gwst lecture 10

Introduction

• Class discussed after midterm exam due at midnight.

• Importance of check-ins post-break: ensuring students feel supported.

  • Welcoming all students during snowy transition back to school.

Midterm Expectations

• Midterm assignments due soon with a focus on citations and formatting.

• Communication: Encouragement for students to reach out if they haven't received feedback.

Semester Overview

• Future assignments:

  • Integrated bibliography for research project due March 18 (20% of final grade).

  • Final exam scheduled for April 23 (online, open book, two hours long).

Lecture Theme: "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies"

• Lecture named after a popular horror film.

• Discussion points include:

  • Cultural significance of bodies in understanding identity.

  • Feminism's role in challenging assumptions connected to bodies.

Key Concepts of Bodily Knowledge

• Bodies inform our understanding but do not encompass entire identity.

• Exploration of assumptions based on physical appearances.

  • Gender roles: societal norms dictating perceptions of individuals based on appearance.

  • Class distinctions evidenced through clothing and financial markers.

Perceptions of Body Types

• The influence of societal standards on perceptions related to:

  • Health (fit vs. lazy).

  • Economic status (expensive clothing implying wealth).

  • Racial and gender stereotypes often leading to biased assumptions.

Societal Narratives and Their Implications

• Cultural narratives shape our expectations:

  • Examples of Santa Claus embodying specific cultural beliefs.

  • Misguided assumptions stemming from how bodies are perceived.

• Danger of confirmation bias when interpreting appearances.

Historical Context: Hysteria and Medicalization of Women's Bodies

• Discussion of historic medical diagnoses associated with women's emotions and bodily functions:

  • Hysteria originated from ancient beliefs about the wandering womb.

  • Treatment often involved patriarchal control over women's bodies.

• Transition from hysteria to various modern diagnoses: the cultural implications.

Feminist Perspectives on the Body

• Importance of bodily autonomy in feminist literature, especially in the 1970s and 80s.

• Black feminist voices emphasizing embodied experiences:

  • Audre Lorde's contributions to understanding the erotic as a source of power.

• Emphasis on agency: the capacity to act and voice one's experience.

Body Image and Agency

• Agency is not just about free will, but the ability to navigate societal norms:

  • Pressures from industries perpetuating beauty standards (e.g. fitness and diet culture).

• Recognition of the dynamics between personal choice and societal expectations:

  • Inability to fully escape the influence of these norms.

The Beauty Industry's Impact

• Exorbitant value of the global beauty industry and its implications:

  • Insecurity as a driving force behind consumption.

• The cyclical nature of beauty norms reinforcing misogyny and gender hierarchies.

Media Representations of Beauty

• 'The Swan' as a case study on societal valuation of beauty:

  • Impacts of extreme makeovers on self-perception and societal approval.

• Feminist protests against such commodification:

  • E.g., Miss America protests challenging beauty pageants.

Conclusion

• The evolving conversation on beauty standards within feminism:

  • From rejecting norms to understanding nuanced choices among women.

• Importance of questioning beauty standards and exploring the intersection of identity and agency in a patriarchal society.