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**Week 2: The Society and Me**
The lecture held in week 2 sparked some interesting thoughts on what makes up an individual’s personality, more specifically personality traits associated with being female and male. It can be agreed that humans are extremely complex beings, and that science has only barely began explaining the way in which we work and exploring what exactly makes an individual; however, the idea that society is largely influential in determining who we are as individuals somewhat frightens me. The colour pink, dresses, make up, long hair, and The Notebook are all ‘girly’ things that I thought I liked however, ever since this lecture I have been asking myself, do I really like them, or have I merely conformed to the expectations of me as a female living in the Western society? What is it that I like that is outside of this influence? What ‘masculine’ aspects of my personality may have been suppressed due to this influence? Who is the real me? One simple, definite answer to this question is: Genetics. Although scientific literature supports the idea that genes largely influence who you are and what you like, it is agreed that it is difficult to differentiate what aspects of your personality, or the degree to which you conform to the expectations of your gender are due to genetics and what aspects are determined by society. This topic has generated an intense debate on nature vs nurture. Although not specific to gender, it does focus on the influence of environment on the molding of a personality. A controversial experimental investigation carried out in the 60’s involved separating identical twins at a very young age, and placing each in different families to determine the effect of environment on an individual. Results demonstrate that although the twins shared similar personality traits at a young age, they became quite different with age. It is interesting to think about what effect a different environment would have had on my acceptance of the feminine social construct, what personality traits would have remained the same and what would have differed. Would have I been just as girly growing up on a farm?

**Week 3**
The Rape, by Rene Magritte I believe sends a strong message about the major influences that determines the identity of women. This piece, painted in 1934 represents a number of themes, which are still strong today. This image suggests that although people are identified by their faces, the identity of the woman is limited to the appearance of her body. Women are obviously still recognised and identified like everybody else, however rather than associating a personality, and a soul with the female, we are simply viewed as a body; an object.

The woman as a body is an idea that has lasted centuries, an idea that has been mediated in various ways. The first idea I have come across depicts that the female body is simply an item of beauty, that is appropriated by men. In addition, body of the fertile female is viewed as the ultimate natural resource- As described by Lerner, “she (the mother) is the nurse who tends to the growth of the young seed planted by its true parent, the male.”

Although the second idea of the female may be a little drastic- at least in the modern western society in which I am part of, I believe that the idea that the female body functioning as an item of beauty and sexuality is a common idea with which I am confronted every day through the medium of media. This is evident through the advertisement of masses of products to enhance the beauty of the female. In addition to this, only women who can be identified as ‘beautiful’ or pretty by the standards of society are viewed in the media front- on magazines, TV advertisements and even in the broadcasting of the news. Not only does the exclusion of women who are not considered to be of the ideal image assist in representing the female as simply an object of beauty, the areas of the media in which the women represented is also a contributor. Fewer women in the media have roles that are viewed to be functional and regarded with importance as compared to men. In contrast, women are plastered all over the advertising scene, for both men’s and women’s products, sporting minimal clothes, set up in a way to project beauty.

Although feminist movements have made large changes in the way women are perceived today, it is clear that society today still views women as an object- often one of beauty, sexuality and pleasure.



//The Rape- Rene Magritte//

**Week 4**
As part of my wiki for this lecture, I would like to take the liberty of giving my view on abortion.

I understand that many women advocate the legalisation of abortion- and that Queensland is viewed as a ‘backward’ sate due to the laws against this matter. I also understand that many women are raped, and are impregnated without their will. I am aware that some women find themselves in situations where they consider raising a child as an impossible task, whether it be due to financial troubles, unstable relationships or health issues- both psychological and physical. Disregarding the cases in which it is argued that the woman should be allowed an abortion for medical or other reasons, I wonder why abortion is allowed up until the first trimester and not after. The American stance on this is that abortion is allowed until the fetus is viable, capable of sustained survival outside the woman's body with or without artificial aid, which is usually considered to be within but is not limited to the first trimester. Taking this law into consideration, I the meaning of ‘living’ could be defined as the condition in which an organism can be functional on its own accord. Therefore aborting a child before the first trimester, or the time before it is considered to be capable of sustained survival would not be considered as taking a life away. The oxford dictionary however defines life as such: the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death, which if applied to the situation would mean that adoption prior to when the child is considered ‘viable’ would be taking a life away. Another example to make my point would be the relationship of commensalism in nature- where an organism benefits from another that remains unharmed. Although one organism may need another to survive, it is still considered to have life.

I am aware that this subject promotes the health of the women and at times it may be in the best interest for the woman to abort- but I believe that the potential women of the future must also be considered.

**Week 5**
Studies have proven that a negative body image is associated with the internalization of the ideals that are developed through the stick thin models projected by the fashion industry- either on the runway or through advertisements. However, a TED talk I recently watched, opened my eyes to a whole new branch to this issue that I had not previously considered- the self conscious feelings and the negative body image that the models themselves feel. As model Cameron Russell describes, she won the ‘genetic lottery’, being a tall, slender, white pretty woman- factors that today are considered to be sexy and desirable. Although she recognizes these things, she admits that the pressure to look good is immense when working in the fashion industry. It is refreshing to realize that even the models that women aspire to look like are feeling the same pressures, if not greater pressures to suit the criteria of the ‘ideal woman’.

//Cameron Russell// []

I believe Cameron Russell has sent a powerful message through this talk. One that helped me personally look beyond the glamour of the fashion industry and understand that the models are humans, just as affected by the thin ideal as I am. There are many theories as to why ‘thinness’ is the ideal with the fashion industry only playing a small part of the bigger picture. However, I believe that this message- spread through those who are seen as the ideal has the potential to drastically change the perceptions of women and promote a more critical opinion on the images projected by the fashion industry.

**Week 7**
A piece of art that I have come across I believe accurately depicts the themes that were discussed in this weeks lecture.

//Untitled- Fons Van Woerkom//

An untitled drawing by Fons Van Woerkom In this picture, a foetus and umbilical chord are a ball and chain, imprisoning and immobilizing a desperate woman. In my opinion, this symbolises the urgent plight for equal treatment of women as working mothers in our culture. The challenges faced with having a child and continuing to aspire and work towards a position that is deemed meaningful in the eyes of society is represented by the metaphor of the foetus as heavy ball and chain. The image seems to clearly illustrate the reasoning for the gender gap- that is, the idea that women with young children are unable to perform to the same standards as men in the work force, due to the ‘heavy weight’ that is setting them back.

Implementing motivators to for men to take paternal care is a vital step in decreasing the gender gap. As discussed in the lecture, studies have shown that the father forms a closer bond with the child. In addition to this, I believe this is an avenue to teach men to value the work conducted at home that is traditionally performed by the mother, in turn generating appreciation and a greater understanding for his partner. Through the incentives to gain experience about work at home, it could be suggested that men may also desire to take up this role, and being a ‘wife’ to the female in the relationship- as described in the editorial by Annabel Crabb, thus allowing woman to further and succeed in her professional life.

Editorial: Behind every successful woman there is a wife http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-03-08/behind-every-successful-woman-theres-a-wife/2664866

**Week 8**
It is frightening to discover that the highest incidence of violence for women occurs in the home- A place where one generally considers a place of peace and security. What is even more frightening as a young woman is the fact that some cases of abusive relationships could not have been predicted in the early stages of the relationship, therefore it could happen to anyone. One other point that grabbed by attention during this lecture was the lack of ability for women to realize what is going on and stand against it- but rather accepting the treatment as normal. These facts made me eliminate the idea that this could not happen to me.

Other than the points discussed in the lecture for reasons of staying such as dependence, love, fear etc. I believe that the nature in which the abuse occurs is also a large factor contributing to the victim staying. The cycle theory of abuse explains that following the stage of explosion come the phases of remorse, pursuit and honeymoon, all of which give the woman hope that the partner will change his abusive ways. it is this hope, that helps the woman to forgive and remain in the relationship.

Although small progressions have been made to date to seek a solution for the problem, the proposal of the international Violence against women act (I-VAWA) is one stepping stone that will assist debilitate the health issue in America. This act would permanently integrate gender-based violence prevention and response into all U.S. government programming overseas operates, hopefully setting a trend for Australia to follow.

The brief of the international Violence against women act []

**Week 9**
Data obtained from National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) illustrates that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Indigenous populations is 1.2 times higher as compared to the non-Indigenous Australian population. However, it is further demonstrated that there is a larger health gap in regards to obesity between indigenous and non-indigenous women as compared to indigenous and non-Indigenous men. The prevalence of obesity in Indigenous women specifically, is almost double that of the non-Indigenous Australian female population over all adult age groups.

This poses the question as to why there is a much larger health gap in relation to obesity in women and not men? Clearly there are gendered issues related to this problem.

This issue is more prominent in rural areas that have greater risk factors contributing to developing obesity as compared to women living in urban areas. These risk factors may include access to healthy foods, education about the necessity to eat healthily, to prepare healthier foods and a lack of social support. This is demonstrated through self-reported lower intake of fruits and vegetables and a higher intake of energy dense foods. Through analysis of obesity patterns in indigenous women across age, it is clear that obesity onset occurs between 26-30 years, as the prevalence at that age is double that recorded for the 15-25 age group.

Not only will nutrition and physical activity interventions targeted specifically to women in this susceptible age group will do good to their own health, but it could potentially change the overall health of future Aboriginal populations. This is due to the positive influence the mother can have on the child, therefore passing healthier habits to future generations.

Statistics, A.B.o., //National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey.// 2004.

**Week 10**
Through this lecture, I thought of my mother who has progressed to the stages of menopause for a number of years. Coming from a non-English speaking background, there is no way- other than from her GP, that my mother would have had access to crucial information that was shared in this lecture such as the fact that the first five years after menopause are crucial in preventing the loss of bone density.

Is it the woman’s responsibility to seek the information that is required to understand the actions needed to be taken in order to maintain or achieve good health?

As was quoted in the lecture, “//women should be taught about menopause before they have menopause, so that they’re aware of what’s going to happen”//

Online materials are a great source of information about menopause and what to expect, however searching for answers through use of the Internet and technology may seem daunting to those that were introduced to these resources at a more advanced age.

This is a key gap in the area of health promotion should be addressed in the future in order to protect the health of older women.

**Week 13**
It is interesting to observe the trends in women’s health across nations and across time. For example, in the Middle Ages bad health was considered to be disease and infection, processes that killed citizens rapidly. Today bad health in the western societies is considered to be lifestyle diseases that are associated with a decreased quality of life for a long period of time prior to resulting in death.

Just as the health priorities have changed over time in the Western society, the health priorities change within the current century by through different countries and cultures.

Although women of Australia are considered to have good health relative to other countries- this is greatly limited to physical health rather than mental health. It can be argued that the positivity in the areas of physical health can be attributed to the wealthy status of Australia for example, providing resources to better health, better education on how to maintain health and prevent disease and supporting women to lead healthier lifestyles. However as was mentioned in the lecture, regardless of the privileges conditions in which we live, the mental health of women is vulnerable. This reminds me of the saying that //money can't buy happiness//! But what got me thinking is the reasons as to why women of Australia are so susceptible to mental health problems...

In the lecture, it was discussed that with the introduction of western television to the islands of Fiji, brought about symptoms of eating disorder and body dissatisfaction among girls. This is a major clue to the prevalence of issues in mental health of women of the western society - media and the way it projects and informs women of the thin ideal, in turn creating dissatisfaction with ones self.