A Feminist Interview

“All I have, is a voice.” –W.H. Auden. These are five words that could leave a thoughtful philosopher speechless. But perhaps found within the lack of “finding a better word” moments, are when revolution seeds are planted in the hearts and tongues of the passionate. And if this is a truth, then Adrienne Rich was absolutely no exception. The radical feminist and poet opened her speech, “Claiming an Education” to the girls of Douglass College, in the most straightforward way as possible. In skimming the text, only the reader can imagine what was really communicated in the zeal and urgency behind her rehearsed words that day in 1977. Therefore, in light of under

In Ahmed’s Living a Feminist Life, the author describes the power struggle that feminists face when they go against large institutions. The willingness to make change is halted by whether or not the institution wants to actually make change or just appear to. Ahmed describes two forms of “diversity work” which include trying to change an institution and not belonging to the norms in a given institution. They argue that knowledge comes about when trying to change an institution, do you think this knowledge is limited? How can someone know the true nature of an institution when the presence of a diversity worker alters it? Furthermore, if the people who do not display the norms in an institution are asked to change the institution how could they

Daddy’s princess. Big brother’s responsibility. Daddy’s little girl. Some people view these as a sweet pet names for young ladies, but these verbal cues inexplicitly condition women to view themselves as the property of men starting at a young age. These learned notions may take hold as women begin to develop. As young girls mature, they find themselves striving to please their fathers and other male figures as one of their main aspirations in life due to this conditioning from society. (Rholetter p. 1) The submissive nature of young girls is a common theme in literature, but looking through the Feminist Lens offers readers a better understanding of the struggle surrounding remaining submissive or demanding power occurs.

Most of them said when they thought of feminists they thought of as “people that lived off in the forest”, “extremists”, and “bitter”. They also though women who were feminists were more masculine while men that thought of themselves as feminists were more feminine. They were also asked why they did not self-identify

For my oral history project, I decided to interview my mother. I am pretty close with my mom, as we talk daily, and I am comfortable often to seek advice from her. A challenge that I faced was trying to find an appropriate date and time for the interview. My mom works six days a week, and I am often preoccupied with classes and school work. Another challenge was my mom’s hesitation with going into too much detail about her experiences. In addition, it was difficult to interview another family member such as a relative because I was not particularly close with my uncles or aunts, nor were any of them easy to contact due to variations in time zones. Furthermore, arguably one of my largest reason why I choose to interview my mom was because I never had taken the time or initiative to ask about my mom’s past. I had only knew of some general aspects, but never asked too much into detail. The oral history project was a perfect opportunity to dwell deeper into my family’s history and how they came to America.

In the history of England, there have been many rulers, but none quite like the queens. Between the time of the first Queen of England and the present Queen, there have been many drastic changes. Though these two women share the same name, Elizabeth, they are known for their own contributions and styles during their life in the monarchy. Their eras were full of rich culture and historic importance. These two women made an impact on not only England, but all over the world. Their decisions and actions lead to both times of celebration and times of grievance.

REPORTER: The reporter/niece (Terita) called to report neglect for the victim, Mattie. Mattie’s is blind, and needs assistance with her ADL’s. The reporter stated that Netasha (daughter) and Rick (boyfriend) are neglecting the victim. According to the reporter, Mattie ahs been blind for 5 or 6 years, and the home has been in horrible conditions for a while. The reporter said her brother (unknown) spoke with Natasha, a year ago, about her mother’s living conditions. The reporter said the house has cob webs, spider webs, and animals (unknown type) inside. The reporter said the ceiling is caving in near the back of the home. The tub is not being used, and the victim is not bathing. “You can see the dirt on her/victim”. The kitchen is in horrible

Sociology has long been concerned with the construction of identity and the impact of this on feelings of belonging, power relations and social behaviours. Feminist and race studies literature have considered the construction of oppressed identities as a positive tool in the struggle for emancipation () with identification as a member of an oppressed group being seen as the opposite of victim blaming (Ryan,…..) by reinterpreting “ private woes into public wrongs” (Shakespeare, 1993 P…..) . It is the victim in active denial of their socially perceived victimhood and instead pointing to the social factors that are the cause of victimisation.

During the nineteenth century, people normally looked down upon women, yet with the works of authors such as Susan Glaspell, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Kate Chopin, women, as well as literature about women, began to be seen in a new light and life. In their numerous stories, novels, and poems, these three women all expressed one common thing: the want and need to feel free. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s“The Yellow Wallpaper,” one woman wants to be free so badly from her disease and the environment around her that she makes herself even more ill to even remotely feel better about herself, while Mrs. Mallard of Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour” breaks away from the death grip of her unsuccessful and unhappy marriage, only to have that freedom

I found each of the three women who I interviewed interesting because they each gave me more and more details about the different obstacles they faced in life. For first part of the interview process, I interviewed a family friend named Maitri Patel. She is a fourteen year old girl who is a freshman in high school. The reason why I chose to interview her is because I wanted know what a young teenagers views would be regarding feminism and whether or not she had ever been exposed to the word. The second person I interviewed was my SPECTRA mentor who is a thirty-six year old woman who I met over the summer named Melissa Thomas. I wanted to interview her because she had previously mentioned to me that she attended law school and I was curious to know if she had ever experienced anyone being sexist towards her during her time at law school. Lastly I interviewed a woman in my religious studies class named Jacky Berlinsky who is a seventy-five years old woman. I opted to interview her because I was curious to see if getting an education in her time

After studying the different perspectives on social problems about sexuality and sexual orientation, I believe that I can move forward to beyond the classroom to help the LGBT+ community grow strong and make changes. The LGBT+ community has had a long run with fighting for equal rights and against discrimination, and the fight is not over. I have always been someone who believes so strongly in the power of education and open dialogue. I think it is one of the best ways to make a change.

In “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Louise Mallard goes from being a stereotypical woman, to something much more. Mrs. Mallard is depicted as a weak woman, as most are thought to be, in the beginning of the story, but as the plot progresses, she begins to develop into someone who is stronger than originally perceived. The story shows a great possibility that Louise’s husband objectified her, and she had become so used to it, that when the thought of freedom emerged, even at the cost of his death, she was filled with joy.

The idea of women being equal to men has been debated for a very long time. Even when civilizations were just starting, most women were treated very differently from men. When women started fighting against this oppression they were called feminists. Feminism can be separated into three waves. The first wave of feminism was from the mid 1800s to the early 1900s. The second wave was from the 1960s to the 1980s. The third wave of feminism started in the 1990s, but its end is unclear. Some people believe it has ended and the fourth wave of feminism has started, but others believe it continues today. The different waves have been very different in some aspects, but very similar in others. The main differences between the first and third wave of feminism are what they fought for, how they protested, and society’s reaction to their cause.

When one hears the term “Feminism”, she/he may have the idea that it is the urge and

"People who are liberal thinkers have been enslaved by these poseurs, these racketeers, people who are pretending to be liberal but who are in fact just naïve politically. I have been congratulated by women...who are so sick of being bullied by these sanctimonious puritans who call themselves feminists." --Camille Paglia