Activism
This last week in rehearsals before Thanksgiving break, we continued to talk about the issue of eating disorders and body image as well transgender issues.
Reflection
early in the week we switched gears to the topic of transgender's and their fight for equality, but later in the week we returned to the issue people with eating disorders. We linked the two together with the simple quote "I just want to feel comfortable in my own body." This just means that transgenders as well as those with eating disorders are just struggling with the issue of body image. Women often times also struggle with this either in the from of eating disorders or trying to feel accepted.
Reciprocity
Never would I have imagined that someone who is transgender and someone who has an eating disorder are struggling with the same issue of body image. All the time transgender is mentioned in the same breath with lesbian,gay and queer community. and eating disorders when talked about is mentioned as a psychological issue. This also lead to a discussion how some people believe that the "T" in LGBT should be separate. Which many people agreed with but I do not. while the "T" in LGBT is fighting a different fight separating them will just make the fight for equality much harder and difficult.
Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Fifth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
weekly activism log
Activism
This week in the F word we were back to our normal routine of 3 rehearsals. this time covering eating disorders. we had two special guess A therapist and a nutritionist whom are partners and work together to consul parents young adults who may have eating disorders.
Reflection.
The issue of body image normally starts with the topic of eating disorders which normally affects young white, middle class women. The beauty ideal which depicts women as thin, white, tall, young, and heterosexual presents an unrealistic image to young women causing them to try to strive for this leading to disorders like anorexia and bulimia. (p. 208) What we focused on in particular in our scenes was how to deal with someone you know who has this issue, or even telling someone you have this issue. We learned helpful tips from our guest in handling situations like these.
Reciprocity
I Learned quite a bit about these disorders, such as websites that are pro anna and mia, and how to talk to the people you know who are struggling with this issue. the techniques we learned include telling the person you are worried about them and they should seek help, and to use positive reinforcement. depending on how serious they are just remind them that you care about them and will be there for them no matter what.
Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Fifth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
This week in the F word we were back to our normal routine of 3 rehearsals. this time covering eating disorders. we had two special guess A therapist and a nutritionist whom are partners and work together to consul parents young adults who may have eating disorders.
Reflection.
The issue of body image normally starts with the topic of eating disorders which normally affects young white, middle class women. The beauty ideal which depicts women as thin, white, tall, young, and heterosexual presents an unrealistic image to young women causing them to try to strive for this leading to disorders like anorexia and bulimia. (p. 208) What we focused on in particular in our scenes was how to deal with someone you know who has this issue, or even telling someone you have this issue. We learned helpful tips from our guest in handling situations like these.
Reciprocity
I Learned quite a bit about these disorders, such as websites that are pro anna and mia, and how to talk to the people you know who are struggling with this issue. the techniques we learned include telling the person you are worried about them and they should seek help, and to use positive reinforcement. depending on how serious they are just remind them that you care about them and will be there for them no matter what.
Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Fifth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
weekly activism log
This past week in F word rehearsals after watching iron jawed angels and learning about the first wave of feminism, we covered the issue of victim blaming. Along with the issue of victim blaming comes the issue of being labeled a victim. as far as victim blaming is concerned we talked about the Slut Walk movement and it's impact. To me labeling is a bigger issue, as we have mentioned in class discussions for something to be talked about or become an issue it first has to be labeled as such. The conclusion we came up with in rehearsal was the same one we reached in class, everything starts with labeling from the macro level, and it's society that tells us if it is an issue or not. That was it for last week stay tuned for next week's update and remember to spread the word... The F- Word
Friday, October 14, 2011
Quiz
The way the two shows construct the women's bodies are in two similar yet different ways. In the movie the business of being born Women's bodies are shown as being very strong but yet a commodity for the health care industry. the movie would show how insurance companies would refuse to cover the cost of home births and it would also show how the doctors talk to the mothers and essentially telling them they need to have a C-section or a vacuum assisted birth, all to just make money i.e a commodity. yet when the movie portrayed the home births it should the women in pain but yet they were able to deliver naturally showing the birth in a peaceful light. because the movie demonized the health care industry the midwives and not the doctors are the "knowledgeable ones." this is in sharp contrast to the show one born every minute, which showed birthing as a very painful yet rewarding struggle. the doctors and nurses are seen as very knowledgeable and they don't cater to their own needs or the mothers need but rather to the need of the baby. It makes birthing seem painful but it makes it seem like the hospitals are not the enemy. the two portrayals are similar in the way that birthing is seen as rewarding and women's bodies are shown as strong.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
advertisement
"Hail to the V"
"Reduces the women to her body, and only values her only as a sex object"(p. 208) is a complete understatement for this summers eve ad. At first glance, the ad seems very empowering showing women in positions of power, but then it shows men heroically battling for "the prize" which in this case is a women right? wrong the end of the ad makes it pretty clear why women have positions of power and why men are fighting for her, she's not being objectified for their beauty like what it seems like instead they are being objectified because they have a vagina. this is made most explicit when it says show "it a little love" and its slogan "hail to the v". at the beginning with the women looking out with her hands raised at her people she is actually forming a v as well. what this ad really tells me is that women are only valuable because they have a vagina. but summers eve does not stop there. they have an online campaign blog to replace the word "awesome" with "vaginal" because they believe everything awesome should be associated with the vagina. this takes the issues of Objectification and Commodification to another level completely dehumanizing women and seeing them only as vagina's.
Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's lives and multicultural perspectives. fifth ed. New York, NY McGraw-Hill, 2010.
"Reduces the women to her body, and only values her only as a sex object"(p. 208) is a complete understatement for this summers eve ad. At first glance, the ad seems very empowering showing women in positions of power, but then it shows men heroically battling for "the prize" which in this case is a women right? wrong the end of the ad makes it pretty clear why women have positions of power and why men are fighting for her, she's not being objectified for their beauty like what it seems like instead they are being objectified because they have a vagina. this is made most explicit when it says show "it a little love" and its slogan "hail to the v". at the beginning with the women looking out with her hands raised at her people she is actually forming a v as well. what this ad really tells me is that women are only valuable because they have a vagina. but summers eve does not stop there. they have an online campaign blog to replace the word "awesome" with "vaginal" because they believe everything awesome should be associated with the vagina. this takes the issues of Objectification and Commodification to another level completely dehumanizing women and seeing them only as vagina's.
Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's lives and multicultural perspectives. fifth ed. New York, NY McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Service learning proposal
Service learning proposal for The F-word
By: Jordan A.
September 28,2011
Meredith Tweed
WST3015-0002
Community partner profile:
community partner: The F word, cast member
Address: 4000 central Florida Blvd.
Orlando Fl, 32816
Contact: Krista Amico
Community Partner mission statement: written in the 1980's and focusing on middle-aged women, The Vagina Monologues has run it's course. It's time for the younger generation to speak up about current issues; not just women on women's issues but people on gender issues.
Political or social basis of organization: Women have come a long way in the fight for equality but progress still needs to be made on issues of sexism and gender bias. The F word is about redefining current women's issues within our college community, giving everyone a chance to speak out.
Community partner needs: The F word was in search of cast members to preform however this has since been filled. The word is still in need of submissions, a story about you or your friend experiencing gender and or sexism. all submissions will remain anonymous.
The proposal
Need: The F-word was in need of open minded, dedicated students, to be part of the cast so auditions were held. The students had to demonstrate acting ability, and knowledge of sexism and gender issues. the topics talked about were both sensitive and confidential in nature. as part of the cast our job is to learn the submissions to do them justice as if it were our own personal story. we will also educate our selves on these issues The word is also in need of submissions that deal with gender or sex issues. the names in the story will remain anonymous. since the play is based entirely on the submissions. we really need more.
Plan: through out the rest of the semester The F word will be holding rehearsals three days a week in hopes for the cast to learn and grow not only as actors but also people as we discuss the submissions and many gender issues and sexism issues relevant to today's generation. I will be working with the cast for the rest of the semester and through out next semester. our goal is to educate our campus on the current issues of gender discrimination and sexim as it relates to our generation, and our community and our campus. I will continue to grow and learn about these issues as opening night nears. and I will always Spread the word The F- word.
Rational for women's studies: by seeking to raise awareness about the current issues of sexism and gender, the F word is a great example of third wave feminism. third wave feminism seeks include women from all different backgrounds in the search for equality. (seely 46) The F word also deals with the social construction of gender which is about how we are assigned a sex construction at birth based on the genitalia we have at birth. (lorber 1991) The word seeks to break down these barriers and raise awareness about the issues concerning us today. feminist theory says that we are all part of a patriarchy and a system. we can not break out of this system in other words we are always going to run in to gender hate and ignorance. (Johnson 76) he says " we can no more avoid being involved in it than we can avoid being female or male. all men and all women are therefore involved in this oppressive system and none of us can control whether we participate, only how. (Johnson 77). we also cover identity not only how people see us but more importantly how we see ourselves. how you see your self is the micro level, how you interact with everyone is the meso level and how we interact with the system or how it interacts with us is the macro level.(Okazawa-Rey 93) we will even discuss privilege of race and gender. with the F word we plan on changing how people on our campus participate in the system we will not choose the path of least resistance.
Action: I'm part of the cast and we have been rehearsing since September 12.
Time line- The F word is set to open in February. here are the some of the rehearsal dates
9/29 7-10
9/30 8-10
10/3 8-10
10/6 7-10
to save time rehearsals will take place every Monday, Thursday, and Friday this semester. from 7-10 Mondays and 8-10 Thursday and Friday
Works cited.
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural perspectives 4th ed. New York McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York NYU, 2007.
Krista Amico, A note from the director.
Word count
768
By: Jordan A.
September 28,2011
Meredith Tweed
WST3015-0002
Community partner profile:
community partner: The F word, cast member
Address: 4000 central Florida Blvd.
Orlando Fl, 32816
Contact: Krista Amico
Community Partner mission statement: written in the 1980's and focusing on middle-aged women, The Vagina Monologues has run it's course. It's time for the younger generation to speak up about current issues; not just women on women's issues but people on gender issues.
Political or social basis of organization: Women have come a long way in the fight for equality but progress still needs to be made on issues of sexism and gender bias. The F word is about redefining current women's issues within our college community, giving everyone a chance to speak out.
Community partner needs: The F word was in search of cast members to preform however this has since been filled. The word is still in need of submissions, a story about you or your friend experiencing gender and or sexism. all submissions will remain anonymous.
The proposal
Need: The F-word was in need of open minded, dedicated students, to be part of the cast so auditions were held. The students had to demonstrate acting ability, and knowledge of sexism and gender issues. the topics talked about were both sensitive and confidential in nature. as part of the cast our job is to learn the submissions to do them justice as if it were our own personal story. we will also educate our selves on these issues The word is also in need of submissions that deal with gender or sex issues. the names in the story will remain anonymous. since the play is based entirely on the submissions. we really need more.
Plan: through out the rest of the semester The F word will be holding rehearsals three days a week in hopes for the cast to learn and grow not only as actors but also people as we discuss the submissions and many gender issues and sexism issues relevant to today's generation. I will be working with the cast for the rest of the semester and through out next semester. our goal is to educate our campus on the current issues of gender discrimination and sexim as it relates to our generation, and our community and our campus. I will continue to grow and learn about these issues as opening night nears. and I will always Spread the word The F- word.
Rational for women's studies: by seeking to raise awareness about the current issues of sexism and gender, the F word is a great example of third wave feminism. third wave feminism seeks include women from all different backgrounds in the search for equality. (seely 46) The F word also deals with the social construction of gender which is about how we are assigned a sex construction at birth based on the genitalia we have at birth. (lorber 1991) The word seeks to break down these barriers and raise awareness about the issues concerning us today. feminist theory says that we are all part of a patriarchy and a system. we can not break out of this system in other words we are always going to run in to gender hate and ignorance. (Johnson 76) he says " we can no more avoid being involved in it than we can avoid being female or male. all men and all women are therefore involved in this oppressive system and none of us can control whether we participate, only how. (Johnson 77). we also cover identity not only how people see us but more importantly how we see ourselves. how you see your self is the micro level, how you interact with everyone is the meso level and how we interact with the system or how it interacts with us is the macro level.(Okazawa-Rey 93) we will even discuss privilege of race and gender. with the F word we plan on changing how people on our campus participate in the system we will not choose the path of least resistance.
Action: I'm part of the cast and we have been rehearsing since September 12.
Time line- The F word is set to open in February. here are the some of the rehearsal dates
9/29 7-10
9/30 8-10
10/3 8-10
10/6 7-10
to save time rehearsals will take place every Monday, Thursday, and Friday this semester. from 7-10 Mondays and 8-10 Thursday and Friday
Works cited.
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women's Lives Multicultural perspectives 4th ed. New York McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York NYU, 2007.
Krista Amico, A note from the director.
Word count
768
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Intro letter
Hello everyone, My name is Jordan A. Allen I'm a third year political science major with a minor in women's studies. I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida before moving to Orlando for school. After graduation I plan to attend law school, after law school I will practice law for awhile before ultimately running for the US House of Representatives and eventually the US senate. Ever since my first year of school I've been an activist, mainly in the political realm I've been a member of the College Democrats here on campus and am currently serving on the executive board. I think it's important for students to find an issue they are passionate about and get involved no matter what it is to dispel the rumor that young people don't care. All my life I've been around strong women, growing up mostly in a single parent home and being on the executive board of the college democrats which is made up mostly of women, so I've always had a different view on gender roles. After taking women and leadership last spring and talking with many friends who have taken women's studies classes. I have decided to minor in Women's studies. I hope to learn as much as I can about women's views of themselves and others view on women, from the past, present, and future because it can only help me in what ever I choose to do in life. I look forward to a great year and getting to know everyone, and more about the subject. here's to another year. I have read and understood and agree to the terms in the syllabus and the blogger protocols.
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