Service Learning Activism Log, Entry Six.

1) On Wednesday, to make up for my apparent lack of hours across the board, I did about two hours of work, tabling for VOX. Another member and I were tasked with setting up the table because we arrived around ten, and then spent another hour or so passing out brochures focusing on men's health and free condoms. Today, I spent another two hours with Anjella, cleaning out the Women's Studies office storage room and shredding miscellaneous papers in the English department office because the little shredder in WST overheated after ten minutes of use (you should really get on that :D). Jacqueline from NOW and VOX invited me to the Love Your Body Week Fashion Show that is being held tonight and promised hours for attendance, so I'll be doing that later as well. After that, I'll be done with this class for the semester.

2) VOX's mission to assist in preventative measures for sexual health has never been as relevant as during Men's Health Week. When passing out brochures, reactions were varied, and I think most men were more receptive to the condoms because the contemplation of one's own mortality is a heavy task for most college students. Testicular cancer is not a bright concept with which to come to terms. However, we ran out of an entire freezer bag full of condoms in an hour because though we were surrounded by many religious groups (LDS representatives and the requisite town crier of damnation), at least half of the passersby were receptive to our mission. I assumed that any rejection of the offer was either out of embarrassment, a general belief that one did not need the help, or disagreement with the mission itself, but as my partner, Megan, pointed out, they're good for three years, and abstinence isn't a panacea to all possible issues, as it is rarely carried out with absolute success. Preventative action on behalf of everyone will engender a much more healthy society, as "sexually transmitted infections affect some 19 million people each year, almost half of them aged 15-24" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 215).

3) The recent service learning hours problems have put into perspective how desperately I need to learn to manage my time. This semester has been chaotic and I've generally handled it very well, but I could do better, clearly. I simply did not anticipate that sixty hours, when depending on so many people for opportunities which may or may not exist, would be so difficult. At this point, though, I have it under control and I feel very productive even just doing manual labor in the office, as I love this department so much and I know it doesn't always receive enough attention.

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Case Study

ISSUE:

The Indian government predominantly represents the majority, the Hindu nationalists, and the prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, is a very progressive young man, who represents the sentiments of postcolonial India. One particularly contentious issue his administration was confronted with were the multiple "personal laws," which were based on the agendas of disparate religious communities. The specific example we examine here is the case of Shah Bano, a sixty-two year old Muslim woman who had been divorced against her will. According to the conservative interpretation of Sharia law which applied to her community, she had to be taken cared of by only her two sons, as they constituted her immediate family/community, not her former husband, who had ostensibly been her entire means of financial support prior to their divorce. Because her sons were becoming destitute supporting her, she sought maintenance through the Indian court system and when her case made it to the Supreme Court, they ruled in her favor, essentially violating a set of "personal laws," which constitutes a very important part of the culture of this minority population. An interesting facet of why this decision is so problematic is that it was written in Hindi, though it was aimed specifically at a population that did not speak the language. However, while the number of women who will benefit from this decision versus the number of people it would disenfranchise makes this decision seem unsound, there needs to be some compromise between the rights of the many and the rights of the few, especially when regarding basic human rights.

Discussion and Analysis:

While it would seem pragmatic to overrule this, as there is already enough dissent from this group and they do not feel as though their voices are being heard, and to a degree, this opinion is justified, one must take into account the implications for the women, including but not limited to Shah Bano, who would be affected by such a decision, as it would deprive them of their rights not to have the quality of life to which they became accustomed in their previous domestic situations. The Joint Women's Programme proposed a civil code instead of the Muslim Women's Bill because they deemed it unconstitutional and discriminatory, citing Article 14 of the constitution, as it guarantees equal protection under the law. Although a uniform civil code seems like the best option to suit a growing disparity between the groups represented and their agendas, this is not apropos to maintaining the individual rights of the minoritarian populations and could possibly also violate the Indian constitution, as it would supersede the "personal laws," which are based directly on the Qu'ran, in favor of a blanketed secular code of laws. Along those same lines, enforcing the new law, as it stands, would impose a civil intervention into a matter that many would rather resolve within the community and gives no option for assistance in another way. For these reasons, a new solution must be found.

Solution:

Our plan is that instead of the ruling given, the government should institute a different sort of elective civil code. In order to ensure that both the women and the minorities are served, there would be three modes of premarital registration: either a couple could just get married through their individual religious community and accept all of the trappings of that without the interference or benefits of registering with the government, they could just get a governmental marriage license, or they could have the religious ceremony and adhere to the community social customs, as well as applying for the governmental marriage license. In the latter two options, if there were any sort of problems down the line, wherein the wife lost all income, usually through forceable divorce, she would be eligible to apply for maintenance. If one was married without a governmental marriage license, these options would not be available unless the woman could prove in a court of law that she had been forced to forgo this institution, or if there was a history of spousal abuse (Coercive Marriage Clause). In addition, any woman who seeks similar benefits and was married before this code was enacted could still be eligible for those benefits if need be, under a grandfathering clause. This allows for the women to elect which entity has the most authority over such a multifaceted personal issue. The rights of the minorities are being respected, as the authority of the government does not supersede community law, but rather, works alongside it to serve the needs of women who feel that the religious institutions are not acting in their best interests, but rather on behalf of an interpretation of a code which does not acknowledge the lives affected.

Works Cited

Jenkins, Laura D. "Shah Bano: Muslim Women's Rights, Case Study." Teaching Human Rights Online. University of Cincinnati, 2000. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://homepages.uc.edu/thro/shahbano/index.htm>.

Word Count: 781

Service Learning Activism Log, Entry Five.

1) Not much to report, except that I cannot attend or even assist because I am supposed to work, and usually, I would get my shift covered in a heartbeat, but I am on sabbatical and MUST work once a month, lest I get separated (fancy corporate terminology that roughly means "fired without prejudice"), and the date I was scheduled is within the last week of that cycle. I don't know how this happened, but Schuyler and I were both under the impression it was on Thursday and it was written in my calendar as such, though to be fair, I have changed my calendars too many times to count, but when I looked back at the email, it was on Tuesday. I'm in touch with Rachel and Cristina and I'm going to do whatever they have planned on the days I'm available next week (I'm doing all of my homework now, so that I have afternoons and evenings free), but I can't work around this conflict.

2) VOX's plans for Men's Health week are working in cooperation with a number of other progressive campus organizations (NOW and I believe maybe Men Against Rape) and Bigger, Stronger, Faster* focuses on steroids and their implications for masculinities. The plot summary I found is as follows:

The documentary examines the steroid use of the director Christopher Bell and his two brothers, Mark and Mike Bell, who all grew up idolizing Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, and Sylvester Stallone, and also features professional athletes, medical experts, fitness center members, and US Congressmen talking about the issue of anabolic steroids. Beyond the basic issue of anabolic steroid use, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* examines the lack of consistency in how America views drugs, cheating, and the lengths people go to achieve success.

From a feminist theory standpoint, the use of anabolic steroids is just symptomatic of a larger crisis for masculinity. We compensate our pro athletes better than our civil servants, and they often feel pressure to distinguish themselves from others in ways that we may deem unethical. The most valuable commentary we can make on this film is that masculinity is conditioned through the "Act-Like-a-Man" box outlined in Paul Kivel's article in Men's Lives, and it is completely plausible that men, specifically athletes, are even more socially constrained by gender roles than women are. Being under this cultural microscope causes men to overcompensate with toughness and aggressive, for fear of being called names (Kimmel and Messner 84). In addition to the movie night, as far as I know, though the communication is limited, I believe Rachel is still planning the HPV vaccination awareness events, which are pertinent to our understanding of a myriad of issues, specifically how safer sex practices can improve the lives of both partners. Usually, only female partners need to consider the repercussions of possibly contracting HPV, but a more egalitarian outlook will yield healthier lifestyles for both partners.

3) I'm gaining a sense of flexibility from these experiences. I am a classic only child and I hate when things don't go as planned and I don't counter unexpected changes well. Because Schuyler and I were both under the impression that the date had changed, I was, at first, a bit upset because I couldn't find any evidence that I had been notified. However, it was just a misunderstanding of dates, which makes sense, since this particular event has been rescheduled and conceived in many different ways over the past couple months. I'm sure it will all be worked out in due time.

Works Cited

Kivel, Paul. "The Act-Like-a-Man Box." Men's Lives. Ed. Michael S. Kimmel. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2004. 83-85. Print.

Women and the Workforce.

I decided to focus on the Coen Brothers' 1996 film, Fargo, and one of its principle characters, the female cop, Marge Olmstead-Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand. She is an extraordinary paragon of female competence in the workforce, especially when juxtaposed with the bumbling efforts of both her coworkers and the criminals she is pursuing. Marge is seven months pregnant while doggedly pursuing two career criminals who have botched what should have been a routine hired kidnapping and kill many people in the process. She is never actively undermined, but it can't clearly be discerned how her male coworkers feel about her continual ability to outperform them. Her husband assumes rather nurturing qualities with respect to her pregnancy, cooking her breakfast and bringing her lunch at work to offset what would perhaps otherwise be an overwhelming load. It is, without a doubt, a very egalitarian relationship. Marge often uses her charm in a particularly feminine manner to gain information on her case, and the film, which is classified as a dark comedy, often plays on the stereotypes of the inherent niceness of Minnesotans to develop her character in a way that would not be believable elsewhere.

What is interesting about Marge, and what makes her rather fantastical in terms of whether or not she could hypothetically represent a real person, is that she is not only in a highly dangerous position (she lives in Brainard, North Dakota, so mortal danger probably isn't a daily occurrence, but this movie represents a rather anomalous situation that she has the potential to be presented with at any given moment), but she is also pregnant while doing it, and the primary breadwinner in a time (late 80's) and place (the very conservative, backwoods Midwest) where that concept is either foreign or generally viewed without favor. There is only one other major female character in the film, the woman who is kidnapped, and she is a housewife who is portrayed as being rather annoying and doltish. Despite the aforementioned social constructs, her husband, Norm, is her gracious partner, accepting her dominance in the relationship power differential without any visible hesitation. I also find it a bit hard to believe that given her environment, Marge maintains her femininity so well and uses it to her advantage in ways that make her even more of an asset than her male counterparts. She cleverly plays on her pregnancy to force suspects to talk to her, always stating she is "carrying quite a load" before inviting herself to sit down and politely but pointedly question them. An article in Time from 1992 called "Are Women Better Cops?," relevant in terms of contextualizing attitudes of the previous decade, mentions specifically that "women tend to rely more on intellectual than physical prowess [and] from that standpoint, policing is a natural match for them" (Time). Again, I must harp on the idea of strength in difference, as I always do when gender issues are discussed. In essence, she offers a converse, if idyllic, prospective from the patriarchal assimilation that is so often cited as an early problem of women entering male-dominated professions. Marge, as a character, is so wonderful in part because all of the people around her are decidedly average, or worse, and I don't believe that that is how most women advance themselves in their chosen professions, but rather, by being equals to their male counterparts who may have preconceived notions about their ability or lack thereof. 

In terms of the interplay between her work and family life, her second shift will clearly be managed very well by having a husband who does not adhere to a gendered division of labor or assume male privilege, but many women are not offered this luxury. The film ends with them celebrating the impending birth of their child and that his wildlife art was chosen for a stamp, and again, this is a very subtle nod to their gendered role reversal (husband in an artistic, "soft" position, while wife pursues hardened criminals). In terms of audience perception, these cues are used with purpose to point out what an extraordinary pair we are witnessing, that their relationship is in no way common, perhaps not even normative, but something to which we should aspire. They are an entirely unassuming, average Midwestern couple, and yet, their relationship recalls Naomi Wolf's conceptions of "Radical Heterosexuality" in the ways in which they both repudiate gender privilege in their relationship. That is especially interesting, as it implies that the "traditional family values" mentioned with respect to the nuclear family can occur without a "father [as] provider [and] wife/mother [who] spends her days running the home" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 303-304). This alone makes Marge a fictional role model for any ambitious woman.

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Mcdowell, Jeanne, and Georgia Pabst. "Are Women Better Cops? - TIME." TIME.com. Time Inc., 17 Feb. 1992. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974878,00.html>.

Naomi Wolf's Radical Heterosexuality (handout)

Service Learning Activism Log, Entry Four.

1) I was finally able to volunteer for VOX last Saturday. Cristina taught me how to phone-bank with PPGO's automated system, and we bounced between calling people on their c4 list about Alex Sink, Kelly Skidmore, and Amendments 5 and 6, and standing outside with the volunteers who were assisting in the clinic escort process. It was the last day of Forty Days of Life, so there was quite a bit of yelling. The primary refrain was that "abortion kills babies," but while their message was clear and very abrasive, I was very glad that at the very least, they didn't use any particularly gruesome images on their posters. However, one poster asked the passing cars to "honk for babies," and while I'm sure that most of the people knew that it was an anti-choice group picketing a clinic, there were nearly as many honkers as non-honkers, which really shocked me, as I naturally assumed that most people were either ambivalent to the issue or supportive, unless it was undermined by their religious beliefs. Regardless, I didn't think that a lack of support would be conflated with the belief that being pro-choice is somehow anti-baby, as this poster clearly implied. Beyond that rather presumptuous implication, we had a great day phone-banking. Cristina said it was her most successful day phone-banking ever, and while I had no prior experience to which I could compare it, I had an incredibly positive experience. Generally speaking, even though people on their lists signed up and chose to be able to be surveyed, often, they tell us that they have no interest in doing so, or that their politics are not in line with our mission, or worse. However, every person that agreed to speak with me told me they were going to vote for Alex Sink, and nearly all of them said they would vote in favor of the fair redistricting amendments that Planned Parenthood supported. Most were older women who were very happy that young people were getting involved in the political process, and quite a few had some choice words about how unfit Rick Scott was for the position. I left on Saturday feeling very hopeful for the future of my state, though as we're all aware by now, the outcome was less than favorable.

2) This exercise demonstrates yet again that Planned Parenthood and feminist politics in general extend far beyond pro-choice politics and activism, though that is a huge part of it, obviously. The amendments were much more concerned with making sure that politicians don't hold too much power in districting to gain reelection. While that can be linked directly to the support of progressive social positions, its most immediate goal is just political accountability and ethics. Additionally, I had never been to this particular clinic, Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando's westside office, and therefore was unaware of the area to which it catered. It's built in a very low-income neighborhood by Jones High School, and is considered a safe place by the nearby residents. The protestors tried to conflate its location and clientele with the existence of a "black genocide" by white people, but I highly doubt that the accessibility of free birth control or an option in a tough situation is perceived that way by the community. Women's Lives does, however, mention that because choice is only meaningful to those with resources, then "a pro-choice framework creates a hierarchy among women based on resources which are linked to race and class" (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 214). In this case, though, Planned Parenthood offers affordable options, possibly even free, depending on the circumstances, for women, regardless of their background.

3) The phone-banking was a very enjoyable experience. I hate talking on the phone, especially with strangers, but in time, it became comfortable and I was able to have some very interesting conversations with quite a few people. The entire experience, while jarring in terms of the kind of opinions I encountered, was rewarding. Being involved in any cause that raises awareness about issues I care about, in addition to contributing to the options granted to women in what could be the worst period of their life, is very personally empowering for me, and I'm excited to work at the clinic in the future.

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Okazawa-Rey, Margo. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Word Count: 727