Extra credit blog

Yesterday I was flipping channels when I came across and interesting documentary on the LOGO channel.

For those of you who may not know, LOGO is a channel dedicated to content related to gay and lesbian affairs, as well as other diverse groups that some might consider sexually deviant. 

The documentary that was on was called "My Mums Used to Be Men" and it was about a girl whose parents became transgendered while she was a child. The girl has been estranged from her biological mother, and her biological father and his partner are both men that became women. All of this happened when she was in between the ages of 6 and 8, and she is set on setting the world straight about her unconventional family.

For a while, Louise (the young girl), was in the center of a media frenzy. However, she is very happy with her family life, and contends that she would not change a thing. When her father (now mother) explained to her at a relatively young age that he had always felt he was a woman, Louise said she understood. According to Louise, her family seems organic and natural, and she would not wish to be more conventional.

I think its great that Louise was able to have such a positive experience with a parent deciding to go through a sex change. Its clear that Louise and her family are very open minded, and I wish her the best. 

I think that its very unfortunate that some people would consider this perverted or wrong. I also think that many people might have a problem with the fact that Louise's father decided to do this while Louise was at such an impressionable age, rather than waiting for her to be older.  I, on the other hand, feel that it is ok because he went over the procedure with her daughter before actually going for it. For all we know, if she weren't ok with it, he wouldn't have gone through with it.

With these sorts of situations, the most important thing is to be open. I don't think that this would have been an OK thing to do if Louise was not comfortable. I think that the children come first, and when you bring a child into this world they become the priority, and that putting unnecessary burdens on them isn't fair. It would be ok if she was born and he had already changed his sex, but if she is a young child, I think the fact that he discussed it with her prior to his procedure is very important. 

I do think that something like this can destroy a child. I'm glad that Louise is strong, confident and accepting. Still, I think a child comes first before a parent's lifestyle choice, and that they are certainly a priority over a sex change procedure if they are not OK with it. What do you think?

Responses week 6

Terry,

I do think that this is a very common occurrence, especially in traditional American families. I do tend to notice that some ethnicities tend to have more 'mixing' in their get togethers, but in my experience many American families maintain this sort of gender conscious socialization pattern. 

I'm not sure if this is necessarily a good or bad thing. I think that very often it is a good thing for people of the same gender to congregate together in order to share their thoughts and ideas, or just to have fun without worrying about the opposite gender. At the same time, I think that having both genders present is what makes a party whole, so that you have the positive aspects of both.

What I mean by that is.. In my family, women don't tend to play sports. So unless we have some male-female interaction at a party, its doubtful that a game of volleyball will come up in the backyard. However, since we do almost always have mixing, we end up doing a lot of fun and fullfilling things that we would probably not do if both genders weren't present. 

At the same time, there is still some separation that occurs at my family functions. While men do help, its basically the women that take care of the cooking/setting up/cleaning. I really don't have a problem with this because it feels like more of a habit now that i'm older. I can't imagine a party without females in my household , because I don't know who would clean up the mess :p

Class business week 6

Today I came across a very interesting article at cnn.com:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1815538,00.html?cnn=yes

This article discusses the link between biology and sexual preference specifically in gay men. According to the article, recent findings suggest that the brains of gay males are more similar to the brains of heterosexual females than they are to heterosexual males. This similarity was noted with regards to the size of the two hemispheres of the brain, which are usually about equal in size in heterosexual women but unequal among most straight men. In most straight men, the right hemisphere is somewhat larger than the left, and this tendency was absent in men who identified themselves as gay. 

In addition to this difference in hemisphere size, brain scans found that the nerve connections between hemispheres in gay men were also more similar to straight women than they are to straight men. 

According to scientists, these findings are not significant because they are the first differences found between the male homosexual and heterosexual brain, but because they are the first differences noted that are not directly linked to portions of the brain that are solely linked with sexuality and/or reproduction. These newly found differences are more closely linked with emotional centers of the brain, and parts of the brain that are not linked to reproduction at all.

Right now, scientists are not completely sure of the significance of their findings, and what these findings will lead to, but I think that once there is more research conducted, it will change the way we look at gender roles as well as at people with different sexual preferences. Today, there are still many people that defend their homophobic tendencies by claiming that to be gay is a perversion or a choice. Its true that coming out as a homosexual may be a choice, but there is more evidence being found each day to support the notion that some or all gay people are born gay, and that it is not simply a choice. 

There are also other applications to this type of research. I would find it very interesting to see the brain scans of people who do not identify themselves as either gay or straight, but as transexual or transgendered. I wonder if their brain scans would yield similar results to those studied here, or if different patterns would be found altogether.

Finally, I would like to the brain scans of women who identify themselves as lesbian. I think that many people do not take lesbianism as seriously as they take homosexuality in men, and tend to think that it is more of a lifestyle preference than an innate desire. I think that seeing the brain scans of lesbian women would help enlighten society, even if it turns up that there are no significant differences between the scans of homosexual women and straight women. Either way, knowing more about the brain and its structure is always helpful, and will always help society reach for more concrete and fulfilling answers to our most mysterious questions. I also feel that science is one field that can affect society in a positive way by fostering and encouraging a common understanding. 

responses week 5

John,

I agree that a lot of what we expect goes back to what we learned, but there is also an element of personal preference due to the media-centric nature of our society.

Before television and internet, most peoples values were probably very similar to those of their parents. There were always those few who got away, but parental influences were much stronger than the are today.


Nowadays, while your family environment does affect many of the opinions you form, I don't think that it necessarily dictates them as closely as it once did.

I think that there are plenty of people who are raised one way, but live completely differently once they are on there own. This is due to the amount of external influences we are now subject to, which was simply not an issue 100 years ago. I think that there are certain personality types that are more willing than others to deviate from their personal upbringing, while others tend to stay close to home.

Glenn,

I don't see how there are any two ways about it..this is a custom that needs to be stopped. 
..But I also think that there is a lot to be learned here about our own culture.

You're right about one thing.. when we look at issues like this, our own gender issues seem to pale in comparison.

I remember thinking about this when reading about the problems that Thomas Beatie (the pregnant man) had to face when he wanted artificial insemination. His issue was that insurance would not cover the procedure because he had listed himself medically as a man. 

Thinking about Thomas's Beatie's problem next to this issue makes Thomas Beatie seem like the wrong person to complain. Beatie's issue was with a private insurance company, this is an issue that is happening across an enormous nation with little being done by the government to stop it.

I think that many people tend to become centers of their own universe. Women and minorities in the US complain so often about injustice, but usually do little or nothing to help people who really are suffering. Thomas Beatie, for example, could have easily saved one of these little chinese girls through adoption, rather than demanding such a controversial procedure be covered through insurance.

Alex,

I think that are are people who are violent of both genders.
To me, it seems that female aggression seems to be on the rise because it is now more acceptable for women to be physically violent against other women or even men. More people today are willing to believe that girls can be just as violent as boys, and therefore feed into the attention that the posters of violent content often crave.

I don't think that there has necessarily been an increase in female violence, but that it has changed forms. I also think that the same can be said of male violence.

The media and sites like youtube provide people with an outlet for violence that they have never had before. We are therefore more aware of the violence that has always existed. This, in turn, paints violence as acceptable in society, spurring similar copycat videos and acts. While it is interesting to compare the effects of sites like youtube on both genders, I think that this is an issue that affects everyone.

Business Post week 5

This year, it was declared that 1 in 5 American women officially have their first child after the age of 35. As more women have entered the workforce and have obtained higher paying positions than ever before, many women, although they plan to have children eventually, consider securing an occupation more important than having a child. Nowadays, more women over 35 who have difficulty conceiving are able to get treatment for this problem. One solution is in vitro fertilization, in which a egg is fertilized outside of the woman, and then placed into her womb.

As a women ages, her eggs often become degraded. After the age of 35, the chances of retardation in the child doubles. In addition to this, other problems having to do with an aging body and reproductive system can also contribute to higher risks for babys born from older women.

 

Despite the health risks posed by in vitro fertilization and childbirth later in life, more and more women are choosing to have children later in life. While some couples choose to adopt, I find it interesting that so many people would rather risk carrying an unhealthy baby .

 

I wonder to what extent Gender roles play into this situation. Is it the act of carrying a child and childbirth itself that a woman wants to experience, or is it a desire to pass on one genes?

 

I think that in many cases, its both. While in vitro fertilization can be very expensive, it is often covered at least partially by health insurance. Adopting, on the other hand, can often be a long and expensive process.

Another option for older mothers who want to have their own child is to choose a surrogate mother. Still, this might have great psychological impacts on both the mother to be and the surrogate, and a mother might fear that the surrogate might somehow want to become overly involved in the childs life.

 

I think that the act of pregnancy and being pregnant is very important to many women. In many cases, it is important enough that they feel it is well worth the heightened health risk. I think that many women would feel that they are not fulfilling their maternal roles without going through the process of pregnancy and childbirth. What do you think?

responses [week 4]

To Glenn's Post:
This is an interesting topic. Personally, I've never found any sports besides tennis interesting at all, so maybe I can observe as an outsider and provide some input.
In my school, males and females participated in the same sports with the exception of football. While most sports were separated by sex, the same sports were played by both males and females. Our girls basketball team was actually the best team our school had.
Also, I remember reading someone's post and they stated that most high school honors bio class have overwhelmingly more males than females. In my AP bio class, however, there were actually only 3 males and the rest were female. There were two sections of the class, and I'm sure the other had some males, but there definitely wasn't an overwhelmingly disproportionate sex ratio either way.

Anyway-- your post, in combination with that other post and my own life experiences have caused me to wonder what other factors affect gender participation in certain activities. 

For example, you say it was the types of sports people were encouraged to play. In my experience, I think males just participated much more in sports than did females, although they were the same types of sports. 
In the case of AP bio..I think that many females in my school actually excelled over males because they were not relying on as many other activities for their college applications (the honors band, for example, was almost all male). 
I think that in the case of your school system, more gender interplay would probably have improved the attitudes of students of both genders to each other late in life. At the same time, I feel that a lot of this has to do with family life, and whether or not one's parents take the time to teach their child how to respect someone who is different.

June 2, 2008 11:15 AM

To Tom's post:

Tom,

Like Glenn, I can identify with both sides in this case. 

I'm sure that there are some women who might tend to see things at face value, and some men who might look deeper into the situation, but I definitely see the stereotype in how your friends responded.

Regardless of whether or not a nice piece of Jewelry means commitment, I do think that most women would perceive this as a sign that you are very interested in continuing the relationship in the long run. I don't think that seeing things in that way necessarily means a woman is reading further into it than a man, because even looking at something at its face value, it is clear that jewelry is among one of the more expensive gifts a man can give a woman.

In addition to this, the fact that you went out and bought it means you wanted her to wear a token of affection that you have given her. When people asked her, for example, where she got such a nice bracelet, you at some level realized she would say 'oh, my boyfriend gave it to me', sending the message that she is taken by you.


While I may be a part of the female stereotype that views things this way, I also think that sociologists and psychologists might think similarly. People who study courtship would probably view an expensive gift, especially one that is meant to be worn, as a sign of commitment.

It is interesting to me that some men would not agree. Maybe, from a biological standpoint, men are not suppose to consciously understand that by giving a gift like this they are lowering their chances of reproducing with other females by tying themselves down to one.

June 3, 2008 3:13 PM

To John's Post:

John,

I can totally relate to this scenario. 

My mother is from Latvia, and has a very thick Russian accent. Despite the fact that she came to the US in her late teens, her accent is still very strong.
My mother has been living and working in the US for over 20 years, but because of her accent, people often assume that she can't understand what they are saying. My mother speaks and understands english perfectly, but because she sounds different, people often speak to me when I am with her. 

The same thing is also true of my grandmother, who speaks four languages fluently. She graduated from university and worked as an accountant in the US, but because she has an accent and is somewhat elderly, people speak slowly to her.

Although it is upsetting, I guess you can't really blame the people who are doing this. In their minds, they are trying to accommodate a person who they think cannot understand them. A real problem would occur if after they are corrected, they continue to do this. This does happen from time to time and is very unfortunate.

June 4, 2008 7:52 AM

Week 4 Class Business Post

Considering the countless films that portray college years as times of drinking, fun, and sexual promiscuity, its no wonder that many students act as if "what happens in college stays in college".

Even if some students do not partake in some of the scandalous fun that wild college parties offer, most are still aware of what is going on around them.

People around the world have vastly different views on this sort of activity.

 Some people believe that underage drinking and sexual promiscuity are wrong, while other people consider these behaviors to be lifestyle choices.

 Personally, I feel that people should do whatever they like as long as it doesn't bring harm to anyone else, and I have no problem with sexual promiscuity in either women or men.

Recently, a new issue has emerged that will undoubtedly affect college life for many students. The availability of Co-Ed dorm rooms in universities across the United States has infuriated many people, but has also introduced the idea that gender/sex doesn't really matter when it comes to choosing the right person to live with.  

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/04/02/just_roommates/

Co-ed dorming is not a new issue. 

Many dorms contain both men and women, and many have even allowed men and women to share bathrooms and suites.

Co-ed rooming, on the other hand, is a new concept that many parents are having trouble coming to terms with. Many people feel that it will lead to sexual promiscuity, or that it will make the youth insensitive to concept of sexual privacy that many of today's adults consider the norm. 

Many still feel that a girl's modesty is at stake when she moves in with a male that she is not explicitly in a relationship with. 

I feel that this is a gender issue because it seems to me that the parents of male students would be quicker to allow their sons to live with a girl he is not dating than to allow their daughters to live with a male friend.

 While I have no statistics to back up this notion, I know at least that this would definitely be true of my parents, who would consider it shameful for me to live with a male friend, but who would not mind if my brother lived with a female. 

My parents are not extremely traditional by any means, but to them it just seems like a crazy thing for any 'good' girl to do. 

As I mentioned earlier, 

the concept of co-ed rooming on college campuses introduces the idea that someone may simply be more a more compatible roommate with someone of the opposite sex, even if there is no sexual tension there. 

 I think that while there is a likelihood that there will end up being sexual tension if both or one party is heterosexual, it is in fact possible to live with someone of the opposite sex without mutual sexual attraction.

Personally, I think this is a great idea for some people. It really shows how much society has moved towards gender equality.

I think the idea that it is becoming more mainstream in society for a man and woman to live together shows that people are truly beginning to believe in gender equality and to live by it.

Of course, 

people who are not comfortable with the notion of co-ed rooming should not be forced into it, but I think its great that this option exists for some people who truly believe that men and women should be treated exactly as equals.  

responses [weeks 3 and 2]

Week 3:

To glenn's blog:

I think that there are several reasons for this phenomenon. 

The main reason is that men already in power made the decisions that affected the media up until recent times. And this still may be true today.

Historically, men and not women have held leadership positions in almost every field mentioned here. The movie industry, music industry, and even publishing companies have all been run by men. I guess it was natural for them to elect men as representatives in these fields, and I understand why this would happen. I don't blame these men because they did not necessarily exclude women on purpose, but simply thought men were more fitting of whichever role they were looking to fill.

To Tiffany's Blog:

Tiffany,
Personally I am not too offended by this book title, but I also don't find it appealing. It seems sort of gimmicky to me and its trying to be too 'cool'. I feel like the author just wants to grab attention with this somewhat shocking but not too shocking title, and it just isn't something that I think I would buy.
I could definitely understand why someone would be offended by this. Some people have experienced hard times and name calling throughout their lives for whatever reasons, and probably would not want to purchase a book that reminds them of these difficulties that they have endured. 
As for the 'skinny' aspect--- it is what a lot of people want but I also think that many women are learning to love their bodies even if it isn't the typical 'perfect' body. Nowadays I feel like people emphasize health over thinness, so this book might be a little late with that.

To Alex's Blog:

Personally, I tend to lean the other way.

It isn't OK to blame either sex for problems in the environment, but I think its actually women who tend to be more conscious of the way their own actions affect the environment. While there are many activists that are both male and female, I feel that women have a louder voice in the environmental movement than do men. 
One example of this is Laurie Lennard, former wife of comedian and producer Larry David. Laurie Lennard is one of many celebrity wives that spends her time campaigning for the environment. She is known to be among the loudest environmental activists in the US, and is one of many women who support similar causes. 
I also think that many women are involved in lobbying for legal activism regarding the environment.

Week 2:

To Ashleigh's Post:

I totally see what you're saying.
I think it also depends on the child. When I was little, i refused to wear anything that wasn't pink or pretty. As soon as I had a sense of myself, I constantly wanted to dress myself in 'pretty things'.
Maybe this was the result of the fact that I was a second child and received many hand-me-downs from my brother. A lot of the toys that I played with were probably considered 'boy toys', so when I could get something girly, I lept at it. 
I even remember my first day of school. I started first grade at age 5, and it was a private school. I wasn't allowed to wear my favorite pink shoes because it was a Jewish school with a strict dress code. I wouldn't stop crying, so they finally let me wear my crazy pink shoes. 
I think that children need a sense of independence about their tastes. Its ok to guide them or joke with them a little about it like (like if a boy wants to wear his mom's high heels), but i don't think its ok to restrain their tastes.
May 21, 2008 6:17 PM



To Jason's Post:

I think that its definitely OK for a man to be in touch with his feminine side. 
As a woman, I've never had a problem with men that can put in their honest input about my dress matching my shoes. 
I'm not sure why some men or women might have a problem with this. Perhaps they aren't as comfortable in their own skin as you are?
May 27, 2008 10:17 AM  

Week 3 Class business post

Many people believe that the days of gender discrimination in the workplace are over. While this may be true of many low level positions, some of the worst cases of gender bias in the work place actually occur in higher level positions. Because these types of positions often require great levels of responsibility and wit, discrimination in high level positions hurts some of the world's most talented and highly motivated women.  

Recently, I came across the following article on BBC news. While I do believe that conditions in the workplace have improved immensely, we must not be too quick to assume that women and men in all areas of work/industry will enjoy the same opportunities: 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2523427.stm

The field of science is one that has historically been dominated by men. While many brilliant and motivated women have contributed to the field, successful and award-winning scientists most often tend to be men.

Personally, I feel that there are two reasons for this; discrimination, and expectations.

 While discrimination among top tier scientists may not be so obvious on the surface, its clear that many female scientists feel that they have been overlooked because of their sex. Male scientists may not actively harass their female colleagues, but there is still a distinct feeling among many women in the field that they are not considered as trustworthy as comparably-abled men.  

The other problem, expectations, results from society's notion of the proper role of women. Many people still feel today that a woman's main purpose is to stay at home and care for the family. Even if a woman does work part-time, its often for the purpose of gaining and extra- income, and not to contribute to the annals of scientific discovery.

Although many female scientists probably feel that they are in fact able to balance family and ever demanding lab-work, male scientists might be reluctant to work with female scientists that have a family and other responsibilities. For this reason, women may not be given as many opportunities as men, even though they are just as capable of handling the work.

...What do you think??

Do you agree that there is still discrimination in the workplace?

If so, is it for the reasons that i've provided, or for different reasons altogether?? is it possible that in some fields or situations, women actually have an advantage over men?

Week 2 Class Business Post

When someone brings up the topic of witchcraft, most Americans automatically think back to 1692-- the height of the Salem Witch Hunt.

 Among the first images that come to mind are feline familiars, broomsticks, and hideously unattractive elderly women reciting demonic incantations while celebrating the devil.

 

While few people today fear that their neighbor has recently signed the devil's book, there are areas in the world  where genuine witchcraft beliefs are still a part of popular culture. 

 

Furthermore, in these areas, it is still the case that substantially more woman than man are accused of and executed for supernatural crimes. 

 

I came across this article today while browsing BBC.com:

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7413268.stm

 

This article discusses recent witchcraft accusations in Kenya, which ended in the murder of 11 elderly Kenyans by an angry mob. What I find interesting is that of the eleven people murdered, eight were women while only three were men.

 

While its not clear whether or not the people murdered were actually involved in ‘witchcraft activities’, I find it interesting that regardless of the geographical area, those accused of witchcraft overwhelmingly tend to be women. Even among fictional depictions, its difficult to imagine a male witch.

 

I think that gender expectations in pre-industrial societies have a lot to do with disproportionate amount of women murdered for witchcraft. When the American Colonies and England were in a similar economic state to some areas of Africa today, women were accused of witchcraft more often than men because they were seen as the weaker sex and therefore more vulnerable to falling for the guiles of the devil. Even the wealthiest women were not allowed to own property to the degree that men could (because they were not seen as capable), and therefore had little leverage in societal affairs.

 

 During the Salem trials, single women or women with questionable sexual/familial backgrounds who often had little money were among the first targeted. While the accusations did eventually expand to men and women with more money, it was mostly the vulnerable ones who ended up burning at the stake.  Because women have historically been seen as the weaker sex, even female accusers would target a woman as her tormentor before she would target a man.

 

There is no doubt that witchcraft in Kenya is very different than the witchcraft crises that occurred throughout Europe and in the Americas centuries ago. Still, it is important to note that women are still among the most targeted, along with the elderly. In this recent tragedy, all victims were over 80 years of age, and the majority were women. The fact that the people murdered were elderly further supports the idea that marginalized groups are easier to target and eliminate. Clearly, women in many areas, including this part of Kenya are also a marginalized group, seen as more of a burden to feed than they are worth.

 

I believe that gender expectations play a huge role in the way justice is carried out, even if that justice takes the form of an angry mob. While women in America and many other developed nations today enjoy the full benefit of the law, there are still countless women who are victim their own society’s lack of expectations for them. Witchcraft murders are only one example of this. What do you think?

Week 1 business post

Its hard to talk about politics nowadays without bringing up the issues of race and gender. With the tight race between Hilary and Obama heating up, it seems that many people care less about the issues and more about the candidate as a person. While I do think that it is important to look at the personality of the candidate him or herself, its difficult not to wonder to what extent gender roles affect the popularity of each candidate, and whether or not this is a legitimate way to judge someone's potential competence in office.

As a former first lady, some people may think that Hilary Clinton has an advantage over Obama in the race for the democratic candidacy. And because the Democratic Party considers itself to be the party of equality and change, it is no surprise that the first female presidential contender may end up representing this party. Still, statistics have shown that men of all races tend to support Obama over Clinton.  In Wisconsin, for example, Obama won blue-collar male support, while Clinton still won the support of women and other groups (http://www.slate.com/id/2184689/). 

To what extent do you think existing ideas about Gender roles play a role in statistics such as these? is it possible that men like those in Wisconsin genuinely relate more to Obama, or must this disparity between voters of similar economic backgrounds be necessarily attributed to gender ideals in the US?

Is Thomas Beatie really the worlds first pregnant man?

While I normally commend Oprah for choosing interesting and edgy topics for her show, calling Thomas Beatie the worlds 'first pregnant man' is an attention grabbing misnomer.

Regardless of Beatie's opinion on his own gender identity, he is still biologically a woman, and therefore very understandably capable of carrying a child. While his relationship and lifestyle may be unconventional, the pregnancy itself is nothing out of the ordinary. Artificial insemination is quite common for lesbian couples nowadays, and Thomas Beatie's situation is no exception. 

While Thomas Beatie may consider himself to be a man by Gender, his sex is still female, and so he is not the world's first pregnant man. And although Beatie and his wife do not consider themselves to be a lesbian couple, their chosen method of reproduction is not really out of the ordinary. 

Aside from the fact that the child's father is transgendered (something that is also not completely uncommon), this situation is not groundbreaking for the transgendered community. 

A more important issue to raise is whether or not it would be possible to ensure that there is no discrimination taking place with regards to Beatie's medical treatment.     

Hello all!

I do have some experience in blogging, but have never used this site before. 

I'm looking forward to having some interesting discussions with all of you, and I hope we have a great semester together  :D