Service Learning Media Project

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZbi6l5Zbh4&feature=youtu.be

My Epilogue

Wow, wow, wow, this class SHOULD be required.  I love it so much because there are so many ways that this class have changed my perspective and added to my previous beliefs.  It is so great to be able to learn more about things that are interesting.   I appreciate the call of action because it is so important to do something, ANYTHING, hopefully everyone can do something small to make a large spread change.  I do most of mine through e-mail with NOW, they give me information I try to find as much as I can on the internet and make my own decision and then I can follow the advise of the National Organization for Women or find my own way to express my opinions.

Like the CWG on Facebook

Go to facebook.com/centerforwomenandgender, log in and like the USU page!
It's awesome and will have all sorts of events posted for next year too.

Epiloge -- Blog Post 13

There are so many things that have changed about my perspective since reading this book, the biggest thing I have done is talk to a lot of people, I read a lot of it with my partner and his perspective was really great to hear. I also love the discussion in class. Its really interesting to hear more about what everyone thinks and I learn more about about issues I didn't even know existed.

Chapter Twelve -- Blog Post 13

This chapter was sad and frustrating. I didn't realize there were so many issues, you always think that there are problems but having them defined was good but also hard to hear. One of the hardest things was learning about 'bride burnings'. I HAD NO IDEA. It was crazy, I've heard about some awful things like being dragged through the streets and this thing where if women lose their virtue they are locked in a pitch black room and only fed through a slit in the door until they go insane from the lack of human contact. Awful things still happen in the world but I didn't understand why people would leverage lives like that.

Chapter Eleven -- Blog Post 12

I loved the part on page 264 where it talked about how this generation creates there own media, like blogs, video segments, facebook pages and so many other ways that youth can express themselves. I think it is really helpful to express myself like this to help me focus my own ideas and issues. If I have to write them out then I have to find my own opinions.

Reading this chapter has ruined television for me, now I watch the commercials and see how they are targeting gender ideas and how they are playing people into roles.

I liked the analysis of television shows like Sex and the City that are almost tricking people "portrayed women in progressive, unconventional ways, Sex and the City did show women aggressively going after what they wanted, but what did they want? Clothes, shoes, purses and men." pg 272
I think about the shows I watch and how even when they show people in lots of organizations and accepting how they are, but the biggest issue is helping young people find out who they are. They show a lot of teenagers struggling with this identity crisis but not a lot how they come to peace with it.

Chapter Ten - Blog Post 11

Mentoring Programs are killing me. I totally believe this, at work it seems like it's a boys club and people won't let women in. It reminds me of my little soap box about why women aren't funny. Female comedians don't do well unless they are more masculine. I feel like that's how it is at work, I can't get in unless I act more like a guy. I also feel like relationship status is a lot. When I was single I was a lot more well received by the other single men and maybe that's not fair but now that I'm in a committed relationship I am not longer spoken to by the guys I used to think were my friends. It feels so complicated. I feel very torn about mentoring programs. The people who give women and minorities opportunities need to be acknowledged. I especially like it when the book shows how successful programs can be.

Side Note: Love the term "Pink Collar" it's a great way to describe what I feel a lot of the time. My parents wanted me to go into education or the medical field, I still think they wonder why I'm a business major. I don't think they are trying to oppress me it's just what they are familiar with and what they think I would be successful with.

Chapter Nine - Blog Post 10

Ok Ok this was just hilarious for me. This chapter was all about the gender stereotypes that my partner and I totally kill. The whole time I was reading this chapter I was laughing and telling him. "Honey, you are so the girl!" haha. He didn't take offense, we just talked about how we both have such different gender roles.

Yeah we look pretty normal. He's Mr. Football and loves watching and playing sports, while I do the girl things, I love chick flicks, and scrap booking but when it comes to our gender roles we don't do everything 'right'. We find ourselves with different points of view but its how we talk through our problems that shows our we've switched roles. He can't operate when we are in a state of discontent, he'll do whatever it takes to talk about it, get it out in the open, deal with it and get over it. I hate talking while I'm emotional, I would rather avoid the conflict until I can confirm my position and talk about it with out being emotional.

On Page 210 Paige described to me exactly how Tate feels about me sometimes. It was so great for me to read about the other side. We have traditional problems but not for traditional reasons.

Ch 8 thoughts continued

Generic Maximum Heart Rate pg 198

This made me think of the Outspoken panel and how some people don't identify with gender or the concept of society separating people by physical attributes. I have had those frustrations with the way things are set up as well, but the statistics and generalities made are in large true applicable to me. I am not sure how to feel about what things are generalized and what are completely individual.

Chapter Eight -- Blog Post 9

Mostly this reminded me of this educational video on changing the idea of education.
Particularly at 7:00mins it talks about 'batching' children and I think the separation of gender can be another way that is constricting our education.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Chapter Seven -- Blog Post 8

My comments on this mostly made me think about when thinking about what age a child is self aware. I asked that question during the class panel and I think like Luke said it is very individual but it brings up the idea of socialization and when that happens. I think it makes things so complicated. Trying to express it is messing with me. My favorite thing about the panel was when someone said "gender is a social construct" I may have heard it before but it struck me differently this time.

Chapter Six -- Blog Post 7

Ok, so I apologize for my random thoughts but here they are:

At the risk of offending a random relative I have to say I have this "married-in" extended family member who has the highest most feminine voice. She seems like a sweet girl and she's going into nursing so I'm sure she is smart but it's so hard for me to concentrate when I'm talking with her. She has this hyper 'feminine' voice. It makes it hard to see past everything.

Actually since a lot of my friends are singers, when I was in high school we realized what pitch all of our talking voices were at. Out of all the girls I had the lowest pitched voice, which made me feel rather masculine and I was frustrated. I made up reasons like I have four brothers which may or may not contribute.

I have also found myself 'making fun' of other females by raising the pitch of my voice, also I call out the men in my life for using "The Voice" when talking about their mom or girlfriend they also use this naggy high pitched tone for everything they say.

Sorry for how random this all is but there it is.

Beauty Redefined

http://www.beautyredefined.net/beauty-whitewashed-how-white-ideals-exclude-women-of-color/

Starr's Comic

I think this is the cartoon Starr talked about in class (a few weeks ago) but it particularly related to page 144 of the text.

Chapter Five - Blog Post 6

I am totally guilty of this. We got a new manager at the place I work and the woman that replaced our old manager was immediately nicknamed "bosslady". This can go both ways with "bossman" but is usually just a way of diverting power from the title 'boss' and establishing a more casual relationship but still. I know how powerful thoughts and feelings are and how language can start those thoughts and feelings that turn into actions.

Chapter Four - Blog Post 5

I'll be honest I really don't know what to say about this chapter. I wish I had a week to learn about these different groups. The last two chapters are so full with groups and different fractions and its hard to keep them all straight. The biggest comment I have on chapter four is that it seemed like there are more exclusively male groups than in were mentioned in the chapter about pro feminine organization. I'm not sure how to feel about it, while there were some extremest 'female driven' groups it seemed like 'male dominant' organizations are more extreme and exclusive.

Chapter Three - Blog Post 4

Gendered Lives, The Rhetorical Shaping of Gender: Women's Movements in the United States

The most thought provoking thing about this chapter was the action it made me take. I went to the website for the National Organization for Women and joined. It's really easy and I'm excited to see what I get.

The most entertaining is the Media Hall of Shame it's ridiculous and amusing to watch the people who write for NOW take a good look at ads or entertainment and analyze what it says about gender. They really say it well. Watching a few clips from the show will show how bad it can be. If I can appreciate the humor in Mrs. Doubtfire but now I feel like I need to go rewatch it.

Side note: loved the quote on page 89 that quoted Abra Chernik about eating disorders "Gazing in the mirror at my emaciated body, I observed a woman held up by her culture as the physical ideal because she was starving, self-obsessed and powerless, a woman called beautiful because she threatened no one excepted herself"

I don't believe this is the intent of society to make everyone one strive to be the 'weakest' so that power is easier to get or that there is some conspiracy the likes of Josie and the Pussycats but I think a good point is made about eating disorders and what they do to the human body.

Chapter 2 - Blog Post 3

Gendered Lives, Chapter Two: Theoretical Approaches to Gender Development

I took a psychology course in college and we talked about nature/nurture, "The debate centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development" (http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.html)

I think this concept should have been addressed more in the chapter. While breaking from 'tradition' is still the exception its quickly becoming more and more common to see people of all ages creating their own value system and identities.

We can't blame how we were raised for how we are, at least in totality. I personally feel like a self-contradiction. My mom is conservative and my dad is very liberal. How they are still married you may ask, :) you'll have to ask them. It's been great for me to question myself and the world around me but it has complicated my life.

There is so much I could say, but I feel like that is the most important thing I can add to this chapter is that we have to look at all the studies of genetic predisposition and environment before placing 'blame' or 'credit' to they way we are.

Chapter One - Blog Post 2

Gendered Lives, Chapter One: The Study of Communication, Gender and Culture

I was most struck by Sean's insert on page 28 where he talks about Meagan who nearly killed herself because she didn't think she could live any longer as a girl. It made me wonder why people, who feel like they were "born in the wrong body" as Isis (the frequently mentioned trangendered America's Next Top Model Contestant) put is, why they feel the need to change their physical appearance. Isn't that just another adjustment to the cultural norm?

Out of curiosity, if we were in a world where differences weren't an issue. If we weren't held to the stereotypes of our physical bodies would our bodies become complete objects of expression. If sexuality wasn't assumed (as much as it is) would physical appearance be subjective even to the day, making the appearance of sex as diverse as gender. Would someone of a contradicting sex/gender be able to decide wake up every morning and choose where they wanted to wear a dress or a tux that night and have no social constraint? Would elective sex change surgery be more similar to plastic surgery and just based on style? Would the woman look be in one year and the male look be in the next? Hopefully a world like this would make people feel equal and the suicide rate based on sexuality and gender identification would be eradicated but there will be lots of complications along the way to getting there.

Introduction - Blog Post 1

No one ever really knows how to start these. It's like a facebook post or a tweet. Most want to say something funny or interesting to attract or retain attention, some avoid posting their thoughts because they are bothered by comments and some are so focused on doing it 'right' that they never put their voice out there. When it comes to media I fall firmly in the last category. I am familiar with and have a facebook page, a twitter account, several email addresses and I'm even on LinkedIN but only use them out of necessity. I prefer to observe on facebook, pinterest and stumbleupon but a blog is something new. I never wanted a blog because I know that it only consists of what I put on it but the requirements of college that are ever changing are forcing me to create, post and comment on blogs so it will be done.

I wonder how having a blog and reading what other people think on their own blogs is going to affect the dynamic in the classroom, whether we are going to more quickly find friends and people to connect with or be more cautious not knowing whether anyone has read your latest post. So with that aside here is my basic bio which I am sure everyone is looking for anyway.

Name: Sara Condie
Age: 21
Major: Speech Communication/Human Resources
Interests: Snowboarding, Movies, DIY websites, Parties, Card Games, Sushi, Trying new things, Doing things I'm bad at, Creating traditions, Making memories, Taking pictures and then deleting them, Spanish accents, Sleeping in, Ska music and Bubble baths

Contact Info:
jasara2000@msn.com
sara.condie@aggiemail.usu.edu
Yelling my name loudly in the business building or South Walmart (where I work)