Women's Studies Final Overview - Comparative Analysis of Readings

Many views have been explored on the topics of women and the normalization of gender, sexuality, desensitization of violence and marginalization of minority women. In Lila Abu-Lughod's argument surrounding Muslim women, she challenges the ethics and morals by which American people view what they considered to be other or not equal to. The superiority of knowledge, power and civilization is often mishandled when the U.S. approaches transnational issues.

Even is the U.S., women whom are deemed minority often find themselves subjected to 'whiteness' and have limited access to healthcare, education and are often written off as second class citizens. Loretta Ross explores this in depth in her piece, The Color of Choice. She addressed the marginalization of the minority woman and the positioning of disadvantage applied to these women and African-American women more specifically. African-American women have less access to appropriate healthcare, family planning options including abortion and in the past have endured sterilization abuse and population control at the hands of white supremacy. She argues that the reproductive rights and the lack of these rights simply violates basic human rights.

Since the early seventies minority feminists have attempted to band together in the hopes of reversing the system that oppresses them on a daily basis. In the Combahee River Collective Statement Black Feminists addressed the issues of psychological stress of simply being a Black woman, structural oppression which results in unequal access of education and career opportunities and exclusion from white feminists movements. Intersectionality is dissected as well highlighting the balancing act of being a woman of color in a certain class, of a certain sexual orientation, of a particular faith and the multiple layers of discrimination faced by these women. Gloria Anzaldua's writing on Borderlands, The New Mestiza continues this conversation of intersectionality and the different aspects of subjectivity, self oppression and the hybrid identity that is formed blending the fragmented versions of the multiple identities. This is then used to navigate different spaces in order to remain complicit in the company of the majority or societal standard.

Women in general face unrealistic and unaccommodating standards placed on them by men who define femininity, sexual desire and even sexual pleasure for women. Virginia Braun wrote about female genital cosmetic surgery and how most of the marketed procedures are generally for increased pleasure of the man or increased aesthetic for his acceptance. These medical procedures again place the woman in the position of an object and her sole responsibility reduced to the pleasuring of a man. It also attempts to create a norm for the way female genitalia looks and silently reinforces the idea of the more virgin or prepubescent like, the better. Jane Kilbourne's work draws connections from the media images of women to the violence of women, rape, eating disorders and the constant objectification of women that has been normalized.

As the third wave of feminism continues, the struggle for equality of women continues as well. These authors and activists show it is important to gain the necessary knowledge of the past struggles and triumphs of the feminists movements overall. They challenge us to not become complicit and accept the so-called norms that exist today. The general themes found are that women must continue the push for change, bridge the gap, being careful to acknowledge the differences among themselves in order to reverse the systematic marginalization and oppression that they face everyday.

Women Studies Blog #2 - Race, Gender & Intersectionality

“In attempt to work out a synthesis, the self has added a third element which is greater than the sum of its severed parts. That third element is a new consciousness—a mestiza consciousness—and though it is a source of intense pain, its energy comes from continual creative motion that keeps breaking down the unitary aspect of each paradigm.”

-Le Conciencia de la Mestiza, pg 101-102

The overall bridging theme of Combahee Collective, La Güerra, La Consciencia de la Mestiza and La Prieta is the struggle of intersectionality as briefly discussed in class. These women are writing about the crossroads and multiple barriers they face as women, women of color and their sometimes unaccepted sexual orientation.

As referenced in the quote above, there is one thought described by Anzaldua that all of the pieces come together and sort of morph into this other being that defies all other definitions, transcending through multiple layers and preconceived notions of race, gender, class and sexuality. She describes this new thinking pattern of duality to be the answer to the segregation between any two groups; male and female, black and white.

In the Combahee Collective, the focuses is lent to the struggle factors facing women of color, specifically black women. The stigma of being the perceived lesser sex, being black, being poor puts these women into a multiple marginalized category. Their focus was to bring these women whom lived this experience everyday and mobilize a movement to pull themselves up from the bottom.

Both La Guerra and La Prieta focus more on the way women of color cope with intersectionality. The way women try to blend within different groups so that they don't feel as marginalized. Hiding your femininity with men, ignoring your ethnicity when among whites to avoid those uncomfortable conversations.

I personally enjoyed all of the readings and found my struggle written in their words. I do believe all women are oppressed in certain ways and I find it especially difficult to present my womanhood, my blackness, my religious beliefs and values at all times without conflict or marginalization. Even when I am amongst other women of color, a lot of times our value systems are different. Amongst my white peers, I may watch my “blackness” as to not offend anyone. In a classroom, I will keep my religious beliefs to myself as to not be labeled or considered closed minded. I can totally relate to that isolated feeling and that fear of always being controversial and different just by virtue of having my own set of ideas and thoughts.

A quote from the collective stood out to me; “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”

In the end we must navigate this life truthfully and balance everything that makes us an individual. Hopefully becoming fully who we are meant to be, learning from others and teaching someone along the way.

AA 4950 Blog #3 - Imitation of Life : African Americans and Art

The arts in all of its forms has always been a vehicle by which African Americans have been able to tell their own story. Reflecting back on the major Black Arts Movement which was the creative leg of the Black Rights Movement, African Americans were given a voice to shape and represent a more accurate representation of themselves and their lives.

Cinema, literature, music and art provide a platform for interpretation of the Black experience. Depending on the storyteller, the end product can often be controversial. From the Blaxploitation era we see a group of people who purposely take an extreme approach to the Black life, highlighting all stereotypes of that era turning them almost into caricatures. During the same time, more conservative Blacks frowned upon this art form and felt it showed us at our worst and played right into what Whites thought of us; as pimps, hustlers, drug dealers, promiscuous and socially deviant.

Today we still find ourselves torn over the proper representation of Blacks in the media, cinema and television. Movies created by our own show inflated stereotypes of mammies, irresponsible black fathers, crack addicted and over sexualized Black women. We struggle with this for two reasons; one, does this merely represent the cold, hard truth? Or, does it in someway glorify a minority of activity and perpetuate the continuation of it.

Some also believe Black producers, directors and screenwriters have some sort of responsibility to the African American community to demonstrate but not exploit the illnesses of our communities. When serious, devastating and detrimental behavior is shown in a comical, satire-like way through movies or staged reality television, it desensitizes the audience both Black and White. There seems to be a common trend in the representation of African Americans that is consistently negative and inferior.

A deeper concern lies in the conversation we have amongst ourselves in the Black community. With or without these art forms and representations, we would not still have these deplorable realities? Can art really perpetuate lifestyles? Does life really shape and bend around artistic mediums? I find more than likely that art has always been an imitation life. Lifestyles vary from person to person and while we find influences of art in everything, if all art forms stopped, African American communities as a whole would still find itself dealing with the same issues. The responsibility of art is to tell the story, not attempt to celebrate and condone the adversities we deal with.

A further responsibility is given to African Americans who are behind the scenes in the cinema world especially. We rely on them to tell our stories more accurately and with more sensitivity. It is acceptable to use comedy as Blacks have used comedy for years to cope with our experiences but we should at all costs avoid mockery and complicity.

It is a delicate balance of interpretation and creative freedom. African Americans also deal with the additional challenge of being held accountable for everything that is represented of us. This makes the decisions of Black art creators even more critical when determining what they will and won't allow the legacy of Black art forms to be.