Question 1: How do systems of privilege and oppression function in our society? How do we combat these systems?

In the class, I have learned about White privilege and oppression a lot. I have read “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, by Peggy McIntosh and “Oppression”, by Marilyn Frye does a fantastic job of clarifying a couple of common misconceptions that white people have about white privilege and oppression. McIntosh writes, “I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group” (McIntosh, 1). Oftentimes white people engage in pointing the finger at one another by calling out the most heinous acts of racism but fail to look inward themselves and recognize their own white privilege. The fact of the matter is that white privilege is so insidious and all-encompassing that, much like living inside of the patriarchy, it can be difficult for white people to recognize what’s right in front of their faces. When systems are skewed to benefit the majority, there is little to no motivation for those in power to sacrifice some of their own power to benefit those who are systemically oppressed. Men will cling to power like life itself. It’s instinctual. It’s only when we start treating all people with respect and equality that we show any sense of true humanity. Systems of oppression are sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. Society’s institutions, such as government, education, and culture, all contribute to or reinforce the oppression of marginalized social groups while elevating dominant social groups. In the reading, Oppression by Marilyn Frye, the author discusses what the word oppression means and what it means for a group to be oppressed. Firstly, she clarifies that not being oppressed does not mean you don’t suffer. Often men use this narrative that they are also oppressed because they suffer in some form too but it is inaccurate that they are oppressed for their gender. An oppressed group is “confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional”. Frye gives an analogy of a cage and how wires interlock on a cage to create barriers that capture a bird. Similarly, different forces work against women to capture them. I think we have educated people more about how women should have equal rights and that’s the best wait to fight it. 

Question 2: What is the concept of intersectionality and why is it important in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies?

As I learned Intersectionality is a term used to describe how different factors of discrimination can meet at an intersection and can affect someone’s life. Adding intersectionality to feminism is important to the movement because it allows the fight for gender equality to become inclusive. According to bell hooks “Feminist Politics: Where We Stand”  Feminism is a range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. The word feminism is sometimes misinterpreted and associated with female superiority and hatred of men, although most people probably agree that feminism can mean the desire for social and economic parity. There is so much baggage surrounding this term that clarification of what feminism is and is not, is essential. Indeed, the way feminism has developed has not been pretty. In some ways feminism over the years has evolved away from its noble purpose of creating awareness and defending women’s rights to creating new ridiculous ‘belief systems.’ feminism has become more like a medium for angry women to vent their hatred and frustration towards men. This definition goes completely against the true meaning of what feminism entails. Feminism can be defined as fundamental respect for others and the desire for equality between men and women. It’s not something we should be striving for. It’s a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. According to the reading “Feminist Politics Where We Stand” that many people think Feminism is and ways only about Women seeking to be equal to men. And a huge majority of these folks think Feminism is ant male which is completely wrong and we as people have to be more educated about this and make sure this we do not misunderstand what feminism actually means and what it brings value to our community to make the world more equal and better for everyone. I am deeply saddened to see even in 2021 in so many parts of the world females barely have their basic rights. Since our society continues to be primarily a “Christian” culture, masses of people continue to believe that God has ordained that women be subordinate to men in the domestic household. Even though masses of women have entered the workforce, even though many families are headed by women. Lastly, Equality between women and men refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs, and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Of course in our society many people believe that women shouldn’t work, they should listen to men, etc. Again we have to educate them to change their thinking because the way they think it’s completely wrong.

Question 3: Why is it important to recognize patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity?

It’s very important for us as a society to recognize patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity because it’s wrong to give all the powers to men and let them control everything. An example of a patriarchal society is where men hold control and make all the rules and women stay home and care for the kids. An example of patriarchy is when the family name comes from the man in the family. A social system in which the father is head of the household, having authority over women and children. If we open our eyes we will see so many women around the world doing so much for our society. There are so many worms activists working day and night to make our society better. In the movie “ Girls connected” Five teenage girls use their individual strengths to tackle gender discrimination and violence in their own communities. Each of them inspires their own people to transform their own lives. For example,   Latifa is from Bangladesh and when was twelve years old her parents tried to coerce her into an arranged marriage. She told them that she would rather die than get married. Latifa believes getting married as a mere child puts an end to their dreams. One of the mothers in Latifa’s community admitted that the reason she tried to marry her daughter off was that she doesn’t have a father, brother, not to mention a house. Her mother feared for the worst, ultimately coming to the decision to marry off her daughter. However, Latifa put a stop to all this, saying that instead of marrying prematurely, the daughter will marry later on in life, and it will be of her own will. If anyone bothers them, they can call Latifa immediately and she will personally take aggressive action towards the harassment. There are girls in Latifa’s community who are married off before the age of sixteen. They are forced into marriage by the poverty of their parents. She empathizes with their struggle, knowing firsthand how miserable it feels when to not have anything to eat. About two years ago when Latifa was in sixth grade an attempt was made to marry her off because her family was suffering financially, and thus were faced with a food shortage. But, her mother defended and stood by her because Latifa’s mom was once a child bride herself. Her mother came to realize that she didn’t want her daughter to go through what she did. She wants her daughter to learn how to be independent before she gets married. Latifa made a call to her teacher and around 10 PM the administration came to her house and a court was set right in front of them. The administration announced that Latifa wishes to continue with her studies, and if, before the age of 18, anyone tries to marry her off without her consent they would be arrested. Latifa come to the realization that if she could stop her arranged marriage then she could help others in need as well. So, women are capable of anything that the world has to offer. Therefore we need to recognize patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity. 

Question 4: How is gender constructed and learned in our society? How do we perform gender?

In the article, “Sex and Gender 101” by Kyl Myers, I was exposed to a lot of new knowledge and terminologies. The article went into a deep explanation about terms such as gender identity, gender expression, gender assignment, and how they differentiate from the sexual assignment. Kyl Myers breaks down biological sex and social and cultural imposed gender norms to their bare bone basics so it is easy for readers to understand terms that are sometimes more complicated and/or sensitive. In our society, gender is trained into us at birth. It can start from some things simply as clothing. Most of the time, for baby’s clothes, if it’s for a male baby the clothing is blue, and if it’s for a female baby the clothing is pink. It can also be taught to us through speech with phrases like “Be strong like a man” and “Run like a woman.” We perform our gender through our actions such as men cannot cry and are supposed to be able to do heavy lifting and women are supposed to show more emotions and be submissive. It is just one of the many ways we perform gender.

Question 5: What is the difference between sex and gender? How are sex and gender conflated (converged and confused) within our culture?

The difference between sex and gender is that Gender is in reference to our innate sense of being meaning how we express ourselves and perform actions throughout society. It can either match up or be the total opposite of our sex. Sex is what we are biologically assigned at birth based on our physical characteristics (e.g. penis and vagina). Many times, gender and sex get confused because people think if you’re a male you have to behave like a man and like cars and if you’re a female you have to also be amazing at cooking and wear a nice dress. However, you can be male or female but express your gender in a whole other way because after all it’s our life and it’s our choice. And as a society, we should never judge anyone. 

Question 6: What is a double bind? How do double-binds function within our society?

A double bind is a dilemma in communication in which an individual receives two or more reciprocally conflicting messages. An example would be if your romantic partner told you they don’t think that they are the right person to fulfill this romantic role anymore and that you should go find someone else. Double binds happen every day in our lives! Especially in politics. We see more people pushing for a more diverse body in government to represent us (e.g. race, sex, gender, etc.) and yet, when people do push for a more diverse government body, many politicians and citizens give these said politicians a very hard time to put it in a nice way. 

Question 1: How do systems of privilege and oppression function in our society? How do we combat these systems? In our society the systems of oppression and privilege work to separate individuals or groups of people based on their difference in race, class, gender, sexual orientation and other social identities. This is a systemic issue where power is used to normalize the advantages of one being and the disadvantages of the other to the point where basic resources may limit or benefit them from coexisting equally. Those who face oppression are often mistreated by prejudice behavior and discrimination because they are considered powerless. We can combat these systems by adjusting how we may perceive those around us in a positive way and resist victimizing a person because of what society says about them. It’s important to keep in mind that the outcome to fighting oppression results in equality, justice and liberation for all.  

Question 2: What is the concept of intersectionality and why is it important in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies? The concept of intersectionality is where all oppression no matter race, class and gender a person classifies as are all connected as one since they are faced with the struggles and disadvantages of inequalities and discrimination throughout society. It’s important in women’s, gender and sexuality studies because oppression is an issue that denies unprivileged females from equal rights and opportunities. In the reading “There is No Hierarchy of Oppressions” Audre Lorde is disadvantaged by her gender, race and sexual orientation which are all different aspects of her identity that fall short in each of these communities. Lorde made a point stating “I cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form of oppression only”(Lorde 1). It is ideal to tackle each form of oppression and promote social injustice which is central to each part of our lives and experiences.    

Question 3: Why is it important to recognize patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity? It’s important to recognize patriarchy as a system and not an individual identity because it is a social problem that creates conflict between both men and women making one seem better than the other. In “Patriarchy, the System” by Allan G. Johnson states “A lot of people hear “men” whenever someone says “patriarchy,” so that criticism of male privilege and the oppression of women is taken to mean that all men—each and every one of them—are oppressive people. It is enough to prompt many men to take it personally, bristling at what they often see as a way to make them feel guilty. And some women feel free to blame individual men for patriarchy simply because they are men” (Johnson 2). Society’s patriarchal norms of masculinity have always given men that control and power whether it makes them the head of their household, workplace and overall leaders of social groups. I feel like men should be more supportive on empowering women’s rights and gender equality and challenge the status quo so that gender sterotypes, discrimination and violence towards women are being destroyed and prevented.

Question 4: How is gender constructed and learned in our society? How do we perform gender? Gender is a social construct that serves as a foundation with the characteristics, behaviors and gender roles that exist to distinguish male from female. Gender is performed through societal norms that tells us how to act, how to dress, how to behave and how to present ourselves as either masculine or feminine. In society and different cultures certain gender roles may vary based on what is expected of them. Women are stereotypically considered as the nurtures and family oriented within their households and men are stereotypically considered as assertive and are the moneymakers that bring in the income within their household. In our society the tables have turned and the majority of the female gender roles have changed since they are not confined to the social construct associated with being female. For example women have become more independent and don’t have to rely on performing as a housewife because they too can take care of their family economically by being employed.    

Question 5: What is the difference between sex and gender? How are sex and gender conflated (converged and confused) within our culture? Sex refers to a male or female by a persons reproductive organs and other biological traits first assigned at birth, whereas gender refers to a persons identity which can be influenced through cultural and social factors. Sex and gender are being misunderstood within our culture today because people are not limited to the traditional gender binaries in which a person identifies as either male or female and adheres to those gender roles. There are non-binary people who are unidentifiable and those from the LGBTQ community with multiple identities getting discriminated against for being the “black sheep” in society. There isn’t enough respect going towards labeling or identifying a person neutrally since people can be unsure of that person’s gender. We may assume the wrong pronoun which is a part of their identity just because of how their appearance or behavior is reflected on us. To make these social interactions equally fair to those we aren’t familiar with and don’t seem to make it clear what they identify as they should be referred to by using “they, them and their ” since we should acknowledge that there may be genders outside the binary.

Question 6: What is a double bind? How do double binds function within our society? Marilyn Frye compares a double bind of the oppression of women to a bird in a cage. A woman may share her own opinion and think and act a certain way but society sees her actions and behavior as something wrong or meaningless. Females want to be leaders by trying to increase all levels of opportunities for women but how this functions within our society is by giving women the ability to change but end up with the same result with no other option left to choose. Oftentimes women may not be aware of the outcome to their decision and are despised from society. An example of a double bind is when a women is catcalled in public and she accepts when a man flirts with her she is considered a “slut” but if she was to reject that same man now she is considered an “ugly b word” just because the masculine power and dominance they thought they were exerting is now a form of weakness.