There seemed to be a lot of noteworthy ideas in bell hooks piece “The Significance of Femininity Movement,” however there was one particular idea that stood out a lot to me. Although, I am aware of the feminist movement I never really considered the effect it had on the family or vice versa. In this piece hooks makes the claim that the family actual plays a role in promoting sexism.
According to hooks the family is the place where people are socialized into believing that sexist practices are okay and natural. She goes on to site Hodge as supporting evidence to this belief (Jacobus 826). Hodges states, “Here is where the relationship of superordination- subordination, of superior-inferior, of master slave is first learned and accepted as ‘natural’(Jacobus 827). In this sentence and the paragraph from which it comes Hodges discusses what children learn and are taught in the family, thus suggesting it is the family where sexist ideas begins. He also talks about the ways in which sexism is implicating such as with the role of the man to be control part of the life of the family in several aspects (Jacobus 827).
She also goes on to discuss how the western culture’s family is a means of supporting oppression and sexist ideas. She uses another quote from Hodges to further emphasis this that says, “[the family] is the major training ground which initially conditions us to accept group oppression as the natural order” (Jacobus 827).
As I said there are many noteworthy points in this piece, but this one seems to be particularly eye-opening. Although, I never really thought about the impact the family had on feminism outside of putting women in stereotypical roles as the stay-home-parent, there does seem to be a link to family and sexist oppression. I agree that in our society we are raised in a certain way that allows for oppression to be accepted, at least when it comes to sexism.
Works Cited
Hooks, Bell. “The Significance of Feminist Movement.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.824-831.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Blog #16
Carol Gilligan’s piece “Women’s Place in Man’s Life Cycle” discusses a lot of studies on the development of girls and boys. A lot of the studies, however, give preference to males, are solely based on the study of males, or show favoritism to the male. In turn, this causes the females to look inadequate, not up to par, or substandard. One particular part of this piece that demonstrates this idea (and there are several) is the section on the study of boys and girls at play.
On pages 805 through 804 Gilligan talks about a study conducted by Janet Lever on socialization during elementary schools. In the study she talks about the differences in play between boys and girls. This leads to her discussing how boys and girls approach the rules of games.
Boys tended to continue to play games even when problems arose. So instead of ending the game because of a dispute, they tended to come up with a solution that abided to the rules that both sides thought was fair(Jacobus 805).Girls on the other hands didn’t approach the game, or the rules of the games as absolute the same way the boys did. Whenever the girls encountered a problem they tended to the game. Girls approached the rules differently by being more open to making exceptions to them and more tolerant. The terms used to describe girls views to rules by Piaget in Gilligan’s piece was “a more ‘pragmatic’ attitude toward rule” (Jacobus 805).
This section even implied that the boys were thus more developed than the girls making it seem as if the girls are somewhat inferior to the boys. This study of boys, girls, and socialization is just one of the many examples of the favoritism shown to males on studies of differences between the sexes.
Works Cited
Gilligan, Carol. ““Woman’s Place in a Man’s Life Cycle.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.801-817.
On pages 805 through 804 Gilligan talks about a study conducted by Janet Lever on socialization during elementary schools. In the study she talks about the differences in play between boys and girls. This leads to her discussing how boys and girls approach the rules of games.
Boys tended to continue to play games even when problems arose. So instead of ending the game because of a dispute, they tended to come up with a solution that abided to the rules that both sides thought was fair(Jacobus 805).Girls on the other hands didn’t approach the game, or the rules of the games as absolute the same way the boys did. Whenever the girls encountered a problem they tended to the game. Girls approached the rules differently by being more open to making exceptions to them and more tolerant. The terms used to describe girls views to rules by Piaget in Gilligan’s piece was “a more ‘pragmatic’ attitude toward rule” (Jacobus 805).
This section even implied that the boys were thus more developed than the girls making it seem as if the girls are somewhat inferior to the boys. This study of boys, girls, and socialization is just one of the many examples of the favoritism shown to males on studies of differences between the sexes.
Works Cited
Gilligan, Carol. ““Woman’s Place in a Man’s Life Cycle.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.801-817.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Blog #14
The piece “Shakespeare’s Sister” by Virginia Woolf commented heavily on the lack of history about women written before the sixteenth century. Woolf discusses how so little about women is known previous to that time period other than they were beaten (Jacobus 765). So to help illustrate what life must have been like for women of the sixteenth century with very little information to go upon Woolf creates Shakespeare’s fictional gifted sister and precedes to tell about her life.
It is based upon Woolf’s description of Shakespeare’s fake sister’s life and the little facts she read in the history books about women that she is able to show what was expected of women in Shakespeare’s time. Based on Judith’s life it can be assumed that women’s role during that time period was small and little was expected of them. Woolf states that Judith probably wouldn’t have went to school, so her education was very limited ( Jacobus 769). Judith also wasn’t allowed to express herself being that she would have to burn or hide any creative works she would create ( Jacobus 769). Women must have been married early with their husbands being picked by their parents also based on the accounts of Judith’s life ( Jacobus 765, 769).
In other words, women were allowed no creative freedoms, received little or no education or training, and were the property of men. Being that men dominated written history and women had little access to it or the ability to read and write it it’s also clear that women were thought of lowly.
Works Cited
Woolf, Virginia. “Shakespeare‘s Sister.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College
Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.765-776.
It is based upon Woolf’s description of Shakespeare’s fake sister’s life and the little facts she read in the history books about women that she is able to show what was expected of women in Shakespeare’s time. Based on Judith’s life it can be assumed that women’s role during that time period was small and little was expected of them. Woolf states that Judith probably wouldn’t have went to school, so her education was very limited ( Jacobus 769). Judith also wasn’t allowed to express herself being that she would have to burn or hide any creative works she would create ( Jacobus 769). Women must have been married early with their husbands being picked by their parents also based on the accounts of Judith’s life ( Jacobus 765, 769).
In other words, women were allowed no creative freedoms, received little or no education or training, and were the property of men. Being that men dominated written history and women had little access to it or the ability to read and write it it’s also clear that women were thought of lowly.
Works Cited
Woolf, Virginia. “Shakespeare‘s Sister.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College
Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.765-776.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Blog #13
Although, filled with lofty language and filled with metaphors and references to things contemporary of her time, some things in this piece seem to pretty obvious.
“Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society” by Mary Wollstonecraft begins by describing the lifestyles of those who born into wealth and have nothing to do. It seems that their lifestyle had pernicious effects in her eyes, which is one of the things that seemed stand out in this piece.
Pernicious effects of the riches’ lifestyle include loss of virtue and incumbency. She feels that those who are rich tend to lack the need and motivation to be virtuous and carry out their human duties because it is not required of them. She claims people gain respect now out of property value instead of actually earning it through humane means, and still are treated as gods (Jacobus 748). She accuses society of not being “properly organized” because it doesn’t require its people to “respective duties.” She also makes the comment that compliments given to characters because it is appropriate insignia is empty (Jacobus 749).
When it comes down to it Wollstonecraft is basically saying that the wealthy don’t put use to their bodies or minds because it is not required of them . This is supported by the fact that she claims “Heredity property sophisticates the mind” referring to those who it sophisticates as victims then going on to say that they “are unable to discern in what true merit and happiness consist” (Jacobus).
To sum things up, she basically feel that the wealthy allow themselves to waste both their physical capabilities and mental capabilities by not exercising them due to the lack of need to. A good summation of all of this would be the line “For it is in the most polished society that noisome reptiles and venomous serpents lurk under the rank herbage; and there is voluptuousness papered by the still sultry air, which relaxes every good disposition before it ripens into virtue” (Jacobus 748).
Works Cited
Wollstonecraft, Mary. “Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.448-458.
“Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society” by Mary Wollstonecraft begins by describing the lifestyles of those who born into wealth and have nothing to do. It seems that their lifestyle had pernicious effects in her eyes, which is one of the things that seemed stand out in this piece.
Pernicious effects of the riches’ lifestyle include loss of virtue and incumbency. She feels that those who are rich tend to lack the need and motivation to be virtuous and carry out their human duties because it is not required of them. She claims people gain respect now out of property value instead of actually earning it through humane means, and still are treated as gods (Jacobus 748). She accuses society of not being “properly organized” because it doesn’t require its people to “respective duties.” She also makes the comment that compliments given to characters because it is appropriate insignia is empty (Jacobus 749).
When it comes down to it Wollstonecraft is basically saying that the wealthy don’t put use to their bodies or minds because it is not required of them . This is supported by the fact that she claims “Heredity property sophisticates the mind” referring to those who it sophisticates as victims then going on to say that they “are unable to discern in what true merit and happiness consist” (Jacobus).
To sum things up, she basically feel that the wealthy allow themselves to waste both their physical capabilities and mental capabilities by not exercising them due to the lack of need to. A good summation of all of this would be the line “For it is in the most polished society that noisome reptiles and venomous serpents lurk under the rank herbage; and there is voluptuousness papered by the still sultry air, which relaxes every good disposition before it ripens into virtue” (Jacobus 748).
Works Cited
Wollstonecraft, Mary. “Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.448-458.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Blog #12
In the piece “Why the Rich Are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer” by Robert B. Reich he talks about the different types of jobs in the economy. He breaks the types of jobs out there into three different groups in which he uses boats as a metaphor to describe them. The three types of jobs he discuss are routine position jobs, in-person jobs, and symbolic analysts (Jacobus 420).
According to him, the task of the job a person holds controls that person’s position in the world economy. With each type of job he then goes into detail about why their position in the world economy depends on their function. For instance, the position of routine workers in the world economy causes them to be a the low end of the totem pole because their jobs are declining. Not only are their jobs declining but their wages are decreasing due to the availability of worldwide cheap labor and more efficient means of production. Those who hold in-person jobs future is not as well cut-out as routine workers, but they suffer more competition from routine workers and some of their work is also being replaced by machines (Jacobus 426). Those who hold symbolic analyst positions jobs, on the other hand, are in demand and are benefiting the most from the world-market being that they have more clients to sell their ideas to.
So in the end it is the task that a person’s job requires of them that dictates his or her position in the world economy. Thus whose tasks require little education or training, is monotonous, or require little skill are suffering most from a world economy because of newer modes of production and competition. Those with symbolic analyst skills are reaping high benefits.
Works Cited
Reich, Robert. “Why the Rich Are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer.” A World of Ideas:
Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2006. pp.420-433.
According to him, the task of the job a person holds controls that person’s position in the world economy. With each type of job he then goes into detail about why their position in the world economy depends on their function. For instance, the position of routine workers in the world economy causes them to be a the low end of the totem pole because their jobs are declining. Not only are their jobs declining but their wages are decreasing due to the availability of worldwide cheap labor and more efficient means of production. Those who hold in-person jobs future is not as well cut-out as routine workers, but they suffer more competition from routine workers and some of their work is also being replaced by machines (Jacobus 426). Those who hold symbolic analyst positions jobs, on the other hand, are in demand and are benefiting the most from the world-market being that they have more clients to sell their ideas to.
So in the end it is the task that a person’s job requires of them that dictates his or her position in the world economy. Thus whose tasks require little education or training, is monotonous, or require little skill are suffering most from a world economy because of newer modes of production and competition. Those with symbolic analyst skills are reaping high benefits.
Works Cited
Reich, Robert. “Why the Rich Are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer.” A World of Ideas:
Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2006. pp.420-433.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Blog #11
John Kenneth Galbraith’s “The Position of Poverty” is one of the most straight forward readings I have read thus far in this text book. Since it was so clearly written I was able to get a lot from this piece. In this piece for instance, he discusses two cases of poverty which he labels case poverty and insular property. He gives a fairly good description of what he means by each, but the one best described, in my opinion, is his description of case poverty.
Galbraith describes case poverty as a type of poverty that is the condition of an individual. It is when a person (not a large group of people) is living in poverty. This person may be living in poverty for one or more of several reasons that he lists, “-mental deficiency, bad health, inability to adapt to the discipline of industrial life, uncontrollable procreation, alcohol, discrimination involving a very limit minority, some educational handicap unrelated to community shortcoming, or perhaps a combination of several of these handicaps[…]” (Jacobus 407).
He also describes case poverties as not being society’s fault and is the result of that particular person’s deficiency (Jacobus 408). He talks about how this type of problem can be dealt with fairly simply through charity as well (Jacobus 408). So what he appears to be saying is that case poverty is a single case of poverty that is limited to that individual and is not referring to an individual who lives in poverty as does their entire community.
Works Cited
Galbraith, John. “The Position of Poverty.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.406-413.
Galbraith describes case poverty as a type of poverty that is the condition of an individual. It is when a person (not a large group of people) is living in poverty. This person may be living in poverty for one or more of several reasons that he lists, “-mental deficiency, bad health, inability to adapt to the discipline of industrial life, uncontrollable procreation, alcohol, discrimination involving a very limit minority, some educational handicap unrelated to community shortcoming, or perhaps a combination of several of these handicaps[…]” (Jacobus 407).
He also describes case poverties as not being society’s fault and is the result of that particular person’s deficiency (Jacobus 408). He talks about how this type of problem can be dealt with fairly simply through charity as well (Jacobus 408). So what he appears to be saying is that case poverty is a single case of poverty that is limited to that individual and is not referring to an individual who lives in poverty as does their entire community.
Works Cited
Galbraith, John. “The Position of Poverty.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.406-413.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Blog #10
“The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx language is written in such a way that I hard a fairly difficult time understanding all of his reasoning and logic. There were some points that went reinforced throughout the entire piece, however, and that was that there were two classes in society (the bourgeoisie and the proletariat). These two classes contrasted each other dramatically both politically and economically. Throughout the piece he paints a picture of each class by discussing the value of each and the roles each played in a society.
The bourgeoisie class, for instance, was a class as he described as a small class who dominated many. The term he actually used a lot was oppression by one class over the other, which in this case was the bourgeoisie oppressing the proletariat (Jacobus 358).
It was their economic condition, which was that of wealth, that allowed them to possess both the political and economical power. As Marx puts it, “It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage laborers.” This statement demonstrates the amount of money the bourgeoisie class must have possessed and the ideal that all can be brought. This class also was in charge of creating new modes of production to increase production and thus profit.
The economic condition of the proletariat was complete opposite almost. They only made enough wages to survive on and worked long hard shifts at factories (Jacobus 362). Since they only made enough money to survive they did not own property like the bourgeoisie, couldn’t live comfortably like them, and were not in political power as a result.
Thus, the economic conditions of the bourgeoisie and the proletariats was dramtically different with one being extremely rich and the other extremely poor.
Works Cited
Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.356-376.
The bourgeoisie class, for instance, was a class as he described as a small class who dominated many. The term he actually used a lot was oppression by one class over the other, which in this case was the bourgeoisie oppressing the proletariat (Jacobus 358).
It was their economic condition, which was that of wealth, that allowed them to possess both the political and economical power. As Marx puts it, “It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage laborers.” This statement demonstrates the amount of money the bourgeoisie class must have possessed and the ideal that all can be brought. This class also was in charge of creating new modes of production to increase production and thus profit.
The economic condition of the proletariat was complete opposite almost. They only made enough wages to survive on and worked long hard shifts at factories (Jacobus 362). Since they only made enough money to survive they did not own property like the bourgeoisie, couldn’t live comfortably like them, and were not in political power as a result.
Thus, the economic conditions of the bourgeoisie and the proletariats was dramtically different with one being extremely rich and the other extremely poor.
Works Cited
Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers .Ed. Lee A Jacobus. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006. pp.356-376.
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