GWS

9/22/21

Oppression 

“Privilege is the special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available to a particular person or group”. The experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional and hence avoidable” as stated Marylyn Frye in Feminist Perspectives on women and men. 

I believe that there are different factors which contribute to oppression.  It is a wide spectrum and cannot be limited to one experience.  

I also have my own experience with oppression.  Growing up as a woman, I always heard people around me talking about how a woman should conduct herself.  I am from a religious background where there were strict rules in my church concerning women and how they should adorn themselves in public.  These rules include, no wearing of jewelry, pants or makeup, just to name a few.  There were no regulations for men other than no intimate relationship before marriage.  While rules are important to every organization to maintain proper behavior, some would find these to be oppressive.  For example, I remember one Sunday not long after I was baptised, my mom was at church and it was raining heavily, I did not attend church that Sunday. After the service, my mom called and asked me to bring an umbrella to the church for her. Before I got baptised, I was used to wearing shorts so I decided to wear shorts to bring the umbrella, not remembering that the church does not allow it.  When I arrived at the church there were people standing outside who came from the service.  One of them asked me why I wore shorts on the street since I now became a christian.  I felt like I was targeted, and that they in their position should understand that I was a child and also a new convert in the church, therefore the way they came at me was discouraging and uncalled for. 

Another place where oppression is found a lot is in the workplace.  My mother sometimes comes home and shares her experience at work during the day.  I would at times ask her how she handled it because it seems very nerve wracking.  She explained to me that these are some of the things that I will aslo face when I am on the job, because there will be people from different backgrounds and races who will not always agree with me.  However, I should not allow a person’s opinion of me to determine my performance, purpose and position in my job.  It is also found on the street, everyday there is another circular video on social media of people being treated unjustly.  These behaviours can affect a person negatively to a point where it causes anxiety or mental trauma.  Everyone experiences some form of intimidation at some point in their life, but whatever the cause of the situation that makes a person intimidate another, it should not be tolerated. 

Keona Malcolm

8/30/21

Intro GWS

Response to  Krysten Mitchell Harris Post 

Gender is a really complex topic to talk about because not everyone shares the same point of view when it comes to Gender identity, Sexual orientation, Gender expression. Especially since people’s perception on gender can be heavily influenced by religion, culture, and experience. 

I feel like I relate to Krysten’s snapshot a lot because also being a black woman , I have experienced hypermasculinization a lot growing up. I have alway been questioned about my gender for the way I dressed, and looked until recent years because the way I dress and my overall appearance has changed. I believe people have attached different characteristics to Femininity and masculinity for decades and centuries now that it has become so normalized and widely accepted that it is hard for people to change the way people view gender and sexuality. 

“In America, boys are taught and expected to be tough, risk-taking, rowdy, athletic, strong, aggressive, rugged, handsome, not emotional, messy, loud, heterosexual studs, uninterested in domestic chores and care-taking, unromantic, interested in sports, cars, guns and climbing the corporate ladder, and apparently have an insatiable interest in superheroes and the color blue.

On the contrary, girls are taught and expected to be soft, submissive, cautious, delicate, graceful, prissy, pretty, weak, passive, emotional, tidy, quiet, heterosexual prudes, interested in domestic chores and care-taking, romantic, disinterested in sports and cars with zero career aspirations and apparently have an insatiable interest in princesses and the color pink.”https://www.raisingzoomer.com/article/2016/1/6/sex-and-gender-101

These are some examples of harmful gender stereotypes that have been taught and are constantly pushed by society which creates inequality between both genders. I believe by teaching the future generation about gender equality we can eliminate gender stereotypes, gender inequality etc…

One example of gender stereotypes about women is that women should cook, clean, stay home and take care of children. There are over 145,115 chefs currently employed in the United States. 25.8% of all chefs are women, while only 70.3% are men. The average age of an employed chef is 39 years old. Society pushes the idea that women should cook but 70 percent of chefs in America are men. When women do their job but when men do it, it’s a career. Not to mention intersectionality so regardless if you are a woman or a man your race can affect how you are treated.The most common ethnicity among chefs is White, which makes up 57.3% of all chefs. Comparatively, there are 17.4% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 11.0% of the Asian ethnicity.White, 57.3% and 15% of all chefs are LGBT.

• Hispanic or Latino, 17.5%
• Asian, 11.0%
• Black or African American, 10.9%
• Unknown, 2.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the pay gap between women and men. In 2021, women earned 93% of what men earned. Even if women and men work the same job, men still get paid more even if they do less work in that field.