Taking this class gave me an opportunity to understand gender, sex, sexuality, masculinity, femininity and it’s affects on society. I was able to not only to see how they applied in my life but it also changed the way I view the world. Two concepts that left me puzzled and astonished is gender and microaggressions. Learning about gender helped me find my own hidden experiences, I was able to take them apart and become aware of how privileged I was to grow up with no two separate images and ideals of men and women. I was told about these injustices but somehow it didn’t click into my head. Learning these concepts helped me discern the following experience; I am currently giving free online courses to help people start their businesses from home so they could provide for their families. I had a one on one with a middle aged Mexican woman who told me her gendered experience, she asked me if I could direct her towards empowering books. It was like I was slapped in the face, my heart sank , and I felt like crying, it was a moment of confusion not because I didn’t understand but because thanks to this course I understood so much, but I didn’t know what to do. What could have I possibly told her if I never experienced such oppression because of my gender? Her strength to keep on going and courage to tell me this is unbelievable. The course readings additionally helped me understand the LGBTQ+ community and my own privilege as a heterosexual female. I have developed a better understanding of what a safe space is and why it is needed. I feel I am better equipped to educate people who make inappropriate comments about the LGBTQ+ community. Microaggressions were also something I was not aware of. I didn’t know what to respond or what intentions people had when they made inappropriate comments about my background. Becoming aware of this can help me identify the institutionalized discrimination, racism and prejudice. The format of this class allowed me to explore my thoughts and be more open because I am “hiding” behind a device. I feel I am more comfortable talking about these topics.
Author: Stephany A Pineda Cardoso
Stephany Pineda Cardoso Institutional Artifact
Women not always covered their breasts, and while we aren’t sure when women started covering this part of their body, western societies agree that a women’s breasts should be hidden. Because of this, brassieres (bras) have become an artifact of femininity and womanhood. Masculinity and femininity deal with gender expression and sex (female, male, or intersex), is the biological composition of a body (Killermann) however, bras have forced the correlation between these two concepts, creating the idea that if you are not feminine and a female you are not a woman. This is obviously challenging for people who are not cisgender, and the question of what it means to be a woman lingers, is it the challenges or history? What does this artifact exactly do for individuals?
The article “Reshaping the Body; Clothing and Cultural Practice” published by the University of Virginia, states that men also wore corsets, but by the mid 1800’s this custom had been ridiculed (by the choice of men). On the other hand, this was not a choice for women, wearing a corset was a way of disciplining women’s bodies. Caresse Crosby is attributed to have invented brassieres by separating the traditional corset into two pieces. Wearing a bra was not widely accepted, it became popularized when world war two started because women were asked to refrain from buying corsets to preserve metal for weapon production (Pandika). Based on this information we can infer that bras were adapted out of the custom of wearing a corset and not because of a want. You can also argue that this situation is an example of how a simple validation by men pushed women into a different social norm.
The current problem is not a debate of whether women should use a bra or not, rather, it is how bras are used to create detrimental societal norms and how these in turn result in the oppression of women. Advertisements from the 1500’s aimed to portray thin waists, not larger breasts. Breasts became hypersexualized soon after the invention of bras, in which movies, magazines, and other forms of media took a large part in promoting. Mass media has promoted the hypersexualization of a female’s body, and this hypersexualization results in objectification, “Objectification occurs when people are viewed as objects existing solely for the pleasure of the viewer, rather than as agents capable of action. The person being objectified often is reduced to body parts: breasts, genitalia, muscles, curves, buttocks, and hair” (Lynch 2012). Marilyn Monroe is an example of the effects of this system, she became a sex symbol because mass media objectified her body. These views can have damaging effects on women as is proven by her death. Women tend to internalize these views because of institutionalized ideals, this is called self-objectification. In result people engage in body surveillance which is critically looking and judging one’s body. This causes a drop of self-esteem. The lack of optimism and confidence can deprive women of higher success.
Wearing a bra has also become a shield against society. Due to this objectification and hypersexualization, women are forced or feel pressured to cover their breasts to prove modesty and feel safe. Not wearing a bra can be for comfort but it is usually perceived as vulgar or provocative. Wearing a bra might not be an ideal choice for some, but it is done to avoid being viewed as a sexual object. Wearing push up bras to feel validated and not be faced with bullying is also common. From this you can see that this artifact is used to please everyone but women.
As a child I personally felt embarrassed of my body’s changes, somehow, I immediately knew I needed to wear an extra layer of protection, interesting enough my breasts at that time were nowhere near an A cup. As a 9-year-old girl I perceived my growth signs as something that could be shameful. Sadly, this is the experience of many girls. Wearing a bra for the first time is a sign of change towards womanhood and this can be exciting. Since a bra can signify growth, it can also assume physical maturity, the bodies of young girls can in turn be sexualized, this is an additional problem that arises. Women’s breasts main purpose is to nurture and there is nothing sexual about this, and nevertheless should a child’s body be viewed this way.
Some may say push up bras (for example) are something that contributes to body empowerment, but true empowerment requires in depth understanding. Corporations have found themselves supporting this body empowerment movement through intimate wear, but marketing statements like these can reinforce gendered attractiveness. Gendered attractiveness happens when a normative physical appearance is seen as beautiful and sexually appealing. We can look at Victoria Secret’s brassiere marketing content in contrast to other brands like TomboyX or Girls will be Boys. Victoria Secret illustrates women who are skinny and have large breasts to attract their audience, they perpetuate the traditional idea of how women should look.
The denial of wanting to look a specific way to please society only supports the ideals we live in. Some do not notice that their behavior reflects norms placed by society. Traditional behavior is enforced many times by other women, and not necessarily with bad intention. Mothers for example want to protect their young girls, so girls might be taught a behavior associated with being a “good” woman. On the other hand, some are trying to reclaim the power of bras by wearing lingerie as shirts or going braless, unfortunately, neither is the option for specifically working-class people because of the extreme retaliation and additional obstacles presented by for example job institutions.
Reclaiming our power through this simple piece of clothing is so complex. Many use it to express their femininity or amplify their gender identity. We can see how this is a double edge sword, any way of approach calls for challenges. The problem intensifies when a bra is no longer an item to support breasts or comfort, but rather a tool that fulfills perverse thoughts and reinforces harmful traditional ideals. Cultural norms and societal views on a female’s body greatly makes up how women dress. I am not saying lingerie and bras should be abolished, I am saying women should have the power to dictate how their body is viewed and how they choose to use this artifact. Why is it that people who have sexualized this artifact and body part do not get retaliation? Instead they are applauded for reinforcing their thoughts, women are then persecuted for not conforming.
Outside sources
Darren Curnoe Chief Investigator and Co-Leader of Education and Engagement Program ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage. “Where Were All the Women in the Stone Age?” The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2019, theconversation.com/where-were-all-the-women-in-the-stone-age-73374.
“Men’s Corsets.” Reshaping the Body: Clothing & Cultural Practice, exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/clothes/mens_corset/#:~:text=Some%20men%20wore%20corsets,create%20the%20required%20smooth%20silhouette.
Pandika, Melissa. “Bra History: How A War Shortage Reshaped Modern Shapewear.” NPR, NPR, 5 Aug. 2014, www.npr.org/2014/08/05/337860700/bra-history-how-a-war-shortage-reshaped-modern-shapewear.
Journal 7
“Sex Talks” by Rebecca Kukla, unveils and explains the complexity of language in a sexual environment. We learn very soon that requests, consent and refusal are some of the over simplified terms to explain the thinking process of an individual in these situations. Instead Kukla takes a different approach by analyzing the sexual negotiation of language. This is pragmatics, which analyzes language not only through a word definition lens but rather all factors that influence this language in any way. Let’s first take a look at felicity and propriety norms, these two influence language. Felicity norms are matters needed to be completed in order for words to achieve their purpose. Propriety norms make a speech situationally appropriate therefore as stated by Kukla, “Different speech acts with different force can enable or undetermine ethical, pleasurable, autonomous sex”. Kukla makes 3 important notes of oversimplification, “Consenting typically involves letting someone else do something to you… it puts the requester in the active position and the one who consents in a passive position…much of our sexual communication isn’t about asking for sex and agreeing to it…autonomous, willing participation is necessary for ethical sex but is not sufficient..”. Instead we can approach these situations as an invitation or gift. An invitation needs to be appropriate and it allows the invitee to either deny or accept the invitation freely. A gift is freely given and it is most common among longer relationships. Both approaches need to be felicitous and the following sums up a sexual environment as a gift, “Gifts, by nature, cannot be demanded or even requested. If you ask me to indulge some sexual desire of yours, then my doing so is not a gift but the granting of a favor. A gift must be designed to please the recipient; it might not actually succeed in pleasing, but an offering that is not expected to please is not actually a gift. It is also essential to gift-giving that the recipient need not accept the gift. Gifts that are accepted call for both gratitude and reciprocation from the receiver” (Kukla). This is more or less a desired approach to sex but clear escape words and phrases need to be used to escape an environment that is no longer pleasing.
“Performing Gender and Interpersonal Communication Research” by Elizabeth Bell and Daniel Blaeuer, explains a different approach to gender. Gender as a binary system has been established by society and we have been provided with evidence in previous readings to conclude that this binary system is oppressive. This scholarly research aims to analyze gender as being performative. This is a very important aspect to look at because it literally contradicts all of society’s norms. Saying gender is performative means it is an act, that all we do is on the basis of this specific gender that we were assigned. I think there is currently more openness on the view of gender but I’d like for you to think about the many ways in which your behavior both correlates with traditional gender norms and which ways it does not. This will allow a better understanding on how much behavior is influenced by a category you were assigned.
Stephany Pineda Cardoso Discussion 7
Social institution: Womanhood
Artifact: Bras
Concepts:
- Relation between sex and gender (scientific perspective)
- Gender expression
- Objectification
- Cultural norms
- Femininity
Social institutions influence our behavior and sense of identity. I am interested in writing about bras and how this simple piece of clothing unconsciously portrays and influences an individual’s identity. This will not only be a tremendous learning experience, better yet I hope to have an increased understanding of gender and the binary system we live in. I look forward to asking myself what role does a bra play in objectifying a female’s body, what is the representation of a bra in society, and how does this influence how we view our bodies. Some concepts that have greatly influenced this artifact is the objectification of bodies, gender expression, and cultural norms.
The cultural norms and societal views on a female’s body greatly makes up how women dress. Then the question of what it means to be a woman arises, and no one really understands what this means without having in mind a specific type of gender expression. Wearing a bra was always directly correlated to the morphology of an individual, though in recent years it has become part of a gender expression statement through fashion. This in all, is very complex because even though some may try to reclaim power through these fashion statements, wearing a bra goes way further than that. A bra can be a symbol of empowerment and self love. If a push up bra is worn it can be a sign of my own validation and love of how my body looks this way, yet this same artifact objectifies a female. Wearing or not wearing a bra can also be a sign of modesty for many and boldness/liberation for others. Reclaiming our power through this simple piece of clothing is so complicated. A child may be in need and only feel secure by wearing a bra because a female’s breast size and nipples have been widely sexualized. We can see how this is a double edge sword and that which every way we try to approach it there is always going to be an obstacle. My goal is to create different levels of understanding on the influence of bras in gender expression and identity formation. What does this artifact exactly do for individuals? I have further ideas but I will organize my thoughts in order to thoroughly explain them and portray the power of this artifact.
Stephany Pineda C Discussion 6
The reading emphasized the privilege of being cisgender, assumptions created by cisgender people, and the challenges these create for transgender people. It additionally explained the deeper challenges some face because of race, social class, etc. A horribly perfect example of this was CeCe McDonald, who was a victim of this unjust system. Not only were transgender people criminalized by authority through CeCe’s story, but her experience was not validated because of her social class and race. Watching the film, the interview and then reading the scholarly article (in that order) made me better understand the situation. Listening to her story and her experience made me understand her point of view, the film gave CeCe a voice which educated me not by mass media but by her truth. I saw this injustice that is knitted into the system, her sadness, anger, but passion to make this a better world resonated with me. The interview about the film gave her a voice to better explain her feelings without any editing. Finally, to tie off, I understood how big this problem is because of the reading. The reading further analyzed this story to unveil a criminal justice system and society that is abundant with ignorance and prejudice. Debunking all these ideas created by an unjust system and making me aware of my privilege is something very powerful. The stereotypes of African Americans as people who are mad, denied CeCe the proper medical care and the humane treatment by authority. Being put in solitary confinement and then being put in a jail for men only denied her identity. Reading and watching her story made me wonder how many other privileges I have that I am not aware of. Black people are often criminalized by the government, mass media and criminal justice system but thanks to all the protests and movements, the world can see they are just as human as anyone else. This current time has been about reclaiming power, people are crying out their fears, and talking about these injustices, something that the criminal justice system does not often portray.
Journal 6
“Cisgender Privilege, Intersectionality, and the Criminalization of CeCe McDonald: Why Intercultural Communication Needs Transgender Studies” by Julia R. Johnson gives us a better understanding of the complexity of gender, sexuality, and intersectionality. McDonald is a black transgender woman who was assaulted by a straight homophobic white male. After the attack McDonald was unjustly accused of second-degree murder because her self-defense resulted in the man’s death. This atrocious event not only shows us how this system is built on prejudice and discrimination, but that heterosexual people encounter a privilege that is invisible to the eye of many. Cisgender privilege is the privilege of people whose morphology (sex) aligns with gender. Many heterosexual people cannot see this privilege because it is not being called attention to. For example, if I am Mexican living in Mexico my ethnicity is not highlighted because everyone around me is also Mexican, on the other hand, a Mexican in New York City is well aware of this identity, especially in this discriminating political climate. What I am trying to say is that if you are part of the dominant group, you have little to no challenges of that identity, this can lead you to be unaware of the power you possess. Being unaware of your power can lead to cissexism (in the case of being cisgender), which is the belief that identifies others who are not cisgender as less authentic. The constant assumptions in McDonald’s case reaffirm the lack of education many face. Being transgender limits you today, and McDonald’s case comes to show that not only being transgender led her to have unfair treatment, but the fact that she is black became an additional challenge. We cannot study intercultural communications without taking intersectionality into account, assuming everyone is cisgender or heterosexual reinforces the idea that the LGBTQ+ community is not authentic. This is very eye opening because as a straight cisgender female, I do not encounter insecurity challenges of my gender or sex.
Stephany Pineda Cardoso Discussion 5
Microaggressions are verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignity remarks that communicate derogatory messages of marginalized groups in our society (Sue, Capodilupo). I have experienced microaggressions because I am a woman. Though I am shy at first, I would describe myself as being sweet and bubbly, always smiling and having a lot of energy. I think this in part has caused some adults to look at me as if I were a child, and adding that I am a woman makes me more of, “oh how cute”, because of this I am not taken seriously. I developed my personality because of my experiences. I have learned to cope with my challenges by filling up my day with even more energy and smiles. I’d like to think my personality is not over the top though, I’m just the right amount because I am very cool and relaxed, but for many this is enough to downplay me. Growing up in a culture that highlighted my lack of ability to blend in, led me to constantly doubt myself and what I was capable of. This thought combined with the microaggressions I have received because of my gender have made me at one point internalize the opinions of others. It was not until my accounting teacher in 12th grade asked me to go to their office to tell me I needed to stand up for myself, and not let “these kids” doubt my knowledge. I cannot clearly describe the feelings I felt, I cannot pinpoint to the situation she saw me in, I can’t even remember how I felt, because I had normalized this behavior towards me. I walked home the day confused, she had seen something that I did not at the moment but somehow, I felt empowered. What is the correct way to stand up to a microaggression? How can I be sure it is a microaggression?
I would say I have many privileges. Although there is a lot of discrimination and prejudice in New York City, I have had the opportunity to finish high school and go to college. Additionally, BMCC has tried its best to provide their students with what they need to be successful. Thankfully, if I ever find myself in need there is a food pantry and even counseling center. This not only gives me privilege of many people around the world, but people in NYC too. Many who did not finish high school or are currently enrolled in college are having very difficult challenges. I am in a country where food is abundant to me, and where I have a roof over my head with heat. On top of this I have a desk where I can quietly sit with my 11-year-old sister and do my work. In my point of view the most powerful tool I have is education and comfort. I can use my knowledge and education to educate others about our current situation. I have tried my best to explain our current situation to adults around me who do not know the history of America’s current challenges. Having comfort in my own home helps me develop my skills to keep working towards social justice. I am in the process of starting my own business and this will help me build future schools for children to understand what I think is most important, understanding their self-identity.
Journal #5
In “The Manifestation of Racial, Gender and Sexual-Orientation Microaggressions”, we learn what microaggressions are and how this affects marginalized communities. A microaggression is an unintentional/intentional, verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignation remark on a marginalized community. These microaggressions as this chapter explains can be gender or racial based. An important aspect to note is the unintentional microaggressions. Unintentional microaggressions address the need to educate and express minority identities to people in power. Highlighting a women’s gender in a situation or environment where it is not needed might insinuate your thoughts of differentiation between men and women. In a place where racism has been institutionalized, many might not even be conscious that they are experiencing these microaggressions. The only other evident awareness from the person receiving these insults is what they feel in response. Sadly, in a place where minorities have so much at stake there is a reluctance to speak up. The risk with this is the retaliation of doing so. When is it okay to speak up? What are the repercussions of speaking up? Are my feelings validated by some scholarly research? All of these are possible questions many may ask themselves when they encounter an uncomfortable situation. There are many types of microaggression, and they can negatively highlight your identity, in turn having devastating effects. These devastating effects produce systemic harm. For example feeling uncomfortable about the deliverance of content in a classroom might put you at disadvantage of learning. Something that reinforces these microaggressions can be social institutions. Institutions are socially and corporately constructed environments in which people in power have the ability to largely control your life. An example of this can be as simple as deciding if they give you a job or not. Institutionalized discrimination is powerful because it has been designed to put certain people at disadvantage. Breaking this is not as easy as changing someone’s mind of an inappropriate perception they had. Prejudice is on an interpersonal level rather than a system. Knowing this can help you navigate and negotiate your identities. We know that social institutions are maintained by dominant groups therefore there needs to be a point where we stop learning to cope and assimilate these environments but rather integrate ourselves to create changes.
Stephany Pineda Cardoso Discussion 4
I arrived in the U.S when I was 7 years old and although many would consider themselves Mexican American or Chicanx (because of their young arrival to the U.S), I would prefer to be identified as Mexican. Although I have not experienced being a civilian in Mexico for a long period of time, I do identify with Mexican culture and I was born there, so this makes me Mexican in my opinion. Many people tell me I am just as American as any other person regardless of my status, but what I do not think people understand is that my goal is not to be called American or any one particular nationality. People say America is not a white America, they say it is a melting pot built on diversity, and I agree that it is built on diversity, but it is not built on inclusion, acceptance, acknowledgement or validation (for the most part). To have this wonderful America that everyone talks about, we need to work for it. I would rather not call myself American in respect to Native American’s whose life, family, traditions, customs, and language was taken away. This country has institutionalized racism, and to have an inclusive America, changes need to be made in the government and we do this by voting. One reason why I do not call myself Chicanx, is because of its bad reputation and stereotypes, though I have learned over time that I have to reclaim my power as a undocumented Mexican living in the U.S and not let this bother me. To sum it up, I would rather you identify me by my character, name, what I like, and even age. But for formality purposes I am Latinx, and I am Mexican.
An interesting theory in “Critical work on language and philosophy of language” is that of sex marking. I thought English was gender neutral at least for the most part. But reading this has opened my eyes to things I was not aware of. My native language is Spanish, and I think that there is absolutely no gender neutrality in Spanish, there is always an O or an A at the end of objects and nouns to specify gender, which is very frustrating. Looking further into this theory I see how the history of how women are looked at, takes part in this conflict. For years women’s jobs have been looked down upon and their standards have been held low. For example, women authors had to publish under false (or maiden) names because they were either not allowed to publish or their work was perceived as having a lack of quality. The thought that women are not qualified enough is still present. Although not overtly, there are many studies that prove that there is still inequality in workplaces. This can vary from pay, who gets their voice heard, and who gets promoted. When talking about professions whose title is gender neutral, the problem is that some people unconsciously try to find out the sex of this person. I personally have a problem with this. Many times, sex marking is used to judge people’s character a head of time and judge the quality of someone’s work. This happens in professional environments like schools, business corporations, government positions and among others. This opens a path for sexism and promotes male dominance.
Journal 4
The chapter “Identity terms” in Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, explains many critical identity terms used in the United States society. This chapter does a great job of explaining the different definitions and ways to approach identity, though I would recommend that you do further research to understand the history of these terms. When talking about race we learn that the term, people of color, is used to refer to anyone nonwhite, and the term, black, is used to refer to people who descend from Africa or are African American. When talking to, or about people who are disabled, always state a person first phrasing, unless told otherwise by the person themselves. This is because a disability does not define you. It additionally talks about ethnicity, gender, and sexuality but I will send you the link to this article because it does a great job in synthesizing these terms.
Feminist Philosophy of Language, gives us a look at “gendered language”. This research first addresses the false perception that there is gender neutrality within the English language. Many people refer to this neutrality by using the word “man” to refer to an individual (regardless of their sex). For example, a very famous phrase is, “the creation of man”, using this phrase assumes you are referring to both females and males. Additionally, many laws in the U.S also use the word “man” to refer to both male and female, but we learn that this creates confusion and has bad repercussions. This gender “neutral” language is put at test when we refer to females using the word “man”, what we get is, “man breastfeeds his young”. Feminist point to this and provide an argument saying the English language needs to be reformed. Acknowledging the problem of gendered language in English can help us begin to understand it’s repercussions, which is what this analytical paper aims to do.
Feminist scholars have studied the invisibility of women that has been created through the lack of a gender-neutral word. For example, some refer to women in men dominated jobs as “miss”, instead of “professor”, or “lady doctor”, instead of “doctor”, which emphasizes their gender in a situation of no need. Though some women may feel proud to have their gender be emphasized to reclaim their power, others suggest that this type of phrasing assumes women are just filling up men’s jobs. This can lead to false perceptions that are strengthened by people when they hear “miss”, this is because the word miss can weaken someone’s power in a workplace due to the false perception that women’s jobs are less than.
Another problem stated due to the lack of a gender-neutral word is the inevitable sex marking. To emphasize what I previously explained, sex marking is inevitable when describing the action of an individual. I personally had this challenge when I wasn’t educated enough. I would try to include everyone by saying “he/she” but I was told it was wrong with no explanation, hopefully this helps you understand why it is not the best term to use. Sex marking opens a path for sexism, according to Frye, this perpetuates male dominance because by saying “he” or “she” you are stating a sex difference. Which I see is true, for example asking if a professor is a he or she because you can’t tell by their name, might assume your male or woman preference, and a question like, “why do you care” might arise.
In conclusion, you can see how although subtle, the English language is male dominated and better customized for men. Many feminist scholars are trying to bring attention to this because women’s voices are being hidden or disadvantaged because of it. An example of a successful reformation has been using “they”, “them”, and “their” to neutralize gendered language. And though there is an ongoing discussion on what it means to be a woman, we do know that gender is a binary…I am currently trying to understand this my friend, so I will get back to you on that. I used to think I saw all genders as equal, until I realized that I did not want to let go of this binary gender because I felt I was proud to be a woman (this thinking of mine insinuated I thought of women as more powerful). Therefore, by recognizing men’s capability to have challenging experiences just like me led me to better understand my thinking. Now that I know gender is a binary, and I accept it, and acknowledge, my question is, wouldn’t feminist scholars advocate and support for a nonbinary gender? Because even though women have been disadvantaged for centuries, wouldn’t the study through the same lens (advocating for women) just reinforce gender as a binary?
