USC ANNENBERG STUDY SHOWS RECENT TOP FILMS LACK FEMALES ON SCREEN AND BEHIND CAMERA

http://www.wif.org/news/industry-articles-and-stats/567-usc-annenberg-study-shows-recent-top-films-lack-females-on-screen-and-behind-camera

This is a really interesting article, not only because the study occurred in USC, but because it shows a correlation between the number of women behind the scenes as directors, screenwriters, etc. and the number of female actors.

The super make-up

I came across a TV show the other day about the extremely effective make-up techniques mastered by several women in Taiwan.

Before taking off the make-up, one of the woman is so attractive that a man was willing to buy her a FERRARI for her to win her heart. However, after she took off the make-up, that man was not even willing to answer her phone-call.

http://cavemancircus.com/2010/10/28/asian-girls-are-deceiving-16-photos-before-and-after-makeup/

Here is a comparison of several girls with and without their make-ups.

Are make-ups that important for women?
Why are they important?
Is it vanity that is behind the story?
Or is it a psychological suggestion?
What does make-up mean for women?
Confidence?
Social status?
Sense of security?

Sexualizing Females in Hollywood

Here is an interesting article that I found on how Hollywood continues to sexualize female adults and teenagers, and the research was done by USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. This article talks about the statistics of female roles in film and how females continue to have less speaking roles than males, which suggests gender imbalance. Also, I found it interesting that the sexualization of women caused "males viewing girls and women as "eye candy" at younger and younger ages". Additionally, the fact that these sexualized images leads to the increase in "body shame" and "appearance anxiety" in others strikes me as society's way of oppressing women. However, I wonder if it is Hollywood's conscious decision to do so - and if so, why? Why are powerful females in Hollywood not doing anything about it?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/usc-annenberg-study-hollywood-hooked-on-sexualizing-women-and-teen-girls-2011-11-21

- Merry Chin

Messages in Breaking Dawn

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/11/twilight-breaking-dawn-kristen-stewart-robert-pattinson.html

The article above posted in LA Times discusses about the messages present in Twilight: Breaking Dawn movie regarding anti abortion, the consequences of having sex regardless if it is hallowed, and the religious underpinnings and motherhood represented in Bella Swan

Male Dominance in Workforce

A government paper published on Tuesday said that women make up 11% of lower house members and 1% of corporate leaders. While figures from various media sources vary, it seems clear that Japan has a very low percentage of women in positions of power. Foreign critics, predictably, seem to have no solutions to propose, but only criticism of Japan to put forth. The Straits Times said this: ”Japan is behind the international standard in terms of female presence in the political sector,” the paper said, suggesting that the country introduce quotas like Sweden, Germany and South Korea have done in the past.

So why cant a woman be more like a man? In rich countries, girls now do better at school than boys, more women are getting university degrees than men are and females are filling most new jobs. Arguably, women are now the most powerful engine of global growth. In 1950 only one-third of American women of working age had a paid job. Today two-thirds do, and women make up almost half of America's workforce. Since 1950 men's employment rate has slid by 12 percentage points, to 77%. In fact, almost everywhere more women are employed and the percentage of men with jobs has fallen—although in some countries the feminization of the workplace still has far to go: in Italy and Japan, women's share of jobs is still 40% or less.

The increase in female employment in developed countries has been aided by a big shift in the type of jobs on offer. Manufacturing work, traditionally a male preserve, has declined, while jobs in services have expanded. This has reduced the demand for manual labor and put the sexes on a more equal footing.

Here's a diagram of sexual identity spectrum that I found. It really helps to break down the many levels of gender and what that means.

Gender-Confused Boy Welcomed Into Girl Scouts

I found a heartwarming article that shows how accepting some organizations can be towards people with different gender orientations, which is a stark contrast to the violence and hate that often accompany such topics. The link is attached: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/family/9586-gender-confused-boy-welcomed-into-girl-scouts

Gender in Film

Here's an interesting article on males getting more roles in films, and how there are still certain images that women are supposed to be portrayed as, such as skimpy clothing.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/21/2512554/study-males-get-more-roles-gender.html

- Merry Chin

Saudi Arabia and Its Women

The following is a recent article about women in Saudi Arabia. Although they have gained the right to vote, this is not nearly enough.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/opinion/saudi-arabia-and-its-women.html?_r=1&ref=feministmovement

Moroccan Vote Puts Women's Gains to Crucial Test

Morocco's new constitution offers huge hope for gender equality, including combating a well-documented problem of domestic violence. The reformed constitution recognizes that women--in addition to having equal civil and political rights already laid out in the old constitution--have equal economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. It encourages the creation of women's rights organizations to help institutionalize change.

New members of parliament elected Nov. 25, along with the king, will determine actual change. "People are tired of promises," said Fatima Sadiqi, a lecturer at the University of Fes in Morocco and Harvard University. "They want to see things happening on the ground. In order to apply them you need the infrastructure, schools in rural areas. That's not easy. There should be a serious thought about these issues, and this is the moment. Elections are close.

http://womensenews.org/story/equalitywomen%E2%80%99s-rights/111120/moroccan-vote-puts-womens-gains-crucial-test

J.Lo embarrasses herself at AMA's?

Jennifer Lopez's performance tonight was remembered not for her musical act, but for the outfit she wore on stage. The 42 year old mother was chastised by the public for donning a flesh-colored, form fitting body suit which made it appear as if Lopez was naked. Why is she getting so much flack when she performed a great set? Is it because her outfit was too provocative for a 42 year old mother of two?


http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/jennifer-lopez-under-fire-raunchy-non-commercial-free-045504747.html

Jobs are a feminist issue. So are legal aid, tax and pensions

This article talks about how so many problems affecting the world today are primarily Feminist Issues.

Do you agree with the author's point of view? Is this reality or is it just paranoia?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/16/jobs-are-a-feminist-issue

Computer science's gender gap

It seems computer science is a field specifically for males and it also seems computers are boys' toys.
As a student majoring in computer science, however, I do not think such stereotype is valid.
My girlfriend is a CS major and she does well in it.
Here is an interesting article about the issue.

http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082-833090.html

Michelle Obama wears shocking clothing as First Lady

Michelle Obama has received criticism for wearing a sleeveless dress in her first official White House photo portrait. The only other First Lady to be photographed in sleeveless clothing for their official picture was wife of a Republican president who reigned in the conservative Fifties -- Mamie Eisenhower. The media familiarizes itself with First Lady history and is finding Obamas dress humorous in the "debate" about how much publicly-exposed skin is "socially acceptable" by First Ladies.

Week 14 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 14.

Damsel in Distress

The following article is about women's portrayal regarding how they often need to be rescued by men. It show f differential treatment of genders in literature, film, and works of art.

http://winx.name/?w=Damsel_in_distress

Living and Fighting Alongside Men, and Fitting In

The following is an article about women in the military. Very interesting!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/us/17women.html?pagewanted=all

Lesbian Nuns

It was interesting to me in discussion class today how we discussed nuns and their sexuality. Of course, religion plays a huge role in sexuality to these women but I believe that an attraction to a person, either male or female isn't something you can control. And for lesbian nuns, living in a convent with a group of women who you're almost forced to be close with it's inevitable that you may become attracted to one of your peers in a sexual way.

Anyways, i found a very old LA Times article about a book written called "Lesbian Nuns: Breaking the Silence" It's really interesting.

http://articles.latimes.com/1985-05-01/news/vw-11784_1_convent

http://it-feels-like-flying.tumblr.com/post/12814108135/wandsraygunsandsalt-adireadire-exilemoon#notes

Here's a post I found on tumblr regarding gender and self esteem, especially geared toward females. What does it say about our society that these issues have become such huge concerns?

Gender in the Medical Field

Here's an article that talks about the lack of discussion of gender in the medical field.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/medical-schools-teach-little-about-gay-health-issues/?scp=1&sq=gender&st=cse

- Merry Chin

37 States Allow Health Coverage Gender Bias

I found this article which reveals the gender bias in the health coverages of 37 states in the nation. It's actually legal to deny women health insurance because they are women in these states. These companies reportedly practice "gender rating," a process in which men pay less and women pay more. More information can be found at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500165_162-57322289/report-37-states-allow-health-coverage-gender-bias/

Herman Cain's Marital Problems

I thought this article was relevant to Xiaoxin's presentation last week and the "second wives." Many women have come forth claiming that they had sexual relations with potential presidential candidate Herman Cain. This sounds familiar to the "second wives" theory and how these women are portrayed as a main source of corruption in society.

http://news.yahoo.com/cains-wife-sex-harassment-claims-dont-ring-true-021433674.html

Fujoshi

For some reason, I noticed that some of my female friends in China became fujoshis and it seems to me that number of fujoshis in China is increasing.
The term "fujoshi" means a woman who likes to see "boy's love" and it is from Japanese. In English, the literal translation is "fallen woman".
These girls tend to twist the friendships portrayed in films and novels.
For example, the recent movie "X-men:First Class" has been the favorite of fujoshis.
The friendship between Professor X and Magneto is seen as a BL relationship by fujoshis.
However, as long as I can see, there is no pattern in who is more likely to be a fujoshi.
Being a fujoshi is independent on academic performance, family background or personality.

Here is a link in Wikipedia about fujoshi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujoshi#Fujoshi

Here is an image about the twisted version of "X-men: first class":
http://sexysauce.tumblr.com/post/6288071941/squidjuice-erik-is-a-gay-seatbelt-i-should

US PGA Tour

For the first time in more than half a century, a woman played alongside the men in a US PGA Tour. It is sad that some of the men were very angry over this. Annika Sorenstam from Sweden got the chance to play against the men. She is thirty-two years old and won more tournaments than any other golfer, male or female, last year – more even, than Tiger Woods. She hits the ball an average 256 meters. One golfer, Fiji's Vijay Singh claimed that if he were paired to play with Sorenstam he would withdraw. He said, “This is a men's tour, and there are guys out there trying to make a living, so… and it's not a ladies' tour.” Another golfer said, “The reality is she's a woman and she's playing with the men. Does that sound like something normal?” Obviously women still face gender discrimination.

Saluting the Rosies

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-smith-rosie-the-riveter-20111111,0,3782683.story

This article was posted on LA Times today. It's about how American women are grateful to the Rosies because they have better opportunities than the previous generations

Week 13 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 13.

supergirl

This comic speaks a lot to the worth of women in society. Are they only valuable if they can attract a man?

India's Historic Ruling on Gay Rights

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1908406,00.html

This is an article about India's ruling on gay rights. Some say it's the first step for homosexuals in India to secure their rights.

What Gender is God?

I found an article that describes the discussion of God's gender and how he is represented by masculine and feminine qualities. More can be found at: http://www.tribune242.com/sports/11032011_godsgender_features_pg28

Women's Rights in the New Tunisia

Tunisian women--in the vanguard of the Arab world--will put the theory of regarding women's rights as a development keystone to a crucial test as the country's new democracy takes shape

following last week's elections.

It seems that the current situation of Tunisian women, including abandoning female fetuses, education level of women, etc. are better than many countries in Arab and even some parts in Asia. Therefore, the big move of women's rights in this country is closely watched by the world.

Here is the link,

http://womensenews.org/story/equalitywomen%E2%80%99s-rights/111103/in-the-new-tunisia-womens-rights-are-in-play?page=0,0

Gender and Career Interests

Here is an interesting blog on the relationship between gender and career interests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-leadership/post/could-your-gender-affect-your-career-interests/2011/04/01/gIQACBqscL_blog.html

- Merry Chin

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoccbBcEhaY

This is a scene from the movie, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," which explores different aspects of gay rights and gay marriage. In this scene, different children ask offensive, derogatory questions to Larry (who is pretending to be gay throughout the movie).

olympics

I have been looking into aspects where men still dominate. One concrete example is some of the events in the Olympic games. The Games have always had more men than women as participants, coaches and officials. Female athletes have received less funding and have fewer Olympic sports in which to compete. Many national Olympic committees have no women members and send no women to the Games. The events included in the Games are mostly ones that give men an advantage, notably sports emphasizing strength and speed. For example, most running and swimming events are over in a matter of seconds or minutes. Women are already much closer if not superior to men in ultra-endurance events, such as marathon swimming, but shorter events predominate in the Olympics. Events emphasizing precision and skill rather than strength would give women a better chance. Unfortunately, women are expected to adapt to male sports.

Week 12 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 12.

Only man's fault?

Edison Chen, a famous Chinese star, is recently trapped in another photo scandal with a 16-year-old model.
This is not the first time he became the subject on the headline through such "unexpected" way.
He was involved in a major photo scandal with several Hong Kong actresses in 2008.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20111103-308433.html

However, this piece of news makes me think.
Why would Edison Chen get the chance to have such intimate contacts with the 16-year-old schoolgirl model?
Although Chen is responsible for the scandal, the schoolgirl is definitely far more than a victim even if after the issue she looks like one.
In my opinion, even though men are always blamed for sex scandals, girls make them happen.
If the girl refused Chen before all the nasty happened, none of the scandals would happen.

Transgenderred student expelled from Cal Baptist

http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20111028-riverside-cal-baptist-expels-transgendered-student.ece

The article above is about a transgender student who planned to transfer to CBU, but got expelled because she was accused of putting false information in her application. Techinicall still a male, she marked female as her gender on her application. Readers' comment mostly support CBU for keeping tradition.

Prosecuting the Gay Teen Murder

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1714214,00.html

The above is an older article about a 14 year old boy who murdered his gay classmate. Although this happened a couple years ago, I started to wonder if things have been improving or if gays/lesbians were still being bullied and targeted to the same degree they were back then.

Church Halloween Event Bans 'Cross-Gender' Costumes

The flier for a church's Halloween event sparked a significant amount of criticism within the community. It proclaimed that no cross-gender costumes were allowed at the event. To many in the community, this sends a bad message to the children. The bishop defended his decision by stating that he had thought it was church policy. However, there was no such policy. While the church does have a no-mask policy, there was cross-dressing ban dictated.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/29/church-halloween-event-bans-cross-gender-costumes/

In New Study, Science Wins Over Gender Stereotyping

In a study done by a psychologist from the University of Michigan, it was found that many gender stereotypes are actually false. For example, both men and women surveyed responded that they would prefer one sex partner, despite the fact that men are typically portrayed as wanting multiple sex partners, when compared to women.

More on this can be found at: http://www.thefastertimes.com/news/2011/10/19/in-new-study-science-wins-over-gender-stereotyping/

Cross-Dressing Children

Here is an interesting article about a cross-dressing child and the way people feel about. What is extremely striking are the readers' comments below, which show the different sides of the debate on cross-dressing children.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/29/health/gender-children/

- Merry Chin

Gender Roles in "Friends"

Here's a short clip from the TV show Friends that demonstrates a stereotypical interaction between women and how different it is with men

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGoC8FTLKSI&feature=related

abc news gender dentity disorder article

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3074520&page=1

Women of Color Seen As Always Sexually Available

There is an interesting article discussing the assumption that colored women are sexually available.

The intersection of race and sexuality is complicated. It's complicated by the ways race and economic class intersect, by the history of slavery in the United States and around the world, by the fact that race is both an utterly bogus way to look at people and simultaneously very real.Although it's definitely not simple, it sure is important to think about. Women of Color are seen as sexually available simply because the race. By treating women as though their race dictates their sexuality, we're also telling women that their actual desires don't matter and probably shouldn't even exist.

The link to the article,

http://womensenews.org/story/cultural-trendspopular-culture/111029/women-color-seen-always-sexually-available

Demi Moore-Ashton Kutcher Cheating Scandal

This is an article about the recent cheating scandal involving Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. The article looks at Demi Moore and how she feels guilty for Ashton cheating. Why is it that a woman would take the blame for a man's misdeeds?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2042664/Did-Ashton-Kutcher-cheat-Demi-Moore-wedding-anniversary-weekend.html

Sarah Palin

When Sarah Palin announced her running for president it instantly became a landmark for women in politics. Unfortunately Palin not only had to deal with Democrats and the rift within her own party-Republicans, but also had to deal with a gender bias. For example, Ed Rollins went on the radio a few weeks ago to blast Palin as being "not serious." She faced sexism and gender discrimination for being the first Republican female on the presidential ticket. “Coverage of Sarah Palin on the big three TV networks has been overwhelmingly negative, Politico reports. NBC, CBS, and ABC broadcast 69 stories on Palin between September 29 and October 12, of which the Culture and Media Institute considered 37 negative, 30 neutral, and two positive. That adds up to a negative-positive ratio of 18-1” (http://www.newser.com/story/41350/palin-coverage-negative-by-18-1-study.html). It is sad that even with the progress women have made, society still follows some of the traditional gender roles, that make men seem superior to women.

Week 11 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 11.

Wei Niang in China

As China adopted the opening-up policy, people, especially teenagers, have more freedom to do what they want.
However, there is a trend of Wei Niang(fake girl) in China. This phenomenon mainly appears on TV shows and Internet among youngsters. It symbolizes the shift in young people's aesthetic criteria and a society with less restrictions.


http://www.ministryoftofu.com/2011/03/picture-of-the-day-cross-dressing-boy-club/

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2010-06/07/content_20198894.htm

http://life.globaltimes.cn/life/2010-05/535290.html

Gender Equality in Norway

The article below reports a gender equality issue in Norway. Despite having the title of most gender-egalitarian country, Norwegian women suffer from many equality problems in their own home. The article describes how women in Norway often become victim of rape by their spouse.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/world/europe/in-norway-gender-equality-does-not-extend-to-the-bedroom.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=gender&st=cse

Gender Differences in Economy

Here is an article on how the economy differs for different genders.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111024/NEWS/310240045/Wide-gender-gap-Tennessee-economy?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

- Merry Chin

What Happens When Wife Earns More?

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-06-04/features/0806020342_1_gender-roles-household-couples

This above is an article about women making more money than their husbands and how this is changing traditional gender roles.

Male or Female? Boy Given Drugs So He Can Pick Gender

An article I found describes a lesbian couple who gave their 11 year old son hormone blockers so he could delay puberty and have more time to think about which gender he wanted to be. Do you think these parents are going too far by giving an 11 year old child drugs to delay his puberty and handing him the sole responsibility of choosing his gender at such a young age?

The link can be found at: http://nation.foxnews.com/transgender/2011/10/17/male-or-female-boy-given-drugs-so-he-can-pick-gender

Denied Veterans Benefits Over Same-Sex Marriage

A disabled Navy veteran was denied an increase in her monthly disability check because she was married to another woman. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the federal statue defined a spouse as a "person of the opposite sex." Thus, the veteran's application was invalid. As a result, the veteran publicized her case to the public.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/us/denied-veterans-benefits-over-same-sex-marriage-carmen-cardona-sues.html?pagewanted=1

Pro-Choice Lawmakers Press for 'Awareness' Week

It seems that the debate between abortion rights has been intensified. Lately, the pro-life voice gained more and more support. So some female lawmakers have got together to increase the influence and power of pro-choice stand. Here is the link to the article.

http://womensenews.org/story/leadership/111018/pro-choice-lawmakers-press-awareness-week?page=0,0

Shiloh's Style

Celebrities Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are being faced with what many parents are experiencing today: their daughter “Shiloh is pushing the boundaries of a tomboy look and is crossing over to cross-dresser territory” (Life and Style). The mainstream media is using the Shiloh issue revive traditional gender roles by attempting to categorize Shiloh as either female or homosexual. By doing so, the media has turned the Shiloh issue into a public spectacle. Shiloh is probably just going through a normal childhood phase, but the media insists there is more to the story. As gender roles slowly fade and the world becomes more tolerant, the mainstream media passionately resists because tolerance does not make headlines. Newsweek explains, “many kids begin questioning gender as toddlers, identifying with the other gender’s toy and clothing” (Newsweek). This phenomenon is becoming more accepted because it is considered a phase rather than a permanent change.

Gay students bullied

When I was doing research about my writing 140 essay, I found this.
This article was published in The New York Times.
It revealed the unnoticed discrimination in the society despite the progress of homosexual rights on the surface.

Here is the link of the news: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/us/13bully.html?scp=4&sq=homosexuality&st=cse

Week 10 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 10.

Don't Ask Don't Tell

This article is published in La Times today. It discussed the inequality within the US military. Apparently, gay soldiers still do not get all benefits that other "normal" service member receive, such as marriage benefit.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-doma-20111021,0,7636725.story

Gender Stereotypes in Disney

Here's a quick youtube video critiquing the gender stereotypes (especially negative, somewhat primitive ones of women) in Disney princess movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kLHZ2xGmUk

What Makes People Gay?

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/?page=2

This article explains how/why people become gay. It discusses the nature/nurture argument in detail.

Why There's No Reason To Fear Feminism

In this article, women's rights are said to be "at the heart of political debate worldwide." Yet, there is little need to worry about feminists becoming too assertive with their beliefs. What feminists want is to develop a way of thinking that makes society more tolerant of gender equality rather than simply new laws that benefit women.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/oct/18/no-reason-to-fear-feminism

Gender Roles in Higher Education

Here is an interesting article on gender roles in higher education and in certain fields including technology.

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/opinion/2011/10/03/transforming-gender-roles-higher-education

- Merry Chin

Zachary Quinto Identifies Himself 'As A Gay Man'

The star of the popular TV show "Heroes" and the movie "Star Trek," Zachary Quinto recently revealed his sexuality as a gay man in an casual interview. Part of his reason for coming out was the suicide of bullied gay teen, Jamey Rodemeyer. In Quinto's words, "In light of jamey's death — it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it — is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality." Thoughts?

The link to more information on this article can be found at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/10/zachary-quinto-gay-zachary-quinto-comes-out.html

Sexual Identity

In our discussion class what we talk about somehow always leads back to sexual identity and the distinction between sex, gender and sexual orientation. As I was studying for my bio midterm I found a table in the book that describes the development of sexuality over time. I tried to copy and paste the chart. I hope you can see it.

Danica Patrick moving up with the Big Boys

Danica Patrick is an American female athlete who races Indy Car's. She was the first woman ever to win an IndyCar race and fought her tomboy look by posing as the Go-Daddy girl in 2009. Now, she will move from IndyCar to NASCAR, a predominantly male sport. This talks about her final race as an IndyCar driver and how she has made such a big stamp on the game.

http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-sports/7112596/danica-patrick-ends-indy-career-tragic-day

TLC

http://transgenderlawcenter.org/cms/

THIS IS A WEB PAGE THAT HELPS TRANSGENDERS IN THEIR TRANSITION AND ALSO WITH LEGAL HELP, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING

Thoughts about lesbian

I was considering that actually some lesbians did not choose to be a lesbian at the beginning. Probably they choose to be lesbians just because they are not attractive enough to be adored by men. To relieve themselves, they claim to be lesbians to make it seem they do not need men. Being a lesbian, in this sense, is a defending mechanism.

Personally, I believe a number of lesbians are of this case but I have not done any research in it.

Sex-change inmate

Hi, I found an article about a transgendered woman being put into a male prison. The main reason why she was put in the prison was that she didn't undergo the full sex reassignment surgery. I think this case would ignite the debate about whether one needs to change his or her body parts before being considered as another gender, especially under extreme circumstance, like in prison. Here is the link to the post,

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sex-change-inmate-in-dress-plea/story-e6frea83-1226167449504

My Transgender friend

I have a transgender friend whom I met in Riverside Community College. She used to be a guy, and now she lives her life as woman. She came out few months ago through MTV's True Life. Here's the link:

http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-im-passing-as-someone-im-not/1662288/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1

Note that what is shown is a reality show, and it's not necessarily accurate. However it does show what she has to go through her life and how she does it

Dancing With The Stars-Gender Norms

Sally Raskoff states, “Gender norms include standards of behaviors and appearance that feed the traits we expect from each gender.” Men are supposed to be powerful while women are supportive of men. Thus showing that men hold the power in society. When looking at the show, dancing with the stars, the contestants who “conform to traditional societal definitions of gender stay the longest and get the highest scores from the judges”. Also, the outfits that the contestants wear reinforce traditional gender norms. The women are barely clothed while the men wear suits. Raskoff says that sometimes the power of the women is seen during the dance numbers. But, most of the time the men take the power back before the performance ends.

http://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2010/11/dancing-with-gender-norms.html

Week 9 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 9.

Paris is Burning

Here's a short clip from the really great documentary "Paris is Burning." The entire documentary focuses on the gay, lesbian, and transgender culture in New York during the mid-to-late-1980's. It focuses on the troubles that members of this community have with fitting in to society's binary gender system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydA7-qCv570

What if It’s (Sort of) a Boy and (Sort of) a Girl?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/magazine/24intersexkids.html?pagewanted=all

This is a very, very interesting article about children that are born as hermaphrodites. Do you think that Chase's parents did the right thing by removing her male genitalia when she was a baby and then hiding the surgery from her throughout her life? Or do you think that they shouldn't have performed the surgery and just loved her the way she was born?

Dr. Pepper Ad

Here is an article on the new Dr. Pepper ads, showing the gender stereotypes that exist in the present.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Dr-Pepper-Ten-No-women-apf-3465249566.html?x=0

- Merry Chin

Women create monsters

In Ambrose Paré it is discussed that women are responsible for creating monsters. We've seen this reoccurring theme throughout the semester in which women are indirectly responsible for men giving birth to monsters. This article states that women can give birth to monsters if 1. they imagine a monster or a creature during labor or 2. if their womb is too narrow. I found an article online that talks about these ideas and explains them more in depth. It is about a female artist who photographed a cancer patient that was undergoing treatment. She distorted the patient's looks and wrote "monster" across her hospital robe. Why was this? and why did she choose a female patient?

http://varoregistry.org/articles/monst.html

Mothers Are the Most Responsible in Transferring of Sexist Attitudes, Study Suggests

Although results of the study shows that mothers possess a greater influence in the transference of discriminatory behavior, researchers are currently unable to determine exactly why. They attempt to explain it and point out contributing factors, but they have no way of determining it because their "study is not correlational and does not use experimental methodology."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929074028.htm

hermafrodite deer

http://www.deerhuntingchat.com/forum/hermaphrodite-deer-killed-in-pa-6099.html

THIS SHOWS THAT HERMAPHRODITES CAN BE BORN IN ANY LIVING SPECIE

ESPN the Magazine Body Issue

ESPN the Magazine released their 3rd Annual "Body Issue" this past week. The series is meant to explore and celebrate athletes' bodies. It is similar to our discussions about perception of the body and how society forms our ideas of what is "hot" and what is "not."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/espn-the-magazine-3rd-annual-body-issue-alicia-sacramone-hope-solo-blake-griffin-jose-reyes-steven-jackson-gretchen-bleiler-sylvia-fowles-apolo-ohno/1

"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Published in 2002, Middlesex is a Putlitzer-winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides that is written about the theme of hermaphroditism and intersexuality. I thought it could be a good reference material for those who wish to explore this topic more. A review/article on this novel can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/01/books/a-novelist-goes-far-afield-but-winds-up-back-home-again.html

Born This Way

http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/?blogentryid=318809&showcomments=true

Here's a quick article regarding Lady Gaga's physical gender appearance ambiguity. She claims that she enjoys looking androgynous (of indeterminate sex).

Why I Chose Polygamy

I know that this is not news anymore as there is a show about this kind of marriage, but I think that it is interesting to see a woman in this kind of relationship talk about it. The article's name is, "A Real Sister Wife Speaks Out: Why I Chose Polygamy". The wife basically stated her reasons to choose (very interesting word to use) the relationship. Personally, this challenges the way I regard this type of marriage. I always think it would be interesting to compare polygamy with female polygamy. Here is the link,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicki-darger/real-sister-wife-chose-polygamy_b_991552.html

intersex humans

I found a very intriguing article on intersex humans. Shockingly, one out of every two thousand births is an intersex child. To be intersex, implies that one has some parts associated with both males and females or some parts that appear ambiguous. “A person with intersex is born with mixed sex anatomy. Obviously this situation complicates things for the future, and the parents are placed in a difficult position.

http://www.fathermag.com/206/intersex/

Week 8 Discussion Questions

Hi all,

Please submit your questions for Week 8.

Sex and the City

Here's a clip from the Sex and the City and movie. A little background, Miranda is having marital problems with her husband, Steve, regarding the fact that they no longer have sex. Miranda's character has always had insecurities about her femininity (as seen in the second link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm8lWi5X73U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdnHhbVYCLk

Minangkabau marriage

Hey, I'm posting something from my country this time. Here's an article about Minangkabau matrilineal system, which mean ancestral lineage is traced from mother or maternal ancestor. In Minangkabau society, women are highly empowered and respected, but it does not mean that female are superior over men. Hope you guys find it rather interesting

http://www.second-congress-matriarchal-studies.com/sanday.html

Scary Hairy

I found this article that was super interesting about how cultures around the world view hair on different parts of the body for men and women. You don't have to read the whole thing but look at the pictures they put up of the women with hair. It's funny to me that whoever created this article tried to put the women in "sexy" poses that revealed their hair. It almost seems contradictory to what our standards are.

http://offtrackplanet.com/featured/the-hairiest-cultures-around-the-world/

Is Hope Solo a Victim of Sexism?

Kind of stumbled upon this article while browsing on Yahoo. This article talks about Team USA women's soccer Goalkeeper, Hope Solo, and how the press highlighted her rant following the World Cup in 2007.

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201106/hope-solo-victim-sexism

African women leaders

I found an article about news of African women. It pointed about the women leadership in Africa is still a sensitive issue. Also, education of girls is still undervalued than that of boys. It shows that leadership is not something that is expected of women. These facts are similar across various cultures and nations. This shows that gender inequality is still a critical issue in the world.

http://thewip.net/contributors/2011/09/women_leaders_africas_availabl.html

Gender Equality in Education in Zambia

Here is an article on the progress of the establishment of gender equality in education in Zambia.

http://www.times.co.zm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2103:zambia-progress-towards-gender-equality-in-education&catid=68:others&Itemid=113

- Merry Chin

Gender Inequality in Ethiopia

This is an interesting article that talks about Gender Inequality in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of a few countries with a large percentage of its population living under the poverty line. The article talks about why the issue of gender inequality isn't disappearing anytime soon from developing countries.

http://www.capitalethiopia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15494:gender-inequality-can-it-ever-be-eradicated&catid=12:local-news&Itemid=4

Women in Sports

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2008/0131/p09s01-coop.html

This is a really cool article I found about how women and men in sports are separate, but not equal. It describes previous differences in sports and offers some solutions- like men and women playing together. Let me know your opinions!

woman art

http://www.wimp.com/womenart/

heres a video of woman in art trough history, hope you enjoy it

Unisex Innovations

I found this weeks article about the bearded ladies extremely interesting. After reading, I decided to research other trends that are shared by both men and women. Today, both genders share. This is because society has become aware of gender discrimination within fashion. In order to stop this issue, fashion companies are developing unisex clothing to stay away from dividing the genders. This article shows body painting, haircuts, fashion ads, handbags, hipster apparel, swimsuits, boat shoes, fedoras, rings, backpacks, and many other trends for both men and women.

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/unisex-innovations#22

College Bake Sale Charging Based on Gender and Race

In protest against California SB - 185, a bill that allows race, gender, and ethnicity to be factored into state universities' admissions process, Berkeley College Republicans launched this bake sale. The pricings for the cupcakes are based on the customers' gender and race.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/27/earlyshow/main20112164.shtml

Perspective On Society's Discomfort Toward Transgender Individuals

I found an article recently published on CNN that discusses the reasons behind society's discomfort toward transgender individuals. It's rather brief but it sums up some of the topics we've talked about in class and provides the reader with a background of different perspectives from people regarding transgender issues. While some say it should be considered "self-mutilation" to change our biological sex, others blame the hostility toward transgender individuals on society's lack of classification other than boy or girl stereotypes. You can find the article at: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/30/health/transgender-discrimination/

The movie about the runaway groom

I mentioned a movie in which hundreds of brides chased only one groom last Tuesday~~~~
I googled the name of the movie.
It is "The Bachelor", a film in 1999
Here is the IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120596/
Here is the trailer with the famous chase scene in it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNAfCBL2Zzk The scene doesn't show up till at about 2:00, be patient : )

Comic Strip Regarding Gender Roles

Here's a Garfield comic strip on gender roles, representing what characteristics are expected of men and women.

https://hrlibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/Gender_Roles_Garfield.gif/31707857/Gender_Roles_Garfield.gif

- Merry Chin

Stay at home dad

Here's an article about how gender role has switched over the years. It'a about a stay at home dad of 2 daughters who loves to be one and actually have written a book about it

http://stayathomedads.about.com/od/sahdstories/a/tobyswager.htm

Here's an interesting cartoon I found on society's idea of gender roles

Week 7 Discussion Questions

Hi,

Please submit your questions for Week 7.

Gender Roles Changing

The following article is about changing gender roles in American society today. The article uses a lot of statistics. Do you think this makes the author's argument more credible or do you think the excess of statistics takes away from the argument?

http://workingmoms.about.com/od/workingmomsresearch/a/GenderRoles.htm

Gender Roles and Women

Here is an interesting article on gender roles and degrading women.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/14015/gender_roles_and_degrading_women_in.html

- Merry Chin

The Third Gender Option

In Australia, intersex people are now allowed to list their genders as X on their passports. Prior to this, there were the two conventional genders that could be listed on passports: male and female. Now, however, in hopes of abolishing discrimination against transgenders and hermaphrodites, intersex people are no longer forced to decide between genders.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/15/australian-passports-third-gender-option

Beauty In the eye of the beholder (week 6)

The readings for week 6 are entertaining because I feel like they're talking about something we can all relate to one way or another, beauty and desire! I can't tell you all how many times i've stressed over how much i've changed just over the past year. The first poem for the week 6 readings by Garcilaso is your typical renaissance sonnet using the metaphor of nature and the seasons to equate youth with beauty. and of course, its about a woman! I found a really interesting Forbes article about how women in the working world worry about how aging affects their office life. It's so real and honest because it has quotes from real working women from forums on twitter and Facebook commenting on how they feel threatened by younger women with impressive resumés at their jobs.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/aging-beauty-youth-forbes-woman-well-being-work.html

Runaway Groom

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40821215/ns/today-today_people/t/runaway-groom-jilted-bride-sues-ex-fiance-k/

This article is about a woman who sued her fiance because he canceled their wedding four days before it was scheduled to happen. The woman was responsible for organizing and paying for the wedding.

Just thought I'd post that here since we were talking about how there aren't too many runaway grooms in the world during the Wednesday Lecture thingy. The article isn't new or anything but it's something so let's not complain.

From Chastity to Chaz Bono

Here is an article about recently "re-assigned" Chaz Bono. Recently, Chaz has been getting a lot of publicity because he is the son of famous couple Sonny & Cher Bono.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/09/chaz-bono-gender-transformation-through-years-photos

male vs female

http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume7/issue3/features/campbell.html

i found this article about gender conflict as an evolutionary force, so i hope you enjoy it.

Women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to vote

According to a news posted by quite a few mainstream media, like CNN, Washington Post, etc., women in Saudi Arabia are allowed to vote from 2015. This is a groundbreaking news for women activists in the country and event in the world. It's a representation of an important step for the country's civilized movements. Here is the link the news,

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/25/world/meast/saudi-women-vote/?hpt=wo_c2

Single-Sex Education in Schools

Growing up in a single-sex education system in elementary school, I found this article to be really interesting. It suggests that these institutions are responsible for reinforcing sex and gender stereotypes, especially in an age when gender roles are shifting and transforming.

Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/education/23single.html?_r=1

Foot Binding in China

It seems China is a mysterious country in the eyes of western people. However, gender conflict is China is as the same as that in other countries. Foot binding is a very representative example and here is an NPR article about it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8966942

Unbending Gender

I came across a very interesting book called Unbending Gender: why family and work conflict and what to do about it by Joan Williams. This book adresses the issue of how gender effects men, women, and children. Although this book discusses many different topics, it focuses mainly on feminism. It gets described that the workplace revolves around men and women get discrominated against. This book challenges assumptions on gender roles. It shows how workplaces are designed around men and the impact it has on the family system. She wants women and bed to live a healthier, more productive work life and therefore proposes a set of policies.

Week 6 Discussion Questions

Hi all,

Please submit your questions for Week 6.

Anorexia Recovery

As we've been discussing anorexia in detail in class, I have begun to wonder when and how someone recovers from the disorder. And more importantly, what does it mean to be "recovered"?

Here is a great article in the New York Times by Abby Ellin that discusses what it means to be recovered from anorexia:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/health/26anorexia.html

One important distinction that the author makes apparent is that recovery is two-fold: there is the physical recovery from the eating disorder where the individual gains back weight, but there is also the mental recovery where the individual must be able and willing to let go of obsessive control of what they eat.

One of the doctors interviewed suggests that recovery merely means eating ordinarily, or "having a normal relationship with food". But what does it mean to have a normal relationship with food? Isn't everyone different?

History of Eating Disorders

It thought it was interesting how all the articles that we read discussed holy anorexics from the 1700's, and then the modern anorexics from the 1900's. However, there was a big gap in time between the two types of anorexics. It was never explained how the cultural change created the shift from holy anorexics to modern anorexics. I found the following article:

http://www.randomhistory.com/2008/08/08_eating.html

But even in this, the 1800's seemed to be excluded from the history of anorexia.

PETA Porn campaign

Here's an article about PETA using porn to promote veganism. This organization has been known to be sexist in its campaigns, this campaign objectifying women. They claimed that they were attempting to target a different audience, but it seems to me like the target audience in this case would be men who typically access internet pornography

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/19/idINIndia-59427620110919

Holy anorexia

I thought that this week's readings were particularly interesting because I never thought of anorexia as a means for people to "take control" of their lives. It's always been associated with psychological disorders, but the reasons those disorders occur are never really considered. In "Holy Anorexia" the author discusses that mostly women give up eating as a method of control.

ANother point I thought was interesting is that they relate anorexia nervosa back to only women and attribute their eating habits to hysteria and genital disease. Once again. the idea that women's sexuality is the root of their problems and societal problems is revisited.

I found a video of a woman who is recovering from anorexia, and she claims that her disease began when she was 13 because she thought that her weight was a burden on her mother. This speaks to the idea that family and environment can contribute to the way one views themselves. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUSGOB-0V8

Abortion

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/va-board-of-health-approves-stricter-rules-for-abortion-clinics/2011/09/14/gIQAVhybVK_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/virginias-abortion-end-run/2011/09/16/gIQAZZeZdK_story.html

Here are two articles on abortion in Virginia. They discuss the difficulty in getting an abortion in Virginia because of abortion clinic closures due to "political battle".

- Merry Chin

holy anorexia

here is another article that summarizes how through history the holy anorexia has evolved.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/mar/04/mentalhealth.health

Cheers and Jeers

I found an article indicating that female are important for global economy and expansion. It also presents a comprehensive strategy that helps to achieve expansion in Asia's economy. This article is interesting as I found an article last year last week stating that women are still severely underrepresented in board rooms in political arenas and corporations.

http://womensenews.org/story/cheers-and-jeers/110916/clinton-calls-women-key-economy-poverty-rises

Halfbortion?

This article discusses the latest controversy to enter the great abortion battle - a process known as "Twin reduction" through which the parent is able to selectively abort one of the two fetuses she is carrying.

Should this still be classified as regular abortion? In states where abortion is considered illegal, should this procedure also be illegal? Above all, is choosing to terminate the life of one fetus while the other lives ethical?

Couples Throw "Reveal Parties" to Divulge Unborn Baby's Gender

I came across an interesting article where couples are now starting to throw parties to reveal their baby's gender to close friends and family. It instantly reminded me of some things mentioned in my WRIT140 class (related to gender studies) about how gender is established at an early stage whereby female infants are given pink gifts and male infants are given blue ones. It looks like these parties are going to become the earliest stage of establishing typical gender roles now...

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011-09-15/Couples-throw-reveal-parties-to-divulge-unborn-babys-gender/50418316/1

I found an article on USA today that is very inspiring. It is called Mountain 2 Mountain by James Mills. This article is about a fascinating woman, Shannon Galpin, who was tired of hearing about the gender equality problems that exist in Afghanistan so she decided to take action. She sold her house and started a non-profit organization called Mountain 2 Mountain. It provides education opportunities that “empower women to take control of their lives”. Her way of looking at it is, if boys and girls go to school, how much more likely is peace foreseeable in the future. Shannon said, “I want to see ripple effects in Afghanistan that effect the ability of women to have control over their destiny.”

(http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/destinations/venturethere/post/2011/01/Mountain-2-Mountain/140638/@~partnerLink)

About Freud

Our reading Holy Anorexia covers some theories of Freud and I found an open class of Yale University about him.

It is pretty interesting since the video includes Freud's personality, his theory and other people's comments on him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7emS3ye3cVU

Thomas Beatie

We saw an interview with Beatie in the section last week. Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jho1UCPDqXg

Week 5 Discussion Questions

Please submit your questions for Week 5.

3 Years After His First Baby...

Thomas Beatie has had 2 more children since 2008. I don't know how to post the actual article on this blog like Jenn did, so I apologize for the inconvenience! ):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019579/Worlds-pregnant-man-Thomas-Beatie-unveils-muscular-body-3-babies.html

Week 4 Discussion Questions

Please submit your questions for Week 4.

Gender in School Social Life

Link to original article from nytimes.com

August 30, 2011, 5:40 AM

Who Has the Power in School Social Life?

By SHANNON DOYNE and HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO

Questions about issues in the news for students 13 and older.

• See all Student Opinion »

In the Motherlode blog column “After Class, Skimpy Equality,” Lisa Belkin observes that in the classroom, female students are often confident, but socially, “equality, respect and self-worth” often go out the window. Is the gender dynamic at your school or college like this?

In the column, Ms. Belkin describes the gender dynamic at Princeton and other colleges, starting with an anecdote:

At Duke University last fall, members of the Sigma Nu fraternity e-mailed 300 of their female classmates about an off-campus Halloween party. “Hey Ladies,” the invitation leered, complete with a misspelling, “Whether your dressing up as a slutty nurse, a slutty doctor, a slutty schoolgirl or just a total slut, we invite you …”

Yes, there was outrage: in the form of fliers plastered around the Duke campus reprinting the offending e-mail and asking, “Is this why you came to Duke?” And there was official indignation: The recently formed Greek Women’s Initiative will be tackling the subject of gender relations.

But a less-noted fact remains: hundreds of Duke women went to that Halloween party and many dressed as they had been asked.

As parents around the country send their children to campuses for the start of another academic year, what are we to make of the fact that lessons of equality, respect and self-worth have been heard when it comes to the classroom, but lost somewhere on the way to the clubs? Why has the pendulum swung back to a feeling that sexualization of women is fun and funny rather than insulting and uncomfortable? Why are so many women O.K. with that?

Students: Give us your take on this column. Based on your own experience, do you agree with Ms. Belkin’s observation that girls’ equality, respect and self-worth are often suspended when it comes to socializing? And why do you think this happens? Is it, as one female student put it, “just a generational difference”? Or do you agree with another young woman, who said, “I think when I grow up I will look back and think it’s unhealthy. Because it’s animalistic”?