Author: Alyssa Granderson

• What are the goals of your intervention and why is this intervention needed?

The goal of my intervention is to expose the in discrimination that takes place within the healthcare system and how it is a known problem with little to no changes. This intervention is needed because access to healthcare should not be a issue, discrimination because of your sexual orientation or gender identity should also not be an issue. Both parties need to be understanding and open minded. We have to understand why people act the way they do and why its a problem along with why the way they act is a problem.

• What “data” or material will your intervention be based on?

My intervention data and material will be from articles online as well as case studies and research papers. I want to include statistics and real life experiences.

• What will you produce? What are you going to do?

I’m thinking about do a zine, pamphlet type of thing. Inside of it I will include information on the issue with statistics, and solutions. I want my project to be creative and informative. I want to help Both sides gain knowledge as to why people might act the way they do but also why it is a problem to be that way.

• Why is this the form that your project will take? What is the justification?

I am doing my project in this way because when people want information the respect pamphlets and other little things that give information. When brainstorming ideas I decided that this would be a cute route to take but it is also informative. I feel like people pay attention to the little things. people usually want things straight to the point and fact but it also has to be creative and grab attention.

I would like to start off by saying that I love zines. They are a great way to share information in a way that many people can understand. Personally, I have made a zine before and I enjoyed the process and sharing it with others.  Based off the definition of feminist praxis friendship as a feminist praxis is have a friends or group of friends that are supportive and motivate you to help you grow into yourself as a person. After reading Faggots, Dykes and Fairies: Welcome to the world of The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolution, I came to the conclusion that feminist praxis also has to so with understanding. So many people could relate and find a connection in the original book and the book evolved into something bigger and greater. I feel like the zine reading also had a similar theme of finding your connections and sense of self. I say this because we all just want to feel like we belong, and we all search for that. I’m not sure if I’m interpreting the reading right but I feel like feminist praxis has also do with companionship, understanding and growing with each out. Friendship is a growing mutual relationship. In that relationship you form strong bonds and a support system. Im not sure on what else to add. I enjoyed reading both article. But I didn’t not see the relation between the video clips and the text except for The Faggot and Their Friends Between Revolutions.

• What do Vera-Gray and Kelly  say about “public space” as “gendered space”– what do they mean? What can  you add to their discussion from your own observations and experiences of public space?

According to the article, what Vera-Gray and Kelly have to say about  “public space” being “gendered space” is “public space is gendered space has not been a focus of mainstream academic analysis, but such a framing offers important insights”. Based off this and other quotes throughout the reading, all public space is gendered space. All of us as human beings are able to be in a public space and express their gender in that space. But in society it is not acceptable as a women to be in a public space alone. When walking down the street people watch, stare and even approach you with inappropriate comments. Women space in public spaces is not respected. One quote that really stuck with me from the other article that I feel is related is “A woman is supposed to be hidden. So the moment she’s out in public space, especially if she’s on her own, its like, ‘Oh she’s this loose woman.’” I feel like I see this in every day movements. When women are seen in certain spaces or at different times, when are looked down upon.

• What do the authors mean by “safety work?” What examples do they offer? Do you have other examples to add?

According to the article, the term “safety work” means existence in the form of invisible work mandated for women and girls in public. “Safety work” is something that is trying to be made visible. Women and girls are trying not to become another statistic, victim or savior of sexual harassment or assault.

• How do you think the praxis models engage in “safety work,” if at all? What other “work” do these interventions do?

This interventions bring light to multiple issues but also shows intersectionality. There was discussions about gendered harassment which included cisgendered women as well as members of the LGBT+ community. All the articles are related to each other in terms of creating change and fighting to be accepted in public spaces no matter their gender identity. In Stop Telling Women to Smile women were right to be able to walk their streets without fear of being harassed or attacked. In Fenced Out is a documentary about the fight of the Christopher St. Pier because that was their safe space.

• Do any of these models give you ideas for your own project- and especially about the use of websites, videos, journalistic essays?

The documentary  Fenced Out gave me ideas for my project. It gave a lot of insight in on what goes on in the community as well as the feelings of all people involved. I think I’m going to look into more documentaries instead of just articles and journals.

 

• What is the thesis, research question, or problem that the literature review addresses? (What is the purpose of the literature review?)  Be specific- quote the article.

In the article Paternal Influences on Adolescent Sexual Behavior I believe that the research question is what role do parents have on adolescent sexual behavior. I say this because in the abstract it says, “The objective of this study was to conduct a structured review to assess the role of paternal influence on adolescent sexual behavior and to assess the methodological quality of the paternal influence literature related to adolescent sexual behavior.”

In the article Gender Identity in European Family Farming it stats in the first paragraph “This paper is concerned with representation of gender in research texts. It uses the research literature on gender in family farming as study material in order to pinpoint meanings of gender in the academic literature.”

 

• What do the authors do? What type of literature do they review? Do they review literature in a particular field or discipline?

 

Vincent Guilamo-Ramos is employed in the Silver School of Social Work and Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health along with Jane Lee and Katherine McCarthy. Alida Bouris is employed at the School of Social Administration. And Shannon L. Michael, Seraphine Pitt-Barnes, and Patricia Dittus is employed in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I think this literature was in a particular field because this study was in a particular field.

 

 

In the article Gender Identity in European Family Farming. The author, Berit Brandth focuses on the literature based on rural gender studies and agricultural media mainly for analysis. I think this literature was discipline because of the format it is written in.

 

• What does the literature review find? You may want to look at how it is organized (e.g. headings) to analyze the different themes or areas of information that the review contains.

In the article Paternal Influences on Adolescent Sexual Behavior the authors searched 6 databases for keywords of adolescent sexual behavior and parenting processes were identified. There were 4 main points for the literature they reviewed, 1- articles were prereview between 1980-2011, 2- adolescents were living in the U.S ages 11-18, 3- examined adolescent sexual behaviors or reproductive outcomes, and 4- focused on paternal parenting processes. The conclusions from the study were that fathers have the potential to uniquely influence adolescent sexual behavior, but it is overlooked.

In the article Gender Identity in European Family Farming. I believe that the findings are that farm women’s main strategy is loyalty to ensure the survival of the family farm.

 

 

• What are the gaps or next steps, according to the author?

I’m not sure what the findings for article Gender Identity in European Family Farming. In Paternal Influences on Adolescent Sexual Behavior the next steps would be that the fathers influence the sexual behavior on their children. Which is understandable because from the finding fathers do play a role in adolescent sexual behavior.

 

 

 

• Define and discuss “reflexivity” in your own words. What are some ways that you will consider “reflexivity” in your project? How might you “bend back?”

Based off the passage reflexivity involves a “bending back” by going more deeply into the self in order to understand others. I interpretative this as in order to better understand those around you and other people in general you have to understand yourself. You have look deep within yourself to truly understand yourself and others. When you take a step back and look at yourself you become more aware of your prospective and the limitations of it. When Tagchi said “experience is actually made and taking place in the very telling of the experience.” Meaning that in telling an experience there is an experience. Based off of our intersections and personal life the way we all experience the same one situation is different. Reflexivity can work within my project because I think there can be limitations to my thinking at well. I feel like reflexivity is kind of like the saying “think outside the box” when you “think outside the box” there are no limits or boundaries. The “bend back” is more like self-awareness. When doing this project, I have to be aware why I’m doing this, what I want people to get from it and I have to make sure my message comes across clear.

• What do you think about Tuck’s argument about damage-centered research? What role do “damage” and “desire” play in your project?

Damage centered history reminds me of secret/hidden history. This is history that was forgotten or ignored by established scholars. History of countries and communities that was never told or even acknowledged. I loved how Eve talked about her own community and how it is “damaged”. The two readings for the week are related in the way that Eve does use reflexivity in the way she examines herself and different communities. I think the role of “damage” and “desire” will play an informative role in my project. I will use it to identify the problem within the community.

• Describe each of the four methods outlined in Wambui’s article. Add “autoethnography” from the Ellis piece to this list and explain this method. Share your reflections about the podcast.

 

The four methods used to conduct feminist research are interviews, focus groups, case studies and discourse analysis. As well as auto-ethnography. Interviews but more importantly more specifically face-to-face semistructured interviews are used to collect high quality data. These interviews are conducted by using open ended questions in an informal manner. Focus groups are another method that can be used. There are two important key features used which are contextual and non-hierarchical method. The contextual method includes avoiding focusing on the individual devoid of social context or separating from interactions with other. The non-hierarchical method is the shift of the balance of power away from the researcher towards the research participants. The case study is a common qualitative method that allows multiple methods or triangulation and reflects an attempt to secure an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon in question. It will allow women to construct their own realities and arrives at their own truth based on their own life experiences and terms.There are multiple definitions of discourse analysis. One is by Michel Foucault which says that it is both reflect and shape the way we experience and interpret the world around us, and consequently the way we act upon it. There is also a definition by Hajer and Fairclough. Each definition includes the interpretations of the world and society. Auto-ethnography is the approach to research and writing that searches to describe and systematically analyze personal experience in order to understand cultural experience.

 

I think the podcast was very interesting. Last semester I wrote a research paper on violence agents transgendered people. I wanted to right specifically about violence against black transgenders. This podcast was very informative, liberation and it was kind of like a self confidence builder. When she spoke about having self-confidence and knowing yourself that was definitely something that everyone can look up to. Because she is right nobody can smack it out of you in your strongly rooted within yourself. I agree that trans people should work outside in build their own power. Assimilation did not help during any period of change movement. It did not build the black community it brought us down. I think assimilation is just giving in. overall I really enjoyed the podcast this definitely a podcast that I would add to my list to listen to.

 

• Discuss each method in relationship to your final project ideas– if you had the time and resources you would need: is the method appropriate? How would you use this method to do your research? Who would your participants/subjects be? And, if the method is not a good fit, why not? This is only a thought experiment — you are not committing to any methods here

 

If I had the time, I believe that I would us interviews to figure out other people’s point of view on the topic. People who are not in college, younger teens, adults and the elderly. I would get a wide range of data to see how society views such an important yet sensitive topic. Focus groups are also another method that I would use. I would use the contextual method because that removes the level of social context and engagement. People of all ethnicities, races and sexuality would be welcome to the focus groups. Case studies are something that I would look at to gather statistic to back up my viewpoint as well as counter claims.

• What is feminist praxis, according to the text? What makes it “feminist?” What is your definition of feminism? How would you explain feminism to someone who had not heard this term before?

Based on the text, Michele Tracy Berger and Cheryl Radeloff define feminist praxis as the integration of learning with social justice. I believe what makes it feminist is the definition of praxis. Based off the text, praxis is applying your knowledge to challenge oppressive systems and unequal traditions. To me feminism is fighting for equals rights and representation all across the board, it’s about fighting social injustices, inequities and patriarchy. I would explain feminism as fighting for your rights. I would use the industrial revolution, the civil rights movement, or the LGBTQ movement as examples for what feminism is and what the movement is trying to do.

• Lorde writes about transforming silence into action. Select 1-2 quotes that you think capture her main ideas reflect upon what she is communicating to the reader. What is your response to Lorde? She also asks us: “What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say?” How would you respond to her? Do you agree that language is needed for action?

While reading transforming silence into action, there was a lot of different things that Lorde said that stuck out to me. First of all, I love her writing, everything flowed so smoothly while i was reading. She must have been an amazing poet. Language is need for action because without language or communication how will you know if something is okay. How can you create change if you don’t speak up? Without language there is not action.What I got from the reading is that when moving through life you cannot stay quiet. We have to speak up on how we feel, you cannot wait for others to speak for you or hope that someone else feels the same way and speaks up. One quote that really stuck with me is “… the transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation…”. This quote stuck with me because I used to be a quite person, I didn’t really speak much at all. When I got to my second year in high school is when I really started to speak up for myself and use my voice for good. To me it is both a self-revaluation and self-revelation. This next quote captured the main idea of the whole article. “We can sit in our corner mute forever while our sisters and ourselves are wasted, while our children are distorted and destroyed, while our earth is poisoned; we can sit in our safe corners mute as bottles, and we will still be no less afraid”. I say that this quote captured the main message in the passage because the message that Lorde is trying to give it that you cannot be silent, you cannot more through life scared to speak up for yourself and others. If you do, then our world will be poisoned and there will be no change. I feel like as a 20-year-old college student there is a lot that I have to stay but often times when I do speak and voice my opinion I’m shut down or told that I’m too young, or inexperienced. Some words that I still struggle with is speaking up for myself, saying no and putting myself first.

Hi my name is alyssa. This is my last semester at BMCC before i transfer to a four year college. I am from Brooklyn New York but my family is from Trinidad and Barbados. I’m a dancer for a professional dance company and I also work at a after school teaching children dance. I would like to a school counselor or a social worker. When I first came into to college i wanted to do psychology but quickly switch over to Gender and women’s studies because it connected more to what I wanted to to. I took one GWS class and i knew that this is were I needed to be instead of psychology. I did not really know what i wanted to major in when I first started school but i knew the career path that i wanted to take. I feel like I’ve always be a advocate for women especially black women. There is so much that goes on in the black community that damages young girls and boys and it is never spoken about. I’m Pro-black and womanist but I speak on all issues that I have knowledge on. I don’t think i have questions I’m just really to drive in and get all the information that I can and learn more. There is so much that goes on all over the world that affects women, child and the LGBTQ+ community that needs to be changed and brought to light and honesty i just want to help and be apart of that change. In a women’s health class that i took, some topics that really stuck with me is gendered violence and femicide. In the United States often times i feel like we are in a bubble the only outside country we pay close attention to is England and I honestly do not understand why. I believe that many people in America stay in this bubble and have a “if it doesn’t affect me I don’t care” kind of attitude. That is the worst kind of attitude to have because living in United States is already a privilege that you have. So why not use that to help others. I am an extremely helpful person. Sometimes i get too busy helping others and making sure that they are good that I forget about myself. My goal in life is just to help others and it i can take away a little bit of pain and suffrage then so be it.