Women At Arms

While employing women in the military can be seen as a step forward, it is also a step back. There are still cases of sexual assault and harassment. And like many other incidents, it's underreported. In a place where soldiers are supposed to feel protected, these women end up feeling scared.
These women are in a predominately male-dominated environment. So in order to survive, they can't act feminine-like. They end up being seen as a bitch, a slut or a dyke. But if they aren't doing the jobs on the field they end up doing the traditionally "female" jobs: the base hospital and food service, supply and administration.
In the case of Capt. Margaret H. White, it ended with the military equivalent of a restraining order and charges of stalking. You would never think that the military has these kind of problems. We look to our military for protection. Where do these women in the military begin to even find protection if their own counterparts are causing them to feel unsafe?
But once again, we are only seeing male violence against women. There might be female violence against men or even female against female. But I guess that those incidents are even more underreported.

Power

"If humanity is to evolve beyond the propensity toward violence...then it can only do so by recognizing the extent to which the patriarchal code of honor and shame generates and obligates male violence" (Steinem). I thought that it was interesting how both Steinem and Enloe presented the idea of violence in terms of it being about a power struggle. Steinem makes the point that what the media is focusing on as the major issues surrounding violence in schools, is not actually presenting the entire story. For example, when referring to the the Columbine shootings, the teens sexuality nor gender was of much attention because they were what is considered to be the "norm" (Steinem). But if on the other hand they had been homosexual or females, the story would have had a totally different twist to it rather than the one that we heard in the media. Similarly, Enloe, notes that society is able to mold the behaviors of its citizens by labeling actions in certain ways. The way that people act should be in such a way to better their country. If an offensive act occurs and is conducted by a fellow member of their country, the incident should not be reported, but if on the other hand reporting the sexual assault incident would benefit their country then it should be reported (Enloe). Additionally Enloe deals with idea of silence, which I think can be related to a numerous amount of women's issues even today. She choose though to tackle the issue of sexual assault. The idea that women need to be "respectable" is what kept them oppressed for so long. A women was considered less respectable and therefore less marriageable if she had been a victim of assault, which lead to her silence after the incident. However, we learn through "A Letter To My Students: Stop Rape Now By Doing These Ten Things" that silence is the last action a women who was a victim of sexual assault should take. In this blog, the reader is encouraged to take action to not only respond correctly to a sexual assault incident, but how to band together, as women and men, in preventing them from occurring on college campuses. I thought that this blog was important for us all to read to because sexual assault is more prevalent on Colgate's campus than most of us know, or choose to know. It is definitely an issue that needs to be talked about so that people can become more aware and active in their prevention.

troubled men...

"We will never reduce the number of violent Americans, from bullies to killers, without challenging the assumptions on which masculinity is based: that males are superior to females, that they must find a place in a male hierarchy, and that the ability to dominate someone is so important that even a mere insult can justify lethal revenge."

This quote stuck with me the most in the article. Unless we confront such assumptions from which masculinity is based on...how will we put an end to this? Everyday women struggle to uphold their femininity while also making sure their voices are heard and they are superior beings. Men don't have this problem. Men have the luxury of not having to wake up and prove their superiority--they are "the man". Or are they? See, it;s the men that think they have something to prove that don't believe this. It's these troubled men who believe that in order to fully obtain the respect they deserve as men, they need to do something that will make them feel like men--like the powerful, heterosexual, white men they know they are. And as Steinem argues, it is the white, heterosexual man who does this best. But why then, must they feel the need to "dominate" someone or something in order to feel accomplished? men are on a power high. They are hooked on the drug of dominance. I found the article extremely unnerving.

Childbirth

I never realized that there were so many complications when it came down to delivering a baby. I mean, I always knew that something could go wrong, but not that there were so many risks for both the mother and the baby.

It was interesting to see the history of childbirth and it's progression into today; to see how many ways there are now of delivering a child safely. Doctors can use "antiseptics, the forceps, blood transfusions, a drug (ergot) that could induce labor and contract the uterus after delivery to stop bleeding, and even, Cesarean section" (Gawande). The C-section is used more and more frequently, since it is easy to teach.

The Apgar score was something I had never heard of. "It allows nurses to rate the condition of babies at birth on a scale from zero to ten" (Gawande). This is observed and documented one minute and five minutes after birth, since the score can increase with increased oxygen and other factors. I wonder what doctors would do, if after five minutes, the baby was still rated with 5 or less points? Would they just leave them to die like they used to do? Or try to bring their rating up?

Shmashmorshmons!

I have never enjoyed reading about vaginas more in my life. I think I'm going to start with the two pieces from "Listen Up". "Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within"was extremely personable. I enjoyed reading about Inga Muscio's experience having gone through 3 abortions as well as Ashley Crews' pro-life upbringing in "And So I Chose".

The decision to have an abortion is definitely one of the most daunting thoughts for women. I strongly believe that this is one of the hardest things for a woman or couple to go through at any point in their lives. I also believe that no matter what decision is made, it must be made surrounded by support and found within oneself. Muscio went through 3 abortions in a very small period of time. She was nineteen when she found out she was pregnant for the first time and immediately got the procedure. With just her boyfriend along side and not knowing what was coming, she went through with an overwhelmingly painful abortion. Come the third abortion, she seeked other help. As I said earlier, the decision to get an abortion must come from within--"Power Within"--However Muscio started getting help from friends and close ones...sure enough with a "core of supportive women surrounding [her] and with [her] mind made up, [she] was pretty much invincible"(116). Much similar to what Allison Crews speaks of in "And So I Chose". After living a childhood surrounded upon pro-life feminists and protests, she witnesses a young girl get an abortion. And once she looked at the frightened girl, she was scarred. "The pain I saw on her face was unmistakable"(144). Again, very similar to the frightened young Muscio when she got her first abortion. The difference being, Muscio was actually felt comforted and supported by a close group of women who helped her through her third one. This poor girl, had nothing of the sort...being told awful things from protesters more than three times her age. Crews knows she should have "had a right to feel protected, a right to feel safe. She had the right to make a choice for herself and her future without being harassed and intimidated"(145). What bothers me is the crowd harassing the young girl for making a decision that she made for herself. it should have to bother anyone else, and no one should judge her on that.

Having support at a time of tremendous pressure, is always an appreciated thing. Judith Arcana seems to agree. She says we can't speak of abortions "in the atmosphere of guilt and shame created by the spiritual and emotional terrorism of the contemporary anti-abortion movement"(227). She also knows that it must be spoken of in open recognition. So I guess I'm agreeing with all the authors from tonight's readings considering they all strongly believe that abortion is an individual's choice and that if it is made surrounded by a good support system, it can be made much easier.

News Flash: Emily Messing

In today’s society it is a fact that the gay and lesbian community are being oppressed. “The experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasion and hence avoidable, but are systematically related to each other in such a way as to catch one between and among them and restrict or penalize motion in any direction” (Frye). I fear that was the case for the five gay teenagers who recently committed suicide. However, it is the social environment that allowed conditions to get so bad that these teenagers felt suicide was the only option. Clint McCance, vice president of Midland school district in Arkansas, is an example of an individual who helps society build those barriers against the gay and lesbian community. The anti-gay messages that McCance posted on facebook, contributes to the overall structure of the birdcage that is surrounding the gay and lesbian community today.

The famous facebook posts that ultimately lead to McCance’s resignation were in response to a “bullying awareness campaign sponsored by GLAAD” (CNN). This campaign asked for members of society to wear purple in memory of the recent gay teen suicides. Instead of writing in support of the event, McCance said: “‘seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed therselves because of their sin’” (CNN). Although McCance’s post received large amounts of backlash from the public, he defended his words by citing his religious beliefs. McCance has since apologized to the public and to the families whose children he was referring to by saying “I’m sorry I made those ignorant comments and hurt people on a broad spectrum” (CNN). However, the fact that such a strong opinion was voiced in the first place, speaks loudly about the social conditions we are living in today.

The inabilities of the systems and the people, who participate in the system, to recognize variations in sexual preference as acceptable, has lead to the creation of an institution that is equivalent to the overall structure of the birdcage. As Rich notes, “the failure to examine heterosexuality as an institution is like failing to admit that the economic system called capitalism or the caste system of racism is maintained by a variety of forces, including both physical violence and false consciousness” (Rich 317). The forces that the gay and lesbian community absorbs include hate speech like the post that McCance used on his facebook. Statements such as “want[ing] gay people to commit suicide” (CNN) is a strong statement that can have a large impact on the community it is referencing. Although McCance said that “[he gives] everyone a chance and [tries] to love everyone” (CNN) it is clear from his previous statements that he is not a liberal minded individual. It is individuals, like McCance, who refuse to give people different themselves a chance, that perpetuate the belief that the institution we are living under is oppressive.

In society we are confined by the ideals set forth about what is considered normal. As Ettelbrick notes, “the concepts of equality in our legal system [do] not support differences, it only supports sameness” (Ettelbrick 306). Therefore, since being gay is seen as a difference and heterosexuality as the norm, homosexuality is not easily accepted by the system, especially the religious system. People use laws accepted by the religious community in order to justify their beliefs regarding homosexuality. Despite all of the negative press that McCance experienced for his posts such as “thousands of phone calls, hate mails, people threatening to kill [his] family and [him],” the scary part is that not everyone disagreed with his appalling statements.

McCance’s position as the Vice-President of Midland school district meant that he was elected into a position of power in order to help carry out the standards of the school. The district denounced the posting by issuing a formal statement that claimed “the district strives to foster an environment that discourages all forms of bullying…and an environment that encourages a safe and productive educational climate [for] all of our students. The district is very diligent in pursuing and addressing bullying of any variety on our campus” (CNN). However, it would appear that McCance’s words are a form of bullying. It is ironic that an elected board member whose responsibility it is to make sure that students do not experience discrimination is abusing his power and discriminating himself.

In Addition to the system inflicting its beliefs on individuals, parental beliefs regarding the gay and lesbian community are another wire contributing to the all-encompassing structure of the birdcage that surrounds that community. McCance asserted that he “promised to disown his children if they are gay” (CNN). This sort of statement does not foster an environment where his children are able to explore what options are available to them as they mature. Instead it confines them to the narrow vision of what the world should be like, and provides children with minimal tools for dealing with differences they may experience or encounter throughout life. However, this is not uncommon. As Frye writes, “the same parents who would be disapproving of her sexual activity may be worried by her inactivity because it suggest she is not or will not be popular or is not sexually normal” (Frye). This point emphasizes the fact that being homosexual is not considered “normal” and is treated as taboo in society, even today.

Since it is evident that not all elected officials can be trusted to utilize their power in a beneficial manner, there are also rules instated by the federal government. These rules are intended to protect the rights of all individuals, an example being warning that “school administrators who fail to properly deal with harassment risk being cited for civil rights violations” (CNN). However, it is clear that these rules are not being enforced strongly enough. As Gilbert noted sexual identity was never seen as an option to her before (Gilbert 82) even though according to the laws she should be allowed to have the choice. We live in a society where we believe that in order to be successful, we have to all conform and resemble an ideal mold of what is considered normal. And as McCance makes clear from his original statements, being heterosexual is what is largely viewed as normal. However, this oppressive environment that the majority of society has fostered has lead to resentment by others. Gilbert confesses, “I became angry with the society that hadn’t given me the option-my right-to be a lesbian/bisexual women” (Gilbert 83). People should been given a chance to discover their true identities, especially in the school system, which is designed to help individuals prosper intellectually.

Based off of the recent suicides of five gay teens, society should be more aware than ever of the type of environment that our personal beliefs and institutions have created. Clint McCance, is an individual who was put in a position of power and expected to foster a safe and comfortable environment for children to learn in. However, he failed to meet the expectations given to him by the people who elected him. Although it may appear that McCance is just one individual who wrote offensively about the gay community we have to remember the point that Lorde brings up, we are living “in a country where racism, sexism, and homophobia are inseparable” (Lorde). It is all the individual acts similar to his that band together to construct a structure that bars minority communities from advancement. Therefore, McCance who “disapproves of homosexuality” (CNN) represents only a small niche in the overall obstacle facing the gay and lesbian community. Each time we speak negatively of another group different than ourselves, it is important to remember the metaphor of the birdcage: acts that are seen as a wire individually are not much of an obstacle, but when molded together, each of those wires contribute to a cage that is impossible to escape.

Works Cited

The CNN Wire Staff. “Arkansas school board member to resign over anti-gay post.” CNN.com. Turning Broadcasting System, Inc., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. .

Ettelbrick, Paula. Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation? 1989. 305-308. PDF file.

Frye, Marilyn. Oppression. N. pag. PDF file.

Gilbert, Laurel. “You’re Not the Type.” Listen Up. Ed. Barbara Findlen. Emery: Seal Press, 2001. 182-187. Print.

Rich, Adrienne. “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.” Feminism in Our Time. By Miraim Schneir. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 310-326. Print.

News flash: [Girls Gone Mild]

The media portrays gender stereotypes everywhere, including in children’s films. Douglas would argue that movies “tell young women, repeatedly, which behaviors to model, and which ones will get you the admiration of men” (181). So these animated children’s films subtly tell our daughters the “proper” ways for women to act: they need to be “like a prop that needs to be rescued” (Calautti, 2010). Is that the message we want to be sending our children from a young age?

Too often we see the “damsel in distress” on the big screen that remains helpless until she gets since she can’t do it herself. And the body type is always the same: looking like a Barbie doll wearing clothes that shows off some skin. So the message is pretty clear: “your body is your central, crucial resource in establishing your net worth as a female” and it should be used, along with helplessness, to get the guy (Douglas, 215-16). I don’t think this is something that we want to have our children grow up into. But what else is there? Either way, our children will eventually fall into the stereotypical norms that surround them on an everyday basis.

Katie Calautti’s article Girls Gone Mild gives examples of children’s movies that portray these gender stereotypes. She uses movies like Megamind, Aladdin, and Snow White. Just by looking at these examples we can see that this has been going on for a long time. And it’s always the same story: girl is beautiful, boy is handsome, girl gets in danger and becomes helpless, boy must rescue girl, and finally the boy becomes hero and gets the girl.

“Overlooked and subservient” is what Megamind teaches girls to be (Calautti, 2010). Which is what we even see today. Society doesn’t like women who are ambitious; to be ambitious is to be unfeminine. We don’t see this in Aladdin. In this movie, the female lead is ambitious, revolting against her dad and an arranged marriage. But Aladdin takes it a step further with Jasmine’s clothing: belly shirts. So what does this say? Does this mean that it is ok to be ambitious as long as we reveal a lot of skin? The messages are conflicting.

In Snow White we see women as being either beautiful and doing housework or evil and plotting. The evil queen is shown as being wicked and unfeminine in her beauty and attitude. But because of society’s values and norms, “’female’ is still equated with being nice, supportive, nurturing, accommodating, and domestic” – everything the queen is not (Douglas, 273). Snow White on the other hand, is everything that a female should be according to Douglas. She even cleans the house for her stepmother the queen as well as seven bachelors and only desires to find love.

Is there a way to get around it? I don’t think so. I don’t think Douglas would think so either. Everyday, everywhere we go, we are bombarded by depictions of gender stereotypes. What are we supposed to do, not watch or look at any media? It seems impossible to escape the norms that society pushes on us.


works cited:
1. Calautti, Katie. "Girls Gone Mild." Newsweek 04 Nov 2010: n. pag. Web.

2. Douglas, Susan. Enlightened Sexism. 1st. New York: Henry Hold and Company, LLC, 2010. 181-273. Print.

News Flash: [Mommy and me? Or Mommy and job?]

link

“When is it appropriate to have children?” Or “How can I have children and a good job while trying to maintain a good balance between the two?” These are just a couple of the questions we, as a society, and as women find ourselves asking everyday. The decision to bear children is even harder to consider after basing it on the facts: Research tells us the best time to bear children is between the ages of 27 and 34 1. Coincidentally, the physical peak for athletes is between 25 and 35 years of age 2. And for women like Taj McWilliams-Franklin, now 39, and the oldest woman in the W.N.B.A, she is no stranger to these questions. Past her prime and having had 3 kids, McWilliams-Franklin’s struggle began at the age of 17, before her basketball career blossomed and before she really understood the troubles that lie ahead. The constant pressures from having a professional career and the pressure to provide for a family, are not things normally associated with women, however, recently women, like McWilliams-Franklin, have changed that, and are breaking the mold—blending a family and a job in one life.

“Committed to Family, Dedicated to Basketball”, a New York Times article written by Karen Course in April, 2010, speaks of the truths facing women in professional sports, trying to balance between a career and a family. Throughout McWilliam-Franklin’s life, she never put herself before her family. After she had her first child at 17, she continued towards her dreams and strove to excel in her sport. This is a fairly different story compared to most professional women. These days when women want to bear children, they make considerable sacrifices to their lives—a major one being leaving her job. McWilliams Franklin certainly made sacrifices, like bringing her child to college classes and practice with her, but one sacrifice she did not make was leaving her job. Unlike most families these days, Taj and her husband have broken the mold with parenting their children. When Taj is away on trips, Reggie is the primary caregiver in her absence. And according to Susan Newman, a social psychologist, this plan is applauded. And I agree. I find it extremely refreshing to see a woman providing for her family.

However Crouse addresses that, “As more mothers take jobs that require travel, the question that has hounded McWilliams-Franklin throughout her career is haunting others: Can you be there for your children when you are always on the run?” The answer to this question, I believe, is yes. Any mother can be there for her children despite having traveling duties and a job. Nonetheless, not being able to be there for your child at all times, is something all women struggle with, including mothers who don’t give up their jobs---McWilliams-Franklin has had to deal with this throughout her 17 year esteemed career and it breaks her heart. She claims, “It’s a catch 22. Women love their careers and they love their families. Sad as it is, you have to give up something of one or the other in order to be good at one.” This sense of obligation to give up something is a feeling a lot of women have. For most women though, the “giving up something of one” is more often than not, her job. And if they don’t give up their jobs, what would people think? That they care more about their job than their family? This is the double bind women have been facing for decades—the pressures that society put on women and how they have to choose one or the other: a job or a family.

In terms of building a family, Ann Crittenden sheds light on the obstacles professional women face in The Mommy Tax. She speaks of the potential economic losses women face when they leave their job in order to be the primary caregiver for their child. Crittenden begins the chapter on a surprisingly shocking note, and leaves the reader quite intrigued. She claims “One could even say that motherhood is now the single greatest obstacle left in the path to economic equality for women”(Crittenden, 87). I had to read this line a few times to really understand it. But I completely agree with it (now having read the chapter and learning about it in class). What sets men apart from women in the professional setting is the ultimate decision that a woman feels compelled to make. And the chapter explores how much money that would have and could have been earned by women who leave their jobs to become mothers, also known as the Mommy Tax. This is something that McWilliams-Franklin never had the misfortune of encountering. Being the primary moneymaker of the family is something she enjoys being… “I’m genuinely happy to be able to take care of my family in this economy” is what she told Crouse when asked on the subject.

It’s a tough responsibility being the primary caregiver of a family, all the while maintaining an exhausting career. What Taj and other women do have in common however, is their extreme need for help. Even if you do leave your job, having children is a tough responsibility and is hard on a workingwoman’s life. “A support network is essential. Unlike L.P.G.A, which offers free on-site childcare at its domestic events, the W.N.B.A has no such perk.” Now that McWilliams-Franklin is out of college, and without a daycare system like women’s professional golf, her and her husband have devised a good plan that has been working for them for a while.

What I believe mothers to all have in common is they have had to struggle through adversity. This is not something that’s necessarily fair and doesn’t always end up the way they want. But what is it that women want? A job or a family? A job and a family? Sometimes there’s the case where a woman will work for a specific amount of time, and when she’s ready, she’ll quit and have a family, or take a leave of absence. Some women don’t want to ever have to make that choice. Either way, the outcomes are difficult to handle and is just one of the many difficult times of our lives. There are people who don’t think women can do it… McWilliams-Franklin’s coaches for example. They’ve told her again and again, “Don’t have this baby, It’ll mess up your career”. Where does the line get drawn when having a child “messes” up a career? When a woman gets benched for half a season after coming back from a pregnancy? Or is a career “messed up” when a female employee has to take a few vacation days out to stay home and be with her sick child?

McWilliams is a prime example of what the ideal worker is not. According to Crittenden, this worker is “unencumbered, that is, free of all ties other than to his job” (Crittenden, 92). To me, finding a worker like this is very difficult to come by. One could question whether or not a lot of people are free of all ties outside their job. That rules out having a relationship, having a family, even having a pet! In her 17-year esteemed professional career, full of encumbrance, McWilliams-Franklin has certainly triumphed motherhood over matter. We are always told at a young age that our children look up to their parents and see how they live their lives and hopefully, strive to be like them in some way when they are older and take on a career. However, motherhood is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and even if money isn’t being made off of it, it is still a career and it is still something to be admired for. The lasting words of the article really resonated with me… “As your child gets older, you are role-modeling your passion for what you do, you are role-modeling that a career doesn’t mean you’re always behind a desk, you’re role modeling an independent life.” Taj McWilliams-Franklin is a passionate woman. She loves basketball and she loves her family and she has dedicated her life to both.

Works Cited

1. "Aging and Athletic Performance - Training, Exercise, Strength, Muscle - World of Sports Science." Internet FAQ Archives - Online Education - Faqs.org. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. .

2. "Best Age for Motherhood | Health - Geniusbeauty.com: Magazine for Beautiful Women." Beauty, Weight Loss Tips, Hair Loss, Makeup, Fashion, Fitness, Diet, Sex, Health and More - Geniusbeauty.com. Web. 04 Nov. 2010. .

3. Crittenden, Ann. "The Mommy Tax." Introduction. The Price of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job in the World Is Still the Least Valued. New York: Metropolitan, 2001. 86-102. Print.

Lady and the Tramp

Hey guys! Sorry I may be really late getting this up tonight! Feel free to write something. I'll have something up as soon as I can get a chance to read....... sorry again!

Women's Labor

As more and more women enter the workplace, more and more struggles become present, especially for those in the lower income classes. These women usually take on those jobs that tend to have a negative stigma associated with them. In Reality Check she pursues the option of working as a go-go dancer, a job in which women are sexually objectified. This shows us that sometimes women are willing to take on jobs that degrade them just to be able to pay their rents.
In Maid To Order the career path of maids is examined. These women don't usually pick to become maids; their education (or lack of) tends to be a key factor. This job was also degrading to women, for it forced them to work long hours on little pay while scrubbing and polishing all on their hands and knees. And these women tend to disproportionately be of color. In today's world, we see more homes hiring maids.

When reading Maid To Order I found myself disagreeing with some of the things said. She seemed to be making too many generalizations based off of her experiences. Like when she said "we scrubbed only to remove impurities that might be detectable to a customer by hand or by eye." (67) A cleaning lady comes to my house once a month. And I know that before she comes, my mom sets up all the supplies and gets out buckets of water and soap. So I feel like some maids do a good job of actually cleaning. And when she said that children will "grow up as domestically incompetent" I was in shock. Most of my friends, including myself, all know how to clean different surfaces.