Just wanted to let y'all know Kate Bornstein, author of My Gender Workbook, is working on a new edition! She also is calling for submissions and input from us! And by US I mean everyone, she wants a multitude of perspectives to inform her work, as always, which is a reason I love her. 

Here is the link to her blog and the call for submissions/discussion of the new book!

How Not to Study Gender in the Middle East

Merging the Female Movie Star and the Politician

            I invited Sarah Palin to the conversation at our “feminist table” because I thought she and most voices like to hers would be excluded otherwise. I have though about her and other very visible public female personas frequently since then. And I have come to understand these women as part of a separate public world, which must be, in terms of feminism, examined it were a “separate geographical location” entirely. This public world requires a specific examination, just as the woman of the global south or the Korean woman might require examination through a specifically feminist lens or gaze. Others have addressed issues of “double standards” arising in very particular circumstances in very different parts of the globe. The public gaze (constantly directed at this public world) creates a unique combination of “double standards” when it turns towards the female body. I would like to explore the very unique position the public woman finds herself in, both in terms of the political and popular worlds and how these once very separate worlds have come to merge.

While one may argue that testing is important because it intends to standardize education for all, in reality, all that testing does is demonstrate how the American educational system is geared towards keeping the dominant groups in power. Testing favors those who come from an upper-middle class white family. Therefore, walking into a "standardized," some students have an inherent advantage over others. A standardized test should no longer be called a standardized test, but rather should be called something along the lines of, "A Test of Cultural Capital." Cultural capital, in the case of testing, is conforming to the white, upper-middle class culture.

Tim Miller is an internationally acclaimed solo performer. Hailed for their humor and passion, Miller's solo theater works have been presented all over North America, Australia, and Europe at such prestigious venues as Yale Repertory Theatre, the Institute of Contemporary Art (London), the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He is the author of the books SHIRTS & SKIN, BODY BLOWS and 1001 BEDS, which won the 2007 literary prize for best Drama-Theater book from Lambda Literary Foundation. Miller has taught performance in the theater departments at UCLA and at Cal State L.A. He is a founder of two of the most influential performance spaces in the United States: Performance Space 122 on Manhattan's Lower East Side and Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica, CA.

Deadline to apply:  Rolling deadline. Early applicants will hear starting March 26. Please apply via email to Sharon Ullman at sullman@brynmawr.edu with “Tim Miller Workshop” in the subject-line.

I just wanted to post some of the lyrics that I find the most empowering from "Defying Gravity" in the hopes that  those unfamiliar with it can see why it appeals to me. I shared it because I don't necessarily think you need to know the plot by having read the book or seen the show to appreciate the message, and I want to apologize to those who felt that it was inaccessible. The show is referenced a lot in popular culture ("Defying Gravity was performed on Glee recently) and I wrongly presumed it was known by a wider demographic.

At the end of class today, Anne asked us whether or not Barbie should be held accountable for the the terrible things that happened in the physical world as a result of her dream world...after all, Barbie, like all little girls, was just fulfilling her dream of becoming a princess, and that dream was the product of a collective society.  I struggle to accept this line of thinking because it makes me feel powerless.

Thursday Debate for 2rd Period Class

Pros

BMC: Sonia, Ellen, Christine, Rachel, Ambrosia

Parkway: Kapri, Fredrique, Tiana, Rita, Donae, Briana

Cons

BMC: Raminta, Will, Emma, Alice, Eva,

Parkway: Moesha, Markeyce, Jerron, Angel, Zamir, Dairian, Kendall

Friday Debate for 3rd Period Class

Pros

BMC: Hannah, Grace, Brenna, Jess, Farrah

Parkway: Emani, Laniesha, Baseemah, Michael, Shadirah, Saleema, Asia, Kelly, Charnelle, William, Travon

Cons

BMC: Yecica, Lindsey, Sarah, Kelsey, Roldine

Parkway: Jasmine, Zaneerah, Quadirah, Stephon, Sereanna, Tracey, Brandy, Sharock, Randall, Brittney

While in Ghana, I couldn’t help but think about my group’s discussion of NGOs in Ghana and their work, and compare these things to the realities that we saw on the ground. I still have a lot of questions, but my post is long overdue, so observations + questioning will have to be sufficient for now!

During our project, one of the more resonant questions for me was, “How do NGOs collaborate and is this collaboration successful?” I think this question guided some of my observations during the trip.

Observations: Looking around the Dalun Youth Association (DYA) building, I saw some posters, asked some questions. All this happened very quickly, so I’m not 100% this is the correct information, but I’ll relay what I remember and wrote down.

DYA exists to bring the youth together – students gather here and “because they are together, they are stronger and can advocate for the needs of the community, what they see the community needs to develop” (field notes), like new roads to Tamale (which I would also advocate for, for both selfish and unselfish reasons). DYA uses sports as a tool for development – in this rural community, athletic competition is a perfect way to bring people together, both young and old. Once the people are gathered, the youth can spread their message of change. And this message is much more powerful coming from a vibrant, organized youth group.