Moon River....
So..what's been happening recently? Well..it's March now, yippee!! That means lots of daffodils and tulips and snowdrops everywhere :-) I did the pancake day thing but I have to agree with my boyfriend, despite being brought up as a Church of England Christian, I'm just not a religious person. The concept of Lent is interesting - giving up things etc, but theres so many things to give up that I can't decide what to give up anyway! That would be chocolate, nutella spread and stuff like that..although I stopped taking sugar in my tea ages ago and don't like adding extra salt (I'm a pepper kind of person). Although I have to say that I substitute sweetener for sugar instead..oh well.
I think being a better person sounds good..I've got some very bad things about me like having a tendency to take things to heart too often (resulting in misunderstandings and tears before bedtime), I can be jealous and I'm very stubborn and argumentative about things that I don't exactly agree with or feel bad about. But I think as long as everyone KNOWS what their bad points are, we can always try to control them and try not to get worked up. It is human to have bad and good points, if everyone was really good and nice it would be a little boring I guess. I like to think that sometimes my being argumentative can be valid, especially with things that I'm passionate about.
I had my last lectures and seminars for this degree yesterday. It feels a little sad, because I've seen almost the same people for the past three years - although I don't know them that well, you sometimes get to know alot about people by the things they argue about or talk about in seminars. Like, people who are vegetarian and think that all meat eating is unnecessary and a bad cultural habit. I guess I kind of agree with that, although I really like my chicken and don't know if I could give it up just like that. I mean, I feel quite guilty about the way that our society farms nowadays with battery farming and the "killing machines" etc. Like a lot of things in this society, in this world, it is another form of violence, whether we like it or not.
We have too much control over everything, over animals and nature. I think we really have a bad relationship with the world around us, whether we choose to or not. I know I'm not perfect, but I like to think that in some ways I appreciate that our world is something to be looked after and to appreciate. We have to live here and we're steadily ruining the environment and ecosystem by emitting fuels and not recycling and wasting things. It's shocking that a lot of people have become so detached from the realities of life, that we are born, live and die - and we have a responsibility to respect our planet, even if we don't agree with some of the 'disasters' it goes through, to at least understand that we cannot control it all.
Another niggle I've been thinking about recently is how Western society STILL objectifies women through the media and everywhere. I mean, we're still a long way from equality, although a lot of people think it's time to stop thinking about feminism because it's become a dirty word and everyone thinks we're all equal anyway. It may seem as though women have choice but theres still this feeling that women have to look attractive for men, that theres a certain mould we have to fit. Cosmetic surgery is the most extreme form of this - the current procedures now involve reconstructing the hymen to create 'virginity' and making the vagina 'tighter' because women think men want this. Another procedure makes the labia the same size (even though every womens parts are different). Some people seem to think that Feminism is sexist (!!) because it doesn't focus on men as well all the time.
It is appreciated that men, as well as women, are also objectified and portrayed in ways that show men as 'stupid' or whatever, some feminists concentrate more on this than others do. It just appears obvious that women tend to be objectified more often and they have much less agency within society than men do. There are alot of debates about what extent we can call the choices we make 'choices' because no matter what people do, they tend to be labelled as fitting feminine or masculine norms even if they feel empowered (ie. women body builders feel pressure to look feminine by wearing makeup and enhancing things even though their sport is seen as non conformist).
It might be seen as 'choices' that women make and I don't think these women who have surgery are stupid. I just think that choosing to have surgery is another way of wearing a corset or chinese foot binding and other extreme, harmful practices. Things can go wrong - I mean, its people cutting up their bodies for the sake of some 'ideal', because they feel that their bodies should look a certain way, not appreciating that their bodies are fine, everyone is different.
There's not enough education about women's nether regions - we are defined as women through our breasts rather than our lower parts as men are often defined. It's all about imagery, how subtle pressures exert themselves on women (and men). Why should the media dictate what we, as men and women, should want? I believe that as individuals (not men and women) we should be free to express ourselves, without the restraint of what the media or fashion says 'looks good'. I love clothes, but I don't dress for anyone else, I dress for myself and what feels good, and I'm sure there are women out there who feel the same. I just think it's a shame that we have these particular categories that seem to define what it means to be a man or a woman, what our sexuality should be like and so on.
Theres no real alternative for heterosexual women (and men) at the moment - women are meant to be a certain way and so are men, but this has nothing to do with biology as some might justify. I think it's cultural pressures that make people believe that it is acceptable to say that women are irrational and emotional and that men are rational and calm - it would be a better world if we all took people at their individual value rather than putting labels on each other. It is difficult to step out of cultural norms though, and even my gay gender and society tutor finds it difficult to not be defined as feminine on a daily basis, because she is a woman.
I don't know whether there is an answer for anything - women and men are reluctant to challenge these norms because either they see nothing wrong with the way things are or they feel that theres no point because nothing would change anyway. I think it's kind of sad in a way, theres so many norms that oppress people in today's society, that don't get challenged very often. I don't think feminist is a dirty word, women have been oppressed for centuries and it's only a recent thing for women to be working and having some kind of agency over their lives. I think the world would be a better place if everyone respected difference even if we don't quite understand it.
Why should everything we do be defined as being so because we are masculine or feminine? If I want to wear a skirt because I like the material and the feel of it, why does wearing a skirt mean that I am more 'feminine' or 'ladylike'? I am a woman and we may have different biological characteristics but biological determinism denies us our rights to be seen as more than just our sex, more than feminine or masculine. Until it feels that we do certain things because we are expressing ourselves and it can be seen that way rather than as something we do because we are women or men (ie. like being more emotional than some people are), then I still think we have a long way to go.
Anyway, I've added some links on the right that may be of interest if you want to think more about this kind of thing!
I think being a better person sounds good..I've got some very bad things about me like having a tendency to take things to heart too often (resulting in misunderstandings and tears before bedtime), I can be jealous and I'm very stubborn and argumentative about things that I don't exactly agree with or feel bad about. But I think as long as everyone KNOWS what their bad points are, we can always try to control them and try not to get worked up. It is human to have bad and good points, if everyone was really good and nice it would be a little boring I guess. I like to think that sometimes my being argumentative can be valid, especially with things that I'm passionate about.
I had my last lectures and seminars for this degree yesterday. It feels a little sad, because I've seen almost the same people for the past three years - although I don't know them that well, you sometimes get to know alot about people by the things they argue about or talk about in seminars. Like, people who are vegetarian and think that all meat eating is unnecessary and a bad cultural habit. I guess I kind of agree with that, although I really like my chicken and don't know if I could give it up just like that. I mean, I feel quite guilty about the way that our society farms nowadays with battery farming and the "killing machines" etc. Like a lot of things in this society, in this world, it is another form of violence, whether we like it or not.
We have too much control over everything, over animals and nature. I think we really have a bad relationship with the world around us, whether we choose to or not. I know I'm not perfect, but I like to think that in some ways I appreciate that our world is something to be looked after and to appreciate. We have to live here and we're steadily ruining the environment and ecosystem by emitting fuels and not recycling and wasting things. It's shocking that a lot of people have become so detached from the realities of life, that we are born, live and die - and we have a responsibility to respect our planet, even if we don't agree with some of the 'disasters' it goes through, to at least understand that we cannot control it all.
Another niggle I've been thinking about recently is how Western society STILL objectifies women through the media and everywhere. I mean, we're still a long way from equality, although a lot of people think it's time to stop thinking about feminism because it's become a dirty word and everyone thinks we're all equal anyway. It may seem as though women have choice but theres still this feeling that women have to look attractive for men, that theres a certain mould we have to fit. Cosmetic surgery is the most extreme form of this - the current procedures now involve reconstructing the hymen to create 'virginity' and making the vagina 'tighter' because women think men want this. Another procedure makes the labia the same size (even though every womens parts are different). Some people seem to think that Feminism is sexist (!!) because it doesn't focus on men as well all the time.
It is appreciated that men, as well as women, are also objectified and portrayed in ways that show men as 'stupid' or whatever, some feminists concentrate more on this than others do. It just appears obvious that women tend to be objectified more often and they have much less agency within society than men do. There are alot of debates about what extent we can call the choices we make 'choices' because no matter what people do, they tend to be labelled as fitting feminine or masculine norms even if they feel empowered (ie. women body builders feel pressure to look feminine by wearing makeup and enhancing things even though their sport is seen as non conformist).
It might be seen as 'choices' that women make and I don't think these women who have surgery are stupid. I just think that choosing to have surgery is another way of wearing a corset or chinese foot binding and other extreme, harmful practices. Things can go wrong - I mean, its people cutting up their bodies for the sake of some 'ideal', because they feel that their bodies should look a certain way, not appreciating that their bodies are fine, everyone is different.
There's not enough education about women's nether regions - we are defined as women through our breasts rather than our lower parts as men are often defined. It's all about imagery, how subtle pressures exert themselves on women (and men). Why should the media dictate what we, as men and women, should want? I believe that as individuals (not men and women) we should be free to express ourselves, without the restraint of what the media or fashion says 'looks good'. I love clothes, but I don't dress for anyone else, I dress for myself and what feels good, and I'm sure there are women out there who feel the same. I just think it's a shame that we have these particular categories that seem to define what it means to be a man or a woman, what our sexuality should be like and so on.
Theres no real alternative for heterosexual women (and men) at the moment - women are meant to be a certain way and so are men, but this has nothing to do with biology as some might justify. I think it's cultural pressures that make people believe that it is acceptable to say that women are irrational and emotional and that men are rational and calm - it would be a better world if we all took people at their individual value rather than putting labels on each other. It is difficult to step out of cultural norms though, and even my gay gender and society tutor finds it difficult to not be defined as feminine on a daily basis, because she is a woman.
I don't know whether there is an answer for anything - women and men are reluctant to challenge these norms because either they see nothing wrong with the way things are or they feel that theres no point because nothing would change anyway. I think it's kind of sad in a way, theres so many norms that oppress people in today's society, that don't get challenged very often. I don't think feminist is a dirty word, women have been oppressed for centuries and it's only a recent thing for women to be working and having some kind of agency over their lives. I think the world would be a better place if everyone respected difference even if we don't quite understand it.
Why should everything we do be defined as being so because we are masculine or feminine? If I want to wear a skirt because I like the material and the feel of it, why does wearing a skirt mean that I am more 'feminine' or 'ladylike'? I am a woman and we may have different biological characteristics but biological determinism denies us our rights to be seen as more than just our sex, more than feminine or masculine. Until it feels that we do certain things because we are expressing ourselves and it can be seen that way rather than as something we do because we are women or men (ie. like being more emotional than some people are), then I still think we have a long way to go.
Anyway, I've added some links on the right that may be of interest if you want to think more about this kind of thing!
posted by Liz at
12:45 am
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