Violence

There is too much bad stuff in the world to let another something get in your way. Women of college age are the most assaulted people. And to make it worse, almost 95% of those victims knew their attacker. Some women may feel they cant do anything to prevent assault, but this is not true. Every woman has the right to protect herself. It could be something as easy as going out in groups or carrying your keys on your way to your car. You should follow your gut and take action. 

Men are taught at a young age that they have power, but we cant let them have power over us. We are not a piece of meat, waiting to be taken advantage of. I personally have not been in the situation of being assaulted, but I have seen the outcome from a roommate. She unfortunately will not speak of the event and will not cope with what happened to her. I believe that she has been so shaken by the event that she feels powerless and trusts no one. This must be a horrible way to live. 

But if you do have a friend that has been assaulted please be there for your fellow women in their time of need. Be there to listen and understand that they have many vulnerabilities that they may not be able to express. They just want to have someone to be there, to comfort them and reassure them that they are safe. They are probably feeling fear, anger, confusion, guilt and many more emotions, and they may not know how to control themselves. 

It's scary to think that 1 in 4 women will be assaulted. I realized that most girls are living with three room mates, did you ever stop to think that maybe one of the four of you has dealt with such a situation? I did not believe it until one of my roommates was the 1 in 4. To all the women out there, we need to bring awareness of the situation to correct it. So spread the word. 

Nationality

I think its hard to say which type of feminism would be better suited for cultural feminists. The global feminism approach seems to push their views on other cultures without any interest in the other cultures views. I believe it is a good idea to say that every woman has the right to not be oppressed but there are many hurdles to cross before that goal can happen in other cultures. The western cultures don't understand or seem to educate themselves on the customs of other cultures, they just feel that "the western way is the right way" regardless of what the cultural norms are in that society. The western thought is just to radical at this time in society for many cultures worldwide. 

The transnational feminist approach also has its downfalls. They may try to understand the cultures customs but they may overlook aspects to the customs as well. They seems to put up with too much. It is not OK for women to be punished for burning dinner, or for bride burning to happen, but the transnational approach would try to be understanding of their way of life and not try to educate on why it's not OK. 

Women worldwide need to become more educated not just so they can push closer to equality, because realistically thats not going to happen worldwide, but it is possible for women to be educated on respect for women. Women can not be allowed to be doormats for men. They should have every right to be educated on safer medical practices and empowerment. Women should play a vital role in society other than child bearing. They should be given a voice and a vote. Educating women can better the community and help them become members of society. The goal should be bringing the invisible to the visible. 

Madison Equality

Madison Equality is a campus group in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual people. I was surprised in how open the group was in their views, more so than I would be about my personal life. I may not completely agree with all of what was said by the group but I will not put down their lifestyle choices. I do not truly know if it is a choice or a an innate feature to by gay, but it seems that more and more people have been coming out recently. It almost seems to me to be somewhat of a fad, or a way to get attention of people.

I know that in my high school people acted out in such as way to be seen as different. I don't know why they thought that being gay would be "fun", when some see it as a way of life, but to me I feel that when people get confused they feel they must put a label on it as being gay. If people are really born gay, why does it take them so long to figure it out. Wouldn't you  have feelings from the start that you like the same sex? That's why it seems that people choose to be gay. They may feel different and they figure an easy way to explain it is to be labeled as gay.

I also think it is very odd how it is more accepted to be a gay man and it is "sexy" to be a lesbian. The media will show gay men on TV shows, such as Will and Grace, almost glamorizing the situation, when women are shown as sex objects when they are lesbians. It also is being popularized by TV host and comedian Ellen Degeneres. She came out a long time ago, and I feel she in a way set the standard, and made it OK to be gay. She made it cool to be gay. I'm not saying its a bad or good thing to be gay, but I don't feel it needs to be a popularity contest. 

OK, now the big stumping question, how can you like both sexes. I think its odd to think that you can be attracted to both sexes. I can imagine how difficult it would be to date someone of the opposite sex and tell them that you too like the same sex. The problems it must cause must be crazy. 

So lastly, I would like to congratulate everyone who tries to live their life the best they can, when they may get criticized for every move they make. People should be free to love whoever they want without being judged. 

Identity

Society ranks people in terms of how they fit into the norms of society. A good illustration of the ranking is done so in the form of a wheel, portraying attributes of humans that make them fall into the category of privileged or under privileged. Of course the obvious privileged individuals are upper class, young, white, attractive heterosexual males and the underprivileged revolves around people who are darker skinned, poor, ugly, female etc. 

Its hard to believe that a diagram can put everything into perspective of society's views. I fall into the category of of privileged in a few circumstances because I am young, of light skin, and a heterosexual, but the part that makes me, me is under privileged... I am a female. So after all the qualities that set me apart as privileged are all undermined by the fact I was born a girl.

I personally feel that society needs a serious reality check. We live in the United States of America, a melting pot of many cultures. But, somehow we can not see past silly characteristics such as skin color. I do not feel more privileged because my skin is pale, but I guess if the tables were turned maybe I would feel the pressure to be a certain way. I would think privilege should not matter any more. So many people are now being college educated regardless of how they look. We are all gaining the same education, and will all soon be fighting for the same job. So I want to know, will I be judged because of my whiteness? Will someone else get a job over me, because people feel sorry, or feel obligated to hire a person of darker skin to not be accused of being prejudice? One may say the grass is always greener on the other side, but in reality maybe its not. 

Its hard enough to be constantly compared to everyone in a job field. Everyone has the same abilities. So who will get the job? The male, the light skinned female, the wealthy dark skinned man? There is no answer. We are all more complicated than anyone could imagine. One can be more privileged on one issue but fair to be privileged in another. Society should just begin to keep a blind eye toward the differences so we can live without privilege. 

Beach bodies

Spring break is full of over tanned, half naked girls and sometimes boys as well. Girls put so much stress on themselves to transform their "not perfect" bodies into beach bodies just a few weeks before hitting the beach. But why? Who are we really trying to impress? I feel that for some girls, they are out to look better than all the other girls on the beach and they are not trying to stay fit for health reasons. We are so catty that we must talk about everything, just making others feel worse about themselves. Women are so concerned on how others percieve them, that they forget to just live life. Yes, i will agree that I try to watch what I eat sometimes, but I'm in no way going to starve myself to fit into a bikini. 

Society constructs how people should look as well. Have you noticed how many bathing suit options are out there? Designers are basically telling women, if you have a belly hide it, if you have a chest show the world... and we have become numb to it and go along with the trend. But why? If a bigger framed women wants to strut herself in a bikini, why should she get grief over it. It should be how comfortable you are in the suit, not what society is going to say about you in it. 

Society has also put the strain on girls to tan or "fake and bake"to look more appealing. But for girls like myself tanning does not come naturally. I have "lobsterism," the ability to turn red in the sun. After a few days it may change to a fairly lighter red, but you get the picture. Plus, its horrible for your skin. I don't want to look like I'm 60 when I'm only 22. But lucky for us, society has something for the skin damage as well. Pay a fortune and you can have skin like a baby's bottom. But the way the economy is now, don't waste your money.

So, the moral of the story is, eat healthy and exercise regularly to maintain the body you want or the body you were given. Dress in what makes you feel your best, not what society tells you to wear. Lastly, take care of your skin, because you don't want to be confused for mother. 

Privilege

Growing up in a small,upper class, white town it was hard to see much difference in privilege. It wasn't until you drove out of the white, picket fenced, suburban neighborhood to the outside world that privilege was ever an issue. It is sad to admit by my town is about 99% white and the two black people in the town are the whitest black people you will ever meet. My peers all drove new cars at the age of 16 that their parents bought them, they lived in a huge house, and had every new form of technology ever created. So you can see why it was odd to ever conceive of something different. Of course we weren't naive to the fact that all people did not grow up this way. Some maybe were more aware than others, but still the fact was known that we were quit privileged. 

Sometime I take what I have been given for granted, forgetting how good I have it compared to others. I'm not trying to brag, my parents worked very hard to provide for our family and I very much appreciate all I have been given in life. But being at a school like JMU also makes it difficult to see a difference. You look around the campus and see a swarm of North Face jackets, UGGS, Polo, Sperry, etc. you get the point. All these items we are "told" to have to fit in. We are only enforcing the privilege aspect saying that if you do not own these items then you should not be on this campus. But what does that say about who we are? Have we been bread to see society as dollar signs, just needing the next best thing to fit in?

I try not to see the world as divided. Yes, clearly we are but we can change it. Why should someone be "less than me" if they are "unattractive" or another nationality. Is that really how we want to categorize ourselves? I feel like I'm back in high school with all the pettiness of who is more popular, who owns what etc. That is really what the privilege chart seems to point out about society. Who would be in the popular crowd and who wouldn't. I want to ask one thing, wasn't high school bad enough for four years, why bring it into our daily lives? Grow up already and see the world as a box of crayons, many colors and sizes, but we all boil down to the same thing.   

Relationships

Media is the probe that influences the actions of others around them. There are endless portrayals of romance and relationships as you channel surf or search the web. On TV one cant help but be bombarded with reality shows about finding love, how to find love and people making love but what does it all mean to the viewer. These people we see on TV are just acting, or are seriously scripted for "reality" shows, so why am I judging myself against these stereotypes of what makes a good relationship. 

Women, in general, want the fairy tail they are told of as children. But does the fairy tail really exist? Will my prince come rescue me from my horrible life and make my life forever better? I think not. There is no prince charming and that's not a bad thing. If we hold all relationships on a pedestal we are bound to be let down. I'm not saying that there are not good, healthy relationships out there, but they do not come as easy as they make it seem in the movies and TV.

Our parents also influence relationships and romance. In my case, I grew up in a loving family where my parents would kiss hello and goodbye before or entering the house. So I grew up thinking that was how it was supposed to work. I see and hear other families, where the parents don't show affection toward each other, which is only relaying to the children that the way relationships work is to hide the emotions; which it turns out is probably not a healthy relationship. Our peers as well influence how we act in relationships. 

If I see two people holding hands, walking down the street, I feel that is too what I should be doing to show my affection. When I see people making out in public, tells me they are very comfortable with showing the whole world their affections. I may or may not agree with everything I see around me, but it still effects me none the less. 

I feel that men have pressures too to act a certain way or express emotions. But the problems men have is the fear of vulnerability. Men are told not to show emotions because that is a "girl" thing to do. Its hard to break through the tough exterior to see the real man hiding below. I feel that men see the same images through the media that women do, but they absorb the information differently. The men will see two people making out, and they will only take in the info that says, men need to be the strong, controlling, power hungry, type and will not see the emotions behind the love making. They will see that men get glory out of being with multiple women, so they too will follow the "trend". Men need to wake up and the coffee to realize NO WOMEN want to be with a player, so you may want to get your priorities straight. 

Body Image

The women's body has been portrayed many ways throughout the years, but I feel that the representations have gotten worse as days progress. In the past the image of the ideal woman was a larger, curvacious woman, like Marilyn Monroe. Today the image of beauty has been transformed into a extremely slender, sometimes sickly looking woman. 

The advertising industry used women to sell products but used them to do just that, sell. Women are now shown in dead like positions, almost used as props, and generally have nothing to do with the product being sold. Who would want to buy something that advertises a dead women? The women's body is also being seen as a part, not as a whole. It seems to show that women's chests are more important than seeing their face. That image only silences women, and takes away the "person" creating an object to desire. 

The women's body had been once been seen as beautiful, is now just parts... how does that happen? When did the whole women become less important than a chest or butt. We are now shown as legs for a table, or props. 

Abuse has also grown more in advertising. In the past, women were seen as a more cherished figure, a stature of beauty and elegance, but now were are being abused and killed to sell. Is it because women have begun to stand up for themselves, and are gaining a voice. This voice and power can't be outdone by the males so we are treated like objects to be beaten on. I don't know where this abusive nature for advertising came from, and why it begun, but I feel, there needs to be something done about it. I don't want to be silenced and i certainly don't want to see dead looking women to buy a product. I want to be seen as a beautiful figure once again to be cherished and not looked down upon. 

First Wave

I feel that the way women formed into groups was a very beneficial strategy to try to get voices heard and ideas constructed. I felt that the women's club movement gave women a way to help other women, who may be struggling in the home. These clubs were around to unite women as a strong fighting force against the oppression they were facing. 

Women were being forced back into the home when the men came back from war, and rightfully so the women fought back. They had every right to be upset, they were forced to be the "perfect housewife". A hot dinner was meant to be prepared and waiting for the man of the house to come home. The house was to be cleaned and the children were to be tended to. 

Why were educated, strong, women forced out of jobs they were good at. Women could respond better to magazines discussing issues related to their lives, better than a man can guess. The country didn't fall into ruins when women took control of the work force, more than likely more was actually accomplished. 

I also really liked the consciousness raising groups idea. It gave more than a voice to women, it gave them a way to say what they wanted and not be judged for it. They could say they hated being penned up all day doing chores while the men came home and did nothing. These groups liberated women, and gave them something to look forward to. The groups consisted of women just like them, talking about things they all agreed on. They were all equal with each other, fighting for one cause. 

I truthfully don't think that groups such as these would work today. People probably wouldn't feel comfortable attending such a group, because they fear doing wrong. Women like to complain in general and feel they don't need a group to speak to, they will more likely speak to anyone who will listen. I also feel like people don't want to get involved like they did in the past. Women are busier today than ever and may not have the time joining such a group if it existed. 

Liberal Feminism

Liberal feminists have based their efforts on the struggles to educate women. They strive to achieve equal access and equal power between the sexes. I believe that this tactic is the most persuasive because it uses the public sphere to address the public. They have a goal in mind that they are striving to achieve and they are not just complaining and protesting to get the job done.  There are actual laws that have been passed from their efforts such as title 9, making women have the same advantages in sports as men, and Roe vs. Wade, which has made strides in the women's choice for children. I feel that crying about a situation and actually getting what you want accomplished says a lot about the type of women pride themselves in being a Liberal Feminist. These women have shown strength to stand up to "the man" and fight for they they think is right, and actually achieve their goals. Clearly not all their goals have been met just yet but they are involving mainstream sources to get their messages across. 

Some may say that because the private sphere is not addressed that this group is not successful, or persuasive, but how can they not be when they have accomplished as much as they have? I feel that it is every woman's job to fight for their rights in their household. If all women would take a stand to their husband, or significant other and not stand by and watch them relax on the couch and eat potato chips, and make them do some work it would make more strides than people complaining about it and not actually doing what they are saying. 

If women want more rights in the home, then each individual should stand up for themselves. Do not let yourself be a doormat to men. Women have every right to take a job outside of the home and not have a second job as a maid. Men have two arms and legs just like every woman, so they are just as capable as women to do the work. 

Education is a strong source for women. Give them a chance and they may surprise you in what they are capable of. I think men are in fear, that if women become more educated on life, that they wont be the powerhouse any more and they fear being less than women. But I say, I want to learn as much as possible, I don't want to be left in the shadows. 

Gender Socialization

I never really thought about what it means to be male or female. It is hard to believe that ones gender can be predetermined in the womb and already exist once they enter the world. Society influenced what made me a female before I walked or began to say my name. Such decisions based solely on my sex made me want to take ballet instead of learning to throw a football. 

Why do we place such pressures on a child to act a certain way or do certain things, what happened to just being a kid? Now society stresses girls to wear pink and boys to wear blue. However, what happened if I wore blue as a child, did that make me any more masculine than other girls were? Kids should be kids, and that's all there is to it. Doesn't experience make us grow into well-rounded people, so why shouldn't a little boy play with dolls to learn how to nurture, why is that activity saved for girls only?

People are multifaceted individuals with much to offer the world. But the word gender predetermines how they people fit into society. Being a female, by society's standards, makes me "weak, timid, emotional, and insecure," but in reality, I am the complete opposite. Does it mean that I am more masculine in nature, or am I just aware that I do not need to fit into the "mans" definition of a woman? I cannot even go into a store and not see items by categories. I can shop in either the female department or the male department. I can look at power tools, most likely located adjacent to the men's department, or I can look at cookware, most likely found by the women's department. Living in a segmented world has only made gender socialization more apparent than ever. 

I want my children to be aware at birth that they can be what they want to be. I do not think I could go as far to say I would restrict people from knowing the sex of the child, but I want them to feel free to express themselves however they feel fit. They should not have to worry about fulfilling society's expectations of male or female, it should be up to them on how they want to live their lives.