This poor woman in my class is in an oppressive and abusive relationship. I wrote this in response to a post she wrote where she proclaimed 1) that women who dress provocatively are asking to get raped and 2) that a man has the right to ”expect and insist on” sex from his wife.
Without exception – when a man rapes a woman (or little girl) it is absolutely unequivocally NOT that woman or girl’s fault – no matter what she did, said, or wore. Rape is not about sex – it is “a crime of aggression because the focus is on hurting and dominating” (Shaw, Lee pg 562).
Marriage is not slavery. Women are not property. This is an outdated notion. Women have worked for a century or more to achieve the status of person. We get to make up our own minds. We are socialized to believe that men are in charge and we have to do what they say – even when it comes to marital sex. But it is not true. We get to decide for ourselves if and when we want to be sexual with another person. No one, not even a husband (or partner) has the right to force or coerce or demand sex from us. Some women don’t believe this and think that because it is her boyfriend or husband they have the right to take sex from them, that doesn’t make it any less of a rape.
on rape and marriage February 28, 2008
In response to another student’s post February 28, 2008
I firmly and unwaveringly do NOT believe that all men are inherently violent. I have personally experienced many examples of men acting in a calm, considerate, gentle and caring nature. Unfortunately it does seem that this is not the norm, but rather an exception to men’s apparent aggressive nature. I think the problem is one of teaching. Men are socialized at every turn to be aggressive. We have seen in our readings the earliest socialization of babies and children who are given toys that encourage power-pushing behavior such as swords, guns, and other violence-supporting toys which are typically given to boys and not girls. We also read about the arena of sports which is so centered around male bravado and physical assault of one another. As Kimmel talks about in his article, “A Black Woman Took My Job”, men are severely hindered by their socialized roles. This socialization of being tough and in charge and territorial and untouchable emotionally is what makes men “real men” (pg 465). But as Kimmel says, “the very things that we thought would make us real men impoverish our relationships with other men and with our children” (pg 466). The common socialization of men in western society creates byproducts of the entitlement, violence, loss of deep intimate relationships, an greater risk for health problems. I propose that the solution lies in the socialization process. We need to start socializing our male children to be more human and less of aggressive fighting machines and our female children to be empowered and not passive people-pleasing drones. It starts in the earliest institutions of family and early education. If we challenge and work at affecting some change in the collective conscious of the masses, we will see results move from the bottom to the top. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and a true humanist movement which includes women and men from all cultures and races will begin to emerge. This is my dream. I think I’ve just hit on my topic for the final assignment. Thanks for listening, Racquel
In response to Sweatshops February 28, 2008
Visit website: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/maquilapolis/about.html
or: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2002/senoritaextraviada/maquiladoras_feature01.html
My response to the reading “Globalization and It’s Discontents” can be summed up in one exclamation – Unbelievable! I mean this in that it is so contrary to the work of human and civil rights activists in this country and such a horrendous violation of what I hold as sacred human rights that it settles within me as unfathomable. Unfortunately, many others will exclaim this to be unbelievable in the more literal form of the word – they simply don’t believe these violations exist, or they don’t believe there to be a problem.
The surmounting evidence reported in many news magazines and newspapers would be enough, I think, for any free-thinking person to be convinced. There is a huge problem here and we in America have got to take a leadership role in correcting it. We must work at creating more equitable and hospitable environments for people in this country and most importantly in other less wealthy countries to work in. Our government, in their short-sighted attempts to expand us into a global economy, has made it easy for corporations to deny any wrongdoing. They (the government) have de-regulated to a point that allows corporations to go hog-wild in their quest for greater and greater profits seemingly to the abandonment of any human rights controls. I reiterate the question expressed in the text, ”is globalization only about property rights or should it also be concerned about human rights” (Hu-DeHart pg. 476).
On the website Inside the Maquiladoras, the story “Married to the Maquila” talks about the female maquila workers gathering “together to discuss work”. They talked about wages and working conditions. What would happen if large numbers of workers as well as international labor organizing groups began to really pressure the companies running the sweatshops like the maquiladoras, as well as the corporations and governments to increase wages, resolve the horrendous working conditions and provide for some measures of physical safety for the workers? Alma, the woman speaking in this piece, reveals that “by contrast [to the female workers], a male worker wouldn’t stand for it — he’s more aggressive. Men organize themselves, and if they don’t get what they want, they walk off the job” (“Married to the Maquila”). Because of their extreme poverty and their responsibilities to their children, these women cannot effect much change by themselves. There needs to be a significant uprising among those of us who are not directly affected. The human rights violations happening around the world, but is the government which allows the corporations the freedom to disregard these violations. I challenge you, what can you do to fight this problem?
Fall 2007 Classes September 26, 2007
Monday-Friday: 8:00 – 9:00am Independent Fitness (water aerobics)
Monday-Friday: 12:10 – 1:00pm College Algebra
Tues/Thurs: 1:10 – 3:20pm Sociology
Control? August 20, 2007
Last week I finished my summer Chemistry class which is the last prerequisite for the nursing program and today I turned in my application. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get in, but in reality I am expecting to. If I don’t I will be sorely disappointed. My GPA is 3.94 and all my prepreq’s are done. Anyway it’s just another thing I don’t have control over.
Those things that I don’t have control over are everywhere! How did I do on my chem final? Is my cat going to live through this illness he’s had? Is Wylie going to get along with my neighbor/friend’s dog while they watch him when we are out of town this weekend? My friend has cancer. My dad’s dog died. On and On!! So all I can do is breathe and remember that there are many things I have no control over – A story in the Big Book of AA says: “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situations – some fact of my life – unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment… Unless I can accept life completely on life’s terms I cannot be happy.” Of course, some things are unfortunate aspects of nature (illness, homicide) and still I have no control. Some things are the result of a string of events that I may have at one time had control over, but because of some action on my part (or someone else’s), that control is gone. So, on I go. Forging ahead and trying to make the best decisions as I can with the information and skills I have. And I learn to LET GO. I am not in control of everything – in fact I am in control of ONLY my own actions.
I’ll let you know my chemistry grade when I get it. And when I get into nursing school, we’ll have something great to celebrate!
Did you know? – Breathing June 20, 2007
It is volume and air pressure in the lungs that makes you inhale or exhale. It’s not the movement of the diaphragm pulling or pushing air. When the diaphragm contracts it moves down expanding the volume of the thoracic cavity (where the lungs are located) and that lowers the air pressure in the lungs. Air moves from an area of HIGH pressure to an area of LOW pressure and so moves from outside the body to inside the body through the most convenient locations of nose and mouth.
Did you know? – making boys June 20, 2007
There is a gene called SRY which when activated turns on testosterone and makes the gonads to drop and become testes without SRY they become ovaries.
Spring 2007 Grades June 20, 2007
I had serious doubts that I was going to do very well in these two classes – A&P III and Microbiology. They were very difficult and made even more so by my attitude. I was bored and resistant to studying. I must have put in enough time, though because I still came out with A’s in both classes. I’m a shoe-in for the Clark college nursing program. The last two terms they accepted students with 46 or more points (it’s a merit system of acceptance into the program) and I have 50 points! I have one more prerequisite to complete this summer – Chemistry 111 – then I can apply and hopefully start in the spring of ‘08. Wish me luck!
The best laid plans… June 20, 2007
Another class cancelled by PCC because of low enrollment. So, I decided to take my class at Clark – which is only about 15 minutes from home. Got registered and paid for it yesterday. I’m a little nervous about the new school, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’ve taken the first part of this class already (at pcc it’s a 2 class series and at clark it’s only one class -I’ve had the first class at pcc) so at least that will be review for me. All that planning. It sure reminds me to let go of expectations.
I barely slept last night – insomnia. so now I’m like a ghost today. Wylie is off getting neutered and the cats are taking advantage of the situation by lounging wherever they want! They are soooo cute. That’s all for now.
