In 1991, Julie Dash directed an independent film classic, Daughters of the Dust, a narrative revolving around three generations of Geechee women preparing to migrate to the north, dealing with themes such as history preservation, tradition vs modernity, and black feminism perspective. Not only did Dash garner critical acclaim for being the first black female director to project a film for theatrical distribution, but also one of the few films to feature women of color as agents of change in the non-linear narrative, rather than excessive character additions. A recurring conflict in cinematic industry stems from how filmmakers construct men as protagonists and women as spectacle of objectification and source of erotic pleasure. Additionally, misrepresenting women to satisfy the male gaze establishes a problematic cinematic expectation on the roles normally fulfilled, constructing this unfair myth that psychologically and methodically reoccurs in the mindset of both male and female audience members, flawed by the illusion that the film represents truth. In her feminist film theory essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", Laura Mulvey uses psychoanalysis to criticize and scrutinize the fetishism, scopophilia, and eroticism in Hollywood mainstream cinema. What Daughters of the Dust executes impeccably roots from radically abandoning the cultural conventions that depict women as subservient and submissive to patriarchal
The main point of the article is that in many cultures, there are alternatives to “man” or “woman” and that not all countries agree with the Western culture’s strict classification of male and female.
I work at Sonora Regional Medical Center and this week, I have been working at a pediatric clinic and I have learned certain things about circumcisions and when it should be performed on a baby boy. A circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin and, on infants, it is performed within the first few day after birth. It has been found by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), that the benefits of a circumcisions in newborns, outweigh the risks of it, but when the boys age more, it does not necessarily need to be done unless there is a medical reason to do so. There are many benefits to a circumcision including a reduced risk of urinary tract infections, a reduced risk of sexually transmitted diseases in men, reduced risk of penile
While I previously viewed the Muslim form of veiling as misogynistic and compulsory; however, Tamira Stephens describes that certain American Muslims see it as empowering (Stephens pg. 5). Furthermore, despite the common belief as veiling being particular to Muslims, Tamira Stephens also reports through her essay that even “more American” subcultures (the Amish) have a form of this practice much closer to my perception of misogyny (cite). Though Stephens’ comparison of the Amish and American Muslim veil serves as a means to subdue any negative stereotypes surrounding the Muslim practice, Stephens’ description of this Islamic practice of veiling can also serve as a testament to the positive effects of pluralism and equality in the United States.
The Figuration of the female body is well described in both Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El-Saadawi and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Both novels show that the women bodies are not their own and controlled by others which it turned into an object in order to survive. In this paper, I would like to argue how the objectification of the female bodies in both novels resulted in their oppression and sufferings. Moreover, what is the definition of the figuration of a body to both Offred and Firdaus? And is there a way out to survive this tragedy in both novels?
The Feminine Mystique (1963) examines the dehumanizing conditions of middle class American women who were excluded from social and political life to be anchored in their wifely and motherly roles. The book marks the Second Wave of American feminism. Friedan writes, “Their only dream was to be perfect wives and mothers” (61). This meant that the whole of an American woman’s life was meant to attract and keep her husband and serve his and children’s needs. She deals with this painful ordeal of women and clearly brings out the ennui, unhappiness, and the lack of companionship experienced by women in their marriages.
In a society that is heavily influenced by mass media, women are repeatedly compartmentalized into unrealistic, and often degrading standards of appearance and sexuality. Doris Bazzini’s research on magazines and Caroline Heldman’s blog explores themes related to a woman’s appearance, while Jessica Valenti elaborates on the concept of virginity in her essay titled, “The Purity Myth”. Despite the diversity in scope when it comes to womanhood, there is a numerous set of expectations that a female must fit in order to be “ideal”. However, this checklist is so specific and debasing that it renders the criteria useless. The three main pre-requisites in being the ideal woman include physical attractiveness, sexual accessibility, and purity. The pressure
Although the film’s subject matter is complex, the stories are depicted with compassion and humor and at the same time challenges common stereotypes of Muslim women as passive victims. This sophisticated balanced is largely due to Longinotto’s raw method of filming which seems to be imply pressing “Record” and letting the court tell its own story. As an observational filmmaker, Longinotto’s style
Female genital mutilation (FGM), sex-selected abortion, and son preference and its damaging effects on the physical and mental health of the girl child, amongst a plethora of other malicious practices has brought the issue of harmful traditional practices affecting women to the forefront of international debate. The United States, being one of the largest providers of humanitarian assistance, is appalled by the lack of effort put into fighting these malicious practices. These traditions not only plague the world but America itself. Over half a million women and girls in the U.S. are at a risk of undergoing or have already undergone FGM, most of these girls under the age of 18. Not only that, but son preference has devalued the life of the girl child, showing through the vast majority of immigrants in America that use sex-selective abortions. The effects of these harmful traditions done on women are more prominently seen worldwide. In current times, India and China eliminate more girls than the number of girls born in America each year. Globally, around 130 million women and girls are living with the effects from FGM and around 3 million undergo the procedure annually, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The practice, known to be performed
The gender roles of women in the USA and in the Maasai culture are completely different from one another. First, the Maasai women are circumcised between the ages of 11 and 13. The married women do more work than their husbands and they respect them while not challenging them. Once a woman is circumcised she can only have sexual relations with elders. They are circumcised because they believe if you are not circumcised than you can’t have babies who could be the next generation of warriors. The women are allowed to scorn and express feelings in song about men. They are also allowed to beat elders who break the incest rule. The women also build the houses and destroy them if the land they are on is needed for the livestock. Next, the women in
To initiate, the implementation of gender equality laws will help conclude unequal treatment towards women and create opportunities for women to refuse unsafe work and treatments. Also, without the right to make individual choices for body, women 's prosperity, well-being, and potential in society are restricted and gender inequality is therefore perpetuated. According to the academic article, Sexual Health’s Women’s Rights, “120 million girls worldwide have experienced forced intercourse” (Ngcuka) activities against their own individual soul. Many women are suffering from forced physical and sexual violence because of the limited laws and regulations that allow women to refuse unsafe treatments and practices. According to reports, the “ 32
Although Bakhtin does not gender the grotesque body, he subconsciously establishes a mutual liaison between the grotesque and the female body. These laughable hags are associated with grotesque imageries of the female body such as “copulation, pregnancy, childbirth, the throes of death, eating, drinking, or defecation” which make it perceived as “the ever unfinished, ever creating body” (26). To explain more, the female body has a close affinity to the process of reproduction; it is ready for fertilisation, gets pregnant, conceives children, experiences the proximities of life to death in giving birth/death throes and gives birth to children and becomes a consuming body. Mary Russo consolidates this connection between the pregnant hang and
To inform my audience about female genital mutilation and where the controversy of it all lies.
In this article, Eric Poser has elaborated several reasons which made human rights a failure in international legal regime. The most highlighted issues are hypocrite policies of US and EU which has directly questioned credibility and integrity of their law and justice. The second reason is role played by Russia and China, the two major economic powers who in order to sustain their power, are involved in human rights violations. The third most important reason is standardized model of Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is ideal but not practical in various countries. These three major factors of human rights failure are further analyzed below.
The Monograph THE VEIL AND THE MALE ELITE tackled various issues and subjects in the Islamic religion, which were mostly based on the role of the women as well as their rights in it. Initially in the preface of the Monograph the Mernissi compares the Islamic society with Judeo-Christian societies in order to unravel the reason as to why