fJueun has 13 post(s)

In “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving,” Lila Abu-Lughod criticizes how Muslim women and Islamic faith are being utilized to portray War on Terror and why that poses a problem. First of all, in regards to addressing recent terrorist attacks, there is a tendency of focusing on the cultural aspect, such as religious beliefs and the treatment of Muslim women. Abu-Lughod mentions how media likes to talk about women and religious rituals, as though understanding such aspects brings insight into terrorism. As a result, the real root of the problem rarely gets discussed; the historical and political issues are often left unveiled. By addressing and emphasizing how culturally different it is on the other side of the world, it creates a division that further impairs the ability to seek out the truth as to why such sufferings exist and find the appropriate solution.

Such “cultural mode of explanation,” and the unnecessary focus on the role of women in regards to the War on Terror can be seen as a justification for the “right” of Americans to interfere and “take over” Afghanistan. Portraying Afghan women as being inappropriately treated by the Taliban-and-the-terrorist has linked the fight against terrorism to the fight for women’s rights. Abu-Lughod seems skeptical as to whether the desire to intervene by the U.S. forces solely lies upon liberating these women. And if so, what really is the right way of saving these women? Abu-Lughod emphasizes the importance of recognizing differences and accepting that what Afghan women consider to be “liberating” may be different from what the rest of the world is trying to impose on them. As exemplified by the case regarding burqas, what many fail to realize is that it serves as a symbol for women’s modesty, not something that the Taliban has imposed upon women against their very will. As noted by anthropologist Hanna Poparek, it’s like a “portable seclusion” that allows women to be liberated out of their isolated lifestyles. However, the world often portrays women wearing burqas as being confined and repressed, while taking out the burqas means being liberated. Abu-Loghod warns against such misconceptions and hopes to instill the right solutions that is appropriately aimed to bring safety and better life for all.

Amelia Cabeza, in “Between Love and Money,” did an interesting study where she interviewed male and female sex workers in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. She explains how the fact that these locations have become very popular among tourists is bolstering the sexual economy, otherwise termed “sex tourism.” Hospitality workers, such as those working in resorts, are often involved with sex work because of their direct contact with the tourists. A tourist may have their eyes on a particular worker, and that worker would actually welcome the chance to earn extra money by offering sexual services. Or, there may be gigolos who wonder around tourist-heavy areas in search for foreigners who will take their services. However, the term “sex tourism” becomes unclear in some cases, because of the element of love. Some people that Cabeza interviewed stated they didn’t have a material interest and was only out for companionship and romance. There were gay sex workers who denied any interest in monetary gain and in this case, the reason may be that the ability to express their homosexuality and to have sexual freedom was a gift in itself. Though some straight people choose gay sex because it is more profitable, there must be an element of desiring sexual freedom through sex tourism among those who are unable to have such freedom in their society. It’s difficult to say whether sex tourism is solely business or solely pleasure, but Cabeza also introduced another term that seems to encompass both elements: “emotional economy.” People actually form relationships through sex tourism, and some even strive for marriage and eventual migration. One of the interviewee, Yolanda, met several boyfriends while working at the resort, and her current boyfriend sends her money so she could support her family. It is hard to deny the element of love in their relationship, but it is without a doubt that money is an aspect that cannot be separated from their relationship. With that being said, however, there is the question of what takes priority, the love in the relationship or the need to support their family. If the other party is unable to support and send money, would that mean the end of the relationship for the couple as well?

In “Global Care Crisis: A Problem of Capital, Care Chains, or Commons?” Arlie Hochschild, Lise Widding Isaksen, and Sambasivan Uma Davi talk about the various concepts surrounding migration, including some of its hidden aspects. First, they mention that the number of female migrants is increasing compared to male migrants, most of them being young mothers of multiple children. This influences places where the female population is migrating out to the North to look for jobs, causing a decrease in the working population in the South. The women who choose to migrate must leave her family, which has several consequences. The mothers must leave behind their children in the care of her husband, grandparents, relatives, and sometimes neighbors. This impacts the child in such that they must grow up without the special love and connection that only mothers can provide. They may be more economically stable than their peers but will feel left out and envious of those who live with their mothers. Moreover, they can start doubting whether their parents really love them or not, and wonder whether the money and gifts they are receiving from their migrant mothers really represent love or just commitment. In such ways, children are very much affected by having to live apart from their migrant mothers. In the case of the mother herself, the act of leaving her place in a community deprives her family and the community of the caring and emotional relational exchanges that would have occurred had she not left. There is the challenge of weighing the benefit of the monetary stability and sustaining important relationships. “The Commons” represents a community that is bonded through the exchange of favors and the resulting growth in trust and dependence of one another. This is a healthy social development that is being disrupted through the increase in female migration, because it keeps the mothers away from being involved with the family and community, at least to the degree that would have occurred had she not left to earn money. Such are the hidden costs of being mothers who migrate to support and raise up her family.

Living in New York City alone often makes me feel like an outsider. There is a vast diversity of residents living in NYC and most of the times, I feel that the only place I can truly be myself is when I am home. In rare occasions, I would hear someone say a racist comment as I walk by, and my response is that I just ignore them and think nothing much of it. After reading Patricia Hill-Collins’s, “Learning from the outsider within,” it made it realize that maybe by ignoring it and not responding to it, I am actually succumbing to the oppression. Hill-Collins tells us that victims of oppression should be actively rejecting the stereotypes that dehumanizes and exploits. Moreover, the absence of objection is the same as accepting one’s “otherness” and allowing the oppression to go on. I believe that Hill-Collins is trying to persuade the readers that oppression is something we must actively fight against. When one becomes used to being subjugated, then one tends to forget their own value and start thinking about themselves in a way that society has shaped them to be. Oppression will continue to exist if the oppressed is unable to recognize when they are falling victim to objectification.

When I’m not in school, I am usually surrounded by people of my own race. I spend time with my family, go to Korean supermarkets, Korean restaurants, and Korean church. Maybe the reason why I sometimes feel so unfazed to racist comments is because I am able to feel so at home with my family and know there’s a community that I belong to. However, when I meet with my non-Asian friends, it becomes difficult to share my cultural experiences and I find myself trying to suppress that cultural part of myself. In opposition, Hill-Collins stresses the importance of being able to embrace ourselves and let out all of our qualities, because that enables us to truly find ourselves and reject what the rest of the world thinks of us.

In Part 4, Ch. 4: Periodization of his book, Foucault introduces the “medical technologies of sex” (1978:119). This is a technique that is considered new in the time-period of the 19^th century, contrary to the technique used during the 17^th century, which consisted majorly of many prohibitions and restrictions. There is less focus on repression, and more focus on the analysis of sexuality in terms of the organism and how it fails to conform to its normalcy. Foucault brings to focus the great shift in the general attitude of society concerning sexuality from death and punishment to life and illness. This explains how the power of Christianity in controlling the sexuality of its people through fear of being punished has now lost its vast influence. Instead, there exists a rise of the medical theory that claims sex is hereditary, further suggesting that sex that does not conform to society’s expectation is unhealthy, not just in the physical sense, but as a concern for the whole state and its individuals. This technique of comparing sexuality as a disease that can be possibly transmitted to other people, especially within families, though it is hard to prove scientifically, is a central “technology of sex” that is used to deter people from unproductive pleasure-seeking behaviors during the 19^th century. When there is a certain disease or defects experienced by relatives, there is a deficit in that family’s strength and health, and the lack thereof is considered as a vulnerability that can prevent the continuation of generations. There is a treat to the “biological responsibility” because the end result not only effects the current generation, but goes on to the future generation as well. There is an aspect of utilitarianism, in that there is a strive to benefit the whole bourgeoisie; for the better good of the people, everyone should be “healthy.”

In his book, History of Sexuality, Foucault emphasized concepts of power and pleasure in relation to sexuality. Similar to Federici, Foucault talks about capitalism and how it deprived people of simple pleasures unless it was purposed for the benefit of the population. The law repressed sex that did not procreate, and as Foucault points out, it motivated revolts in people who wanted to experience freedom through overturning the repressive law on sexuality. There is interplay of power and pleasure, where people experience pleasure through sexual activities, and those in power are seeking to take away such pleasure from the people. Another aspect of power and pleasure is introduced when Foucault argues that pleasure is also experienced by those who exert power over others. There is an interesting relationship of how those being oppressed and those exerting oppression are both in a way striving to gain pleasure through their actions. In part two of the book, Foucault talks about the Catholic Church and the Christian pastoral, and one can see that people are seeking pleasure through sexual activities. People confessed to their sin of submitting to desire by seeking pleasure from sex. Despite the law that set boundaries in regards to sexuality, the high number of confessions indicated that people were still seeking pleasure from sex, even if it meant going against the law. This led to increased discourse amongst the people, and moreover, this was desired by Church leaders, who wanted to reconvert people back into faith by having them come to face with their sinful desires and eventually learn to master it.

The repression on sexuality is not as straightforward as one may think. Foucault explores many aspects throughout history, and even relates it to modern society, on the topic of sexuality and its continuous progression in regards to how it is represented and practiced.

People were oppressed because they weren’t “normal” and went against “nature.” Will there ever be a time when we can overcome this boundary of what is considered natural in this world and allow all kinds of people to be connected as one?

The Playboy magazine gives men pleasure by objectifying women. Is that a dominant desire shared by most men almost as a hidden natural instinct, or is it acquired taste?

In her essay, “Eating the Other,” Bell Hooks examines the relationship between the whites and the Others. In this case, the Others are referred to as non-whites who differ from the whites in terms of race, ethnicity and skin color. Hooks first introduces the notion that the whites are seeking the Others to experience pleasure. Racial difference is looked upon in a positive light, because the whites are fantasizing that the Others are special in their own way and that the lives of Others are more lively, more exotic, and more exciting. The act of forming a relationship with the Others is seen as provocative, because there is the thrill of going outside the norm and doing something that is different. Hooks further argues that publicly desiring intimate contact with the Others is breaking the status quo in that it goes against white supremacy. However, one can also argue that at least a certain degree of white supremacy still exists. When college boys said that they want to sleep with as many racial girls as possible, their desire for pleasure is somewhat temporary in that they aren’t seeking for a long-term serious relationship. They are curious to step into this field of unique and different experience, yet are making light of it by treating their relationship with these women as something to exploit rather than treasure. Hooks also believes that these whites are like consumers who are looking to buy pleasure. Not much different from the system of slavery, the Others are still considered as products that can be manipulated into the dominance of whites. Just as black people were desired for productivity in labor, racial groups are being desired in anticipation of the pleasure that they can give. Furthermore, relationship with the Others is productive because there is an aspect of gaining power and conquering death. This occurs because racial groups are subject to pain and suffering due to a racist society. Therefore, incorporating blackness into a white person’s life, whether it be sleeping with black people or eating black food, is regarded as having embraced and overcome the feeling of death and despair they never had to experience. In such ways, white people seeks to gain pleasure and be empowered through their relationship with the Others.

As someone who was once a high schooler, a lot of things mentioned in the book were things that remained quite fresh and relatable. However, hearing the author’s point of view and her take on the meaning behind the traditional rituals of high school was something that never occurred to me in the years I spent in high school. The school administrators definitely had a unique part in creating an environment that allowed superiority over certain aspects of gender and sexuality. Many events that symbolize high school, especially for River High, consist of Homecoming, football games, Winter Ball, Mr. Cougar, and prom, all symbolize the normalization of heterosexuality and the power of masculinity, aspects deemed central in preparation for the upcoming entrance into social life for the senior students (Pascoe, 2007; 39). Mr. Cougar, in particular, is looked upon by the students as a popularity contest, most often targeted towards white boys who are recognized by their peers as being very masculine and strong by partaking in a sports team (Pascoe, 2007; 43). It is hard to imagine what the purpose of such an event is, and why the school would even allow for such a futile event to take place. In hindsight, it may just be the school’s long-standing tradition, yet it singles out certain individuals and reward them with the title of “being the best out of all” in terms of how masculine they are. This forces the students to become someone that is regarded as ideal by society and not particularly someone they want to be. This is exemplified by Huey, a student that Pascoe mentions in her book. Huey is ostracized by his peers because of the way he dress and the way he acts, which falls outside of the theme of masculinity; he is even teased by his teacher for his lacking masculinity (Pascoe, 2007; 36). As a response, he starts to make himself look funny in others so that the other students would laugh at him and regard him as funny, which was, for Huey, better than being ostracized. Social discrimination forces him to act a certain way and give up a part of himself that truly makes him who he is. The school plays a huge part in formulating an environment that allows the growth of certain aspects of gender and sexuality that sets a boundary between the students.

Being far away from their own country, African slaves were forced into a life in America where they would be dehumanized and manipulated into tools for labor. They had to leave behind their whole lives and give up their way of living. However, according to the works of Davis and Morgan, contrary to their working environment, a home became a place where African slaves could actually live like a human being, similar to how they would have lived back in Africa, a life abundant with tradition and culture. Davis first introduces the concept of African slaves’ home and family through the work of Herbert Gutman and his book, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom. In it, Gutman emphasized how a family in slavery still flourished and exercised autonomy by living under traditional customs, in a way relieving themselves from the reality of being a slave (Davis, 1983:18). In an environment that was demoralizing and unrelenting, these slaves found the strength to live on by holding onto a part of their old life, remembering that they are part of a distinct culture and society. Davis shows that a home was a means of reminiscing their former lives and holding onto their African tradition and culture.

Morgan similarly portrays a home as a place of carrying out their African tradition. One example that Morgan provides is circumcision. The ritual of circumcision, particularly for female children, was meant to signal the start of adulthood, further symbolizing the linkage between a daughter and her mother, grandmother, and even ancestors (Morgan, 1997:65). Because of the environment that they lived in, where their social status was almost non-existent, it was necessary to find a substitute and alter the ritual in some way. Nonetheless, African slaves strived to carry on their tradition and customs even in Americas. This act of holding onto their origins and practicing traditional rituals within their families represent an effort to humanize themselves, and to not forget that they are more than what they are treated as. This further insinuates the importance of a home, a place that allowed them to live like a human being.

Both Davis and Morgan portray a home as an important aspect of lives of African slaves, because it provided comfort and familiarity by allowing them to carry out their traditional customs.

A women’s body and their physical appearance can easily give insight into how a certain culture operates. Observing how they dress and how they behave undoubtedly reflect the type of environment that they grew up in. However, can it also justify the superiority of one race over another? During the age of the New World, as Europeans started to set foot into foreign lands such as Africa, women were targeted upon as means of scrutinizing the “Other,” indigenous people that the Europeans encountered. They criticized the women for their shamelessness in how they dressed and how they behaved. This image became the representation of the whole continent, and all of Africa was deemed savage, inferior, and uncivil (2014:30). Ultimately, the supposed vulgarity of women and the country they represent was used to justify white supremacy. This shows an act of racism because the Europeans enforced judgments and assumptions based on their belief of superiority.

This is further exemplified in Jennifer Morgan’s book when she describes the work of Pieter de Marees and his view on Black women’s sexuality. De Marees talks of his voyage to Sierra Leone, which is a country in West Africa. He first describes the people as unclean, greedy, and lewd, among other things, and attacks on women by calling them lecherous and liars (2014:30). Then, he linked his view on women’s sexuality, which he deemed savage, to the whole nation and all the people of Africa. However, looking carefully into why De Marees declared them savage, it was nothing more than the feeling of unfamiliarity of experiencing a different culture. He called women shameless for their nudity and choosing to give birth in front of other people, including men and children (2014:30). This symbolizes African culture and portrays how they were raised and how they chose to live their lives. By no means should this signal any degree of inferiority or incivility. It was only through the eyes of self-absorbed Europeans where the idea of vulgarity and incivility was introduced, and Africans fell victim to the act of racism.

Discussion Question: Do you think there are still people who judge against a certain race because of their culture and how they live? If so, why do you think it exists?