As there were no required readings in the course outline for this week, I have decided to take the time to discuss the subject for my group presentation that we will be doing near the end of the semester.
Our group has chosen the topic "Gender and Sexuality" from week 11. The point of this presentation is to select a YouTube video that relates to the week's themes and present it to the class. In addition, we are to link the video to one of the readings that were required during that week.
The video we have chosen is the trailer for the documentary "After Porn Ends." The trailer can be accessed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV5lSmDWk24
My group found this video interesting because it shows various perspectives of both men and women in the pornography industry, and how their lives were impacted afterwards. This video also showcased many women who were involved with porn, along with their reasons for turning to the sex industry in the first place.
One of the most outrageous statements made by a man from the porn industry was that he had no regrets at all. He claimed he had a great experience being in porn because he got to travel around the world and meet many interesting people. This is an extremely different perspective in comparison to how the majority of women felt after leaving the industry. Many women felt ashamed, embarrassed, and some were even depressed that they had been associated with pornography.
Everyone in the documentary had a different reason for entering the porn business initially. Some did it for financial reasons, as a last resort, while others had more unique reasonings behind their actions. For example, one woman, began doing porn in order to "prove" to society that porn is not full of dirty women. She claimed that filthy women were involved with porn, and she wanted to make a difference in regards to how individuals viewed the women in pornography.
Although everyone holds a different opinion in terms of the sex industry, it is important to remember not to judge a person based on their past experiences. As this is not a choice I have made personally, I cannot critique the women or men that are involved with pornography. It would be unfair to say I understand their life, when I do not know their family, history, nor their financial situation that often leads individuals to porn.
In sum, everyone has the ability to make a choice they feel is right for their lifestyle and it should not matter to society if someone's decision does not directly reflect the values and norms of the contemporary world.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
Week 3: Difference, Inequity, and the Roles of Feminism
The reading I chose to reflect on this week is called "Shedding the Superwoman Myth" by Debora L. Spar. This article can be accessed at:
http://m.chronicle.com/article/Where-Feminism-Went-Wrong/141293/?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm+medium=en
In this reading, the author illustrated many interesting points about why women are simply unable to fulfil the role of being a superwoman. Although the author argues women cannot successfully have both a career and family alone, most evidence points to the underlining fact that we can have both, we just require the help from men in order for this goal to be achieved.
The most controversial point in this article states that women cannot have both a professional career as well as a family. Clearly this is not a fact, because many women attempt to juggle a job and children at the same time. However, the author feels that society holds unrealistic expectations in regards to this matter. She states that women can't work a sixty hour workweek in a high stress job and be the same kind of parent she would have been without the job and stress. This just happens to be true because of the amount of household chores us women are expected to complete on a daily basis. After arriving home from work, we must cook dinner, clean up the kitchen, help the children with any unfinished homework, wash a load or two of laundry, and prepare for the next day. If we didn't have this large amount of responsibilities to do around the home, there is a good chance we could be a successful career woman and a excellent motherly figure at the same time.
The next question the author proposed was whether or not women can find a way to balance their personal and professional lives. She asked if we could pursue our dreams (all of them) without losing our sanity. Is this possible? I think the answer to this question depends on who you are, where you're at in life, and what dreams you would like to follow. In addition, the author makes a valid point when she offers the fact that we need to realize having it all means giving something up. I agree with this 100% because realistically we simply cannot have it all. This is especially true if the journey in life we plan to take forces us to take an alternate route.
The last point I will be discussing from the reading is the first biological way that men and women differ. At first glance, this part of the article may seem obvious, but the author illustrates interesting facts that may not have been previously considered.
The first difference the author provided was sexuality. She explained that women are often interested in romantic entanglements rather than casual affairs. Is this true? The author adds that we are also more inclined to seek solace in relationships. Isn't that a normal reaction? And in regards to workplace complications, the author explains women would prefer to have a relationship rather than a sexual encounter. Why is this?
With that being said, the author feels that this puts us women at a disadvantage. I can't help but disagree. Just because the majority of men aren't looking for commitment and the majority of women prefer to be in long-term, serious relationships, doesn't mean that some men want a relationship while other women may like one-night stands. I feel like this is how stereotypes are produced. Individuals are often grouped together because they have similar interests and thus, the norm is created.
http://m.chronicle.com/article/Where-Feminism-Went-Wrong/141293/?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm+medium=en
In this reading, the author illustrated many interesting points about why women are simply unable to fulfil the role of being a superwoman. Although the author argues women cannot successfully have both a career and family alone, most evidence points to the underlining fact that we can have both, we just require the help from men in order for this goal to be achieved.
The most controversial point in this article states that women cannot have both a professional career as well as a family. Clearly this is not a fact, because many women attempt to juggle a job and children at the same time. However, the author feels that society holds unrealistic expectations in regards to this matter. She states that women can't work a sixty hour workweek in a high stress job and be the same kind of parent she would have been without the job and stress. This just happens to be true because of the amount of household chores us women are expected to complete on a daily basis. After arriving home from work, we must cook dinner, clean up the kitchen, help the children with any unfinished homework, wash a load or two of laundry, and prepare for the next day. If we didn't have this large amount of responsibilities to do around the home, there is a good chance we could be a successful career woman and a excellent motherly figure at the same time.
The next question the author proposed was whether or not women can find a way to balance their personal and professional lives. She asked if we could pursue our dreams (all of them) without losing our sanity. Is this possible? I think the answer to this question depends on who you are, where you're at in life, and what dreams you would like to follow. In addition, the author makes a valid point when she offers the fact that we need to realize having it all means giving something up. I agree with this 100% because realistically we simply cannot have it all. This is especially true if the journey in life we plan to take forces us to take an alternate route.
The last point I will be discussing from the reading is the first biological way that men and women differ. At first glance, this part of the article may seem obvious, but the author illustrates interesting facts that may not have been previously considered.
The first difference the author provided was sexuality. She explained that women are often interested in romantic entanglements rather than casual affairs. Is this true? The author adds that we are also more inclined to seek solace in relationships. Isn't that a normal reaction? And in regards to workplace complications, the author explains women would prefer to have a relationship rather than a sexual encounter. Why is this?
With that being said, the author feels that this puts us women at a disadvantage. I can't help but disagree. Just because the majority of men aren't looking for commitment and the majority of women prefer to be in long-term, serious relationships, doesn't mean that some men want a relationship while other women may like one-night stands. I feel like this is how stereotypes are produced. Individuals are often grouped together because they have similar interests and thus, the norm is created.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Week 2: Backgrounds and Perspectives
This week our class had two required readings: "Doing Gender" by Candace West & Don H. Zimmerman and "Undoing Gender" by Francine M. Deutsch. While both readings displayed a variety of interesting information, there are two parts I will be discussing in detail.
In the first reading, "Doing Gender" the authors explained the way they taught to differentiate between sex and gender in the late 60s, early 70s. I found this on page 125, and the definitions are as follows:
Sex: What was ascribed by biology: Anatomy, hormones, and physiology.
Gender: An achieved status: That which is constructed through physiological, cultural, and social means.
With that being said, the first issue was the discussion of gender roles in the article "Doing Gender."The authors articulated that it is uncommon to see individuals in occupations that aren't meant for their particular gender, such as a female doctor, or a male nurse. Sure these are uncommon, but are they wrong? Does the occurrence of something relate to whether or not it's the norm? Are norms created because of this? In reality, human beings can go to school and become whatever they wish to be... Regardless of their sex or gender. For example, if a female is interested in cars, she can become an auto-mechanic if she so desired. Personally, I don't understand what the big deal is. Typically your job is something you do for approximately 30 or 40 years, wouldn't you want it to be something you're interested in? Does it really matter what other people think of you? After all, it's YOUR job... NOT theirs.
During our discussion in class, a student brought up the fact that it is extremely rare to see a male dental hygienist assisting the dentist. Prior to this class, I had never thought about that before. All of my dental hygienists have always been women, but I never thought twice about it.
The second issue I had with the readings this week came from the second article "Undoing Gender." On page 108, the author stated that men do less housework because their greater income gives them the power to opt out of it. Excuse me? Does being the breadwinner give you the power to be the boss in otherwise what is supposed to be an equal give and take relationship? Thinking of that makes me consider becoming a brain surgeon so I don't have to do any household chores when I get married.
However, clearly this is not the case because many families deviate from the norm in the sense that men do the housework, while women fix things around the home. In addition, men and women who live on their own are then required to do both the pink and the blue jobs.
In my house, my mom irons my dad's work shirts and my dad is mostly in charge of cutting the lawn during the summer. He also shovels the driveway in the winter, and my mom cooks dinner a lot of the time. With that being said, my parents help each other complete almost every task, which is what should happen in every family environment. Chores are chores for a reason, and it shouldn't matter whose doing them as long as they are completed at the end of the day. Sometimes we need to pay more attention to the big picture, rather than the small details of whose holding the paintbrush.
In the first reading, "Doing Gender" the authors explained the way they taught to differentiate between sex and gender in the late 60s, early 70s. I found this on page 125, and the definitions are as follows:
Sex: What was ascribed by biology: Anatomy, hormones, and physiology.
Gender: An achieved status: That which is constructed through physiological, cultural, and social means.
With that being said, the first issue was the discussion of gender roles in the article "Doing Gender."The authors articulated that it is uncommon to see individuals in occupations that aren't meant for their particular gender, such as a female doctor, or a male nurse. Sure these are uncommon, but are they wrong? Does the occurrence of something relate to whether or not it's the norm? Are norms created because of this? In reality, human beings can go to school and become whatever they wish to be... Regardless of their sex or gender. For example, if a female is interested in cars, she can become an auto-mechanic if she so desired. Personally, I don't understand what the big deal is. Typically your job is something you do for approximately 30 or 40 years, wouldn't you want it to be something you're interested in? Does it really matter what other people think of you? After all, it's YOUR job... NOT theirs.
During our discussion in class, a student brought up the fact that it is extremely rare to see a male dental hygienist assisting the dentist. Prior to this class, I had never thought about that before. All of my dental hygienists have always been women, but I never thought twice about it.
The second issue I had with the readings this week came from the second article "Undoing Gender." On page 108, the author stated that men do less housework because their greater income gives them the power to opt out of it. Excuse me? Does being the breadwinner give you the power to be the boss in otherwise what is supposed to be an equal give and take relationship? Thinking of that makes me consider becoming a brain surgeon so I don't have to do any household chores when I get married.
However, clearly this is not the case because many families deviate from the norm in the sense that men do the housework, while women fix things around the home. In addition, men and women who live on their own are then required to do both the pink and the blue jobs.
In my house, my mom irons my dad's work shirts and my dad is mostly in charge of cutting the lawn during the summer. He also shovels the driveway in the winter, and my mom cooks dinner a lot of the time. With that being said, my parents help each other complete almost every task, which is what should happen in every family environment. Chores are chores for a reason, and it shouldn't matter whose doing them as long as they are completed at the end of the day. Sometimes we need to pay more attention to the big picture, rather than the small details of whose holding the paintbrush.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Week 1: Why Study Gender?
Our first required reading in my Gender Theories class was "The Story of Baby X" by Lois Gould. In this reading, the baby was called "X" because the parents chose to be apart of an experiment where the sex of their baby was undisclosed. This meant that no one other than the mother, the father, and the child itself were aware of the gender of the baby. Not even close friends of the family or other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles were allowed to know whether the child was a boy or a girl.
In theory, keeping the sex a secret can be seen as a good idea for a variety of reasons. For starters, knowing the sex of children is blown out of proportion. Society places too much importance on such an insignificant aspect. It begins immediately after birth, in the hospital, where nurses hurry to swaddle the infant in either a pink or blue receiving blanket depending on whether it's a boy or a girl. Yes, this can be seen as "cute" because the baby is wrapped tightly in a little blanky, but right away it is placing too much importance on whether the child has a penis or vagina. Another reason why an unidentified child is a good idea, is simply because they can play with whatever toys they want. This can include dolls, play kitchen, barbies, dinosaurs, trucks, building blocks, etc. There is no pressure that the child can only play with one set of play items nor is the child judged for showing an interest outside of the normative sex group.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning for gender stereotypes. It continues through grade school, while students are separated depending on their gender. This occurs when teachers tell the girls to line up at the door, then invites the boys to follow. In addition, there are only two washrooms at most schools; a washroom for boys and a washroom for girls. Students must identify with one particular sex in order to use the bathroom. In "The Story of Baby X", X had permission from the school to use the principal's washroom instead. With that being said, schools would need to change their policy if there were many students with unknown sexes attending their education facility. My problem with this part of the story is, how practical is it for multiple X's to be using the principal's washroom on a daily basis? Then again, can students (males and females) really share the same washroom because of parents who don't want them to be identified as a boy or a girl?
In the "X" article, it did not matter to the other children at school whether X was a boy or a girl. Of course they were curious, but after realizing that X was "cooler" playing with dolls in the playhouse AND playing sports during recess, other students felt it was better to be apart of both worlds instead of just one. The only individuals that had an issue with an unknown child in the class was the parents of the other children.
Realistically, all that should matter is whether or not the unidentified child is happy. All that should ever matter is if the child is happy and proud to be who they are. I know that in baby X situations, the decision to be unknown clearly has nothing to do with the child, but rather it is the decision of the parents. However, in every situation, a child's happiness is the greatest glory. Society needs to change its values and expectations because often deviating from the norm is what helps to make every child unique.
In theory, keeping the sex a secret can be seen as a good idea for a variety of reasons. For starters, knowing the sex of children is blown out of proportion. Society places too much importance on such an insignificant aspect. It begins immediately after birth, in the hospital, where nurses hurry to swaddle the infant in either a pink or blue receiving blanket depending on whether it's a boy or a girl. Yes, this can be seen as "cute" because the baby is wrapped tightly in a little blanky, but right away it is placing too much importance on whether the child has a penis or vagina. Another reason why an unidentified child is a good idea, is simply because they can play with whatever toys they want. This can include dolls, play kitchen, barbies, dinosaurs, trucks, building blocks, etc. There is no pressure that the child can only play with one set of play items nor is the child judged for showing an interest outside of the normative sex group.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning for gender stereotypes. It continues through grade school, while students are separated depending on their gender. This occurs when teachers tell the girls to line up at the door, then invites the boys to follow. In addition, there are only two washrooms at most schools; a washroom for boys and a washroom for girls. Students must identify with one particular sex in order to use the bathroom. In "The Story of Baby X", X had permission from the school to use the principal's washroom instead. With that being said, schools would need to change their policy if there were many students with unknown sexes attending their education facility. My problem with this part of the story is, how practical is it for multiple X's to be using the principal's washroom on a daily basis? Then again, can students (males and females) really share the same washroom because of parents who don't want them to be identified as a boy or a girl?
In the "X" article, it did not matter to the other children at school whether X was a boy or a girl. Of course they were curious, but after realizing that X was "cooler" playing with dolls in the playhouse AND playing sports during recess, other students felt it was better to be apart of both worlds instead of just one. The only individuals that had an issue with an unknown child in the class was the parents of the other children.
Realistically, all that should matter is whether or not the unidentified child is happy. All that should ever matter is if the child is happy and proud to be who they are. I know that in baby X situations, the decision to be unknown clearly has nothing to do with the child, but rather it is the decision of the parents. However, in every situation, a child's happiness is the greatest glory. Society needs to change its values and expectations because often deviating from the norm is what helps to make every child unique.
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