Review of
"Defiant Desire in Namibia" Robert Lorway delivers a feminist perspective with his ethnography, "Defiant Desire in Namibia". Lorway examines sexuality as both a social construct and a political one. While this ethnography provides unparalleled information about gender and sexuality in the poorer world, there are a few important flaws, such as the lack of information about radical ideas or behavior, neglect of his own bias, and the length of the ethnography.
My ethnography of choice was," Defiant Desire in Namibia: Female sexual-gender transgression and the making of political being." Written by Robert Lorway from the University of Manitoba. Lorway identifies as a gay male in his late twenties, who is a Canadian person of
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These were his metaphorical backstage passes into their secretive culture.
In this ethnography, Lorway analyzes female sexual desire and the challenges these women face. He discusses problems with their president, their families, their employment and the aggression against them. Many of these women reported being stabbed multiple times by both women and men. They also claimed that it is not uncommon for women to be raped in Namibia, and being lesbians give them a better sense of security. HIV is extremely prevent in Namibian society, and some of these women even report a fear of sleeping with men for this reason. Lorway arrived in Namibia in 2001, shortly after their president announced that all LGBT peoples would be thrown in prison. One women who was incarcerated was thankful for the consistent food and shelter. During rough times, these lesbians would become prostitutes as well, despite the fact that they were not sexually attracted to men. Overall, these working class lesbians faced numerous hardships, with little support outside of their organizations The Rainbow Project and Sister Namibia. They also preferred in most cases to use the western labels, such as 'lesbian ', despite the government 's attempt to claim that homosexuality in unnatural and a western cultural import.
The theory of feminism is prominent in this ethnography. The author is extremely
Claire E. Sterk 's article Tricking and Tripping: Fieldwork on Prostitution in Era of AIDS ' published by Social Change Press in 2000 takes into account the patterns and procedures that anthropologists take into practice during fieldwork. She provides some useful insights and learnt lessons during her studies with prostitutes. She also provides a close and intimate account of their lives and mental state in their own words. Her findings are substantiated with proper examples in the accounts of the daily lives of these women. Unlike most student’s expectation of fieldwork as a leisure activity at some serene place, Sterk observes the pain associated with the lifestyle and brings into light some important patterns and procedures that anthropologists must consider while interviewing a research group.
Lydia’s Open Door by American Anthropologist Patty Kelly is an intriguing case study about both the hidden and not so hidden aspects of sex work in Chiapas, Mexico. Her book proves the usefulness of ethnographic works where she engages with unconventional ways of knowing in order to determine the complex relationships that help to reproduce gender inequality. Lydia’s Open Door contextualizes prostitution within a political and economic framework revealing how it is impossible to diagnose one without the others. She uses both macro and micro-analysis to deconstruct the variability in how prostitution is practiced, regulated and perceived through space and time. Throughout her ethnography she discusses how globalization and
“She came here to look for her husband who was recruited for the mines… She lives in Claremont, not far from here. It is one of the worst places in Johannesburg… … that is her work, she makes and sells it… These women sleep with any man for their price… She has been in prison, more than once.” (53)
When it came to differing views between western beliefs and the native point of view, one of the bigger problems was the conflict about contraception and stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS. Southern Africa, were the Dobe Ju’/hoansi subside, has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world. “[T] he world U/N. figures for June 2000 show a seropositive rate among adults of 19.54 percent in Namibia, 19.94 percent in South Africa, and a staggering 35.8 percent in Botswana (Lee 2003: 190).” Because of the epidemic the life expectancy in the area has also drastically dropped. Western medical professionals have made clear to most communities that condoms are the most effective protection from HIV/AIDs. Because of this many western clinics and organizations in Africa distribute condoms to the local people. Regardless of the
In the novel Cutting for Stone, the author, Verghese displays many of the women suffering great loss and agony as a result from promiscuous behavior. Most of the women in the novel are presented as nothing more than an object placed for men’s pleasure. However, when the women initiate this pleasure-seeking behavior and follow through with it, they suffer greatly. The men consistently participate in unwed intercourse, and it is accepted as the way of life. Marion’s thoughts, at sixteen years old, are stated, “Little did I know that our Ethiopian peers both at our school and at the government schools had long ago gone through their sexual initiation with a bar girl or a housemaid” (Verghese, 2009, p.391). Support of this sexist perception of women are given in this discussion from the novel.
The infection rates of HIV in women ages 15-24 is approximately twice as high as men in the same age group. Access to sexual and reproductive health services in Africa is restricted by the gender inequality, stigma and discrimination in the face of high HIV/AIDS prevalence. The study is limited to 2 cities, Uyo and Calabar; major centers of HIV/AIDS response. Interviews reveal that large numbers of people, especially from rural regions, are improperly informed and unaware of the nature of HIV/AIDS. An outreach program displayed HIV prevention messages, but the signs were in English. Access to ART can be difficult. Poorer women cannot afford repeat visits to clinics. Societal issues are present; HIV/AIDS stigma is widespread and families will outcast individuals, denying them of any support. The study also showed a declining confidence in ART as a form of treatment. Respondents reported cases of those on HIV/AIDS treatment who developed further infections. The article displays the need for better education and programs to help people access treatment for
Elizabeth Ettorre, an sociologist who using a feminist participatory action research process to analyze voices. Particularly, the theme of this auto-ethnography she wrote is a vision of is it truly equal? Or are we still trap by other, more on society expectations view? The author of this journal wants to challenge every of having an loving eyes not the arrogant eyes to those lesbian. In my opinion, this challenge is most fulfillable since in Canada, part of America, and other more country have approve and set LGBT right for loving the same sex, one woman love another woman. It is only the matter of time, how long can all the people can view them normally and not to push them alway from the society. In conclusion, using loving eyes to see
To do so, Levy turns to the experiences of several young women whom she interviews. From her interpretations of these experiences, Levy reaches the conclusion that these women’s sexual nature revolves around their need
The Samoan culture and how socialization turns into sexuality for young girls is very different compared to our culture. In the Samoan culture sexuality in Samoan girls is seen differently than we see it in our culture today. Margaret Mead elaborates on this idea because of how she views the sexuality of a Samoan girl when she mentions “Virginity is a legal requirement for her” (Mead 69). When Mead discusses this, it is interesting how in that culture virginity is a requirement and that is something we don’t see as a requirement in our society today. This demonstrates how the sexuality of a Samoan girl is not the same as we see it. The way girls are seen because of their sexuality is incomparable to girls in our society today and that’s important to observe since Samoan culture is by far very different to what we view as part of culture today.
Lesbianism plays a significant role in the book. It may be seen as the alternative world that the author knows nothing about, but latter explores it eagerly, making it an irreplaceable element of her personality. She finds out that lesbians were able for form communities and she was able to become part of them in several countries. Furthermore, the author explores all aspects of lesbian love ranging from genuine to
In the film, Born into Brothels (2004), British filmmakers Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman setout to present a perspective from the children of sex workers living in Red Light District of Sonagachi, Calcutta. This film, however incidental, demonstrate single narratives on the basis of morality, sexuality, and preconceived notions about the third world. Their attempt at filming an impartial ethnographic film that spoke of the true nature of life as a child in the Red Light District of Calcutta failed from their Western gaze and lack of insight about the community of Sonagachi to contextualize how the Red Light District and the poverty surrounding are a result of globalization. Acknowledging the “before” that Briski and Kauffman could never understand about the Red Light District because of their limited Western understanding about the third world, would’ve resulted in a more inclusive look into the subjective perspectives of the children. Instead, using footage and still pictures of the dirty allies, children covered in what seems to be oil, naked children chained like animals in a zoo, etc, as an aesthetic (lens) used to reproduce hegemonic narratives about the third world and objectively reflect reality. Additionally, these shots separate the people of the Red Light District from Westerners and establishes and “us” and a “them”, them being objects and not full established subjects.
According to The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability “the privacy officer shall oversee all ongoing activities related to the development, implementation and maintenance of the practice/organization’s privacy policies in accordance with applicable federal and state laws” (HIPPA One, 2014). In order to become a privacy officer in a health care facility they need to meet an education requirement of a minimum of a four year degree and it is preferred that the degree is MHA, CPA, or a MBA along with a professional certification and should have a minimum of three years of experience in the documented HIPA compliance role (HIPPA One, 2014). Some additional attributes that the privacy offer should exhibit in this position include but
Queer theory could potentially offer the most qualitative of methodologies for collecting and analysing data. As it questions, even defies, the notions of objectivity and the essentiality of fact, queer theory opens more “texts” for study, and more bodies of knowledge to compile, compare, and evaluate.2
Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, grandparents, pimps, prostitutes, straight people, gay people, lesbian people, Europeans, Asians, Indians, and Africans all have once thing in common: they are products of sexuality. Sexuality is the most common activity in the world, yet is considered taboo and “out of the norm” in modern society. Throughout history, people have been harassed, discriminated against, and shunned for their “sexuality”. One person who knows this all too well is activist and author, Angela Davis. From her experiences, Davis has analyzed the weakness of global society in order to propose intellectual theories on how to change the perspective of sexuality. This research paper will explore the discussions of
Next, I’d like to discuss the ways in which the conditions of “Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night,” and the roles that were plagued amongst the women in South Africa and how forced migrations affected their situations. Due to the Apartheid era, and men's non existence in their families life because of forced migration, women began to feel as though they could only do for themselves causing for their acceptance without man's presence. In an early reference to the chapter, leaving, the author shows the ways that apartheid affected the women. For instance, “As year went from the woman had come to