Wanted to post this story from the Times on arranged love marriages, from the perspective of a young Indian woman. I think it really illustrates the gaps than occur between mothers and daughters as gender expectations change through the generations, and it definitely made me tear up.
Enjoy!
10.05.2009
9.27.2009
Women in the Arts: Unsung Muses
Robert J. Hughes has written an interesting article on the contributions of composers' wives to their music (both as inspirations and collaborators) and to the preservation of their works, which often go unnoticed. Finally, these great women (such as Constanze Mozart, left) have been granted a small portion of the honor and recognition they deserve.
Here's the link, in case you're interested. It's worth a read.
9.16.2009
From the front lines of the global fight for equality...
Evening, all! I promise you I've not completely fallen off the face of the earth. As fate would have it, SEU Feminist's only male blogger is also its least prolific poster. *Cue the wailing, ashes, and sackcloth of repentence* Seriously, though, I'll be better about that in the future.
Anyhow, just wanted to share this beautiful ad from Ireland that's sure to render some conservatives speechless. Slainte!
9.08.2009
Women in the Arts: Hildreth Meière
The Times has a piece up about 1930's art deco muralist Hildreth Meière, probably best known for the round plaques that adorn Radio City Music Hall.
“It drives me wild to be spoken of as ‘one of the best women artists,’ ” she wrote to a friend in 1936. “I’ve worked as an equal with men, and my rating as an equal is all that I value.”
Read the full piece here.
“It drives me wild to be spoken of as ‘one of the best women artists,’ ” she wrote to a friend in 1936. “I’ve worked as an equal with men, and my rating as an equal is all that I value.”
Read the full piece here.
8.27.2009
Welcome Back SEU Feminists!
Welcome back SEU Feminists!
I'm excited for this year, and I know everyone else is too! I thought I'd start an open discussion thread so we can share what we want to accomplish this year- I'll start:
1. Get more posts cross-posted (or primarily featured in) the campus newspaper, especially if they are campus-related and not just op-eds. The Hilltop Views is also launching their online edition sometime in October.
2. Start the SEU Feminist Book Club
3. Bring in more guest writers and more campus-related posts. I think we've had two guest writers and only a few campus-related posts so far. Let's bring some more variation in!
4. Keep up with posting in general (guilty.)
That's all I can think of at the moment. Even if you're just a reader, feel free to chime in on what you'd like to see and how you think we can improve. Ready, set, go!
I'm excited for this year, and I know everyone else is too! I thought I'd start an open discussion thread so we can share what we want to accomplish this year- I'll start:
1. Get more posts cross-posted (or primarily featured in) the campus newspaper, especially if they are campus-related and not just op-eds. The Hilltop Views is also launching their online edition sometime in October.
2. Start the SEU Feminist Book Club
3. Bring in more guest writers and more campus-related posts. I think we've had two guest writers and only a few campus-related posts so far. Let's bring some more variation in!
4. Keep up with posting in general (guilty.)
That's all I can think of at the moment. Even if you're just a reader, feel free to chime in on what you'd like to see and how you think we can improve. Ready, set, go!
8.08.2009
¡Sí, se puede!
Sonia Sotomayor, third woman and first latina ever to become a Supreme Court justice, was sworn in today.
This subject has already been talked about so much on feminist blogs and blogs that promote racial equality that I don't really feel like I have anything new to say about it, but check out this insightful post from Stuff White People Do on her hearings and how "white" and "male" are considered neutral conditions (by white males and the white male-run corporate media, that is).
Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!
This subject has already been talked about so much on feminist blogs and blogs that promote racial equality that I don't really feel like I have anything new to say about it, but check out this insightful post from Stuff White People Do on her hearings and how "white" and "male" are considered neutral conditions (by white males and the white male-run corporate media, that is).
Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!
7.07.2009
The Secret and Feminism
So I just watched The Secret with my dad, and he's been trying to get me to watch it with him for about a year now, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to make him happy. After we finished the movie, I couldn't help but feel both skeptical and a little intrigued, because it made a few really good points. I don't know if I feel like I can believe that all of the people I've known who have died of cancer, lost their jobs, or had awful relationships brought it upon themselves by not understanding their thought processes, but I can definitely get down with this whole "when you focus on the negative, it gets the attention" thing. I think this definitely applies to feminism.
As feminists, we talk alot about how things are and how they should be. We talk about how elementary schools and pre-school programs are already coding children with social expectations and gender norms, how men are still making seventy five cents to the dollar, how the pro-life movement gives us all indigestion and the quiverfull movement makes us angry, anxious, and confused all at once. We talk about the sexists, the racists, the bigots, and everyone who stands in the way. We talk about the patriarchy, advertising, consumerism, and female sexuality in the media. These are all important issues and they are all relevant to our cause, but this movie really made me start to think about how much of my thoughts are spent on the things that I really don't like about society and how few are spent imagining society the way I wish it was and the way I think it could be.
I'm not saying that educating people who aren't already aware of these issues isn't worthwhile, because it's hard to get people to understand the urgency of change when they don't think change is necessary. As an activist I almost see The Secret's focus on thinking positively as a challenge. How can I channel all of my passion about conflicts, prejudice, and societal norms into a positive vision for the future? Is it possible to be, instead of anti-war, pro-peace? How can I turn aversion for the Palestine-Israel conflict, proposition 8, and Fox News into positive and affirming future realities? Is that even possible?
I started thinking about how much time I spend talking to my friends about all of the things in the world that stress me out and upset me, and how most of my plans and visions are focused on eradicating something I don't like. According to this movie, because I am focusing on something I don't like (even though I'm focusing on ending it) that thing will still remain because it is my focus. So how do I change my way of thinking to be positive? Take for example the Quiverfull movement. There are too many things to list about this stuff that make me upset and anxious, so I won't, but the point is, how do I focus on a positive reality apart from the Duggars? I think the answer is to think of a reality without that option, such as, households where the mother and father are equal and loving, where birth control is used as a result of education, and where loving and unbiased attitudes are encouraged as a part of a conscious lifestyle.
I don't know how much merit The Secret has, but I do think that in the area of positive thinking it can offer activists a challenge to stop focusing on the negative areas that they are fighting against, and instead focus on a world where those things do not even exist and then make that world a reality. I can't hurt, can it?
as always,
feministish
As feminists, we talk alot about how things are and how they should be. We talk about how elementary schools and pre-school programs are already coding children with social expectations and gender norms, how men are still making seventy five cents to the dollar, how the pro-life movement gives us all indigestion and the quiverfull movement makes us angry, anxious, and confused all at once. We talk about the sexists, the racists, the bigots, and everyone who stands in the way. We talk about the patriarchy, advertising, consumerism, and female sexuality in the media. These are all important issues and they are all relevant to our cause, but this movie really made me start to think about how much of my thoughts are spent on the things that I really don't like about society and how few are spent imagining society the way I wish it was and the way I think it could be.
I'm not saying that educating people who aren't already aware of these issues isn't worthwhile, because it's hard to get people to understand the urgency of change when they don't think change is necessary. As an activist I almost see The Secret's focus on thinking positively as a challenge. How can I channel all of my passion about conflicts, prejudice, and societal norms into a positive vision for the future? Is it possible to be, instead of anti-war, pro-peace? How can I turn aversion for the Palestine-Israel conflict, proposition 8, and Fox News into positive and affirming future realities? Is that even possible?
I started thinking about how much time I spend talking to my friends about all of the things in the world that stress me out and upset me, and how most of my plans and visions are focused on eradicating something I don't like. According to this movie, because I am focusing on something I don't like (even though I'm focusing on ending it) that thing will still remain because it is my focus. So how do I change my way of thinking to be positive? Take for example the Quiverfull movement. There are too many things to list about this stuff that make me upset and anxious, so I won't, but the point is, how do I focus on a positive reality apart from the Duggars? I think the answer is to think of a reality without that option, such as, households where the mother and father are equal and loving, where birth control is used as a result of education, and where loving and unbiased attitudes are encouraged as a part of a conscious lifestyle.
I don't know how much merit The Secret has, but I do think that in the area of positive thinking it can offer activists a challenge to stop focusing on the negative areas that they are fighting against, and instead focus on a world where those things do not even exist and then make that world a reality. I can't hurt, can it?
as always,
feministish
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