Feminism

I really loved how the reading emphasized how the community should learn from international students as much as international students learn from the community. I also agree with the suggestions left at the end of the article that I wonder if they have been put in place. The main question that I have is that by making the campus more diverse (hiring international faculty and other suggestions mentioned) how will rules or structure be put in place? Colleges in the US run in a very US centric way such as how teachers are addressed and how classroom discussion is conducted. Would classrooms be conducted based on a consensus of the campus or left fluid?

"But when do certain acts become 'culture'?" (Nnaemeka 372)

The dicussion we had in class really made me question who is considered a feminist. Many said that it is woman who has agency in her daily life. It made me wonder, can someone be a feminist even if her personal life may be filled with patriarchial opression? Is feminism a way of life or simply a belief or an action? I hope this makes sense

I am so thankful for the discussion we had the other day about feminism as manifested in Adiche's talk and Beyonce's "Flawless." I am further interested in how it is represented in the novel, like rosea. Does Ifemelu consider herself a feminist? Does Obinze? Ifemelu seems fiercely independent, but some of her thoughts about men made me wonder if she thinks her purpose in life is to serve them. Obinze has had some very problematic and sexist thoughts, especially when referring to how sorry he feels for his "good wife" who seems to never be good enough, though she's very pretty. His thoughts aren't blatantly sexist, but have the twinge of sliminess that Margaret Atwood's male characters have. Their thoughts don't sit well with a person who tries to be aware of gender inequalities.

khinchey and I are planning to do the listening/talking project together. We want to talk specifically about different identities – class, age, caregiving, etc. – and how those have played out in and impacted our educational experiences. In particular we are interested in the ways these identities intersect with norms and expectations around Bryn Mawr and what it means to be a student here. We want to structure the project in the style of listening and telling we did in Monsoon and Benifer's Saturday workshop. khinchey suggested inviting the McBrides and our 360 classmates to view the listening and telling, and perhaps having time for questions afterwards. 

Our group so far consists of Amelia, Nkechi, Rebecca, Sula, Bridget, and Abby. If anyone else would like to be a part of our discussion on mental health, please say so!

Tentative Plans We've Discussed