fMarissa has 6 post(s)

In chapters one and  two of C.J Pascoe’s book I feel we are introduced to gender and sexuality norms throughout the play at River High. In chapter one the play conducted by the student’s we begin to see what is normal and what would be deemed as not socially excepted behavior by these teenagers based on the way they applauded. For instance, when the two boys Brent and Craig exposed red skirts after ripping off their pants. In reference to the way in which the crowd found this to be a humors matter tells us how femininity can be linked to clothing and is found humorous when on the male body due to its emasculating manor. Interestingly enough in contrast to this when the female gym teacher demonstrated her masculinity by lifting up weights she was cheered for in a manor in which showed acceptance although she was female. (Pascoe 4) I found this interesting because it was able to show how any demonstration of masculinity can be deemed an act of power. Where as any act of femininity is deemed weak. To go back to the play at River High, skirts for example seem to demonstrate a characteristic of weakness.  I found this somewhat shocking due to the fact that I’ve lived in places that a male wearing a skirt was not deemed emasculating in any way, due to the fact that gender was not used synonymously with ones sex. But specifically the norms at River High seem to be not only enforced by peers but by teachers and faculty as well. For instance, when Pascoe was trying to conduct her research and was given push back for questions concerning both gender and sexuality. It is evident that even through the play, that these norms were deemed acceptable through study body and staff for it to have have happened without having a conversation about these norms. ( Pascoe 29)

I found the concepts of labor in relation to the female body to connect through the works of Federici and Morgan. We are able to see in two different narratives how women’s bodies are exploited in terms of labor through different means of manipulation. For instance in Federici’s Caliban and the Witch” which covers the fourteenth through sixteen-hundreds we are introduced to labor changes through the anti- enclosure riots. When these Lords took away the land that was being farmed by both men and women it also aided in taking away manual labor jobs from women thus forcing them into reproductive labor. Another way in which Federici’s works demonstrated the exploitation of a woman’s body in terms of labor was through the population decline that was disguised as the faults of women for not reproducing enough. Another direct link to the female reproductive system and reproductive labor. These examples shown by Federici highlight an internal mark on the female body for her place in the work force among society. Versus Morgan’s work which I feel demonstrates the more external links to the exploitation of the female body. In multiple references throughout this work, Morgan quotes the work of English European travelers who refer to indigenous women’s breasts as low and sagging. Specifically in reference to the African woman, this false visual was to used in English European literature as a means to reinforce that their place was solely that of enslaved labor. This racist depiction of low sagging breast’s was explained by these English travelers as a means to actually be so heavy and low hanging that it would act as a “natural” anchor to hold them in their work station which would in turn allow the person to be able to produce more, over a longer period of time. ( Morgan 14) The reason I am revisiting Morgans work is due the way in which indigenous women were depicted in this literature. These indigenous women masculinized through the false exaggeration of their bodies, which was a way in which to link them only to manual labor. Also in Morgans work, we are able to see how differently the white women were depicted. In contract to the Indigenous female, the white women were describes as perky breasts while embodying extreme femininity exiling them from any manual labor. This is the factor in which helped me bridge these two works together. In Morgans work extreme femininity exiled these women from manual labor but it acted as another force in which to confine them to reproductive labor as well, thus connecting the two works by Federici and Morgan.

In chapter one of Jennifer Morgans book female body parts are directly referenced in early modern English literature, specifically by Richard ideology. His work stemmed from his travels to Barbados when he encounters a black female. Following, Ligon’s work depicts the view of African women through a racist lens by describing these women as having sagging breasts, a direct correlation to the female body. In Ligon’s work I believe sagging breasts were a symbol for indigenous women. In reference to the female body, white women superiority was influenced by this literature that produced the generalization that femininity was deemed beautiful and only attainable if ones race was white. This rendering the perception of beauty standards to one being physically “white” as well as embodying characteristics such as vitality, plump breasts, gentleness, warmth, attractive physique and softness. This was the epitome of white feminine female beauty that was being immersed in literature at this time. The opposite of this was told to be true for the depiction of the indigenous women, specifically in terms of the African females in reference to Ligon’s work. This racist ideology of beauty exiled these women whom were not white from having the ability to obtain any these same characteristics in society. To instill a racial difference, in works of the early English modern literature, African women were illustrated without any feminine traits, rendering them lesser than and granting their white English counterpart superior. To help aid in the taking away of their femininity Ligon illustrated these women as having “sagging breasts”. This racist depiction of African women was written in early modern literature to brainwash and instill this belief that these women who were said to have these large “sagging breasts”, was to enforce their ability to produce labor. Meaning having low sagging breasts in reference to African women specifically, it’s purpose was to literally anchor them to their workstation while doing their common work, this in turn producing better laborers and higher production rates. The act of labor was in it self another depiction of masculinity thus taking away any feminine characteristic of the African women which was deemed repugnant for white  women to attain. This literature referenced above uses female breasts, specifically alongside indigenous women as a vehicle to obtain white supremacy.

Discussion question:

If one agrees that masculinity is the preferred or favored gender in todays society because of its inherent link to power, than would you argue that the term gender was used synonymously with ones sex, (meaning feminine characteristics deem you female and masculine as male) in order to maintain white male supremacy in direct reference to the early modern English literature mentioned throughout Morgan’s book.

       In Federici’s work “ Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation” the issue of population decline (Federici, 2004: 86) and its relation to the colonization of America led by Europeans is directly in relation to the degradation of women.  During the earlier part of the 16th century, the population decline was a direct hit on the lower class wiping them out at an alarming rate. If the wealthy wished to keep profiting as they did,  the sustainability of the poor lower class played a crucial role in this. However these vast deaths proved to be problematic only when affecting the higher ups ability to profit. Now this grew to become an economical issue that was a direct fault of their own capitalist influences. Instead the population decline was partially disguised as the fault of women, whom were not reproducing enough hence the decline of the population. (Federici, 2004: 86) This contributed to the degradation of women by rendering the power they have over their own bodies. A women’s ability to create life was now being deemed as rather her duty or economical requirement as a women. However, ability which renders choice seems to be implemented synonymously with obligation, leaving no room for choice. The ability to give brith was now being wrongfully exploited by a capitalist government and  labeled as a reproductive machine that would help aid in the growth of the population. It is alarming that the wavering foundation for which this lie was built upon is accepted as an undisputed truth at this period in time. Its effects prove to be detrimental in relation to the degradation of women by having to relinquishing the rights one posses over their own body. These laws were being implemented in a matter or life or death and were a sole attack on the female sex for two reasons. The first being that women have the ability to create a human being as men do not have that same ability. Secondly, the ruling capitalists were using women’s ability to procreate as a means to fix a problem created by them in the first place. It was not the wombs that created the problem, it was simply used as a mechanism in which to fix it. As well as being an attack on women it was also a demonstration of power. This blame was so easily adopted by society at this time because women lacked economical power in the work force and were inherently viewed as powerless beings that withstood animal like treatment.

In Chapter 3 of Angela Davis’ Women,Race & Class, the Seneca Falls conference I found there to two different sides of the spectrum that were to be addressed. On one hand, at this convention there were working class white women expressing their unfavorable working conditions that were followed by  even more unfavorable wages for their hours of hard work and sweat. These women were part of  the white working middle class. So yes although these arguments are crucial to discuss for Women’s rights they also do not address the other side of the spectrum. As we saw in Chapter 2 of Davis’s work, We cannot fully address or move forward in any Women’s Rights movements if we do not abolish slavery as well. Although both black  men and women were subject to slavery  in terms of Women’s rights this was a battle to fight together  because even to address the abolishment of slavery it was first noted that the opinion of these women were scrutinized for the fact alone of having their sex be female.

I feel that by Davis addressing this issue in chapter 3 at the Seneca Falls conference on  how there was a lack of voice for the black women who were subjected to the inhumane treatments of slavery shines light on the fact of this being a race and class issue. White middle class women who would take part in the anti-slavery movement, were not the majority at the Seneca Falls conference where it would have truly counted to be a voice for all matters concerning Women’s rights. On the other hand black women slaves were the minority. Although women as a whole are an oppressed sex, being a black enslaved women is part of  a minority is experiencing triple of what her white counterpart is. This reminded me of Michael Kimmel’s ” The Gendered Society” where he partially attacks this same issue. In the story there are two women, one white and black. The argument is what one sees when they look in the mirror. The white women responds that she simply sees a woman while the other response is that she sees a black woman. I found it to be an extremely interesting conversation because I think it is crucial to understand the lenses with which one sees their self and why they see it that way.

Hi everyone, my name is Marissa Ippolito and I recently transferred to Hunter College. I am an art major looking to specialize in sculpture. At my prior college I had taken my first ever masculinities course and grew a much deeper interest in gender studies when I realized the role it plays in life as well as how I perceive myself as well as others. My goal is to expand my knowledge in this subject further by taking a Women’s gender course and applying my new findings in my art.