The earliest I can remember seeing gender communicated with my parents was when I was about 6. Me and my sister shared this electric barbie jeep. We thought we were so cool in our little pink car. We drove it around the front yard a lot showing it off. While my younger brother got his very own electric jeep. It was camfoulage and bigger than the one me and my sister shared. He was allowed to drive it a lot further than we were, even though he was younger. He was the boy though so he can take more physical risks. Me and my sister were suppose to be dainty and fragile.
We had lots of barbie things to play with. I even remember wearing the plastic heels that they had. Training me young and all. I should be a experienced in it by now. I was never really interested in the most domestic things like playing house and that type of things though. Me and my brother were always aggressive.At one point I played on his baseball team when we were like 9 and 7. I was the tallest one of the group. I remember they even wanted me to wear a cup. I refused of course. My genitals were on the inside, well protected. They're obviously was no need. I did not want to wear my hair long either. Many of my friends did but I didn't like the hassle of having to comb it all the time. I did see this slightly austrisize me from my fellow peers.
Even now I see these interactions between men and women, but I don't feel like I can follow a standard set by society. The most reason interaction I had with a person expressing there expectations for my gender was just yesterday. Me and my roommate are not the most organized of people. She loves to be around people constantly. She feeds off the energy they give her and it reconfirms who she thinks she is. This takes a toll on our apartment. I don't like to clean up after others and neither does she. Having my alone time is something I cherish so I don't tend to bring people over to my apartment often. I did yesterday though.
This is the first time I had ever hung out with this guy and I was pretty nervous. When he saw my aparment he had the reaction I expected. He literally said "you and your roommate are the messiest girls I've ever seen."
When he saw my room that was a different story. I explained to him that this is my space so I keep it cleanly. I feel as though I live in a frat house. Which, is a sexual geared reference in it's own right. I've seen frat houses and they do tend to be messy from having so many people around all the time. By societies standard though I should love to clean. My apartment to smell good and be comforting. Standards of being a female can be hard when other aspects like homework and working get in the way.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
My Organization
My organization has not really gotten back to me since we've started class. The women who was going to lead our project, Guadalupe vargas, had a death in the family. So now they are trying to figure out who we help take on her work load. So, I'm patient with it and I know it will work out in the end. It seems like it will be a fun organization to work for many reasons.
There website is clearly organized to describes who this organizations is made of, who they're trying to help, and what they stand for. These seem to be strong women that take their education to further there communities welfare for the better. I expect to learn more about a culture that is different from mine. I grew up european american, so I didn't receive the discrimination and disadvantages there would be growing up a latina. I can understand being a woman though and reproductive rights, to me, are something every women should have. I don't really know if the culture has an affect on this, but I am interested in learning if it does.
From what I've gathered and what my classmates have, I believe we are doing an event with art. This is a great idea. Seeing things in a visual manner makes everything even more realistic and powerful. Seeing is believing is the statement. Something like fear and oppression is not usually seen. It's felt. I'm excited to see the reactions people have to going beyond how they see the world.
I do hope we can start on the project soon though. I know it's suppose to be in the middle of march. My expectations can not be supported or unfounded so far. I have not had much contact with them. I'm just hoping for the best. Volunteering should always broaden your views of the world.
There website is clearly organized to describes who this organizations is made of, who they're trying to help, and what they stand for. These seem to be strong women that take their education to further there communities welfare for the better. I expect to learn more about a culture that is different from mine. I grew up european american, so I didn't receive the discrimination and disadvantages there would be growing up a latina. I can understand being a woman though and reproductive rights, to me, are something every women should have. I don't really know if the culture has an affect on this, but I am interested in learning if it does.
From what I've gathered and what my classmates have, I believe we are doing an event with art. This is a great idea. Seeing things in a visual manner makes everything even more realistic and powerful. Seeing is believing is the statement. Something like fear and oppression is not usually seen. It's felt. I'm excited to see the reactions people have to going beyond how they see the world.
I do hope we can start on the project soon though. I know it's suppose to be in the middle of march. My expectations can not be supported or unfounded so far. I have not had much contact with them. I'm just hoping for the best. Volunteering should always broaden your views of the world.
The Super Bowl
I feel as though the super bowl can be one of the biggest events to see the seperation between males and females. When I was getting dressed for it I wondered if I should be more athletic looking to symbolize the mood of the day. I realized though that I don't even really enjoy watching football that much. By no means does that mean I'm not someone who doesn't like to watch sports. I was an athlete all through out high school and in my first year of college as well. To me, football is a game that is mainly focused and pure aggression and not as much stealth. Who can hit harder or who can throw harder? So, I decided I would wear a vest to make myself warm and just some jeans.
Walking through the door I saw all males but this was expected. The first thing I was asked was if I had any ones. I should also mention these are also all my co-workers. I asked them why would they need ones. It soon became apparent they were gambling on the game. The yelling at the t.v. was astounding. They bet on everything from who would win the coin toss to how many yards the first play would be. The commradery was thick in the air as well as the smell of beer. They told me "Don't worry they're other girls coming later." It wasn't something that bothered me though. I enjoyed watching the game. It's an important one.
The guy that drove me there is one that hang out with a lot. He likes to play video games and do the less aggressive things I see most males doing. When all testerone was in the air they began to chasitise him. He didn't follow the football lingo they were using. At points he would use more of the basic terms that anyone would know. Then, they would ask if he suddenly liked sports. He's confident enough to reply no but it still gave me a sense of isolating him.
As the drinking went on being the only girl did bother me though. Soon I was just a girl. A sexual object that they could demean. My butt was starting to be slapped and I even had my belt loop on my pants pulled on saying that I wanted it. More girls came so some of the sexual comments startet to be deffered but they were still there. The girls that did come though were not into football so they set off to the store to get food to cook. They spent over half the game in the kitchen. That only fueled the men who were feeling the testoterone in the air. The women in the kitchen. They're rightful place right.
These stereotypes make me feel like I need to play to them to fit in. I realize though that would not make me happy. I choose my place and I am not told where that is. I can't cook and I am just as competitive as those boys. This does not make me any less of a women. It makes me an individual.
Walking through the door I saw all males but this was expected. The first thing I was asked was if I had any ones. I should also mention these are also all my co-workers. I asked them why would they need ones. It soon became apparent they were gambling on the game. The yelling at the t.v. was astounding. They bet on everything from who would win the coin toss to how many yards the first play would be. The commradery was thick in the air as well as the smell of beer. They told me "Don't worry they're other girls coming later." It wasn't something that bothered me though. I enjoyed watching the game. It's an important one.
The guy that drove me there is one that hang out with a lot. He likes to play video games and do the less aggressive things I see most males doing. When all testerone was in the air they began to chasitise him. He didn't follow the football lingo they were using. At points he would use more of the basic terms that anyone would know. Then, they would ask if he suddenly liked sports. He's confident enough to reply no but it still gave me a sense of isolating him.
As the drinking went on being the only girl did bother me though. Soon I was just a girl. A sexual object that they could demean. My butt was starting to be slapped and I even had my belt loop on my pants pulled on saying that I wanted it. More girls came so some of the sexual comments startet to be deffered but they were still there. The girls that did come though were not into football so they set off to the store to get food to cook. They spent over half the game in the kitchen. That only fueled the men who were feeling the testoterone in the air. The women in the kitchen. They're rightful place right.
These stereotypes make me feel like I need to play to them to fit in. I realize though that would not make me happy. I choose my place and I am not told where that is. I can't cook and I am just as competitive as those boys. This does not make me any less of a women. It makes me an individual.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Gender Movements in Communication
When I was reading about the different waves from women's right, I truly admired Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. They were women who held their dignity and did not have to use violence to get the viewpoints across. Many people when they hear feminism thinking of radicals burning bras. This is a strong visual and did not occur, but there was a flipside of the misconception that a lot of people have about this aggressive act. This was seen in the two women for mentioned. When they had to be force fed they showed how the people they were going against were forcing them to do things against there will.
Another part that I was able to make a connection with was when women went to the work force during the world wars that were occuring. It reminded me of a league of their own. This movie shows the struggle women had in this era. The main character was a beautiful women who was married but played softball. She's recruited to play professional ball because there were so many men overseas there was a threat of pro-baseball being shut down during the war. The most famous line I believe is "there's no crying in baseball." Sports are masculine and to be masculine is to not cry in our society. They were supposed to be competitive but some felt as though they were losing the femininty. The main character ultimately leaves it all behind for the man she loves. She sacrificed what she loved to follow her husband, which was typical back then. There was a hall of fame for them in the end as well though. They changed the way america looked at baseball and they were rewarded.
Throughout this chapter many forms of feminism are given and defined. I personally identify with the liberal feminism. This approach seems as though it's very politically organized. They lobby, draft legislation, and hold conventions. I believe that chaning the laws is changing the roots in how our society functions. Law is meant to distinguish between right and wrong. Outlawing something shows that it is wrong. I also like that it encompasses a wider range of viewponts and circumstances. Each form of feminism is different, but they have a common goal. Women should have rights that allow them to pursue and live out their lives happily and how they want to without being oppressed.
Another part that I was able to make a connection with was when women went to the work force during the world wars that were occuring. It reminded me of a league of their own. This movie shows the struggle women had in this era. The main character was a beautiful women who was married but played softball. She's recruited to play professional ball because there were so many men overseas there was a threat of pro-baseball being shut down during the war. The most famous line I believe is "there's no crying in baseball." Sports are masculine and to be masculine is to not cry in our society. They were supposed to be competitive but some felt as though they were losing the femininty. The main character ultimately leaves it all behind for the man she loves. She sacrificed what she loved to follow her husband, which was typical back then. There was a hall of fame for them in the end as well though. They changed the way america looked at baseball and they were rewarded.
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