GEN&SEX 50B Study Guide - Final Guide: Gang Of Youths, Wilma Mankiller, Labour Power
20 Jun 2018
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GS50: Key Concepts for the final
-Colonialism:
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another
country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Excerpts from Reading National Geographic (Catherine A. Lutz and Jane L.
Collins)
Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism because of the ideas of colonial
hegemony, how the Western societies deemed themselves as superior and how it
applies to the portrayal of women in foreign places. National Geographic
disseminated ideas of elites (White, upper class ideas) about the rest of the world –
“primitive cultures” as compared to “modern cultures”. Their portrayal of black
women’s nudity ties into the Euramerican ideas of foreign savagery and sexuality.
Through this portrayal, they interpret skin color as a maker of the evolutionary
progress. They portray black women as not being aware of their embarrassment of
their nakedness and that is commentary on the assumption that white women are
civilized and have modesty. Made very clear the idea of Us v. Other which also
promoted a sense of nationalism.
-Orientalism:
The representation of Asia, especially the Middle East, in a stereotyped way that is
regarded as embodying a colonialist attitude.
Feminism and Difference (Marnia Lazreg)
Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism because of the way women are
homogenized into a single category, in this case: as “Middle Eastern women” or
“Islamic women”. The history of the Western, Eurocentric attitudes toward Islam
and people different from Christian Europe are responsible for this biased
framework. Under the theme of orientalism, these women are stereotyped. The
orient was perceived as a barbaric and mysterious place, and these women were
seen as sensual and dangerous but also slaves to their own cultures. What these
women wore as per their culture and traditions; their veils in a broad term, were a
point of contention with those who espoused Western views. These women were
seen as pawns of their culture and having no individuality. They are thought of as
so different that they were deemed unable to understand or develop any form of
feminism. So in order to be a feminist, these women had to disassociate themselves
from the men in their lives and their culture.
-Economic globalization:
Is the increasing economic integration and interdependence of national, regional
and local economies across the world through an intensification of cross-border
movement of goods, services, technologies and capital.
Sex Discrimination in the Maquiladoras (Human Rights Watch)
Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism because denial of reproductive
rights to workers in maquiladoras. The proliferation of economic globalization puts
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an emphasis on maximizing profit which in this case, is at the expense of the
workers in the maquiladoras. Predominantly staffed by women as they were seen
as docile, compliant and expendable. Women were subject to pregnancy tests and
those who were pregnant were bullied, transferred to heavier work, forced to work
the night shift or pressured into resigning. This violates women’s fundamental
rights and the Mexican government turns a blind eye. The maquiladora’s
justification for the pregnancy tests are because many woman applicants aren’t
enrolled in Mexican social security so they find jobs to get the maternity benefits
and then quit after the benefits run out.
-Cultural representations:
Culture can be understood as a set of common beliefs that hold people together.
These common beliefs give rise to social practices, and social practices are imbued
with meaning. (In terms of transnational feminist studies- Western society
portraying and representing other racial groups relative to themselves.)
Woman is an Island- Femininity and Colonization (Judith Williamson)
Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism because of how non-white and
non-Western women are portrayed as “other”. Foreign places and people are seen
as natural and exotic and these differences get commodified. For example: the
fashion for tans. Working class people were originally depicted as having tans
because of the work they had to do out in the sun. But there was shift so that
having a tan meant you had time to lounge around and had the luxury to be idle in
the sun. An ad for Hawaiian Tropic depicts a woman with white features with a
deep tan so that the Western society tries to convince themselves that they are
representing these differences in a tamed form.
-Ways of seeing:
The idea that the way we see things is affected by what we know or what we
believe. Essentially boils down to: who is being represented; who is doing the
representing; and how do they get represented?
Excerpt from Ways of Seeing (John Berger)
Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism in how women are portrayed and
represented. Because every image embodies a way of seeing so every image
portrays a certain perception and in this case, it’s a matter of internalized sexism
against women. Berger states that women are taught from a young age to survey
herself. She has represent herself in a way that’s deemed acceptable to those who
are surveying her. Therefore, she becomes the surveyor and the surveyed. The
positions of surveyor and the surveyed are gendered- the surveyor is male and the
surveyed is female. Essentially this gives way to the idea that men act and women
appear. This is true in so historical images and contemporary media forms. For
example: “The Venus of Urbino” by Titian portrays a woman lounging in the nude
on a chaise being surveyed by the painter- who traditionally was male. In
contemporary media, many movies employ an attractive female actress alongside
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. Excerpts from reading national geographic (catherine a. lutz and jane l. Relevant to our studies of gender and feminism because of the ideas of colonial hegemony, how the western societies deemed themselves as superior and how it applies to the portrayal of women in foreign places. National geographic disseminated ideas of elites (white, upper class ideas) about the rest of the world . Their portrayal of black women"s nudity ties into the euramerican ideas of foreign savagery and sexuality. Through this portrayal, they interpret skin color as a maker of the evolutionary progress. They portray black women as not being aware of their embarrassment of their nakedness and that is commentary on the assumption that white women are civilized and have modesty. Made very clear the idea of us v. other which also promoted a sense of nationalism.
