My Reflection On Breaking The Gender Norm

First and foremost, the overall atmosphere and environment this course took place in allowed me to freely express myself, as well as enthusiastically await the opinions provided by other individuals who were partaking in the course. At the start of the course I did not know what to expect. The syllabus provided an overview of the topics that would be covered on a weekly basis, but personally I did not quite understand how watching a documentary was going to completely cover one particular topic. Let alone cover the multiple positions that could be taken on the issue being faced. Like others, going into this course I came in with certain beliefs and values. In particular, the values I held to be true going into the course were equality and …show more content…
For example, gender and the inequalities faced by individuals who were breaking the gender “norm” was clearly something unjust. Although these injustices were known, it was not until I moved to Austin that I truly became aware of these inequalities because I met people who faced these situations in their daily lives. Seeing how this affected those around me saddened me. It once again revealed the reality of the world, taking me out of the bubble I was raised in. Instances like this to some extent aggravate me, but by becoming more aware of the inequalities being faced in our society, the more I realize I want to help. I realize that I want to try to have some form of impact even if it is a minor one in our society. When the documentary Matthew Shepard is a Friend of Mine (Jossue, 2014) was assigned, watching it I did not expect for a documentary to be full of pathos. Seeing what Matthew went through at first filled me with despair, but knowing his friends and family are activists in spreading awareness reassured hope. The documentary reinforced my hopes that change is possible, that even if its starting small, one individual at a time a difference can be …show more content…
Ultimately the course has provided self-awareness. I am astonished at how this newfound self-awareness has already started to unfold in my daily life. I find myself looking for articles on gender equality and constantly holding conversations that evolve around this topic. I never believed a course could be this impactful in a person’s life. It is because of American Dilemmas that I want to stay involved in the problems going on in our society, it is because of this course that I want to make some kind of change. And although I may not know exactly how this will be accomplished, what I do know is I am now aware. Aware of the society we live in and of the problems it faces. American Dilemmas brought self-awareness but it also brought renewal and redefining of my