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139). Thinness is also a type of privilege, as is external or socially acceptable beauty. Beauty ideals and norms are also tied in with race, culture, and class. Economic class and social class often determine access to healthy food, which is why low-income people are more likely to be obese and have related problems. Although generally, African-American women have healthier body images than white women, white cultural hegemony has started to infiltrate black culture, especially in what Riley (n.d.) calls "bourgeois black families," (p. 358). Riley's (n.d.) experiences reveal the interconnectedness, or intersectionality, between race, class, and gender. Just as it is important to recognize different gendered identities for women from different cultural backgrounds, it is also important to acknowledge that not all women subscribe to the same notions of beauty.
Women's studies also embrace the difficult dialogue related to gender and sexuality in ways that are not discussed in other departments. Gender and sexuality are related topics, but it is important to remember that gender does not determine sexuality any more than biological sex determines gender. We are just now starting to recognize that the binaries of male/female and heterosexual/homosexual are detrimental to psychological and social health. Human beings are too complex, and their sexual and gendered identities too complex, to allow for artificial binaries...
Learning about the fluidity of both gender and sexuality, we become liberated to explore our own personal identity. Women's studies asks each person, no matter what their background, gender, or social status, to forge a strong identity and be assertive enough to express that identity. This is the personal dimension of women's studies. Women's studies also has a powerful political dimension. From a strong personal identity, we become empowered to take action in the world. We may make a difference in someone else's life, perhaps by sharing our story or starting an organization. Women's studies are about personal and social change.
References
A, Ijeoma. (n.d.). Because you're a girl.
Bergman, S.B. (2009). Part-time fatso. In The Fat Studies Reader. Eds. Ester Rosenblum and Sandra Solvay. NYU Press.
Douglas, S. (2010). Enlightened sexism.
"Examples of Institutional Heterosexism." Appendix 9H
Women in the Arab Spring Role of Women in the Arab Spring History of Women in the Arab World Tunisian Example and Women's Role in the Revolt Egyptian Example and Women's Role in the Revolt Yemeni Example and Women's Role in the Revolt Libyan Example and Women's Role in the Revolt Common-ground of the Eminent Female Workers The Arab Spring was a rude awakening for the world. It brought to light how simmering discontent among the masses
Women in Combat: The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection: Women in Combat Key Words: #Combat # Integration # CI/HUMINT The success of any counterinsurgency operation depends largely on the effectiveness and appropriateness of intelligence gathered. Human subjects are a crucial source of intelligence for counterinsurgency operations. Recently, the Pentagon announced its plan to open up all ground combat roles that had previously been closed to
Women in Combat: The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection The Effect of Integration on CI/HUMINT Collection: Women in Combat Key Words: #Combat # Integration # CI/HUMINT The success of any counterinsurgency operation depends largely on the effectiveness and appropriateness of intelligence gathered. Human subjects are a crucial source of intelligence for counterinsurgency operations. Recently, the Pentagon announced its plan to open up all ground combat roles that had previously been closed to
Women's Rights In Saudi Arabia Despite recent media attention stemming from Saudi Arabia's recent legislative decision to allow women the right to vote and run in the 2015 municipal elections, the truth remains that Saudi Arabian women remain some of the most tightly-controlled and oppressed populations in the world in terms of legislation and cultural practices -- both of which prohibit them from having the same rights as men. In viewing
Women's Higher Education From 1920 To 1945 The female college students from 1920 to 1945 have had a lasting impact on women's education in the United States, which is not surprising since that generation of women was the first generation to attend colleges or universities in large groups. One of the most significant impacts is that they helped shift the face of higher education, so that women at colleges and universities
The authors further point out that at the time, NWSA did not accept male membership as its focus was firmly trained on securing the voting rights of women nationwide. As their push for the enfranchisement of women at the federal level became more and more untenable, NWSA shifted its focus to individual states. In so doing, it planned to create a ripple effect that could ease the attainment of