curse that followed the Fall of man was descriptive, not prescriptive. When Even and Adam ate the apple the curse is what happened because of that. It was not necessarily what God wanted to happen. Adam would struggle with wanting to dominate Eve, and Eve would desire Adam.
In the church, egalitarians believe that men and women can both be leaders. They believe that in marriage, roles should be determined by giftedness and situtation, not by gender.
men and women are equally created by God. they may be different at times, but they are both equally capable of leadership and equally respsonsible to God.
so if I get married, the man will have to understand how i feel about this and be willing to deal with it (maybe he'll even agree with me)
Egalitarians reject the idea of the hierarchy and believe in mutual submission in marriage.
They believe that the curse that followed the Fall of man was descriptive, not prescriptive. When Even and Adam ate the apple the curse is what happened because of that. It was not necessarily what God wanted to happen. Adam would struggle with wanting to dominate Eve, and Eve would desire Adam.
In the church, egalitarians believe that men and women can both be leaders. They believe that in marriage, roles should be determined by giftedness and situtation, not by gender.
men and women are equally created by God. they may be different at times, but they are both equally capable of leadership and equally respsonsible to God.
so if I get married, the man will have to understand how i feel about this and be willing to deal with it (maybe he'll even agree with me)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Men's Movements
and then men reacted...
Men’s Movements
-Many men lived in privilege based on their biological sex, however, this privilege was based on ethnicity, race, social class, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation
-Frederick Douglas, James Mott, Henry Blackwell—advocated women’s suffrage.
-Max Eastman 1910 founded Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage
3 developments that challenged traditional men’s roles: 1.technological advances 2. distrust of established institutions 3. women’s movement
-1960 convergence of women’s rights movement, antiwar movement, and the new left wing movement
-feminism forced men to reconsider men’s roles
-1970s men’s movement (or trend, rather) involved consciousness raising groups, focused on individual and group growth
-til mid ‘80s, one guiding ideology: the elimination of the belief that one sex is superior to the other
-1960s and 1970s- fathers’ rights in divorce and child custody cases. (At first men got custody most of the time be they took the possessions from the marriage, but then at the turn of the century women were viewed as more important to young children than men, so women were awarded more custody then men.)
-Andrew Kimbrell- says that it’s important to change our culture’s view of men and fatherhood.
-Mythopoetic movement- men are encouraged to seek out different parts or roles within themselves.
-Robert Bly- help men find the “community inside the psyche” 1990
-promote men’s self-discovery and masculinity thru nature and tribal rituals
-Million Man March- Oct 16, 1995- 400,000 men, Washington D C. Organized by head of the nation of Islam, Louis **rally the black community and strengthen black families by emphasizing the role of fathers
-Bill McCartney and Dave Wardell—the Promise Keepers. held first conference in July 1991, 4,200 men.
-“Christ-centered ministry dedicated to uniting men thru vital relationships to become Godly influences in their world”
-Promise Keepers concerns some feminists bc they think that they are trying to return men to their “rightful” place at the head of the family.
· Profeminists (or male feminists) worked to make their behavior match their egalitarian attitude. They believe that men and women should have the same privileges, opportunities, rights, roles, and societal status. They fight for equal pay, men embracing their feelings, and ending violence against women and men.
· Masculinist movements believe that men are the ones who suffer from gender discrimination. They want to restore pride in being “real men” (tough, rugged, individual, macho, self-reliant). They believe that men are oppressed by military drafts, shorter life spans, more health problems, and unfair child custody laws. (include Mythopoetic movements and Promise Keepers)
· Antifeminsim opposes any measures that advance women’s equality, status, rights, or opportunities. First tried to prevent women’s right to vote, then stressed the conventional view of women as sex objects, then stressing morality and submission.
· If women have equal rights, then why one woman in four the victim of assault by a man? Why do women make 86 cents to every dollar that men make for the same jobs?
Men’s Movements
-Many men lived in privilege based on their biological sex, however, this privilege was based on ethnicity, race, social class, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation
-Frederick Douglas, James Mott, Henry Blackwell—advocated women’s suffrage.
-Max Eastman 1910 founded Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage
3 developments that challenged traditional men’s roles: 1.technological advances 2. distrust of established institutions 3. women’s movement
-1960 convergence of women’s rights movement, antiwar movement, and the new left wing movement
-feminism forced men to reconsider men’s roles
-1970s men’s movement (or trend, rather) involved consciousness raising groups, focused on individual and group growth
-til mid ‘80s, one guiding ideology: the elimination of the belief that one sex is superior to the other
-1960s and 1970s- fathers’ rights in divorce and child custody cases. (At first men got custody most of the time be they took the possessions from the marriage, but then at the turn of the century women were viewed as more important to young children than men, so women were awarded more custody then men.)
-Andrew Kimbrell- says that it’s important to change our culture’s view of men and fatherhood.
-Mythopoetic movement- men are encouraged to seek out different parts or roles within themselves.
-Robert Bly- help men find the “community inside the psyche” 1990
-promote men’s self-discovery and masculinity thru nature and tribal rituals
-Million Man March- Oct 16, 1995- 400,000 men, Washington D C. Organized by head of the nation of Islam, Louis **rally the black community and strengthen black families by emphasizing the role of fathers
-Bill McCartney and Dave Wardell—the Promise Keepers. held first conference in July 1991, 4,200 men.
-“Christ-centered ministry dedicated to uniting men thru vital relationships to become Godly influences in their world”
-Promise Keepers concerns some feminists bc they think that they are trying to return men to their “rightful” place at the head of the family.
· Profeminists (or male feminists) worked to make their behavior match their egalitarian attitude. They believe that men and women should have the same privileges, opportunities, rights, roles, and societal status. They fight for equal pay, men embracing their feelings, and ending violence against women and men.
· Masculinist movements believe that men are the ones who suffer from gender discrimination. They want to restore pride in being “real men” (tough, rugged, individual, macho, self-reliant). They believe that men are oppressed by military drafts, shorter life spans, more health problems, and unfair child custody laws. (include Mythopoetic movements and Promise Keepers)
· Antifeminsim opposes any measures that advance women’s equality, status, rights, or opportunities. First tried to prevent women’s right to vote, then stressed the conventional view of women as sex objects, then stressing morality and submission.
· If women have equal rights, then why one woman in four the victim of assault by a man? Why do women make 86 cents to every dollar that men make for the same jobs?
Monday, January 28, 2008
shout out to the feminists of the past...
these are the women to thank for all that they did for womankind, as well as the movements of feminism in the US...
Women’s Movements in America
liberal feminism- women and men are alike and equal in most respects
cultural feminism- women and men are essentially different
Colonial Women: Emma Hart Willard- first female educator, founded Troy Female Seminary in New York State; Prudence Crandall- opened first public high school for girls in 1824; Mary Lyons- 1837 opened Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in Mass.; Charlotte Perkins Gilmore- wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, radically feminist; Henrietta Rodman- 1908 “marriage is not misconduct”;
First Wave: 1840-1925
1840 Lucretia Coffin Mott- excluded as a Representative to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London bc she was a woman.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Mary Wollstonecraft- first feminist; Susan B. Anthony
American Woman Suffrage Association- Lucy Stone. kept maiden name.
1848 Seneca Falls Convention, first vocal women’s effort to try to gain the rights in the Constitution. “Women’s Rights Convention”
initial links between abolitionists and women’s rights.
black men gained the right to vote before women did. (1870)
1872 Susan B. Anthony attempted to vote and was arrested. Victoria Woodhall ran for president.
Cult of Domesticity
“true womanhood”- domesticity
belief is moral virtue led these women to fight for prohibition, child labor laws, rights of women prisoners, and peace.
mostly white women.
1920 women gain the right to vote
Alice Paul and Carrie Chapmen Catt- organized massive demonstrations, staged boycotts and hunger strikes, destroyed property, chained themselves to public buildings.
Harriet Tubman and Sojouner Truth.
1940 over 6 million women join the workforce during the war, most laid off when men return. Rosie the Riveter.
Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks.
Sexual Revolution
Margaret Sanger- birth control was the key to Women’s equality.
1938- 300 abortion clinics nationwide.
1960- FDA approved manufacturing of ‘the pill.’
1965- states couldn’t ban the distribution of contraception to married ppl
1972- contraception purchase was no longer limited to married ppl.
Second Wave: 1960-1995
1953- Simone de Beauvoir- The Second Sex. Women have always been free, but trapped by limiting conditions.
radical feminism- the oppression of women is the most fundamental form or oppression on which all others are modeled.
1968 radical feminists met and developed new forms of communication that focused on equality. chip system.
Guerilla Girls- wear masks to insist that identities are irrelevant, campaigns against sexism, racism, and elitism in the art world.
Today, 70% of women participate in the paid labor force. 1 they need the money, and 2 they enjoy having a life outside the home.
1963 Betty Freidan published The Feminine Mystique. “the problem that has no name.”
1966 Nat’l Organization for Women, NOW, ‘women and men are alike in important respects and are therefore entitled to equal rights and opportunities.’
Liberal feminism has become more inclusive of diverse women and the issues in their lives.
Gloria Steinem- Ms. magazine, renowned feminist.
1973- Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
1981- Sandra Day O’Connor first female justice on the US Supreme Court.
1983- Sally Ride became the first female astronaut.
separatists- strive for lifestyles and communities in which women live independently in mutual respect and harmony.
lesbian feminism- only women who do not orient their lives around men can truly be free.
use their voices to respond to social criticisms of their sexual orientations
adopt proactive rhetorical strategies to assert their value, rights, and integrity.
revalorists- aim to increase society’s appreciation of women and their contribution to society.
use unusual language to call attention to what they are doing, ‘re-covering,’ not recovering women’s history.
celebrate women’s traditional activities: support exhibits of weaving, quilting; festivals that highlight women’s creative expression.
enter into debates to secure unique legal rights to women.
1974 ecofeminism- highlight the connection between efforts to control and subordinate women to the quest to dominate nature. Unites intellectual and political strength of feminist thought with ecology’s concerns about our living planet. Oppression itself is the primary issue.
bell hooks “it’s a mistake to think that feminism is just about women or women’s rights…feminism is about justice”
1970s Womanism- many black women see womanism as addressing both their racial and gender identities.
black women are more often single, have less formal education, bear more children, are paid less, and assume more financial responsibility.
goals include: reforming social services to respond more humanely to poor women, and increasing training and job opportunities so that women of color can improve the material conditions of their lives.
Multiracial Feminism- what gender means and how it affects our lives varies as a result of economic class, sexual orientation, race, and so forth.
the key to understanding anyone’s identity lies in the intersection of multiple categories.
1990s Power Feminism- contends that society doesn’t oppress women bc women have the power to control what happens to them. Naomi Wolf says that the only thing holding women back from equality is their own belief that they are victims. Endorsed by ppl who have access to power.
Third Wave Feminism now
includes women of different ethnicities, (dis)abilities, classes, appearances, and sexual orientations.
5 features:
Solidarity to Incorporate Differences Among Women- trying to create identities that accommodate ambiguity and our multiple personalities.
Building Coalitions- we can’t do the work for men…we want to meet men in the middle, not do all the adjusting ourselves.
Integrating Theory into Everyday Life- emphasize the rift between legality and reality, theory and practice, structural changes and everyday life.
Political is Personal- politics are personal and emerge from everyday lives. Personal actions are a key way to instigate change in both individual and collective lives. Politics are also interpersonal, about how we talk and relate to each other.
Celebrating Girl Culture- sexual statements can be powerful instead of passive. Seeks to engage pop culture and shape it to suit women.
Gender inequality is built into the organization of marriage, families, work and the economy, politics, religion, the arts, and other cultural productions and the very language we speak. Making women and men equal, therefore, necessitates social and not individual language we speak.
Women’s Movements in America
liberal feminism- women and men are alike and equal in most respects
cultural feminism- women and men are essentially different
Colonial Women: Emma Hart Willard- first female educator, founded Troy Female Seminary in New York State; Prudence Crandall- opened first public high school for girls in 1824; Mary Lyons- 1837 opened Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in Mass.; Charlotte Perkins Gilmore- wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, radically feminist; Henrietta Rodman- 1908 “marriage is not misconduct”;
First Wave: 1840-1925
1840 Lucretia Coffin Mott- excluded as a Representative to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London bc she was a woman.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Mary Wollstonecraft- first feminist; Susan B. Anthony
American Woman Suffrage Association- Lucy Stone. kept maiden name.
1848 Seneca Falls Convention, first vocal women’s effort to try to gain the rights in the Constitution. “Women’s Rights Convention”
initial links between abolitionists and women’s rights.
black men gained the right to vote before women did. (1870)
1872 Susan B. Anthony attempted to vote and was arrested. Victoria Woodhall ran for president.
Cult of Domesticity
“true womanhood”- domesticity
belief is moral virtue led these women to fight for prohibition, child labor laws, rights of women prisoners, and peace.
mostly white women.
1920 women gain the right to vote
Alice Paul and Carrie Chapmen Catt- organized massive demonstrations, staged boycotts and hunger strikes, destroyed property, chained themselves to public buildings.
Harriet Tubman and Sojouner Truth.
1940 over 6 million women join the workforce during the war, most laid off when men return. Rosie the Riveter.
Civil Rights Movement: Rosa Parks.
Sexual Revolution
Margaret Sanger- birth control was the key to Women’s equality.
1938- 300 abortion clinics nationwide.
1960- FDA approved manufacturing of ‘the pill.’
1965- states couldn’t ban the distribution of contraception to married ppl
1972- contraception purchase was no longer limited to married ppl.
Second Wave: 1960-1995
1953- Simone de Beauvoir- The Second Sex. Women have always been free, but trapped by limiting conditions.
radical feminism- the oppression of women is the most fundamental form or oppression on which all others are modeled.
1968 radical feminists met and developed new forms of communication that focused on equality. chip system.
Guerilla Girls- wear masks to insist that identities are irrelevant, campaigns against sexism, racism, and elitism in the art world.
Today, 70% of women participate in the paid labor force. 1 they need the money, and 2 they enjoy having a life outside the home.
1963 Betty Freidan published The Feminine Mystique. “the problem that has no name.”
1966 Nat’l Organization for Women, NOW, ‘women and men are alike in important respects and are therefore entitled to equal rights and opportunities.’
Liberal feminism has become more inclusive of diverse women and the issues in their lives.
Gloria Steinem- Ms. magazine, renowned feminist.
1973- Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
1981- Sandra Day O’Connor first female justice on the US Supreme Court.
1983- Sally Ride became the first female astronaut.
separatists- strive for lifestyles and communities in which women live independently in mutual respect and harmony.
lesbian feminism- only women who do not orient their lives around men can truly be free.
use their voices to respond to social criticisms of their sexual orientations
adopt proactive rhetorical strategies to assert their value, rights, and integrity.
revalorists- aim to increase society’s appreciation of women and their contribution to society.
use unusual language to call attention to what they are doing, ‘re-covering,’ not recovering women’s history.
celebrate women’s traditional activities: support exhibits of weaving, quilting; festivals that highlight women’s creative expression.
enter into debates to secure unique legal rights to women.
1974 ecofeminism- highlight the connection between efforts to control and subordinate women to the quest to dominate nature. Unites intellectual and political strength of feminist thought with ecology’s concerns about our living planet. Oppression itself is the primary issue.
bell hooks “it’s a mistake to think that feminism is just about women or women’s rights…feminism is about justice”
1970s Womanism- many black women see womanism as addressing both their racial and gender identities.
black women are more often single, have less formal education, bear more children, are paid less, and assume more financial responsibility.
goals include: reforming social services to respond more humanely to poor women, and increasing training and job opportunities so that women of color can improve the material conditions of their lives.
Multiracial Feminism- what gender means and how it affects our lives varies as a result of economic class, sexual orientation, race, and so forth.
the key to understanding anyone’s identity lies in the intersection of multiple categories.
1990s Power Feminism- contends that society doesn’t oppress women bc women have the power to control what happens to them. Naomi Wolf says that the only thing holding women back from equality is their own belief that they are victims. Endorsed by ppl who have access to power.
Third Wave Feminism now
includes women of different ethnicities, (dis)abilities, classes, appearances, and sexual orientations.
5 features:
Solidarity to Incorporate Differences Among Women- trying to create identities that accommodate ambiguity and our multiple personalities.
Building Coalitions- we can’t do the work for men…we want to meet men in the middle, not do all the adjusting ourselves.
Integrating Theory into Everyday Life- emphasize the rift between legality and reality, theory and practice, structural changes and everyday life.
Political is Personal- politics are personal and emerge from everyday lives. Personal actions are a key way to instigate change in both individual and collective lives. Politics are also interpersonal, about how we talk and relate to each other.
Celebrating Girl Culture- sexual statements can be powerful instead of passive. Seeks to engage pop culture and shape it to suit women.
Gender inequality is built into the organization of marriage, families, work and the economy, politics, religion, the arts, and other cultural productions and the very language we speak. Making women and men equal, therefore, necessitates social and not individual language we speak.
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