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Critical Feminist Studies 2013
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Welcome to the on-line conversation for Critical Feminist Studies, an introductory-level course offered in the English Department and Gender and Sexuality Program @ Bryn Mawr College in Fall 2013. |
Who are you writing for? Primarily for yourself, and for others in our course. But also for the world. This is a "public" forum, so people anywhere on the web might look in. You're writing for yourself, for others in the class, AND for others you might or might not know. So, your thoughts in progress can contribute to the thoughts in progress of LOTS of people. The web is giving increasing reality to the idea that there can actually evolve a world community, and you're part of helping to bring that about. We're glad to have you along, and hope you come to both enjoy and value our shared explorations. Feel free to comment on any post below, or to POST YOUR THOUGHTS HERE.
![Maya's picture Maya's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1304.jpg)
Feminism and Ableism
The readings for Tuesday's class, especially the Rose Marie Garland-Thomson reading I found very interesting. She brings up the clash between feminist studies and disability studies when she talks about how pro-choice could mean that the disabled people might not have been born. It is an interesting question that I have been struggling with. The question of how disabled women and feminists can fight for the same cause, because they are both minorty groups and are both being subjugated by different "gazes", is an intersting one. I think that people need to remember that both disabled people and women are subjected to this gaze. Women and disabled people can be spectables; objects of either the male gaze or the object of the stare. They are both being subjegated so they both have to accept each other's differences and help each other in their fight for equality. Disabled women, like many people who reside in two different minority groups have chances to speak up and their voices are not heard as well. Many times they are forgotten or simply seen as a disabled person because that is the more visible part of them.
![nia.pike's picture nia.pike's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1311.jpg)
Feminism on Law and Order SVU
**trigger warning**
Law and Order SVU, is one of my guilty media pleasures. Every week, I find an hour for me to indulge in this show. This evening, while catching up on last week's episode, I saw it through a directly feminist lens. SVU brings to light during prime time television (on a national network no less) many issues that face women in a way that many may not be aware of. For example, one episode opens with a woman trying to purchase Plan B at a pharmacy because her husband had raped her. The pharmacist denies her the medicine, thus denying her the choice of pregnancy. Women are still forced to have their rapist's baby because other people, not involved in the situation involve themselves in the situation, indirectly making decisions for those involved. The ability of a pharmacist to deny a woman access to medicines she is entitled to have is an unfortunate way-of-life that many are not aware of. Plan B is an invaluable resource. And everyone who wants it should have access to it. Another episode shed light on the prevalent rape of women in the military. A female Marine was impregnated by a rape by an officer in a higher rank, which does occur in the United States military, and is usually swept under the rug. But the team at SVU fought to bring the rapist to justice. Also the main character in the series is Olivia Benson, a detective who has a personal connection to the rape victims at SVU because she, herself is also a victim.
![shainarobin's picture shainarobin's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1309.jpg)
An Unstructured School Setting, Is It Possible?
Our discussions in class on Tuesday and Thursday have had me thinking all week about whether or not an unstructured school setting employing the use of queer time could succeed in the heteronormative time frame that mainstream society functions on. A lot of the thoughts that have in response to this question have been drawn from experiences of my own. I have decided to share my story with with the hopes that it might help some of you when forming an opinion of your own.
![ari_hall's picture ari_hall's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1322.jpg)
mid-semester course evaluation
Thus far this course has taught me so much in terms of gender identity, feminism, defying binaries and hierarchies and exploring self-representation, including my own. In terms of the course material solely, I have been fascinated, scared and amazed by the texts we have read. I like the variety of the texts and the forms in which they are presented, they stem away from the usual formats I read in school and this has made it easier and more exciting to read them. They are engaging and eye-opening for me. Our discussions around the texts are eye-opening as well.
![ccassidy's picture ccassidy's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1298.jpg)
Thursday's exercises
I thought the exercises that we did on Thursday were really interesting....but also completely terrifying. I was getting particularly frustrated with myself when we were completing the second exercises because I wrote a whole paragraph in my response explaining why I would not be an expert on this topic. Part of me really wanted to resist justifying my response with a flimsy background story but the other part of me had too much anxiety about putting my opinions out there. I got more and more comfortable as people started to read out their responses because it was clear that most people were just as concerned with sharing their opinions as I was. But what this exercise made me realize is that I, and maybe others in the class, didn't feel like they could share their opinions in any discussion format without receiving some kind of a judgment. It was helpful to hear Anne say that students don't have to have all of the answers, that's why we are students. Still, why does it often seem like we all have something to prove in a classroom?
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
Mid-semester course evaluation: what's working? what needs working on?
By 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20 (the day we return from fall break), please post AS A COMMENT HERE your mid-semester course evaluation of what's working and what needs working on in this class: what have you seen? what have you done? what's your interaction been (with texts, with your classmates and prof)? what are you (still) hoping for?...then we'll spend some classtime, in the week when we return, discussing needed adjustments.
![Ann Lemieux's picture Ann Lemieux's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1294.jpg)
Delayed web event post- Self Presentation vs Self Representation
Self Representation vs Self Presentation
How do I present myself to the outside world? I present myself in the way that I dress, talk, act, and interact with others. What does this have to do with self-representation? I initially misread the topic of our papers as self-presentation, rather than self-representation. They sound the same, and could be dismissed as practically the same thing without consideration. However, realizing my error made me also realize that self-presentation and self-representation are very different things. To represent myself means to speak my opinions, act as an individual rather than simply part of a larger group, and reveal my personality, values, and beliefs through my actions, words, and appearance. I can use the different ways that I present myself to the public to represent who I am on the inside, and to portray different aspects of my personality and my value system.
![kwilkinson's picture kwilkinson's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1318.jpg)
Cool Article!!!
This popped up in my Twitter Feed after class on Tuesday:
http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/10/07/book-excerpt-gender-more-performance
I think this article is really relevant to our class. I also tweeted the author and she tweeted me back! :)
![nia.pike's picture nia.pike's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1311.jpg)
Calliope Wong and Smith College
After our class discussion on Tuesday about the situation involving an application to Smith College from a transwoman. Her name is Calliope Wong. She was denied admittance to Smith simply because her FAFSA utilized male pronouns, even though of the rest of her application materials: letters of rec, transcript, and all other paperwork uses female pronouns. According to one source I found, she had been in contact with the Dean of Admissions prior to applying to Smith. The dean told her that as long as her paperwork used female pronouns, her application would be considered. However, the FAFSA used male pronouns for Calliope Wong. In response, Smith sent out this letter stating "Our expectation is that it is consistently reflected throughout the application that the student is a woman. Upon reviewing your file, this is not the case. Your FAFSA indicates your gender as male. Therefore, the college cannot process your application."
![Maya's picture Maya's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1304.jpg)
Women's College
During our discussion, I thought so many people had so many great ideas and I just wanted to share my here because I was not able to during class. When we were saying what people have said to us when we tell them we are going to Bryn Mawr, I did not get any lesbian comments (maybe because they assumed I was already a lesbian because my parents are, or because I wanted gay rights); but one guy told me that Women's Colleges were sexist. I at first did not even know how to respond. I could not believe he had just said that. He said it was because they did not allow men to attend. I don't think I even tried to respond to his statement. But it is an interesting idea since Bryn Mawr does not allow transwomen to attend, but it does allow transmen. So, someone who is assigned female at birth, but identifies as a man is allowed to attend, but not men. I believe that transwomen should be able to attend because anybody who identifies as a woman should be able to go to a women's college.
![Fdaniel's picture Fdaniel's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1320.jpg)
Difference makes Feminism complicated ! : Web Event 1
Feminism has progressed for centuries with the aim to empower women. As the years went on it has changed with the time period and the mindsets of the women from each era. Women began with the idea of fighting for equality with men and erasing the power disparity. There was a transition to second wave feminism where women forgot about being equal to men and embraced their femininity. They were proud of their ability to have children and breast-feed. There was then a move to our current wave of feminism that focuses very heavily on liberation, finding one’s self and generating that idea of choice. Feminism has changed so much that I think we forgot about why feminism even began. It’s interesting how equality evolved and excluded the many complexities of each individual woman. How can we possibly have feminism if there isn’t a common theme understood across the board? Am I even feminist because I’m questioning your thinking process about feminism? Am I even feminist for trying to justify anyone’s stance on feminism? Feminism is quite complex and delves deeper into the idea of choice and what that means for every single woman including women of all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexualities and more. It must cater to every woman’s complexities with the goal to help her liberate herself.
![Anne Dalke's picture Anne Dalke's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-39.jpg)
your writing groups
Here are your 8 writing groups for this week. By classtime on Thursday, please read and post a comment in response to your partners’ essays, reflecting on the ways in which they intersect with and diverge from your own. This is not about “liking,” and certainly not about “correcting”: it’s about using your own work as a lens on theirs, and theirs on yours; it’s thinking about structure and argumentation.
Maya: relational definitions
MargaretRachelRose: how I see myself [in reflection]
shainarobin: sister/sister
Taylor11: fluid identity
vhiggins: rewriting script of female entertainer
Ann Lemieux: ??
EP: fear and self-representation
ccassidy: silence and performance
Amoylan: breaking silence
iskierka: self representation on Tumblr,
pialamode314: self-expression on Facebook
ari-hall: representation of race on BMC website
nia.pike: rebellion from society’s chains
Cat: queer space
sam: identity politics and "speaking for"
Celeste: mimesis in abstract poetry
EmmaBE: gender in Doll’s House
Polly: gender in children’s books
sschurtz: feminist theology
juliah: ecofeminism
Fdaniel: multicultural feminism
Erin McDermott: accessibility
pipermartz: duality of the gaze
kwilkinson: am I too accessible?
![vhiggins's picture vhiggins's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1341.jpg)
Rewriting the Script of The Female Entertainer [Updated]
“You will never be as beautiful in your life as you are now, so now is the time to start.”
As a young woman who aspires to do anything related to media and popular culture: modeling, singing, dancing, acting, this view is one that spearheads a great amount of young careers. The idea that beauty is the quality that supersedes any amount of talent is widely held in the entertainment industry, and follows right behind the exploitation of women in society in general based on their physical appearance. The problem with adapting this philosophy in pursuit of a famous career is that women who participate in their self-exploitation then make it justifiable to be exploited by others.
![MargaretRachelRose's picture MargaretRachelRose's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1316.jpg)
How I See Myself
“To be able to create our identity in terms of who and/or what we really are, we have to find out through individual interpretation and understanding of certain terms and connotations of language” (Fuss 1995; 233-240).
For my anti-self-portrait project, I asked my friends and family to describe me with their own words. Asking them to use language helped define different aspects of my personality. They used words like, “introspective,” “smart,” and “stubborn” to describe me. As the individual, I can interpret their meaning and gain an outside understanding of how I presebt myself through their choice of language.
Introspective, very self-aware. My best friend mentioned this, and she’s referencing countless times we stay up until 3 in the morning at sleepovers trying to figure out why we think and act the way we do. When I’m meeting new people or I’m in unfamiliar social settings, I’m thinking simultaneously about how I’m coming across to people (Am I being funny? Am I being friendly? Am I saying too much? Is it not enough to make an impression?). Sometimes I’m too trapped in this insecure, self-concious frame of mind that I don’t say much to someone I’m meeting for the first time.
![kwilkinson's picture kwilkinson's picture](https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/files/pictures/picture-1318.jpg)
WEB EVENT 1: Am I Too Accessible?
My blackness always reigned as my dominant identity in high school, often times forcing me to choose between: black or woman. Although I went to a relatively progressive high school, our discourse about race always seemed more significant. I operated in a dual-consciousness that felt inherent. In hindsight, I see that this was of course socialized, but it seemed natural to always be aware of how others perceive you, while expressing yourself in the way they can most understand. I was use to always having to culturally translate or give the Black perspective, more concerned with how I said or expressed an opinion, than it’s actual content. Of course I felt that it was unfair that my opinion in class would speak on behalf of my whole race, but I understood that I had no real choice. Most of my peers never have to think of this intersectionality. I felt that it was my job to educate them. I had to make myself accessible, not only to socially survive, but also to contribute a valuable opinion that has been underrepresented in the classroom my entire academic career.