Discussion 8

Suffrage, labor rights, and the equal rights amendment, all of this are related as woman are the one affected and bringing into light the inequality the live on. Women are the revolutionary everything and making progress otherwise everything will stay unseen. In the suffrage we took the first step to have a place in society to make women voice count, labor right and ERA looked for equality for women. Suffrage, labor right and equal rights amendment was all about making women visible in a society that made them invisible. A society that focusing more on gender than in humanity.

Labor right is also issues of gender justice because it only affects women. As they fight for labor right, they are also showing the power they have. The triangle Shirtwaist fire clearly represent this where major of the people who die were women and this is because they were the one getting over work and getting abuse as they didn’t have any power in society. It took the loose of many lives to gain a place in society but a place that still is not equal. In labor field is where we see the most discrimination, inequality, abuse and oppressions.

I will say these issues enacted today society as we still see unequal pay, women work still not recognize as it should and if we go world wise, we can see this issue even more evident example India where women’s either stay home to take care of the family or over work for cents. There still are places even in United State that have short wages, and this is clearly seen in the protest to increase minimum wage, or the unions that are being created to help workers. Even though women have made some progress in politic matters and in society we still don’t have the equality we deserve.

Discussion 7

Overall, every topic we had cover in class has been much helpful to understand certain thing I was really unclear from feminist politics to patriarchy system. Many of the time we stand in the we are women point of view and doesn’t see the deepest of the situation. one of the topics that really cough my attention was oppression and privilege because at one point we have suffer from oppression but at some point, we have been privilege direct or indirect. it was one of my best lectures because I feel so relate to it since young at my household there always was the privilege one which was the oldest and my sister and me was the oppress one, so starting it from the house to then experience it at a country where I immigrate make me think on the inequality many goes through without realizing it and it honestly can go both way doesn’t really have a gender.

‘American people series #20 die’, 1967 is a paint from Faith Ringgold.

This Piece evokes the riots that were then erupting around the country. On the canvas, blood spatters evenly across an interracial group of men, women, and children, suggesting that no one is free from this struggle. Their clothing—smart dresses and business attire—implies that a well-off professional class is being held accountable in this scene of violent chaos.

I chose this piece because Violence is something has become a social problem and we are seeing it even more this day. The attack on the Capitol, The vandalism in clothes stores that was just happening in Manhattan and the Bronx, crime has increase drastically and it seem like nothing is being done to stop it as police feel powerless. This piece is a create example of the 60’s, 70’s but it fit todays situation as well. This also show us that all races, genders and ages are being affect by violence and crime.

One of the things that really surprise me about the film was people unknown of menstruation like it is not a normal among women. How people avoid it or do not mention it because it is a women thing, and how shy they seem about. Another thing that really stand out to me was the fact that they couldn’t pray or go to the temple while they had the menstrual period because their pray was not going to be heard. I know in the bible in the Old Testament it was a rule that the women couldn’t go to the temple while on it but in the New Testament I guess this rule doesn’t exist. It was  really surprising how they even left school because of menstruation.

From the reading the anesthesiologist comment was painful and disrespectful. I believe they understand what being in labor means. It is not easy even less pain free. Also, the fact that right after giving birth she had to walk with an IV and push the baby car to a room it is really abusive. Yes, they are women that recover and get up the next day like nothing but who are the doctors to assume she was okay to do such a thing. Just like the nurse poked her and poked her unaware of how much pain she was causing. Why could not think about it the other way around and put their self in that situation. 

The connection I can find between the reading and film is oppression. Oppression doesn’t only have to have gender but also it can have a race. The fact that in both the reading and film females are being oppress in such a natural thing like it is menstruation or giving birth is so surprising. I did not think African-American go through such thing I mean I did not think any female could of been in a situation like that, yes, I have seen it in other areas but not on labor. Same with the case of menstruation in India. Oppression doesn’t only come in physical form but most traumatic mentally, which is even more dangerous  

The fact that women basically have to hide such a natural thing because they live in a patriarchy society is sad, also they have to look for ways to avoid marriage because they feel they don’t have place in society is really surprising. Marriage should be a happy and important decision making it because of love not because of cultural “rules”. The film was really great and being able to see the conditions, how they live honestly opens my understanding of the severity of the situation in the case of India, the condition in which they life is already oppressing them and in top being oppress for being woman’s is a lot to handle.  The reading format was really great because by reading it you can maybe imagine what she went through but the use of image put us in her shoes and even make us think how was our labor (the ones that have kids already). This reading and film are perfect example of the different types of oppression: Personal, interpersonal, institutional and cultural.  

Moving beyond the gender binary for Alok means not fitting into what society has structured or define as right and wrong. Everyone has the power and freedom to decide how and what represent them when they don’t find them self or feel like they belong in a system that has been created by society. This is not only about either one or the other if you feel like you are much more than that. Not everyone expresses them self the same one, and the simple fact that you express yourself differently thought the way you dress doesn’t mean you doesn’t fit into a category beside the one society has created. People should not be afraid to go outside because they are different or scare to be judge. One thing from this article that really stood out to me was the fact that his Buller was just hiding himself under a category he did fit into and all because he was worry about how society would look at him and that is a sad story we still see today people who damage other because they do not have the courage.

I will say I am an athlete female who like “Mans” sports major of my childhood all I did was playing sport which is nothing wrong but the parenthesis here was that I used play basketball in a team composed by boys, me been the only girl in the whole tournament still nothing wrong with that just with the exception that I used to wear baggy clothes which made me look like a boy. I started to use baggy clothes not for the look but because I felt comfortable and so they use to called me tomboy. I have never been a girly female; I don’t wear make-up all do this fancy stuff, wear dress or neither liked play with dolls or do many “girly stuff “. Almost all my friends were boy or I used to hang out with boys more than with girls, So I guess in this way my identity goes against the binary norms as I am also a working mother that does not sit home and wait for the man to provide or fix whatever breaks in the house. Now how does I think my identity fit the binary norm, I act and represent myself as female I do dress more girly, also I am heterosexual which “fit the binary norms”. I respect others point of view and simply neither agree or disagree I think everyone is free to express them self the way the feel is okay to them as much do it through art, music, many also do it through look and appearances still this doesn’t have to fit you into a category you don’t not relate or belong to.  

This week article “Too Latina To Be Black, Too Black To Be Latina” by Williams and “The Power of identity Politics” by Garza were so great and really helpful to have a wider understanding of identity politics. One of the points that I really liked was that America is built on a white identity politics, so anything that doesn’t fit in that category is basically irrelevant and so need a group of activists to fight for it. Like Williams mention in her article “Too Latina to Be Black, Too Black to Be Latina”, “I’ve learned though, that just because I don’t fit into one specific mold or the other doesn’t mean I’m any less of who I am”. I feel so relate to this because major of us may doesn’t fit in certain category but we any less and this is something that is a daily thing to deal with. At some point I can say it has become a normal thing to discriminate. The fact that many might doesn’t identify just a human is for the reason that the society has create and so they have to stand out to support the minority maybe as a group they do not have all the power but as an individual they do and if all this individual comes together and fight then it become more powerful. Everyone has right and so the right for the desired for their own liberation base on their own experiences. These two articles were powerful to expand the understanding of identity politics as one can relate to this in their own experiences.

• I think it is important to recognize patriarchy as a system and not as an individual identity for the fact that even though patriarchy system give man “all the power and authority” many men might not identify with it or practice it. Also, I think it doesn’t not necessary trigger a person itself but a group of people that identify with the group.  There are many factors that create or develop certain action in some cultures than others even though the system is patriarchy “We would be quick to explain rape and battery as the acts of sick or angry men, but without taking seriously the question of what kind of society would produce so much male anger and pathology or direct it toward sexual violence rather than something else.” Rather than privileges’ some and oppress others we need to get to the root of it.  
• One thing that stand out to me in the reading “Patriarchy, the System” is the fact that system somehow is actually society constructed “In addition to socialization, participation in social systems shapes our behavior through paths of least resistance, a concept that refers to a feature of social systems that guides the conscious and unconscious choices we make from one moment to the next.” Patriarchy is a way of organizing social life through which such wounding, failure, and mistreatment are bound to occur. 

• Personal – Feelings, thoughts, beliefs about others and attitudes about differences (conscious and intentional or unconscious and unintentional). 

 “I know what you really mean—me!” 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. 

how each word has been transformed from a positive cultural image of female power, independence, and dignity to an insult or a shadow of its former self, leaving few words to identify women in ways both positive and powerful. 

• Interpersonal – Language, action, and behaviors. Immigrants from many countries whose English might not be proficient suffer this kind of oppression. 

• Institutional – Rules, policies, practices and procedures, both written and unwritten, that an organization has that function to intentionally or unintentionally, advantage some individuals and disadvantage others. This is something we see a lot and many considerate it as racism when it comes to justice and Afro-American compare to justice and White people. 

• Cultural/Structural – What is considered “true,” “right,” “normal,” and “beautiful.”  In many cultures is okay that a man has more than one wife, or a young woman to marry an old man. 

• In what ways do you experience privilege?

I think one way or another we all have been privilege. In my case as a Puerto Rican, I feel privilege of been a United states citizen from birth. When compared to another racial group which can’t have the benefits of Americans or have to wait to receive any type of benefits, resources or help. Many Immigrants doesn’t have this privilege when they come to United State and even to come to this country is a process which is not easy for them. Another way I feel privilege in a way is being low-income population we get some financial aid help to go to college compared to other people that have to pay out of package for their education which sometimes doesn’t guarantee a good job.

Now privilege doesn’t mean we won’t experience oppression. Yes, it is true as Puerto Rican I get to enjoy Americans benefits but also as a Puerto Rican, I felt oppress for not knowing English. Many times, I experience bullying I been told to go back to Puerto Rico and learn English because this is America, I been hearing this so many times not only to Puerto Ricans but to the Hispanic population overall. Jobs wise is another way to experience oppression example I was a temp for many years where I did not have any benefits as the permanent’s employee yes, I had the experience to work for them but did not have any privilege and always was treat as a temp whenever they needed to cut hours, I was the one getting the oppression.

The privilege of one is the oppression of other is the overall concept I got from this reading. White privilege is one of the concepts that stood out to me. My definition of privilege I will say is like a free grant, is something you might or might not deserve but is there for you regardless just because you are part of certain group. On the other hand, oppression is unjust treatment or control to certain groups or people like Afro-Americans, Latinos or any minority group. It can also be defined as mental pressure.

Honestly watching the video open my eyes in many ways from the point of view of being privilege but also being oppress and not only me but the different cultures that experience it. The video impacted me and my view of many things.