GNDR 100 Midterm #1

Grassroots social movements:

-LGBT rights -Civil rights -'Sexual revolution' -Exclusion from mainstream and leftwing politic

Racist First Wave Feminism

-Many first wave feminists were classist, racist, and ableist -For example, well known figures such as Nelly McClung in Canada and Susan B. Anthony in the US believed in Eugenics

Anti-Racist First Wave Feminism

-Women of colour spoke out against this understanding of feminism and lobbied for suffrage for all, for example, Sojourner Truth in the US, Mary Ann Shadd in Canada -Sojourner Truth's famous speech 'Ain't I a Woman?' Acron, Ohio, Women's Rights Convention

'Female Sexual Dysfunction'

The new frigidity? 4 subsets: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder Arousal disorder Orgasmic disorder Pain disorder They began looking for a 'one size fits all' drug for this

Second Wave Feminism Late 60s, 70s, & 80s

-A far more diverse movement than the first wave, although still predominantly white, middle class, heterosexual

Patriarchy

-A system of male power and privilege -'We need to see more clearly that patriarchy is about a system. This includes cultural ideas about men and women, the web of relationships that structure social life, and the unequal distribution of power, rewards and resources that underlies privilege and oppression (34)' (Johnson)

Gender Queer

-A term for those who resist labels routed in medical history -The term 'Agender' is gaining popularity among those who do not identify with a particular gender

Trans V. Cis Surgeries

-Aesthetic surgeries for cis people are heavily marketed with no barriers (other than lack of medical coverage) -Vs. Heavy medical gatekeeping for trans surgeries (sometimes exact same surgery) including: Gender Dysphoria diagnosis Psychiatric treatment 'Real Life Test'

Liberal Feminism

-An extension of first wave, albeit without the same racist, classist, abelist platform -basic formal equality (divorce, equal pay, rape legislation, access to abortion) -Via changes in the law and policy

Transgender or Trans*

-An umbrella term for people whose gender is non-binary with the sex they were assigned at birth (eg. Assigned female at birth, but identifies as a man, a trans man, or trans masculine) -May or may not choose gender confirming hormones and/or surgical sex reassignment -Most common intervention is hormones, then 'top surgery,' bottom surgery still relatively rare but increasingly common

Debates Within Feminism

-Arguments about whether heterosexual intercourse, S/M, sex work, porn represents pleasure or danger -Sex Positive feminism tired of radical feminist anti-heterosexual stance -Pointed out the radical feminist tendency to ask for the same things as anti-feminist, right wing conservatives (eg. censorship of porn)

Levy

"Sports, Sex, and the Runner Caster Semenya" Relation: Intersex -dominance of western ideals in international sports associations -discrimination of intersex bodies in a medical system that erases them (intersex people surgically altered, not told... not given a choice as done at birth) -stripes away diversity of human beings in their biological sex -subject to gender confirming tests and embarrassment/ harassment throughout her entire athletic journey.

Doan

"The Tyranny of Gendered Spaces" Relation: Transgender/ Tyranny Doan argues, from personal experience, that transgendered people experience a special kind of tyranny- the tyranny of gender. They are subjected to gendered spaces in which they do not fit neatly into. This not only applies to transgendered people, but anyone who does not fit neatly into gender binary expectations. Down described how she did not even fully feel comfortable in her own phone, as when she would answer the phone, people would harass her saying she wasn't a women. Wasn't able to use the women's washroom until she had gotten proof that she had undergone surgery and had documented proof. Society medicalizes the term transgender so much, when it is not about the biology of the person, but how they wish to express themselves. Shows how society, including many school administrations, who still do not understand/ accept non- binary expressions of gender.

Emily Martin

"The egg and the sperm" Relation: Patriarchy, gender roles Martin talks about the tendency for medical descriptions of reproduction to subtlety contain gendered stereotypes that twist and influence the scientific facts of how reproduction occurs. As Martin shows, in many medical journals, the egg is seen as dependent on the sperm, as it sits dormant, waiting for the sperm to come 'rescue it'. The sperm is portrayed as having all the strength and power, in a relationship which is actually very mutually dependent. This is just another example of how 'the system' continues to push people into separating concepts and relationships into binary, opposed parts. A symbiotic, natural and beautiful interaction between a women's egg and a male's sperm is then pushed into these constraints to skew it into a gendered version, in order to further patriarchy in todays society.

Rogers

"The invention of the heterosexual" Rogers speaks about how artificial societies notions of 'heterosexual' and 'straightness' really are. Scientist have not yet been able to detemine any difference in heterosexuals vs homosexuals in the brain.. so why so much controversy on the differences? The terms heterosexual and homosexual were actually created to demonstrate how they are both flavours of the same thing, not a hierarchy.

Hall

"Third Wave Feminism" Hall speaks about how third wave feminism is about respecting a women's choice on how they balance their relationship on gender equality and sexual pleasure. Hall also points out that using the word 'choice' trivializes issues that are not easy or simple choices. The word choice also puts emphasis on the individual rather than the societal structures and culture and feed into the decisions.

Evan Urquhart

"What the heck is gender queer?" Relation: Gender Queer/ the system -Urquhart's description of gender queer is being able to acknowledge that there are more than two genders. People who identity as gender queer do not believe that gender expression and identity are binary.

Why Does This Matter? Heteronormativity

'Real' or 'normal' sex is frequent desire, followed by 'foreplay,' followed by penis + vagina intercourse, followed by orgasm?

Groneman

"Nymphomania" Groneman argues that the medicalized term "Nymphomania" is a metaphor for societies discomfort with female sexuality. Groneman also explains the disturbing history on the tendency to blame rape victims of being "nymphomanics' and therefore, must have been 'asking for it'. This ties into patriarchy, a system of male power and privilege. It is so engrained into our society, scientists have created medical terms to describe women who could very well have the same sex drive as their male counterparts. Nymphomania, to me, is just another example of how men have tried, and continue to try to control women. Take for example the rape victims that Groneman spoke of, the men try to blame the women for being 'over sexual', when really, it is the system of patriarchy and our society that has allowed for men to feel as though they can control and abuse women to their liking.

Johnson

"Patriarchy, the system" Relation: Patriarchy and the system Johnson argues that as a society, we need to understand exactly what the system is, and how it plays a vital and dominating role in our society. Johnson states that we need to change our tendency to solely blame individuals for an act that has deeper connotations. He used an example that I found helpful: An individual employee is not responsible for a big corporations' work environment. This is the same type of reasoning that should be used for the way we, as a society, should view the system. To conclude a broader point, we need to be cognizant of 'the system' and how it affects our society, and only then can we begin to fight against it and work for a change. You can't kill a tree by cutting off the leaves.

Back to the FDA- announced a series of 'patient centred' meetings for 'diseases with unmet drug needs'

- This time not a drug on trial -The FDA announced a series of 'patient centred' meetings for 'diseases with unmet drug needs' -Is 'patient centred' always a good thing? Potential for astroturfing? -HIV, sickle cell disease, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ..... Female Sexual Dysfunction!

Gender (Identity)

-"Gender is not a dichotomy but a splendid array of diverse experiences and performances" (Doan, your reading next week) -Gender is expression, performance, socialization, historical norms, transgression always there -The cultural insistence of two diametrically opposed, traditionally recognized genders (boy/ girl, man/ woman) -Socialization into the idea that a person must be strictly gendered as either/or masculine or feminine and that will align in a particular way with a female or male body (female- girl- feminine, male- boy- masculine)

Sex (Biology)

-Biological, physical traits that mark male, female, or intersex Intersex- (previously known as 'hermaphrodite,' derogatory, now sometimes referred to as 'Disorders of Sex Development,' pathologizing?- because why should the way you are born be seen as a disorder?) -Sex characteristics include genitals, secondary sex, chromosomes, genes, hormones Female, Intersex, Male

Late 19th Century Frigidity

-Complex and contradictory -Could be applied to women who were: Infertile 'Sickly' Refused sex within marriage Did not orgasm at all or vaginally

Intersex

-Data difficult to map but an estimated 1/300 infants is not strictly male or female (considering all markers of sex: genitals, chromosomes, hormones, etc) Some argue 1/100 -1/ 2000 infants have genitals in various combinations of a penis and a vagina

Radical Feminism

-Equality through changes to sexual politics, heterosexuality, women's sexual oppression -Via changes to laws on porn, prostitution, and changes to heterosexuality or lesbianism as a political statement

Marxist Feminism

-Equality through changing the sexual division of labour in capitalist society (women private sphere unpaid work, men public sphere paid work) -Via changes to the family unit or to modes of production (end of capitalism)

Essentialism

-Essentially, the 'nature' in 'nature vs nurture' -can take several forms, a belief that human behaviour is natural, predetermined by genetic, biological, or physiological mechanisms and thus not subject to change; or the notion that human behaviours which some similarity in form are the same, an expression of an underlying human drive or tendency. Behaviours that share an outward similarity can be assumed to share an underlying essence and meaning' (Vance, 29)

Eugenics

-Eugenics is the attempts to limit reproduction among poor women, 'feebleminded,' and women of colour through targeting of birth control and/or coerced or forced sterilization

And What About Gender Non-Conformity?

-Feinberg makes the case that the oppression of trans people specifically linked to various systems including capitalism (sexual division of labour, private property etc. all in gender binary terms) -And religion (celebrated by pagan culture and many indigenous cultures but not Christian culture) -Anti-trans views exported through the rise of capitalism and colonialism, two inter-related processes

Some Evidence of Patriarchy

-Gender wage gap -Male dominance in leadership positions -Overwhelming rate of violence against women and low sentencing rate -Discrimination against/ violence against transgender/ gender non-conforming people

Transgender Medical Treatment

-In order to receive medical intervention must take up diagnosis: Gender Dysphoria (GD) (used to be called Gender Identity Disorder) -In some places, still have to undergo psychiatric sessions -and pass the 'real life test'(live as gender for a year and collect letters of reference) -Unlike intersex, there is a HIGH degree of informed consent, particularly when adults -So why the medical gatekeeping?

Why Does This Matter? Social Factors Influencing Sex

-Lack of empowering sex education -Cultural emphasis on women as sexy but still the sexual double standard -Anxiety about body image, attractiveness, aging -Confusion or shame about sexual identity or fantasies -Fear of pregnancy and STIs -Fatigue/ stress/ depression linked to family & work obligations -Experiences of sexism, sexual trauma, and violence

The System

-Not about individuals, but a game, a shared set of rules, understandings, meanings, power relations, an agreed upon arrangements -Encourages individuals who follow the rules to feel good, even if it hurts others -Can be changed but so naturalized to us through socialization that we loose sight of that, even when the system doesn't serve our interests -Countless structures/ patterns as seen in family, work, religion, politics, etc.

Cisgender

-Opposite of transgender= cisgender= sex and gender match to fit a binary view (eg. Masculine man, feminine woman) -Some critics argue that both 'transgender' and 'cisgender' fail to capture the nuance and spectrum of identities

Social Construction

-Parallels with 'socialization,' the 'nurture' in the 'nature' versus 'nurture' -The belief that we are shaped by the world around us, just as much so, if not more than our genes -Our beliefs, understandings, ways of knowing, how we divide the world is shaped by history, economics, politics, the media, science (not entirely neutral), etc.

Nymphomania

-Popular 1800s to rise of feminism and the sexual 'revolution' -Women who were seen as too sexual -Affirmed existing cultural ideas about gender and sexuality -Upper and middle class men as naturally sexual -Middle class women as naturally virtuous, passionless -Women and men who were poor, working class, or of colour seen as oversexed -Cures were painful, including clitoridechtomy (London, 1859-1866)

Intersex

-Previously left alone, often not recorded as such until death (if outwardly evident) -Seen as special in Indigenous cultures, stigmatized in European -As birth moved into hospitals, many known since birth (sometimes not noticeable at birth)

Caster Semenya

-Reflects the dominance of western ideas about the body in international sports associations -Views of intersex in Semenya's community in South Africa differed from this model -Reflects difficulty/ slipperiness of defining biological sex (supposedly biological and objective, unlike gender) -Reflects discrimination towards intersex bodies in the context of a medical system that erases them

Critique of the Medical Treatment of Intersex

-Social construction: how is 'true' sex defined? Genitals? Gonads? Chromosomes? Secondary sex characteristics? No consensus -Systematic surgical alteration removes knowledge & awareness about intersex (as well as diversity)

An Anti-Climax?

-Still no safe and effective sexual pharmaceutical drug for women (despite recent approval). Why? -Difficulty of quantifying and measuring 'desire' -Inability to pin sexual functioning to an internal mechanism in the body (and only one at that) Ignores the interpersonal, social, economic, and political

Frigidity

-Taken from French 'froideur' (coldness) -19th Century: Women seen as naturally sexually 'cold' but 'normal' women could be 'heated up' by male sexuality ('naturally hot), not too easily of course

Transsexual

-Term decreasing in popularity but still used -Often to denote those who pass as one side of gender binary and make changes to body morphology to do so (whether surgical or non-surgical) -Transgender is an increasingly popular umbrella term encompassing transsexual -Some feel transsexual derogatory/ too medicalized

The Private

-The 'Private' is still claimed by the state: Barriers to access to birth control and abortion Over prescription of birth control and sterilization of women (race, class, ability, and sexuality) Most feminists see reproductive control as the most important civil right for women = control, autonomy over your body

Post- Feminism

-The belief in being feminist and yet beyond it, as though the aims of feminism have been achieved -Critics argue post-feminists take a very individualized view of equality as in If liberal equality has been achieved, then women must be treated equally But are they? All women? What about ongoing rape culture? Double standards? Objectification? Less pay? Child care crisis?

The Public/Private

-The industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism sharpened the sexual division of labour -Prior to, women and children worked alongside men (in the fields/ the artisan shop etc) -Starting 1800s, a rising middle class with a 'cult of domesticity/' 'ideology of separate spheres' -Women played the role of the 'angel' in the house /private sphere -Children now had a distinct stage of 'childhood' -Men began to work in the public sphere -Unpaid domestic work is devalued in capitalism

An Important Sexual Health Issue

-The power of science and medicine to define sexual and bodily norms for women and men -The power of the pharmaceutical industry to shape women's self perception (using condition branding and direct to consumer advertising) -Drug safety issues (the history of drugs and devices approved for women without adequate testing) -The risk of overlooking key socio-political factors influencing women's sexual enjoyment!!!!

Critique of the Medical Treatment of Intersex

-The problem of choice- infants do not choose -Psychological and physical effects (high suicide rate) -Concealment/ Deceit (children not told) -Tendency to make female rather than male -Discrimination- eg. Caster Semenya

Influences of 2nd wave feminism

-The wish to go beyond recognition as full citizens, to enjoy the benefits of true equal rights -Recognition that the 'personal is political' Eg. Violence in the home, lack of access to birth control and abortion, few rights in case of divorce

Our Comments on the Thin Blue Line

-There hasn't been a safe or effective option to even consider yet -What about the placebo effect? Research showing promise of non-drug options? -The downside of Viagra -The thin line between industry and patient perspectives

Testifying at the FDA- arousal drug

-There is no way to prove an empirical baseline of 'normal' desire -Norms of desire vary from era to era and culture to culture -Sexuality is shaped by numerous socio-political factors -Safety? Efficacy? Sample? Marketing!

Individualistic vs. Systematic Analysis

-We are encouraged to see social inequality as a result of individual short-comings -We are encouraged to see change as possible through individual effort

Gender (identity)

-When a baby is born, we look at the SEX and decide the GENDER, our social interpretation of the sex -'It's a boy!' 'It's a girl!' (or intersex but likely to be modified) -If assigned male or female, from that point forward, interpreted as feminine or masculine and socialized as such

Pink & Blue

-White used to be the colour babies wore most, easiest to bleach (in sun or chemically) -Pink and blue slowly emerged as gender colours in the mid 1900s, but pink for boys, blue for girls -Mid 1980s, pink for girls, blue for boys became popular! -As pre-natal sex detection grew, so did the industry for gendered baby clothes

ISSWSH Memo Paying For Travel

-paid for women to travel to FDA hearing and voice their problems. had meeting before, women said very similar things "I have a disorder" some even said "nothing is wrong with my marriage, but I engage in duty sex"

Third Wave Feminism 90s onwards

Diverse women wanting their voices represented/ made more central in feminism: -Women of colour, women with disabilities, young women, pro (hetero) sex women A more nuanced approach to feminism Beyond the 'sex wars' Academic: Feminist Theory and Women's Studies Pop Culture: New media Zines, blogs, music, internet, social media, etc.

Gender Socialization occurs through 4 mediums

Family Peers Education System Media Boys are socialized to be thought of and act independent, dominant, aggressive, tough, not easily hurt Girls are socialized to be thought of and act dependent, emotional, submissive, and hurt easily.

Science & Sex/ Gender- the History

For two thousand years, the 'one-sex' system Then theories emerge on: Differences in bone structures Differences in organs Difference in chromosomes Differences in brains Differences in hormones Differences in genes Everything but the eyes has been sexed

So when Could Women Vote in Canada?

It's complicated. Depended on province, age, property owned but roughly: -1920 'non alien born' women and wives of army servicemen including African Canadian women -1940 'non alien born' women in Quebec Late 1940s Chinese, Japanese, Indo-Canadian women -1960 indigenous women considered to have 'status' under the Indian Act

Wilkerson

Sexually - culturally feared aspect of the body- for those falling outside the small range of normal- can have serious consequences Sexually democracy should be viewed as a key political struggle EX: women and spinal cords injuries, doctor deny birth control in a manner that suggests their sexual lives are over.

Gendered Children's Clothing Today

Target, Carter's/ Oshkosh, and other retailers recently critiqued for blatant gendered messaging -Princess for girls, Future Leader for boys

Feinburg

Title: "Transgender Liberation" Relation: Transgender History Feinburg makes a great point about transgender history, and how western culture developed to have a form of prejudice against transgendered people. As Christianity spread through Europe and other countries, they converted cultures and tried to wiped out existing ideas on anything that did not conform to the 'nuclear family' idealized way of living life. During the industrial revolution in Europe, transgender hatred was woven deep into the society. In France, as late at the 1760s, transgendered people were burned to death. This further proves the point that western cultures have been grown to conform to a 'norm'. Very few people fit into this small idealized version of 'normal', but society we live in, and 'the system' has taught us to believe that if you don't play by the rules, and adhere to certain guidelines, you will be punished.

1980s Conservative Family Values Movements

photo

1990s Sexualization

photo

Backlash: 1960s commodification of women

see powerpoint ad of naked women for advertising