Addition to social event Unslut

While I was reading the article on "Sex Positivity" by  I thought about how in the film Unslut and the case of Rehtaeh Pearson, the kids did not know what consensual meant, therefor believing that because Rehtaeh did not say no and was not fighting back, that she was not raped because the sex was consensual. While sex positivity is the idea that all sex, as long as it is healthy and explicitly "consensual" is a positive thing.

The other thing that came to mind was how much rape and other types of bullying towards girls and women could be prevented if they taught a class starting in middle school and all through college about sex positivity in addition to safe sex. Not only would it show men/boys how to end misogyny by learning to respect women/girls and stop turning them into sexual objects but also teach the girls that sex is a healthy thing, to respect themselves, that they don't need to act like a porn star and that they don't need to feel shame, that they don't need to have sex just to prove to their boyfriends that they "love them" like Allyson Pereira did when she sent her ex boyfriend a naked picture of herself in order to get back with him, or use sex or objectify themselves to get what they want.

In my opinion, this is one way that the cycle of oppression can be interrupted. When people are educated they can form allys with each other and learn to speak up.

The film also shows dichotomy/ double standards women are held to like in the article by Marilyn Frye, "Oppression". In the film, Gina Tron was shammed for the way she dressed signifying that because she dressed sexy she deserved to get beaten. The founder of Unslut, Emily Linden, was shammed because she let her boyfriend go to third base therefor she was slut and with Rehtaeh because she was not kicking and screaming when she was being raped indicated that she like it. 

It's no wonder women become oppressed they are judge no matter what decision they make. There is no happy medium.

  

Addition to social justice event It's A Girl

                        

This documentary is a classic example of how men have power over women's control to produce In Adrienne Rich's "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence she listed 8 characteristics of male power that was included in Kathleen Gough's essay "The Origin of the Family".  

The women are forced to have ultrasounds to find out the sex of the baby and are being forced to abort if it is a girl.  In the case of Dr. Mitu, her refusal to abort twin girls brought her torture and abuse not only from her husband but from her in-laws as well. She has been threaten of rape, death and the kidnapping of her daughters. She is suing her husband, in-laws, doctor and hospital but just like here the US it is hard to fight the rich and powerful.  Her case is till ongoing because like in Allen Johnson's article "Privilege, Power and Difference", article although he focuses on "white males". This documentary shows that males dominate in any culture/race. The males still have power and because they are rich, influencing the authorities comes easy to them. 

                                    

In China now it is legal to have 2 children, however they still control women by having to obtain a government issued birth permit. By doing so women still risk being forced to have an abortion. So ultimately it is not stopping female genocide. 

What needs to be done is what Ayvazian suggest in her article "Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression", to have an ally in a country that condones forced abortion and female genocide. Or fight the patriarchal system by educating the people of China and India on the value of women because with knowledge comes power to fight the system. 

http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/en/blog/mitu-khurana-a-mother-s-ongoing-battle-for-justice

http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/blog/two-child-policy

Pecha Kucha

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DEuxD6bhfLjslg1d9cUFAcgW7gQDmrPENt6GJ7nY5Yc/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=20000&slide=id.p

Ayvazian and Blanchard

Interrupting the Cycle of Oppression

The Role of Allies as Agents of Change

Andrea Ayvazian

Combatting Intentional Bigotry and Inadvertently Racist Acts

Andrea Ayvazian offers way we can stop oppression.  She defines what being an ally is as " a member of dominant group in our society who works to dismantle any form of oppression from which she or he receives the benefit."  

I agree we should come together, however, we live in an society that is afraid to get involved due to consequences it may bring.  Others only get involved when it affects them directly or a family member.  

It's true that at some point in our lives any domination we had is lost or taken away. Take the military for instance. No matter how physically fit you are or what qualification you posses, you still can't enlist after a certain age even if you have served before.  According to Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) of the Armed Services Committee personnel panel has said the “risks outnumbered gains” when it came to enlisting older personnel. She said they are not only more likely to become injured, but also take more time to recover than their younger counterparts. How can we change this type of discrimination when our own government enforces it?

Unfortunately, doing what William Strickland stated " When a critical mass of white people join together, rise up and shout a thunderous 'NO' to racism, we will actually alter the course of history". it's not enough.  We need to educate and get educated about racism as the article by Fletcher A. Blanchard indicates.   An example of fighting bigotry and being an ally is the story of Ruhi Rahman who was harrassed on a train for being Muslim and passengers defended her.

Below is a link to a video by Franchesca Ramsey on 5 ways you could be an ally. Understand privilege, do your homework (educate self), Listen, speak up (not over), understand ally is a verb.

Ruhi Rahman http://www.attn.com/stories/4395/muslim-woman-train-harassment?utm_source=email&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=internal

https://www.veteransunited.com/network/military-age-restrictions-how-old-is-too-old-to-serve/

    Franchesca "Chescaleigh Ramsey:  https://www.youtube.com/user/chescaleigh

Sex War

Sex Positivity

Women and Gender Advocacy Center

There are two kinds of sex, classical and baroque. Classical sex is romantic, profound, serious, emotional, moral, mysterious, spontaneous, abandoned, focused on a particular person, and stereotypically feminine. Baroque sex is pop, playful, funny, experimental, conscious, deliberate, amoral, anonymous, focused on sensation for sensation's sake, and stereotypically masculine. The classical mentality taken to an extreme is sentimental and finally puritanical; the baroque mentality taken to an extreme is pornographic and finally obscene. Ideally, a sexual relation ought to create a satisfying tension between the two modes (a baroque idea, particularly if the tension is ironic) or else blend them so well that the distinction disappears (a classical aspiration).” - Susie Bright

According to WGAC (Women and Gender Adocacy Center) Sex positivity is the idea that all sex, as long as it is healthy and explicity consensual, is a positive thing. It aims to remove stigma and shame from all sexual choices.

As I read this article all that came to mind was the case of Rehtaeh Parson, and how when kids were asked what consent meant they did not know. They said that because she did not say no or fight them off that it was consensual. But how can you expect a drunk teenage girl who was vomiting to ward off anyone?  I sure hope that sex positivity is taught in schools along with sex education. Maybe then the number of rape and sexual abuse/bullying will decrease.

Then I read "Sex War: The Debate between Radical and Libertarian Feminists" by Ann Ferguson and wonder why there has to be different types feminists when it comes to sex? Isn't the main purpose of having sex a combination of both radical and libertarian views? Like Ferguson said "feminists should be free to choose between basic and risky practices without fear of moral condemnation from other feminists.

 I agree with Kitty Stryker when she said "It’s saddening to see us fighting each other, women who have been called prudes for asserting their sexual choices attacking women who have been called whores for asserting their sexual choices…and vice versa"

http://shannonmajorreviews.blogspot.com/2010/03/susie-bright.html

http://www.feministcurrent.com/2014/04/11/the-divide-isnt-between-sex-negative-and-sex-positive-feminists-its-between-liberals-and-radicals/

Sexuality Study

http://www.attn.com/stories/4061/sexuality-spectrum-study

Sexism even in women's clothing

http://www.attn.com/stories/4144/sexism-womens-pants-without-pockets

Violence against women is everywhere

http://www.attn.com/stories/4146/worst-places-to-live-females-america

Tough Guise 2

Tough Guise 2

Violence, Manhood and American Culture

Dr. Jackson Katz

What Are Little Boys Made of?
Michael Kimmel

Dr Katz is an anti sexist male activist, gender violence prevention educator with men and boys.

In Tough Guise I Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity, it claims that violence in video games, movies and in the media are responsible for violence against women committed by men. That a "real man" are the ones that portray that they are strong, powerful and tough and those who don't are considered ton be a wuss, wimp, weak, sissy. But is the "real man" image just a front that men put?

One comparison made to show how media has changed the way they portray Batman. Muscles went from being 12.2" to 26.8.

 

They also claim that domestic violence is due to men wanting to maintain control over women and women asserting to be treated equally.

In Part 2 of Tough Guise they discuss how there are 2 Americas regarding violence. One that recoils in horror and one that can't get enough as a form of entertainment.

It shows how violence is a men issue when you look at the statistics:

86% of armed robberies, 99% of rapes, 90% of murders, and 86% of domestic violence are committed by men. 

Tough Guise 2 and the article by Michael Kimmel, What Are Little Boys Made of? Dr James Gilligan says that the reason men/boys turn to violence is because of fear of being shamed, disrespected or humiliated. He states that " Violence has more to do with the cultural construction of manhood than it does with the hormonal substrates of biology". Just as we are not born sexist, homophobic or racist, we are not born violent.   One day after class, as I was driving home, I noticed a sticker on a car:

One of the things that bothers me when someone commits a crime automatically they are sent for a psych evaluation. The media blames mental illness, guns, video games, substance abuse, guns, lead in homes, dysfunctional family but they don't blame the men that commit the crime. Why is it that women who are not immune to the causes the media claims to be the problem don't commit half as much as the number of crimes men do? 

Luke Woodham, a 16 year old that committed murder at a Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi because he was ridiculed, beaten and hated by his peers, said "I am not insane, I am angry. I killed because people like me are mistreated everyday." He also believed that "murder is not weak and slow witted, murder is gutsy and daring." I believe it is cowardly.

Jonathan Salisbury and David Jackson believe that "masculine violence is intentional, deliberate and purposeful." That "it comes from an attempt by men and boys to create and sustain a system of masculine power and control that benefits them in every minute of the day. Forget testosterone; it's sexism." Yes, I feel it is a choice men make in order to keep control. I also believe that it is more manly to walk away from a violent situation than to engage in it.

Lesbian making more money than straight women

http://www.attn.com/stories/3557/why-lesbians-earn-more-money-in-the-workplace

This article I added to the blog:

Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

China ends one child policy

This blog is an update on the one child policy in China that I spoke about in blog It's a Girl.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151113-datapoints-china-one-child-policy/

Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Cinderella Ate My Daughter 

Peggy Orenstein

Peggy Orenstein is asking the correct questions when she asked "What do the toys we give our girls, the pinkness in which they are steeped, tell us about what we are telling them? What do they say about who we think they are and ought to be?

I believe it all starts with the parents as I have mentioned in previous blog Generation M. While the media and marketing tactics do influence children on what toys they "want" ultimately, the parents are the ones that purchase the toys the children play with. The parents are the ones that teach children what is considered to be an appropriate "girl" or "boy" toy, behavior, clothes. So yes, I do believe like Orenstein that nature is truly dominant over media when it comes to influencing kids.

I was never really into dolls, I was considered a "tomboy" growing up, therefor I stayed clear of dolls, especially Barbie dolls. Not because I thought it would send a message to my daughter but because I knew that the expense would not stop there. Unfortunately, my sister bought my daughter her first Barbie doll and of course she wanted the house, the car, the jeep etc.....Luckily by the time I had my second daughter all traces of Barbie were gone. My second daughter has never asked for any type of doll and I now wonder is it because I never asked or because she had older brothers and enjoyed playing with their toys?

As far as Disney Princess goes, they are just now at age 19 and 13 watching the remakes of the Disney Princess movies.  Again, I did not encourage what type of movies they should watch. If they asked if they could watch a movie and I felt it was appropriate they were allowed. They did watch Disney movies but not the ones specifically about Princesses.

The color pink is also a color I did encourage my daughter's to wear. I let them pick out their own clothes since the age of 3 when they started pre-school. The only time I asked them to dress nice was when we had a formal function and the holidays but I never called them a "Princess". I don't wear a lot of makeup either so they don't particularly care for makeup either.

Therefore, People need to stop putting the blame on media and companies and take responsibility for any insecurities their children might feel. Companies and the media are not going to stop producing the toys and showing "sexy" advertising if we as consumer continue to buy the products. And if we do allow our daughters to play with these products and see the movies, we need to make sure they know it's not real, it's all a fantasy. Teach them to love themselves for who they are and how they look. I known it's easier said than done but it needs to start at home.

Found "If Princess Were Real" to be quite entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOnfwEuA3GI

Unslut

Unslut  Documentary 

October 28, 2015 

Emily Linden

This documentary uses personal stories of women/girls who have been the victims of sexual bullying and "slut shaming"and interviews with sexuality experts. It demonstrates the effects it has on the victims. It is hopefully able to promote gender equality, positive sexual experience and better sex education classes for students of all ages.

The idea for the documentary came from Emily Linden, who had started where she wrote about her experience in middle school. Throughout middle school Emily was sexually bullied online and in person simply because she let her boyfriend put his hands down her pants.

There were a couple of quotes that really stuck in my mind.

1.  Dr Hernando Chaves who promotes  sex positive studies said " This isn't simply a female issue it's also a male issue and really a human issue.  A great example is the recent viral video of a man being "sexually assaulted" by two women at a gas station.

http://www.jamn945.com/articles/weird-news-104673/woman-faces-10-years-for-twerking-14114831/

2.  Criminologist, Freda Adler said "Rape is the only crime where the victim becomes the accused".  There were 2 examples in this documentary that shows exactly how true this is.

Samantha Gaily Geimer was publicly shamed by the media after she was drugged and raped by director Roman Polanski at the age of 13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxOpG8Ujm-8

Gina Tron, was beaten, choked and raped was accused of "asking for it" because of appearance and the way she dressed.  They used pictures from Facebook to prove their case, without knowing the circumstances for the pictures. 

The saddest story that was talked about was Rehtaeh Parsons. It showed that sexual bullying and "slut" shaming has real consequences. Girls have a higher risk of becoming depressed, committing suicide or developing self harming behaviors. In Rehtaeh's case she was never the same, she lost a sense of who she was, was afraid to leave the house, started using drugs and became suicidal eventually taking her own life after being bullied for more than a year after being gang raped.

Mike Foley a former wrestler who volunteers his time at RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network) said "What's heartbreaking about slut shaming and sexual violence is that 100% of these incidents are avoidable. We can stop it, it just takes a little bit of effort and the most basic human decency." So when are they going to start talking more about sexual violence and slut shaming in schools. If the kids are old enough to learn about sex education, shouldn't they be old enough to learn the consequences of their actions.

Like Dr Shira Tarrant said "Once we start noticing, we can't stop noticing. We cannot not see the "slut" shaming that is everywhere in our culture". I must admit I have been guilty of "slut" shaming without considering I was doing it.  Who has seen a girl/woman dressed provocatively and not made a comment?

I'm Not Fat, I'm Latina

I'm Not Fat, I'm Latina

Christy Haubegger

"Real self-esteem cannot come from male attention alone."

This article is so true and made me laugh.  I had the opposite problem but I embraced my skinniness. My nickname was "Flaca" which means skinny. I was always underweight but I didn't feel any shame, I accepted the fact that I was skinny, the only thing I wish I had were bigger boobs, but I improvised with padded bras. Today, I am anything but "Flaca" and it seems that everyone that knew me in my skinny days tell me how much better I look with some meat on my bones. It took me having 4 kids to finally be of normal weight. I left the hospital wearing my own jeans for my first three pregnancies but for the fourth I needed my then husband's jeans. And yes while "food is a central part of Hispanic culture" my diet has not changed but my metabolism sure has. This was a big adjustment for me because I was not used to the extra weight, I felt fat not healthy. When people tell me how good I look, I immediately think " oh God, I'm so fat". But, I have come to accept my new figure.

http://youtu.be/dfKnga-a-7Q.

Magazines should be classified as "fantasy" just like movies especially nowadays with all the Photoshopping being done on pictures. Anyone can look beautiful if they had a make up artist, hairdresser and nice clothes.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EFj-LCvM1Cy6OQwXjqCgyx3AN1ZkA5qCCsebtSoci3c/edit?usp=docslist_api

The Master's Tools.....

The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House

By: Audre Lorde

Prospero, you are the master of illusion. Lying is your trademark. And you have lied so much to me (Lied about the world, lied about me) That you have ended by imposing on me An image of myself. Underdeveloped, you brand me, inferior, That s the way you have forced me to see myself I detest that image! What's more, it's a lie! But now I know you, you old cancer, And I know myself as well. ~ Caliban, in Aime Cesaire's A Tempest

What I believe Audre Lorde was trying to convey in her speech is that in order to fight back against the system of society, you must first educate yourself by knowing the differences in women that separate women (race, sexuality, class and age).  If you don't understand and compare the differences of all women especially the minorities (poor, black, third world and lesbians) you are insulting them or as Lorde puts it committing "academic arrogance" when trying to speak of feminism. If women are going to prevail they need to address racism, sexism and homophobia as one not as separate issues. 

The master's tools (racism, sexism, homophobia) will never dismantle the master's house (society) so by educating yourself, coming together and understanding the differences in all women you taken away then power of the system. Knowledge is power! In order to fight power you need learn how to deal with power.

Like Simone de Beauvoir said "It is the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our lives that we must draw strength to live and our reasons for acting".

I'm not sure where to put this article for I believe it applies to most of the articles we have read for class.

Male Engineering Student Nails Sexism in the STEM Field

By: Jared Mauldin

http://www.attn.com/stories/3607/engineering-student-calls-out-sexism-in-stem-field

Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

by: Adrienne Rich

What exactly is "compulsory heterosexuality? It is the idea that female heterosexuality is both assumed and enforced by the "system" aka the government.

When reading this article, I felt Adrienne Rich was a angry woman because she is a lesbian and has met some the challenges she referred to in her article. While most of the challenges are still being faced by the LGBTQ community, they are making progress.

Why is heterosexuality assumed and enforced?  Again, I feel this is something taught to us as children because that is what our parents and grandparents were taught. So, the question is why? Could it be the teachings of the bible? In Genesis 2 it claims that the human race started with Adam and Eve a heterosexual couple. They were commanded to multiply and fill earth. It also states that "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" 

Another point I would like to touch upon is the comment "the lesbian, unless in disguise, faces discrimination in hiring and harassment and violence in the street". I disagree. ALL women are subjected to this behavior not just lesbians.  Woman, regardless of sexual orientation, have been discriminated against in the workplace and continue to be. However, in a recent article I read, it says that lesbian women make more money than straight women. 

http://www.attn.com/stories/3557/why-lesbians-earn-more-money-in-the-workplace

I was disturbed when I read how a married woman who claimed to be a lesbian was subjected to "couch therapy" basically she was raped by her husband simply because she confessed her orientation as being an lesbian. 

After reading and researching this article, I believe that we should have a choice as to how we want to live because just as the bible mentions heterosexuality there is also homosexuality that is mentioned in the bible but because these words were not used during those times it was not identified as such. We live in a society were we put labels on everyone and everything. Why can't we just be?

6 reasons why the Bible is not against gays: http://www.religioustolerance.org/ashford01.htm

U.S.A., Land of Limitations

U.S.A.

Land of Limitations

By: Nicholas Kristof

In the article written by Kristof, there is a statement by Professor Reardon about how "Rich kids make a lot of bad choices" "They just don't come with the same sort of consequences". I totally agree with this statement especially since the not guilty verdict of Ethan Couch. Ethan comes from an affluent family.  He always got whatever he wanted and was never punished for his actions. At the age of 15 he was given a ticket for caught in a parked truck with 14 year old girl who was undressed and passed out. At the age of 16, he was driving with an alcohol level 3 times legal limit and had Valium in his system as well. He ended up killing 4 people and injuring 2 as he plowed into them going 70 miles per hour. When he was being interviewed by the police, he stated "I'm outta here". He pleaded guilty but was let off...because he is rich. Yes that was the reason the defense used and won the case with. Ethan's only punishment....10 years probation for killing 4 people. 

What would have the outcome been if it had been a non white, non rich teen?

Is America still a democracy (an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights) I don't think so, because it does not treat everyone equally and the above is a perfect example. Are there double standards that begins and ends with the government? Absolutely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g612mdezyDY

I took the Chintz or Shag quiz to find out what class I belonged to on the People Like Us website and the results were Middle Middle Class. But what exactly does this mean? How can they determine this from me picking out furniture for a living room? Maybe I'm just practical and money conscious. Does having best sellers, hardwoods and a piano really mean that I am middle middle class? And does having family pictures and a small dog indicating that I belong to the working class, maybe I'm just family oriented and like small dogs over big dogs. 

http://www.cnam.com/people-like-us/games/index.html

Found this article after our class discussion on how the system is keeping people in their place.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/21/linda-tirado-poverty-hand-to-mouth-extract

Generation M

                                                             GENERATION M

                                                   Misogyny in Media and Culture

                                                             Thomas Keith, PhD.


                                          


Dichotomy - a difference between 2 opposite things.

As I watched this video, when the subject of dichotomy was brought up, I whole heartedly agreed with what was being said. No one is born being a racist, a misogynist or believing that boys and girls are different. These are all things we learn as a children. From sports, toys, feelings and behavior even the career path we choose. They refer to this as gender training.

When choosing sports for the children boys are usually geared towards playing football, soccer, basketball mostly all physical activities. While girls are encouraged to be dancers or cheerleaders.

The toys are usually labeled either boys or girls. Trucks, cars, army men all toys parents and society see as being for boys. Where dolls, kitchens, vanities with make-up and dress up clothes are all deemed as being for girls.

Different feelings and behavior are encouraged early in life. Boys are usually taught to be tough and aggressive. While girls are taught to be cute and passive.

If a man chooses an occupation that requires one to be compassionate and caring, their masculinity is questioned. If a woman chooses a career generally occupied by men, their feminity is questioned.

In any of these instances the boys, girls, men and women sexuality is questioned if they defer from what society deems normal.

Why can't we be a society where everyone is an egalitarian? Where we are all treated as equals and given the same opportunities regardless of sex, race, sexuality, class, political views, religion.

Privilege, Power and Difference

                                                      Privilege, Power and Difference

                                                               By: Allan G. Johnson

The author's goal in writing this book was to change we think in order to change how we act regarding privilege, power and differences. What came to my mind is that we are currently in a country that has changed dramatically since he wrote the book in 2001.  First and foremost I believe that the reason people don't become part of the solution is fear, fear of the unknown. 

Gender:  Society is going thru big changes regarding gender.  People are opting to use gender neutral pronouns and new parents are not identifying their newborns as boy or girl raising them as gender neutral kids. Angelina Jolie lets her daughter Shiloh identify himself as a boy. Disney Stores no longer divides their Halloween customs by gender and Target will be taking down signs that identify toys for boys and toys for girls. Sweden is the leading country in gender equality and now are heading to be gender neutral by adding a new pronoun "Hen"  to their vocabulary to be used instead of he [han in Swedish] and she [hon]." Seattle has a new all-gender bathroom law. Harvard just joined other colleges in adopting gender neutral pronouns such as "Ze",  "They" and "Genderqueer".

Why are gender neutral public bathrooms such a big deal, it's not like our homes have separate bathrooms.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../target-will-stop-selling-toys-for-boys-o...

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/04/hen_sweden_s_new_gender_neutral_pronoun_causes_controversy_.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/harvard-university-colleges-gender-free-pronouns-transgender-genderqueer-students/

What does this mean in the future for "White America" will it be illegal to ask on applications if you are a male or female? Will gender neutrality be good or bad for America?

  

It's a Girl

It's a Girl  by Evan Grae Davis

It's a Girl is a documentary film that focuses on female gendercide. It was filmed in India and China. Over 200 million girls go missing in the world due to gendercide and an estimated 100,000 women are murdered for failure to produce a son.

In India, women kill their daughter's some as soon as they are born by suffocating them. Mortality rate is higher for those under the age of 5 and 1 in 4 don't live past puberty. "A daughter is a burden on her father's head" is one of the quotes in the film. This was in part of the dowry the family had to pay to the man the daughter was to marry. Because they had very little to offer they would have to sell their belongings. If the husband was not paid a dowry, the women were subjected to violence which lead to death in some instances. Unfortunately, dowry deaths were ignored. In 1961 the Anti Dowry Act was enacted in India. Anyone who gave or received a dowry faced prison time no less than 5 years and a fine.

20 - 30% of pregnancies end in feticide. If an ultrasound showed the fetus to be a girl, they had an abortion. In 1994 the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique Act was introduced prohibiting doctors to perform ultrasounds to determine the sex of the baby. However, some doctors still performed them for the right price and the courts favor the doctors.  Dr. Mitu Khurana, an Indian pediatrician woman, is the first woman to sue her husband and doctor for performing an ultrasound since the act was passed 16 years ago.

PCPNDT:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Conception_and_Pre-Natal_Diagnostic_Techniques_Act,_1994

Dr Khurana:  http://www.itsagirlmovie.com/en/blog/mitu-khurana-a-mother-s-ongoing-battle-for-justice

China is another country that has a strong son preference.  In 1979, China enforced the One Child Policy however in rural areas a second child was allowed if the first child was a daughter. A permit is required for pregnancy and birth. If a non documented pregnancy is discovered the parents are fined. The government has paid informants that report women who are illegally pregnant, they are arrested by the Family Planning Committee and forced to have abortions. Most parents having a child illegally usually go into hiding to avoid fines and punishment, leaving behind their children with family members. If a child is not officially documented they can't attend school. Most marriages become financially ruined or stuck in a sexless marriage in fear of becoming pregnant.

China has the highest women suicide rate with approximately 500 women killing themselves per day (2006). There are about 70,000 girls per year that are stolen and trafficked.  Could the One Child Policy be blamed for these crimes against women?

One Child Policy:  http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1912861,00.html

Suicide Rate: https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/chinese-women-are-killing-themselves-at-astronomical-rates-is-the-one-child

Sex Trafficking:  http://thediplomat.com/2014/11/sex-trafficking-and-chinas-one-child-policy/

In 1995, Hilary Rodham Clinton made a famous speech in Beijing regarding the violation of human rights. "Let it be that human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights, once and for all."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXM4E23Efvk

Fear of Feminism

Fear of Feminism
Why Young Women get the Willies

By: Lisa Maria Hogeland

In this article it states that "Fear of feminism, then, is not a fear of gender but rather a fear of politics. Fear of politics can be understood as a fear of living in consequences, a fear of reprisals." That young women fear feminism today for fear that men wouldn't want to be with them. That women can't identify themselves with domestic violence victims because it hasn't happened to them.  Considering that this article was written in 1994, I disagree with most of these reasons and agree with an article written by Jaclyn Nicole, in 2013 where she disputes most of the reasons Hogeland claims women fear feminism.   Hogeland hints that women fear politics but considering the number of women in politics nowadays that belief is arguable. The fear of being considered a lesbian, this also can be disputed given the way society support LGBTQ. The idea that men would not want to be in an relationship with a feminist is also slowly fading. More men are supporting women.

As a mother of two young women, I have always tried to instill in my daughters the confidence to speak their minds, to go after what they want and to fight for what they believe in. I believe that at home is where it all starts. Different cultures believe different things as far as what is "expected" from women. My oldest thinks I'm a feminist and although I may not be fighting the fight, I truly believe that all women should have the same opportunities as men and I will continue to try to empower my daughters and any other young or old women with the knowledge they will need to make informed decisions and to love herself enough to want to fight the fight, to not depend on a man. I have included the video by Tamia only because I believe that you need to love yourself and make decisions that are going to best for you.

Jaclyn Nicole: https://wgst303.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/fear-of-feminism/

Nora Ephron: http://www.makers.com/moments/feminists-without-label

Tamia- "ME" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJcFNoUMLPk

As a woman, why wouldn't you want to fight for women's rights?

The F Word

The F Word

Feminism in Jeopardy

Women, Politics and the Future

By: Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner

I must admit I was intrigued with this article right from the beginning. I enjoyed learning about the 3 waves of American feminism. The first being the right for women to vote in a presidential election, efforts that began with Abigail Adams when John Adams was writing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. And although it took until 1920 before women had the right to vote, with dedication and perseverance women finally got what they fought so hard for. 

The second wave, I believe is still an ongoing issue. Men are still making more money than women and still hold the higher positions in corporate America.  What I related to was the comment made by Susan Scanlan, president of the Women's Research and Education Institute, regarding young women today and discovering that although "the revolution sort of opened up marriage....if you want to come up against the real wall it's with (children). This is when many women find they need to work extra hours to get ahead, can't find reliable or affordable child care and their husband's career comes first. That's when you realize you can't have it all. It's not just that you can't have a clean house, or entertain, or be room mother for your child's class; it's that you can't sleep---the choices are not luxury, but sleep." I am always asked why do I work third shift (11pm-7am). Simply because I do want it all. My four children never had to go to daycare, my house wasn't spotless but it was clean, I host parties when I can, I was a room mom, soccer mom, dance mom, basketball mom, track & field mom translation cheerleader and taxi driver. I worked 32 to 40 hrs a week and I came back to school to get a nursing degree. Yes, it is taking me a while to get the degree but I have not given up. What I don't do a lot on a daily basis is sleep. I sleep when I can, usually in shifts of 2 to 5 hours at a time. When they were younger, I would sleep when they took their naps but as the children got older, the more free time I have to sleep.  But these are choices that I make in order to be able to have it all. It's all about being able to have choices.

The third wave, I don't believe that we are in a "postfeminism" phase. I just think there are other issues at the center of attention. Like equals rights for gay couples and black lives matters front and center. Instead of having all these groups, there should be a unity of them. The more voices the louder the cry.

These should all set an example to women young and old alike that if you fight for what you believe, you can achieve. It doesn't matter how long it takes as long as you don't give up.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Nancy. Over the summer I took 3 summer classes (Latin American History, Music and Math Contemporary topics), went to our time share in Vermont (Smuggler's Notch) with my 4 children for a week in July and went to the beaches in RI.  I am taking this class to fulfill my soc/behavioral requirement for the nursing program.  When I am not in class, I work the graveyard shift 11pm-7am at W&I Hospital as a unit secretary and I take care of my younger 2 kids, a sophomore in high school and an 8th grader during the day. My 2 oldest are in college, one a sophomore at Wheaton and one a junior at Univ of Colorado in Boulder.