At the conclusion of this week, I have discovered that feminism is stressful. Feminism makes you write blogs in response to reading assignments. Feminism makes you go to class at 8 in the morning. Feminism makes you conduct research and write a ten page essay on your findings. Had I known what I was getting myself into I would have done a bit of investigation (“investigation”, meaning going on rate my professor) and avoided a semester of thinking critically of issues “impacting” our everyday lives. Ho hum, how I wish I could go back in time. Who needs to know about horizontal hostility, or how spheres of oppression encompass all aspects of our lives, or how personal is political—whatever that means. Who needs to go out and fight for issues that don’t pertain to my well-being? I don’t have a problem with having to walk to my car late at night with keys and mace in hand. I don’t have a problem with having people in Congress trying to take control of my reproductive rights. I don’t have a problem with being part of a frightening statistic about rape, or domestic violence. What do you mean I’m marginalized for being women? Pish posh. White privilege, inequality, social constructions of beauty, gender and I don’t know what else are of no interest to me because I know that these are irrelevant to me.
I’m hoping by now you notice that I was speaking sarcastically. I thought I would mention that, in case, any of you feminists don’t have a sense of humor! Anyhow, I would have said most of these things before ever taking this class but no matter how cliché this may sound this class truly changed my perspective on things. Okay maybe I did know what I was getting myself into or perhaps I did have a lot of prior knowledge about the topics discussed in class, but I’m hoping others were able to notice how terribly, ugly and unequal our world is after taking this course. I’m also hoping a lot of things written and promised in these blogs will be fulfilled. I confess I still fear feminism. I admit that I occasionally mock the 19th amendment and women studies classes around my friends just to get a laugh but in all truth I am a frightened, budding feminist. Some people may argue that feminism is long lost and an unnecessary cause while others full-heartedly parade through streets for equality. I sort of just fall in the middle. I came into this class with intentions of completeling my last GE class but instead of satiating my thirst for knowledge and all that is feminist and right I've only hungered for more. My place in the middle of these two spheres are a result of this class, I don’t know how further I can go. Hodgeland’s essay clearly points this out and my feelings towards feminism are only further perpetuated by the prospect that speaking about gender issues among my friends will no longer be unexcused by my enrollment in the class. What will I do now? I could say that I have triumphed over the mighty beast and have quenched this undying thirst for equality for men and women through just writing blogs and reading scholarly essays and writing a research paper, but I would be lying. I don’t feel prepared to step out of my comfortable niche that is room 34 in the Education building. Maybe I am well off to make a revolution and change a power system that is suppressing a minority or maybe I will return to my idle, boring life of school, work and friends. I don’t know what the future awaits me but all I know is that feminism is frightening.
Haha nice post, I might or might not have actually laughed out loud. Anyways, I think you're spot on with what you're saying here. This class certainly has shown me a number of new aspects to life. I've even found that this research paper has opened my eyes a little to the way I live my life at home. I'm not sure about your thoughts on feminism being frightening for I find it to be more empowering.
ReplyDelete