Hello classmate and Professor This week I’ve Read 2 pieces of text informing me on new topics I’m unaware of or know little to nothing about. I’ll be quite honest; I don’t like how the first text is written to much. It’s a little bit confusing. The author could’ve done a better job explaining the difference between liberated women & women’s liberation.  “The Politics of Housework by Pat Mainardi Talks about the difference between Liberated Woman and Women’s Liberation and housework being a main example. A Liberated women shows that she is free from traditional ideas, especially when it regards to sexual roles it seems like. The author states “Liberated women-very different from Women’s Liberation! The first signals all kinds of goodies, to warm the hearts of the most radical men.” and author also states “who wants that old commodity anymore, the Standard American Housewife, all husband, home and kids? The New Commodity the Liberated Woman, has sex a lot and has a Career.” The liberated woman does not seem like the average house wife and she is not following traditional social norms. She   goes on to talk about how over time History has made it seem like Women have to follow these norms the author  goes on to explain why they shouldn’t. Housework is brought up into the picture because this is a good example of men I guess feeling like women are supposed to do housework and be housewives… When in general men can put just as much effort into doing these tasks it’s not something only women do. ? The freedom of women from sexism,  The fight for equal rights for women is Women’s Liberation, a liberated woman is a Free Women. 

“The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm” by Anne Koedtwas the second article I read that I liked the most out of the two readings. The discussion of vaginal and clitoral orgasms is what the article is basically about. There are many myths presented in articles that I find interesting. The author states “ The vagina is not a highly sensitive area and is not constructed to achieve orgasm. It is the clitoris which is the center of sexual sensitivity and which is the female equivalent of the penis”. I find this information being true, and good for high school freshmen to know. They don’t tell you this in Sex ed. Sadly there are many people failing to please their partners. They don’t show this area enough love.  Something else the author also states that I like and agree with is the point that ” We must discard the “normal” concepts of sex and create new guidelines which take into account mutual sexual enjoyment. New techniques must be used or devised which transform this particular aspect of our current sexual exploitation. To make things more fun and experimental we should find different ways to reach Climax by using different techniques. For The article being written in the 1970 this generation has definitely found out new ways to do that using different devices and contraptions and having such easy accessibility to these resources. Another myth debunked or spoken about that I like and knew before was that “The Clitoris is a small equivalent of the penis, except for the fact that the urethra does not go through it as in the man’s penis. This has a connection to the concept that Everyone starts the same in utero. Slowly from then we develop into either boys or girls. From the author’s explanation the clitoris is internal, and the penis is external but still similar. In conclusion the author debunks many myths in this article I just spoke about some of the ones that catch my eye the most. 

This week’s topic we have a discussion about equal rights amendment, Suffrage, labor rights and how they correlate. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is one of the first videos I watched talking about a horrible catastrophe that took place March 25, 1911. A fire broke out on the top floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. The workers were Trapped inside the fire with basically no exits to leave the building in numerous ways, workers jumped to their deaths. 146 people died from this event. Although this was the early 1900, How could the owner or whoever is in charge not at least have a plan in case a fire happens or any emergency. Exits shouldn’t have been locked, why was the water hose rusted shut, why didn’t elevators work. That is due to the negligence of the workers’ safety. This was a critical event in the history of the U.S. labor movement, the New Deal, the development of occupational safety and health standards, and the New York City Fire Department. It was sad to find out the owner wasn’t punished for the loss of all these people. 

The second video really explains how little has changed in the global sweatshop economy. Workers are again trapped in a bad work environment and choosing to jump out windows before burning. A Segment of the video that stood out to me the most was workers’ protest in Bangladesh. The sweatshop workers in Bangladesh are really underpaid so the workers stood up and asked for a 10-cent raise… To basically get 35 cents an hour  from big companies that they are making clothes for like Gap and Walmart who sell the clothes they make for 20$ and more. The sweatshop workers have long laborious hours making important essentials that US kids and adults wear and  to get almost nothing back in return. I believe these companies have enough to give these people so much more. The Bangladesh deserve to get more than cents. To see police officers and officials try and hurt protesters with rubber bullets and etc. isn’t right.

Further on we talk about the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) it is an amendment the U.S passed to grant equal and legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.  A couple years after the ratification of the 19th amendment. Towards the end of article given to use to read They explain how Era affects women’s right. It seems like it helps and makes things somewhat fair. This can help women in terms of divorce, property, employment, and sex discrimination. This isn’t something available everywhere. But should be, places like Virginia became the 38th state to vote to try and ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. There can be more only if people decide to stand up and the government is mindful of Rights 

 I like this class and subject. It’s interesting learning about gender studies ,Feminism , oppression and etc. Every week we go over something Eye opening. Even if we speak about things that I already know like week 2 about sex and gender I gain a better understanding of these things then I have known before. I enjoy when we talk about things that open my eyes like Discussion 6 Activism that was done in the past paved the way for so much today. Makes me feel like things are not that bad today & also if there is a problem many people can relate to and want to fix they can, have others tag along and spread a powerful Message.

I like how spring is coming. It’s a funny era for me, throughout life sometimes around this time I feel a sense of growth or understanding of how I feel. I’m nobody crazy about zodiacs, time etc.  but being a Virgo born in September and the year changing around January 1 then spring starting late March is like I’m in half time and I gotta ask myself how shit going, what must I do better … who should I avoid… what habits to try and stray away from… how can I be better in my crafts ….. Many things. If you’re reading, thank you, Take Care .  

Hello Classmates & Professor Waychoff I hope everyone’s doing Well

Activism has changed so many things in the society I live in for the good or the bad. There are many forms of Activism that I like and appreciate like Petitioning, Political campaigning, or using social media to push a message or reach their goal. A person or a group of people who campaigns to bring political or social change are considered Activists.  I wouldn’t really consider myself a big activist. There are a few things that I would stand up for or try to speak up about and support. Things having to do with Human rights is what I support. Many Icons like Dr Martin Luther King & Mahatma Gandhi and the people behind them are good examples of activists. Things like going on Hunger Strikes like Gandhi or having many protests with hundreds of thousands to get rid of Jim Crow laws like MLK are perfect examples of Activism & being an activist. This week while reading a couple excerpts from How to Think Like An Activist by Wendy Syfret I gained more knowledge on how to become a good activist and different ways to speak up against something that oppresses me. I like how from the beginning the author explains Why and how Activism is so important. I totally agree that Activism has made things better for people like me when certain things in the past had to be spoken up against. In general throughout the Article she continues explaining the many resources that we have to make a message clear nowadays. 

I decided to watch Knock Down the house. It was based on 4 powerful women named Alexandria Cortez (AOC) representing NYC, Cori Bush ,Paula Jean_, Swearengin, Amy Vilela. They are all from different states. They come together because they want to fight FOR social justice and more diverse representation in the US congress For their communities and people. They are racing against each other for a spot in the government to make a change. As things go on we Focus more on Alexandria, the one who got ahead of the other women (AOC) showing what her struggles are like. Constantly working trying to get to where she wants to be. She is a part of the working class running Against Senator Joe Manchin, someone really rich. Unlike him she was still working like me, someone in the working class.  On April, 12th, 2018, she got the ballot and became a part of congress. I Like this documentary because it shows examples of many things we speak about weekly things like activism & oppression . These women really show what it is like to be a female activist, to be dedicated to doing something even when the odds are stacked against you. Activists can start small and end up very big getting their point across.

Hello Professor and Classmate I hope everyone is well, …Allan Johnson, “Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us” was an interesting reading. It Informed me on the issue of patriarchy and how citizens in the society play a part in the system. As a young Man still learning and understanding the Idea of Patriarchy slips my mind. Patriarchy is something we are institutionally born into So I could be a part of it without knowing. Through expectations, rules, ideas of what a female and male should do, individuals participate in the system with or without knowing. Patriarchy is taught to me and others from a young age. Some of us kind of just went along with it. The definition of Patriarchy is a system of society or government that is male-dominated, male identified, and male-centered basically oppressing women.  In general, the whole idea of patriarchy is not right and something that should continue. We see examples of this in the news, books, television and real life. Over time understanding the problem comes with thinking about a solution. Allen states a couple things that helps me come to conclusion for a solution “It may not be us; it may be larger than us it may not be us, but it does not happen except THROUGH us” explaining that this is more of a systematic problem & the term patriarchy & men, lead to believing that men are oppressive. Johnson explains that these misconceptions must be dispelled in order to solve social dilemmas. We have to stop our future generations from following the same paths. Leaving the idea of Patriarchy completely as it is to create a different system of socialization is the way to go. 

Audre Lorde, “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions” expresses the thought that All oppressions must be recognized and fought against simultaneously. Her Views and emotion throughout the story support it all… I am very aware of Oppression in the world. I’ve been oppressed before for my height, my skin color, or the things I like by people. From personal experiences Oppression hurts Nobody should feel pressured unless what they believe in is harmful to humanity Like racist beliefs. Throughout the reading she talks about her views of oppression, what She and the people like her Go through. From how it sounds Audre states that she is Black, Lesbian, And A Feminist, A mother and more. Other than her there are many people like her that believe in similar things. She is looked at as deviant, difficult, inferior or just plain “wrong” to most people. Being Black does come with some kind of oppression, but why because of a person’s skin, Being Lesbian causes Oppression because they choose to like the same Sex. There is nothing wrong with that. People shouldn’t go through Feeling oppressed for what they believe in. One form of oppression is not better than the other or important than the other.