Blog Post #12

            When I first signed up for Women’s Studies, I assumed that the class only focused on women’s rights. However, throughout the semester, I have realized that the course focuses on a variety of different aspects. Since Women’s studies fulfills the diversity requirement, it makes sense that the class focuses on a diverse range of topics. It's extremely important for Women's Studies to address broader dimensions because inequality does not exist in our society solely based on gender. By being exposed to many different works, I have come to realize that there is more to this class than simply the male vs. female perspective.

            On the first day of class, we were told that we were to compete a blog post each week; these posts would be based on novels, movies, pieces of artwork, articles, lectures etc. At first, I didn’t really understand the purpose of these posts. However, as the weeks passed, I realized that these posts were used to discuss important themes in the course and the significance of these themes. These posts ultimately benefited me by contributing to my understanding in this course.

            After analyzing my posts, I feel we have touched upon a variety of themes throughout the course. However, I believe we mainly focused on sexuality and women’s bodies, oppression and privilege, the link between politics and art and the struggle for equality.

            We started off the semester by watching, “Killing us Softly 4.” This movie really introduced us to the topic of women’s bodies. In advertisements, women are cropped, photo-shopped, edited, altered etc, in order to look perfect. Women are also portrayed as objects (such as a beer can) and they’re portrayed as objects for male sexuality. A few weeks later, we analyzed the dances of the Urban Bush Women. These women told stories through their dances; they displayed their confidence in themselves and embraced their bodies. In the graphic novel, “Fun Home,” Alison Bechdel challenged the notions of women’s sexuality.

            We then focused on the politics of art. Before this class, I never would’ve linked politics and art. However, I quickly learned that funding agencies have the ability to decide which art should receive public support. We focused on the NEA Four and artwork that was considered inappropriate and offensive. We learned that what isn’t offensive to some is offensive to others and in the end, individuals that hold power positions (such as government officials) get to decide what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate. We then took a trip to the museum in DC to explore women’s art. Women’s art is rarely displayed so this trip to the museum was a very interesting experience.

            Oppression/Privilege is a theme that can be applied to most of the pieces of work that we analyzed. We learned that women are typically oppressed due to their gender, but women are not the only individuals in society that are oppressed. We focused on the oppression of the disabled, African Americans, immigrants, gays etc. In our society, a white, straight, wealthy male is considered privileged.

            Lastly, we focused a lot on the struggles for equality. Even though this is a women’s studies course, we focused on these struggles for other individuals as well. We focused on the struggles against oppression such as abolitionism, disability rights, anti-poverty, LGBTQ rights, civil rights etc.

            Overall, this course is a well-rounded course. We focused on a variety of topics, not just women. It really opened my eyes to the extreme problems in our society and the importance of being aware of and trying to change these issues. I highly recommend taking this course because it’s a fun course that will ultimately benefit one in the long run.

Blog Post #11

            This week, we were assigned the novel, “Baghdad Burning.” The format of this novel was very intriguing because it was comprised of blog posts that were written by an unidentifiable woman who disguised herself as “Riverbend.” Towards the beginning of the novel, the reader learns about Riverbend’s background. She is an Iraqi who was “born in Iraq to Iraqi parents but was raised abroad for several years as a child.” When first reading the novel, I was confused as to why Riverbend concealed her identity. However, I soon began to realize that she was protecting herself from the danger that she faced during the war in Iraq. She even admits, “But no matter what- I shall remain anonymous. I wouldn’t feel free to write otherwise.” The fact that she had to disguise herself for safety is extremely upsetting to me. However, through this, Riverbend expressed her strength and determination. Since her identity was concealed, she felt as if she had the freedom to express whatever she wanted. She also emphasized the idea that others opinions wouldn’t influence her. When talking about hate mail that she might receive, she stated, “Tanks and guns can break my bones but emails can be deleted.”

            When reading this novel, I felt extremely ignorant to reality. I had never thought about what the citizens of Iraq were feeling and experiencing during the war. Through her descriptive examples, experiences, references etc, I was able to really understand the struggle and fear that the Iraqi’s faced in their everyday lives. For example, Riverbend talked about the “stifling heat,” constant gunshots, explosions, yelling, job losses, deaths, raids, debt etc. Can you imagine waking up every morning living in fear?

            I personally am not a person who typically watches the news. However, I am fully aware that the news does not always do the best job of representing reality. In my philosophy class in high school, one whole unit was dedicated to the ignorance of our society. This ignorance is partially based on the fact that the news omits and/or manipulates a plethora of topics. I think it’s a shame that social media has such a huge impact on our society. In essence, history is told by news reporters, not historians. The media has a way of manipulating our society into believing the favorable view, not necessarily the truth. Riverbend really opened my eyes to reality; she gave me a whole new perspective and interpretation of the war in Iraq. 

            Since this course is a Women’s Studies course, I also think it’s important to focus on the women in Iraq during the war. I was shocked to learn that before the war, women made up 50% of the working force. Riverbend stated, “Females in Iraq were a lot better off than females in other parts of the Arab world (and some parts of the Western world- we had equal salaries!).” She then lists the many jobs women held such as “doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, professors, deans” etc. However, once the war began, things dramatically changed. Women were not allowed to leave the house unless they were escorted by men. In general, they were encouraged to just stay home. However, Riverbend was determined to go back to work. She was escorted to work and realized that everything was extremely different. One man even refused to look at Riverbend when speaking to her. Riverbend was devastated and learned that “they refused to be responsible for what might happen to [her].” Throughout the novel, it’s apparent that women lost a lot of rights due to the war. Women lost employment rights, they were abducted, sent to jail, murdered etc. Riverbend includes an example about a “prominent electrical engineer named Henna Aziz.” Aziz was assassinated in front of her family- two daughters and a husband. She was told to stay at home because she was a woman, but she ultimately refused. Due to this refusal, she was shot and killed. Riverbend then admits, “She lost her life- she wasn’t the first, she won’t be the last.” Overall, Riverbend really succeeded in representing the harsh reality of the war.