Women Studies Unit 1 Test

No more Miss America?

"Protest the image of Miss America, an image that oppresses women in every area in which it purports to represent us"

What was Backlash?

2 Main messages in Susan Faludi's book is that women are already equal Women have never been more miserable.

Privilege?

Advantages people have by virtue of their status or position in society. An invisible package of unearned assets discussed by McIntosh.

Sex female film?

Every woman who talked about sex had a different experience with sex.

Bell Hooks of definition of feminism

Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexual exploitation, and oppression.

Systems of oppression?

Institutions: social organizations that involve established patterns of behavior organized around particular purposes. Institutionalized sexism=patriarchy.

Internalized oppression?

The Institutional Dimension of Oppression systematic relationships of domination and subordination are structured through social institutions such as schools, businesses, hospitals, the work place. Race, gender, and class place people in distinct institutional niches with varying degrees of penalty and privilege. • The Symbolic Dimension of Oppression socially-sanctioned ideologies used to justify relations of domination and subordination. Central to this process is the use of stereotypical or controlling images of diverse gender, race, and class groups. • The Individual Dimension of Oppression the ways in which race, gender, and class as categories of analysis frame our individual biographies, the ways we participate in privilege and disadvantage based on our institutional and symbolic statuses. Viewing oneself through a different lens because you are adhering to the societal norms.

Homophobia?

The irrational fear and hatred of those who love and sexually desire those of the same sex.

Gender socialization?

We are taught and learn the appropriate thinking and behaviors associated with being a boy or girl in this culture. gender is something we do rather than we have.

Hegemonic masculinity?

n

Misogyny?

the hatred of women by men

Mythical Norm

the idealized set of characteristics of society that hold power, influence, and authority. Also known as the normative category. Normality tends to reflect the identities of those in power. Ex: forgetting men have a gender or that white people have a race.

Horizontal Hostility

when individuals direct the resentment and anger they have about their situation onto those who are equal or less status. As a strategy, it is similar to the military tactic of "divide and conquer" in which groups are encouraged to fight with one another to avoid alliances that might collaboratively overpower or challenge a common enemy or the hierarchy of power.

Hermaphrodites with attitude?

"ambiguous genetalia" happens in hospitals in the US roughtly 2000 times a year. typically make a vagina rather than keeping a small penis. We have made hermaphrodites disappear in America. One doctor says there is no evidence that doing gender reassignment surgery at birth is necessarily a good thing. Makes us think about how strong our society believes in gender.

Key goals of Women's Studies courses?

-Seek rebalance of curriculum -Seeks to question traditional knowledge -Explores current issues of women

Two criticisms of 2nd Wave Feminism

1.) Homophobia and the "Lavender Menace" 2.) Speaking only to issues of white, middle-class women

Origin of Women and Gender Studies in U.S.?

1960s and 1970s, the fight for women in higher leadership positions and demanding knowledge be included in colleges more inclusive to women and minorities.

What is the 2nd wave?

2nd wave feminism had two different streams. The first stream began in the 1950s through early 1960s, which was largely spurred on by Betty Friedan's cultural shifting book, "The Feminine Mystique," published in 1963. Friedan coined the phrase "the problem that has no name," and defined the issues that suburban housewives of the 1950s faced. However, although this movement was radically important in women's history, it did isolate the typical white middle class women, and in many instances did not include women of other classes/races. The second stream in the 2nd wave, was liberal feminism in the 1960s and 1970s. NOW was created in 1966 as well as the "New Left," which was the socialist and radical feminist groups. In 1968 consciousness-raising groups began and women gathered and discussed feminist issues. There groups spread quickly across the country. These consciousness-raising groups help ignite advocacy in their communities and spread awareness about women's rights. These groups often occurred in the homes of women, where they felt safe to discuss deeply personal matters regarding their experiences. As stated by hooks, "Fundamentally, consciousness-raising (CR) group was a site for conversion. To build a mass-based feminist movement women needed to organize" (8). These consciousness-raising groups ultimately helped women talk about the issues they were facing and even more importantly helped them to deconstruct the internalized sexism the media and society had been projecting onto them. Radical feminism occurred from 1967-1975, where women participated in such events as "No More Miss America," and helped pave the way for women to speak out against society's image and expectations of women.

3rd wave?

3rd wave feminism rose in the 1990s due to a backlash after the 2nd wave feminist movement. There was in a sense a lull between these two movements and the mass media began to project the messages that feminism was no longer needed because "all of the issues have been settled." However, 3rd wave feminists recognize that there still is inequality. 3rd wavers focus on critiquing some of the 2nd wave feminist practices such as in large part focusing on white middle class women. There is also focus on sexuality and identity, and intersections of race, class and gender. 3rd wavers also recognize women in the least industrialized nations, and critique the neo-capitalist global economy. 3rd wavers have also focused on analyzing pop culture and a group called the Riot Grrls began producing the first zines. Zines and types of magazines that women write and publish and can be read and distributed to the public or various groups. They help spread awareness about feminist issues and give women a voice that can be heard.

Most early women's rights activity had its roots in what social movement?

Abolition Movement

Androcentrism?

About making masculinity and the male POV the valued and normative one in our culture. To place men and masculinity at the center and regulate women to the position of 'other' or 'outsider.

Womanist?

Alice . debunking myths regarding feminism.

Intersectionality

An exploration of how gender intersects with other identity categories like race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, etc.

Dreamworlds 3?

Analysis of music videos. What stories is our society telling? Most important aspect of women is her sexuality. Inside the fantasy of pubescent young white male. What roles do women play? cheerleaders, airline stewards, libarians, schoolteachers, soriety girls, school girls, nurses, Who is behind the camera? Not enough diversity about stories of sexuality. Women want to be watched...by the camera. Open and wiling to what ever men want to do to them. The problem does not completely lie in the objectification of women's bodies...but the real issue that women are not seen as having ANY OTHER QUALITIES. WE ARE DECENCITIZED TO THESE IMAGES.

Bell Hook lifestyle feminism?

As many versions of feminism as there is women.

Gender stratification?

As part of a stratification system, gender ranks men above women of the same race and class. What men do is typically valued more than what women do.

Maggie Kuhn?

Began most important work at age 65. Group of 5 retired gathered to talk about important social issues. Group gathered in Philadelphia with college students opposed to the war at hte Consultation of Older and Younger Adults for Social Change. A TV group nicknamed them the Gray Panthers. The Gray Panthers have been instrumental in bringing about nursing home reform, ending forced retirement provisions, and combating fraud against the elderly in health care.

Susan B. Anthony?

Born in Mass in 1820. In 1840 became involved in temperance movement. 1985 denied right to speak at the NY Sons of Temperance meeting because she was a woman. She and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the Women's State Temperance Society. gather 28,000 sigs urging the state legislature to pass a law limiting sale of liquor. bc most of the sigs were from women they rejected the petition. Then involved in women's suffrage. in 1866 she and Stanton founded the American Equal Rights Association. 1872 Anthony arrested in Rochester, NY for voting. In 1877 she gathered 10,000 sigs from 26 states but congress ignored them. Died in 1906 14 years before they recieved the right to vote.

Frannie Lou hamer?

Born in Mississipi in 1917 as graddaughter of slaves and the daughter of sharecroppers. One of most important eader of the civil rights movement in US. She joined 17 other Af Am taking a bus to the county seat to register to vote. They were arrested. The next year Hamer joined lenging the Whites only policy at a bus terminal diner, she was arrested and jailed. Beat her with a metal spiked club--blinded in one eye and permanent kidney damage. 1964 she helped organize the Mississippi freedom Democratic Party to challenge the all-White Mississippi delegation to the Demoratic Convention.

Breat Buds in the Training bra?

Brumberg. "When we dress little girls in brassieres or bikinis, we simply imply adult behaviors and unwittingly we mark them as sexual objects. The training bras of the 1950s loom large in the history of adolescent girls because they forshadowed the ways in which the nations entrepreneurs would accommodate, and also encourage precocious sexuality.

Emma Goldman?

Came to US from Russia. Jewish immigrant. Goldman had witnessed the slaughter of idealist political anarchist in Russia and in 1886 she saw the hangings of hour Haymarket anarchists who had opposed Chicagos power elite. Drawn to anarchism and became a revolutionary. 1893 arrested for encouraging a crowd of unemployed men to take bread if they were starving. Worked as a nurse in NY ghettos and realized that women needed birth control and had no access to abortion. Advocate for women's sexual rights. Deported and imprisoned for holding rallies against WWI. Died in 1940.

Beauty ideal?

Can change across time and culture. The typical westernized ideal of beauty is tall, slim, young, white, blond, big boobs, floating breasts.

Radical feminism?

Change things at the root of the problem. "Although liberal feminists want a piece of the pie, radical feminists want the whole pie" (1967-1975) Bra Burners (no bras were ever burned) Basically women involved with No More Miss America protest.

La Guera?

Cherrie Moranga...growing up as a latino being white was favored. Being lesbian was even harder because it meant being poor, being brown etc. Lower status.

Cisgender Privilege

Cisgender people are those whose gender identity or expression matches their assigned gender by societal standards.

The egg and the sperm?

Emily Martin. Biomedical discourse examined in textbooks, found exact same metaphors about gender in society. It is not scientifically accurate to say that the sperm penetrates and aggressively swims toward the egg. Production: Oogenesis--female production have about 2 million eggs at birth Spermotogenesis--sperm production--manufactured every day. Female described as wasteful (loosing) Sperm is more productive. Medical journals describe women: Shed, degeneration, breakdown, wasting, death of tissue. Med: Produce, creative, remarkable amazing, the sheer magnitude Why are women's processes seen as wasteful but men's not. Egg behaves femininely: swept along, drifting, sperm are masculine: burrows, harpoons, penetrates. Why not egg rescuing sperm? New data: Sperm will die without egg. Textbooks say that the protein is the receptor and that the ligard is the key. They have reversed the terminology. The egg is the ligard. In this sense the egg is an aggressive sperm catcher.

Two sexes are not enough?

Fausto-Sterling. Our society is obsessed with having 2 sexes. Wrote book suggesting there should be 5 sexes: Herms: true hermaphrodites, Merms: named after male pseudohermaphrodites, and Ferms: named after pseudophermaphrodites. Male and females. No more unnecessary infant surgury Instead let physicians assign a provisional sex (male or female) to the infant (based on existing knowledge of the probability of a particular gender identity formation Third, let the medical care team provide full info and long term counseling to the parents and child.

The F-Word?

Feminism....Belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. Anna Quindlen argues we still need feminism! Myths and stereotypes: Angry whiny women Lesbians Want a matriarchy

Lesbian bating?

Feminists are accused of being a lesbian in an effort to discredit feminism and prevent women both from joining the movement and from taking women's studies classes

Jessica Valenti Chapter 2?

Feminists do it better (and other sex tips) How we can do it better because we love ourselves more. Have sex because you want to. It is your own choice. Abstinence only education--you are a used lollipop--once you have sex you are "ruined" Abstinence only education actually increases pregnancy and STD rates. Parents who make their daughters pledge to purity...no longer their choice. creeepppyy Take responsibility for your health Take responsibility for your partners Take responsibility for your choices Take responsibility for other women. Heterosexist norms about what sex is...not everyone has sex involving a penis. Guys go down on girls equally....why do we have a conception of a double standard?

What is the repressive hypothesis?

Foucault argues that we generally read the history of sexuality since the 18th century in terms of what Foucault calls the "repressive hypothesis." The repressive hypothesis supposes that since the rise of the bourgeoisie, any expenditure of energy on purely pleasurable activities has been frowned upon. As a result, sex has been treated as a private, practical affair that only properly takes place between a husband and a wife. Sex outside these confines is not simply prohibited, but repressed. That is, there is not simply an effort to prevent extra-marital sex, but also an effort to make it unspeakable and unthinkable. Discourse on sexuality is confined to marriage.

Gloria Steinem?

Grew up in poverty with a mentally ill mother. When to Smith college...interested in Women's rights. When to graduate studies at University of Delhi..began career in journalism. Never given serious assignments. Her famous article resulted fr a 1963 undercover assignment as a Playboy Bunny. Steinem saw the article as an opportunity to expose sexual harassment . 1968 came on board NY magazine as a contributing editor. Covered a radical feminist meeting, and she was moved to the center of the women's movement co-founding the National Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Action Alliance. 1972 she co-founded Ms. Magazine. First issue of Ms. Featured Wonder Woman on the cover and sold 300,000 copies in 8 days. Still with mag today.

Sexual Desire and Gender? Schwartz and Rutter.

Hard to tease apart biological difs and social difs. In some societies, women act intensely aroused and active during sex and others have no concept of orgasm. Clearly culture, not biology is at work because we know that orgasm is physically possible. Low levels of testosterone have been associated with aggressiveness and higher levels have been associated with calmness, happiness, and friendliness. Social constructionists believe that a society influences sexual behavior through its norms.

Adrienne Rich- What it means to claim an education?

In an address to students at a women's college, Rich stresses the importance of being active and taking responsibility for your own education. "The difference is that between being acting and begin acted-upon, and for women it can literally mean the difference between life and death" "you are haring what men, above all white men, in their male subjectivity, have decided is important" "Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brain and instinct; hence, grappling with hard work."

Killing us Softly 4?

Jean Kilbourne. Ads have ultimately gotten progressively worse. $250 billion dollar ad industry. When women are turned into objects it is the first step towards violence.

Meralyn Frye?

Mythical norm. Example of bird cage.

What is the Beauty myth?

Naomi Wolf reading--beauty myth controls women. It is not about women at all it is about mens institutions and institutional power. capitalist society. Making women feel devalued and taught that beauty is UNIVERSAL, TIMELESS, NATURAL, HEALTHY, SEXUAL. FALSE. We internalize these messages. Everytime women leap forward in history ideology springs up that stops this from occurring and preoccupies women. 1920s women got right to vote--then the flapper girl emerged...skinny and boyish. women worrying about weight. 1950s Feminine Mystique betty friedan...advertising about how women should be completely obsessed with homemaking devices. 1960s women reproductive rights...birth control...Twiggy was the icon super skinny.

When I was growing up?

Nellie Wong. How she longed to be white. Her white friends were praised for thier beauty, read magazine, blond movie stars, white skin, nice clothes. She felt less than because she was Asian.

Choose stereotype and challenge it: Feminists hate men and want to over power them.

Only in a patriarchal society would the fight for inclusion of women be interpreted as a potential threat to the loss of men's power. Only in an androcentric society would the inclusion of one group be seen as the exclusion of another.

Sexual scripts?

Reflect social norms, practices, and workings of power and they provide frameworks and guidelines for sexual feelings and behaviors.

Liberal feminism?

Reform system to have more equality 1960sa and 1970s NOW (National Organization of Women) created in 1966

Labiaplasty?

Relatively recent plastic surgery procedure that involves trimming away labial tissue and sometimes injecting fat from another part of the body into labia that have been deemed excessively droopy. "The woman is the designer, the doctor is just the instrument"

Postfeminism?

Result of the backlash from the 2nd wave. Those who believe that feminism is important but that its time has passed and it is now obsolete. Make the argument that we are already liberated. Many women are blind to wage inequality. The idea that we are happy with how far we have come.

Institution?

Social organizations that involve established patterns of behavior organized around particular purposes. They function through social norms and established rules or laws. Ex: family, marriage, economy, gov, criminal justice system, religion, education, science, health and medicine, mass media, military and sports.

Ain't I a Woman?

Sojourner Truth.

China's Cosmetic Surgery Craze?

Surgery that puts an extra fold in eyelid, nose lenthening, jaw reshaping, breast enlargements, to bring women closer to ideal of westen beauty. Leg legthening...breaking patients leg and stretching them over several months using an external cage. Height socially important in china...can get better jobs.

Homophobia as a weapon of sexism?

Suzanne Pharr. Homophobia works as a weapon of sexism because it is joined with a powerful arm, heterosexism. Heterosexism creates the climate for homophobia with its assumption that the world is and must be heterosexual and display of power and privilege as the norm.

The education of Shelby Knox?

Teacher's teach abstinence only. Her town has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the country. Shelby joined a commission to have sex ed in school. Many teens take the purity pledge. They pledge to God, to parents and to future husband but not to herself.

Jessica Valenti chapter 1?

Telling us that we are hardcore feminists! Double standard for insults between man and women. Feminism helps you love yourself Feminist myths: ugly, that things are fine the way they are, feminism is outdated, many women are not feminists...in fact they are highly against feminism. Feminists are everywhere

Bisexuality--Baumgardner

Terrified that her experience as bisexual might not be common. Her mother had fears about her bisexuality because it was not "normal" Freud did a lot of work discussing bisexuality. The idea that everyone is a little bisexual. then Kinsey developed his scale. 0-6

Who was Betty Friedan?

The "problem that has no name" wrote the Feminine Mystique...published in 1963...focus on the middle class white suburban housewife.

What was the 1st wave?

The 1st wave of feminism began in 1792 and culminated in 1920 when women received the right to vote. This first wave movement is often referred to as the Women's Suffrage movement. Out of this 1st wave were many key events in women's history including Mary Wollstonecraft's book published in 1792 titled, "Vindication of the Rights of Women" which argued for equality between the sexes. Another key event that occurred during the 1st wave was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which was organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Stanton.

Jessica Valenti Ch 11?

The Beauty cult...women understand the consequences for hurting ourselves for beauty...we just dont care because we are obsessed with an unattainable version of beauty. Appearance as a shut the f up tool. there is a quick fix for everything these days. It all has become normalized. Vaginal rejuvenation sergury. "See gals its empowering to cut your labia off" Its about consumerism--buying beauty. high rates of eating disorders. We can stop HATING OURSELVES SO MUCH

The docile body?

The idea that the body can be controlled by power and can be controlled. We as women are docile bodies because we are conforming to beauty practices such as shaving legs, applying makeup, straightening hair. We spend money on all of these things.

Feminist accomplishments?

The right to vote 1920, access to contraceptives, right to work outside of the home, equal pay for equal work, right to refused sex even with husbands, receive a higher education, access to safe and legal abortion, participate in sports, able to hold political office, choose any career that interest you, free from sexual harassment in the workplace, enter into legal and financial transactions, study issues about women's lives and experices. Only a few decades ago many of these rights were not available for women.

Betty Friedan?

Wrote Feminine Mystique in 1963...oppressed house wives. Defined the "problem that has no name"

Patriarchy?

a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line. • a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. • a society or community organized in this way.

Biological determinism?

biological determinism is the hypothesis that biological factors such as an organism's individual genes (as opposed to social or environmental factors) completely determine how a system behaves or changes over time.

Sexual self-schemas?

defined as identities or cognitive generalizations about sexual aspects fo the self that are established fr past and present experiences and that guide sexual feelings and behavior. Sexual scripts are societal-level guidelines for human sexuality, whereas sexual self-schemas are individual level understandings of the self.

Myths of feminism?

once women understand that the definition of feminism is someone who supports the political, economic and social equality of women more women are accepting this label.

Sexism?

prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.

Pro-ana communities?

pro-anorexia, bulimia practices. have slinspiration--showing skinny models.

Systems of Oppression

systems that discriminate and privilege based on perceived or real differences among people.