Justina

My research illustrates why pregnancy discrimination is both physically and mentally harmful to pregnant women. Not only are there chances of losing financial stability, the stress a woman experiences can cause her to have a miscarriage. Studies have shown that discriminating against a woman because of her pregnancy also has a negative impact economically. Another consequences of this issue is that women will be influenced to not bear children in order to maintain their position at work, thus reducing the reproduction rate as well.

Topics discussed in class that relate to this issue are systems of oppression, stereotypes and social norms that women are expected to be a part of, and even harassment. The traditional belief that women are supposed to be housewives that only bear children and do not work is expressed in Betty Friedan’s “From The Feminine Mystique.” Also, an article we read in class written by Milia Fisher titled “Women of Color and the Gender Wage Gap” mentions how women of color are more likely to have lesser wages than white women and men because of the discrimination they face over care-giving burdens. This ties in to pregnancy discrimination because in some situations, racial discrimination is occurring at the same time. Women are being paid less for being mothers and this notion must be stopped in order to achieve feminine justice.

9th post: Your suggested solutions to the problem.

Event Post– Her Story

The event was more than perfect. It began with the movie, there were 10 mins episodes and 5 total, and ended with a discussion with the actors from the movie. First of all, the movie was beyond amazing. There was so much emotion put in it and the actors did an amazing job.

The event I attended was organized by the Department of African American Studies and Alicia Garza was introduced as the speaker and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter Movement. A few minutes before the event began, the room was filled with graduate students, professors, and undergraduate students who seemed eager to hear from the founder of a movement that has been in the news ever since its onset. To begin her speech, Ms. Garza emphasized the importance of giving thanks to those who made it possible for the event to take place as well as people of “indigenous nations”. She started off with a question she is constantly asked: “how did you turn a hashtag into a movement?” Her response: “hashtags do not start movements, people do”. Further explaining her answer, she talks about the revolution that occurred in Egypt as a result of a twitter post. The post did not actually start the revolution but people who had responded to these posts started the revolution. And this relates to how the movement began. According to Ms. Garza, it began as a love letter to others on Facebook. Why did she write this? In the year 2013, a young boy named Trevor Martin decided to walk to the corner store to grab a few snacks, however, little did his parents know that their son would never return home

 Further adding to this tragedy, his killer George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges two months after the incident. Ms. Garza described her reaction after hearing about the judge’s verdict on this issue. She was shocked and could not believe such an issue would occur in 2013. “It was not the 1960s”, she recalled. But there was something more that angered Ms. Garza. The responses from the public on Facebook. She refers to these people as “Social Justice Cynics”. These are people who think they are too good for their own good. The social justice cynics pointed out that if black people were be more educated or if they stopped wearing hoodies, situations like this could be avoided. In response to these statements, Ms. Garza wrote a post as a love letter to address the fact that all black lives matter and it was her sister who had initially hash tagged “Black lives matter”. Hence, the movement #BlackLivesMatter. This movement is fundamentally committed to all black lives and aims to restore dignity to all black lives. The idea of “All lives matter” was also mentioned. This ideology was once developed decades ago in the United States when land was being stolen from “indigenous people”. This ideology is also seen in parts of the constitution that talks about freedom speech, religion, etc. However, Ms. Garza reminds the audience that the idea of all lives matter deprived people of color from enjoying the benefits that came along with it. As shown in the media, Black Lives Matter supporters are regarded as protestors who are up to no good and Ms. Garza reaffirms that this movement is not about protest nor is it about being anti-police. Black Lives Matter focuses on pro-humanity as well as creating and solving issues for all Black lives. The notion of “Make America Great Again” means less access, less wealth and less power for people of color. As a result, Ms. Garza states that the notion should be changed to “make our society great again”. There should also be safety beyond policing. To conclude her speech, she poses a question to the audience: “If you believe freedom is possible, what would you do? are you doing it, and would it mean something?”

After attending this event, I have a better understanding of how the movement began and its purpose. Mostly, all I see on social media is the negative depiction of people supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement. I learned from this event that the movement is not all about protestors carrying signs and hoping to gain attention from the media and police. It is a movement that aims at providing equality for black lives and seeing to it that what happened decades ago would certainly not repeat itself. I was also made aware by this event that whatever we do affects the next generation and would be spoken about decades later when we are no more. Also, this is historic and some of us can live to tell our children what we witnessed and our involvement in making lives better for the next generation.

I also learned that regardless of what the constitution says, there is still inequality and discrimination against people of color. This can be seen in the mass incarceration of 1 million people across the country. Most of whom are persons of color. The earlier we realize these problems, the better it would be to act and ensure that we do not encounter bigger problems in the future. Organizations like black lives matter and others yet to arise would be a first stepping stone to help society realize we are all equal. Ms. Garza’s speech made me realize that change is possible if we believe.

The final message I received was that one does not have to be a philanthropist to create a change in the world. Just like Ms. Garza whose single Facebook post had enabled such a movement to take place, there is nothing too small or too big. Ms. Garza had mentioned that people are watching what goes on in the U.S. and they are hoping whatever change we create becomes successful. I have learned from this that if I want to make a difference, I should get involved and dismiss whatever I see or hear on social media. I should also broaden my knowledge by reading and carefully paying attention to what occurs in my surroundings. Like Ms. Garza said, “It is time to make our society great again”.

4th Post: Course Reading

Unhappy Trails: Female Truckers Say They Faced Rape and Abuse in Troubled Training Program by Anna Merlan 

Link to article:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12784237/GWS%20101%20Spring%202016/Merlan%20-%20Unhappy%20Trails.pdf

The article by Anna Merlan interested me a lot because woman who want to become truckers are taken advantage of by men. These men are typically truckers who are in charge of training the women. In a sense, the women shadow the male trucker for a couple days so they could visually learn/experience the role of a trucker. It was shocking and very upsetting to read how woman are physically harassed and threatened by male truckers. The most upsetting part about this entire issue of abuse of power from the male truckers is that women will go to the company and the company will not act upon the incidents. Therefore, the male truckers are consistenly getting away with this type of harassment. 

     “Speaking in Tongues” by Gloria Anzaldua is one of my favorite readings so far this semester. She writes about the type of labels people associate with women of her race and the challenges she has faced both as a woman of color and a writer. Her writing integrates her native language, spanish, as well as english. This shows her belief that people should accept her as a whole and respect her just the same. Her writing inspires women of color who have been oppressed, to open up and show their talents despite being put down by whites. She mentions how women of color are misunderstood and to be understood, they are expected to imitate whites. She makes it clear that they should stick to their beliefs and original way of being. She also comments on her fear of putting her work out due to judgement and doubt, but she overcame it in order to show that what others think of her isn’t at all who she is. I admire her honesty, talent, confidence and bravery.

     One of the reasons I enjoyed Gloria’s writing is because I was actually able to connect with her. Throughout school, I’ve witnessed the low expectations that individuals have about people of my race. We’re not expected to go as far as those who are not of color. This is due to race and class. Class in the aspect of not attending good schools due to income level and lower grade neighborhoods. Race in regard to not speaking or behaving like those other than people of color. They expect us to let the challenges that we face deter us from a successful future. These type of expectations cause some to avoid putting any effort into building a future do to the fact that no one believes in them or isn’t willing to help them get there. Personally, these negative opinions are a source of motivation for me, and Gloria sets a prime example of this.

     Gloria’s letter made me further realize that the race and gender that identify with aren’t the only ones who face oppression. Other races and genders face various levels and types of oppression as well. She highlighted the importance of considering the experiences and feelings of others outside of one’s own identity. If everyone came to this realization, it would be easier for people to be more empathetic and accepting. I hope others take from Gloria’s writing what I took from it. To not be judgmental, critical or undermine the type of person someone is or the things that they go through.

I attended “Body/Courage” performed by Danielle Pinnock at the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, where Danielle told the story about her struggle with her family as they tried to change her body. She acted out each of the experiences she thinks contributed to the way she views her body now, as well as the interviews she had with different people about what it is to have an ideal body. The smallness of the set is what I liked become it seemed to make the production more intimate, and because of the stories that were performed I think it fit very well. The way that Danielle was able to transition from performing a sad, painful story one minute and make the audience laugh at a new one was one of the things that I was amazed by. Her performance was extraordinary and her stories even more and they perfectly tie in with the title of the play. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46-kGMPqDbc&feature=youtu.be

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9xirR8fhzk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRvq2NGr0ag&feature=youtu.be

In the four videos that I watched, annieelainey talks about how she learned to advocate body positivity after she had personal experiences with feeling unhappy with her body. She said how she never really cared about what she looked like until her father told her he wanted to save up money to give her a nose job. This caused a spiraling, downhill effect where she began to hate the way she looked. She said that she would look at her belly, and think that other people thought she was pregnant.She thought people were disgusted by her all the time.

Eventually, she had a breakthrough with one of her teachers where she realized that she needed to stop hating her body. She tried things like telling herself she was beautiful for ever comment that was negative. She distanced herself from the media, unsubscribed to magazines, distanced herself from hateful people, and threw out her scale. She said that after a while, she began to feel happy again. She tried different things, went to parties, and began to advocate body positivity on the internet. She also takes a stand for transgender individuals, colored individuals, handicapped individuals, stating how it is incredible how Hollywood would employ straight or able people for roles that portray a transgender, or disabled person.

Before watching these videos, there were so many things that I did not know about body hatred. I just assumed it y they looked, and in a way, that’s not wrong. However, there is so much more to that.

I learned how terrible body dis morphia is. It makes a person obsessed their physical appearance, check themselves in the mirror all the time, makes them avoid social situations, and makes them constantly change their appearance, even if it doesn’t satisfy them. I never knew so many things went into body dis morphia disorder. Living in this day and age, where everything is recorded, uploaded, and submitted online, must be horrible for people with body dis morphia disorder. 

I also never knew how much hatred was focused on these people. The fact that annieelainey’s youtube account was deleted by fatagonists is incredible. I never even knew that fatagonists existed. I would think that a person that is telling others to love themselves, and to be hapy about themselves, would be welcomed by the rest of the world. However, I learned in the videos that there is so much hatred for different people of any kind. Sometime’s it’s not even hatred, but ignorance, that also does horrible damage to people. The way that Hollywood shuns actors and actresses that are disabled for that portray a disabled person almost seems like a slap in the face

Differences in feminine and male characteristics have been culturally influenced since the beginning of time. A classic example is the difference in emotional intensities among men and women. Although studies do show that women experience higher levels of emotional stimulation than men, societal expectations do play a part in this. Since birth, it is common for women to hear and see examples of the “damsel in distress” and the notion that women always are more nurturing, sensitive, and need to be helped. Being female implies women are the “weaker” gender, not just in obvious physique, but in regards to a woman’s mental status as well. Society makes it clear that it is acceptable for women to show emotion and to talk about their feelings excessively. Women are also prone to demonstrate how they feel with their tears, facial expressions, hand gestures, and their body language. When I was younger, I would know when my mom was upset not only because she voiced her emotions but also because of the tears and obvious body language. In the event of a family issue, her opinion would always be heard while my father stayed solemn. The stereotype that women are more emotional is true in some cases because of the sensitive and beautiful image of the “damsel in distress” women are expected to portray.

“Real men don’t cry” is a commonly used phrase by many cultures all around the world. The powerless persona that is associated with expressing emotions is taught to men at a young age. A man is expected to be “strong” and in control of his emotions whether or not he is emotionally distraught. Men believe masculinity is related to limiting the exposure of the sensitivity in your soul. To cry or vent is a sign of weakness if you are a man in our society. The heartless stereotype men have also allows them to always be considered as a more powerful gender. The lack of emotional sensitivity leads to this as well. Emotions such as rage and aggression are easily expressed by men but that is only because people perceive those emotions to be manlier. Men expressing anger does not result in the same reactions as men expressing a more “feminine” emotion. In some cases, people admire the portrayal of aggressive emotions. My own father does not mind when my little brothers argue or even become physically aggressive with one another but if either of them show feminine emotions, my father makes it clear that it makes them less masculine. He scolds them in Arabic saying, “Don’t act like a girl!” It is insulting to women but that mentality is a mentality taught to most young men. Emotions are feminine and to be masculine, men must avoid expressing them.

Sexual Modesty- Short Paper

Sexual modesty is a behavior that women and girls have been socially rewarded for all through out conventional existence. Note that this behavior not be confused with sexual abstinence; heterosexual males need mating partners, however, not ones that embrace their sexuality or are explicit about it. Women are rewarded when they keep their sexuality behind closed doors, yet punished by society when they are outspoken about all things sexual. Take masturbation for example. It is an act that both women and men partake in, but who do we hear talk openly about the last time they touched themselves? Not a woman, unless a specific woman has made the conscious decision to break the social norm. Or take social media into consideration; how many women are praised for posting racy photographs on Instagram or Twitter? The ones who are conventionally attractive, sure, but women with body types that are not seen as “beautiful” or “model-like” are shunned and/or slut shamed for lack of modesty by, ironically, the men who rely on having sexual relations with them. Societal norms punish women for walking outside adorned in revealing clothing; yet reward them for undressing themselves in front of their man behind closed doors. Women are constantly hiding a part of them that is so natural: their sexual feelings and behaviors.

This must mean that men are doing the exact opposite. Typically, men are open and vocal about their sexual feelings and behaviors, and in fact, are rewarded for it. When a man speaks out about his multiple sexual partners, he is seen as Godly, manly, sexy, and accomplished. However, when a woman speaks out about her multiple sexual partners, she is seen as a “slut” or a “whore.” Promiscuity is encouraged in men. Men often express how often they partake in masturbation. It is considered as masculine of an act as sports or video games, yet both men and women masturbate an equal amount across the board. On social media, when men post shirtless photographs, they are rewarded, yet if a woman were to do the same it would be considered “inappropriate” because of the fat tissue behind her nipples (assuming this woman identifying person is cisgender and has breasts). However, men are also punished when they partake in sexual modesty themselves since it is coded as a feminine behavior. If a man chooses not to have sex/ cannot have sex for whatever reason, he’s often seen as less than masculine and a “pussy”. It is very telling that our society uses a slur for a female body part as an insult toward a man when they are not acting as manly as possible. If a man is uncomfortable when other men around him talk about sex, he is often pressured into just opening up about it instead of staying modest or private, because that is what ladies are encouraged to do. Even though heterosexual men and women have sex an equal amount, the double standard regarding sexual modesty is ever so present.

These standards may seem insignificant until the bigger picture is analyzed. Praising men for sexual promiscuity and women for sexual modesty harms the confidence of both genders greatly, especially women. All of these minute social situations are telling of the “rape culture” that we live in, which is the idea that female rape victims are blamed and men are normalized for being sexually violent. Since it is considered a positive/normal thing for women to be sexually modest, the instinct is to assume they were dressed provocatively, and blame them for their sexual assault. Rape culture is about a lot more than just rape, but the social norms that perpetuate it, and sexual modesty is one of the many that do. Women who do not conform to sexual modesty end up feeling ashamed for having normal sexual feelings, and can end up being harassed and chastised for not conforming to modest behavior. Women are valued less than men because when women are forced to be secretive about sex, men are by default more dominant, creating a dangerous society for women to live in. Of course, there are some women who defy this normal behavior, and embrace their sexuality, which helps other women to band together and do the same. However, with this the underlying misogyny of our society comes out from behind the curtain and makes its way to us in forms of rape, harassment, and slut-shaming. It is important that we begin to normalize sexual power for women and sexual modesty for men in order to even the playing field, and make sex a human trait, not a gendered one.