CRJ #11 - Feminist Futures

There are two core principles that define what a feminist is. The first principle is that feminists concern themselves with the equality and justice for all women and seek to eliminate systems of inequality and injustice in all aspects of women’s live. In addition, they strive to celebrate women’s achievements and struggles and to create a positive vision of women. A pro-feminist man seeks to add his voice to the feminist movement and change the way that men feel and act toward women. They want to set women on an equal level in social, political, and institutional levels. I am able to claim that I am a feminist now. I have always been very liberal and strongly believe that everyone should have equal rights. I also think it is a travesty that women in less civilized countries are going through the hardships today that women in our country went through in the past. I think we need to help them learn from what we have seen, so that these women do not have to struggle the same. Without knowing it, I think I actually have always really been a feminist.

My experience in a feminist classroom has had an impact on me. Being an engineering major, this class is much different than any that I have experienced before. It made me leave much of my analytical thinking behind, and allowed me to think about how I really feel about society. Before taking the class, I really had the same stereotypical view of a feminist as most people in society do. I never would have wanted to be labeled a feminist. I am a very liberal person though, and after reading that feminist ideals basically come down to trying to gain equal rights for everyone I believed I might already be a feminist. The readings completed changed the views I have on feminists and after understanding what a feminist really is I would not be afraid to claim that I am one. I now see feminists in a very positive aspect and agree that these people are very necessary in our society today.

Before taking this class, I didn’t really realize how much of a struggle women still face today. I read about so many women that still today are fighting for their rights in the U.S. and especially abroad. After seeing this enthusiasm and drive from women still today, I think this will help me continue the drive to fight for my rights and women’s rights in the future. Also, I have from some of the modules I saw that I have some prejudices that I never realized before, such as against larger people. Now that I know this, I am able to work on facing this prejudice and hopefully I will be a better person in the future. I think the topic that relates to my future career the most is the section on women in the workplace. I think engineering is a huge field where women find they have a glass ceiling above them. Women have not been in the field very long, so I think their work is not respected the same as men’s yet. I think it is important that women with the same feministic ideals as I have continue to join the field and fight for women’s equality.

Event #2 - IWiN Informational Meeting

International Women in Need Informational Meeting
December 3, 2007
Women’s Center

A group met at the Women’s Center to discuss the new project for the International Women in Need (IWiN) organization. IWiN was a brainchild of an undergraduate student in 2004 who wanted to raise awareness and money for international causes. Projects have already been completed in Mexico and Sudan. This year’s project is called “Corn for Kenya – A power mill to empower women”. This purpose of the project is to educate the community about problems in Kenya and to raise enough money to buy a corn mill for a Kenyan village. The corn mill will be located in Ngeta Village. This village is composed of 200 households; the majority of the people here are children because the area has been devastated by the AIDS epidemic. The average life expectancy for women is only 49 years old. The women cannot own land; however, they do most of the farming in the village. The corn mill is something the women really need because they spend hours daily grinding corn and it is laborious work. Also, the nearest mill is extremely far away and is usually broken down. A small group of Kenyan women called the Koriko Moyie Woman Group has formed to try and help women of the village. Currently there are about 25 women in the group who have raised about $150 to support village women. The goal of IWin is to help this group by raising $3000 in order to purchase a 2-piston power mill and $4000 for a shelter for the mill and business organization. We brainstormed several ideas in order to raise these funds and plan to meet twice a month to move further in the project.

The focus of the event was discussing how we can help women internationally. Recently, we discussed how we need to take a global perspective on women’s rights especially when discussing sex discrimination. Sex discrimination is extremely visible in this Kenyan community. The women do extremely hard work on the farms, yet they are not able to own any of the land. Also, if a woman is seen thatching a roof or doing other “men’s work” she will be ostracized from the community. We have seen women suffer these hardships in our country and it is important to help eliminate these problems from other countries. The half the children in the village are orphans. Grandmothers and other women of the community take on the responsibility to raise these children, while the men take on no additional work. This shows how much extra work the women are doing that they are not getting credit for.

I actually really enjoyed this event. It brought all of the international hardships from the readings much closer to home. It’s unbelievable how something as insignificant in our society as a corn mill can be one of the most needed items in another society. I actually am excited to be involved in the organization and help with fundraising events next semester. I think it will really show me how lucky we are in this society, even though we still struggle with so much.

CRJ #10 - Gender and the State

The first piece of work I read was “Constitutional Argument” by Susan B. Anthony. This read dissects the establishment of our rights by the Constitution and explains that the Constitution actually granted both men and women equal rights. Anthony explains that the writers intended to set both men and women on the same plane and allow them the same opportunities. Since she says the Constitution supports women’s rights, the only way women can protect these rights is by having the right to vote. Anthony explains, “It is downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government - the ballot” (pg 638). This reading is different than most pieces I’ve read about equal rights because it goes back to the actual foundation of our rights. I always see it depicted that women were first denied the right to vote and had to go through a constant struggle to obtain that right. Anthony actually explains that we have had the right all along; all it takes is a closer look at the Constitution to realize this.

The next piece of work I read was “Unequal: A Global Perspective on Women Under the Law” by Jessica Neuwirth. Neuwirth begins by explaining how unbelievable it is that so many countries affirm the right to equality, yet they continue to discriminate. Even various legal documents are being hypocritical when they state that discriminatory law should be illegal; however, nothing is done to change the status of these laws. She then goes on to discuss instances in law which exhibit sex discrimination. Examples range from laws determining citizenship of children born to U.S. parents to the rights to family property of daughters in Nepali. The piece continues by proving sex discrimination can also be seen in the ways in which criminal offenses are treated, education, employment, politics, and many additional sectors. The United Nations is one group that has noticed the difference between what governments claim and how they actually treat their citizens. “The substantial gap between the rhetoric and the reality of sex-equality rights indicates the lack of meaningful commitment to applicable treaty obligations and commitments governments have made” (pg 640). Although special documents such as the Beijing Platform have been slow to adapt, the U.N. is trying to close this gap. Many other countries are following and trying to eliminate sex discrimination and abide by their constitutions. I was actually rather surprised about the U.S. law which states that children of U.S. fathers must take legal steps before the age of 18 to claim citizenship, while children of U.S. mothers have to take no action. It is actually shocking to see this discrimination against males, when most of the laws I normally see discussed focus on discrimination of laws against women. Being a feminist, I think it is important to change this law and give men the same rights. Since feminists seek to gain equal rights for women, they must assure that men have these rights as well. I think it is also very important to take a global perspective on the issue of sex discrimination. We have seen people suffer a great deal in our country because of the unequal ways they are treated. We should focus on teaching other countries what we have learned from these problems and eliminating sex discrimination abroad.

The final article I read was “The Postwar Movement: Lessons from Bosnia Herzegovina” by Cynthia Cockburn. Cynthia describes that the time directly after a war is a key time when policies can diversify again. She explains that the ability to bring about substantial piece and healing “depends on many factors, but one that is crucial and often overlooked is whether the transitions includes the questioning and transformation of gender power relations” (pg 661). The U.N. has called on countries to incorporate gender perspectives during postwar situations mainly due to the mistakes seen in Bosnia Herzegovina. When the war was called to an end based on a negotiation written in Dayton, Ohio, political leaders went on to rewrite Bosnia’s constitution; however, they left out details which would provide an empowerment for women and allow them to become equal within the society. When the society was checked on years after the constitution was implemented, people were shocked to see that there was “a total absence of women and of gender awareness in the Dayton peace process or in subsequent international interventions” (pg 662). It was assumed that the Dayton operation would be very successful, but there were many findings which proved different. Therefore, two main lessons were gained from the experience. First, we realized that it is essential that peacekeeping operations and postwar reconstruction keep gender awareness in mind from the very beginnings. Second, local women’s NGOs from the countries must be involved in the process and be able to have an equal amount of input. I’m glad to see we were able to realize that we did make some mistakes in our experience with Bosnia Herzegovina and that the way we conduct postwar movements must change. We didn’t hide the mistakes, instead we chose to acknowledge them and learn from them. Today, we are involved in so many disputes around the world that we must continue to improve the postwar process in order to bring equality into as many countries as possible.

Activity #10 - Is the gender wage gap justified?

I believe that women should have the same rights as men; therefore, the gender wage gap is not justified. I support many of the statements of Hilary H. Lips who believes that the gender wage gap is due to the undervaluing of women’s work. In contrast, I am surprised by many of the findings of June O’Neil who suggests the gender wage gap has been created by nondiscriminatory factors. Although the gender wage gap has closed considerably over the years, a gap still persists and the rate at which it is closing has greatly decreased. There are a variety of reasons why I believe the gender wage gap is unjustified. First, I will explain how the undervaluing of women’s work has created the gap. Next, I will discuss the affect of time at work. Finally, I will conclude by explaining occupational choice.

Lips’s main argument is that the foundation of the gender wage gap is built upon the fact that women’s work is undervalued. Between all races, men always fare better than women. Even with similar educational backgrounds, men fare better than women. Also, with comparable jobs and experience levels, men fare better than women. Women push to achieve the same status as men; however, sex seems to be the only barrier holding a woman back from earning the same as a man. This is because much of women’s work is undervalued. I think a lot of this is due to social construction. From the time that women joined the work force, they have been placed in less valued positions. They are secretaries for the important male bosses. They are teachers who work for their superior, male principal. Society has constructed the idea that a woman should be there to support her male counterpart. Even in the less valued markets where it seems women should have an upper-hand today they still do not. “In all but 2 of the occupations in which women formed the majority of workers, men’s earnings were always higher than women’s” (pg 215). This proves that even in areas where women probably have more experience, the male’s work is still being valued more. Also, women do not receive the recognition that men do at equivalent roles. Lips explains that men receive far more literary awards than women even when it appears women have made comparable accomplishments. This proves that society distinguishes and values the work of men more than that of women.

Many people believe that since women have to put a lot of focus on work within the home, they cannot compare to a men’s work input and therefore women should be paid less. O’Neil explicitly states, “The main source of productivity differences between women and men stems from the lesser amount of time and energy that many women can commit to lab-market careers as a result of the division of labor within the family” (pg 209). Women probably understand that they are not able to commit as much total time to their work, so they may be more productive with the time they have to put towards their work. This could allow them to achieve the same accomplishments in less time then men are able to. I do not think that men on the fast track put in more effort than women on the mommy track; however, I do think these men are able to put in more time. Therefore, a greater amount of time should have no reflection on effort; in addition, it should have no influence on the total pay a person receives. Also, the amount of work women are able to do from the home has significantly increased because of the internet. Therefore, women are able to reach the same amount of total hours as a man who works within an office. She should be awarded for this, especially if she outperforms her counterpart.

Finally, some people argue that “the gender wage gap is simply an artifact of occupational choice. They assert that the difference in women’s and men’s median earnings does not reflect any devaluing of women’s work or discrimination against women. Rather, it is an accidental result…” (pg 215). Due to the social construction of gendered work discussed earlier, many women do not think they have the same occupational choices as men do. It is not accident; it is a complete set-up. This social construction is completely based upon discrimination against women, and where society thinks women should be placed. Therefore, the gender wage gap is directly reflected by discrimination. June O’Neil argues, “Women make employment choices that ultimately determine their wages” (pg 207). I agree that women do make some employment choices; however, the work place also makes its own decisions about you that also go in to determining one’s wages. Men are the first to receive promotions. Therefore, the employer is putting them into jobs that bring a larger paycheck with them. Also, some employers immediately put women onto the mommy track and do not allow them to attempt the face track. This prohibits them from reaching many career opportunities offered to men. “The expectation of withdrawals from the labor force and the need to work fewer hours during the week are likely to influence the type of occupations that women train for and ultimately pursue” (pg 209). Being in the college atmosphere, I know women pursuing a variety of majors from business to engineering or from forestry to communications. I do not know one of them who has decided on a major based upon the amount of work she thinks she will be able to commit in the future. A person chooses a career path because he or she thinks the job is a good fit and that he or she will enjoy the job. I have almost completed my degree in chemical engineering. I know I will have to put in a lot of work to keep my career moving, but never have I thought that I should sacrifice my career path because I might have to commit too much time at home. This shows that women are able to go upon the same career route a man is, but they still cannot reach the same status.

People will continue to disagree on whether the gender wage gap is justifiable; however, I think it is unjustified and we must continue to try to close it. The numbers show that men and women’s wages have come closer but the rate of closure has hit a plateau. People most understand the causes of the gender gap to understand why it is unacceptable and must be eliminated.

Midterm II

Heteronormativity and How It Shapes Our Culture
Society has always expressed a negative attitude towards homosexuality; this causes people to fear this lifestyle of living. In addition, most events that occur in society are geared toward heterosexual couples causing homosexuals to easily stick out. One must be heterosexual in order to abide my society’s rules and to be looked at in a positive manner. This societal creation is known as heteronormativity, the way heterosexuality is conceptualized as the norm. Since heterosexuality is extremely visible to society in comparison to homosexuality, it has a great influence on the way many aspects in society are shaped. It especially has a key influence on defining masculinity, views on reproductive issues, and on gendered divisions of labor.

Heteronormativity can strike quite a fear in a man about being a homosexual. In order to prove that oneself fits in the realm of heteronormativity, he must assimilate to how heteronormativity shapes the idea of masculinity. What heteronormativity tells us is that homosexuality is a result of the failure to fit into the norm of heterosexuality. Kimmel explains that “Homophobia is the fear that other men will unmask us, emasculate us, reveal to us and the world that we do not measure up” (Masculinity as homophobia, pg 214). This fear is what drives a man to prove his masculinity, and that he fits the mold of heteronormativity. A man might not completely support the things he does; however, if it proves he is masculine he will do it. Katz describes that this “tough guise” is the attempt to show the world only certain parts of oneself that society has defined as manly. To be masculine a man must fit into the narrow box that defines manhood. Finally, heteronormativity says that to be masculine you must be better than the female sex in many ways and prove it. Kimmel describes this rule of masculinity as, “Be a big wheel. Masculinity is measured by the size of your paycheck and marked by wealth, power, and status” (Women’s voices, pg 465). It’s the bigger and better concept that pushes men to extremes, but it is heteronormativity that drives these beliefs.

Next, heteronormativity influences our ideas about reproductive issues, especially those concerning reproductive health, health policies, and technologies. Heteronormativity has caused people to believe that only heterosexual relationships are healthy. This has caused homosexuality to be looked upon as unnatural. This corresponds to the belief that since these relationships are unnatural they must also be wrong. This has impacted the extreme amount of homophobia that can be seen in our society today. Next, heteronormativity has caused an extremely negative respect towards homosexuals within health policies. It has especially influenced the policies on adoption. Even as people have become more accepting of homosexuality, it is still extremely difficult for homosexuals to adopt children. “It has generally been assumed by the dominant culture that children of homosexual parents will group up to be homosexual, although all the evidence shows that this is indeed not the case” (Women’s voices, pg 173). Heteronormativity has declared this “dominant culture” to be the heterosexual culture and that anything that influences a child to become homosexual is unacceptable. Therefore, it is much easier for heterosexual couples to adopt than homosexual couples. Heteronormativity has also influenced emerging technologies for conception. The idea of helping a homosexual couple have a child through surrogacy or by artificial insemination has carried a negative connotation since the technology was created. Many heterosexual couples believe that the use of this technology is wrong and that it is hurtful to allow a child to be born into a homosexual relationship. Many have even gone as far as petitioning for laws to be created to eliminate the use of this technology. A person’s reproductive policies should be his or her own, and heteronormativity has caused many people to try in invade what should be a private issue.

Finally, heteronormativity has created a gendered division of labor. It is quite prevalent in our society that women are paid less then men in comparable work. Shaw and Lee state that in 2005 the “median wages for women who work full-time, year-round, were 76 percent of those earned by men” (Women’s voices, pg 449). This is caused by the belief that heterosexuality is the norm, and men are the dominant sex in heterosexual relationships. Also, since men believe they need to prove their masculinity with a large paycheck, many women have been forced into doing all of the housework. If men do help in the household they do what many believe is more exciting work. “Women tend to do the repetitive, ongoing, daily kinds of tasks, and men are more likely to perform the less repetitive or seasonal tasks, especially if these tasks involve the use of tools or machines” (Women’s voices, pg 433). This work is usually believed to be more masculine and more important so it is withheld for the men. Heteronormativity has greatly increased the amount of work women do without the respect it deserves.

Most people do not even realize the significance of heteronormativity but it has a large impact on how many parts of society are shaped. Some of these areas include the definition of masculinity, reproductive issues, and labor division. It has caused many negative attitudes towards issues that I believe should be accepted.

Concepts of the Body
The body is a very private place; however, it is also an important site for personalized gender expression. Women are able to be involved in body projects and ideas that allow them to express themselves in different manners. This can be extremely positive and meaningful, yet also very trivial. The role of the media has taken different approaches in supporting this issue in both positive and negative manners. An extremely negative situation that can also occur from expression using the body is sexual violence.

Everyday women employ many disciplinary beauty ideals or practices in order to maintain our bodies in line with society’s standards. These practices are usually very petty; however, many women utilize them to feel more confident and beautiful and to fit in with society’s concept of beauty. Some of these practices include shaving our legs, styling our hair, applying makeup, and fake tanning. Some women go to greater extents by having plastic surgery, tattoos or piercings. These all allow women to share something about themselves and express our own ideas of what we think defines beauty. These ideals can have a negative impact though, when they begin driving people toward meeting a certain level of obscure perfection. They can be especially harmful to young people who may become depressed or encounter psychological problems when they first learn that it is really impossible to achieve this perfection. The ridiculous images seen in society “encourage people to pass for a younger age and have normalized cosmetic surgery (especially breast implants) as something ordinary women should seek and want” (Women’s voices, pg 241). These images are unattainable and should not be driving women’s standards; a woman’s own beliefs should shape who she strives to be.

The media has had a strong influence on how the body is portrayed. Recently, some companies, such as Dove, have supported women of all shapes and sizes. This is a very recent development, though, and most forms of advertisement show only the most perfect or beautiful women. The media portrays very unrealistic ideals of what a woman should be, and it is especially harmful in the eyes of young girls who are easily influenced. Since the media only shows thin, young, women with an immense amount of makeup or cosmetic surgery, it is basically telling many women that they are “not good enough the way they are but need certain products to improve their looks or their relationship” (Women’s voices, pg 141). The media is completely masking the image of what a real woman is and is therefore only diminishing women’s attempt to express themselves.

The media may cause a lot of distress in belittling women; however, it becomes extremely harmful when self-expression leads to sexual violence. Women have started to become more confident and have made great strives in gaining more success. Men become extremely insecure when they see women emerge in powerful positions; there masculinity is now at stake. This causes sexual violence because men must now take down women in order to regain their lost power. This violence is placed solely on the female gender and men have historically not stood up to help women; Shaw and Lee call this the “normalization of sexual violence” (pg 560). Men will not fight the violence and then it becomes even harder for women to a point where we begin to just accept it as a society. Women also have begun to express themselves by wearing more flattering clothing and experimenting with make-up. This desire to attract the opposite sex has also led to extreme violence such as rape. The National College Women Sexual Victimization Study estimated that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 college women experience completed or attempted rape during their college years (Fisher 2000). I think this figure is unbelievable and we must fight to decrease it. Yet, as women attempt to express themselves even more, the figures continue to become worse.

It is very uplifting that women are attempting to express themselves strongly in the male dominated society. Unfortunately, these self expressions have been reflected poorly by the media and have increased the level of sexual violence towards women. Women must continue to be confident and come together in order to turn the negative trend around.

Activity #9 - Taking Sides Should Same-Sex Couples be Able to Marry?

I believe same sex couples should have the same rights as opposite sex couples; therefore, they should undeniably have the right to marry. I completely support the findings of Lawrence A. Kurdek, while I am baffled by some of the statements by Peter Sprigg. Same sex marriage is an extremely debatable issue in society that has even worked its way into the law’s hands; however, I do not understand why there is such negativity towards the idea of same sex marriages. There is an assortment of reasons I have for supporting same sex marriage, but here I will only focus on a few. First, I will begin by discussing how it is a freedom that was established when this nation began. I will then move on to negate the belief that same sex relationships are flawed. Finally, I will conclude by discussing how same sex relationships can actually have positive effects on children.

This nation was built upon the foundation that all men and women are created equally. This principle is what makes the United States such a great place to live. It is shocking to me that states could actually pass laws that limit these inherent freedoms. The government has gained too much control over us, and I don’t think it should have any say in who is able to get married. Sprigg explicitly states, “The fundamental ‘right to marry’ is a right that rests with individuals, not with couples. Homosexual individuals already have exactly the same ‘right’ to marry as anyone else” (pg 158). I do not think Sprigg is grasping the point. Included in the right to marry, should be the right to choose who one wants to marry. There is no point in allowing someone to choose who to marry if he or she cannot choose his or her partner. Even worse is the idea that people actually support the government passing these laws when they completely are taking away one’s liberties. Throughout this semester I have learned how society has constructed an extremely negative attitude toward homosexual relationships. I can only hope states will soon follow Vermont’s lead by at least allowing “civil unions”. With one state breaking these social norms, it is a step that could lead to a greater acceptance for same sex marriages.

Even though many people do not accept same sex marriages, I do not think there is any evidence to prove that they cannot work. I do believe that same sex couples may experience an increase in depression and stress; however, I think this is due to the social construction of apathy towards same sex couples. Just as women and those from other races have witnessed increased struggles in this society, so do same sex couples. I think it’s very upsetting that Sprigg suggests that there is also increased mental problems among gay men and lesbians. The fact is that they are simply different; since these feelings are very foreign to some people, it scares them. Throughout this semester I have seen that fear is a very powerful driving force for many people’s beliefs. This fear of allowing people of the same sex to marry is what I think causes some people to have such negative feelings towards same sex marriages. This fear leads Sprigg to attempt to prove that people in same sex relationships have greater mental problems. I would like to see some data that supports his findings that it is not dealing with society’s response to homosexuality that causes many of these problems in people. I don’t see how this can be quantified. Sprigg actually concludes that, “Increasing the level of social support for homosexual behavior (by, for instance allowing same-sex couples to ‘marry’) would only increase these problems not reduce them” (pg 163). So abolishing slavery caused more problems in the African American community? I just cannot grasp how this idea can actually be suggested. Kurdek actually found, “Relative to heterosexual parents, partners from gay couples and partners from lesbian couples do not function in ways that place their relationships at risk for distress” (pg 155). It is apparent that both Sprigg’s and Kurdek’s findings may be swayed in some way; however, even if the amount of stress is increased I do not see how that can determine that same sex marriages would not work. No one should be determining the fate of one’s relationship other than the people actually involved.

Finally, I support same sex marriages because I think they might actually have a positive influence on children. In our youth, we learn a great amount that influences our beliefs and prejudices. Many people are scared of homosexual relationships because they were never presented the possibility as a child. From the onset, they learn that it is completely wrong. A child with homosexual parents, however, can see that there are a variety of ways one can live his or her life. People will not always be accepting of it, but I believe showing children these images at young ages will keep them much more open-minded in the future. I think it can even eliminate many prejudices that are found in society today. Kurdek explains, “Because gay men and lesbians cannot use the gender of the partner to fashion the content of their relationships, they must negotiate common couple-level issues such as household labor and family rituals in creative ways that do not involve gender” (pg 155). This supports the idea that same sex marriages can help eliminate many of the social constructions of gender as well. Children from same sex marriages will see that a certain gender does not have to play a certain role. When they grow older, they will be able to educate others about the positive effects of having same sex parents. Society can then begin progressing to accept this lifestyle. I’m surprised that Sprigg actually states that a negative outcome of same sex marriages is that, “Children of lesbians are less likely to conform to traditional gender norms” (pg 163). I feel that these norms are what we should be fighting to break down and Sprigg seems to be suggesting that he actually supports them. I think this statement clearly shows the close-mindedness with which he conducted his studies.

The issue of same sex marriage will continue to be debated; however, I am completely supportive of the right to same sex marriages. Allowing same sex marriage does not mean that everyone has to agree with it. What it does mean though, is that people believe that everyone should have these freedoms. I think there are many details people overlook about same sex marriages; however, the only way people will change is by hearing this information. I have allowed myself to be open-minded towards the issue, and I have decided that I completely support same sex marriages.

CRJ #9 - Family Systems, Family Lives

One of the first readings that really shocked me was “Cheaper than a Cow” by Miranda Kennedy. The story describes the flesh trade of young girls in India. Traffickers purchase girls from poor mothers and fathers who believe their child will be entering a better life. This is completely false. The trafficker ends up selling the girl for a lot more than he purchased her for, and sends her into an extremely dangerous world. Her buyer is allowed to rape her, torture her, and gives her absolutely no freedoms. What’s even worse it that the police have basically looked the other way when crimes like these arise. They know there is a significant shortage of women in India, and they are allowing this trafficking to occur. The unbelievable part is that this shortage is due to the fact that mothers only want to have boys and are aborting when they find out they are bearing a girl.

It amazes me that India is in such a dire need of women; however, they still continue to kill most of their women prematurely. I just cannot grasp this whole idea. It seems like it would be such an old tradition that I would read about in history backs, but it’s actually happening in our world today. Especially to make your girls perform sexual acts on a multitude of men. How could one subject a young woman to such things? It is unbelievable. This is proof that social construction causes women to feel so inferior in the world. If I was an Indian woman and saw most other Indian female babies being aborted, I would feel I was useless in the world. This would make it even harder when strangers were making sexual advances to me. Although I feel absolutely terrible for these women, it also reminds me how lucky I am to have the current rights I have. To defend myself, choose my husband, and have the right to decide want I want to do.

There is so much pressure on mothers these days to be absolutely perfect, that I can’t even imagine the day when I will have children. I enjoyed that “The Myth of the Perfect Mother” by Judith Warner brought this situation to attention and tried to make some suggestions to fix the problems. The reading begins by showing how mothers constantly try to meet society’s standards to be the “perfect mother”. They spend endless hours with their children and have no time to socialize as adults. The work is completely put on the mother while the father is able to go to work and socialize afterwards with no repercussions. “Thirty percent of mothers of young children reportedly suffer from depression” (pg 396). But they are supposed to hide this depression and pretend to be so happy that they are a mother. Then if they falter, mothers tend to blame themselves instead of society’s ridiculous standards. Judith then sets out several suggestions that may give mothers a break. These include tax subsidies for businesses to adopt family-friendly policies as well as government-mandated child care. Mother should not have to “face ‘choices’ on the order of: You can continue to pursuer your professional dreams at the cost of abandoning your children to long hours of inadequate child care” (pg 397).

Society is beginning to encourage women to become more independent; however, with the responsibilities motherhood brings, something has to happen to help women achieve this independence. After reading this selection, I can picture my mom in the same predicament and I just hope I didn’t put herself through the struggle that many women had in the readings. I definitely don’t want to experience any form of depression because of having children either. It should be completely opposite of that. The government helps many causes and I think mothers should be a priority on their list. It’s unbelievable how much work and stress a mother goes through and I definitely think the government and corporations should help them through this time. Motherhood should be something that women are able to constantly enjoy and not struggle with.

I did not enjoy reading the selection “Marriage and Love” by Emma Goldman. The reading begins by explaining how marriage and love have nothing in common. It is said that marriage is primarily an economic arrangement and brings with it insurance. The reading describes how from childhood girls are told how wonderful marriage and live is. She does not realize she is being “kept in complete ignorance of her only asset in the competitive field – sex” (pg 389). It moves on to say that if a woman does learn the mystery of sex, she will act on the urge and therefore be an unfit wife. The reading concludes by stating, “The institution of marriage makes a parasite of woman, an absolute dependent. In incapacitates her for life’s struggle, annihilates her social consciousness, paralyzes her imagination, and then imposes its gracious protection, which is in reality a snare, a travesty on human character” (pg 391).

Maybe I am just a dreamer, but I think marriage means so much more than what was portrayed in the reading. I believe that love sparks marriage and the reverse can occur as well. People may think that I believe life is a fairy tale, but this reading made love and marriage appear extremely grim. When I got to the last paragraph, I didn’t even want to go onto any of the further readings because those last words honestly appalled me. I think the reading was also quite sexist towards men. Being a women’s studies book I was surprised that it would include an article as such. In their younger years, sex may be the only thing that men seek out. But when marriage and love become real to a man, I think he no longer puts as much focus on sex. He can still enjoy it but now he actually cares about the woman and her feelings. She is not his private property but he wants her to have her own thoughts and ambitions. Luckily the readings got more positive after this selection, but I’m shocked it is in this book.