Blog #5 - Sara Weeldreyer

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?

In my opinion, the first clip represents the early stages of women's suffrage, and that the second clip focuses on the civil rights movement. Although the clips are primarily about two different movements, fighting for women's rights is seen in both. Although subtle, I definitely think the first clip does have a racial bias. The focus on women's suffrage was about white, upper class, educated women. Nothing is mentioned about African American's in this clip. Personally, I think the biggest motive in white women practicing discretion with respect to race was simply because they didn't want to ask too much in such a short time. Society doesn't take well to change. Because of this, every change made has to take baby steps. A baby step would be for women to vote. Too far and too fast for society would be rights for women, both white and African American women.

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 apologize if I sound unintelligent, but I'm not sure what this question is asking, but I will answer it with an answer about what I think it is asking. I do think perspective has changed four our generation in regards to issues of humanism. In the last 50 years women's roles and expectations in society have changed immensely. Although we still have an agist society, recent research is showing that being elderly does not make you a lesser person. Past scholarly understanding was very different.

Ch11
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 think one of the biggest underlying causes of domestic violence is how men are portrayed in the media. Men in the media are violent and controlling. This violence and control is absolutely linked to male domination. These ideals are taught starting in childhood, as seen in Disney films. This concept is explained in the following clip:

Although this doesn't show domestic violence in particular, it is still putting the idea of violence and dominance being expected from men. Because these ideas are taught from such an early age, they are seen as normal. Because they are seen as normal, the public refuses to link violence to male domination.

The following clip shows more male violence portrayed in the media, and especially focuses on normalizing male violence against women (My apologies for only posting the link. I couldn't find the video when I tried to insert it into the blog.):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elbWcsM7eoA

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?

After watching that intense video and from my personal opinion, I absolutely think that spouse violence and violence towards children are absolutely related. From a psychological standpoint (not that I'm qualified), the offender is violent towards the spouse and children in order to have a sense of control. The idea that there is relation between these forms of violence needs to be heard, whether it through the news, through movies, or music, simply getting the ideas heard is the best way to start to find a resolution for this. More resources for safety for the victims needs to be available because partners often stay with the abuser because they are frightened for their life. Abusers that attempt to leave are often murdered or hurt worse by the abuser, so many feel that it is better to not risk their life.