Author: Kiara Johnson

Discussion # 8

When I first began this class, I knew that we would be talking about gender and how opposite sexes communicate and deal with one another in everyday life. But I did not know the depths of the definition of gender. I have learned that gender is not just the sex that was assigned to us at birth, but it is how we behave. Our background, culture, beliefs etc. All those things and more make us who we are today, I have a better understanding on social constructions and the limits society tries to place us in. Gender plays a huge role in almost everything we do in our lives. Also being in this class I did not expect for us to have many open discussions as we did. I truly enjoyed the transparency of everyone’s story’s and experiences including opinions. It helped me open up and talk about my life, as time went on, I realized the discussions and topics we focused on shed light on things I never really thought about or investigated detail.

What I took away from this course, was paying attention to the treatment of others due to their appearance, gender, background etc. Not to always assume that a person is a specific way just because of how they look or maybe even behave. Take time to get to know that person, we may be surprise when they turn out to be the opposite of what we thought. In my everyday life I will now apply more of what I learned in what I see. Gender is political as well and we must deal with equality, resources and opportunities. I refuse to be discriminated or declined due to my gender identity, I have a better understanding on how we can expose the negatives of the many issues that occur in the workforce, homes, and communities.

The format of this class was unique. I was so used to using blackboard in most of my classes but using BMCC’S open lab was very organized. Professor Waychoff clearly explained each assignment and was helpful in her comments when I needed help. Personally, for me I am a visual learner, so the videos and diagrams we watched and learned about was extremely helpful. It kept me interested, not only did the videos help me but the writing as well. I knew this class was writing intensive but it hit me when we really got to writing , I said to myself “ wow this is a lot of writing” but as I continued to write through out the weeks , the  terms we learned and history stuck with me. The information that I now have installed in me will help me in life and remind me of the importance of gender communication and identity.

Institutional Artifact Project

Growing up as a black woman, I have always had to have a different conversation than others. With my mother or older women around me than others. The conversations about my skin color and how not to act around certain people so they would not get the wrong idea about who I am. These conversations resulted from the social institutions that exist in gender . One of many institutions are microaggressions . Microaggressions are verbal or nonverbal insults that happen every day in the world. Whether it is consciously or unconsciously, these insult messages come off as hostile and derogatory towards a person based on their belonging to a group. For instance, race, racial Microaggression is the feeling of insult colored people face by others in their daily life, this can also be verbal, nonverbal, intentional or unintentional.  One outlet that subliminally sends a message of negative stereotypes towards black women is TV sitcoms,reality shows and movies. Throughout my adolescence i came up watching many great classic tv shows. Such as A Different World, The Bill Cosby Show, Family Matters and so on . These tv sitcoms were all black casts and they delivered encouraging messages that black families can be successful and loving. Before these shows aired , most of the main watched shows were all white casts. There was little recognition of black successful people on the media. When African Americans were displayed in the public eye it was somewhat like today. Focused on violence , and negative outcomes never really the brighter side of things.

Focusing specifically on the classic TV show named A Different World aired for the first time the year 1984, it was a worldwide success for the African American community. This show debunked the ideas and labels that were placed upon blacks. The title sequence of the show had many messages that were outstandingly important around that time and still speaks to this generation. A Different World had six seasons of episodes and in between the seasons of the show, the theme song was sung by three different African American artists. Which was legendary Aretha franklin, phoebe snow and R&B group Boys to men. The title sequence focused on African American women and men representing the military, law, doctors, business, sorority’s, sports, professors and more. I believe this show is sending the powerful message that African Americans are the opposite of society’s negative opinions, and will continue to excel in areas of doubt evidently through their success.

One of the ways gender identity is developed is by social learning. This is when behavior is learned by analyzing, observing and modeling others. Growing up in high school it was emphasized by males and females. For me i refuse for my gender identity to be connected to the negative ideas of black women. Since slavery days , black women has been viewed as sexual beings . it is still unfortunately being repeated today on reality Tv. For example the Tv shows like Love & Hip-Hop and Bad Girls Club. In these shows its usually black women and Hispanic women who are the main focuses. The behavior in these shows consists of vulgar language, name calling towards one another, baby father drama, women dressed provocative and always seems to be the wife of a rapper or their career is being a stripper. How come these shows arent promoting positive messages for women of color ? like the show A Different World did . Black women are more than sex symbols and wives. We can be lawyers , Teachers, Police officers and Judges.

“Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies” by “Miliann Kang, Donovan Lessard, and Laura Heston” it discusses many issues and situations that are going on in society concerning gender . There are binary systems and binary perspectives. This consists of making people believe that men and women have nothing in common. This out come results from stereotypes such as , men are strong but women are emotional and weak or men are leaders and women are to be submissive. This causes division , which has been proven through research especially in the work force field .  Which occurs in the media as well . This is why i truly believe this is the reason why we see Hispanic women and black women in movies many times playing the gender roles of a maid, nanny, or nurse or even a stay home mom. Men who hold positions in female dominated positions still receive higher earnings that women who hold the position. This is a clear indicator of division which is also referred to as the glass escalator .

Overall it starts within us to debunk the negative ideas of black women, Hispanic women, Asian women , all women. We need to no longer be silent , but raise our voices for equality. Lets stay consistent and reverent.

Discussion #7

I will be writing about Inequality when it comes to job opportunities. I want to specifically focus on stereo types towards African Americans and Gender roles on television and in the industry. I will discuss racial politics and how division between the two has caused lack of opportunities.  I will also use am article i read named

It Poussaint, Alvin “Why Tv so segregated”  &

“Distribution of TV viewers for series with a predominantly black cast or black main character in the United States in 2016-2017, by ethnicity”

I will also use a clip i saw on you tube of the sequence intro to the classic TV show named a different world . In this clip it will show the different career positions and faces of blacks on television that we would rarely see portrayed. I will also talk about the limitations of gender roles in the industry and how social constructions plays a part in it.

Overall i really want to highlight the roles women play and men play on sitcoms, movies etc. One example to give an idea is that usually black men and Hispanic men who plays characters in films or shows are portrayed as a kid on the streets affiliated in gangs or a thief. As far as women they play the roles of nurses, prostitutes etc. For some reason its always a negative or stereotypical light shed upon them . Other races have attached stigmas to them as well, such as Chinese people seem to play a role of being extremely smart. I will find more examples and add them in my paper.

Journal #6

In the reading it talks about the issues in society when it comes to equality for the trans community. It is unfortunate for the assaults and crimes that are targeted against the LGBTQ community. If someone does not agree with their lifestyle, violence should never be and will never be the answer. These tragic events lead to the need of trans studies in intercultural communication. Intercultural studies focus on power, oppression and privilege that we all face In the world and within societies. The brutal story in the reading of Intercultural Communication Needs Transgender Studies” by Dr Julia R. Johnson tells CeCe McDonalds experience. Who was attacked and assaulted close to death because of that status of his appearance and identification?  McDonald was arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder and was not given proper medical treatment until 2 months after getting stitches. McDonald was African American and trans, perhaps if McDonald were Caucasian things would have gone much different even If they were a trans. its a shame that McDonald still was incarcerated as he fought for his life in self defense, its as if the system ruled his voice out. Race and gender comes with privileges that many times can be unjustified, and some aren’t privileged which leads to a lack of justice.

The terms used like cis gender is referred to a person identifying as the sex they were assigned at birth. In the reading it talked about privilege of cis gender people and trans. Those who chose to be labeled as cis gender have a better chance of being accepted and called normal rather than being labeled different. Gender dominance occurs between people who identify as their assigned sex or those who chose to be called transgender. In society it is believed that people who identify as trans are more inferior than those who identify as cis gender. This goes hand in hand when we talk about women and men and the worlds expected gender roles from them. Men are always looked at as the dominant one and women are looked at as submissive. This is an ongoing pattern no matter what group it seems to fall in .

Discussion # 6

I chose to watch the Documentary “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson” This film was about the LGBTQ movement and rights. The Gay liberation movement was focused upon by outspoken activists. The Gay liberation movement is a social and political movement that was birthed in the 1960s this movement was established due to societal discrimination towards lesbians and gays. Society wanted gays to refer themselves as cisgender or cissexual which is claiming that they are their assigned sex at birth. Marsha Johnson took a stand to use her voice, her boldness came with sacrifices and consequences. Through out the documentary a trans activist by the name of Victoria Cruz started to investigate the events of how Marsha Johnson died. Unfairly law enforcement claims that Marsha committed suicide however I believe some one possibly attacked her and killed her, similar to the attack CeCe McDonalds experienced. Again I believe the lack of effort to bring justice to Marsha Johnson and the mistreatment of McDonald relates to their race. Being a Black man and/or women in society has its difficulties when it comes to opportunities, having a voice or even just simply given respect.

In the interview with CeCe McDonald he discussed the challenges he had to face including the LGBTQ  community.  When it comes to being a black man or women in the world the numbers in statistics are different compared to other races. I gained knowledge in the fact that 47% of people in the juvenile system are transgender and  60% are people of color. This is clear evidence of injustice and unfair treatment , not only are they pushed towards imprisonment but they are also striped away from the access of medical care. If this continues so will death and violence.

 

Journal #5

Microaggressions are verbal or nonverbal insults that happen every day in the world. Whether it is consciously or unconsciously, these insult messages come off as hostile and derogatory towards a person based on their belonging to a group. For instance, race, racial Microaggression is the feeling of insult colored people face by the white people, in their daily life, this can also be verbal, nonverbal, intentional or unintentional. I am a young black woman who has experienced times and surprisingly this experience I had was not from a white person. I would be told all my years growing up that I ‘talked white’ and would say that I’m black why do I speak that way. I was offended and till this day the same things are said to me. Racial microaggression also goes hand in hand with cultural racism. Cultural racism discriminates towards a group of people apart of a certain group that includes their culture and background. The example used in the text about people of religion being restricted to practice their beliefs. I have experienced this. As I worked in a group project the members were discussing spirituality and their belief, once I shared mine, they tried to shut me down. Its unfortunate that this happens in the world but when are aware of these things we can learn how to communicate and handle it soon.

Gender in a social institution is when society shapes and controls the behavior and sets expectations of us individuals. Just like social construction this time gender is involved. How we act based on our sex is not just by biological facts it is by the influence of society’s institutions. In the reading a sociologist Patricia Fancy Martin introduced the 12 patterns of social institution gender falls under all these patterns. One of the many introductions to these institutions are micro politics. Micro politics are negotiations over power in our everyday encounters with each other. For example when it comes to power men vs women , men always seems to have the upper hand due to social institutions expectations based on our sex . Job positions and recognition are focused on what gender you are. Not only is there institutionalized discrimination in societies but also prejudices.The difference between the two is that being prejudice is having negative false thoughts and perceptions of a person, these feelings does not cause inequality. But institutionalized discrimination does affect equality which leads to systemic inequalities. This is a cycle that has been repetitive for years and hopefully this cycle will come to an end and become a positive turn.

 

Journal #4

In both of the readings it focused on pivotal points in society. In identity terms , it broke down the many different kind of terms people use to refer to a group of people or thing.  A lot of these terms were based off of history and political references. The term i relate to the most is people of color/ colored people. Another term that I looked into was disabled people vs people with disabilities . There are differences between the two, the word people before the word disability encourages people who don’t have disabilities to actually think of them as people. Some times our minds thinks negatively towards those who may be slightly different than others . Language is important especially when using these specific terms, it will change the way we perceive things and how we communicate with others .

Language is the key to communication , especially when it comes to gender. In the reading Feminist philosophy of language it talks about the barriers and expectations of gender communication. False gender neutrality is a common thing I believe we all face one point in our life. We refer to things as “he” if we are unsure of what it is. For example when ever i see a dog i automatically say ” hes so cute whats his name ?” in my mind i’m not actually assuming its a boy but the term ” he” is common to refer to a person or thing . I see the point on how gender can be used to refer to other things other than just your sex.

Philosophy of language is also known to be called’ individualism ‘ to the worlds view , individualism in philosophy was viewed as a mans mindset. Why ? well because it has been told over and over that men think for themselves, they are distant and very private. What does this subliminally say towards women then ? that women are emotional and dependent on men? It was looked down upon for women to have a ‘mans mind’ . The saying act like a women but think like a man is foolish. The mind has nothing to do with gender , but everything to do with character.

Overall both reading has given me an better understanding on the terms we use day to day. We should be careful on how we use certain terms , when encountering certain people. We should also look deeper into the meanings and reasons on how and why we say what we say when it comes to language in gender communication.

Discussion 4

After concluding my reading of “Identity terms” i gained a greater insight and understanding on why and when are these specific terms used. The terms that was mentioned were people of color, disabled people, transgender,Latino, indigenous, global south and transitional. The term that i identity with the most is , people of color/ colored people. The reason i identify with this term the most is because i am a black woman . However this term is used politically to refer back to the time of racism. Not only in the pass but it is clearly evident that racism is still around, targeted specifically towards black people. I believe when this term is used , it depends on the context of it being used. For example if a black person says ” We as people of color” it doesn’t come off as offensive because that person is within the group of being black. But if a person of a different race says it , it may come off as racist or an issue may arise on assumptions on why they are using that term.

In the “Critical work on language and philosophy of language” section of Feminist philosophy of language it discusses the different theories of language. One theory that stood out to me was “maleness of language” This theory talks about how men use their language to make women seem invisible and less superior . The language that men speaks , gives them more authority over others. In my opinion the world structure has unfortunately always been based of on mans power. For example on television, you will mostly see men portray a host of a TV game rather than a women. Usually the women are in position of the model of the prizes the contestants will win. Its as if society as stamped the label of women being underneath men than rather equal with each other.

Gender identity project

In the past when i would hear the term gender, I automatically thought of my biological sex . In addition to that thought I also thought about feminine behavior. Us humans have been shaped by social construction , and we have continuously tried to reach the expectations of what being a real ‘woman’ or ‘man’ is. The world seems to always decide what is appropriate behavior for male or female. Our names for instance, it is expected for a girl to have a feminine name and a boy to have a masculine name. When the gender roles in names switch , it is looked upon as unacceptable. The name Jordan or Alexander gives off a masculine sound and would not be expected to be given to a female. However, I have met females named Jordan and Alexander . I remember i was in middle school and some of my classmates would say to Jordan and Alexander “that’s a boy name. ” Yes the society restricts certain names to be either belong to one sex or gives permission to be unisex. I wonder what the thoughts of Jordan and Alexander were. Did they feel less of a female because of their name? Unfortunately at times perceptions of a persons entire identity may change due to one thing that may seem masculine or feminine of a person.  I must admit I have been guilty a few times of falling into the small mindset of society. In my adolescence I can recall a time when I went to a family members birthday party. My father had introduced me to one of his childhood friends, his name was Ashley. I can remember me immediately wanting to laugh because I thought to myself , why does this grown man have a girl’s name ? I was a kid at the time and did not understand that a name or interests of a person does not define what your gender identity is.

According to Gender in communication A critical introduction by Defransisco, Victoria and Catherine Palzcewski With Danielle Dick McGeough, it discusses one of three theories. Which is the physiological theory, this theory is based on developed triggers that result from our early child hood experiences. What we are taught as children grows with us into adulthood. The dos and don’ts including the values and morals that were installed in us . Growing up my mother would always have a discussions with me in regards to my dress code around men. Men referring to my father, brother or any family member that was a male. As i became older I began to develop physically like any young woman would. I never thought that if I wore shorts and tank tops around the people i love in my house hold, that it would be a problem. My mother would tell me things like ” you’re a female and we have men in the house . You shouldn’t walk around with shorts anymore , you’re not a little girl  ” I  would always try to point out the fact that my father and brother wasn’t looking at me in that way . It was never an issue before so it shouldn’t be an issue now. My mother stood her ground to say it was inappropriate. My issue with this is , I didn’t believe that gender was necessarily the problem in this case. I believe it is a persons character that we should focus on , rather than their sex. My mothers concern was my family members possibly looking at me the wrong way because they were men. But it was never much of a concern when it came to women. According to CDC nationally representative data statistics states 79 percent of men who has been sexually assaulted has been victims of women committing the act. This proves that gender isn’t always the issue , it is the character and mind of a person.

I was taught many things just based on my sex growing up . A Psychologist came up with a theory named the cognitive theory. The Cognitive development is a theory that helps explains the behavior of an human. This development theory focuses on the process of our identity and behavior influenced from teachings and environment in our adolescence. Some of the teachings my parents installed in me i still highly value today, and some i I have grown out of. Through out taking this class my perspective on gender has changed . One of the exercises that brought light to this topic was the sex, gender and sexuality interlace diagram. This diagram was a basic layout but it was detailed on each term when it came to explaining gender. It explained that the sex of person isn’t only the biological identification male or female , it also broke down the biological sex functions. Which are chromosomal, genetic, hormonal, reproduction, gondal and sex organs .It also detailed the worlds meanings of attraction, sexuality etc.

In the reading of Gender stories it introduced a concept. The concept of agency. Agency is the process by which we can make a change in how we ourselves are viewed by others including how we view ourselves . How we carry ourselves and what we stand for sends clear messages towards those you are around. For me due to how i behave and express myself, I send the message of being kind and a great listener. In addition I also carry myself with respect which sends the message to others to respect me as well. When you send clear messages through your character  to others , better understanding comes into play.

I have learned that there are so many layers to understanding and learning gender. One of the many layers i have learned about gender is body politics. Body politics is an assumption of a persons sexuality and character based off of our physical appearance. How many times has a person misjudged you based on how you look or dress? it sounds silly to label a person on who they are and who/ what they like by there appearance. This happens often and again i have fell guilty of it. I believe when we allow body politics to have a place in a relationship it can blind us of the true identity of a person. It can also make communication difficult. We may approach someone or interact with someone the wrong way because we have our own personal ideas on that individuals character. Overall gender communication isn’t a one time thing, i will keep on learning and we all should as the world continues to change and evolve throughout our lifetime.

Discussion 3

I enjoyed doing this chart exercise . It helped me focus on the reasons why i had those thought about my physical appearance in the first place. in the fist column i chose my hair, nose and legs. I chose my hair because this part of my body has sent many different messages to others and even to myself.  I have natural hair but a lot of time i wear my hair in different styles such as braids or hair extensions . Braids are a hairstyle that is well known in the African american culture. It sends a message of black beauty, including natural hair . When i chose to wear my natural hair i sometimes wear it curly or in a Afro texture . I feel confident because i feel like i am embracing my African roots. However there has been times where i had a style in mind and when i attempted to style my hair it didn’t come out right. This left me feeling disappointed, insecure and unattractive. Why is it that i felt unattractive when my hair wasn’t ” done”. In Gender in communication A critical introduction by Defransisco, Victoria and Catherine Palzcewski With Danielle Dick McGeough, it discusses the three different types of theories. Which are biological, physiological and critical/cultural theories. Relating to my personal feelings , experiences and views on my hair , the physiological theory connects the most. Physiological theories are based on triggers by early child hood experiences.

The journey of my hair starts with social learning. Social learning is when behavior is learned by analyzing, observing and modeling others. Growing up in high school it was emphasized by males and females,  that if you didn’t have your hair done faithfully every week , it meant you were broke. It would also mean that the guys wouldn’t look at you as much as all the other girls who were up to par. I constantly compared myself to other girls, i would always try to keep up . I observed other girls in my school to see how many times they got there hair done a month. I thought if i can keep up with them , then ill be approved . I struggled with feeling beautiful because i believed that i wasn’t attractive due to what was being said socially. There were time when i had to wear my short natural hair. In society it has been displayed that longer straight silky hair is more beautiful that natural Afro or curly textured hair. I was convinced that i wasn’t that young woman that the world would desired because i didn’t have all of the exceptions the world vocalized. Today i no longer feel that way about myself i am aware that those statements are false.

The other two body parts i chose on my chart were my nose and skin. I chose my nose because this was a part of my physical body i was self conscious of . Again it relates to the physiological theories category.  through out middle school i was bullied a lot . One day boy at recces told me that i was ugly and i had a fat huge nose. From that day on i hated my nose and believed that everyone else’s was beautiful . My skin is an evident part of my race , i am a African american women. Critical/cultural theories highlights the cultural institutions that partakes in the alignment and management of gender. The multiracial and global feminism’s discussed the detailed investigation of the concerns of women and their gender . Women gender isn’t only the issue but race is as well, the view on the background of a women and the cultural stereotypical stigmas attached to women makes the vicissitudes of life even more difficult to handle. This chapter mentions the unfair historical events of African Americans, how women slaves were deemed as sexual beings. Relating to me being an African American woman, i remember a time when i walked  into a retail store that i would always go to. i walked in asking for Job application, the manager was a man including his employees and they were all Hispanic. I could tell the manager was uncomfortable of me being there, he told me that they weren’t hiring . That wasn’t true because i saw someone else come in a few days before and he accepted an application. I then came back to his store a few days later and realized that a new guy was there. Not only was this person a man but he was Hispanic. I purposely the guy was he new and he confirmed that he was. I then realized that my race and gender was a problem to this man .

Embodied communication is the opposite of non verbal communication , because it draws attention to the physical body as communication with others. Personally for me i believe i embodies communication with command performance by body politics. Me being viewed as highly feminine. I’ve been told many times that I “sit” like a lady. Or the way that i dress, i love makeup and dresses that makes a statement that i am a “girly girl” . A way that i believe i have refuse to comply with the command performance is not settling for mistreatment by the opposite due to the roles they believe i should perform because of my gender. The theories of culture and conflict relates to the way i communicate . i refuse to allow social construction rule the way i move or live my life .