Before entering the course I had a mediocre level of understanding about women and gender issues. I understood that women and men were viewed in different ways. This difference created issues for women such as the unequal pay gap in the United States. The material presented to me throughout the course has aided me in seeing the vast amount of issues women face in their daily lives and the complexity of these issues. It has changed my perspective to viewing the issues through a wider lens, which take into account every part of the complex issues facing women in today’s society.
Through the first class reading, there was a chart which observes the Global Gender Gap index in 2010 and the United States was ranked very low with only .77. This …show more content…
Heterosexism makes assumptions of the social norm; it is an internal way of keeping status quo. Having society be under the impression that there is only one way to explore sexuality creates an unsafe averment for those individuals who do explore beyond this mindset. There is the pressure of being heterosexual which can be explored through compulsory heterosexuality because individuals may not know that there are more options. The readings which dealt with sexuality helped me understand the importance of sexual education. In the narrative “Lusting for Freedom” by Rebecca Walker, I was able to understand the way which individuals should explore their bodies in a safe way without endangering themselves to sexually transmitted disease and the power through conductance, which can be gained from this exploration. There is also an existing double standard which affects many women (Gendered worlds pg. 103). The act of “hooking up” can enhance male’s reputation while hindering that of a female. Sex, gender, and sexuality are essential parts of an individual’s identity. When these areas are limited to certain roles and perceptive they restrain individuals. Moreover, they can generate certain roles, which, if individuals don’t fit, they can be ridiculed for. In every society, individuals are exploring their identities and having restrictions to their identity can hinder who these individuals are …show more content…
91 percent of cosmetic surgeries are performed on females (Killing Us safety.) This shows that through the media and through other pressures, women feel as if they need to change themselves to fit a certain idea. The amount of violence against women was also a very outstanding statistic, 25 percent of all women have been raped or physically attacked at one point in their lives (Gender Words pg. 275.) The high statistics against women show the unacceptable norms of those cultures that promote these behaviors. Men are also more likely to be raped by stranger than women are (Gendered worlds pg. 280.) Crimes against men and society’s unawareness of these statistics show the relatively low awareness of society, but it also shows that the culture is not very welcoming for men to speak up about their own instances of sexual violence. Another surprising topic was the entertainment industry-- through the film Dream Worlds 3,it was evident that women are underrepresented in the media industry in every field. The roles they play are often limited to their sexual appeal. Women are often minimized to body parts, and they are viewed as the possessions of
Through the first class reading, there was a chart which observes the Global Gender Gap index in 2010 and the United States was ranked very low with only .77. This …show more content…
Heterosexism makes assumptions of the social norm; it is an internal way of keeping status quo. Having society be under the impression that there is only one way to explore sexuality creates an unsafe averment for those individuals who do explore beyond this mindset. There is the pressure of being heterosexual which can be explored through compulsory heterosexuality because individuals may not know that there are more options. The readings which dealt with sexuality helped me understand the importance of sexual education. In the narrative “Lusting for Freedom” by Rebecca Walker, I was able to understand the way which individuals should explore their bodies in a safe way without endangering themselves to sexually transmitted disease and the power through conductance, which can be gained from this exploration. There is also an existing double standard which affects many women (Gendered worlds pg. 103). The act of “hooking up” can enhance male’s reputation while hindering that of a female. Sex, gender, and sexuality are essential parts of an individual’s identity. When these areas are limited to certain roles and perceptive they restrain individuals. Moreover, they can generate certain roles, which, if individuals don’t fit, they can be ridiculed for. In every society, individuals are exploring their identities and having restrictions to their identity can hinder who these individuals are …show more content…
91 percent of cosmetic surgeries are performed on females (Killing Us safety.) This shows that through the media and through other pressures, women feel as if they need to change themselves to fit a certain idea. The amount of violence against women was also a very outstanding statistic, 25 percent of all women have been raped or physically attacked at one point in their lives (Gender Words pg. 275.) The high statistics against women show the unacceptable norms of those cultures that promote these behaviors. Men are also more likely to be raped by stranger than women are (Gendered worlds pg. 280.) Crimes against men and society’s unawareness of these statistics show the relatively low awareness of society, but it also shows that the culture is not very welcoming for men to speak up about their own instances of sexual violence. Another surprising topic was the entertainment industry-- through the film Dream Worlds 3,it was evident that women are underrepresented in the media industry in every field. The roles they play are often limited to their sexual appeal. Women are often minimized to body parts, and they are viewed as the possessions of