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= Women's Amazing Bodies =

I found this lecture 'Women's Amazing Bodies' very interesting and enjoyed the topics that were being raised. From discussions of sex vs. gender to body image to the wonderful features of a woman's body, everything got me thinking. I had never critiqued and asked '//why?//' about so many issues regarding women before this lecture. This then led me to thinking why I'd never delved into the topic more and all I can think of is that it's because no one is really talking about it - in society, in the media, among friends. That's really the crux of it.

Society has accepted the way things are now - the way women are portrayed - as the norm.

So again, this raised the question – are our thoughts, personalities and character moulded by the society of our upbringing?

I think for the most part, it is.

Take a look, for example, at this pin-up photo shoot, taken from HERE. 

No, it is not the traditional type that comes to mind. The typical roles have been reversed to show pin-up men rather than women.

These male models are posing exactly how a female would be expected to pose – in a manner that is considered feminine and in a position to flatter the female physique. Really, the only difference is that they are wearing much more clothing than ‘pin-up girls’ and they are all in a scenario that is considered masculine: cooking on a barbecue, fishing and skateboarding.

Placing the models in gender associated roles in itself makes a statement and begs to ask why aren’t there any pin-ups of women in control of the barbecue or of men taking ballet?

As one person comments, “It does make you question why we think it’s normal for women to be portrayed in such ways”.

With the media and social media bombarding us with expectations of sex and gender, it constructs how people perceive themselves and their ‘faults’.

= Portrayals of Women =

The lecture about the portrayals of women in popular culture, advertising and the media generated some insightful discussion and brought to the fore some key issues that again, are so constantly overlooked on a daily basis.

What constitutes being a particular gender is so heavily underpinned by society and what surrounds us. As discussed in the lecture, this has been happening right from the beginning with the story of Adam and Eve from the bible. Not only has woman been made from man, and therefore subordinate, but the actions of Eve speak louder. It teaches us that women are weak-willed and deceitful, prone to temptation and also able to tempt others. It really opened my eyes to see how these traits are, even today, strongly linked to women. It is even as if it is expected from women and it is normal for women to be ‘bitchy’… and yet it is still frowned upon.

Another way in which the female gender has been constructed by society is through media and advertisements. The lecture explored how the social construction of gender sells ‘stuff’. Society, through advertisements, tells women what they should like and what they should therefore buy – and it works! Starting in the 1950’s commercials targeted women by advertising things such as kitchen appliances or cleaning products – all things to save time, produce a better outcome and above all else… please their husbands! And while I thought progress had been made, I could also think of how many commercials still target women in this way. Even if it’s a product intended for use by men, they will still target a female audience.

I saw this Nivea ad only one week ago:

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This ad enforces the notion that women consume – that they are the ones who will buy the product //for// men and that through all the money that they’ll save by doing this, they’ll have "//a lifetime to spend on shoes and handbags"//.

Really, this shows how little things have progressed. The role of a woman is still so intricately tied in with her actions and interactions toward her partner.

= = = When is the right time to have a child? =

The topic of this week’s lecture and the question that has stuck with me throughout the week was “When is the right time to ha ve a child?”. It is a topic of much debate and one with an answer that really differs based on an individual’s opinion and circumstance. This also leads me to question what forms the opinion of an individual, especially in regards to fertility. Does the woman make the decision? Or are the decisions made for them by the economic, political and social structures which surround the woman?

As always, I believe that the social structures heavily influence choice.

In a country like China where the government imposes restrictions on the number of children a woman can have and in addition have social values which places males with a greater worth, it is obvious that their decisions regarding fertility and abortion are heavily influenced by these social structures.

In Australia, we live in a climate where women are encouraged to have children and yet there are still so many other options available. Birth control is so readily available to the point where when it was first introduced in the 1960’s, the total fertility rate declined dramatically over the following decades. It had such a powerful effect in giving back a sense of agency to women. For the first time, women could control if and when they wanted to have children. They finally had the power to make that decision. This allowed them to work longer, have a career first and finish their higher education – previously all of which men had the freedom to do while women had to surrender once they were pregnant.

So with the introduction of the contraceptive pill, the question of when to have a child was more relevant than ever because the two c oncepts of sex and reproduction had become more separated than ever.

Women can be more ‘selfish’ in a way and this was seen through Gen X. The thought process in deciding when to have children would have included the following questions.
 * Am I ready to settle down?
 * Can I trust that the father will indeed be a father?
 * Have I found the ‘right’ partner?
 * Am I financially secure?
 * Have I achieved my career goals?

With all these questions and not the right answers, having children is put on hold. But by then is it too late to have children? Of course, there are more complications and health concerns related to having children at a later age.

But that’s not all.

Unfortunately, we still live in a society where women are expected to have children (and at the perfect age, too). Motherhood is expected of every woman. Too young and the woman must endure judging looks from passer-by’s. Too old and it seems the woman is doing a disservice to the child. Not wanting to have children and the woman is perceived as not a woman at all. (Might I also point out now that men are nowhere near as subjected to this kind of scrutiny as women?)

Women should not be expected to have children if they do not want to have children. They should not be valued less if they do not want to or cannot have children. But really, when and if a woman decides to have a child should be exactly that – **her decision**.

=The Fashion Industry and Body Image: Impact on Women’s Health =

This week’s lecture from Dr Angela Dwyer was incredibly fascinating and really highlighted the strong impact the fashion industry – in all its forms – has on women’s health, especially body image.

Really, the fashion industry can extend to the mass media because what is shown to us is usually what is deemed as ‘fashionable’. The models used are those with an impossibly thin physique and are completely blemish free. But are they really? We have already discussed the lengths that advertising companies will go to to Photoshop images of models to impeccable (and impossible) standards. We know the effects these sorts of images have on women – eating disorders, body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem and yet this ideal imagery of what women should look like is still promoted at every opportunity. It is a never ending chase to strive to be better looking.

Body image is something that most women struggle with. There is a lot of body dissatisfaction among women. Body image is how one perceives his or her own physical appearance which may or may not align with what is reality.

Dr Angela Dwyer raised an interesting question in the lecture – is the fashion designers or the magazine companies that are responsible for the continued use of thin models? I personally think that the responsibility lies with both parties, and that no change will occur until both accept that responsibility.



One thing that I have never understood is why the fashion sketches for designs are always unrealistically thin. I simply cannot comprehend how the final fit of the garment on a real person is meant to mimic the fit sketched on this stick figure. I can only see this adding to the problem as they recruit models whose physique is as close to that of the sketch as possible!



Only recently, high end designer Roberto Cavalli was heavily criticised for his sketch of Beyonce wearing one of his pieces. The sketch had no resemblance of the curves Beyonce is so famous for, but instead had collar bones protruding and legs twice her body length.

What is ironic is that this issue is largely caused by women. As Dr Angela Dwyer said, the fashion industry is one where women feed images of women.

One quote that I will never forget from Kate Moss on one of her mottos is:

// “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” //

This only adds fuel to the fire that is the thousands of “pro-ana” websites and blogs run by influential young women.

Body dysmorphia is within everyone. You’re never quite satisfied with how you look. This Dove ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ video sums the case up perfectly:

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I long for the day when every woman can be comfortable in their own skin. Where you see one thing, someone else sees another – something beautiful.

= Having a Baby: a Women's Health Perspective =

This week's guest lecture by Dr Yvette Miller was really eye opening and raised a lot of points for discussion which I previously would have never though about. We firstly discussed the two philosophies of childbirth which were the non-medical model (organic approach) and the medical model (mechanical approach). The organic approach looks at a holistic approach with an emphasis on the whole process of childbearing being important and that medical intervention is only necessary in the minority of cases. On the other side, the medical model places an emphasis on the birth as being pathological and as a result, technology is necessary throughout childbearing and childbirth.

There was a lot of discussion around labour and birth being pathologised. This is "the act of turning a normal human condition into an illness requiring medical intervention". At first, I thought that the whole idea was ludicrous. Labour and birth is perhaps the most natural human condition - after all that is how we are all here. But then as the lecture progressed I could see how birth is being pathologised. From the first instance of confirming pregnancy, we approach doctors to take a pathological test, then a further 150 tests throughout the following nine months and finally (in the majority of cases) go to the hospital to give birth. But I still don't see how it could be classed as an illness. Rather, we are now able to take advantage of this great technology around us to produce better outcomes - and I think that can be a great thing.

But we still need to remember that if a woman chooses to have a home birth or take the organic approach, then she should be fully able to and equipped with the resources to be able to do so. To do this, we need to maintain the skills of the profession to safely do this and hope that this is not lost in future generations as birth is becoming more pathologised.

We then discussed women's choices throughout this. How much choice does a woman really have in where she chooses to give birth? Or how she gives birth? The lecture revealed that only 15% of women could actually choose to give birth at a birth centre rather than a hospital - simply because there aren't enough birthing centres. The large majority of funding is all in hospitals which implies "women //should be// giving birth in hospitals". Statistics also showed that 60% of women thought that all medical intervention undertaken was necessary - but that means that **40%** of women thought that intervention was unnecessary. That certainly indicates that the woman had no choice in the matter - or were at least under the impression that they didn't have the choice. But really - the decision should lie with the mother as in the end, it is her experience.

In the tutorial, we revisited the concept of 'when is the right time to have a baby?'. We developed a timeline placing all the things we might expect to have achieved before settling down and having children but we quickly saw that time escapes us. In learning that by the age of 35, a woman has only a 15% chance of falling pregnant with each cycle, we tried to fit things such as graduating, securing a job, buying a house, finding Mr. Right, travelling and being financially stable in before having children before turning 35.

It was a hard task to say the least. It really emphasised the pressure that women are under - to have do all those things first or to have children first?

But you soon realise, that if you really want children - you can make it work. All the achievements you want to complete before having children can happen both during and after pregnancy. Certainly, if you want children, then have children because there does seem to be a certain deadline on that one.

= Changing Gender Roles in Families: Paid Work, Housework & Child Raising =

This week's insightful lecture looked at the changing gender roles in families, especially in regards to work. We looked at how traditionally, men were the breadwinners of the family while women dealt with the housework and took on the 'carer' role. But not only are these roles considered normal, but some even think that these gendered roles are //natural//. Yet, from a young age, we are brought up with these idealistic roles that pertain to each gender - just another way that shows how social structures construct social attitudes, values, beliefs and norms. In a large majority of the families, it will be the daughter who learns how to cook and clean, while it will be the son who takes out the garbage and learns how to perform repairs and maintenance around the house. And when you ask why, you'll get: "Because that what men (or women) are for!" How many times have you heard that one? It puts so much pressure on both men and women to fit perfectly into these socially constructed roles.

Then, when looking at what the definition of "work" is, how could you not class being an at-home mum as working? Although not a mother myself, it certainly seems more stressful and demanding job than anything I've ever encountered before - not to mention you never get to clock off!

When the care-taker role is taken into the professional realm, such as nursing, you can see statistically see that females make up a large majority of the workforce. Not only this, but also almost half of those are only working part-time. This has been discussed previously and may be because these women are mothers and have to make the time to be the 'care-taker' in the family as well or they be planning to have children in the future.



In the tutorial, we also discussed what being a 'bad' mother meant compared to what being a 'good' mother means. I think the points we discussed are pretty well summarised by the two pictures below. Both are in the kitchen, both are on the phone and both have toddlers in their arms. Can you tell which one is the 'good' and which is the 'bad' mother?



= Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women =

Looking at domestic violence during the lecture and tutorial this week was truly interesting. Just looking at the raw statistics was astounding - to know that it most commonly occurs between partners in a relationship, on the weekend, during the hours of 6pm-9pm. We know that these are the times when both the man and the woman are likely to be at home together and when alcohol consumption is most likely to take place.

I think what was most striking was how much of a role advertising and social media can play into this crime. So often we see advertisements that glamorise violence which just simply gives the message that - yes, women can be treated in this way.



Then there are books which women of all ages are reading which depict the domineering behaviour of men as being romantic which takes us back to the days of chivalry. It sends the message of 'Oh, he must love me so much because he is so protective of me and what I can or cannot do'. But the truth is - he shouldn't be able to control every aspect of your life because it is //your// //life!// This is such a prominent theme in the 'Fifty Shades' series by E.L. James and even in the 'Twilight' saga by Stephanie Meyer popular among young teenage girls.



Watching the TED talk by Leslie Morgan Steiner was very powerful. It showed the cycle that domestic violence is played out in and how subtle this cycle can be. It was truly eye-opening to listen to her story and see how easy it can be to become a victim of domestic violence without even realising it - and most importantly it showed how difficult it is for victims of domestic violence to simply leave the relationship.

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I think the most common misconception of domestic violence is that it is simply defined as physical abuse by a partner. I must admit that before this lecture, this is the scenario I imagined when I thought of domestic violence as this is the way that it is often portrayed. But this is only a small component of the cycle which is largely emotional and psychological abuse. This needs to be brought to the public's attention because so many women do not know they are involved in a relationship with domestic violence before it is too late.

= Healthy Ageing of Women =

This week's lecture by Professor Debra Anderson was simply so informative and useful! The lecture covered topics such as issues women face during menopause, the impacts of some of the biggest killers for women and some of the things we can change, as well as some general messages of 'what you do now, affects your health later!'.

To be honest, it was quite an eye-opener to know just how much you value and respect your own health now can enhance or impede your health throughout later stages in life. An example of this is osteoporosis. There is a life cycle which exists for bone. That is, you lay down more bone than you lose up until the age of 20, you maintain your bone density up until 30, you start to lose bone up until menopause and then after this time your bone loss slows down.

Now, I know this, but only because of a few key lectures throughout my uni degree; but what about the general public? It's not something that constantly on one's mind so they probably won't think much of it. We know it's critical to build bone density as much as possible when we're young - so why aren't there many campaigns that promote this?

//Preventative messages should be taught where preventative measures can be taken the easiest.//

Another issue that is little known to Australian women is that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in Australia - three times more than breast cancer. My guess for this reason is that there's little in the way of campaigns regarding cardiovascular disease and its risk factors that directly target women. The TV adverts below, for example, use men and no alternative advert with women exists.

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If cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Australian women, this needs to be reflected in the government's preventative strategies. It is unjust that women do not know the risk factors for heart disease or that women and health professionals do not know there may be differences in the symptoms presented by men and women for heart disease and heart attacks. Awareness is the key. The Heart Foundation's Go Red for Women is a campaign that encourages women to make healthier choices to reduce their heart disease risk and it needs to be PROMOTED! media type="custom" key="24157754"

** Women's Health in Same-Sex Relationships ** Although this lecture was not able to be formally presented, the points made in the lecture slides were fascinating and led me to go off and read further on particular topics. There are so many injustices that lesbians face that heterosexual women do not and as a result, there is so much social stigma that is associated with being a lesbian. Nobody should feel ashamed about who they are and no one should be questioned about who they are. It really didn't occur to me before this lecture that such inequalities in health existed between lesbian and straight women.
 * Lower rates of health insurance (due to not being able to marry)
 * Lower uses of health services (due to stigma and previous negative experiences)
 * Higher rates of endometrial cancer
 * Greater risk of lung cancer (higher rates of smoking)
 * Greater risk of breast cancer (due to protective factors associated with giving birth, breast feeding and the oral contraceptive)
 * Higher rates of depression and anxiety
 * Heavy drinking and illicit drug use

But when it really boils down to it, many of the reasons for these increased risks are due to the shame our society places on being lesbian or gay. To reduce the stigma and improve the health of lesbians to make access to health care equitable across the board, our society and our views - particularly the views of those in power - need to change! I was lucky enough to be in San Francisco during pride month and was able to witness the annual pride parade. This year's was particularly special with the overturning of Prop 8 (the proposition which banned gay marriage in California) declared only a few days earlier. The experience was surreal with thousands of people celebrating and supporting the LGBT community. It made me wonder when the rest of the world can catch up to this so that this community is not frowned upon or ignored or seen as 'different' in our society.

=** Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Women **=

This week's lecture focused on mental health and substance abuse in women and the cross-over and interconnection between these two issues.

Indeed, we have come a long way since the days gone by where women were under such constant social pressure to be the perfect house wife. But have we really? What social pressures do women and more increasingly younger women have to face now?

Women are bombarded with highly edited images of flawless women, diets to lose that extra weight, magazines to teach them how to whip-up the best meals, brighten the house decor and maintain the overflowing garden, and social expectations to be a good parent at the perfect time, all while maintaining their sexuality (to please men). To highlight the point of sexuality, take this quote from Elizabeth Olsen:

// "I think it's weird that teenage girls know more about giving // // blowjobs than they do about masturbation" // - Elizabeth Olsen, for Dazed and Confused For me, when I compare the social constructions and pressures placed on women in contemporary society compared to the 1950's, I definitely think that today's women are absolute troopers. That is a lot of expectations and these expectations are being placed on younger and younger women in today's age of freedom of information. These can so easily lead to eating disorders, body dysmorphia, anxiety and depression in women. I can't say I was too surprised to find that women self-medicate with alcohol and other drugs and in some instances become substance-dependent. But then this asks the question which I cannot for the life of me answer: "Which comes first: mental illness or substance-abuse". I guess it depends on the situation. In some instances, a woman might start drinking alcohol to fit in socially, become dependent on alcohol and develop depression. In others, it might be a case of a pre-existing mental illness or depression and the woman finds comfort in self-medicating through drugs. It is very much a case of 'the chicken or the egg'. One thing is certain, in a climate of endless media pushing the 'perfect woman' image and a policy of 'don't ask, don't tell' regarding mental health, women need to be supported.