Jennifer Kaye
The journal of the week is Carly's
I would first like to thank Lisa for writing the journals that are most enjoyable to read. She manages to add a bit of humor into all her entries. There were a great amount of journal entries this week due to the fact that people wanted to make sure they had thirteen entries. Because of this, many of the entries were supplemental. There were a wide variety of topics and a barrage of opinions on many of the aspects of our society, which were extremely interesting to read.
Many people wrote on the ideas discussed in Monday's class session. The article by Baraidotti came up many times in the journal entries. Dolly Parton's name was brought up many times as well in the entries. Not everyone agrees on whether her image is a means to empowerment like Carly does. Renee brought up the idea of what is natural. She believes that people's bodies are always evolving. Nancy also brought up the idea of what is natural, but in the context of the diets girls and women go on in America. These women are eating less than the amount of food many starving children eat in a day. Rochelle discussed body image as it relates to men getting to know their bodies. Women have been the sex to know their bodies, but as beauty is rooting itself deeper into our society, men are beginning to look at themselves differently. Sam focused on the increase in plastic surgery, and Lisa discussed how young women are doing incredibly stupid things in order to look good.
There were several entries that focused on the economy and the plight of female immigrants. Jocelyne summarized the Wekker article and how women need to get more involved with the economy so by sheer numbers they can influence it and help it to advance women. Hydi, Nancy, and Jocelyne wrote on the Bhattacharje article. Jocelyne and Nancy were appalled at the state of female immigrants in this country. These women were completely dependent on their husbands because of the laws of the United States. This takes away the women's agency. Women are subjugated within three realms: the male headed household, the extended ethnic community, and their nation of origin. Hydi took the idea further to introduce the class to the horrors of domestic abuse in Latin America. Women there are beaten at a much higher rate than women in the United States are; yet the countries for the most part ignore the problem.
Many of the entries elaborated on the ideas mentioned in Wednesday's class. Hydi mentioned how many times people ignore the warning signs until it is too late. These boys had said exactly what they were planning on doing before they did it; yet people took it worth a grain of salt. Renee reiterated the point she made in class on the fact that this country has a lack of spirituality and that people do not respect one another. These boys made fun of day in and day out, an unfortunate aspect of many people's high school experiences. Rochelle and Deanna both focused on the media and it’s effect on the state of the country. The media writes and shows stories that are very selective and biased, which does not allow America to receive the true picture of what has occurred. Karen looked into how we must turn anger into activism so that these events will not happen again.
Sarah Hall
I chose Carly's amazing journal entry to be posted on the web site. She wonderfully articulated her experiences with an abusive ex-boyfriend.
This week's journals were a collection of ideas, thoughts, and reactions. The most prominent topics were about the class discussions on the posthuman body and the shootings in Colorado. Other topics included a discussion on the language used in the Bible, cross-listed classes, and women as agents of their own sexuality.
The discussion on the posthuman bodies was a cause of concern and wonder for many. Sam and Carly question whether cosmetic surgery and the like is an example of women as agents or as victims. Carly took the that Dolly Parton is an agent, as she has built her career, garnering money and power, based partly on her conformity to the role of ideal women. Sam argued that although the need for cosmetic surgery would not exist in an ideal world, women who choose to have often feel better about themselves because of it. This, she posited, this might be a form of agency. To me, this brought up the question underlying much feminist discussion: as feminists, should we try to succeed within the system or reject it entirely? For Karen, there is no question. She argued that women need to reject the beauty culture that is so pervasive within society, going outside the system. Karen also pointed out that if gender is a performance, Dolly Parton deserves an Oscar.
The shooting in Colorado proved to be a difficult topic. Karen was glad that we took time out of class discussion to talk about the shooting. Through discussion, it is possible to alleviate the feeling of exclusion felt by so many high school students. I remember that when I was in high school, during the aftermath of the bombing in Oklahoma, I went to school the next day, expecting my teachers to discuss it. None of them even referred to it, much less conducted a discussion on it. I think that this type of behavior only serves to make high schoolers feel like they are not a part of the world around them. Carly also focused on the problem of otherness. She writes that society simply does not address the myriad of problems that teenagers face and does not consider them to be serious. So instead, society pushes it underground, effectively glamorizing the role of outcast. Jen talks about the importance of prevention, particularly with respect to guns. She wrote that perhaps the reason that girls aren't inflicting this type of damage is because while boys play with guns, girls play with dolls. This comment reminded me of Monday's class discussion. It occurred to me that when boys are deeply troubled, they act out in ways that are familiar to them, reenacting the violent video games and movies that they idolize. When girls are in trouble, they act out by starving themselves and seeking cosmetic surgery, which are representative of the arena in which they are familiar. So, I guess the answer to the question of why are boys the only perpetrator of this type these crimes, is that girls are doing it too, just in a different, quieter (read easier to ignore) way.