Gender studies has introduced me to many new concepts in feminism, particularly the idea of intersectionality. Intersectionality, as I understand it, is the structural phenomenon of the interconnection of oppression and privileges experienced by individuals or groups. This notion that all oppressions are connected to one another never registered with me until it was introduced in this course. I always assumed inequalities such as feminism and racism to be separate issues that involved separate battles; now through intersectionality I can see that they are connected. For the battle to be won, we must defeat all oppressions.
When approaching the topic of intersectionality, I was put in a position that forced me to reflect on my privileges and …show more content…
This prejudice has been present since the discovery of Canada, when European settlers came and ostracized nearly every form of indigenous culture. Colonists committed genocide, among many other horrible acts in an attempt of civilizing the “heathens.” (Stevenson, 1999, p. 63). Europeans forced their ideals upon the indigenous populations; the supreme value imposed upon the aboriginals was patriarchy (Stevenson, 1999, p. 49). Winona Stevenson wrote about the notion of male domination being foreign to the aboriginal community because they lived in a society that greatly valued women (1999, p. 57). Upon colonization, the idea of women as submissive and domestic creatures became the social norm amongst aboriginal …show more content…
Each month we would pick a theme and devote our time to discussing that topic, fundraising for a charity that aligns with said theme and organizing speakers with close ties to the month’s unit. The entire experience was very eye-opening for me because it introduced me to different sectors of feminism outside of my privileged middle-class perspective. One topic that was very foreign and exciting to me was trans-feminism. In this unit, we brought in a male to female, trans woman named Rachel Clark. Rachel is a highly active trans-rights activist, who has been interviewed by CBC, The Toronto Star, and CTV. She spoke with the group about her trans experience and spoke about her activism for trans
When approaching the topic of intersectionality, I was put in a position that forced me to reflect on my privileges and …show more content…
This prejudice has been present since the discovery of Canada, when European settlers came and ostracized nearly every form of indigenous culture. Colonists committed genocide, among many other horrible acts in an attempt of civilizing the “heathens.” (Stevenson, 1999, p. 63). Europeans forced their ideals upon the indigenous populations; the supreme value imposed upon the aboriginals was patriarchy (Stevenson, 1999, p. 49). Winona Stevenson wrote about the notion of male domination being foreign to the aboriginal community because they lived in a society that greatly valued women (1999, p. 57). Upon colonization, the idea of women as submissive and domestic creatures became the social norm amongst aboriginal …show more content…
Each month we would pick a theme and devote our time to discussing that topic, fundraising for a charity that aligns with said theme and organizing speakers with close ties to the month’s unit. The entire experience was very eye-opening for me because it introduced me to different sectors of feminism outside of my privileged middle-class perspective. One topic that was very foreign and exciting to me was trans-feminism. In this unit, we brought in a male to female, trans woman named Rachel Clark. Rachel is a highly active trans-rights activist, who has been interviewed by CBC, The Toronto Star, and CTV. She spoke with the group about her trans experience and spoke about her activism for trans