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.