notes WMST

define gender

the social construction of cultural meanings that are attached to biological differences in genitalia

define race

the social construction of cultural meanings that are attached to biological differences in bone, skin, and hair

what is doing gender

the ways in which we actively perform gender in our interactions and daily lives.

what is neocolonialism

the continued exploitation and oppression of underdeveloped countries by highly developed nations through unfair advantages in trade and diplomacy

what are the 4 levels of analysis

micro, meso, global, and international

what is liberal feminism

rooted in liberal democracy and individual rights, stressing equal opportunity and freedom of choice

the system/ the matrix of oppression is…

an interlocking, hierarchal system of: race/racism, class/classism, gender/sexism, nation/neocolonialism, sexuality/homophobia, age/ageism, species/speciesism, and other dimensions…

liberal feminism vs. radical feminism

liberal feminism fights sexism within, radical feminism changes the entire system

what is internalized oppression

the oppressive and exploitative attitudes, behaviors and beliefs of “the matrix” (“the system”) that are “accepted”, either consciously or unconsciously, by the very people who are oppressed by these stereotypes and become part of their psychological makeup

what is biological determinism

the idea that a groups biological or genetic makeup shapes its political, social, and economic outcomes

what is androcentrism

the privileging of male and masculine centered ways of understanding the world

what is the bechdel test and its three criteria

features at least two women characters, those two women characters talk to each other, they talk to each other about something other than a man

what is intersectionality

the interlocking system of various dimensions of the matrix of oppression and resistance

the personal is political means…

politics includes conflicts among individuals or groups hoping to achieve power

what does socially lived theorizing mean

creating feminist theories and knowledge from actual day to day experiences

gender studies is…

committed to people who have been excluded from the norm; marginalized groups, women of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, mother nature and animal life

what is reflexivity

how ones social location influences the way we understand the world

what is agency

ability to make some choice and influence the outcome of our lives

what is the path of least resistance

not neutral, is an action and a choice, siding with the status quo of the powers that be

what is cultural relativism

customs and values of different societies differ; thus you have different sets of ethics and standards

the 4 waves of feminism and dates

the first wave 18302-1920s, the second wave 1960s-1980s, the third wave 1990s-2010s, the fourth wave 2010s-present?

define what it means by “waves”

the metaphor suggest both continuity and discontinuity with the past as women shape new theoretical understandings and political agendas that speak for their generations and shape the historical period

the first wave of feminism

1830s-1920s the right to vote/19th amendment, advocating for slavery to be abolished, early suffrage movement

the second wave of feminism

1960s- 1980s civil rights movement, reproductive rights, affirmative action, sexual liberation, war against poverty, environmental movements, anti war and anti nuke movements

the third wave of feminism

1990s- 2010s sexual ambiguity, multiple identities, personal voices

the fourth wave of feminism

2010s-present? a focus on intersectionality and using social media for the empowerment messaging, slut walks, #metoo