Giselle Valentine
Reading Reflection for Bell Hooks “Feminist politics, where we stand”
Feminism is anti patriarchy it is against male domination and power dynamics between men and women in public and private matters. Equity for women is what the goal is in feminism. For many women they have or still experience harassment and violence disproportionately more often than men because of their gender. Men who do not engage in this violence and domineering still benefit from the privileges this form of oppression provides and that was mentioned in Bell Hooks article. In the work place women are more likely to be sexually harassed as well as more likely to go through sexual assault. Every woman knows at least 1 other woman who has experienced SA and pursuing justice is damaging and rarely sees justice through. These are things women go through that have been normalized or gas-lighted. Feminism is necessary to dismantle the structures that exist to oppress women due to gender. In my reading I was reflecting on my own experiences as a woman and frustration on how anyone can be blind to how women are viewed and expected to behave. We are literally still fighting over autonomy over our own bodies and it is irritating to have to educate people consistently in the ways we are silenced and devalued. I appreciate Bell Hooks point of view and stance in restorative justice. She had the patience and compassion to view the men and society as willing to learn and give them the benefit of the doubt. I hope to not internalize the frustration and learn the same ways.
Reflection for Sex and Gender 101 by Kyl Meyers
In the Article Sex and Gender 101 I was pleasantly surprised that this reading was apart of the curriculum because i work for an organization that specifically services LGBTQ clients and we are big in affirming clients and pronouns and we consistently take workshops and it is wonderful but outside of the doors of my job feels like a different universe . Where even in profession setting things are not addressed in ways that feel affirming to an individual I was also able to learn terms I havent thought of before and give me a different lens to view the concept of gender too in the article Meyers says this “Gender refers to the social and cultural roles that males and females are expected to subscribe to based on their biological sex.” I honestly have never viewed it in that way. I know in other cultures we acknowledge more than one gender but I have never connected the notion that this whole idea of Gender is just another construct of this country’s reality. That can be reconstructed and built in support of people and their identities. Providing people with the services and safety education and skills they deserve in daily life can support people to have a better quality of life in the challenges they face and it is extremely important to educate ourselves as best we can. This article was wonderful and rich in the explanation of differences between sex and gender and all the definitions in between. Thank you for assigning this reading.
