In the essay, “Feminist Politics Where We Stand” bell hooks defines feminism as: “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” and what that means to me as a woman is Feminism is a movement that’s main goal is to create equity between men and woman in the household, workplace , politics and society, to give us full autonomy over our body’s in my reading by Bell Hooks she explains how most people view feminism as anti men  and create opinions based on that view. Bell hooks explains that feminism is against patriarchy and the oppression of the patriarchy. In my reading it mentions how men want to lead and dominate over women despite wanting to talk about freedom in the article it states.  “ Men told the world about the importance of freedom while subordinating the women in their ranks“which is true we are constantly experiencing men commenting on how they believe women should dress and behave, their role in the house and even discuss whether we even have a right over our own bodies. In Society women are treated as possessions, we belong to someone and that is how we gain value. As a wife, or a mother,  this  is the ticket to respect. We need to earn our respectability. It is not inherently given to us and that looks different when we add intersectionality. A white woman and a black woman will experience two different struggles because of systemic racial constructs.  Bell Hooks goes on to describe these experiences and what feminism hopes to achieve.  In pur other essay Sex and Gender 101 I learned new things I haven’t heard  before even though most of what i read i knew through self education and workshops I have  taken being that i work at an LGBT youth shelter but the idea of gender being a cultural construct gave me pause and also makes sense. In the article gender 101 it explains that in American culture “ boys are taught and expected to be tough, risk-taking, rowdy, athletic, strong, aggressive, rugged, handsome, not emotional, messy, loud, heterosexual studs, girls are taught and expected to be soft, submissive, cautious, delicate, graceful, prissy, pretty, weak, passive, emotional “ there are so many expectations and conditioning beginning right after birth for people in this country any person that deviates from the expectations are expected to receive some form of reprecussions.To me gender is apart of someones identity and up to them to express that identity how they see fit.  In the end it is frustrating that someone’s quality of life can be impacted by created constructs. I appreciated the message of  both readings.