This past week has been a killer with school work (this class, papers due for my other class - History of Vietnam), work work and family work. I am sure I have a few Eureka moments but I have probably been too tired to notice them. One thing that has happened, and you will see this on my final project, is just how far we haven't come in regards to gender and sexism. The more research I do, the more depressed I get realizing how the odds are STILL stacked up against my precious little girls. It doesn't mean that can't overcome them, a lot of the women in this class obviously have. I think about they way women are still treated in the workplace, in their homes and in social environments and for the most part, women are still perceived as second-class citizens.
I think I became a feminist the day my third daughter was born. After this class, I think I want to become an activist as well.
Week # 6 Good bye for now....
14 years ago
Mario,
ReplyDeleteI read your post and I think how much I have come to realize now about how far women still seem to being equal to a male. I think it is depressing and I enjoyed doing the research for this class. It is funny how we both has similar moments this week. I really can't wait to see everyone's projects! You are right you don't need to be a women to try and get the word out, men have to be there to for support! Many men would not come out and say they would want to be activists for women. I think it's great you say this. I am not ashamed to say I voted for Hilary Clinton in the primaries and was 100% for her. yeah she was a women, but every time she talked I got the chills. I went and saw her at temple university and she was amazing. It was filled with prob 75% women, but still I was not ashamed to show my support for her. Many of my guy friends say she can't run a man's job! It is still in so many people's mind that women will never be up to par with a male. Something needs to change and I am right there with you!
Hi Mario-
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment on my page, I appreciated it. As for your eureka moment, It is wonderful that you are taking your realizations and allowing them to not only fuel new thoughts, but to also lead you to activism! What can be a better way of utilizing what we learn! I understand your desire to want to help your girls conquer sexism as they grow up, as I have a niece and I think about similiar things. I noticed that as I was growing up, my mother never told me that it would be harder for me because I was a female. As a result I excelled in different areas of leadership, never feeling different or less then men. There is something I'm researching called the "stereotype threat" which is a reality in which people react and actually live out a stereotype when they are reminded of it. For example, studies on girls showed that when they were made aware of their gender and that they weren't as good in math as boys (via viewing pictures or filling out a test), they actually scored lower then when they were not subjected to these false realities. This means that what we tell our children, they believe and will live out. I'm sure you will be supportive of your daughters, as I hope to be supportive of my little niece, so she believes she can accomplish anything. My research has also taught me that when we are made explicitly aware of stereotypes example: "you may find that your boy classmates are viewed as being better at math then you, but it is not true it is only a stereotype" we acheive higher marks and don't act within stereotypes. That means there is a fine line between making our children aware of stereotypes and that they can overcome them, to intimidating them with them. I guess figuring all of this out takes time and is the wondrous/difficulty work of life!
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ReplyDeleteHi Mario,
ReplyDeleteI can’t agree with you more regarding school work, work, and family work. I’m exhausted. Why is life so exhausting? Why do I want more? Anyway that’s a topic for another day… You know from my previous blogs that this class has been an eye opener for me and that I am really starting to analyze my actions. To my surprise I totally fit the gender norms society has binded us to and through my actions I have been encouraging them. I think about how I have been treated at work and the pet names the men walk around here calling woman and they think there is nothing wrong with it. I see the woman managers here being tougher on their staff to prove a point to the male managers. I have a daughter to who is 3 years old and I hope society gets a wake up call prior to her entering the work force.