Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Teaching the Conflicts - Connections

Meredith A. Love and Brenda M. Helmbrecht
Teaching the Conflicts: (Re)Engaging Students with Feminism in a Postfeminist World

While reading this article I was instantly drawn to Love's discussion on page 46-47, titled "post what?" as follows: 

"We have found that, at times, statistics can be an effective persuasive strategy when discussing the need for continued attention to gender and women’s issues in the U.S. As many feminist instructors (ourselves included) have learned, some students, particularly “traditional,” younger university students, believe that there is no reason to fight for a feminist agenda anymore—a sentiment students freely express in our women’s studies courses. We sometimes attribute this resistance to students never knowingly experiencing discrimination."

This quote, especially the bit about never knowingly experiencing discrimination, brought me back to the very first blog I wrote in response to Johnson's reading "Privilege, Power, and Difference." I remember feeling diassociated when reading his points on privilege and their relation to race/gender/etc. As Love/Helmbrecht would define it, I am part of the so-called "third generation movement" where the same issues do not necessarily apply to people my age as they did people growing up in the 70s for example. I obviously cannot speak for women, but I can see where racial discrimination and sexual bias has come a LONG way. I am from a more tolerant and accepting generation when it comes to that.

Women are still sexually exploited in all avenues of media by being expected to dress in nearly nothing, wear far too much makeup, act sexy, and appear submissive. One has to ask themselves, why is she doing this? Women are strong and, especially American women, are not afraid to speak their minds, so its easy to see they are, like all of us (lets be honest), motivated by money. Sex sells and offers an other wise uneducated, attractive woman, opportunities to make a lot of it. You better believe - if women desired sex as much as men and were willing to pay for naked pictures (Playgirl) or buy sex off the street (prostitution), there would be men lining the street corners peddling themselves for extra cash. Men, like women, are not above selling sex  for money. Hell, most men give it away for free anyhow (myself excluded).

It is fair to say women don't earn as much as men, as Love mentioned, and in that right women are not equal and that is not fair. In my opinion, people should be compenstated based on merit and performance only. However, as far as money goes you are only as priviliged as your superior sees you. If a white man arrives at a job interview and is interviewed by a black (yea I said it so what) man his as Johnson calls it "born privilege" really means nothing. Let's face it people are more concerned with actually getting money rather than how or why. We need to change our greedy, self absorbed, perception and start caring about morals, values, equality, and acceptance in order to embrace feminism. We're not there yet, and I don't see people ever getting there. As long as money rules the world we will all do what we have to do to claim our piece. Sex, steal, lie, step on people, etc...

This may be a little off topic, but a great show nonetheless. American Greed, CNBC, 10 pm.

Sex sells - for both men and women - in advertising.



In class tomorrow I would like to bring up this question. Would you be more (or less) likely to buy something if the salesman was of a different....(fill in the blank)?  If you really wanted a job who what would your ideal supervisor or ideal interviewer look like?  Do you feel nervous going into an interview when you see someone of a different race?  How do you feel about the HR always handing out voluntary racially identifying forms?  Just some questions I had in mind that I wanted to share.
 

4 comments:

  1. Awesome post! I used it for my blog :)

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  2. used your blog as an extended comment.. nice work my man

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  3. Great post! Bring your question up in class!

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  4. Cool post. . . I did an extended comments on this blog point. Mentioned a few things you said, If I misinterpreted something you meant to say, I'm sorry. Other than that, yes we need to change in order to embrace feminism.

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