Ellen Seay
WMST250
Sect. 0101
5/13/08
Learning Analysis
This course, Women, Art and Culture, has been an integral part of my semester, as it has allowed me to complete a CORE course. However, the course turned into more than just a requirement; I learned a lot about different forms of art, and how women have come to participate in the art world. I have also learned about how people can be feminist activists through art, and how this has changed society’s view of women and their place in it. The types of readings that came with this course were also very intriguing and were a useful supplement to the topics that we discussed in section and in lecture. Overall, I enjoyed most aspects of this course, and would recommend it to students who need to complete their CORE requirements, or to students who need more course hours to graduate.
The syllabus was the first handout that we received in the class. It told us all about what the class was about, and all of the different assignments and readings that we were to complete over the course of the semester. The syllabus also said that we were going to explore how artists and activists have asked an assortment of questions about “power, gender and sexuality, racialization, nations and languages, abilities and disabilities, religion and meaning and more”. It described how we would analyze assumptions we make about women, art, culture and feminism, and look at how art can rework potential events and actual events for many different people. The course also focused on analytic writing, communication, collaborative learning. To better understand this, we participated in weekly discussions that included nine other students and TA’s. In these discussion groups, we talked about the readings and how they apply to the topics that were introduced in lecture. We also discussed different things in politics and society today, and how things for women and feminists have changed over time. These groups were formed so that each student would be able to voice their opinions about the subjects at hand, and so that we could get individual attention concerning our written assignments and other tasks that we were asked to complete. The class also utilized a blog so that everyone could connect easily to discuss any topics of interest, and to look at our classmate’s work to learn things about them and to see the types of things they think. Another topic the syllabus covered was that of assumptions we make that we don’t think about.
One of the first things we did in this course was to examine our assumptions about feminism and art, and how they connect. Our first assignment directed us to four different museums to see various types of art, by both men and women. Before we did so though, we were asked to think about what our assumptions were about feminism. The main conjecture that people stated was that they thought that feminists were extremists who think that men are inferior to women. Throughout the course, I have learned that feminists have nothing against men; they actually just want to create equality amongst the two genders. The assignment took me to the National Museum of Women in the Arts first. I had assumed that there would not be very many women artists from the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but there was in fact a very large portion of artists from this era who were represented. I suppose I had assumed that women in this time period were supposed to take care of the household and the children, and did not have time for hobbies like creating art. In actuality, information at the museum taught me that women from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries painted many still life and genre paintings. Learning about these artists gave me a lot of insight that I used during lectures when we discussed various artists from different time periods. This was a good assignment to include and to put at the beginning of the course because it is a good jump off point to learning about feminism and art as a combined topic. It is also beneficial to correct any misunderstandings that exist concerning the topics of the course so that nothing is perceived with bias.
The second assignment that was required was a formation of a feminist event and creating a poster and/or flyer to advertise the event. This assignment was a great team-building type assignment because it involved our entire discussion group. It was a little bit difficult to have everyone contribute the same amount because there wasn’t a huge amount of work to do, but we all contributed our ideas while creating the event. We tried to use lots of speakers and musical performances to get people interested in our event. This assignment was helpful in learning about how different activists organize and hold informational events that are aimed at teaching people about feminism. This assignment, and the readings that went along with it, really got me thinking that organizing an event to share your views is possible, and can attract a very large number of people. If the course did not include this assignment, students would be missing an essential piece of learning about how activism works.
Our third assignment dealt with the intricate topic that is intersectionality. We were to analyze the situations that have occurred in our life that show how we are personally oppressed and privileged due to our matrix of domination. This means that we analyzed our class, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and age. In lecture, we talked a lot about the book Kindred and how the main characters, Dana and Kevin, are oppressed and privileged in the different time periods that they travel through. These discussions were helpful because they gave us a lot of examples so that we would be able to complete the assignment using our own life. When writing this assignment, I learned a lot about myself and about things in my life. This assignment was also a collaborative assignment, so we had to come up with a creative project to show how each partner pair understood each other. This assignment was included in the course because it is a good way to learn about someone else, in depth, and also so that we could further develop more cooperative skills, because we will have to work with people in real life, like in our careers.
Another central part of the course was the reading that was assigned, along with the webbing exercises, which allowed us to explore a multitude of different topics. One of the books that we read was called Fight Like a Girl; How to be a Fearless Feminist by Megan Seely. This book was all about activism and how it is easy to become an activist, no matter who you are. Seely includes a plethora of resources and ideas that ordinary people can use to become involved in the feminist movement today. Page 116 begins a long list of online feminist websites. She says that they can be used to learn about past and current feminist events and movements, and that you can take aspects of other events and put them into your own. Since activism was such an important part of the class, this book was a very appropriate choice for reading. It was an interesting read and I enjoyed learning about the different things that activists do.
Another book that was assigned that I enjoyed was Bell Hook’s Feminism is for Everybody. The second chapter of this book is about consciousness-raising, which is essentially spreading the thoughts and values of feminism to teach other people about the movement. An interesting way that she writes, she relates a lot of her points back to the concept of intersectionality. She writes, “One does not become an advocate of feminist politics simply by having the privilege of having been born female” (7). The concept of consciousness-raising was something that we talked about one day in lecture. We learned about how there were groups that raised awareness about feminist movements in the 1970’s. These groups were one of the activist development groups where understandings of feminism have come to play into past and today’s society. This reading connects to the class because it really tells about how feminist theory came to be. Knowing the history of a movement really gives participants of the movement a lot more reason to be part of it. If someone was asked, “How did the feminist movement begin?” and they were not able to answer, that person may not be seen as dedicated to the cause.
The last reading that I enjoyed was the Chicana Art book, which was written by Laura E. Perez. The day in lecture that we had to decide as groups which pieces of art we liked, I really gave the book a deeper look. I read more of the descriptions of the art, and I was able to learn about the artists and why they created the art they did. I feel that this is a very important piece of the course because I didn’t read the book because I had to, I read it because I was genuinely interested. This reading connects to the story of the class because it allowed us to directly examine art done by women, and we could see how other students in our lecture reacted to the art as well. I enjoyed this book the most, I think, because of the specificity of the artists included. They were only Chicana artists, which means they are Mexican-American female artists. It was interesting to see how location and culture affects what the art portrays.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in this course. Coming into it, I didn’t think that I would actually be interested in any of it, but I was surprised to see that my assumption of the course was in fact incorrect. The lectures taught me a lot about how feminism works and how it stays a prominent issue in society today. The types of assignments that we had to complete were very effective at communicating our understanding of the concepts we learned in class, but they also allowed us to develop other skills, like cooperation and organization. The required readings were a great supplement to the lectures because they further reinforced the feminist concepts that were taught. All of these elements bring the class together as a successful whole, that enjoyable for me this semester.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Assignment #4: Learning Analysis
Learning Analysis
Deciding to take woman studies was not my personal choice, but rather it was to fulfill a core requirement. I came into the class with no feminist, women art or culture knowledge. After this semester, I have a better understanding on women, feminism and art. Before taking this woman studies course, I never thought about my assumptions or even paid attention to them. Likewise, before taking this course I also did not paid much attention to where the power lied in my everyday life. It was not until I took this course and was told to write a paper analyzing the different power structures in my everyday life. The assignment allowed me to realize how much power and oppressions that is present in my life.
Based on the assignment that analyzes our assumptions on the museums, I learned that anything can count as art and art can be in many forms. There were many shocking artworks that I encounter during my experience at the art museums. For example, artistes using their own bodies as art to convey a message to the public were quite shocking because I thought they were too extreme. Therefore, it does no matter what it is, whether an object, a living thing or even one’s own physical self, they all count as art. The perception of art depends on how the individual looks at it because each individual has his or her own thoughts. Another fact that I noticed about my assumptions was that prior to attending the art museums, I knew that many forms of art involved the human body. My assumption was that I already accepted this fact in which there will be some pornography in art. However, to my surprise when I went to the museums when I saw some of the artworks that involved the body parts, many were the female body, I felt disturbed and uncomfortable. First time paying attention the ‘before and after’ effects of my own assumptions were quite interesting and surprising. There is a connection between my uncomfortable feeling when I saw the female body part to the idea of respecting the sexes. Throughout my life, I have always assumed that presenting or showing the female private body parts were wrong. Hence, when I saw such graphic images of the female body I felt disturbed and somewhat embarrassed. The embarrassment comes from the fact that I am a female and I see an image of the female body of my own sex embarrasses me. Whereas, when I came across sculptures of the male body, I was less embarrassed or disturbed.
Moreover, the assignment in which we were told to analyze our privileges and oppressions allowed me to have a better understanding of all the positives and negatives in my daily life. In our daily lives, there are many things we do every day, however because we do them so often, we do not acknowledge that they could be a privilege or an oppression in our life. This assignment assisted me to learn of my privileges and to cherish my advantages. Also, I think the most important part of this assignment was that I realized that while a privilege may not seem much of a privilege, but there are many people out there that may be oppressed by that privilege. For example, the rigorous academic program I am may seem more like a lack of privilege, however, in some ways this lack of privilege, can actually be an oppression to other people. In addition, I learned that sometimes my oppressions are someone else’s privileges and vice versa; they overlap. This is how our daily lives are interconnected and balance out because each individual has their own oppressions and privileges.
I feel that “But is it art?” by Cynthia Freeland was one of the readings that I found interesting and that I learned from. The book provides detailed explanations on the different types of art and how one can approach thinking about art. Art can be as extreme as using blood, urine or plastic surgery to convey subjects such as war and violence. Other forms of art could be completely on the other side of the spectrum as some artistes use gardens and flowers to depict something. This book was meaningful to me because it allowed me to have a better understanding of the different point of views of art and why people uses certain methods to message to their audience of the artistes ideas. I feel more fascinated by the fact that there are individuals out there who would sacrifice their own flesh just for a piece of artwork. This definitely changed my views on what art can really do to an individual. That is, causing them to have the mentality to sacrifice their own flesh, such as blood for art. It connects to my life because in the future, I will know how to analyze art in a more intelligent way.
The next book that caught my attention was “Feminism is for Everybody” by bell hooks. Because I had no knowledge of what feminism actually is before taking this class, I found this book to be helpful. The only knowledge I had on feminism was that it was a movement which involved fighting for woman rights and equality. However, after entering this course of study, I learned that feminism is not just about those two topics, but is much broader. Hooks effectively explains her point of views on the feminist theory. She discusses about the issues that revolve around men and women equality. Even though women are the leaders in many households, but whether men are part of the leaders in the household or not, they are still overriding the domination of women. Hooks also talks about how feminist education should be expanded and because they failed on expanding academic wise, hooks feels that feminist should raise the awareness outside of the academics. Because some feminist were so radical on how they view men, society adapted to thinking that feminism is about anti-male. Instead hooks suggest that feminism should incorporate masculinity to drive society away from thinking that the feminist movement and theory is anti-male. Moving on, hooks discusses the early theories of feminism and how they separated themselves from men. Not only did early feminist theorist disliked men because they felt that men were “cruel, unkind, violent [and] unfaithful” (hooks, 12). Early feminist wanted to fight for their equality and reach beyond men, as men always seem to be above women. Another issue that hooks brings up is the views on who has the right to decide what females should do with their bodies. She refers to one of the largest controversy for her argument, abortion. Hooks argue that women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies. Not because it is illegal to abort a child or because many feel that the female is murdering a human being, but simply because having the right to choose is one of the only freedoms women can have.
Overall, I learned much from “Feminism is for Everybody” about the different aspects of feminism. As I read through some of the chapters, it was interesting how bell hooks thought of the topic. For example, the section about Our Bodies, Ourselves she talks about how the decision of abortion should be placed on the woman, because it is a reproductive freedom that no one other male has. When I read this part, I felt that we, females are the only ones who have this type of reproductive freedom, the abortion will happen in our bodies physically. This feeling is a quite special as it is one unique aspect of the woman body that males do not possess. Some of the ideas that hooks brings up are the same thoughts I originally had on feminism. I, like the rest of the society thought that feminists were anti-males and that were generally lesbians. However, the section where hooks speaks about Feminism Masculinity, I agree that feminist should be approaching feminist theory while incorporating masculinity in it. The approach will help gain a positive impression on feminism to society.
The final book that was appealing to me was “Kindred” by Octavia Butler. The novel was captivating because of the theme, time traveling. It was interesting to read about how a woman from the future could travel back in time to experience the life of her ancestors. The topic of book revolved much on slavery, race, and the power struggle of race and gender. Dana, the main character from the novel is an African-American female who is married to a White male. When she suddenly travels back in time into the world of her ancestors, it is discovered that her ancestors were originally White also.
I thought this book was meaningful because there is an opportunity for Dana to personally experience the struggles the past faced. Not only the hardships of her ancestors, but also her race in general. Another reason why it is meaningful was because the time travel story allowed Dana to be part of her own history. She along with the readers are taken back into the past to learn the lifestyles of Whites and Blacks. In addition to the novel being meaningful, the topic is also very important. It is necessary for readers to acknowledge that slavery and issues with race and gender in the past more or less shaped society today. The novel did not necessary change my feelings about the course because before reading this novel, I already knew some facts about the subject. It is just that the novel brought a live experience to me.
In conclusion, during the course of this class I have contributed to the class mainly by being part of the group discussions and occasionally giving my opinion on certain topics. The small group meetings helps me be included in the story simply because I am personally experiencing the course along with the rest of the group. I have missed a few lectures, but never discussion. Missing lectures, of course is at my disadvantage as I am missing the material and this causes this story to be halted. The effect of missing lecture is that I am unable to contribute into the story as I do not have the knowledge. I believe in the beginning when the story first started there was less contribution because I was not as comfortable, but as we move through the course, things change. Now at the end of the story, I try to contribute more into the story.
Synthetic Evaluation
Synthetic Evaluation
Even though this semester has seemed almost tediously long, there have been many stories that I have gleaned through my classes. I have gleaned the story of Don Quixote in its entirety, the story of Abraham through the eyes of Kierkegaard, and the story of Spanish grammar... whatever that story happens to be of. But one of the more interesting stories (aside from Don Quixote which, I must add, is a fascinating read) is the story that I have learned through this class. I have learned many factual things throughout this semester, but Women, Art and Culture has taught me a different perspective on life; that's something I can't learn through reading a book. Above all, I believe the story of this class is questioning perception and definition of art and feminism.
From the first day of classes, Katie King stressed that this class was not going to be like every other class. It wouldn't necessarily teach you things, so much as guide you into thinking openly and questioning the world around you. Even the first assignment showed the class how to redefine their perceptions. And stereotypes are never a good thing. That's one of the huge lessons I've learned from the class - stereotypes are usually wrong. Feminism is not about man-hating. Feminism is not about anger. Feminism is not about revenge. That is shown a lot in Kindred. While Dana's presuppositions were challenged and modified by all the people in Maryland, their notions of her and the way she should be changed as well. Many of the slaves saw her as an "Uncle Tom"-like person, seeing as she spoke "white" and could read, but as they got to know her, the other slaves started changing their opinions and seeing Dana as another person, akin to them. They realized that her dreams and aspirations were not too far off of their own. Dana held her own in a time where a black woman doing so was not heard of often. And the same goes for feminism itself. Dana knew of a time of equality between genders and (to an extent) races. And feminism has those exact same goals. The novel Kindred really helped me put feminism into a realist light. It became something I could do, something I could accomplish. I could change the stereotypes of others and help them re-define feminism.
But the course was not just about feminism. It was also about art. But a lot of the questions were the same. Just what is art? What counts as art? And, just like the term feminism, art comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, In Pérez's Chicana Art, she dedicates a whole chapter to altars as an art form. When most people think about art, they think of sculptures and paintings, not altars. But most are intricately designed for one specific use: to be used in holy, religious ceremonies. In some churches, they are inlaid with gold and other valuable metals in order to please God. I completely agree with Pérez when she says, on page 96, "altar and related art forms bring into view the important questions of how our religious beliefs shape and impact our social lives, and the role that art plays in the process." This question is also brought up in chapter one of Freeland's But is it art? Both chapters share some insight about religion and art. Freeland states a lot about the use of blood and other bodily fluids in art (especially modern art), and how some people want those only to be used in very traditional religious ways. I, however, tend not to judge artwork. I am not a textile artist, and do not feel it is my place. I do think, however, that almost anything can be considered art, you just have to change your perspective about it. That is one thing that I have learned from the story of this class. If I have learned anything, it is that abstract terms such as "art" and "feminism" do not have set definitions. In fact, their definitions change all the time. For the second assignment, almost every group had a different working definition of "feminism," but not a single one of them was wrong. They were all just from different perspectives. That is what I have applied not only to feminism, but art as well. I honestly have changed my perception of art, and now think that just about anything can be conceived of as an art form, given the right point of view. Some art may be offensive, but the fact that it's offensive doesn't take away the essence of it being art. I would rather prefer something such as traditional stained glass paintings to Piss Christ, but I am not going to say that it is not art, because I feel that it is art. Actually, my uncle, who is an artist, does some art that a little on the ... controversial side, shall we say. He has made spoofs of many "classic" Renaissance paintings, like The Last Supper and Venus. And while these were not made to sell at all (but rather to promote upcoming picnics and parties he was having), I have always still considered them art. They definitely have very artistic qualities to them, but their main goal is entertainment purposes. Criticizing life all the time and getting no humor out of the situation leads to a dull life, even for an artist.
These readings have been very closely tied in with the message that this class has been trying to give. Many people have preconceived notions about art and feminism, and define them in a certain way. This class, and the readings, try to show us that art and feminism are not always packaged the same way each time. Art can be in the form of billboards, movies, sculptures, music, and many other forms. And feminism can even come in art. Before this class, I would have never thought that. But now, I can look around my world and see feminism almost everywhere, working its hardest for equality. I have even taken to telling some of my friends about feminism and how it works, and they have been astonished at how diverse it really is. I have also encountered sexist thinking and dispelled it using examples and such from the class itself. The class has taught me that I am a feminist and that I am proud of it. Yes, my place in this class is to learn, but I have also brought the learning out of the classroom and into real life.
That was one of the things I enjoyed most about my favorite reading, Kindred. It displayed feminism in an unfamiliar time, but had the heroine apply what she knew into the new time period. It feels like I am doing the same thing, just in my own time and not in the 1800's. The application is the kicker. Dana asserts herself so that she is not helpless, and manages to change a few minds in the process. That is part of what I think this class was all about, the story of the class. To take feminism (and art) and make it your own. Make it work for you.
The readings have also helped me generally understand the class and how feminism really can be for everyone. And not just for women, but men, too. Everyone. Kindred especially shows how feminism can transcend all ages, races, genders and time periods. It is essentially timeless. But it wasn't only the readings that involved me in the class, it was the assignments, too. Having the small discussions really let me voice my opinion if I needed to, and also helped with my presentations. I feel comfortable presenting in front of a small group, but larger groups tend to scare me. All of us were really able to have an input in our learning, especially with Assignment 2. And while Maren and Maria helped us with the assignment, we definitely took it and made it our own. I was one of the "leaders" in the group, helping flesh out and organize ideas, which was one of the most important things in that assignment. Without that, we really wouldn't have had anything. But the small groups have helped me see other individuals and what they think as opposed to what I think. This opposition in thinking has really made me question my stereotypes and preconceived notions throughout the whole semester. We were able to hone in and redefine definitions that each of us had, rather than just fleshing out each person's definitions, which might have happened if the section size was larger.
All in all, I learned a lot about myself from this course. I learned that I was looking at some aspects of the world in a way that was not conducive to the truth. I learned that I am a feminist and that I think almost everything is art, given the right perspective. This class has taught me to read text efficiently and to plan ahead when doing assignments. It has helped me work better with others, which has always been something I have been pretty bad at. It didn't teach me much in the way of academic knowledge, but this class has taught me plenty about being a critically thinking person, which has plenty of value in the real world.
Even though this semester has seemed almost tediously long, there have been many stories that I have gleaned through my classes. I have gleaned the story of Don Quixote in its entirety, the story of Abraham through the eyes of Kierkegaard, and the story of Spanish grammar... whatever that story happens to be of. But one of the more interesting stories (aside from Don Quixote which, I must add, is a fascinating read) is the story that I have learned through this class. I have learned many factual things throughout this semester, but Women, Art and Culture has taught me a different perspective on life; that's something I can't learn through reading a book. Above all, I believe the story of this class is questioning perception and definition of art and feminism.
From the first day of classes, Katie King stressed that this class was not going to be like every other class. It wouldn't necessarily teach you things, so much as guide you into thinking openly and questioning the world around you. Even the first assignment showed the class how to redefine their perceptions. And stereotypes are never a good thing. That's one of the huge lessons I've learned from the class - stereotypes are usually wrong. Feminism is not about man-hating. Feminism is not about anger. Feminism is not about revenge. That is shown a lot in Kindred. While Dana's presuppositions were challenged and modified by all the people in Maryland, their notions of her and the way she should be changed as well. Many of the slaves saw her as an "Uncle Tom"-like person, seeing as she spoke "white" and could read, but as they got to know her, the other slaves started changing their opinions and seeing Dana as another person, akin to them. They realized that her dreams and aspirations were not too far off of their own. Dana held her own in a time where a black woman doing so was not heard of often. And the same goes for feminism itself. Dana knew of a time of equality between genders and (to an extent) races. And feminism has those exact same goals. The novel Kindred really helped me put feminism into a realist light. It became something I could do, something I could accomplish. I could change the stereotypes of others and help them re-define feminism.
But the course was not just about feminism. It was also about art. But a lot of the questions were the same. Just what is art? What counts as art? And, just like the term feminism, art comes in all shapes and sizes. For example, In Pérez's Chicana Art, she dedicates a whole chapter to altars as an art form. When most people think about art, they think of sculptures and paintings, not altars. But most are intricately designed for one specific use: to be used in holy, religious ceremonies. In some churches, they are inlaid with gold and other valuable metals in order to please God. I completely agree with Pérez when she says, on page 96, "altar and related art forms bring into view the important questions of how our religious beliefs shape and impact our social lives, and the role that art plays in the process." This question is also brought up in chapter one of Freeland's But is it art? Both chapters share some insight about religion and art. Freeland states a lot about the use of blood and other bodily fluids in art (especially modern art), and how some people want those only to be used in very traditional religious ways. I, however, tend not to judge artwork. I am not a textile artist, and do not feel it is my place. I do think, however, that almost anything can be considered art, you just have to change your perspective about it. That is one thing that I have learned from the story of this class. If I have learned anything, it is that abstract terms such as "art" and "feminism" do not have set definitions. In fact, their definitions change all the time. For the second assignment, almost every group had a different working definition of "feminism," but not a single one of them was wrong. They were all just from different perspectives. That is what I have applied not only to feminism, but art as well. I honestly have changed my perception of art, and now think that just about anything can be conceived of as an art form, given the right point of view. Some art may be offensive, but the fact that it's offensive doesn't take away the essence of it being art. I would rather prefer something such as traditional stained glass paintings to Piss Christ, but I am not going to say that it is not art, because I feel that it is art. Actually, my uncle, who is an artist, does some art that a little on the ... controversial side, shall we say. He has made spoofs of many "classic" Renaissance paintings, like The Last Supper and Venus. And while these were not made to sell at all (but rather to promote upcoming picnics and parties he was having), I have always still considered them art. They definitely have very artistic qualities to them, but their main goal is entertainment purposes. Criticizing life all the time and getting no humor out of the situation leads to a dull life, even for an artist.
These readings have been very closely tied in with the message that this class has been trying to give. Many people have preconceived notions about art and feminism, and define them in a certain way. This class, and the readings, try to show us that art and feminism are not always packaged the same way each time. Art can be in the form of billboards, movies, sculptures, music, and many other forms. And feminism can even come in art. Before this class, I would have never thought that. But now, I can look around my world and see feminism almost everywhere, working its hardest for equality. I have even taken to telling some of my friends about feminism and how it works, and they have been astonished at how diverse it really is. I have also encountered sexist thinking and dispelled it using examples and such from the class itself. The class has taught me that I am a feminist and that I am proud of it. Yes, my place in this class is to learn, but I have also brought the learning out of the classroom and into real life.
That was one of the things I enjoyed most about my favorite reading, Kindred. It displayed feminism in an unfamiliar time, but had the heroine apply what she knew into the new time period. It feels like I am doing the same thing, just in my own time and not in the 1800's. The application is the kicker. Dana asserts herself so that she is not helpless, and manages to change a few minds in the process. That is part of what I think this class was all about, the story of the class. To take feminism (and art) and make it your own. Make it work for you.
The readings have also helped me generally understand the class and how feminism really can be for everyone. And not just for women, but men, too. Everyone. Kindred especially shows how feminism can transcend all ages, races, genders and time periods. It is essentially timeless. But it wasn't only the readings that involved me in the class, it was the assignments, too. Having the small discussions really let me voice my opinion if I needed to, and also helped with my presentations. I feel comfortable presenting in front of a small group, but larger groups tend to scare me. All of us were really able to have an input in our learning, especially with Assignment 2. And while Maren and Maria helped us with the assignment, we definitely took it and made it our own. I was one of the "leaders" in the group, helping flesh out and organize ideas, which was one of the most important things in that assignment. Without that, we really wouldn't have had anything. But the small groups have helped me see other individuals and what they think as opposed to what I think. This opposition in thinking has really made me question my stereotypes and preconceived notions throughout the whole semester. We were able to hone in and redefine definitions that each of us had, rather than just fleshing out each person's definitions, which might have happened if the section size was larger.
All in all, I learned a lot about myself from this course. I learned that I was looking at some aspects of the world in a way that was not conducive to the truth. I learned that I am a feminist and that I think almost everything is art, given the right perspective. This class has taught me to read text efficiently and to plan ahead when doing assignments. It has helped me work better with others, which has always been something I have been pretty bad at. It didn't teach me much in the way of academic knowledge, but this class has taught me plenty about being a critically thinking person, which has plenty of value in the real world.
Assignment 3b
Comparing Matrices of Domination
Everyone has different notions of power, and power can come from many different aspects in life. While some aspects of power, for some people, can be a privilege, for others can be an oppression. The experiences that each person faces throughout his or her life are different from person to person - they are never exactly the same. Even if some people have the same marked and unmarked categories, the same matrixes of domination, their experiences can define how they look at life and where they find power. My partner Candace and I are not always in the same categories, and our experiences have shaped our lives in very different ways.
For one, we are of different races. I am Caucasian, while Candace is Asian. While this has presented different influences and privileges for both of us, it has also constrained both of us in different ways. While I am in an unmarked category of race (at least in this country), the pros and cons of being white are pretty much balanced out. Let's take the example of college. Even though affirmative action is in place, it is still very easy to get into college as a white student, as long as that student achieves good grades and test scores and has extra-curricular activities. The pressures of teachers and parents tends to be (but isn't always in every case) more on white students in terms of success than, say, black students. Because of this racial difference, one of the privileges of being white is getting into college.
But there are negative aspects to being white, as well. Keeping with the example of college, we shall explore the expenses of college, which usually are staggeringly high. There are many sources of financial aid out there, most in the form of scholarships. But to many white students, this money is untouchable. If we stick to an example of a middle-class white student, the majority of this scholarship money is out-of-bounds. The scholarships tend to fall into two categories: for those with financial need and for minorities. Middle-class doesn't cut it for financial need, and being Caucasian is not a minority. So with the privileges of being white come the limits of being white.
Candace has slightly different privileges and oppressions than I would, because she is Asian. She feels a cultural bond to other Asians, specifically the Chinese. She speaks both Cantonese and English, which help the bond even more, as she is also linguistically tied to her race. Along with this cultural bond, which is a privilege to her, are negative associations with Asians. For one, other unmarked races tend to have stereotypes about Asians; they believe that all Asians are incredibly book smart, play Dance Dance Revolution incessantly and practice many forms of martial arts. So when Asians such as Candace hear this and don't always fulfill every aspect of the stereotype, they feel misunderstood. Another negative aspect concerning race is name-calling, especially with minorities such as Asians and Native Americans. Candace, for example, has been made fun of because of her race and her slanted eyes. There were also times where people would tease her by "trying" to speak Chinese, but not really trying. Her strong bond to the Chinese was also put to the test this past summer, when many different brands of children's toys made in China were discovered to have lead in them. Because of her Chinese ancestry, she expected more of the workers and companies, and because of her US citizenship, she felt aligned to America.
Another point that we both draw power from is the fact that we are females. Even though this is a marked category, the knowledge and power of feminism is slowly but surely taking the mark away. But the mark is still present. I, for one, have been told by some boys that I am not as smart as they are, not as talented in the things I do, not as physically able as they are. Most of those things were told to me when I was very young, by boys who did not know any better. But our society taught them that. They were taught that as boys they were "better" than girls, and to look down on girls. And that has been how our society has mainly run for the last several hundred years: men work and bring home money while women take care of the children. Since society has been basically run by men, it hasn't changed until very recently. Even since I was a child, there have been changes about the perception of women. They are getting closer and closer to being men's equal. While the teasing in my youth was an example of the oppressions of being female, the growth in awareness and practicing of feminism is an influence in some of my choices and experiences. Without this growth, I probably would not have had the opportunity to do some of the things I wanted, like going to college and having a job during the summer.
Along the lines of feminism comes the topic of sexual orientation. While I am heterosexual, I wasn’t always unmarked. In high school, I didn’t date anyone and some people thought that I was gay, making me a marked person. I was hurt to think that people would just spread rumors about me that were untrue, but I didn’t get offended by their presumptions. I always said to them, “Even though I am indeed straight, what’s wrong with being gay?” To me, being gay is not wrong, it is an unmarked category in my book, but in society’s eye, it is a marked category. Most everyone starts off assuming that the others they meet are straight. So the privilege of being assumed straight, for those who actually are straight, is that they don’t have to worry about people perceiving them wrong or believing a lie about them. And that exact thing is one of the major oppressions for the LGBT community. Instead of having people understand them, they are constantly misrepresented and misunderstood, and they have to clean up the mess of someone else’s ignorance by explaining that they are gay.
One place that the issue of homosexuality comes up in is religion. Now, I support gays; I think that people who do not for religious reasons have seriously misunderstood what they have “read” in the Bible (or whatever other holy book they have read). In this country, there are actually many different religions that can all be unmarked. Any form of Christianity (except perhaps Catholicism, because of the priest scandals), agnosticism, and atheism are all acceptable and unmarked. But any eastern religion is marked, which is what Candace is, as a Buddhist. Mainly, this “oddity” in religion leads to misunderstanding, especially in regards to Islam. As a practicer of non-western religion, people in this group are seen as “not Americans” or even terrorists, even when that is not the case. The “freedom” to practice one’s own religion in the United States is only a privilege to western religions, and to eastern religions it is a burden and oppression. While I, as a generic, non-denominational Christian, am not looked down upon by the general populous for my beliefs, there are some constraints to my unmarked category. There is the pressure to think as all Christians do, to react the same to different situations, to follow the words of religious powers to the “T.” Even though I do not succumb to all that pressure, it shows that even in unmarked, “safe” categories there are still limits.
I did not pick up Christianity on my own, though. I was brought up Christian by my mother, who in turn was brought up Christian by her father, who was a minister. For my whole life, I have lived in a very stable two-parent house. An unmarked situation, if you look at it in the traditional sense. In a more modern sense it might actually be marked, as more than half of all marriages end in divorce. That would put us in the minority. But we are not looked down upon for keeping a stable family, so I would categorize my family as unmarked. They have provided me with inner strength and encouragement my entire life, and the fact that my family has always been whole has affected me very much in that way. Seeing my family a lot has also shaped my experiences: I take the opinions and considerations of my family to heart more than any other people. Candace also came from a whole family. Her family immigrated to the United States before she was born, though, so her family dynamic is slightly different from mine, but her family is still there, still together. Her parents are tri-lingual, speaking Cantonese, Mandarin and English, while she speaks Cantonese and English. That aspect of the family dynamic might be considered marked, but in general, her family is unmarked.But society does tend to frown upon those from broken homes. The children are looked upon as “not whole” and possibly even “damaged” because they had to split their weekends between their parents, all of which is a terrible oppression for them, seeing as they had no say in the matter at all.
Another family factor that society has looked down upon (but has been changing its mind about for the past several decades) is the idea of women in the workplace. Some ultra-traditionalists believe that women belong in the home, taking care of the house and family. To them, working women are marked, especially working women who have families. They think it is a privilege to have one parent at home and one in the office. But on the flip side, many progressionalists do not enjoy the idea of housewives. To them keeping full-time care of the kids and house is an oppression, and working in the workforce is a privilege. To society in general, though, the choice for a woman (or a man) to either work or stay at home is a privilege, and the choice of that person is his or her own business. My mom, for example, works full-time, as does my dad. While my brother and I were younger, though, our mom worked part-time at her office, which amounted to nearly ten years. To her, it was a privilege to work and a privilege to raise a family, so she tried for the best of both worlds, and that is what she got. In Candace’s situation, her father works full time while her mom stays at home, helping to raise Candace’s nieces and nephews. Both situations can be seen as privileges or oppressions, depending on which way it is seen.
One way that the family dynamic is greatly influenced is through class. Someone’s class can determine what they wear, where they go to school (if at all), and many other things. I am in the upper-middle class, which is, for economics’ sake, unmarked. My parents were both raised in lower-middle class families, though, so moving up the economic ladder was a big achievement for them. Their pockets were not empty, especially when I was a child, so I was told “no” plenty of times. Being told that, I learned to make my own frugal decisions, which has helped me maintain my finances now, which is a strong point for me. Being in control of my money makes me feel in control of my life, and that give me power. But there are times when being from the upper-middle class is a very marked category. Take, for example, college. Getting in to college was no problem for me, but looking for scholarships was one of the hardest things to do. We are still in the middle class, and even though my parents can afford to pay for college, it would have helped them if I could find a scholarship. But a lot of the scholarships offered around where I live were need-based or race-based. I am not a minority and not in need, so I was counted out for about 90% of the scholarships I read about. Candace, on the other hand, is from the working class. Her childhood saw her in lower-class schools, eating reduced-pay lunches. She was able to transfer to a better high school so that her schooling would be up to par, though. In her college search, she had to make sure that she took the financial aspect under consideration, but her financial situation landed her several scholarships to help her family pay for college. In that way, being from a lower class can be a privilege as well as an oppression. Even though both of us are from different classes, our homes are run almost the same way. We don’t buy artwork to hang on the walls: Candace’s parents have Chinese scroll art in the wall, while my parents have works done by family members up on our wall. Each family has artwork representative of their history instead of reflecting their class. Also, both families have the same mentality about furniture. Both families wear out the couches, carpet, and appliances before replacing them. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” For example, my parents paid off their mortgage before they had to replace their dishwasher. And Candace’s parents do the same. One difference is that when my family’s household items need to be replaced, my parents pick out very nice replacements. Not top-of-the-line, but very close. Candace’s parents tend to choose more thriftily.
Another thing I get from my parents is my view in politics. As a young adult interested in politics, some people view me as a marked individual, seeing as most young adults are apathetic about the United States government. But I am registered to vote and plan on doing so in the November election. Then again, if I am just seen as an adult, my views are unmarked. I am very liberal, with a tendency toward libertarianism. Right now, liberals are viewed as unmarked, considering the presidency we’ve been dealing with for the past eight years. Candace is also a liberal, and therefore flies under the radar. I was raised in a liberal, democratic home, and my parents were very open to new ideas. They let me choose what I wanted to do, but fully encouraged me in my decisions, which is a big part of the reason why I am who I am today.
Who I am, in a broader sense, can be seen in my heritage. I am mainly a mix of western European heritages, including Irish (which is the most prevalent at 25%), Swiss, Scotch-Irish, French, English and Welsh. Also in there is a little bit of Native American. In America, this is a privilege because my heritage leads to my race, which is the majority and unmarked. Having western European roots is also the majority, and therefore unmarked. Candace, on the other hand, is 100% Chinese. That makes her very marked, as a lot of the population is not pure anything, and having a pure Asian descent, especially from a country that is at odds with America now, makes her even more marked. But, she gets a very deep cultural sense of pride by being Chinese, which I cannot really get, being all different kinds of European. Even though we are both American citizens, and therefore unmarked, our heritages separate us.
Along with heritage comes immigration. Candace is a first-generation American, as her parents immigrated here. That can make her marked because of her parents. She gets the privilege to “lead a better life,” but it does have it’s pitfalls. She has only seen her mother’s side of the family once, because they live on the other side of the world. I, on the other hand, am at least a third-generation. The closest I get to immigration is my great-grandparents. Because of this, my family is rooted in America, and they are all here. Some of them might live half the country away, but it would be easier to see them than it would for Candace to see her family.
Our majors in college are also very different. I am a Spanish translation and Philosophy double major, while Candace is an accounting major with a focus in pre-Pharm. I am in liberal arts, and she is in business and science. Even now, liberal arts is a marked category, even though that idea is slowly changing. The businesses and sciences are unmarked. They are thought of as money-making careers, which is actually why Candace wanted to have those majors. As she was raised in the working class, she wanted to make a freer financial life for herself. I, on the other hand, wanted to major in something I enjoyed, even if it meant that I would not have the financial freedom in the future to do everything I wanted. The financial aspect is a limit for me and a privilege for Candace. I feel as though the reasoning behind the choices is a privilege for me and a necessity for Candace, a lot of other people would think it the opposite way.
In college, there is more to just school, there are also extra-curricular activities. Candace, on one hand, does not partake in any extra-curricular activities, making her a marked person. I, on the other hand, am almost too involved. I have marching band, pep band, arts scholars, university band, the Gamer Symphony Orchestra, and I even play Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I know I am nerdy. These types of activities, though, can be marked. Too much band (or any band at all, to some people) can be considered soft, even though marching band is actually very grueling in the fall semesters. I was actually made fun of in high school for doing marching band. No one respected our work and people would leave the stands before our performances. It was definitely an oppression on us, even though we felt and believed that it was a privilege to us. In college, it is less of a mark, but it is still a mark, especially since I do not partake in the “normal” after-school activities, like Greek life and SGA. So even though, to me, my activities are unmarked and very much a reason of who I am today, to others it is seen as a mark.
Marked and unmarked categories, oppressions and privileges, are very much a part of everyone’s life. There can even be categories in which someone is marked and unmarked at the same time. These groupings can give one a sense of self and power in his or her life. While it might seem, from the outside, that Candace may be a more marked person than I am, once we analyzed it, we saw that both of us had a lot of privileges and also a lot of oppressions.
Everyone has different notions of power, and power can come from many different aspects in life. While some aspects of power, for some people, can be a privilege, for others can be an oppression. The experiences that each person faces throughout his or her life are different from person to person - they are never exactly the same. Even if some people have the same marked and unmarked categories, the same matrixes of domination, their experiences can define how they look at life and where they find power. My partner Candace and I are not always in the same categories, and our experiences have shaped our lives in very different ways.
For one, we are of different races. I am Caucasian, while Candace is Asian. While this has presented different influences and privileges for both of us, it has also constrained both of us in different ways. While I am in an unmarked category of race (at least in this country), the pros and cons of being white are pretty much balanced out. Let's take the example of college. Even though affirmative action is in place, it is still very easy to get into college as a white student, as long as that student achieves good grades and test scores and has extra-curricular activities. The pressures of teachers and parents tends to be (but isn't always in every case) more on white students in terms of success than, say, black students. Because of this racial difference, one of the privileges of being white is getting into college.
But there are negative aspects to being white, as well. Keeping with the example of college, we shall explore the expenses of college, which usually are staggeringly high. There are many sources of financial aid out there, most in the form of scholarships. But to many white students, this money is untouchable. If we stick to an example of a middle-class white student, the majority of this scholarship money is out-of-bounds. The scholarships tend to fall into two categories: for those with financial need and for minorities. Middle-class doesn't cut it for financial need, and being Caucasian is not a minority. So with the privileges of being white come the limits of being white.
Candace has slightly different privileges and oppressions than I would, because she is Asian. She feels a cultural bond to other Asians, specifically the Chinese. She speaks both Cantonese and English, which help the bond even more, as she is also linguistically tied to her race. Along with this cultural bond, which is a privilege to her, are negative associations with Asians. For one, other unmarked races tend to have stereotypes about Asians; they believe that all Asians are incredibly book smart, play Dance Dance Revolution incessantly and practice many forms of martial arts. So when Asians such as Candace hear this and don't always fulfill every aspect of the stereotype, they feel misunderstood. Another negative aspect concerning race is name-calling, especially with minorities such as Asians and Native Americans. Candace, for example, has been made fun of because of her race and her slanted eyes. There were also times where people would tease her by "trying" to speak Chinese, but not really trying. Her strong bond to the Chinese was also put to the test this past summer, when many different brands of children's toys made in China were discovered to have lead in them. Because of her Chinese ancestry, she expected more of the workers and companies, and because of her US citizenship, she felt aligned to America.
Another point that we both draw power from is the fact that we are females. Even though this is a marked category, the knowledge and power of feminism is slowly but surely taking the mark away. But the mark is still present. I, for one, have been told by some boys that I am not as smart as they are, not as talented in the things I do, not as physically able as they are. Most of those things were told to me when I was very young, by boys who did not know any better. But our society taught them that. They were taught that as boys they were "better" than girls, and to look down on girls. And that has been how our society has mainly run for the last several hundred years: men work and bring home money while women take care of the children. Since society has been basically run by men, it hasn't changed until very recently. Even since I was a child, there have been changes about the perception of women. They are getting closer and closer to being men's equal. While the teasing in my youth was an example of the oppressions of being female, the growth in awareness and practicing of feminism is an influence in some of my choices and experiences. Without this growth, I probably would not have had the opportunity to do some of the things I wanted, like going to college and having a job during the summer.
Along the lines of feminism comes the topic of sexual orientation. While I am heterosexual, I wasn’t always unmarked. In high school, I didn’t date anyone and some people thought that I was gay, making me a marked person. I was hurt to think that people would just spread rumors about me that were untrue, but I didn’t get offended by their presumptions. I always said to them, “Even though I am indeed straight, what’s wrong with being gay?” To me, being gay is not wrong, it is an unmarked category in my book, but in society’s eye, it is a marked category. Most everyone starts off assuming that the others they meet are straight. So the privilege of being assumed straight, for those who actually are straight, is that they don’t have to worry about people perceiving them wrong or believing a lie about them. And that exact thing is one of the major oppressions for the LGBT community. Instead of having people understand them, they are constantly misrepresented and misunderstood, and they have to clean up the mess of someone else’s ignorance by explaining that they are gay.
One place that the issue of homosexuality comes up in is religion. Now, I support gays; I think that people who do not for religious reasons have seriously misunderstood what they have “read” in the Bible (or whatever other holy book they have read). In this country, there are actually many different religions that can all be unmarked. Any form of Christianity (except perhaps Catholicism, because of the priest scandals), agnosticism, and atheism are all acceptable and unmarked. But any eastern religion is marked, which is what Candace is, as a Buddhist. Mainly, this “oddity” in religion leads to misunderstanding, especially in regards to Islam. As a practicer of non-western religion, people in this group are seen as “not Americans” or even terrorists, even when that is not the case. The “freedom” to practice one’s own religion in the United States is only a privilege to western religions, and to eastern religions it is a burden and oppression. While I, as a generic, non-denominational Christian, am not looked down upon by the general populous for my beliefs, there are some constraints to my unmarked category. There is the pressure to think as all Christians do, to react the same to different situations, to follow the words of religious powers to the “T.” Even though I do not succumb to all that pressure, it shows that even in unmarked, “safe” categories there are still limits.
I did not pick up Christianity on my own, though. I was brought up Christian by my mother, who in turn was brought up Christian by her father, who was a minister. For my whole life, I have lived in a very stable two-parent house. An unmarked situation, if you look at it in the traditional sense. In a more modern sense it might actually be marked, as more than half of all marriages end in divorce. That would put us in the minority. But we are not looked down upon for keeping a stable family, so I would categorize my family as unmarked. They have provided me with inner strength and encouragement my entire life, and the fact that my family has always been whole has affected me very much in that way. Seeing my family a lot has also shaped my experiences: I take the opinions and considerations of my family to heart more than any other people. Candace also came from a whole family. Her family immigrated to the United States before she was born, though, so her family dynamic is slightly different from mine, but her family is still there, still together. Her parents are tri-lingual, speaking Cantonese, Mandarin and English, while she speaks Cantonese and English. That aspect of the family dynamic might be considered marked, but in general, her family is unmarked.But society does tend to frown upon those from broken homes. The children are looked upon as “not whole” and possibly even “damaged” because they had to split their weekends between their parents, all of which is a terrible oppression for them, seeing as they had no say in the matter at all.
Another family factor that society has looked down upon (but has been changing its mind about for the past several decades) is the idea of women in the workplace. Some ultra-traditionalists believe that women belong in the home, taking care of the house and family. To them, working women are marked, especially working women who have families. They think it is a privilege to have one parent at home and one in the office. But on the flip side, many progressionalists do not enjoy the idea of housewives. To them keeping full-time care of the kids and house is an oppression, and working in the workforce is a privilege. To society in general, though, the choice for a woman (or a man) to either work or stay at home is a privilege, and the choice of that person is his or her own business. My mom, for example, works full-time, as does my dad. While my brother and I were younger, though, our mom worked part-time at her office, which amounted to nearly ten years. To her, it was a privilege to work and a privilege to raise a family, so she tried for the best of both worlds, and that is what she got. In Candace’s situation, her father works full time while her mom stays at home, helping to raise Candace’s nieces and nephews. Both situations can be seen as privileges or oppressions, depending on which way it is seen.
One way that the family dynamic is greatly influenced is through class. Someone’s class can determine what they wear, where they go to school (if at all), and many other things. I am in the upper-middle class, which is, for economics’ sake, unmarked. My parents were both raised in lower-middle class families, though, so moving up the economic ladder was a big achievement for them. Their pockets were not empty, especially when I was a child, so I was told “no” plenty of times. Being told that, I learned to make my own frugal decisions, which has helped me maintain my finances now, which is a strong point for me. Being in control of my money makes me feel in control of my life, and that give me power. But there are times when being from the upper-middle class is a very marked category. Take, for example, college. Getting in to college was no problem for me, but looking for scholarships was one of the hardest things to do. We are still in the middle class, and even though my parents can afford to pay for college, it would have helped them if I could find a scholarship. But a lot of the scholarships offered around where I live were need-based or race-based. I am not a minority and not in need, so I was counted out for about 90% of the scholarships I read about. Candace, on the other hand, is from the working class. Her childhood saw her in lower-class schools, eating reduced-pay lunches. She was able to transfer to a better high school so that her schooling would be up to par, though. In her college search, she had to make sure that she took the financial aspect under consideration, but her financial situation landed her several scholarships to help her family pay for college. In that way, being from a lower class can be a privilege as well as an oppression. Even though both of us are from different classes, our homes are run almost the same way. We don’t buy artwork to hang on the walls: Candace’s parents have Chinese scroll art in the wall, while my parents have works done by family members up on our wall. Each family has artwork representative of their history instead of reflecting their class. Also, both families have the same mentality about furniture. Both families wear out the couches, carpet, and appliances before replacing them. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” For example, my parents paid off their mortgage before they had to replace their dishwasher. And Candace’s parents do the same. One difference is that when my family’s household items need to be replaced, my parents pick out very nice replacements. Not top-of-the-line, but very close. Candace’s parents tend to choose more thriftily.
Another thing I get from my parents is my view in politics. As a young adult interested in politics, some people view me as a marked individual, seeing as most young adults are apathetic about the United States government. But I am registered to vote and plan on doing so in the November election. Then again, if I am just seen as an adult, my views are unmarked. I am very liberal, with a tendency toward libertarianism. Right now, liberals are viewed as unmarked, considering the presidency we’ve been dealing with for the past eight years. Candace is also a liberal, and therefore flies under the radar. I was raised in a liberal, democratic home, and my parents were very open to new ideas. They let me choose what I wanted to do, but fully encouraged me in my decisions, which is a big part of the reason why I am who I am today.
Who I am, in a broader sense, can be seen in my heritage. I am mainly a mix of western European heritages, including Irish (which is the most prevalent at 25%), Swiss, Scotch-Irish, French, English and Welsh. Also in there is a little bit of Native American. In America, this is a privilege because my heritage leads to my race, which is the majority and unmarked. Having western European roots is also the majority, and therefore unmarked. Candace, on the other hand, is 100% Chinese. That makes her very marked, as a lot of the population is not pure anything, and having a pure Asian descent, especially from a country that is at odds with America now, makes her even more marked. But, she gets a very deep cultural sense of pride by being Chinese, which I cannot really get, being all different kinds of European. Even though we are both American citizens, and therefore unmarked, our heritages separate us.
Along with heritage comes immigration. Candace is a first-generation American, as her parents immigrated here. That can make her marked because of her parents. She gets the privilege to “lead a better life,” but it does have it’s pitfalls. She has only seen her mother’s side of the family once, because they live on the other side of the world. I, on the other hand, am at least a third-generation. The closest I get to immigration is my great-grandparents. Because of this, my family is rooted in America, and they are all here. Some of them might live half the country away, but it would be easier to see them than it would for Candace to see her family.
Our majors in college are also very different. I am a Spanish translation and Philosophy double major, while Candace is an accounting major with a focus in pre-Pharm. I am in liberal arts, and she is in business and science. Even now, liberal arts is a marked category, even though that idea is slowly changing. The businesses and sciences are unmarked. They are thought of as money-making careers, which is actually why Candace wanted to have those majors. As she was raised in the working class, she wanted to make a freer financial life for herself. I, on the other hand, wanted to major in something I enjoyed, even if it meant that I would not have the financial freedom in the future to do everything I wanted. The financial aspect is a limit for me and a privilege for Candace. I feel as though the reasoning behind the choices is a privilege for me and a necessity for Candace, a lot of other people would think it the opposite way.
In college, there is more to just school, there are also extra-curricular activities. Candace, on one hand, does not partake in any extra-curricular activities, making her a marked person. I, on the other hand, am almost too involved. I have marching band, pep band, arts scholars, university band, the Gamer Symphony Orchestra, and I even play Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, I know I am nerdy. These types of activities, though, can be marked. Too much band (or any band at all, to some people) can be considered soft, even though marching band is actually very grueling in the fall semesters. I was actually made fun of in high school for doing marching band. No one respected our work and people would leave the stands before our performances. It was definitely an oppression on us, even though we felt and believed that it was a privilege to us. In college, it is less of a mark, but it is still a mark, especially since I do not partake in the “normal” after-school activities, like Greek life and SGA. So even though, to me, my activities are unmarked and very much a reason of who I am today, to others it is seen as a mark.
Marked and unmarked categories, oppressions and privileges, are very much a part of everyone’s life. There can even be categories in which someone is marked and unmarked at the same time. These groupings can give one a sense of self and power in his or her life. While it might seem, from the outside, that Candace may be a more marked person than I am, once we analyzed it, we saw that both of us had a lot of privileges and also a lot of oppressions.
Final Paper
Lolita Jadotte
May 13, 2008
WMST Sec #0101
Analysis and Learning Paper
Throughout the course of this semester, I have learned a new outlook on the life of women and the meaning behind feminism. I came into this class expecting to learn certain things about women and their culture. This class was not at all what I expected. I expected to learn about influential women from the past and influential women today. I also expected to learn about how women have been portrayed in the media and about their sexuality. But, instead I learned how to relate feminism to all types of art. This class also taught me how to look at situations in a different light and not to think in the conventional way. The assignments we had to do along with the readings helped to expand the way we think about women and art. These assignments were fun, which helped to add to the positive learning experience. These assignments were interactive and also gave us a chance to see how other classmate interpreted certain topics. This class was based a lot on the interaction among classmates, which also helped to expand my learning and different ways of thinking.
The first assignment we had to do was to go to four different museums and look at the different exhibits, which displays the different art works done by women. These art pieces were not just paintings, but sculptures, clothing, and written pieces as well. Before going to the museum we had to write down a list of assumptions about what we expected the museums to be like. I expected for the art to have a lot of the stereotypes associated with being a girl, such as incorporating the color pink and having flowers. Instead, there were paintings displayed the oppression of women. My favorite museum was the American Indian Museum. This was my favorite museum because; I liked the identity by design exhibit. This portion showed the culture of American Indians women and their roles in their society. Their art were displayed by their clothing. I liked this because it was different the traditional paintings to express themselves, and because these clothing told their story. The clothing tells a story through the different patterns and colors of the outfit. A young woman was not considered a woman until around the age of 13 and has completed making their first dress.
The second assignment we had to work as a group and create a flyer/leaflet describing an event we had to make up. Our event was t o raise awareness about feminism within the community. A lot of young people such as myself are either not familiar with or do not fully understand the concept of feminism. Our definition that we came up with was feminism is a fight, through art, speeches, and many other methods to raise consciousness to society about the oppression that women go through. The movement of feminism has progressed over the years but far from being accomplished. It was important to us to send the message out to the young people to our event we had celebrities that the young people are more familiar with are more likely to listen to. This assignment really allowed me to realize the amount of inequality still today between women and men. I knew inequality still exist but not at the level at which it does. It was shocking for me to find out that until this day women are not getting paid the same as men in the workforce. This is a prime reason why the issue of feminism and equality that is great need of being promoted and dealt with.
The third assignment we had was to work with a partner and explore and explain the different matrix of domination. I really liked this assignment because there was many we could have approached it. It was nice to get a chance to listen to other group’s presentation of their project because it made you think in ways you might not have thought about. This assignment helped me to think about things in different aspects. My partner and looked at our lives separately and saw which powers we were able exercise and the reasons why we are able to exercise these right. Then we looked at aspects in our lives in which we were not able to exercise certain powers and the reasons why we were not able to exercise certain powers. Then finally we look at our lives together and compared the ways in which we were either similar or different. I was able to really think about situations in my life that I never though about in that way before. The presentations were an important to help us learn about how my classmate interpreted the project and the extent to which they took it.
Along with these assignments, discussions also helped to further my understanding of this course. The most helpful thing to me was the free writes during class. The free writes gave me a chance to just write non-stop, which allowed me to write down I how I really feel about without and judgment or things like that. The way this class was structured was to help bring out not only the creative side but also the intellectual side of the students. The course was designed to not only think on the surface but beyond and deeper than the surface. The reading and the free write help to develop our intellectual and creative thinking. Being also to post information on the blog and continue with previous conversation was also and helped us to express our thought. The blog also gave us feed back on our comments because other students would comment on things that were said. Being able to have other student comment on ideas posted blog helped to expand are understanding of various topics.
Throughout the course we were required to read certain books all pertaining to feminism and art. Among those books, I had three favorites, Kindred, Feminism is for everyone, and Fight like a girl. The book, Kindred, by Octavia Butler had many examples of inequality. This book was bout a black women who is married to a white men. The women whose name is Dana periodical gets sent back to the past. She keeps randomly traveling back to the 1800s in a place in Maryland. During those time racism and inequality was a major issue with which she was faced to deal with on many occasions. There were issues of violence on women in the act of rape. Dana being black women of that time had a lot of hate and racism being thrown in her direction. It was sort of ironic how she was married to a white male in the present but in the past he would been her oppressor.
I enjoyed the book Feminism is for everybody by bell hooks because it addressed the issues surrounding feminism. There are many women who do not considered themselves a feminist because of the misinterpretation of the word. The word feminism associates women with words like lesbian, bitch or man bashing. This book mentions feminism in many different aspects such as race, gender, workplace, class and violence. Bell Hooks emphasizes that feminism is not all about being a woman but much more than that. It is a movement, which involves all different types of people not depending on race or gender. I was already familiar with the author, bell hooks because we learned about her in my English class. I was familiar with the way she thought about feminism in general, so interesting to get a chance to read more of her books.
The book Fight like a Girl by Megan Seely was attractive to me because of the title. My first thought was how do you fight like a girl? I liked this book it was all about issues both women and girls have to deal with, and the way in which they deal with them. This book was all about ways for women to empower and strive for equality economically, politically and socially. This book is a form of resources or answers in what to do and how to overcome, despite inequalities. This book was very empowering and taught me a lot. It taught me how to go about being a female in certain situation, like how to succeed in the workforce, education and all the different that helps you become successful in life.
This class has really helped me to understand more, not just about women but for all inequality, whether it is within race or gender. This has helped further develop the way issues are thought about. The various books promoted women being strong and striving for equality, but in different ways. The learning experience in this class has been fun. This class taught me the different ways in which females are portrayed. I also learned how ideas are not only expressed by words, but by paintings and other art form. Women expressed themselves in all sorts of ways to try to get their point across. They showed the world through their art the oppressions in which they were forced to deal with.
May 13, 2008
WMST Sec #0101
Analysis and Learning Paper
Throughout the course of this semester, I have learned a new outlook on the life of women and the meaning behind feminism. I came into this class expecting to learn certain things about women and their culture. This class was not at all what I expected. I expected to learn about influential women from the past and influential women today. I also expected to learn about how women have been portrayed in the media and about their sexuality. But, instead I learned how to relate feminism to all types of art. This class also taught me how to look at situations in a different light and not to think in the conventional way. The assignments we had to do along with the readings helped to expand the way we think about women and art. These assignments were fun, which helped to add to the positive learning experience. These assignments were interactive and also gave us a chance to see how other classmate interpreted certain topics. This class was based a lot on the interaction among classmates, which also helped to expand my learning and different ways of thinking.
The first assignment we had to do was to go to four different museums and look at the different exhibits, which displays the different art works done by women. These art pieces were not just paintings, but sculptures, clothing, and written pieces as well. Before going to the museum we had to write down a list of assumptions about what we expected the museums to be like. I expected for the art to have a lot of the stereotypes associated with being a girl, such as incorporating the color pink and having flowers. Instead, there were paintings displayed the oppression of women. My favorite museum was the American Indian Museum. This was my favorite museum because; I liked the identity by design exhibit. This portion showed the culture of American Indians women and their roles in their society. Their art were displayed by their clothing. I liked this because it was different the traditional paintings to express themselves, and because these clothing told their story. The clothing tells a story through the different patterns and colors of the outfit. A young woman was not considered a woman until around the age of 13 and has completed making their first dress.
The second assignment we had to work as a group and create a flyer/leaflet describing an event we had to make up. Our event was t o raise awareness about feminism within the community. A lot of young people such as myself are either not familiar with or do not fully understand the concept of feminism. Our definition that we came up with was feminism is a fight, through art, speeches, and many other methods to raise consciousness to society about the oppression that women go through. The movement of feminism has progressed over the years but far from being accomplished. It was important to us to send the message out to the young people to our event we had celebrities that the young people are more familiar with are more likely to listen to. This assignment really allowed me to realize the amount of inequality still today between women and men. I knew inequality still exist but not at the level at which it does. It was shocking for me to find out that until this day women are not getting paid the same as men in the workforce. This is a prime reason why the issue of feminism and equality that is great need of being promoted and dealt with.
The third assignment we had was to work with a partner and explore and explain the different matrix of domination. I really liked this assignment because there was many we could have approached it. It was nice to get a chance to listen to other group’s presentation of their project because it made you think in ways you might not have thought about. This assignment helped me to think about things in different aspects. My partner and looked at our lives separately and saw which powers we were able exercise and the reasons why we are able to exercise these right. Then we looked at aspects in our lives in which we were not able to exercise certain powers and the reasons why we were not able to exercise certain powers. Then finally we look at our lives together and compared the ways in which we were either similar or different. I was able to really think about situations in my life that I never though about in that way before. The presentations were an important to help us learn about how my classmate interpreted the project and the extent to which they took it.
Along with these assignments, discussions also helped to further my understanding of this course. The most helpful thing to me was the free writes during class. The free writes gave me a chance to just write non-stop, which allowed me to write down I how I really feel about without and judgment or things like that. The way this class was structured was to help bring out not only the creative side but also the intellectual side of the students. The course was designed to not only think on the surface but beyond and deeper than the surface. The reading and the free write help to develop our intellectual and creative thinking. Being also to post information on the blog and continue with previous conversation was also and helped us to express our thought. The blog also gave us feed back on our comments because other students would comment on things that were said. Being able to have other student comment on ideas posted blog helped to expand are understanding of various topics.
Throughout the course we were required to read certain books all pertaining to feminism and art. Among those books, I had three favorites, Kindred, Feminism is for everyone, and Fight like a girl. The book, Kindred, by Octavia Butler had many examples of inequality. This book was bout a black women who is married to a white men. The women whose name is Dana periodical gets sent back to the past. She keeps randomly traveling back to the 1800s in a place in Maryland. During those time racism and inequality was a major issue with which she was faced to deal with on many occasions. There were issues of violence on women in the act of rape. Dana being black women of that time had a lot of hate and racism being thrown in her direction. It was sort of ironic how she was married to a white male in the present but in the past he would been her oppressor.
I enjoyed the book Feminism is for everybody by bell hooks because it addressed the issues surrounding feminism. There are many women who do not considered themselves a feminist because of the misinterpretation of the word. The word feminism associates women with words like lesbian, bitch or man bashing. This book mentions feminism in many different aspects such as race, gender, workplace, class and violence. Bell Hooks emphasizes that feminism is not all about being a woman but much more than that. It is a movement, which involves all different types of people not depending on race or gender. I was already familiar with the author, bell hooks because we learned about her in my English class. I was familiar with the way she thought about feminism in general, so interesting to get a chance to read more of her books.
The book Fight like a Girl by Megan Seely was attractive to me because of the title. My first thought was how do you fight like a girl? I liked this book it was all about issues both women and girls have to deal with, and the way in which they deal with them. This book was all about ways for women to empower and strive for equality economically, politically and socially. This book is a form of resources or answers in what to do and how to overcome, despite inequalities. This book was very empowering and taught me a lot. It taught me how to go about being a female in certain situation, like how to succeed in the workforce, education and all the different that helps you become successful in life.
This class has really helped me to understand more, not just about women but for all inequality, whether it is within race or gender. This has helped further develop the way issues are thought about. The various books promoted women being strong and striving for equality, but in different ways. The learning experience in this class has been fun. This class taught me the different ways in which females are portrayed. I also learned how ideas are not only expressed by words, but by paintings and other art form. Women expressed themselves in all sorts of ways to try to get their point across. They showed the world through their art the oppressions in which they were forced to deal with.
Final Assignment
Brittany Taylor
WNST250
Section 0101
May 13, 2008
FINAL ASSIGNMENT
What is feminism? Wikipedia defines feminism as the comprises a number of movements, theories and philosophies that are concerned with issues of gender difference, that advocate equality for women, and that campaign for women's rights and interests. When I first started taking this Women’s Studies course, I didn’t think that is what feminism meant. I had many mixed emotions on the subject of feminism. I thought it had to deal with lesbians and things of a very radical manner. When I pictured feminists in my mind I thought of bra burners and crazy women who not only wanted to be equal to men but better. I felt that the women’s movement began to put women above men. When women wanted to be “equal” they lost many privileges like chivalry. To feminists this was demeaning to women, but it also ruined it for the rest of us who would love to have car doors held open for us.
This women’s studies course has taught me to look at things with a different perspective. There were many assignments through out the semester that made me think and evaluate how I felt on certain issues. The first assignment asked us to make assumptions about what we thought feminism meant and explore those assumptions at the art museums in our nation’s capital. When I first began to collect my assumptions, I realized that they all are based on stereotypes of feminism. I assumed that the paintings that were considered feminist would contain only women, that they would be gentle and delicate looking (not manly), that a lot of the paintings would have lesbians in them or references to homosexuals, that the art would show radical women, and that I wouldn’t find the art every interesting. Almost all of these assumptions were incorrect. The paintings all could have been painted by a man or a woman. They showed men, women, radical images, and normal likeable images. Some paintings did portray women with manly features but most did not. I actually found most of the paintings to be very enjoyable. I went to these museums with two of my closest guys friends and I feel that we all got a little out of our adventures that day. I learned that art can be anything from a painting to an inkless tattoo to a sculpture made out of metal clothes hangers. The first assignment helped to open up my feelings towards feminism.
I enjoyed coming to lecture. Women’s studies lectures were not like any other lecture I have had in college. It has more of a liberal arts feeling to it. On most days we would open up with music, a video or a poem. These extra aspects helped to link our readings and assignments to what is going on with the feminist movement in the world today. We learned about many forms of activism, such as drawings on the sidewalks, to seminars, to revolutionary authors, and feminist events. Besides lecture we had to attend our discussion. Discussion was very informative, but I didn’t quite feel that it was one hundred percent connected to lecture. I felt that discussion was about random things that in some way sometimes related to what we were talking about in lecture. I wish that discussion would have gone off of lecture entirely so that it would have made the connection between the two clearer. I did enjoy discussion as well as my two TAs. They are well informed in the area of women’s studies and activism.
During the course of the semester we were asked to read many books related to feminism. Three of these books were Fight Like a Girl by Megan Seely, Feminism is for Everybody by Bell Hooks, and Kindred by Octavia Butler. The first book Fight Like a Girl, serves as a blueprint on how to become a feminist. This book gives readers many ideas on how to actively get involved with the women’s movement. To me the most intriguing part of this book was that it was geared towards my generation. It was almost like it was coming from my point of view. The resources and ways of getting involved in the book are awesome because they car tangible. There is a quote that explains how I feel about politics, women’s rights, and rights in general and it says, “I never saw politics relevant in my life until I started to see that the rights that I have taken for granted for my entire life can be taken away just as quickly as a vote can be taken in Congress. I am registered to vote and I use my vote willingly” (Seely, 96). The book makes you realize that things can be done when it comes to obtaining rights but once you have those rights they can be taken for granted. I am registered to vote, but I don’t really see it as a privilege. To me, it’s more of a duty that I have to take care of because I am a citizen. I guess it will mean more to me once I am older and the issues in
Next we were asked to read Feminism is For Everybody by Bell Hooks. This book was a great read because it basically introduced me into what feminism is. It helped to clarify some of the misconceptions I had about feminism. It was interesting to read, because coming into this course I basically knew nothing about feminism, and what I did know was based off of popular stereotypes our culture has bestowed on feminism. Before reading this book, I only considered the white upper-class side of feminism. This book shows how the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and sexuality all play a role in our day-to-day lives. Changing one part of the matrix of domination can change everything in a person’s life. It’s not about being white; it’s about being a middle-class white woman that lives in
One of the last books we had to read was Kindred, by Octavia Butler. Kindred is about a girl named Dana who goes back and forth into the past. This book deals with things such as slavery, rape, and how to get through the tough parts in life. This science fiction novel explores abuses of power, issues with gender roles, and racial conflicts. I like how this book has a modern outlook on slavery, since the author herself was not a slave. This book was an easy read, and it was very interesting. It was a great way to link other issues to feminism. It was not a book about feminism alone, but the racial abuses, and gender abuses, help define feminism in a whole new way. It made me realize how grateful I am to live in a time where slavery doesn’t exist as much as it did two hundred years ago. This novel helped to bring the other books to life by telling a story that incorporated all of the aspects of the matrix of domination.
Women’s Studies has taught me a lot this semester. One of the main things it has taught me is that nothing is what it seems until you get to know all of its aspects. Once you examine all of its parts then you can make a judgment, but until then any judgment is selfish. Feminism is not about crazy women who want to be considered better than men, but it is a movement that wants to ensure that women are not degraded because of our sex. Even today, after the women’s movement began one hundred and sixty years ago, women are treated poorly solely based on the fact that we are women. Women are degraded because men feel that they can use their sexuality to get ahead. This class has taught me that there are still women’s rights issues going on today. It has also taught me that if you want something done, you have to get a group together and put effort into it. By doing those things anything can be achieved. I learned a lot about myself from this class; it definitely opened me up to a lot of new things. Women’s Studies opened some new doors in my future.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Activism Toward Structures of Oppression
I believe that one of the first "acts" in activism relating towards the structure of oppression is acknowledging the fact that there are those who are being priveleged and those who are being oppressed. I think in terms of religion, especially in this country where christianity and its various forms seem to be the dominant religion, should acknowlegde and respect the presence of other religions. By this I mean as individuals of a particular faith, we should not be judgemental or biased by what religion a person is or is not. In assignment #3, we also talked about class, which I believe is the keystone to branching into other ideas of wealth and who has economic, social, and racial power. I think that one of the ideas that we hold up as Americans is that the ideal American is equal and fair to her/his fellow American. Nevertheless, it seems that in our capitalist country, your voice and the presence of oneself in American society is driven by how much money you have. When Donald Trump goes on tv, we recognize for being a monetarily rich real estate agent. However, that real estate "rise to fame" now gives him the opportunity to talk about other issues, such as the huge debacle he has with Rosie O'donnel. In this situation, he is not talking at all about real estate, but because we recognize him from tv for his money and his power, we listen to him. We might not agree with him at all, but we listen. Therefore, I guess that much of our activism could start against the media, or rather with the media; Using tv and internet to change the images that we see to not just include the classical role of role of rich, white, middle to upper class men as being powerful. If we cannot destroy power to destroy oppression, we must somehow take part in social activism in relating back to the individual; Getting the word out that each individual is unique and important in society. NOT the message of if you are one sex, one race, or in one class, you are will be ULTIMATELY disadvantaged, oppressed and will not be able to succeed.
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