personal experience

Through the year’s woman have been perceived as obsolete. Things have changed now, such so that women have the opportunity to do all the things that men can do. However, from my experience I think that old perspective still dwells in some aspects of our society today. The abilities of women to perform activities mainly dominated by males are still being underestimated. For example, when I joined martial arts, many of the students, mainly men did not take me serious because I seemed fragile and a little too naïve to participate in a sport that required “strength”. Many times I would hear them whisper that “I would not last long”, and that class “was not being challenged because of my inability to compete at the same level” or at least that is what they thought. Those comments lingered inside me and made me eager to prove to myself that I was capable of performing equally. Therefore, the next time I came to class, I was doing pushups even though I struggled, but as time progressed, I not only  got better I was able to train at the same paste with them. I was constantly humiliated during our weekly routine of fighting, because I was always put to fight younger and smaller boys then I; which made me feel disappointed because I worked so hard and yet I was being underestimated. This angered me to the point that I finally found courage to pull my instructor aside and tell him that I felt excluded, and that I deserved a chance to fight someone at my same rank, regardless of their physical strength. I was granted my request and although I was not victorious. I was very satisfied that I was given the chance to prove to myself and others that my hard work was not in vain. Most importantly that physical strength is overridden by mental strength because it is with hard work, determination and perseverings that one reaches our most desired goals. Therefore woman are open to limitless opportunities.

youth memories

 

Growing up my favorite cartoons was called Candy Candy, the story was about this girl named candy who was an orphan. Early in the story she gets adopted by a rich family that sends her to boarding school. Throughout the story line she goes through tragic a event that changes her life drastically.

I watch the cartoons a long time ago; yet I never realized that they showed forms of discrimination against women. For example the main character Candy she wanted to become a doctor after the love of her life disappears, however she was not allowed by the school instead they put her in the school of nursing which was appropriate for “young ladies” to study.  For many years nursing has been considered a women’s job such so that some man today say the expression “yes I’m a male nurse” with some embarrassment when asked what they do for a living. 

miscellaneous " woman know your place"

This picture I feel shows how a woman is not just being shown as less than a man, But also is punished by a man. As if the woman cannot do as she would please without the consequence of a man’s reaction. There should be equality but instead the man is considered the higher authority to the point where if the woman steps out of line she is going to be punished. The woman in this picture I would say looks almost apologetic. The partial fear expressed on her face and the disappointment on his face shows this is not the first time. This at one point was ok. Looking at how a man could be accustomed to hitting a woman, an adult woman at that is more than degrading. If this is ok to do, then tell me this. Who then disciplines a man when he is out of line? When is it ok for a man to be punished? Or is it that a woman is considered so much less that the role in reverse is unthinkable? This picture also represents to me that the woman is not only less but is treated like a child. The husband is not just a husband but takes on the role of a father to his wife. This is sexist, degrading, disrespectful, and disappointing.

miscellaneous " men Bar"

In this picture you can clearly see that in this bar they do not provide service to men if they do not wear a shirt, on the other hand women receive free drinks. Although this idea sounds like a good deal to, many women. They do not realize that this is a way of disrespect to the dignity of women hood.  This sign is completely disrespectful, because the bar owners use women and their body’s to attract more customers to their bar, in other words they use them as bate. 

 Early feminist fought to give women the freedom and equality that man had. However I believe that in the process of gaining freedom women forgot the value of self respect. What I mean about this, is that some women confused freedom with immorality, which lowered the strength we had gained as free, smart, independent women.  giving the opportunity for sexist comments, and the allowance of vulgar actions that display women as sex toys. 

miscellaneous "Discrimination on the work force"

Discrimination on the work force

 Six female workers are representing thousands of women by suing Wal-Mart. Claiming that the salary for male employees is higher than female wages. They also claim that men have a better chance to get promotions even though the amount of work effort for both male and female candidates is the same.

A few years ago I had to write an essay about the equality of man and women in the work place. Because men are perceived as the “head of the house hold” employers feel like man deserve a higher salary. However this is completely unfair man and women should have the same salary because both women and man put effort to their jobs equally. I believe that women and man should have the same starting salary and if one person excels in their job they should be rewarded fairly. 

miscellaneous the story Lysistrata

The story of Lysistra

 Lysistrata was an Athenian comedy written by Aristophanes during the Peloponnesian war. In the play women take a stand and go on a sex strike to convince their husbands to abandon the war forcing important leaders to retrieve. As an act Lysistrata and her followers lock themselves in a house where they could be away from their lovers and deprive them from sexual activity.

    While reading this story I was very shocked because men took women as joke. I could picture Aristophanes and his actors discussing, and saying “it would be a funny story if we make it seem as women take over the city and implement there only right.” Which was the right of consented sex, this to them was funny because women taking control over the city and mandating man what to do was “ridiculous.”  Reading this story made me wonder how women who watched the play felt during that time. 

What are little boys made of? (connection)

Michael Kimmel talks about the supposed Virtual war against boys in America mentioned by many best sellers. They advised the public to rescue them from increasingly behavior and emotional problems that are affecting boys.

According to Kimmel the answer to why this happens depends on the person whom you ask, because each author has their won consumption for the cause of the problem, for example, some argue that boys have been forgotten; because America has focused on girls and their problems. Some blame patterns of male development. Others believe that feminism could be the solution to the problem.

Kimmel does not disagree that there is a crisis, but he disagrees in the way many approach or give advice of the causes and their remedies, for example Michael Gurian a therapist who suggest that boys are going worst.  Thanks to Feminists efforts e argues that ever since feminist began to change rules boys have been seen as the problem. He argues that our education system forces boys to “conform to a regime of obedience. With testosterone surging through their little limbs, boys are commended to sit still, raise their hands, and take naps “This quote from Gurian clearly suggests that boys shouldn’t have to obey or be respectful or listen to commands from elders (teachers) or be polite or simply take a nap. Because they are boys and since they are surging with testosterone these are not actions that men should follow. He also says that by doing all this we are not allowing boys to be boys.

After reading this article I understood the different point of views. Some were completely ridiculous; I could not believe that Gurian being a therapist, a licensees therapist to give advice to people who have emotional problems express himself in such an ignorant way. Saying things like its nature, not nature that propels boys toward obnoxious behavior, violence, and sadistic experiments. I felt as if he were trying to put a barrier between boys and girls. In other words saying that, what is good for one gender is bad for the other. This article can have a connection to Audre Laurde and privilege power and different Audre Laurde talks about that in order to change we cannot ignore the different sides, in this article what Audre Laurde says applies because in order to help boys and girls we have to see the issues and not treat them like they are the same thing.