Feminisms Final Exam
"Women are just better at this stuff," Rose Hackman
-"Emotional labor" coined by Arlie Hochschild in 1983 -What are all the forms of emotional labor and kin keeping that those who identify as women perform in a family?: remembering dates, taking care of family's emotional needs, etc all while remaining pleasant herself -How is emotional labor expected of workers in job settings?: emotional labor at home translates into emotional labor at work; women expected to bear emotional work here too, like modulating feelings, always looking/acting pleasant even when dealing with difficult people. or else you're a bitch. -assumption that women are better at it than men, when really men have been conditioned to think they don't need to perform these duties. women will do it for them, and better...because they're used to it. -framed as "normal," "natural", when it is actually part of social construction of gender
Reproductive justice
-"The human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities," according to SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective in 1997 -Reliable, safe, affordable birth control options -Freedom from forced sterilization -Availability of abortion -Parenting freedom -Not simply about abortion rights, but also how these issues are part of larger systems of oppression that affect marginalized individuals -"repro rights as human rights"
Family as space of power
-A primary space where people learn power dynamics -An imbalance of power between partners reinforced in how the children are taught to take on certain roles -Imbalance of power can lead to abuse -Family can also be an empowering space where we learn about love, connection to others, and responsibility
compulsory heterosexuality
-Adrienne Rich -Heterosexuality is assumed by Second Wave feminists to be the norm -Women still dependent on men to meet their needs -Women discouraged from having deep relationships with women and from identifying with strong women -Lesbianism is a threat to the patriarchal order because women do not need men
Lesbian Continuum
-Adrienne Rich -argues that lesbian experience is powerful because it is about going against the status quo of heteronormativity, but it is also preventing men from having open access to women
Equal Rights Amendment (1972)
-Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women equal rights under the law. Although the amendment was approved by Congress, it failed to achieve ratification by the required 38 states -anti-ERA movement led by Phyllis Schlafly -liberal feminism -partly a symbolic gesture to affirm women's equality in the eyes of the law
junior/senior partner
-Both partners work outside the home, but one partner has a higher-paid job & is primary breadwinner -More equal balance of power, but primary earner has a bit more say
equal partners
-Both people work outside the home, virtually equal wage/time -Both provide equal domestic care
"I am a Mormon Feminist"
-Common assumption that women in traditional religions cannot be feminists -False binary between progressive liberal feminism and regressive conservative religion -Being a feminist not necessarily about resisting the status quo but it is about having the agency to decide to embrace traditional values -mormon feminists have always existed; despite fear of repercussions from the church and ostracization, they write, speak, publish, act -pushback from more conservative members of LDS -Mormon feminists want women to be ordained to the priesthood -Majority of Mormon feminists remain in the church and are active in it -internet and social media provided new spaces for discussion of feminism within the LDS community: use internet to spread ideas/awareness, reach potential new members, connect across different communities/geographic locations
examples of how religion can be a space of liberation
-Community and support -Feeling of self-worth and value opportunities for leadership roles -Can be engaged in the community and social activism -Women and LGBTQ individuals have been prominent advocates for social justice and equality from within religious spaces
Evangelical Christianity
-Complementarianism, male leadership, purity culture, anti-LGBTQ rights, sex abuse/harassment, domestic violence -Close connection between what it means to be Evangelical and whiteness -Trump, social conservative policies -Efforts to protect "religious freedom" over individual rights
Shifts in families in contemporary times
-Demographically, the nuclear family is far from the norm -The average family size has decreased -Women in industrialized countries have children later in life -Increase in children born to solo/cohabiting parents
Mona Eltahawy, "Egypt's Sexual Revolutionaries Tackling the Tyranny within"
-Egypt's sexual revolution comes in wake of 2011 uprising, which empowered people -people finally fed up with tyrannical policing of women's and girl's sexuality and bodies -breaking the stigma in many ways: exposing sexual violence, talking about sexual pleasure/education, LGBTQ issues, etc -fighting back against "no pleasure, no protection, no consent and no support" -importance of social media in spreading information and growing movement -connected to state-wide systems of oppressionn
weathering
-Erosion from constant stress -From living in poverty -From domestic violence -From dealing with microaggressions -From effects of environmental racism -Weathering of black women that leads to worse health outcomes and high maternal mortality rate
Environmental racism
-Exposure to toxic chemicals and pollution -result of systematic devaluing of POC neighborhoods, which became sites of pollution
"Buddhist Nuns in Nepal"
-Female nuns follow same spiritual path as the male monks, but seen as inferior to men -Belief in reincarnation until you reach enlightenment -Being born as a woman is misinterpreted as substandard position from which it would be difficult to achieve enlightenment -Living in female body seen as part of suffering of rebirth -women scared to challenge for fear of it being an obstacle to enlightenment -documentation and biography of Buddhist nuns erased from official records due to sexism -context: Himalayan women generally treated as second class citizens; spiritually unfit, physically unclean, lust/temptation for Buddhist men -female body IS suffering -Buddhism teaches radical equality among all living creatures, but social context often reinforces patriarchy and inequality
Feminist issues related to public policy
-Government policies used to discriminate against certain groups and privilege other groups -Examples of how policies can promote inequality or work toward gender justice: Welfare, tax policies, child tax credit, healthcare
Gender violence
-Harm evolves from the imbalance in power associated with masculinity and femininity -Those who are visible as "women" in society are at more risk of violence -Cisgender and transgender women at risk of violence, but often for distinct reasons -The construction of gender creates an imbalance of power which enables certain people to exert power over others
"Transgressing the Father Figure"
-How might drag performance be a productive space to playfully resist Catholic traditions and rituals -sought to recenter drag as a political act and to use platform of performance to both critique systems of power in Catholicism and to engage the audience with questions about those powers -incorporated Catholic rituals and symbols -suggests drag as a possible way to bring liberation for theology in queer spaces, extending theology beyond realm of religious institutions/academy -drag performance attempts to interact with institutions and experiences often cast aside -use drag to confront institutional challenges for women/LGBTQ people in Catholicism, sex abuse, sexual control through Church doctrine, hypocrisy of the Church leaders/doctrine
Affordable Care Act: significant improvements to address inequities
-Insurance Companies cannot discriminate based on gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, or disability -Cannot be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions -More focus on preventative care -Women cannot be charged more for health insurance -Insurers must provide maternity courage -Expansion of medicaid and children's health insurance -Young people can stay on parents' insurance until 26 -Coverage for contraception
Feminist issues related to criminal justice system
-Laws, courts, police, prison -Women in prison for less violent offenses -Mothers who are incarcerated -Domestic violence victims punished for fighting back against abuser -Trans individuals facing violence and mistreatment -Sexual abuse & power imbalance between guards and prisoners
Jackson v Dobbs, 2022
-MS case at SC right now that bans abortion at 15 weeks -If SC laws that this law is constitutional, then many states will follow suit with trigger laws -Abortion rights will be a state by state basis -Draft opinion seems that ruling (as of now) will overturn Roe
childbirth
-Medicalization of birthing -Shift to (male) doctors instead of midwives -Use of drugs, women laying on their backs, episiotomies, cesarean births -Decisions that make the process easier for the doctors and less risky for the hospitals -Not considering that birth is a natural process -Movement back to birthing centers, midwives, doulas, home births
interpersonal gender violence
-Most common form of violence -Occurs with an intimate partner relationship -Physical, sexual, psychological abuse, economic coercion -More likely to be those who identify as men against others -Various resources needed to support survivors
Zainab bint Younus, "For me, niqab is a feminist statement."
-Niqab is a feminist statement because it frees her; she is taking control and ownership over her body and how she chooses to present herself -She dresses modestly because she wants to; its her choice and how she chooses to become closer to God -her modesty allows her to take ownership of her body and religiosity, without worrying how other people perceive her -She does not need to be "freed from her own oppression" -she is not brainwashed by her religion or oppressed by Muslim men into wearing niqab -she counters that feminism is about people making the CHOICE to dress how they want, whether modest or not, religious or not
other efforts to chip away at abortion rights/access
-No exceptions laws that prohibit abortion harm the health of women in various ways -Heartbeat bans -Laws that make women look at ultrasounds -Parental consent laws -Pharmacists refusing to dispense abortion medication -Bans on late-term abortions that are done in health emergencies -Intimidation of doctors and patients at clinics -Pregnancy crisis centers that mislead patients -Gag laws that prevent healthcare providers from offering information about abortion services
Catholic Church
-Ordination of only men -Institution primarily run by men -Figure of the Virgin Mary both empowering and patronizing to women -Sexual abuse and lack of accountability -LGBTQ Catholics: some resources and support but still see "homosexual acts" as "intrinsically disordered" -Trans issues: no specific policy but general promotion of gender binary and biological sex distinctions -Life begins at conception
abortion
-Prior to the 1900s, few prohibitions on abortion -Highly contentious issue in the US -Minority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal or illegal in all circumstances -Most Americans (70%) believe that abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances -At the same time, various states have been passing laws that slowly chip away at abortion access -access is part of reproductive rights
Violence Against Women Act of 1994
-Provides federal protection for victims of gender violence -Protection orders across state lines -Funding for shelters and resources for victims -Prevention efforts -2013 reauthorization: included protections for LGBT survivors, expanded protection for crimes on tribal lands -Reauthorized on March 15, 2022
Global Gag Rule/Mexico City Policy
-Put in place in 1985 bounces back between Republican and Democratic administrations -Foreign NGOs restricted from receiving US funds if they talk about/provide abortion services -Often the organizations are forced to promote abstinence rather than condom use -The organizations must choose between receiving US funds or being able to teach/provide comprehensive sexual healthcare
Examples of how religions can be a space to reinforce systems of oppression
-Religion may exclude women from rituals and sacred spaces -Rules and laws often reinforce misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc -Buddhism teaches radical equality among all living creatures, but social context often reinforces patriarchy and inequality -Bible used by patriarchal system to justify oppression of marginalized groups -In Christianity in particular, Adam & Eve story as justifying women's inferiority and inherent wickedness
7 points for feminist futures
-Set specific feminist priorities and work toward achieving these -Need to balance individual freedoms with collective responsibility -Economic freedom and corporate capitalism are not feminist solutions that will bring justice -Use technology ethically: understand ways it can be used for good, its limitations -work toward sustainability -Celebrate diversity but also work toward justice for all -Finally, it is important to incorporate humor and play
Islam
-Sharia law -Hijab and modest clothes -Sexual assault and harassment -Male leaders misinterpreting Quran in misogynistic ways -Abortion rights supported in first trimester
Complexities of Religion
-Space of liberation and empowerment -Institutions that reinforce systems of oppression -Religions often reinforce a hierarchy of holiness
emotional labor & kin keeping
-Studies show that those who identify as women do take on the majority of emotional labor in families and work, but there is no biological trait that makes the female sex better at this emotional labor -This is part of the construction of gender
The State
-The major social institution that grants power and authority in society -Key site for creation of policies that categorize gender, and privilege/discriminate based on gender -State works to maintain sources of inequality and as an avenue for social justice -Includes government, law, social policy, the courts, criminal justice system, the military, and the police -Regulates other institutions that fall outside of the state, such as education, religion, family, economics
Activism
-The need for movements to be "multi-issue and multi-strategic" -Contemporary feminist movements use blend of liberal and radical approaches -Adding more women/marginalized people to positions of power important, but not solution to inequality
unpaid labor in the home
-This labor is often undervalued bc it is not seen as contributing to the larger GDP/Capitalism -includes Cleaning, household maintenance, cooking, Taking care of children & other family members, Garden & yard work, emotional needs of family, Managing the household -Women on average do ⅔ of the domestic work -Domestic labor oft divided further into tasks that are more masculine and feminine
sterilization
-Tubal ligation or hysterectomy -Eugenics -Forced sterilizations have been performed on poor, non-white, and disabled women throughout history -Still a push to place IUDs and implants in black women to "fight poverty"
Goals of Women and Gender Studies
-Understand that gender is socially constructed -Analyze intersections with other systems of inequality -Recognize position of marginalized individuals and collective efforts to work for equality and justice -Examine the way privilege and discrimination impact personal life
Causes of gender wage gap
-Vertical occupational segregation -horizontal occupational segregation -Overt and covert discrimination against women and marginalized workers
Mona Eltahawey, "#MosqueMeToo: What happened when I was sexually assaulted during the hajj." Washington Post
-What feminist issues does this movement address?: sexual assault, systemic abuse tolerated/silenced by Islam leaders and other Muslims -How is the pain and trauma of this abuse impacted by the fact these events happened in religious locations?: if it can happen here, then anywhere; this is supposed to be the holiest place, it should be the safest -How are religious ideas used to justify misogyny and violence?: women subservient to men, women "deserve" or are "asking for" it because dressed immodestly -How are Muslim women "caught between a rock and a hard place"?: fellow Muslims (men and women) urge them not to speak out so as not to demonize Muslim men, which racists and Islamaphobes will capitalize on, and because they will be ostracized for speaking out because of sexist ideas in the institution
paid labor
-With industrialization, people started to work outside the home, earning wages, purchasing mass prod goods -Working class women worked in paid labor but still took care of the home -Middle class white women able to stay home and focus on "piety, purity, domesticity" -WW2: more women entered workforce -Postwar: focus on women taking care of the home, leaving workforce
Feminist issues related to the military
-Women and LGBTQ people able to serve in all branches of military -People don't believe they can handle the military, doubt their expertise -Sexual abuse from superiors, other officers -pressure not to tell and break the commaraderie -Misconception that they will distract "real men" from being able to do work -Misconception that they cannot handle the military
alternative spiritualities
-Women and other marginalized people often turned to nature-based spiritualities or created their own rituals -Witchcraft, Wiccan, Neo-pagan, indigenous spirituality, mediums and channeling, new age
Androcentrism in healthcare
-Women as the second sex, male as the norm in healthcare -Medical equipment made for male bodies -Drugs not tested on women -More money and research on diseases that affect men -Failure to understand the differences between men and women beyond height, weight, hormones -Medical field often focused on women's reproductive organs as influencing women's behaviors and emotions -Natural changes in women's bodies seen as problematic -Drugs and surgeries used to correct female "problems" -Several diseases, disorders that affect more women are less understood by doctors
contraception
-Women not wanting to always be pregnant and lactating -Concern about overpopulation Not being able to provide for so many children -Women may not want to stay at home to raise the children -Women need to control their reproduction in order to control their lives -Condoms, diaphragm, withdrawal, rhythm method, intrauterine device, pill, patch, implant, ring, morning after pills
Work
-Work is gendered -Certain forms of work are categorized as masculine or feminine -Masculine work tends to be valued higher - social and economic status
trans/non-binary health
-affected by androcentrism & sex binary in healthcare Stereotyping/inequality in healthcare -Shift to gender neutral language improving healthcare experiences
Sexual assault
-any sexual contact without consent that involves use of force -Some forms of sexual assault do not involve complete consent: altruistic sex or compliant sex
Sex work
-discussions around sex work bring up similar debates to the sex wars of the 1970s and 1980s -Saving the women and trans individuals from patriarchal oppression and personal harm -Or seeing the sex workers as individuals with agency to decide how they want to earn money
Roe v. Wade, 1973
-established constitutional right to abortion, based on privacy. The fetus not treated as a citizen with equal rights -First trimester abortions available on demand -After the fetus is viable (able to live outside the womb), then abortion only allowed to preserve the life/health of the mother -Less than 2% of abortions happen after 20 weeks -Regulation of first trimester abortion should not present an "undue burden" on the woman
Griswold v Connecticut, 1965
-established the constitutional right to birth control for married couples due to right to privacy -Single people given the right in 1972, minors in 1977
Letha Scanzoni & Nancy Hardesty, All We're Meant to be, Ch 1
-feminist interpretation of the Bible -focuses on how the Bible opposes all forms of oppression -Sexism a form of original sin -"Movement of men and women committed to eliminating all forms of oppression and to building a more just and peaceful society with greater economic and social opportunities for everyone and netter stewardship of our natural resources."
Primary labor market
-high wages, benefits, protections for workers -part of dual labor market
Family as institution that connects to other institutions
-interacts with other institutions like economics, government, education, religion, media -Families often reflect systems of inequality and privilege in society -Ex: Single women of color households are the most likely to experience poverty; Middle class, married families get tax benefits; US government often deprioritizes programs that would provide educational equity, living wage, health care, childcare, etc; No paid parental leave in the US
Secondary labor market
-lower wages, fewer benefits, less opportunity for advancement -part of dual labor market
Comstock Law, 1873
-made it illegal to send "obscene, lewd, and/or lascivious" materials through the mail -Included contraception and information about contraception methods or abortion
Title IX
-mandate that universities respond to sexual assault, prosecute perpetrators, provide survivor support, offer preventative programs -20% of women sexually assaulted in college -80% of survivors don't report assault to university authorities
Equal Pay Act of 1963
-men and women at same place of employment must receive equal pay for equal work
117th Congress
-most diverse -Average age is 60 of both branches -96% have college education -Gender: 149 women members (27.5% of the total membership) -Race: 74% white, 11% Black, 10% Hispanic/Latino, 4% AAPI, 1% American Indian, Native Hawaiian -Religion: 55.4% Protestant, 29.8% Catholic, 6.3% Jewish, 1.7% Mormon, 2 members Buddhist, 3 Muslim, 2 Hindu
"Reproductive Rights as Human Rights" GVFV reading
-non-Western cultures are essentialized in human rights discourse -study focuses on micro and meta levels of human rights work -south africa: gender inequality and HIV stigma interact to put HIV+ women at risk of violence and coercion in form of nonconsensual sterilization -India: sex selective abortions, framing abortion as political issue not a public health issue to combat gender-based abortion -Brazil: abortion, fertility, and sterilization regulations procedures are difficult to access in Brazil due to conservative government, working with young people -recognize cultural differences and culture-specific issues while in turn recognizing reproductive right as human right
Images and metaphors for God
-often portrayed as white old man -but this discounts biblical portrayals of God as omniscent, all-being, too complex for human definition, nonbinary
rape
-penetration of any bodily orifice by a penis or object without consent -Anyone can be a victim of rape but perpetrators are usually men or those with a penis -Rape is a form of domination and an assertion of power
Family
-primary social units that maintain other institutions and reinforce existing patterns of domination -Both an institution that is connected to other institutions and spaces that produce discourse -And a space of personal experience of love and relationships -The definition of a family in society often determines access to power and economic resources
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
-prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex, religion, and/or national origin -Pregnancy added in 1976 -June 2020: SCOTUS ruling that Title VII protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity
same sex marriages & families
-pushback about "traditional family values" and reinforcing gender roles in marriage -Not all LGBTQ activists see marriage equality as the primary goal -Critique of marriage as a heteropatriarchal institutions -LGBTQ rights around marriage are sometimes used to help "civilize" other countries 0Studies of children of same-sex parents show that children do just as well in developing emotionally, socially, educationally compared to children of opp-sex parents
horizontal occupational segregation
-segregation across different jobs -"pink collar" jobs -More women entering male-dominated professions -Still some jobs mainly filled by men (Engineers, mechanics, drivers, carpenters, construction workers, trade workers, etc) -Some jobs are devalued when more women begin to do them (pediatricians being paid less than surgeons)
Vertical occupational segregation
-segregation within the same job type -Few women in top leadership positions at corporations and organizations
"Doctors need to talk openly about race--our patients depend on it" Dr. Aisha Wagner
-she wants to address health disparities in her practice, as a black woman herself -most people do not learn about racist history of health and how it connects to biases in health practices/teachings today -aka Marion Sims & Norplant & sterilization of WOC -doctors need to learn this to address their own biases and readjust their practices accordingly
Government and Politics
-social construction of what it means to be a citizen (ex: immigrants and women) -White, straight men from wealthy backgrounds still are the majority of elected officials
"Performance of a Lifetime: On Invisible Illness, Gender, and Disbelief," Kate Horowitz
-speaks of her experience in trying to get chronic invisible illness diagnosed -women's symptoms more likely to be downplayed, disbelieved, dismissed -women more likely to be diagnosed with conversion disorder aka hysteria aka pain is psychosomatic -took years for her to get correct diagnosis, avg of 10 years for people with her condition -"they are not rare. But they are rarely diagnosed." -no surprise that the diseases she has disproportionately affect women -chronic illness connects to mental illness/health
myths about sexual assault
-support male privilege and ability to control women's bodies -Rape doesn't happen that frequently -Women in part responsible for being victims because of appearance and behavior -Perpetrators not completely responsible for their actions
TRAP laws
-targeted restrictions on abortion providers -make it hard for clinics to stay open
Emma Green, "The Culture War over 'Pregnant People'", The Atlantic
-using terms like "pregnant people"/"people who give birth" is inclusive -because not all women can get pregnant, and not all people who get pregnant are women (trans men, non-binary/gender fluid people) -controversy from people who argue this is "insulting to moms" and that childbirth is a uniquely female experience -can still recognize that majority of people who give birth identify as women, and that this cannot be ignored -but can do this without ignoring pregnant people who don't identify as women -importance of not feeling excluded/threatened by language, and healthcare as a whole by extension -doesn't mean you can't use term like "mom" or "women giving birth" if that applies to the specific person or topic you're discussing -intersectionality/inclusivity: its not an "either/or," it's a "both/and" -importance of calling "in" not "out" in educating people on why/how gender language is important
Physical abuse
-⅓ women and ¼ men have experienced physical violence from an intimate partner -Rates of domestic violence correlated with poverty and loss of job for the man -Violence between partners has impact on children -Emotional abuse connected to physical abuse
Examples of feminist interpretations of religions
0Feminist reading of the Quran and Hadith reveals strong focus on women's rights and rights of the marginalized -biblical feminism
Stereotyping in healthcare
How people are perceived in terms of gender, race, class, and other identities can influence the ways that they are treated in healthcare (Ex: Women seen as highly emotional, suffering from psychosomatic problems, Assumption that black women have higher pain tolerance)
intersectionality of health
Lower income women of color often have more health concerns due to a number of factors
Other forms of gender violence
Violence in dating, bullying, suicide of LGBTQ youth, school shootings, stalking, online harassment/doxing
Texas Law, 2021
bans abortion at 6 weeks, allows citizens to sue anyone who "aids or abets" someone in getting an abortion
Federal Abortion Ban, 2003
bans certain abortion procedures that are done in the second trimester/later to protect women's health
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 1972
begins to enforce Title VII
Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
eliminates time limits on filing discrimination claims
Consent
freely made choice that is clearly communicated
maternal mortality rates
higher for black women, partly due to biases in healthcare & weathering
Margaret Sanger
key leader in contraception movement, but also connected to the eugenics movement
Violence
not only physical, any form of coercive behavior that takes autonomy away from the victim
kinship system
patterns of relationships that family forms
Hyde Amendment, 1976
prevents federal money going toward abortion (Medicaid)
ADA, 1990
prohibits job discrimination based on disability
eugenics
racist, ableist, and classist ideas around who should be allowed to reproduce
Clery Act
requires schools to report safety and crime statistics
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
same sex couples have the same right to marriage as opposite-sex couples under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
Incest
sexual abuse of children by someone with a kinship role in the child's life, not just a biological connection
head-complement
the head/"husband" has responsibilities to provide a family wage and the complement/"wife" takes primary responsibility for the home and raising children
Marital rape
wasn't considered rape for a long time as women were seen as property of husband
