The message of this week's reading can be summed up perfectly by a quote from Jean Kilborne's film Killing us softly. Jean stated that, "media reflects and reinforces gender ideology." The forms of media that the readings referred to were commercials and television programs. Jennifer Maher wrote an article that focused on two television programs on the TLC channel. One of these television programs is called A Baby Story. This program follows a short time before the birth of a child through the first few days at home. Having a baby alone does not reinforce gender ideology but the focus on the family. The families that are filmed for this program are heterosexual couples who generally recieve lots of love and support from the extended families. These families are never struggling financially and it is safe to say that they are middle, upper middle class families. It is rare to see a family of a different race or a multi-racial family. In all of these families the father works and the mother stays at home. I have seen this program a few times and one specific one sticks out in my mind. The soon to be father was putting together the baby stroller. He was having a difficult time putting it together and refused to take the directions out of the plastic bag. He made a comment that was along the lines of, "a man doesn't need the directions." Anyways, essentially this program focuses on the "ideal" American family. This ideal is that there are two parents, one or two children, and everyone lives happily ever after. Media reinforces this ideal because they aren't showing the "broken homes" or children born out of wedlock families.
I became a televisionholic at a young age. My parents were divorced and the television became my best friend. I remember watching Xena:Warrior Princess on Sunday afternoons. I don't remember what exactly attracted me to this television show. Perhaps it was the greek mythology that I became such a fan of later on in life, or maybe it was that I was in a "girls kick boy's butts" group at school and Xena was my roll model. Who knows. Xena was a woman who stood up for herself and kicked major butt. She was the only person in telvision to do such a thing. Don't get me wrong, Sunshine bear from the Care Bears was pretty sweet too. Not many girls can have hearts erupting from their stomaches. I was also attracted to Xena's partner in crime, Gabrielle. Gabrielle was ying to Xena's yang. Looking back on the program I wonder about a few things. The main purpose Xena fought was becase she was trying to redeem herself from her violent past. To save her homeland she and a brother gathered an army to fight off invaders. Many people were killed including Xena's brother. Xena was blamed for these deaths and ostricised as well. One could look at this incident and say that Xena took on masculine qualities, but negetive things happened due to this new found masuclinity. In addition, Xena became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Instead of quitting her warrior ways she gave her son away because she was ashamed of her past and did not want her son knowning her sins. Who knows what would have happned if Xena had been married. Perhaps she would have kept her son and settled down, perhaps not.
Xena how you shined
kicking butt and saving innocent lives
You had a son but gave him up
in hopes he would have a better life without you
You removed yourself out of your child's life
Gabrielle what a rock you were
fighting for those who couldn't but always searching for peace.
You married and had a child
looking forward to a life with your happy family
Your child became the center of your world
Friday, November 21, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
S/R #9
Synthesis: Gender roles have shaped America’s views on what makes a family and what roles parents play in this family. These gender roles have turned into cultural norms and have really become expectations or assumptions. These expectations/assumptions are difficult to get out of.
In the past the traditional and accepted family is made up of a father (male), a mother (female) and children (either sex) but this traditional family is having a difficult time surviving. Males have always been referred to as the “bread winner” of the family. This generally means that they are the sole financial provider of the family. Women have always been known as the “home maker” or more commonly referred to as “Martha Stewart”. In other words, the woman takes care of the home and the family. These traditional roles have been enforced by the media and can be seen in television commercials for children’s toys. Girls get the dollhouses, or cooking stations. Boys get cars, trucks, or doctor’s kits. Within the past few decades new work opportunities have become available to women yet they are still expected to keep home and take care of the family. Where the pressure to be this “super mom” has begun to steadily increase, there is almost no pressure on the father… or is there?
Kathleen Gerson wrote an article talks about the dilemmas of being a father. In this article she says that, “social disapproval and economic inequality put full-time domesticity out of reach for almost all men.” The social disapproval comes from the traditional gender roles and the assumption that men are not domestic and make all, or most, of the money. I believe the phrase; “married to one’s job” fits this assumption. Economic inequality also plays into society’s assumption of a man’s role in the family. Due to the traditional role that women take care of the family makes it easier for them to take time off of work. It is also common for women to receive pay during their time off. This is often used when a woman is pregnant or adopting a very young child. This paid time off is known as “maternity leave”. This does not exist for men. It has become a norm to have a two-income household. In many cases now days, even with paid leave, a family cannot afford to have both parents take time off of work.
This specific article was especially interesting to me. I have lived in both a two-parent home as well as a single parent home. I don’t personally remember what it was like to live in a two-parent home but my mother has told me about it. At the time of my adoption my father owned his own construction business and my mother was a full time speech pathologist but reduced her hours by half. My mother did not need to work because my father’s business was very successful, but she enjoyed working. As a business owner my father could make his own hours, especially after they received me. He did not reduce his hours and I never received an answer as to why. A few years ago I read an article that talked about Sweden trying to entice men to take a “maternity leave”. The government was attempting to keep men in the home after the birth of their children. The government was essentially offering a “maternity leave” for men. This included paid time off as well as some family benefits. I wonder if this would be a program for America.
I’d also like to briefly touch on the documentary that we say today, Daddy and Papa. In this documentary gay fathers were interviewed and their stories of adoption, in all but one, were told. After watching this documentary I wondered what these men did for a job. In two of the cases, children were raised in a two-parent household, but one household had infants. I am curious if both of them had jobs and if so was a type of leave taken.
In the past the traditional and accepted family is made up of a father (male), a mother (female) and children (either sex) but this traditional family is having a difficult time surviving. Males have always been referred to as the “bread winner” of the family. This generally means that they are the sole financial provider of the family. Women have always been known as the “home maker” or more commonly referred to as “Martha Stewart”. In other words, the woman takes care of the home and the family. These traditional roles have been enforced by the media and can be seen in television commercials for children’s toys. Girls get the dollhouses, or cooking stations. Boys get cars, trucks, or doctor’s kits. Within the past few decades new work opportunities have become available to women yet they are still expected to keep home and take care of the family. Where the pressure to be this “super mom” has begun to steadily increase, there is almost no pressure on the father… or is there?
Kathleen Gerson wrote an article talks about the dilemmas of being a father. In this article she says that, “social disapproval and economic inequality put full-time domesticity out of reach for almost all men.” The social disapproval comes from the traditional gender roles and the assumption that men are not domestic and make all, or most, of the money. I believe the phrase; “married to one’s job” fits this assumption. Economic inequality also plays into society’s assumption of a man’s role in the family. Due to the traditional role that women take care of the family makes it easier for them to take time off of work. It is also common for women to receive pay during their time off. This is often used when a woman is pregnant or adopting a very young child. This paid time off is known as “maternity leave”. This does not exist for men. It has become a norm to have a two-income household. In many cases now days, even with paid leave, a family cannot afford to have both parents take time off of work.
This specific article was especially interesting to me. I have lived in both a two-parent home as well as a single parent home. I don’t personally remember what it was like to live in a two-parent home but my mother has told me about it. At the time of my adoption my father owned his own construction business and my mother was a full time speech pathologist but reduced her hours by half. My mother did not need to work because my father’s business was very successful, but she enjoyed working. As a business owner my father could make his own hours, especially after they received me. He did not reduce his hours and I never received an answer as to why. A few years ago I read an article that talked about Sweden trying to entice men to take a “maternity leave”. The government was attempting to keep men in the home after the birth of their children. The government was essentially offering a “maternity leave” for men. This included paid time off as well as some family benefits. I wonder if this would be a program for America.
I’d also like to briefly touch on the documentary that we say today, Daddy and Papa. In this documentary gay fathers were interviewed and their stories of adoption, in all but one, were told. After watching this documentary I wondered what these men did for a job. In two of the cases, children were raised in a two-parent household, but one household had infants. I am curious if both of them had jobs and if so was a type of leave taken.
Friday, November 7, 2008
S/R #7 "Choice"
*I tried to find pictures that were not very graphic*
I have been racking my brain trying to think of a simple way that all of these readings are connected. For some reason it has been hard. I mean how does one connect circumcision, sex trafficking and sterilization and put it in one nice bundle? Then it hit me they are all connected by choice or lack of. These girls who are being circumcised have no choice in the matter. These girls and women who are in the prostitution business really don’t have a choice either. Women who are facing sterilization hardly have a choice no matter what people say.
Female circumcision is a tradition that still continues. Typically a girl will be circumcised between the ages of six and eight. The type of circumcision can vary. A girl’s clitoris will be cut off, a girl’s clitoris and inner vagina lips will be cut off, or a girl’s clitoris and inner vagina lips will be cut off and her outer lips sewn together with the exception of a small hole.
This small hole will serve the purpose of letting body fluids out and in theory provide much more pleasure for a woman’s husband. Female circumcision is one I would not be looking forward to. Included with this glorified act girls can expect a variety of medical problems that can include pain, lack of sexual drive, pain during intercourse, infections of the cut off parts, urinary infections, miscarriage, and death.
What really struck me while reading this day’s reading was how these girls really have no choice in the matter. In the reading a mother told her story about how she and her husband did not want their girls to be circumcised, but one day while both parents were at work the girl’s aunts took them to get circumcised. Imagine being a parent and having your family betray your wishes. What was really interesting to me about this story was that the girl’s uncle was very angry with his sisters for doing this to his nieces. There was a story of hope for one girl. Her mother actually helped her escape to a different country even though the mother was defying her family.
Wednesday’s reading talked about sex trafficking and “comfort women”. Both of these topics occurred in Asian countries. Though sex trafficking is very common “comfort women” are not.
“Comfort women” existed predominantly during World War II. Women were take prisoner by the Japanese and forced to care for the Japanese soldiers in all ways, shapes, and forms. The majority of “comfort women” were Korean. These women had no choice they had to serve the Japanese or die. Either way the majority of them died and those that survived became outcasts.
Sex trafficking has had an interesting beginning. At first country girls were sold out of necessity. There were too many mouths to feed and not enough food or money. These girls did not have much of a choice and it seemed like they would have a better life if they left their family. Once they were sold into a brothel then the girls had no choice at all. They could not escape, they had enormous debts to pay off, and even if they were to be thrown out of the brothel they would die. They would not be able to work or find someone to take them in. As the years passed, selling girls to brothers became profitable for families. The girls were sold more for profit than out of necessity. For the girls the situation remained the same. They had no choice.
I first learned about “comfort women” this past summer during my trip to South Korea. There was a pamphlet at the Demilitarized Zone that described in detail what a “comfort woman” was. I was quite appalled. What was not mentioned in the reading was that the Korean women were often used as human shields when the Japanese would come across Korean forces. Imagine having to fire at and kill your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, cousin, or child. Unimaginable.
Sterilization or rather forced sterilization is a rather disturbing topic. A women would be forced to have an operation where the surgeon would remove her reproductive organs so she would be unable to reproduce. The original reason behind sterilization is from “eugenics”. Eugenics is the idea of selective breeding. Even within a few decades ago sterilization was happening to Black women in the United States without their knowledge. They would go to the hospital to deliver their baby and with out the woman’s consent the doctor would remove the woman’s reproductive organs. Sterilization has also been used in countries with huge populations such as China and India to help control the populations.
Even in these cases, the women have very little choice and face enormous pressure from the government should they not be sterilized.
Choice is important and is a basic right. In all these cases even men have a choice. They can say no. They can say “no” to female mutilation and choose to do something to change it. They can say “no” to sex trafficking and choose to do something to change it. They can say “no” to sterilization and choose to support their spouse in their decision.
I have been racking my brain trying to think of a simple way that all of these readings are connected. For some reason it has been hard. I mean how does one connect circumcision, sex trafficking and sterilization and put it in one nice bundle? Then it hit me they are all connected by choice or lack of. These girls who are being circumcised have no choice in the matter. These girls and women who are in the prostitution business really don’t have a choice either. Women who are facing sterilization hardly have a choice no matter what people say.
Female circumcision is a tradition that still continues. Typically a girl will be circumcised between the ages of six and eight. The type of circumcision can vary. A girl’s clitoris will be cut off, a girl’s clitoris and inner vagina lips will be cut off, or a girl’s clitoris and inner vagina lips will be cut off and her outer lips sewn together with the exception of a small hole.
This small hole will serve the purpose of letting body fluids out and in theory provide much more pleasure for a woman’s husband. Female circumcision is one I would not be looking forward to. Included with this glorified act girls can expect a variety of medical problems that can include pain, lack of sexual drive, pain during intercourse, infections of the cut off parts, urinary infections, miscarriage, and death.
What really struck me while reading this day’s reading was how these girls really have no choice in the matter. In the reading a mother told her story about how she and her husband did not want their girls to be circumcised, but one day while both parents were at work the girl’s aunts took them to get circumcised. Imagine being a parent and having your family betray your wishes. What was really interesting to me about this story was that the girl’s uncle was very angry with his sisters for doing this to his nieces. There was a story of hope for one girl. Her mother actually helped her escape to a different country even though the mother was defying her family.
Wednesday’s reading talked about sex trafficking and “comfort women”. Both of these topics occurred in Asian countries. Though sex trafficking is very common “comfort women” are not.
“Comfort women” existed predominantly during World War II. Women were take prisoner by the Japanese and forced to care for the Japanese soldiers in all ways, shapes, and forms. The majority of “comfort women” were Korean. These women had no choice they had to serve the Japanese or die. Either way the majority of them died and those that survived became outcasts.Sex trafficking has had an interesting beginning. At first country girls were sold out of necessity. There were too many mouths to feed and not enough food or money. These girls did not have much of a choice and it seemed like they would have a better life if they left their family. Once they were sold into a brothel then the girls had no choice at all. They could not escape, they had enormous debts to pay off, and even if they were to be thrown out of the brothel they would die. They would not be able to work or find someone to take them in. As the years passed, selling girls to brothers became profitable for families. The girls were sold more for profit than out of necessity. For the girls the situation remained the same. They had no choice.
I first learned about “comfort women” this past summer during my trip to South Korea. There was a pamphlet at the Demilitarized Zone that described in detail what a “comfort woman” was. I was quite appalled. What was not mentioned in the reading was that the Korean women were often used as human shields when the Japanese would come across Korean forces. Imagine having to fire at and kill your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, cousin, or child. Unimaginable.
Sterilization or rather forced sterilization is a rather disturbing topic. A women would be forced to have an operation where the surgeon would remove her reproductive organs so she would be unable to reproduce. The original reason behind sterilization is from “eugenics”. Eugenics is the idea of selective breeding. Even within a few decades ago sterilization was happening to Black women in the United States without their knowledge. They would go to the hospital to deliver their baby and with out the woman’s consent the doctor would remove the woman’s reproductive organs. Sterilization has also been used in countries with huge populations such as China and India to help control the populations.
Even in these cases, the women have very little choice and face enormous pressure from the government should they not be sterilized. Choice is important and is a basic right. In all these cases even men have a choice. They can say no. They can say “no” to female mutilation and choose to do something to change it. They can say “no” to sex trafficking and choose to do something to change it. They can say “no” to sterilization and choose to support their spouse in their decision.
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