Week+2

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 * Week 2**



In today’s lecture, aspects of female biology, sex and gender were discussed, including information on the differences between sex and gender, reproductive organs and the function of breasts. In particular, I was interested by the discussion on how breasts have become overtly sexualised. It would suffice to say that a discussion on the sexualisation of women’s breasts has been properly started, properly argued and possibly even overdone: it’s in the media, educat ion programs, research- you name it. However, I am against the proposition that this may be solved by showing fewer breasts in magazines, TV, the public sphere etc. Rather, I argue the opposite- that to truly desexualise breasts, we must allow women to publicly and shamelessly expose them- although, minus the obsessive attitude of media.

Many times I have raised this discussion before, and every time I am met with the same response- that women’s breasts are naturally sexual objects, and will forever be seen in such a vain. Efforts to change views on this would be wasted, as were previous arguments for the exposure of other naturally sexual body parts, such as ankles and hair. Just look at women’s hair. It’s much too shiny, smooth and silky to not cause a fuss, should it be exposed to an unwitting group of men on the street.

In reality, body parts are not born sexual, and we are not born with a sense of modesty or shame surrounding breasts; it is through societal constructs that they are made this way. As with the analogy made to hair, they may be ‘pleasing’ to look at in an aesthetic sense and enjoyed in a sexual way, but this does not automatically make them sexual in themselves!

Such a concept is clearly proven by ethnic groups which have not been affected by Western notions of modesty, where women are easily able to walk around topless without fear of shame, sexual harassment or arrest.

By shaming women who choose to expo se their breasts, numerous issues arise. The first is a sense of ownership on the part of many men toward breasts- an idea that they have been created solely for male gratification- any display of breasts in another context is simply unacceptable. Such a viewpoint came to light rather clearly through the plight of Sunrise’s David Koch, who claimed that women ought to be more ‘discreet’ and ‘classy’ when breastfeeding in public, after a woman was forced to leave a pool for said unclassy behaviour. This brings us to the second issue, of breastfeeding. As the original purpose of breasts has largely been forgotten, many women experience physical difficulties in breastfeeding their children, often due to the perceived shame of exposing their breasts, and the association with their sexuality. Lastly, it has been found that the constriction of bras and tight clothing can often lead to circulation problems, which in turn may lead to breast cancer. Sexual associations only present further problems in encouraging women to have their breasts checked.

In light of such benefits to allowing the exposure of breasts, the question is raised: do we value our women’s ‘modesty’ more than we do their health, and the well-being of their children?


 * Week 3**



Today’s lecture discussed a wide variety of topics, including women’s representation in the media, origins of feminism, ideals of womanhood and global perspectives on political and economic freedom. Psychological implications of certain representations were discussed, revealing the complexity of how people may be positively or negatively affected. Of particular interest to me was the discussion on sexuality and ‘purity’, and how the two have often been combined and confused throughout history.

In Western religious history, women have been portrayed in limbo between the virginal, naïve maiden and corruptible seductive temptress (difficult to manage both, at the best of times). This confusion started with Eve in the Garden of Eden (corruptible in the presence of apples), who was followed not long after by Mary (virginal, even in marriage). Such historical figures were used to create a catch-22 situation, by which clergy and people in power could oppress women, for fear of being outcast or sentenced to death.

Much as I would love to say that we have really moved past this stage and become civilised about matters of women’s sexuality, this is sadly not the case. I personally need look no further than to my previous school, which enforced strict modesty in the uniform code, and refused to provide adequate sex education (the information was abstinence and fear only). I find it somewhat frightening that the school valued my theoretical purity over my ability to protect myself, in some cases, against life-threatening diseases. At least I could die with a pureness of heart.

On a broader context, the mistreatment of women globally on matters of sexuality is a much more serious issue. Women who wish to control their reproductive rights, choose the way they act sexually or decide how to dress are routinely oppressed, condemned and killed. Those who are raped and molested often face blame for having tempted their abuser. Even in Australia, we see cases of victim blaming on those who make supposedly ‘bad decisions’, or act promiscuously. Take Jill Meagher as an example, who throughout the days of her disappearance had people commenting on her ‘love of partying’ and ‘questionable’ choice in the route she took [|home]. Even worse was the practically non-existent coverage of Tracy Connelly’s murder, which when discussed in the media appeared with headline ‘[|St Kilda Prostitute Murdered]’, accompanied by no photo. As discussed in our lecture, politicians such as Tony Abbott also continue to make inflammatory comments, suggestive of the idea that sex can be demanded from women without regard for their feelings.

Even as I look to my peers (some of whom are wonderful women’s rights advocates), there are those who make me question if the feminist movement was a bit of a wasted effort. Continually, I hear the promiscuity of other women being commented on, often with expert’s analysis that they simply must not have much ‘self-respect’, and are in dire need of attention (probably from a father). In the meantime, boys are just being boys, no issue. The concept that women may just enjoy consensual sex is really too far-fetched for anyone’s taste. That and the fact that cleavage might not be the end of the world, as we know it.

At least if we get too lost, we’ll always have Tony Abbott to guide us with his suppository of wisdom.


 * Week 4**



In today's lecture, reproductive trends and perceived ideals around the 'right' time to have children were discussed, including a dialogue on contraceptive methods and abortion. Contexts of feminism were also discussed, including a brief introduction to the term 'complementarianism'. This is a largely religious concept, which puts forward the idea that men and women have different but complementary roles. Whilst I had never heard the specific use of this word before, the concept was discussed extensively throughout my time at a religious high school. Unfortunately, in the context I saw it discussed, it was mostly used as a feeble attempt at feminism in an all girls school. In truth, it felt like more of a way to excuse gender stereotyping as a 'natural' part of life (and sort out the whole 'women can't be priests' issue), whilst making a subtle jibe at homosexuality (like I said, the attempt at feminism was feeble). Of course, a ny healthy relationship is comprised of complimentary characteristics and roles, but this does not make them prescribed to one gender.

The debate over abortion in Australia was also of great interest to me, as I have recently begun working in a pro-choice pregnancy counselling centre. From my personal standpoint on abortion, I feel that people become incredibly theoretical over the soul of a foetus, whilst ignoring the entirely real experience of a woman who is living here and now. I understand that many people may disagree, or even call me heartless for the stance I take on abortion- and that's okay. However, before a rough 20 week mark (and even then, the research around this is rather sketchy), a foetus cannot feel pain, and it is not conscious- this is a medically proven fact that the necessary nerve pathways are not in place for the experience of pain, whilst the development of the thalamo-cortical complex required for consciousness does not develop until around the [|24th week]. To my way of thinking, this does not make a foetus a sentient being, but rather a potential life. At the stage where a foetus can experience pain, begin the early stages of consciousness feel, I'm less sure on where I stand. However, certainly up until this rough stage of a pregnancy, it would appear to me that a bundle of cells, a // potential // human life, supersedes a woman's right to control her own body as she sees fit.

This also brings me to the concept that a 'potential' for human life already is one. If we considered everything that had a // potential // to exist as automatically legitimate, how far do we go? I theoretically have a //potential// to conceive every month- do I deny an ovum it's chance at realising it's full potential by not jumping at the chance to conceive every time it's released? Do men kill thousands of innocent potentials every time they ejaculate? This could be argued to no end.

Lastly, I found the discussion on different methods of contraception during the tutorial genuinely interesting, as I had never been properly introduced to the variety of options available. In particular, understanding how[| IUDs] (Intrauterine Devices) work was of interest to me, as they are considered one of the most effective forms of contraception, and yet are one of the least popular choices. As described in the tutorial, there are two types, the copper IUD and mirena IUD. Both are small T-shaped devices, which are inserted into the uterus, and disrupt the mobility of sperm, preventing it from joining with ovum. The copper IUD has natural spermicidal properties, whilst the mirena releases small amounts of hormones, similar to that used in oral contraceptives. Whilst copper IUDs may increase cramping and bleeding, mirenas are notable for significantly reducing bleeding, or even menstruation altogether. The main perceived risk of mirenas are that they may perforate the uterus; however, the likelihood such an occurrence is incredibly slim, at an estimated rate between 0.7 and 0.01. From the research I have done, it would appear that negativity over the original copper IUD, alongside exaggerated risks of uterine perforation after an original failure to warn people around the risk of its occurrence, has contributed towards its low popularity.

The main message I took from this lecture was that women's ability to take control over their bodies has the potential to empower them to no end. Unfortunately, discussions over reproduction have also interested people with anti-choice agendas to no end, and it doesn't seem that they're going to give up trying to control women's bodies any time soon!


 * Week 5**



In today’s lecture, issues surrounding body image and media were discussed, including the resultant eating disorders, over sexualisation of women and young girls, and promotion of unrealistic perfection through photo shop. We learnt that whilst media is a main contributor towards such unrealistic expectations, it cannot be proven to be the sole factor involved. Other aspects such as parenting and cultural context also play a significant role in body image.

The majority of arguments raised in the lecture, I agreed with. In particular was the perception of supermodels as role models. Too many times, I have heard people name Miranda Kerr as their role model, which brings me to question whether or not they have actually seen her [|interviews]. I watched one not long ago, very much with a mindset to like her. I genuinely wanted to. It seemed that the interviewers had done their absolute best to //really// like Miranda too, but their efforts were still rather dismal (case in point: her story was allegedly one of ‘heartbreak, shattering lows and family tragedy’, yet the best they could come up with was the collapsing of her grandparent’s roof last year, some bullying at school. The only genuine source of sadness was the loss of a boyfriend at 15.) Throughout the interview itself, big points of interest for Miranda were ‘are there any nuts in the room?’, ‘my baby likes to eat a lot’, and ‘does Orlando leave the toothpaste lid off?’ (Lucky for him, good old Miranda wasn't giving any of //those// secrets away). This proved two things to me: the first being that I unnecessarily seek to //really// like pretty people, the other that women are really being short changed in terms of role-model material, considering men get the likes of Obama and so on. I'm sure she’s a lovely lady when not under the stress of an interview situation etc., but going on the basis of public appearances alone, there’s not much substance.

I agreed less with two other points which were discussed, the first being on the provision of plastic surgery to young people who have been bullied, and the other on over-sexualisation of women.

It was discussed by the lecturer that it would be unethical for a doctor to turn away a young girl for a rhinoplasty, when she had been horribly bullied for the shape of her nose. Indeed, statistics show that the majority of people who get plastic surgery of any type report to be happier as a result (although I question how much the popular concept of ‘cognitive dissonance’ might have to do with these statistics). I'm not totally unsympathetic to such a viewpoint either, but I believe that it’s also somewhat simplistic. Providing a rhinoplasty to a young girl fails to create resilience when victimised in other situations, and won’t teach her anything about the diversity of appearances. In the case of my close relative, she almost went through with a rhinoplasty at a young age for this precise reason. Due to legal reasons surrounding the procedure she never went through with it, but later found that the shape of her face changed, and had she gone through with the procedure, her nose would have appeared much too small (and besides, her nose //really// wasn't big in the first place). On the other hand, I don’t wish to minimalize these people’s experiences with bullying, and I don’t believe that all of people’s bad experiences will necessarily make them ‘stronger’. Education on the diversity of body types, whilst important, feels like an overly-simplified solution to plastic surgery- such programs are everywhere now, but they haven’t stopped bullying. In truth I don’t have a solution to the issue, but I feel that it is important to raise the question, nonetheless.

The other issue regarding sexualisation of women I believe is somewhat of a grey area. On one hand, the use of women’s sexuality as currency has clearly gotten out of hand, resulting in the objectification and degradation of women who are deemed ‘unattractive’, and issues surrounding promotion in the workplace, based on attractiveness. However, a lesser discussed aspect of this issue is that fear of over-sexualisation can often turn into fear of sexuality itself. Women who genuinely enjoy expressing their sexuality in what some would call an ‘immodest’ way (both clothing-wise and in terms of promiscuity), are often chastised and made to believe that they lack self-respect. This in turn has implications for victim-blaming in cases of sexual assault, double standards between men and women, and limited freedom of expression. I take the example of my own high school, which promoted itself as strongly feminist by condemning the sexualisation of women; however, as I discussed in week 3, this ended up becoming a condemnation of women’s sexuality in general.

As with most issues in society, I feel that body image is a multifaceted problem, which can’t be oversimplified.


 * Week 6**



In today's lecture, perspectives on the experience of giving birth were discussed, with an emphasis on the differences between a normal, 'non-medical' approach and a pathological, 'medical' approach. Pathologising was described as the act of turning a normal human life experience into a medical condition or illness. In addition to these terms, the different methods of birthing and perspectives on the healthy or 'right' way to give birth were discussed.

In the debate surrounding how pathologized birth ought to be, I was challenged to think about how medically inclined I had become, but still disagreed with the emphasis on natural approaches. In particular, I was unsure about the discussion on caesarean births and the place of birthing (eg. hospital or home). I would not see the decision to give birth in the hospital as pathologization or //expectation// of a complicated birth per se, but rather as a preventative measure against unlikely but possible complications. I saw the discussion around caesarean births as somewhat judgemental, especially with the phrasing of ‘too posh to push’, as the decision on how to give birth should really be a personal one.

However, I was surprised to learn about the number of forced procedures which occur, including caesarean births, episiotomies, vaginal examinations and induced labours. In particular, I was surprised to find that some caesarean births are performed down to convenience for the health practitioner. In the example discussion between a doctor and pregnant woman, the change in the woman’s attitude from assertive to ‘not making a fuss’ highlighted the difficulty in demanding the care a person desires. I found the analogy that ‘without permission, a doctor cannot do to a person what they could not do to them on the street’ a good measure for consent. However, the likelihood of medical litigation for obstetrics compared with other health practitioners highlighted some of the reasoning behind this defensive and sometimes forced practise.

Whilst I did not agree with every aspect of this lecture in going ‘all natural’ with the birthing process, I was definitely challenged to think about my pathologized views of birth.


 * Week 7**

In today’s lecture, perspectives around the division of work within families and how this relates to gender was discussed. As it currently stands, women will generally take on the role of primary care giver whilst men will take on the role of primary breadwinner. The concept of a woman’s work never being finished was also discussed, in that the ‘9-5’ job will be done when a man returns home, but a woman will constantly look after the family for the entire day, often alongside a paid job. This also generated discussion around the fact that women provide a free service in looking after children, and so go unpaid for their job.

One particularly interesting topic of discussion for me was the concept of raising our sons like our daughters, in that they might be encouraged to become caring people. Aside from a fear of losing masculinity, the fear of pedophilia for men who enter caring professions is a sad reality. A study from the London Early Years foundation found that this was a leading reason for men not entering such professions. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a middle ground with such an issue, as most people (possibly myself included) would prefer that children be somewhat over-protected than the rights of men to work in these professions take precedence.

One interesting viewpoint I have read is about the division of chores between [|lesbian and gay couples]. Studies have shown that all couples who choose the chores best suited to them are happier in marriage/partnership. For lesbian and gay relationships, where there are no defined gender roles, the division is simply made on who can perform which task the best. Gay couples are also more likely to have one stay at home parent, as there are no arguments over who 'has' to stay at home (and it doesn't have to be the woman!).

Regarding the responsibility of women to look after their children, I heard an interesting point of view by Rockwiz's Julia Zemiro, which was that someone considered 'dad' material would not describe himself as 'babysitting the kids'. I really felt that this summed up the attitude of many people towards men and their responsibility for childcare, which is that it's an occasional task done as a favor to his wife, and not a full time role!


 * Week 8**

Until recently, women who experience domestic violence have been encouraged to keep quiet, under the belief that domestic problems are ‘private’ matters. Whilst this emphasis on secrecy still somewhat remains, women are more actively encouraged to be open about their experiences of abuse, and not to condone the violence that happens to their friends and family. This violence is not particular to any socio-economic status or culture, and is accompanied by some form of emotional and psychological abuse. Despite claims made by the men’s rights association, the majority of abuse is perpetrated by men on women.

From the discussion around Amanda Palmer’s video on rape and abortion a few weeks ago, I found another really interesting video she had made which discussed views that perpetuate domestic violence ( []).This rendition of the song ‘What’s the use of wondrin’?’ depicts happy, 1950’s-esque housewives, with docile sounding music and lyrics such as ‘ What's the use of wond'rin' If he's good or if he's bad? He's your fella, and you love him that's all there is to that’. I think that this cleverly depicts some people’s dogmatic belief around ‘till death do us part’, regardless of how awful a relationship is. Women who divorce their husbands are often seen as simply not ‘trying’ hard enough in their relationship, and admonished for their lack of commitment. I hear so many people express these views around the high rates of divorce, wishing that things could be like they were in the ‘good old days’ without thought of the reasons that people may split up in the first place.

I was also interested in the discussion around women’s sexual clothing being used an excuse for perpetrating violence, as I’m always up for an argument around slut-shaming! I find it very sad that women are still shamed so openly by so many people for wearing ‘inappropriate’ clothing. This displayed itself all too clearly in Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance, and I am yet to hear anyone mention that perhaps she is a grown woman, who can dress and dance however the hell she likes (why aren't we focusing on the fact that Robin Thicke, who definitely does need a bit more shaming in his life, was even allowed to perform??). Even schools, which are meant to be havens of anti-bullying and safety, openly promote girls dressing modestly (one such example was when my principal shamed me for revealing my //knees// when I happened to sit down. My knees, really). Aside from making women feel awful for expressing their sexuality, this attitude becomes dangerous when it extends to views around women ‘deserving’ the violence perpetrated against them. This view on clothing is unfortunately a very easy one to adopt: despite always having identified as a feminist, I myself held some seriously misguided views around promiscuous clothing not that long ago, changed only when I began to think critically about slut-shaming.

Whilst we like to think we've come a long way from our previous attitudes towards violence (which to some extent, we have), I think there are still many areas such as rape culture that we need to work on!


 * Week 10**



In today’s lecture, the health of ageing women was discussed, with an emphasis on the particular epidemiological issues that ageing women are susceptible to. Women of this age group are more likely to experience breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, all of which are affected by their lifestyle choices. Women who engaged in activities that put their health at risk, such as smoking, drinking and a lack of exercise were more likely to have health problems later down the line.

Concerning the health issues that result from earlier risk-taking activities, I think that there needs to be a stronger emphasis on women maintaining good health habits early on. Whilst I did hear about healthy eating and exercise etc. being good for me at school, there was a lack of discussion around how this may affect me when I am older. This discussion is especially important for people my age, as I think there is an attitude that healthy habits can be taken on later, when we need to.

Whilst cross-cultural aspects of health will be discussed in the last lecture, I would have liked to have heard more about experiences of ageing across cultures. In particular, I found it interesting that the symptoms of menopause appear to be low or non-existent for some women in other cultures. This makes me wonder if some of the symptoms that Western women experience are in part due to a psychological expectation that old age will be unpleasant, and so become a self-fulfilling prophecy. On the other hand, the diet and lifestyle of Western women may be a contributing factor, and a possible reluctance by women in different cultures to admit to symptoms may also be at play. Indeed, all three may be contributing causes.

Another aspect of the tutorial I found interesting was the psychological effect of feeling invisible when a woman ages. I was inspired to hear the story of one mature aged student who had refused to feel unattractive because she was not 20, and took pride in the fact that she could be a middle-aged woman who ‘turned heads’ in the shops. Indeed, I think her confidence in who she was and the way she held herself was an attractive quality in itself, and told the world that she was not ashamed to be her own person. I think this theme of middle-aged women having to ‘hide’ themselves can contribute to the high stress levels that they report, which we discussed in the lecture.

As I grow older, I personally look forward to the idea of not being expected to care about my appearance, but this is a personal preference!


 * Week 11**



In this week’s lecture, perspectives around women in same-sex relationships were discussed, exploring their historical, social and epidemiological aspects. Historically, women in same-sex relationships have been continually discriminated against. Their relationships were often undermined and not taken seriously by men; when they were taken seriously, they would often be punished or incarcerated. Their right to marriage continues to be denied to this day, alongside denial of adoptive rights. Their health is also affected by hetero-normative education around STI transmission, and a lack of access to joint healthcare with partners.

One aspect of sexuality I find particularly interesting is the idea that [|sexuality can be fluid], with some people describing a level of flexibility in their otherwise hetero/homosexual orientation. LGBT people have had many struggles over the years in proving that homosexuality does not occur by choice, and the introduction of such findings on sexual fluidity may be seen to oppose this view. However, whilst these findings prove that orientation may be something that evolves over a lifetime, the specific stage that a person is at in their orientation is not something that they or other people can influence.

Another point made was that ignorance around female anatomy has excluded women from historical discourse around homosexuality, and led to the presumption that they rely entirely on men for pleasure. This showed itself through ancient Greek philosophers believing that their relationships with one another were ‘more intellectual’ than those with their wives, and the ancient Roman view that men were the exclusive providers of pleasure to their wives. This was also displayed through the assumption that women who did sleep with women had ‘monstrously enlarged’ clitorises. This concept that men are the main providers of pleasure to women still continues today, and I believe is manifestly evident in the sex toy industry. Women continue to be provided with phallus shaped toys meant for vaginal insertion, despite the clitoris being the main source of pleasure. Whilst strap on versions of these toys are often advertised to lesbian women, no one is seen espousing the virtues of strap on vaginas to gay men- and that’s because like their female counterpart, only one person can experience pleasure from it at a time. Moreover, many gay women have expressed anxiety about forever remaining a virgin lest they only sleep with women, derived from this notion that[| male penetration is the sole definer of virginity]. Once again, there are few gay men who express such concerns around eternal virginity from their lack of sex with women. Rather, they’re rewarded with the title ‘gold star gay man’

This emphasis on men being the providers of pleasure also contributes to women’s sexuality being taken less seriously than that of men. Although gay men may experience more discrimination in their adolescent years (God forbid they should be compared with women!), they are usually taken seriously when they identify as homosexual men. Women on the other hand are often allowed to have a hilarious ‘gay phase’, provided they get over it once their partying days at uni are finished, and they settle down with a nice man. After all, they’ll eventually miss the true pleasure of ‘proper’ sex with a man!

Overall, I liked the discussion in the slides men being the sole providers of pleasure to women in the lecture, but would have loved some exploration on how this affects so many areas of women’s sexuality. I was also disappointed to have missed out on this lecture as it was my favourite topic, and would have perhaps liked a lecture recording from last year!


 * Week 12**

This week, women's mental health and substance abuse through the ages was discussed, with a particular emphasis on attitudes towards women's reproductive systems. Menstrual cycles in particular were misunderstood and viewed with much fear, and as a result women were seen as poisonous and dangerous beings during this time. They were also viewed as unstable, unintelligent and irrational beings as a result of their 'unusual' reproductive systems. Women deemed particularly mad were often diagnosed with 'hysteria', an unclear illness that involved overly potent maternal organs.

In some ways, the only aspect of female anatomy that I wish doctors //hadn't// discovered is that their use of machines to treat hysteria were really just early sex toys, giving women orgasms. Imagine the lack of stigma that would exist around sex toys if we still thought they were used for medical treatment! Brilliant.

In the 1920's, Freud came out with theory to suggest that their hysterical issues were mental problems, and that they should simply deal with the lot they had been given in life. This view led to increased self-medication to reduce stress. This started with amphetamine stimulants, followed by prozac, pseudoephedrine and narcotics used today. Women's drinking has also increased significantly, described as an effort to match and 'outdo' men.

This is one area of women's health that I feel mixed about. Whilst I agree that drinking does present health problems for women that need to be addressed, the media coverage of this issue annoys me greatly. When men's drinking is covered, it is discussed from the viewpoint that their health may be affected. When women's drinking is discussed, it seems to be viewed with much more disgust, as though women should stop feeling so [|entitled]and stop trying to 'outdo the guys'. I feel that when the issue is addressed as something that affects //people's// health, women will not feel the need to binge drink.

Whilst there was an emphasis on historical views of menstruation, I still do not believe that people's attitudes have really changed all that much today. Men are still deathly afraid of bringing up the subject, and women are instantly diagnosed with 'PMS' the moment they become irritated. Media still portrays them as irrational beings, and even provides [|medicine]to soothe their irrational behaviour.

I think changing the view that women's poor mental and physical health is simply a result of 'imagined' problems would lead to better diagnosis and understanding of women's health issues. Whilst misdiagnosis of women may seem like an issue of the past, I have personally known women who had //cancer// ignored because they were described as overly anxious, so this clearly is still a current issue.