I’d firstly like to describe activism which is the technique of taking direct action to achieve political or social goals. Activism can involve either supporting or opposing a certain cause (or set of causes). Protests, lawsuits, lobbying, petitions, and strikes are examples of direct (and ongoing) acts used in activism as confronting a problem and combating it with action and not just words. There are numerous ways we go about different types of activism. It only really depends on how we’d want to get these things done while keeping in mind each outcome. This week, I selected to watch Girl Connected, an overwhelmingly stunning documentary that follows the lives of girls from Bangladesh, Jordan, Kenya, and India as they struggle to address gender unfairness and brutality in their daily lives. It was about five different females from all over the world. Each girl was addressing a topic in her country that she believed was affecting her. One was child marriage, combating disability/learning self-defense, having the right to an education, being creative freely, and lowering adolescent pregnancy rates. Today, there is a lot of activity as people battle to make their voices and those of others heard.

After initial completion of the film I saw that each of the five girls is battling valiantly, and as a result, they serve as an inspiration not just to their friends, but also to those of us watching the video. Aspiring enough to allow us to know that any problem that we may be undergoing now is only just another mere obstacle that we are also able to overcome just like these girls. Some of the concerns which I’ve mentioned before are that the girls are trying to include the right to an education, child marriage, learning self-defense, lowering teen pregnancy rates, and the freedom to be vocal. Witnessing their daily lives in this film was another inspiring contribution the author decided to include throughout the film so vividly. We’ve gotten the opportunity to see how widespread the issue of gender discrimination and violence is, as well as the courage it takes for these girls and others to engage in activism. “Every right, liberty and security we have exists because someone stood up and fought for it.”  Wendy Syfrets writes in her book ‘How to Think Like an Activist’. This quote may have stood out to me the most because at a glance I feel as though this statement that she’s made can be another definition for activism. Understanding that not just standing up for something but also fighting for it is what truly creates change. An evidential fact that we as individuals must be acknowledged while discussing activism alongside the traits we must display to show true activism regardless of what it might be for. After watching Girl Connected and reading this week’s readings, I would definitely define activism as the correct way/fortitude to stand up against what is wrong or even what needs to be focused on, even if it involves fighting in the process, all in the cause of bringing about change for greater equality, fairness, and justice in as many ways possible.

I’ll begin by defining patriarchy, because I don’t yet have a definition that I can say I am completely satisfied with which wraps up every underlying meaning. These meanings I feel as though must be portrayed in order to fully understand Patriarchy and the concepts within it. Most importantly, I’d discuss what patriarchy has to do with men and what it has to do with all of us. Alongside these varying contributions, expressing my deep concerns about continuing to operate within the patriarchal paradigm that has been with us. At least those of us who are part of Western civilization, for some time now. Ultimately I’d conclude by saying what I believe each of us can do about these already deeply rooted structures. Allan Johnson defines patriarchy in his article “Patriarchy, the System,” and addresses the common misconceptions and stereotypes that people associate with the term. He claims that people tend to generalize and associate the term patriarchy with men, leading them to believe that all men are oppressive. Johnson contends that these misconceptions must be dispelled in order to solve social dilemmas, for example “If we’re ever going to work toward real change, it’s a confusion we’ll have to clear up.” (Johnson) Johnson effectively identifies common misconceptions about patriarchy and convincingly argues that this ignorance and individualist perspective is contributing to societal problems. As In Audre Lorde passage she speaks about specific social intersections on which she explained through the eyes of black, lesbian, feminist, socialist and interracial lovers. Her message, however, can be applied to a wide range of social realities to account for differences in ethnicity, age, class, geography, ability, and so on. Additionally stating that, “I have learned that sexism and heterosexism both arise from the same source as racism”(Lorde). Here Lorde implied that oppression doesn’t necessarily know any progressing boundary concepts, if oppression against one group is allowed to flourish, it will eventually spread to oppress others.

A key point of the many things that may make it complicated to actually speak about patriarchy, or any of other systems following it, is that most people’s awareness of systems as distinct from the individuals who live within and are affected by them has been systematically rooted out. Instead, everything is viewed as a separate problem with separate results. Unfortunately, this is also why the main achievements of a wave of feminism in the United States, for example, have been at the individual level, such as access to more types of jobs and education, or increased reproductive choice. There has been very little change in the system that I refer to as patriarchy, and individual changes have not been available to women who are darker-skinned and/or of limited economic means in an essence.

After fair analysis of both short readings alongside the video “What Is Privilege”, I’ve come to understand that  privilege is an unearned, exclusive, and socially conferred advantage. White privilege is a deep-seated power that exists regardless of income, class, or effort. So in my case of being a black woman, how does one explain a Black woman’s inherent power ? I can say that in our modern day society being a black woman can still become to feel like a burden in ways such as being easy targets fo sexual harrasment, or even just “easier targets” in general despite these things our society have taken into consideration many other groups such as LBTQ’s. With that being said, being a black woman sometimes puts an emphasis on the meaning of power, or even a broader perspective on how to stand for something you feel may be right and just no matter what it may be perceived as from outsiders. “Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare occur in the context of historic and current economic inequality, as well as evidence of persistent racial and ethnic discrimination in many sectors of American life.” Essentially, in America, Black privilege is synonymous with Black oppression. There is an opportunity to turn this version of privilege into a sham. For change to occur, massive amounts of action from all sectors of society are required. However, the first (and arguably most important) change must take place in the hearts of Americans. 

While these may be some great advantages that have now developed over the course of accepting other groups. Black women’s disadvantages still rank high in correlating circumstances. Black women are more ambitious and more likely than white women to say they want to advance in their companies in some ways, but they are less likely to find mentors to help them climb that same exact corporate ladder. Interacting with black people in their personal or professional circles may make them feel uncertain or uncomfortable. At times, this lack of mentoring is the result of intentional exclusion, in which leaders make a point of not including Black women in teams, as mentees, or on important projects. These patterns stymie Black women’s advancement in organizations, as well as their ability to realize their ambitions and secure leadership positions. And, as a result of occupational underrepresentation, Black women must work even harder to gain access to and advance in these fields. I can personally say that women of color are typically underrepresented in professional, high-level positions in law, medicine, academia, and business. When they achieve these coveted positions but are the only ones in an organization, they are more likely to question the company’s commitment to inclusion and equity and, as a result, are more likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. In the short story “Oppression” by Marilyn Frye, she states her meaning of oppression based on simple subjection. For example, “ The root of the word “oppression” is the element “press.” The press of the crowd; pressed into military service; to press a pair of pants; printing press; press the button. Presses are used to mold things or flatten them or reduce them in bulk, sometimes to reduce them by squeezing out the gasses or liquids in them. Something pressed is something caught between or among forces and barriers which are so related to each other that jointly they restrain, restrict, or prevent the thing’s motion or mobility. Mold. Immobilize. Reduce.” (This in a way emphasizes what some of these things simply implies as far as oppression yet while understanding these simple examples through the eyes of society, another perspective comes to light.

After careful analysis of Alok Vaid-Menon, a poet, artist, and LGBTQIA rights advocate, deconstructs, demystifies, and reimagines the gender binary in Beyond the Gender Binary. They demonstrate that gender is a malleable and creative form of expression by drawing on their own experiences as a gender nonconforming artist. 

Throughout this deeply compacted book, it was extremely helpful to me. Being that It definitely made me aware of how my own mind functions in terms of traditional binary standards. I’ve been very conscious of assigning others their preferred pronouns, but while reading this, I realized there are other things I do that could be harmful. Vaid-Menon made me more aware of how the world is so used to doing things that are “socially acceptable” that they don’t consider how they are ostracizing other people, particularly those who identify outside of the gender binary. I feel as though my gender identity can go against specified gender norms in some ways, being that I identify as pansexual which is likeing someone mainly reagardless of their sex, or what they’ve preferred to classify as. As far as being a female, I may be expected to only like my opposite gender which is male this will also be considered as our current societies social norm being anything else may tend to raise a few brows being that pansexual is outside of said norms. Working within the confines of a world that does not allow you to be yourself is taxing on the soul and on a person. One of the parts that really struck me was when Vaid-Menon discussed how people are willing to tolerate those who identify as non-gender conforming, but can’t even do something as simple as defend non-gender conforming people in public.

I believe Alok has made it completely clear the moving beyond gender binary is most importantly just moving towards an acknowledgment of multiplicity, within the areas of gender binary as well as realizing that attempting to ultimately fit each and every person into one of the two categories would not work. Due to tremendous or even mere differences of the other. Accepting these differences are what can build a stronger social structure allowing every individual to feel accepted bringing about broader perspectives on a variety of many different subjects.

Today’s society has made it socially acceptable to judge people based on their race. Stereotyping may appear to be a common occurrence, but it is an oppressive practice. Following the reading of these two short articles regarding race and how it negatively affects women’s lives, it is clear that all women must band together to resist the oppression they face.

Feminist Politics Where We Stand, by Bell Hooks, examines the meaning and evolution of feminism. “Simply expressed, feminism is a movement to eradicate sexism,” Hooks begins her essay. oppression, and sexist exploitation” (Shaw 37). She utilizes this term because men are not perceived as the adversary, but rather as the source of sexism. As she progresses through her essay, she discusses how feminism has changed through time, culminating in the feminist movement’s decision to focus solely on concerns affecting “white women.” Prior to reading information on what feminism meant to Hooks, my own definition consisted of mainly woman empowerment but not so muvh of race inequalities. Alongside Hooks findings, her ultimate point may be illustrated In the final paragraph of her essay she writes, “Because the feminist movement lacks precise definitions, feminist politics is losing steam. Those definitions are in our possession. Let’s take back what’s rightfully ours. Let’s have a look at them and see what we can come up with.” (Shaw 39). Hooks is expressing the belief that if women, or anyone, band together, the feminist movement’s beliefs can be reformed to include all women of all races and colors. This is a really persuasive point she makes because so many women endure challenges due to their gender and ethnicity, and so if all women banded together to battle comparable challenges, the impact could be significant and eventually everlasting. 

Before completing our Sex and Gender 101 reading, my initial thoughts on gender as well as its stereotypes include both descriptive and prescriptive elements, or attitudes about how men and women should behave. Men are expected to be agentic and avoid weakness, while women are expected to be caring and avoid dominance. The terms “sex” and “gender” are sometimes unconsciously used interchangeably by individuals. After taking into consideration aspects throughout the reading of Sex and Gender 101 I found that Despite the similarities, the two terms are not interchangeable. On the basis of the baby’s genitals, we generally assign a newborn’s sex as male or female. We assume the gender of the child once a sex is assigned at the child’s birth. A few more comparison in the text I’ve immediately noticed was my overall separation of primary sexual binaries, such as male, female, and intersexual all consisting of there not being one way to being either or. I agree with this fact, tying back to the initial point I made earlier as far as how male and females are expected to act. Being that we live in such a modern day society where we all may try to accept any differences in order to still create aspects of equality is where expectations may come to a fault. Men don’t need to act musclin to be considered a Man, vice versa. Even though this may be some of our norms it’s ultimately not our modern day world factual reality. The word “gender binary” is frequently used to convey the belief that you can only be male or female, never both. Friends and relatives frequently send gifts of “gender appropriate” apparel and toys to new-born babies, reinforcing this perception. Giving a child a gift that is incorrect for their gender is typically seen as a huge social faux pas per se. It’s worth mentioning that appropriate gendered conduct varies a lot throughout cultures, and even within cultures, it’s changed a lot over time. Some civilizations have been significantly less wedded to the binary than ours, while others continue to enforce it with greater meaning.