Author Archives: Rossibel Gomez

Reflection #9 – Rossibel

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The story involves a group of black women who have been meeting since 1974 and still meet to date to discuss their place in society regarding struggling against class oppression, sexual, heterosexual, and racial abuse (Mirza 189-207). These women find their origin in the Afro-American woman’s continuous life and death struggle for liberation and survival. They refer to themselves as the Black Feminists. Their main aim is to discuss ways to combat and manifold the various forms of oppression that women face. The group believes that the only people who care about them and their liberation are (black feminists). Their politics evolves from their love for themselves, their sisters, and the community, motivating them to continue their struggle and work. They believe that class and race cannot be separated because they have experienced it throughout their lives (Schelenz 224-249). They believe that in their fight against race and sexism, they should stand in solidarity with their fellow black men. These women also believe that men and women will never be equal. Women being in the category for the development of the home, men are made to perform other functions and are thus complementary to each other. In their journey to announce themselves as black feminists, they have encountered the problems of organizing themselves because the organization of white women has continued to grow in many ways and directions (Files 85-91). They are not trying to fight one form of oppression, but the entire form is a problem encountered. During their time of existence, the Black Women’s movement has worked on issues concerning abortion rights, rape, battered women, and sterilization abuse. They have achieved these through doing workshops on high school women, college campuses, and women’s conferences.

Reflection #8 – Rossibel

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What intrigued me about this author’s piece was how they used humor throughout the work. It makes it easier to get into the piece when it is entertaining. I found her translations humorous, but they were also very informative. When I first started reading, I thought it would be easier to do the housework yourself (65-67). He will not do it right, and nothing will get done around the house. Towards the end, though, when the author explains why the small comments about the housework and the husband’s dissatisfaction with having to do it added up to him not taking women’s liberation seriously. I am glad that she stuck with splitting up the housework since they both have jobs. Doing work around the house is not women’s work. It just works around the house. In an article by Mainardi Pat, the author highlights the ways women face sexism in the workplace through “office housework.” I tend to compare the same with Koedt Anne article on The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm. These are low-value tasks, such as mentoring new colleagues and taking notes during meetings (Desire, 112). Women are more likely to be asked to do these low-value tasks but are not likely to benefit from them. If a woman in the workplace avoids these chores, she is a bad team player, increasing women’s work hours and decreasing their access to more valuable work. Women are expected to play a secretarial role in the office even though that is not a part of their job. They are asked to fetch things such as drinks and food, and they are often asked to lead committees that provide no benefits. These low-value tasks are handed off to women because it is too trivial for a man to concern himself with these small tasks.

These articles showcase how women are often expected to do low-value tasks that seem to be too trivial for men to find worth doing. The social constructs we once had where a woman would only do housework and a man would work are still around us. Even though women work now, nothing is much better because small tasks that need to be done for a system to run efficiently are seen as women’s work and not worth a man’s time (Kar, Nilamadhab, 3-8). If the job is trivial, it should be simple to have a man do the same job at various times. It is unfair to expect a woman to do all of her work in the office plus more because she is not seen as a good employee or wife if she does not do it.

reflection #5 – Rossibel

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Activism is the act of pioneering new ways of thinking about ourselves, each other, and society. It is all about social change. Coming up with new ways to curb brittleness in the society and acts against humans’ liberty and advocating for equality and fraternity rang (Zilles 1-22). There is a lot to learn from past movements and individuals who were in place to protest against inequality and brittleness. Activism relies on individuals’ voices, energy, and strengths to inspire social change.

Right now, the world is seeing a new chapter in the history of activism. The stakes in social, environmental, and political issues are higher than ever. However, the impact we can make as individuals and communities is as important (Luguetti 119-136). We had a voice in a society that entailed having power, money, and prestige. However, because of the rise of social media and the internet, we now can defend our causes and influence the world.

It is a fresh start, and it is up to all of us to ask how we can fight to ensure that the whole altered society will be kinder, stronger, safer, and more committed to positive changes. A new generation is transforming the way we fight for what’s right. Powered by the internet, nurtured by the robust networks of mentors, and increasingly committed to diversity and intersectionality, they succeed in capturing public attention and changing minds and attitudes at a scale never witnessed before (Carl 78). Young people take advantage of the youthful stage and speak their minds. When the youths speak, the world listens because much of the world population right now are youths.

Reflection 4 -Rossibel

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According to Allan G Johnson’s “Patriarchy, the System,” “patriarchy” is “a massive social system or government that supervises and governs the way we as human beings interpret and determine our responsibilities in society (Caruso 239-269).” This judgment is founded on the patriarchal view that men and women are fundamentally distinct, with the male typically considered the dominant gender and the female typically regarded as a weaker, submissive, and domestically oriented extension of the male. Johnson indicates that, while we all play a part in this system, we cannot be held personally responsible for the patriarchy’s social flaws just because we chose the path of least resistance. ” According to Johnson, “the physical or metaphorical conduit provides the least effort to onward motion for a particular object or entity, among a range of potential courses.” As a result, Johnson utilizes this analogy to demonstrate how, in a patriarchal culture, we may assume that submitting to patriarchal perspectives is the easiest route of resistance. Audre Lorde believes that belonging to a certain group of individuals who share some common characteristics different from the rest of the world are viewed as outcasts and more so associated with the black race. Belonging to these groups is accompanied by a negative view from society, thereby being accompanied by neglect and oppression.Male domination over women is emphasized in patriarchy and its society. Everything from symbolism to literature to film to ordinary discourse reflects this supremacy (Fairbairn 135-150). This society promotes men in numerous ways, giving men greater privileges than their female counterparts. When patriarchal ideals are examined closely, men are shown to be the most important. According to the ” biological ” and ” natural ” views, men are the sole providers, the head of the household, the prized bulwark, and the dominant spouse, according to the “biological” and “natural” views. Women are viewed as weaker, more reliant, and more domestic. According to society, men are more brutish and quicker to anger, whereas women must be decent, dress “appropriately,” and cannot be trusted during PMS.

Johnson also makes an excellent argument by arguing that patriarchal attitudes harm women and men. Men are held to a society’s ideal of being masculine, rough, and dominant. The patriarchy is a male-dominated societal system, yet it is a system at its core, not a man or a woman (Quagrainie 1-18). According to Johnson, we tend to interpret systemic failures on an individual level, generalizing males as oppressors, and as a result, men become defensive about their moral and ethical beliefs. Individually, this uncertainty and aggression do not work because the patriarchal system fails on a systemic basis. Individually, we are merely participants in the game.

Discussion #7 – Rossibel Gomez

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When I read the instructions for this discussion I thought it was going to be very easy, but not because I’m a bit stuck and I’m not sure what to talk about. But the past discussions post have helped me a lot since they have given me a lot of knowledge about different topics and concepts. One of my favorites was discussion #4, since that day I have always been super grateful for everything I have, and above all, I have tried to value everything I have. Something that makes me super happy is being able to share my privileges with those who also need it.

Reflection #1 – Rossibel Gomez

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I found both readings super interesting and informative. “Sex and Gender 101” was one of my favorites as it talks about the main categories of Gender, such as gender assignment, gender identity, and gender expression. Gender assignment is how the gender of a person is identified whether masculine or feminine, which is based on their external genitalia. It’s crazy how men are expected to be tough, strong, messy, aggressive, not emotional, interested in cars, not romantics, etc. In comparison, women are expected to be girly, delicate, romantic, emotional, quiet, sensitive, and disinterested in sports and cars. In my opinion, I feel that this should not be like this, because I as a woman think that there is nothing wrong with a woman liking sports or cars. However, the fact of being a woman does not mean that we necessarily have to be romantic because just like men, we can also be non-romantics. Gender Identify is what a person thinks about themselves. Gender expression is the way a person shows their gender identity. For example, the way you dress, dance or walk.  Sexuality can change over the course of a person’s life. The other reading “Feminist Politics, where we stand” was also very interesting because Bell Hooks highlights the definition of feminism from her point of view. Hooks describes “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression” (1). I agree with her that feminism does not mean that we must be anti-men, much less than men are our enemies.

Discussion #2 – Rossibel Gomez

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Feminism, according to the “Feminist Politics Where We Stand,” is defined as “a drive to end chauvinism, sexist mistreatment, and oppression.” Feminism implies a program that is used to campaign for women’s or female rights based on sex that has been violated. Issues on sexual liberation, violence, divorce and custody laws changes, and reproductive rights for women have been worked on by activists.

Earlier, my thinking on feminism was that only women take part in the campaign against female exploitation and oppression. The paper shows that there is no gender in campaigning against the wrongs or violations of female rights (Hooks 1). Therefore, both male and female activists can participate in the feminist movement. Both men and women live a mutual life; hence, we live a life that has a vision, living with interaction being shaped by mutuality. Men and women have entered the workforce and need equal pay for equal work as men. Domestic issues, for instance, are known to be a female working all the house chores in the patriarchy. This should not be the case, according to this paper. This is because females have attained the same qualifications as men, and therefore they have to share equally what they do at home.

Gender is the roles that females and males are culturally and socially expected to do based on their biological sex (Hooks 29). ” According to sex and gender 101”, gender can be put into three categories; gender identity, gender assignment, and gender expression. A person is either categorized to be feminine or masculine based on his or her external genitalia. Also, the thinking or thought that an individual has on his or herself concerning gender is identification. In addition, one expresses his or her gender identity by the way he or her clothes, walking style, and makeup. Gender and sex can be used together, though sex majorly is based on biological differences (Hooks 32). The range of identities that are not based on either the female or male is denoted by gender. According to me, gender was either feminine or masculine, putting into consideration their differences in cultural and social life. There is not much difference in my thinking and that of “sex and gender 101”, though it shows further clarification or explanation of my understanding of gender.

In life, gender is a word always used in dealing with the identification of people in society, depending on roles and their thinking. Sex and gender are similar though more clarification is given to sex in regards to biological issues.

Discussion #10 – Rossibel Gomez

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“We might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action.  If black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.” This quote means that there still exists hope for women, and especially black women, to revolutionize into a world where they can be free. The author of this quote is realistic, although pessimistic about where black women are positioned in the political society. Black women are at the bottom in the capitalistic economy. However, the quote encourages feminists and black women to take advantage of that position and take action or fight for the position they believe they deserve. Consequently, the second sentence of the quote means by the time black women are liberated, then that means that everyone else under the oppression of the system will be liberated by then. Black women are at the very bottom such that they are not a priority to be accorded their freedom, and when they become free, then it means everyone else would have been freed based on their position, and all systems of oppression will have been destroyed.

By identity politics, the Combahee River collective means that everyone thinks that political agendas are only radical if they are based upon the identity of the people. This is done with total disregard for what other people, especially those who are not of the same identity, are going through, including oppression. It should be enough that, for instance, all women are recognized as humans, and oppression of black women is ended irrespective of their identity based on race. Identity politics can be seen operating in Paris is Burning such that despite the performers being good artists, they are often socially shunned mainly because they identify as part of the transgender community. Their identity based on their sexuality is used to create an agenda such that they have a community that provides them with a sense of support, while at the same time, they flourish irrespective of what the larger society thinks of them.

Race and gender are intertwined with capitalism. Race because of the oppression of black men and other minority groups by the majority such that in the capitalist economy, black men are exploited by the majority for profits. Material resources being one of the major means of production are also not equally distributed for all based on race, hence capitalism. Gender, on the other hand, has to do with capitalism due to the inequalities between the two sexes and sexism against women. Black women, for instance, not only face sexism from the majority of whites but also from their fellow black men. Capitalism aims at increasing the profits of the few controlling the means of production privately. Gender plays a critical role such that women have been considered the weak gender and are denied the opportunity to lead such an economy to reap the benefits and profits despite being part of the labor force. Therefore, race and gender have something to do with capitalism because they are both factors that enhance inequality, which is also a situation in which capitalism thrives.

Discussion #5 – Rossibel Gomez

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Patriarchy is a system of beliefs, politically surrounded values, relationships, and economic and social systems in which gender disparity between women and men is structured. Therefore it is important to recognize it as a system and not an individual identity. In matters of personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, men are criticized for being oppressive people. Some women freely blame male individuals for patriarchy. Individual guilt and blame are due to personal failures among people of color, females, or the poor, who do not have the right to something and compete with others like whites and those who make something for themselves. These individual men tend to fight back by thinking that they are men and therefore have more powers than women (Johnson 27).

Interpersonal level on action, behavior, and language, patriarchy works in that in cases of rape, as an example, it is believed to be acts of men who are either sick or angry, not putting into consideration the possible causes pushing them to commit sexual violence and no other cases. In some scenarios, what is gained from socialization may be false; however, powerful forces may need individuals to keep themselves in denial to rationalize what is taught. A social system is made when agreed upon by all participants (Johnson 33). Language, for instance, is made normal when phrases or words that are not good are tolerated by people, making it be used severally as no one or less resistance is felt. The institutional level has patriarchy as a system. For instance, men cover up for their male colleagues who are doing something wrong, say, young women, which is against the law. They tend to pretend they have not seen it, watch and enjoy or even walk away before it goes bad. This is because they know it will happen to them someday and will need the same treatment; hence they do not provoke.

At a structural or cultural level, a partial system involves ideas and symbols that create a culture surrounded by everyday discussion of war practices. In this case, ideas of masculinity and manhood are considered human in society, while women and feminists are considered marginalized (Johnson 40). This is what people of certain cultures know how their social life is or what is imaginary be of what they feel and expected of them. Men are thought to be naturally dominant, valued, and aggressive, while women are cooperative, devalued, and subordinate.

In conclusion, patriarchy as a system is used in all levels of oppression, meaning that there is much disparity and discrimination on gender, race, and class in social life.

Discussion #9 – Rossibel Gomez

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The liberated woman from the two contexts refers to women who have accepted the myth that men are better than women. The two authors attribute this to situations where males have convinced women that they are fewer beings and that men are superior and are right all the time. Liberated women refer to those that are submissive to the existing ideologies about male dominance. In the article The politics of Housework, Pat Mainardi attributes the position and condition of women to liberate women. Liberated women do not question sharing duties with their husbands because of the notion that it is their duty as women to do house chores. These women are available sexually without question despite the long work done during the day; they cook, wash, and clean the floors out of the notion that it is their responsibility or that they do it better than men anyway. Likewise, in The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm by Anne, the liberated woman refers to women who have accepted that frigidity is a woman’s problem. Psychologists have blamed women for lack of orgasm rather than on facts about the vagina and clitoris as the center of pleasure in women (Koedt, p.7)

The liberated woman is important in women’s liberation because a woman’s role is to change their situation at home rather than in the political sphere. Women who are oppressed and looked down upon for believing in male-dominant ideologies should stand up and change that for their well-being. Based on the article by Ann, the author suggests that women should champion sharing housework with their male partners because women are not to be fewer beings; they should also enjoy a career, a day off, and much more (Mainardi, p.3). In The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm, the author suggests that women should champion their rights by challenging the myths existing in society through facts. Women should also stand their ground and prioritize themselves just as men do to achieve women’s liberation.

 The two articles show that the personal is political because of male dominance in submitting to all-male ideologies even when the facts state otherwise. The gender inequality in women arises from the political setup in the society where the woman has been pushed to the corner by male ideologies and myths that are not factual. Women’s situations result from their submission to passive and old ways that a man is somehow superior to a woman and should enjoy certain privileges.