Nikki Bracci
Professor Richardson
PHI/WGS 297
Blog Assignment One
Catherine MacKinnon states on page 35...
" We're as good as you. Anything you can do, we can do. Just get out of the way. I have to confess a sincere affection for this approach. It has gotten women some access to employment and education, the public pursuits, including academic, professional, and blue-collar, the military, and more than nominal access to athletics. It has moved to change the dead ends that were all we were seen as good for and has altered what passed for women's lack of physical training, which was really serious training in passivity and enforced weakness."
I completely agree that we as women need to fight our own way to success since, unlike men, it is not handed to us. Knowing that there are women who fight this battle every day, and knowing that I fight the battle as well, makes me proud to be a woman, because I know that this battle will be won one day and maybe me fighting will allow my daughter or granddaughter a life where she never knows this battle. I truly believe a woman can do anything a man can do, and sometime she can even do it better. There is a saying, "behind every great man, is a great women.'' I think this saying speaks volumes. It shows that even though a man can amass to greatness, and many men have, they still need a woman or women in their lives to push them to greatness. And if we as women can lead men to greatness from behind the scenes, imagine what we can do center stage. MacKinnon uses the term "enforced weakness" the term enforced is the perfect word to describe how oppressed women are even from birth. It is amazing how a situation differs depending on the gender of the person. For example, if a woman were to be seen playing soccer and getting dirty and aggressive she would be told it is "unlady-like" but if it was a man, he would be seen as this great player and receive scholarships and awards for his talent. As women we are taught to act a certain way, typically to act in the opposite way of men. Growing up, I never realized these limitations set upon my friends and I as girls. I think growing up I was more encouraged to succeed rather than precede. I think growing up with only sisters, and my parents divorcing when I was young, I grew up with a strong independent mom it encouraged me to be successful and take care of myself. As a gender, striving for equality, we need to teach girls while they are young that they are not limited by their gender, that they need to stand up for themselves make the men "get out of the way". I do believe that women are rejected by society, by jobs, by communities, solely because they are women. Sports communities especially sports dominated mostly by men (football, baseball, basketball), attempt to include women, but then oppress them within the same movement. For example, women can buy football jerseys, but they are pink or have glitter covering them. Resorting to gender exclusivity in clothing continues the lack of female allowance in "manly" sports. When a woman shows interest in sports such as football she is immediately questioned, being asked if she is doing it to get a man or if its to impress men. Why is that the immediate reason why a woman shows interest in sports, maybe she enjoys it, likes the technicality or the concept of the game. I think that times have changed and slowly we are progressing into a more accepting world, but I do not think we will ever come to a point in society where women and men are 100% equal and there is no gender divide.
No comments:
Post a Comment