Blog #5 Jamie

What did I learn?
Well, there are so many things that I learned during this class. There are so many different things that go in to gender/sex communication. The gender wars, the biological the different gazes. And the differences beteween sex and gender, and figure out what gender I am. The gender bender assignment was a fun and intresting challenge.

What is important for future studies?
We need to address these issues at a much earlier age. That could help so many people understand them selves as well as others. We also need to make sure that people are aware of the different issues. We also need to keep studying it so we can understand it better.

Where do we go from here?
We just keep studying the subject, the more we learn the better we can all communicate with each other, and maybe some of the sterotypes can start to dissapear.

What does the critical gender lens mean to me?
Awarness, understanding, taking time to learn about others and how to communicate with others. also consider the differences before making judgements.

Blog 5 Stephanie

What did I learn?
Well it’s hard to even find a place to begin! But the area that I feel that I learned the most about is how communication between the genders thrives and where it gets cut off. There are a lot of theories (biological, psychological, etc.) that try to explain why women and men function differently, are treated differently, are viewed differently, etc. I have learned that there can be all sorts of explanations for our differences, but the more we actually understand what the differences are the more the communications lanes will be cleared and the more we will understand each other.
What is important for future studies?
I think that some sort of unity should come into play. I don’t know how this could come about (maybe by creating some sort of research center for gender and communication studies), but I do know that it seems that so much of the studies contradict each other because they’re performed on different groups, at different times, and with all kinds of different conditions. If there researchers could be more on the same page as far as the answers that they’re looking for and the groups that are being worked with, we could get more clear-cut answers to questions in this area of study.
Where do we go from here?
I don’t know what I can speak for the whole class, but I can talk about where I would like to go and where I hope we all go as well. I almost can’t believe the amount of information that I have taken in and how quickly I’ve done it! I’ve learned so much about gender, about the equalities and inequalities, about how it’s communicated and about how we as individuals communicate it. All of this information has struck an interest chord within me to learn more. I see myself reading up more on this area of study, since I thoroughly enjoyed the book I read in class, and learning more. I think this information will really come in handy for me as I grow, get married, have a family, have a permanent workplace, etc. because there are all areas in which understanding the differences between genders and knowing modes in which to communicate through can really come in handy.

One Last Look...

I can't believe that tomorrow marks our last journey together through the complex web of gender, sex, and communication. I can't wait to see and hear about your thoughts and experiences regarding the gender bender assignment. If this presentation is anything like the discussion facilitation, I know that it will be a home run...no pressure:-)

We will begin tomorrow's class with a brief review of the 5 learning units from the course and my thoughts as far as key take aways. I would also like each of you to weigh in on take aways as well. I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask you all during class tomorrow:

1.) What are your top 3 take aways from the course? Why?

2.) How will/can you apply this new expertise to your personal lives? What about careers?

3.) What advice would you give persons such as myself who seek to make a career off of researching and teaching in this field? How can I be a better teacher and researcher?

I want to note that I consider tomorrow our last journey together, but not our final journey into the world of gender, sex, and communication. I hope that some of these lessons continue on beyond the official end of class tomorrow and you spread the word. While our discussions in class have certainly been insightful and poignant, they are not worth as much if we do not challenge our families, friends, coworkers, and even strangers to think about the world through a critical gender/sex lens. I know that each of you have the capability to affect those around you in very powerful ways and I challenge you to do so!

Blog #5

What did you learn?
When I first saw the class description (title) I immediately thought of Men arefrom Mars and Women are from Venus. I only thought about gender communication as being the confusing and often misunderstood communication between men & women. And of course all of the “greatly hyped gender wars”.
Some of the more surprising things I have learned are:
• Gender is not the same thing as sex – it is far more complex.
• Gender is a verb – it is something that we “do”
• Gender is influenced heavily by our environment and this influence begins at a very young age

What is important for future studies in gender communication?
• More classes on the subject – this is the first class I have seen on Gender Communication.
• This subject needs to be taught beginning in elementary school - the earlier people are made aware of what is going on inthe world around them the better chance they will have of understanding all of the influences that are affecting their gender.
• I think it is important to get more young people interested in the subject

Where do we go from here?
• More credible information needs to reach the general public on this subject - which to me means more education on the subject and the earlier the better.
• More attention needs to be paid to research on the subject
• More attention needs to be drawn to the media and its misuse and abuse of gender.

What does a critical gender lens mean to you?
To me a critical gender lens means:
• “AWARENESS” - you need to be aware of gender differences
• that you need to take the time to learn about what these difference are and how they come about
• that you need to take the time to consider gender differences and how they may cause communication issues or misunderstandings

Final Thoughts: One Last Look Through Our Critical Gender Lens

For our final blogs, I'd like us to reflect upon the course as a whole and articulate some final thoughts and key take aways. The final chapter in CGD does this and may provide you with some inspiration. So what did you learn? What is important for future studies in gender and communication? Where do we go from here (which is of course my favorite question to ask)? I am going to ponder these things a bit more and get back to you, but I wanted to put the prompt out there so each of you can start thinking and reflecting on what a critical gender lens means to you.

Blog #4 Jamie

I think I would mostly support the No position, however the other one make some points that I think were valad, depending on how they were taken. like the part that talks about the unattractive jobs having to be higher paid than others. In some cases that is true, some of the nastiest jobs are the highest paying jobs.
I also agree with the fact that the pay gap is not just "white men" making more than women, men no matter the race generally make more than women.
I have seen this with a co-worker, she had at least 15 years in the company, the brough a man in to help her with the job, and he was making alot more than she was. When she confronted the management about that she was demoted and had to move to a different depatment. So yes I have seen this at is ugliest, and nothing happened, although I will say she is still there and he only lasted 6 months.
I am not sure where we will go from here, I am getting ready to join a job path that is dominated by men, and it has the Good Ol Boy syndrom bad across the board, I just hope that as more women join the feild that have been dominated by men for so long that the gap will close.

Blog #4 Stephanie

I think that it all depends on what kind of research is done and what groups of people are being studied. From typing the paper for this class, I have learned that research can be “all over the place” so to speak, and can really muddy the waters when trying to; find an answer. What I am about to say may be controversial, but I do believe that it is relevant: if we are looking at all the working men and all the working women, I do think that choices may have a little bit to do with the age gap. A lot of women do value their family time, therefore, they will pick jobs that don’t require as many hours from them so that they can spend more time with their children. The lack of hours plus the fact that jobs that don’t require many hours aren’t usually as high paying, are probably contributing factors to the wage gap. HOWEVER! One of the points in the No Position states that the wage exists in every occupational category and it exists in higher levels of education. This it itself is enough to make me take the No Position without a doubt. There is no excuse that the Yes Position could make for the fact that there is a wage gap between men and women working in the same position. However, I don’t think that there will be any sort of advancement as long as one side continues to claim that there are studies that prove a certain points while the other side says that there are studies to disprove it. It’s almost as if both sides will have to conduct joint studies in order to ever get real and answers and correct the problem.

Blog #4 - Melanie

I definitely support the “No Position”. Though I have never experienced wage discrimination personally I firmly believe that it does exist and it is not a matter of “the forces of supply and demand” but rather a matter of “the old boys club” – you are either a member or you are out of luck.
I believe that hourly workers in a structured environment are generally paid the same regardless of gender as they are paid per job description and pay scale. However once you move up the ladder a bit and get into the less structured “salaried” positions there is a lot more room for the “old boys club” mentality to come into play. This is where I see that there is the greatest opportunity for unequal pay practices to go unchecked. I have read many articles in other classes on this subject and they all seem to agree that women do not necessarily negotiate as hard for a higher salary nor do they press forcefully enough for bigger raises – men generally do not have any problems asking for or even demanding more money. Unfortunately, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. That definitly does not make it fair or even acceptable.

Certainly there are high paying jobs that are more dangerous and jobs that require more physical strength, or require you to be away from home for extended periods of time that are dominated by men. For example working on deep-sea oil platforms or covert special operations positions with the CIA. Men fill the majority of these jobs, but I would argue that more women are entering into even these lines of work and they should receive equal pay for taking the same risks as men and doing the same job as men.

I found some interesting facts on Newsweek.com regarding the wage gap:

8 months' worth of groceries
The amount a woman could buy for a family of four if she were paid the same as her male peers, according to data from the Institute for Women's Policy Research and the USDA.

58 cents
The average wage among Latina women in the United States. The number among African American women is 70 cents.

23 percent
The amount less than their male colleagues that full-time-working women who haven't had children make 10 years out of college.

$1.2 Million
The amount less, over a lifetime, that a female college graduate will earn, compared to her male peers.

$4,600
The amount less a female MBA (graduating from a top-tier school) will make than her male colleagues in her first job out of graduate school, according to a new Catalyst study.

1 in 4
The number of businesspeople worldwide who say gender parity is a priority at their companies. One in five say that their companies commit resources to parity initiatives. The result, according to consulting firm Bain & Company: "Women have yet to rise to leadership levels at the same rate and pace as their male counterparts. Women enter the workforce in large numbers, but over time steadily ‘vaporize’ from the higher echelons of organization hierarchy”.

$13 Trillion
The difference in total income between men ($23.4 trillion) and women ($10.5 trillion) annually, worldwide.

Wyoming
The state with the worst wage gap, at 63 cents for every $1 a male earns. Vermont has the smallest gap, at 84 cents.

3,168,000
The number of women employed as "secretaries" in 2008, still the most common job for women.

43 percent
The number of women who are employed in jobs that make a median income of $27,000.

"Patriarchal corporate culture"
The biggest barrier to female leadership, according to the findings of a new World Economic Forum report, which noted that "Leading companies are failing to fairly integrate women in the workforce."

9 percent
The amount by which the United States' GDP could increase if the gender gap were closed.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/04/19/tracking-the-wage-gap.html

Blog #4: Is the Gender Wage Gap Justified?

Few will dispute the claim that a wage deferential exists between men and women, but there is still much debate as to why women typically make 80 cents for each dollar a man earns. The gender wage gap is a global phenomenon. The UN Development Fund for Women found that "a sex gap in earnings exists across almost all employment categories."

There are two schools of thought regarding the wage gap. One school claims that while the wage gap does exist, it cannot be thought of as merely an issue of gender discrimination. They cite economic and financial matrices that explain and justify that women essentially deserve to be paid less than men. Frankly, this argument disgusts me, but more on that in a minute. The second school takes a socialization approach a la' Brenda Allen and claims that blaming women's choices for the gender pay gap is a problematic rationalization employed to maintain male dominated hegemonic standards.

Below, I will outline each of these positions in more detail according to two essays published in Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Gender. I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that I prefer the latter argument that these economic and human capital rationalizations are oppressive and that women do not make choices that demand less pay for equal work, but I do encourage each of you to formulate your own opinions. I definitely welcome a debate on this topic. So as you read the following arguments think about your own stance. Which arguments do you support? Have you seen these arguments used in your own work experience? Depending on what side you take where do we go from here?

Yes Position: John Shackleton from the Institute of Economic Affairs in London:

• Pay differentials occur based on factors other than gender/sex
• Claims that a competitive market creates these differentials and if we are to remain competitive we must accept these differences. Due to the forces of supply and demand we cannon provide equal pay (What do you think about this notion of a competitive market?)
• Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations introduced us to the idea of compensating differentials - certain jobs particularly those that are deemed "unattractive" may have to be rewarded with higher pay to attract good workers. Furthermore, we must account for the difficulty and expertise of learning a job. Some forms of employment require years of training, education, and work experience, which is labeled human capital. The more human capital you posses the more money you should earn.
• Admits that there may be a taste for discrimination, but if we try to balance this taste by imposing laws that require men and women to receive equal pay, companies may push back by hiring more men and less women. (thoughts?)
• Believes that the gap has declined over time and expected to decline further. (What do you think about this in terms of a global context?)
• Most of the pay gap can be explained through residuals in economic analyses (high wages of a few white men and gendered patterns of occupational and educational experience), but is often falsely cited as discrimination.

No Position: Hilary M. Lips from Radford University's Center for Gender Studies:

• White men are not the only group that out earns women. These findings are consistent across all racial/ethnic makeups, which certainly lends credibility to the gender/sex wage gap as a global phenomenon.
• Even at the very highest levels of education, the gap is there and is in fact provides the largest discrepancy in pay.
• Gender related wag gap in every occupational category, which debunks the argument that women would receive equal pay if they did "man's" work.
• Wage gap may actually widen as the numbers of hours worked increase, which debunks the argument that women are paid less because they work less.
• The gender/sex wag gap is not about economics and not simply a issue of discrimination, its about a question of value between public/private work and the division of labor within the household.
• If women and men continue to accept the notion that the domestic and care taking work, i.e. "women's work," is not important enough for employers to accommodate, the gap will never close.
• The language of "choice" obscures and deflects from larger social forces. Yes positions claim that women choose lower-paid occupations, chose to work less hours, choose parenthood.
• According to Lips, the bottom line is that women's choices are not the problem. Women's choices occur in an environment that supports subtle sexism and discrimination.

Blog #3 Stephanie

This article only demonstrates the principle of social learning/modeling in the sense that one of the few things that these children have to guide them in defining their identity is observing their parents. They get to observe what their mother and father do and what they do differently and they get to decide what sort of behavior settles best with them. What they don’t have is the rewards for acting in a certain way so, at home it’s 100% their choice. In the real world, the pressures of society might be a different story.

I understand what they are doing and I definitely appreciate it. They are trying to relive their children of certain pressures that we all grow up with. The problem is, that the children are the ones who are subject to suffering without having had the choice when they were born. Therefore, I do not agre with their decision only because it can cause their children much stress and pain in the future.

I don’t think that it is applicable because this family is striving to construct gender identities in accordance to what they think fits, not in accordance to what society agree with.

I would say that the majority of people would agree with my comment above. Their purpose is respectable, but it is not fair for them so try this with their children knowing that these children will have to grow up with constant criticism and backlash which will definitely interfere with their self esteem and personal growth. I can see how extreme conservatives would be opposed to this just for the simple fact that they are bending the rules that most of society follows.

Blog #3 Jamie

1) How does this article demonstrate the principle of social learning model? I feel that it is demonstrating the lack of social learning. They are trying to take out the influances from outside sociaty. However in to doing this the are also taking aways some very valuable lessons that could/should be taught at a young age.
2) Do you think tha tmore pearents should take thsi approach? 100% no. I do not agree with using your children as an experiment or to prove a point. If they did not want the kids to play with "girl" toys or "boy" toys, than they could have made sure that they had a good balance of toys that would be considered girl or boy. The parents need to make sure that the kids are well rounded, but still guide their paths for the future.
3) Social accountability is defined as a conscious........ How would you apply this definetion/concept to thsi case study. They are trying to let the kids make this choice, but I also wonder how much they are also, even if not meaning to, pushing their ideas on to the kids. Like if they asked for a short hair cut (seeing as they are boys, this could be considered a boy cut) if the parents are willing to do this, or if they talk them out of it. If the parents are so hot in to this, why are they not the ones doing this? They could be the ones hiding their gender from everyone they meet. Don't push it on to the kids, just because they are not "mature" enough to make the choices for them selves, and at what age will they be? I let my kids decide when they want a hair cut, even if I don't agree with what they want, it is their choice, even the five yearold.
4) Why is their decision so controversal? I feel it is because they are using their children in a very extreem expreiment. It is not fair to the kids, because even if they don't go to school, other kids are crule, and unless they keep them from all other social events, than the kids are the ones that are going to be picked on, or bullied. That is not fair for the kids to have to endure that just because the parents want to do something different.

Blog #3: Melanie

1.) How does this article demonstrate the principle of social learning/modeling?

It seems to me that the article demonstrates that the parents do not want their child/children to

be influenced by social learning/modeling. At least not the social influences from the outside

world. The child/children are still being influenced by the behaviors that they are exposed to

within their own family – influences from their parent’s behaviors and ideas as well as from their

sibling’s behaviors and ideas.

2.) Do you think that more parents should take this approach to gender/sex interactions? Why or

why not?

No, I really do not, at least not to this extreme. I totally agree that children should not be forced

or heavily influenced to dress or behave in any certain way simply because of their biological

sex. I don’t believe that girls should only be allowed or heavily influenced to play with dolls,

or other “feminine” toys and I don’t believe that boys only be allowed or heavily influenced to

play with toy cars, or other “masculine” toys. I strongly believe that children have the right to

play with whatever toys they have an interest in playing with as long as that toy is safe. I believe

this allows the child to experience both aspects of femininity and masculinity, and in turn that

having been able to see and experience aspects of both sides they would become more balanced

and have a much better understanding of both. However when it comes to the child’s appearance

I believe there should be some limitations. I am not saying that a girl needs to only wear “frilly”

pink or purple dresses or that a boy should only wear blue or green outfits with sports logos but

there needs to be some consideration for how the child will be received in society. Especially

when the child is too young to understand his/her choices.

3.) Social accountability is defined as a conscious effort to construct your own and others'

gendered identities in ways that make you more socially acceptable. How would you apply

this definition/concept to this case study?

I think in this case the parents have decided to go to the extreme in the other direction. By not

helping guide their children’s choices until they are mature enough to understand these decisions

they have exposed them to needless questions and ridicule. This can be very confusing and

hurtful to the children. I do not necessarily think it is a good or healthy idea to allow your

children to dress in whatever they choose. If the child were simply playing dress up at home, I

would not see that as a problem at all, but to allow your child to dress up in clothes that would

most likely or certainly cause them to be teased, ridiculed, or rejected as a playmate by other

children is a different matter altogether. To me this is not only irresponsible and cruel, but can

also be very psychologically damaging to a young child. Children can be very hurtful when they

tease other children and this can have a very traumatic effect on the child that is being

victimized. Children deserve the benefit of having their parents help guide them through

decisions that they are not yet mature enough to understand. That does not mean that you have

to impose gender roles on your child, it just means that as a parent you have a responsibility to

consider how your child will be treated as the result of your actions. I believe this can be done

carefully and thoughtfully enough to where you are not turning your child into a “stereotypical”

and very limited little boy or girl, but helping them understand both sides of the coin without

exposing them to ridicule that they most certainly would not benefit from or even truly

understand yet.

4.) The Witterick/Stocker's have received a "deluge" of criticism in regards to their choice to

withhold Storm's sex from the public. I posted these on Facebook and it received quite a few

comments and most were not favorable. Why is their decision so controversial? Why is society

so critical of this decision?

The decision is so controversial because it is so extreme and it really does not make much sense

at all. They are allowing their children to make decisions that they are not mature enough to

make and it is the children that will pay the consequences of their parent’s radical “attention

seeking” approach.

I believe society is so critical of this case because it is so radical and there is a tremendous

potential for the children to suffer for decisions that they do not even understand. I do not believe

that it is ever a “good” idea to use small children as some sort of social science experiment. In

my opinion “all harm springs from excess” and this approach seems very excessive to me and

judging by the comments I read on line to many others as well.

Blog #3: Family & Gender

In May, Yahoo! news reported on a set of parents in Canada who do not disclose the sex of their children to the outside world. Here's a link to the story & also photos of the family:

News story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110524/ts_yblog_thelookout/parents-keep-childs-gender-under-wraps

Photos of the Family:http://photogallery.thestar.com/995120

In terms of chapter 7, the focus is on families as social institutions, which communicate gender and are gendered through communication. Institutions are "established patterns of behavior with a particular and recognized purpose; institutions include specific participants who share expectations and act in specific roles with rights and duties attached to them" (Sociologist Margaret Andersen, 2006, pp. 30-31). And are characterized by 3 external factors: 1) Like identities, institutions are complex and intersecting, 2) Are often intertwined with the state, 3) Influence and are influenced by gender.

Gender is a social institution and a cultural ideology. Think about gender as organizing social life beyond just individual roles, but to include the performance of social identities. In terms of family, gender, and communication, family is the first institution that we are introduced to. Family communicates norms about sex, gender, orientation, and other identity ingredients. It is our first source of information and one of our most vital in terms of gender and identity. Through families we learn about roles, are socialized into our roles, and give us social communicative scripts to follow. Families as social institutions do not stand alone, it intersects with politics & law (e.g. the debate over family values, the framing of welfare) and work (e.g. division of labor, second shift, compulsory heterosexuality) among others.

In terms of this week's class and the blog, please carefully read pp. 160 - 164(Parent-Child Communication) and apply the concepts of social learning, modeling, and gender/sex interactions with the Yahoo! news story about the sex ambiguous family. Here are some questions to get you going:

1.) How does this article demonstrate the principle of social learning/modeling?

2.) Do you think that more parents should take this approach to gender/sex interactions? Why or why not?

3.) Social accountability is defined as a conscious effort to construct your own and others' gendered identities in ways that make you more socially acceptable. How would you apply this definition/concept to this case study?

4.) The Witterick/Stocker's have received a "deluge" of criticism in regards to their choice to withhold Storm's sex from the public. I posted these on Facebook and it received quite a few comments and most were not favorable. Why is their decision so controversial? Why is society so critical of this decision?

Blog #2: Melanie

1.) What is Kilbourne's central thesis? (i.e. if you had to summarize her central message in 1-2 sentences, what would it be?)
· That there is nearly constant and overwhelming amounts of pressure put on women to fit into a section of society's idea of what a woman must be in order to be considered worthy of success, love or even acceptance. This pressure constantly bombards women to feel like they must "fit" into an unhealthy and even impossible physical ideal. This pressure is nearly everywhere you look, in advertisements, movies, television, magazines and it is extremely unhealthy and very damaging to women, young and old. Unfortunately as long as these forms of advertisements continue to sell products, and audiences swarm to the movies filled with size "Zero" starlettes this immense pressure will undoubtedly continue to palgue society.

2.) Is the advertising industry responsible for acknowledging these toxic cultural constructions?

· Technically/legally, probably not, however, I think they should be. This has been such a well publicized issue that they can hardly feign a lack of knowledge regarding the damage these advertisements can lead to. Simply acknowledging the toxic cultural constructions seems hardly sufficient.

3.) How can we as critical consumers and women push back against these narrow constructions?

· I think it is fair to say that society bears a great deal of responsibility for this problem as well. Society can send a strong message and have a powerful influence on advertising if more of us would simply show our opposition to this appalling situation by not only voicing our strong disagreement with this practice but also if we would actually stop buying or supporting products and movies/television that continue in this manner. By not showing our strong opposition for this situation we are in a way endorsing it and are thereby also sharing in the responsibilty for the consequences.

4.) Do you agree with Kibourne's claim that turning a person into a thing is the first step towards violence?

· Yes, I absolutely do agree with her. I believe it makes hurting someone much easier and guilt free if the aggressor can somehow make themselves beleive that their victim does not feel things in the same way that others do and are not wothy of better treatment or somehow deserves to be punished

Response to Blog #2 by Stephanie

I think that Kilbourne’s basic thesis is that the media and advertisements are creating an image of what is beautiful in our society that is just downright unrealistic. These unreachable goals for beauty create public health problems such as an obsession with thinness and violence against women because the media objectifies them. Kilbourne’s message is for us to recognize these issues and take a stand against them.
I believe that the media does have a responsibility for creating these unrealistic goals and ridiculous expectations of beauty. The images that they continue to fill adds, T.V., and movies with give society the idea that those images are what it beautiful and nothing else. People can’t help but feel the pressure to try to achieve these ridiculous images. If the media would start portraying more normal and realistic images via their advertisements and characters, less people feel this horrible pressure and less people would live their lives with such low self-esteem.
As women and consumers we can push back by, first of all, maintaining a positive body image. If we take care of ourselves solely to stay healthy and make OURSELVES happy, we can be influential on other women who are trying to attain unrealistic images. Also, we can push back by boycotting brands and products of companies that are repeat offenders in objectifying humans and portraying them in unrealistic ways.
I wouldn’t say that turning a person into a thing is the first step toward violence in every case, but in some cases yes. Psychological studies of murderers and physical abusers have shown that in many cases their motive for their actions is to assert their power over and individual and therefore, make themselves more powerful. Objectification of humans can contribute to them being able to feel more powerful over another person. Men and women who view their spouses and simply “eye candy” or “trophy wives” are more likely to be violent toward them because they do not view them as humans.

Blog #2 Jamie

Kilbourne's central thesis is that as long as sex sells, and that is what we depend on selling product, the dehumanizing of women and men will continue. We have to change what gets our attention to things, or things will not get better, they will continue to get worse.
The advertising industry is not the only responsible party for this toxic cutlural construction. If we as consumers were not buying in to the ads, they would have to come up with other ways to sell the product. So we are all respoinsible for this issue. There have even been law suits for false advertising for things like beer, because when they guy drank it, the beautiful women did not come up to him like they did in that ad. That is how sick our culture has became.
I am not sure how we can push back against the narrow constuctions, slowly what people think is attractive changes over timel. There are many people that think that models are too thin, but just thinking it is not going to change anything. We as a whole need to get back to thinking that healthy is attactive. In other cultures very large women are found to be the most attractive because they are a sign of health.
I do agree with her claim that by truning a person in to a thing it is taking the frist step in to violence. That is how the Hollicost started with the Nazi's. They turned the Jewish people in to things in the eyes of others, so it was "ok" to hurt them because "they were not even human". This also happens in other types of violence. And it has been happening for a long time. As a person that was in a violent relationship, trust me, the first step is becoming an object and not being a person.

Blog #2 Reminders

Remember please post your response to my blog post as a separate post. Also you will need to read and comment on each of your classmates' blogs. You need to have your blog post submitted by 8pm Friday and you need to comment on your classmates' blogs before class on Saturday.

As for Saturday's class, we will begin with the quiz on Learning Unit #2. Following the quiz we will discuss Chapter 4 Bodies and the blog. After that I will give a short lecture combining chapters 3 & 5.

Study guide for your first quiz is posted on this blog and also accessible via Dropbox. Please let me know if you have any questions about the quiz or the materials prior to class on Saturday.

Cheers!

~Sara

Blog #2: Attractiveness - Gender as Body Performance

This week we build upon core definitions and theories by examining how gender operates in interpersonal communication through voices, bodies, and language. It is important to note that gender and communication is not just limited to verbal "battles" between men and women over masculinity and femininity, but are most often displayed through nonverbal communication especially through Butler's concept of gender as performance.

The authors of your text call specially attention to cultural norms that define bodily beauty in very narrow, limiting ways. These boundaries do however shift over time (yay?), and our cultural interpretations of attractiveness do change as society evolves and changes. Remember when pale skin was beautiful or full figured frames were valued?

I don't really remember these times either, but sources say that we didn't always want to look like this:

Due to our narrow cultural conceptualization of beauty, and its ever changing depiction, unfortunately these standards have and will always be very, very difficult to attain. Advertising analyst Jean Kilbourne has been an active and vital voice in gender research that seeks to critique these unattainable, cultural constructions of beauty. Her documentary series, Killing Us Softly, has been a vital tool for critiquing not only the advertising industries, but some of our larger cultural discourses. For this week's blog, I would like you to watch this clip from Killing Us Softly and respond to the following questions:

1.) What is Kilbourne's central thesis? (i.e. if you had to summarize her central message in 1-2 sentences, what would it be?)

2.) Is the advertising industry responsible for acknowledging these toxic cultural constructions?

3.) How can we as critical consumers and women push back against these narrow constructions?

4.) Do you agree with Kibourne's claim that turning a person into a thing is the first step towards violence?

Quiz #1 Study Guide

Key Terms:

Intersectionality

Gender

Sex

Sexual Orientation

Heteronormativity

Race

Ethnicity

Hegemony

Identity

Heterosociability

Power

Culture

Chapter 1:

1. What does the metaphor “gender wars” mean?

a. How is it a structural metaphor according to Lakoff?

2. Describe one of the 4 reasons behind the pervasiveness of the gender wars myth (see pg. 6 – 7)

3. Define communication

a. How does communication relate to gender/sex?

4. What does the phase “systems of hierarchy” mean?

a. Name and define the 3 components of this system?

Chapter 2:

1. What is a worldview/paradigm?

2. What are the 3 approaches to gender and what are the assumptions behind each of these approaches?

3. Explain social learning theory and provide an example (either from the text or from real life experiences).

4. Explain a descriptive cultural theory and provide an example.

5. Explain a critical cultural theory and provide an example.

Blog #1: Sex Differences & Communication Styles

For this week's blog I would like us to discuss the role of culture as a primary source of sex differences in regards to communication styles. For scholars, who have a biological approach to gender, they argue that women's brains are hardwired to communicate differently from men, while communication scholars such as Brenda Allen argue that it is the process of socialization that leads to forms of gendered communication that are based on power and privilege. This position can best be seen in cultural approaches to gender and more notably critical approaches. So what do you think?

Here's some points from the No side (it's biology not society):

• Size wise male and female brains differ (male brains are larger by 9% and while men and women have the same number of brain cells they are packed more densely in women), which leads to differences in how the brain functions in terms of communication.
• Female brain is greatly affected by hormones, which influence's values and desires as well as prioritizing what is important day-to-day (In my opinion, these findings could be used to make the argument that women are better situated for handling the psychological aspects of the second shift - definitely dangerous thinking in my opinion).
• A women's neurological reality is not as constant as a man's. Male brains have been compared to mountains (worn away over a millennia of time) while women are like weather (constantly changing)
• Neurological Differences: 1) different brain sensitivities to stress & conflict, 2) Use different areas to solve problems, process language, and experience emotion, 3) Process stimuli, hear, see, sense, and gauge others feelings, 4) Men us 7,000 words per day while women use 20,000 - studies claim that women get a dopamine and oxytocin rush that has been compared to orgasm-like, and 5) Women speak faster (250 words per minute) versus men (125 words per minute).
• Women have been programmed to keep social harmony through communication
• Deborah Tannen claims that "genderlects" exist: Brain sets up speech differences. Women use language to build consensus. Men use language to command others. (Rapport v. Report talk)

And some Points from the Yes side (society perpetuates these differences):

• Views communication as not biological hardwiring or programming, but a dynamic process that humans use to produce, interpret, and share meaning.
• Communication is based on our social identities (age, gender, sex, religion, race, ethnicity, class, nationality, etc): Aspects of a person's self-image derived from the social categories to which an individual perceives her/himself belonging.
• We communicate through intergroup communication, which balances our personal identities with our ingroup/outgroup statuses and we make comparisons about social groups both our own and others
• Communication is based on the salience of gender and sex as both a personal and social identity and the comparison of ingroup/outgroup status.
• Power and privilege determines how gender relates to communication style: 1) English is a patriarchal language, 2) Speech style is related more to women's relatively powerless position in society rather than essentialist characteristics like biology, 3) Differences due to socialization process, including literature that asserts differences.
• Through communication, we culturally develop and disseminate hierarchies of gender and sex: We create labels, ascribe meaning to them, and use them to refer to one another as social groups.

So which side do you take? Are our communication styles as men and women based on biology or is it a socially constructed process that occurs through socialization and intergroup communication? Do you have examples from personal experience that can either confirm or refute these points?

Additional Resources:

Brenda Allen's Difference Matters web site: http://www.differencematters.info/

Deborah Tannen's works:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ADeborah+Tannen&keywords=Deborah+Tannen&ie=UTF8&qid=1306356254&sr=8-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B000AQ3YWU

Louann Brizedine's The Female Brain -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Louann+Brizedine's+The+Female+Brain&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3ALouann+Brizedine's+The+Female+Brain&ajr=8

All of these books could serve as a pop press book for your theory application paper!

Welcome to Comm 330

Welcome to the class blog for Comm 330 Gender & Communication. We will use this space as a discussion forum outside of class, and to help spark our in class discussions as well. Additionally, I will use the blog space to post announcements, and additional materials such as study guides. It is my hope that our class blog will help us get to know one another and to generate lively and engaging discussions. Your first blog post is due Friday @ 8pm before our next class. I will post a separate blog that will prompt the contents of your first post.

First, a couple of announcements:

1.) Next Class: Please read chapters 1 & 2 in CGD. When reading chapter 2 think about which theory you would like to apply to your application paper. This will be a major part of the paper. Also your first blog post is due next Friday by 8pm. I will post the blog prompt tomorrow. Please respond with a paragraph reflection and also comment on your classmates' posts.

2.) To Do: Please make sure that you have joined our class Dropbox folder. If you don't have access to Dropbox please email me.

3.) Course Feedback: Please review the course syllabus paying special attention to the schedule and assignments. I am open to feedback and suggestions regarding the content and requirements of the assignments and their corresponding due dates.

Question on Posts

Hi,

Is there supposed to be a question or topic that we are to discuss here? If so I am not seeing it.