Intersection of Panel Personal Practices

During this week's panel, I noticed that gender played more of an important role in the personal practices of certain individuals versus others. Individuals such as Jess Dobkin (Marina) use their bodies as an important component of their practice, while the work of other individuals such as Michelle Obama (myself) is separate yet relevant to her work. The work of the first lady is centered around an ideal or a concept of how a woman should behave. As the first lady of the United States, Michelle is expected to conduct herself in a manner that is appropriate for the wife of a president. There are strict rules that she must follow in order to be perceived as a good loyal all-American housewife who is all at once political, postgraduate educated, culturally versed, and whole list of other things. However, the non typical manners of Michelle are indicative of a shift in the expectation of a what is considered appropriate or acceptable behavior for an American woman.  I think it is interesting how gender, even if not completely obvious at first, shapes the lives of many individuals, especially the lives of women.