Feminism

Amelia Brady-Cole

Identity Matters 360

Dalke, Lindgren, and Nath

December 19^th 2014

Stratification and Erasure of Intersectional Identities

This semester has been undeniably difficult for me, in more ways than one. I came into this cluster with a lot of expectations, and despite my best efforts to put those expectations out of mind, I kept returning to them. Having taken a 360º before, having familiarity with Anne’s teaching style, having the privilege of age and experience as a senior all contributed to the expectations I had coming into this 360º – and when things were in fact very different from my expectations because of our own class dynamics, I wasn’t sure how to hold these two experiences together.

Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the World Wide Web: Accessibility, Education, and Dialogue in xoJane

Our 360 has, for me, been a space for learning, engaging, discussing, and listening, a space unlike any I have been in before and, in all likelihood, will be in again. I’ve never been so wholly invested in a class—emotionally for sure, and also in the content and work. I’ve never enjoyed writing essays as much as I have here (nor have I ever had so much freedom), and I’ve never looked forward so much to class (or been so sad about not being able to be present).

IDENTITY MATTERS has changed me in so many ways… I count it as the most rewarding, fulfilling academic opportunity I’ve ever had. It’s hard to summarize what this 360 has done for me, but I’ll try my best to articulate some major changes I’ve noticed… 

Social Media and Social Justice Activism: Opening a space for participation

“[Social media] makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact. The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the status quo.”
– Malcolm Gladwell (2010)

If I was to write about an aspect of international feminism, I would want to write about women in the work force internationally. I was really intrigued by the chart that Warring had created that mapped the various jobs and amount of leisure time men and women had compared to each other. I would be interested in understanding how other countries are supporting working women and if non captialist countries consider taking care of the household and children productive. Warring really made feel that being a feminist means that I should be anti capitalist but I don't know what economic system would be the better alternative. My main question would be where and how are women supported in society for their work as mothers and/or work outside of the home. 

One day for lunch Cindy and I went to another house where Sebastian and Sula were eating lunch.  I can’t remember the house name or the name of the House Father that we ate with, but from the moment we stepped in the door I felt welcomed. In the days before I had eaten at Sycamore and other than the others villagers who were very friendly and talkative, the house felt very cold. The House Mother, Taya, was very stiff and seemed constantly stressed. So when I went to lunch I wasn’t expecting to have much of a conversation with anyone but Cindy, Sebastian, and Sula.

If I were going to write a web event on global feminism, I would be interested in researching the relationship between maternal health and female empowerment in India and China. There’s a ratio of 140 to 100 boys to girls born in some regions of India. Because daughters are seen as drains on families’ resources and boys are seen as bringing strength and wealth to families, it’s very common for baby girls to be aborted, killed soon after birth, and abandoned. This gendercide is the direct result of cultures that value the lives of men and undervalue the lives of women. As a result of this huge gender disparity, there are fewer women for men to marry. This has lead to the rise in human trafficing to ensure the possibility of marriage for wealthy men.