"It is often in the classroom that a feminist academic is most routinely tested in her commitment to acknowledging surprise." I thought this quote was a great way to connect her reading to the experiences we shared by taking this course. I think, personally, taking WMST was a great way to spark my interest in relating women's issues to other disciplines and areas of study. I agree with Enloe that women's issues can be the root of a variety of social problems, and thus it is a major importance to work actively to eradicate gendered marginalization, oppression, and degradation.
I think Enloe would agree that while studying feminism and women's issues, this is not enough. Often times, i believe that academics get lost in their own world and are unable to carry their knowledge into the real world. What i got out of this reading, and the majority of readings we had throughout the course, is that studying and engaging in an academic setting is not enough. Now that we, as students, have the background knowledge, we must take this into our real lives and make changes on a grander scale.
A daunting, but important, task.
I think you made really good observations on Enloe's chapter. Your remark in the end "I believe that academics get lost in their own world and are unable to carry their knowledge into the real world" was very interesting. Women studies is a class that revealed to me, for the first time, all the complexities of a patriarch system,and the subtle ways of oppression against women.Most importantly, I did not only learn about other women's issues while reading for class, but I got to learn about myself and what my role in society is. I feel like studying feminism is important because it teaches you about the role you play and the script you have in the world. My point is, if you are unequipped with the type of knowledge you gain by engaging in an academic setting, you fail to recognize yourself/ know yourself. Without knowing who you are, it's even harder to figure out where you're going...which is "a daunting, but important, task."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hillary’s point that the quote “It is often in the classroom that a feminist academic is most routinely tested in her commitment to acknowledging surprise” and how we connected this point to the experiences we shared by taking this course. I also agree with both Hillary and Enloe that woman’s issues can be the root to many social problems. Despite the fact that studying these issue will provide awareness, it is still not enough to create change as mentioned above. Women need to get involved and become activists if they want society to change.
ReplyDeleteI conquer with you that this was a great way to end our Enloe reading. I think that Enloe is exactly right. Activism can never have a set plan that is followed without hiccups or audibles. Throughout history, whether talking about women's rights, African American rights, etc, nothing ever goes exactly how anyone plans. This is why if you must roll with the punches and continue in your quest for equality. I also found our discussion in class very interesting pertaining to being too nervous to ask questions when you are out of your comfort zone or to avoid creating stereotypes. I was one of four men in this Women's Studies class and I feel that it has helped me grow in this category. At the beginning of the semester, I'll admit, I was a little reluctant to speak my mind in class out of fear of fitting the stereotypes associated with men in a classroom with all women. I soon realized, however, that by raising my hand, asking questions, and making comments, I was contributing to everyones education and learning more than I ever would have if I sat in the back of the classroom and acted like a fly on the wall. Asking questions is the most important thing someone can do. It does not make you seem less intelligent, in fact, it makes you seem more worldly. If people didn't ask questions we would not be where we are in society today.
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