OUTLAW

The transgender population grows day by day. With that, the criticism and hatred of that population grows. Personally, I have had many encounters with the transgendered population; my family even through a Drag Queen fundraiser at a bar to raise money when my grandmother fell ill with breast cancer. The large amounts of criticism and hatred towards the transgendered community is a just a constant flow of stupid that stems from society's xenophobia. New prejudices have taken over the traditional ones, as the ideas and concepts of gender change. Society fears things that are different than the "norm". The social construct of gender is so fixed into what we are "suppose" to be. These strict norms that we are all suppose to adhere to create severe consequences and reactions. People are killed at the hands of bigots and those afraid of something that might not fit into what they have been taught to see as a man or woman. The cultural revolution that comes from the explosion of the great numbers of the transgendered population is frightening for some, and the ignorance and fright causes tragic results.

A Question of Class

In contemporary society, you (and often times, your family) create a social and economic stance for yourself. Those who are in the lower classes are viewed as the pariahs of a society that is ruled by the high class. Of course, you can fight and become a member of this exclusive club; through hard work, termination, and overall, expensive education. The social system that exists within American society is unchanging, it seems that you can only break out of the rigid top class, yet there is no way that you can break in; unless you make a million or two. The rich and famous are the ones who have the advantage in society, the world of socialites and heiresses. In a Question of Class from Women's Lives, the author gives the gritty view of the poor in the south, she questions the romanticized view that is present in movies and books, and shows a world of hunger, self-hatred and violence. The author tells of her struggle with her abuse from her stepfather, and how it continued mainly based on her mother's economic strain and inability to support her children on her own. In this class of severe poverty and low social standing, the author's family do not fight to get out, as is often the surreal view of the working poor, the ideology of the American Dream, and how anyone can achieve it. The members of this class are realists, cynical to the idea of change. Within this story, the characters do not fight their class standing, they only fight to survive. The low class poor is a world all within the American class system that most people have never been introduced to. The severe poverty that is talked about is becoming more of a reality for a lot of people based on the economy right now. The story was an eye opener for me because who knows how many people are going to be a part of a class such as this in just a matter of months. The world of prostitution and sugar daddies is not something that sounds appealing to me; it was so easy for this to happen to generations of families before me, will it be my family next?

The Body Politic

Anorexia and bulimia are infectious diseases that ravage mainly young females of today. The finger pointing of fault can be aimed in a multitude of directions. Mainstream culture socializes females to want, to need to be smaller than a size four. Women who are stick thin are viewed as the epitome of the female form, those whose bodies you should strive for, those who you should look up to, and model your self around. Or it could be blamed on some severe mental health issues. In The Body Politic, the author gives the literal definition of anorexia, which is "loss of appetite". I found this a bit ironic, as anorexia nervosa, the disease, is the squashing and hindering of your appetite. It is not the voluntary act of "losing" something, it is the intentional act of pushing something away, to have that control over your body, whether it being healthy or not. While everyone knows that anorexia is not healthy, that it can lead to severe health issues later in life, the mass media of our society does not necessarily chastise it. It does not push the idea of sticking your finger down your throat, or not eating for days;instead it takes a more subtle stance, and points its spotlight on those celebrities and public "figures" that do fit into the cocaine-chic ideals of a female body. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have become social phenomena. Eating disorders have become such a normalcy in American culture that the shock value of a young girl sticking her finger down her throat is almost nonexistent. In The Body Politic, the author speaks of her experiences with struggling in her anorexic days. The most obscene part of it all in my opinion is the applause and congratulations she got for her stick thin body, while she was slowing dieing. The intense obsession that we all have with the female body, and the fight to make it "perfect" is so ridiculous it's leaving poor young girls in the dust. Another point that the author brought up was that anorexia was patriarchy at its finest. "I digested the connection between a nation of starving, self-obsessed women and the continued success of the patriarchy." The ideal women that all strive to be, or fight against is one that is at the hands of the male view of what a female should be. These women who suffer from anorexia are viewed as powerless, ready to be saved and consumed by her male counterpart. Anorexia itself, is instantly gendered to the young female, submitting herself to the patriarchal views of "healthy" and "beautiful".

"Who Am I If I Am Not My Father's Daughter?"

We are all socialized to think a certain way that is pertinent to both society and our individual cultures. For some, it is to judge the outside world with the lens of white, Christian, middle class America. Others to be totally accepting of those around them. One of the biggest challenges for people to overcome is to forget about the boxes society makes and to just choose the path that is suitable to their beliefs. In the story "Who Am I If I'm Not my father's Daughter?", the author tells of her personal struggle with those social constructs and how even in her adult days, she struggles. The author uses anecdotes from her childhood and her adult life to create the space of her coming to terms with both her gender and cultural identity. The realization she has that she does not fit into the box her parents (with her father as the prime example) and the generations before them, created for her is an epiphany that many people go through. This article was especially interesting to me because of the ultimate message she puts out there. She lets the reader know exactly what her point of view is; no misconceptions can be made. The story she creates, and the experiences she bring sup of her culture and the culture shocks she endured is something that I can definitely relate to. I find that almost everyday I have some experience, whether it be the smallest thing on the radar, or completely life changing, that changes my view on the world.

"Once an Enemy, Always an Enemy"

The reading Hanaan's House from Women's Lives presented a real world, current example of racial inequality and bias in the United States. The story that the author tells is one that has most likely played out in many households and neighborhoods. The rift that still exists in our country not only on an ethnic and racial background, but also religious background is the plague of our generation. Finger pointing and irrational behavior have caused tremendous difficulties within our society. The constant stream of hate and superiority that exists makes it impossible for change to happen. Within the story, the author brings up many instances of racial oppression that she has run into, and the most heart wrenching and difficult are within her personal relationships; such as a little girl letting her know that they would always be enemies because of their backgrounds. People scream for equality and justice for all, while within our homes and our neighbor's homes, barbaric statements are made, with the most recent victims being those of Middle Eastern descent. New racist jargon has been thrown into our vocabulary, replacing the old with new (with towel head being a colorful example). People point their finger at all Muslim, or even Middle-Eastern looking, people; when in reality terrorism cannot be blamed on one race or religion; it is a problem that stems from centuries of feuding and hatred. Now, a world is created where a little girl knows that you will always be enemies because of were you both come from. Racism and militarism seem to be walking down the road hand in hand; we interfered with Iraq because of the link that Saddam Hussein had with the attacks of 9/11; or that he had WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. In reality, neither of these existed. Iraqis fit the stereotypical "description" of what a terrorist is; and while it is not the only reason, racism towards those of Middle Eastern descent is a definite factor. Personally, I am pretty pacifistic, I find this war completely useless and mainly a tool to spread old-world like imperialism in a new world, only this time with bigger guns.

He Works, She Works, but What Different Impressions They Make

This article was so blunt for me, I found it enlightening. The binary that exists within society of the man and woman goes far beyond just the basic gender and biological sex of a person, it is constructed into the way society perceives us- and the battle within the workforce space for equality is one of the largest conquests. The two column set up of the article instantly causes the reader to process the binaries and oppressive tone within the work force. Personally, I have only worked in the female dominated area of child care. I have seen the reverse of this patriarchal oppression, the the discrimination against men who work in the field. The complex system of work force oppression, while predominanty aimed towards women, does go both ways. For this articles sake, though, the responses to the male and the female employee are undeniably realistic. I have heard statements similar to these within my own family that before this course, I did not question. The patriarchal set up of the work force and the gendering that exists makes it extremeley difficult for working women to push forward.

Chapter 3 From WL

From Chapter 3 from Women's Lives, the author delves into the social construction of the female body and body image, relying heavily on the social norms for a woman. She breaks the article down into three separate overarching sections; and in some cases, breaks those down into even smaller sections. For me, I found the section on Resisting Body Stereotypes to be the most interesting. The author discusses the differences in beauty ideas between the middle white class idea of beauty and those that conflict with it; such as African American or Jewish American culture views. Being a young woman, my friends and I fight with both the middle class idea of beauty, and our own culture's ideas of what beauty is. While there are the ideas of beauty that contradict the box of what beauty is supposed to be, there is still the influencing umbrella of popular society. While women fight against these ideas, there are still those women who fight to fit into this box; whether it be through diet, exercise, plastic surgery or eating disorders. The goal of a "perfect body" is completely unattainable. No matter what, the dictator that is popular culture will still be able to find something wrong with you.