1. Which clip do you think portrays each respective time? Do you think there is a racial bias in either of these representations and why? What motives do you feel white women would have in practicing discretion with respect to race during these liberating times?
I definitely think Iron Jawed Angels portrays the woman's suffragist movement, and The Help depicts the civil rights movement. The Iron Jawed Angels didn't seem to show much racial tension, but I think The Help incorporated a bit of women's rights as well as racial segregation. With that being said, there was a lot of racial bias in The Help-that was the whole reason for the movie! I really thought it was particularly interesting in the clip when the woman writing the book mentioned the fact that the white women were more than fine having the black women take care of the children, but they wouldn't allow them to use the same bathroom as the white women. This idea definitely brings to light the racial segregation still occurring during this time. In response to the final question, I agree with bell hooks' idea on the subject when she says, ""Wrongly they saw us as deflecting focus away from gender. In reality, we were demanding that we look at the status of females realistically..." (hooks, 2007, p. 57).
2. Do you feel this "evolution of perspective" is paralleled in our generation today with respect to the many issues of humanism such as sexism, racism, agism, violence etc? What external factors perpetuate this change? Do you believe this to be positive or negative?
I'd like to think these issues have improved with time, and each generation brings with it a more accepting and understanding nature; however, it it is clear in our everyday society that this is not always the case. Though not as extreme, there are still issues with sexism, racism, agism, and violence in today's society. Looking at the big picture, I think generations have become more accepting of differences. I think this is especially true for the younger generations. I know from experience that overall people in their 20's seem to be more accepting of a range of individuals verses men and women in their 50's and 60's. This just seems to come with time and growth. I remember talking about social equality in elementary school and really haven't stopped learning about it. This idea just didn't seem to be the case years ago. I think this change is a great thing, but there will always be room for further improvement. I have the Today show on as I write this blog, and I think a pretty relevant news segment came on that correlates to this idea. Although he experienced severe racial segregation as a child, he has overcome his hurt and focuses on spreading kindness and positivity.
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46571114#46571114
Ch. 11:
1. What do you think could be some of the underlying causes of this violence? Hooks also notes that much of the public refuses to link the violence to patriarchal thinking or male domination, why do you think this is?
I don't know if it's possible to pin point why violence occurs in patriarchal relationships. If everyone knew why they occurred, I'm sure we there would be a lot more done to prevent them. After going through extensive training for a domestic violence and sexual abuse crisis center in Lincoln, I will say it seems to have a lot to do with power and control. I know bell hooks doesn't like this idea because it focuses on sexism, but a lot of cases of DV seem to come down to this underlying idea. In response to the second question, no one wants to generalize all men as being the "bad guys". It is easy to agree that men often have a dominant role in a relationship, but when it comes to attributing it to violence, it's easier for people to blame the situation on other factors that don't paint such a negative picture of the male figure. This video below incorporates children as victims of domestic violence as well. Even if the child isn't being physically hurt by the abuser, the emotional violence that stems from these relationships are overwhelmingly hurtful.
2. After watching this video and thinking of some responses on your own, how do you think domestic violence between spouses and children can be related? Also, after the video, how do you think this issue of the two forms of violence being closely related each other can be brought more to light so that the issue can be more of a topic to be worked on being resolved? What steps do you think need to be taken to resolve this form of violence?
Well, I guess I kind of addressed this idea already in the above question, but domestic violence between spouses definitely has an effect on the children as well. The video I posted above gives some mind-blowing statistics that really bring to light just how much a child is impacted by such violence. I think people just need to be more educated on the topic. Domestic violence is such an ugly thing, so people try to push it aside and not think about it. By raising awareness of the severity of the situation as well as the long lasting effects it has on both the spouses and the children, I would hope more people would be willing to help the cause. Also, I know victims of DV often don't tell anyone because they feel ashamed or are fearful it will make the situation worse. Victims need to be empowered and respected so they feel more comfortable telling their story and seeking help. Overall, there needs to be more awareness made, and safe environments need to be created to allow these victims to speak up.
That first video is great, It's awesome to see someone who is so uplifting, even though they have been through something like that.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching The Help, and the part you mentioned is actually one of the quotes that stood out to me the most, its sad how much these women were relied on, yet the received absolutely no respect.