Non-existent Date Rape Drug

During our in class activity where we all had to think of examples of a time where our right’s were taken away, I mentioned that my right to security had been taken away after my drink was spiked with the date rape drug Rohypnol last year.
I became interested in researching other women’s’ stories who have been victims of date rape drugs such as Rohypnol. Through my research, I stumbled upon this blog titled, “Rohypnol, the new mystery non-existent date rape drug....” The author claims that Rohypnol is non-existent and just used as an excuse by women who binge drink for being victims of sexual assault.

An example of some of the claims in this blog post include:

Dr. Peter Saul, a GP in Wrexham, said: "There had always been a suspicion that people would say that their drinks had been spiked when perhaps they had misjudged how much alcohol they were taking.
"If you go home and your parents are there, and you are vomiting on the path, and you come in in a terrible state, you get sympathy if you say, 'My drink was spiked'. You don't get sympathy if you say, 'We spent too long in the bar'."

Although I realize the author of this blog is not a credible source for information, I thought it was important to point out the way many people view the date rape drug phenomenon. This blog post was really hurtful and also degrading towards women. Regardless of the situation there is never an excuse to take advantage of women. It’s posts like this that make women think that rape and sexual assault are shameful and therefore just contribute to the number of women who don’t speak out against their rights being violated.

Sex-Selective Abortion on Rise

I recently came across an article in The Washington Post that talks about the rise in sex-selective abortions in India. I found this article especially interesting because of specific discussions we have had in class regarding the different roles men and women play in society depending on the culture they are raised in. Like many other cultures, India emphasizes the importance of a male’s role in their family and in society.

In 1996, India banned the use of medical technology to determine the sex of fetuses in order to selectively abort girls. Even though this procedure is illegal, findings from a recent study suggest that it is actually becoming more common and widespread than in the past. Sex-selective abortion is primarily intended to increase a couple’s chance of having at least on boy. The results of this study give a great depiction of the growth of this practice and provide a better understanding of gender roles in a predominately male dominated culture such as India. Although India’s desire to have at least one boy in the family does not seem to be as severe as certain cultures like China, there is still an evident preference for a male child. It would be interesting to take this study and research the findings further. Some questions I would like to look at specifically:

What are the underlying societal pressures to have a male child in India?

How do these statistics compare to other predominately male cultures?

Why is there such an increase in sex-selective abortions right now rather than in previous years?

Miss Representative

As a part of our final media project, Nikki and I showed a trailer for the documentary Miss Representative that was recently presented at the Sundance Film Festival. Although I have yet to see the entire documentary, I think the message of this documentary encompasses a lot of what we have talked about in class relating to women in the media. It not only focuses on the current image of woman in the media, but it also concentrates on the long-term effects this message sends to young people, especially young girls. The consequences are dire and are directly correlated to common psychological and physical problems of this generation of young individuals, which can range from poor self-esteem to more serious conditions such as bulimia and anorexia.

It is important for young women to see positive role models. By incorporating advice from powerful women we frequently see in the media in this documentary, it leaves the viewer with a sense of hope and gives young women a group of individuals to look up to. I think one of the most important parts of this documentary is that it not only brings to light a serious problem, but also concentrates on the steps needed for change to occur. This documentary is a step in the right direction. It presents a group of women that want to defy the media and the belief that, “You can’t be, what you can’t see.”

To see the full trailer and learn more about Miss Representation visit www.missrepresentation.org. This is also a great source to find the most up to date calendar of upcoming screenings and events. On a side note, following Miss Representative on any of their social media pages is a great source for current events relating women in the media.

Condoleezza Rice and Female Heads of State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H19sMQgHE7Y&feature=related

While doing research for my final project, I stumbled across this video that depicts Condi Rice defending her beliefs of women in politics.  The interviewer is somewhat degrading towards her about the topic, categorizing her in one role or another.  Dr. Rice's belief is very geared toward individuality and uniqueness and so she did not take kindly to the containment of her achievements to simply being that of a woman or African American.

I find it very interesting that while she is discussing the topic of the empowerment of women, all her interviewer can do is capitalize the struggles she faced in a male-dominated environment (not to mention older and white).  He makes it sound as though she was outside of herself when serving in her position and that she didn't truly fit in where she was - she just persevered through the post.

The assumptions that were taken from other books and sources that Dr. Rice denied were also all examples that would have shown her as "weak" from a patriarchal perspective.  Rice immediately dismisses the "boxing" that the interviewer does with his questions and presents the subject from a more middle-of-the-road perspective.  She emphasizes the collaboration instead of giving the idea that the men did all of the work in government decisions (proportionally).

A Blueprint for Change

A couple of weeks ago I was riding back from the airport and found a piece of newspaper in the supershuttle I happened to be riding in.  I just saw "Women in the Economy" on the top of the page and picked it up, planning on reading it later.  Now having watched "Who's Counting?" this featured section seems more pertinent.

The Wall Street Journal has created a task force for to figure out what barriers are still in place for women to enter the workplace.  The piece of the section that I got my hands on had Gena Davis, actress, discussing the hours of television watched by children and the stereotypes and placements of male and female characters in shows.  She started with films such as "Thelma and Louise" and "A League of Their Own," and soon she had women coming up to her to tell their stories and how they related to these movies. 

After doing these films, she began to realize the disparity in gender roles in the mainstream media.  While watching TV with her daughter, she noticed the gender bias and gender gaps that media is presenting to children.  She began approaching producers and directors about it, who didn't even realize what they were doing.  She, along with others in Hollywood, ended up raising the money to do the largest research study on G-rated movies and television shows for kids 11 and younger.  They found that for every one female character, there are THREE male characters (in group scenes, it was five males to one female).

She has started a movement in Hollywood to change these perceptions and make changes in the gender roles in film.  They will be doing another study in 2015 to show the differences and changes in five years.

I found this article encouraging that people are stepping up and making the difference that it will take to truly turn a 180 on the perception of women, and therefore the success of women.  Below is a link to the article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576247133240163732.html

How would you feel if you weren’t allowed to drive a car?

Manal al-Sherif, Saudi Woman, Detained For Defying Driving Ban

This article really stuck out in my mind because of how much I enjoy the freedom to jump in my car anytime I want and go for a ride. Ever since I was sixteen I have treasured the alone time I have in my car....it’s just me, the open road, and the music that puts me at ease. To not even have the option of doing so would be debilitating to me.

“Authorities detained a Saudi woman on Saturday after she launched a campaign against the driving ban for women in the ultraconservative kingdom and posted a video of herself behind the wheel on Facebook and YouTube to encourage others to copy her.”

Women must hire live in drivers that cost about $300-$400/month or rely on male family members to drive to work, school, grocery stores, doctor appointments, etc.

This relates to our class discussions because this article just like many of the accounts we’ve heard throughout this term shows us that every aspect of life has multiple lenses it can be viewed from. It is important to be aware of the alternate lenses so we don’t simply look at the people involved in unfamiliar situations as the “other”.

Women Making More Money

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/18/AR2010011803834_2.html?sid=ST2010011900008

I found this article in the Washington Post about how women now are making more money than their male counterparts. It also furthers that idea by saying not just women, but married women are "bring home the big bucks" more than their husbands. Women are now about to make up a majority of the US workforce, are now graduating from college in higher numbers than men, and so now are becoming the better educated, higher-paid of the two.

Petula Dvorak, the author of this article, says that men now have it better off because they can just sit back and relax while women do all the work. Not only are more women now working, but they also have to keep up with the kids and housework. So we're basically doing both jobs. Really, what would they do without us? However, she goes on to say that because of this, more women today are depressed. They do not have the time to relax like their husbands because they are constantly working.

One of the last points that she makes is that our generation is now expected to be both the "house mom" as well as the "working mom." Whew. Seems like this will become a difficult thing for us to juggle.

I would hope that every woman feels that no matter which "job" they choose, that they do not feel belittled or feel as though they are too hardcore because since our generation now has both options, we should therefore be able to choose whichever one we want or both, and not be criticized for our choice.

Bolsa Familia and Oportunidades - Paying poor mothers to care for their children

After class, I thought about the programs in Brazil (Bolsa Familia), Mexico (Oportunidades) and several other developing countries that pay poor women to keep their children in school and get medical care in terms of compensating them for their unpaid labor. These programs have shown success in educating and keeping healthy kids in impoverished families that might not otherwise be able to pay for education and healthcare costs for their kids. Also called "conditional payments," they in some ways monetize, and therefore give value to, the time and effort mothers must spend to support their kids in school and health.

Here's an article about such programs' effectiveness from the NY Times:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/to-beat-back-poverty-pay-the-poor/

Now back to the final project!

" I Choose My Choice! "

I read this article several weeks ago and knew I wanted to write about it, but didn't quite know when it would fit in. After today's class, I can include it because it raises some very interesting points about "women's work" and how they "count."

Essentially, the author of the article is laying out several different arguments and positions made by women from all types of perspectives. Alluding to the work of Betty Friedan, writer of the groundbreaking "Feminine Mystique," who illuminated the dissatisfaction that many "housewives" felt with their lives, not knowing particularly why-- the author of this article offers some theories from others on what this "housewife" mentality can mean.

One of the most interesting ones was made by Linda Hirshman who "considers all stay-at-home mothers fish in her barrel...[she] even tears mercilessly into the sleep-deprived new mothers who’ve made the unfortunate decision to share their rambling thoughts on something called Bloggingbaby.com... But in fact, Hirshman insists, the problem starts well before mother­hood. It begins when young women enter college and violate Hirshman’s No. 1 rule of female emancipation: “Don’t study art.”"

Hirshman gets particularly critical at mothers who have left their Harvard M.B.A degrees and high-powered jobs to"live in the perfect land of a Walgreens’ ad." She gripes at the fact that these women are choosing the "lesser" existence of child-rearing and taking care of the home instead of pursuing "more important" goals. ("Lawyer, along with doctor and judge, is the kind of high-degree, socially relevant job she approves of.")

In contrast, Neil Gilbert makes a very astute observation of Hirshman's argument by saying:

"Linda Hirshman claims that “the family—with its repetitious, socially invisible, physical tasks—is a necessary part of life, but allows fewer opportunities for full human flourishing than public spheres like the market or the government.” Many people would no doubt find unpaid household chores less interesting than Professor Hirshman’s job … But walking up and down the super­market aisle selecting food for a family dinner is a job that has more variety and autonomy than the paid work being done by the supermarket employees who stack the same shelves with the same food day after day, and those who stand in a narrow corner at the checkout counter all day tallying up the costs of purchases, and the workers next to them who pack the purchases into paper or plastic bags. That space in the market is a bit cramped for human flourishing."

I am a little more inclined to see it from Gilbert's point of view, simply because it is more all-encompassing of the various roles that many workers in many sectors must have-- because they have no choice.

The article continues on to describe the way in which women's "work"--whether at home or in the office has become criticized, analyzed and debated. Some point to the "women-at-home-is-oppressive" mentality, arguing that "women at work" is contributing more significantly to the economy, to society, and to the world (to be...general). However, are these situations really the "oppressive" scenarios that some feminists might describe? One paragraph in the article articulates that in reality, men probably don't have the time or energy to "continually oppress their wives."

Is the choice for a woman to "stay home" one that is backhanding all the important work of Betty Friedan and other feminists of her time? Is choosing this path setting women's movements back by not showing how "equal" women can be to men in the workplace?

What about the simple fact that it is a very PARTICULAR type of woman who actually HAS the choice to make? This type of critique cannot even be applied to well, a majority of women in the world who are forced to work in order to survive. "Staying at home" is not an option for them, so how can they be included in this type of analysis of "achieving the feminist dream"?

The article moves between many points, and the author herself indicates that she has the luxury of staying at home as a writer at times, spending time with her children, etc. How might her particular perspective influence her writer and the people she chooses to portray?

From a "big picture" standpoint, who really has the appropriate "position" from which to judge any of these women and the types of women that are not portrayed? Do we really know what goes on FULLY in a "mom's world"? Perhaps it is those women who have more time to participate meaningfully in the community and be activists for social change.... are the "working moms" doing this kind of work? It's hard to know. Regardless, this article shows many sides of the discussion...and even if it is a long read, it's definitely worth it.

Facebook COO Addresses The Domination Of Men In The Business World

Facebook COO: Men run the world
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, gave the commencement speech at Barnard College, an all female university, this past weekend. In her speech she focused on the importance of women in our generation overcoming patriarchal tendencies that have saturated and continue to saturate the business world today. She goes on to discuss the gender gap that societies are experiencing in the workforce and our need to do something to bridge this gap. Emphasis is placed on the notion that women are capable to make an impact in our world just as long as they have the drive to do so. She believes this is the main factor in the gender gap. The most powerful quote from Sandberg in my opinion was "Men are more ambitious. We will never close the achievement gap if we don't close the ambition gap," she went on to say "Women underestimate their performance." Sandberg is a trailblazer in the movement for women to attain positions of power. She has secured top positions in two of the most influential companies we've ever seen, Google and Facebook. She is also an activist for women in the workforce. If interested, you can check out her TED talk entitled "Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders." AMAZING TED talk!

Mass Media & the Sexualization of Young Girls

I included a link to an essay, which is an introduction to M. Gigi Durham’s book, "The Lolita Effect." Although I recommend reading the book, this excerpt includes the main points of the book I'll be discussing. I thought many of Durham’s arguments connected well with a few of the blog posts, especially the Abercrombie and Beauty post by Andrea, as well as many of the discussions we’ve had in class.

Durham points out many examples of how the media influences the sexualization of young girls, at increasingly younger ages. For instance, Abercrombie and Fitch making thong underwear for “pre-teens” with the words "Wink, Wink," and "Eye Candy" on them. Another example she points out is the toy manufacturer Tesco, which began selling a "Peekaboo Pole Dancing" kit in 2007. The “toy” also included accessories such as a garter and play money.

Durham explains that while the media may not directly cause the behaviors of these young girls, the media are “culture mythmakers,” they supply them with ideas that seep into their consciousness and over time lead to a distorted view of their own desires. In effect, the media reinforces certain social patterns and trends and invalidate others. The media shapes the way we think and accept certain behaviors and ideas, which are so prevalent in TV and other forms of popular culture today.

I added a video too, sorry for the bad quality but I think it connects well with Durham’s arguments as well. The video focuses on the effect of the mass media and the distorted image they sell to young girls based on the ratings and profitability of provocative pre-teen idols like Miley Cyrus.

Here's the essay on The Lolita Effect:

http://etc.dal.ca/noj/articles/volume2/14_Durham1.pdf

The video on mass media marketing sex to young girls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtJMdXM5oIk&list=PL5C4544C8DA299D97

-Nicole Munzer