tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47722072038317449952024-03-13T16:31:24.421-04:00The Carlson SalonYeah, I started a blog. Keep your expectations low and you just might find it interesting...Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-47690143793391828562012-12-15T10:39:00.002-05:002012-12-15T11:07:15.486-05:00Women and Heart Disease<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8780770138837397"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">My grandmother was in the hospital two weeks ago due to a variety of health concerns that had left her on the verge of collapse. She’s okay now (thanks to everyone who has been supportive through this!), but my family learned from her doctors that she has likely suffered a minor heart attack sometime in the past weeks.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">We were shocked to hear this. Heart attack? There had been no signs-- no chest tightening, no irregular heartbeat, no arm pain, nothing. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">That is when the doctor informed us that women actually experience <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48769-2004Aug7.html" target="_blank">different heart attack symptoms</a> than men. A heart attack in a man presents itself in the ways enumerated above. Women, however, are more likely to experience shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness as symptoms of their heart attacks. My grandma had experienced several of these symptoms recently, but had no idea of their deeper significance. And she's not alone-- heart attacks in women are often misdiagnosed and it is not unusual for a woman to be sent home when presenting her symptoms. The symptoms we are taught to look for often do not appear in women at all. In fact, <a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her-guide-to-a-heart-attack" target="_blank">43% of wome</a>n do not ever experience the primary tell-tale sign, chest pains, during a heart attack, even though many emergency room doctors still consider this the primary symptom.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">This has huge implications for women's health. Without knowing something is wrong (assuming she survives an initital undiagnosed heart attack), a woman will delay crucial treatment and lifestyle changes necessary to prevent her heart disease from progressing. As heart disease is the number one killer of women, the importance of this cannot be underestimated.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">For many years, the medical establishment <a href="http://www.cardiosmart.org/HeartDisease/CTT.aspx?id=2638" target="_blank">didn’t believe women could even experience heart disease</a>, because cases and symptoms were never observed or recorded. Even after this realization, research continued to be conducted only on male subjects and women's treatment was systemically delivered less aggressively than treatment for male patients. Unsurprisingly, women showed a much higher incidence of mortality from heart disease. It is only within the last 10 years that the scientific community finally acknowledged and began steps to remedy the gender bias in heart disease research and treatment.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Yet, women still have a higher mortality rate from heart disease due to the lingering effects of this gender bias. While enormous steps have been taken to close the disparity, our culture still assumes a male patient and perspective on this issue. We need to escape this mindset if we are going to fix this problem. It's common sense: we must research and acknowledge the unique needs, lifestyles, and biochemistry of women if we are to provide the best life outcomes for women. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">An important first step is simply to spread awareness. I was not aware of the ways that heart attack symptoms present differently in women, and I'm sure that I am not alone. This needs to be common knowledge, so please spread this information to the women (and men) in your life! Let's start talking.</span></span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-69452384372512789572012-11-18T17:34:00.002-05:002012-11-18T17:44:43.797-05:00Can We Still Have Fair Reporting in an Age Without Twinkies?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N6uPYwDHv7Q/UKliYalgpBI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/D2Dmn_SUGt4/s1600/twinkie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N6uPYwDHv7Q/UKliYalgpBI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/D2Dmn_SUGt4/s320/twinkie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.0025757639668881893" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To the dismay of snack-lovers and pre-diabetics everywhere, Hostess will be shutting its doors for good. The maker of such treasured staples as the Twinkie and Snowball announced on Friday that it will close its 33 bakeries and 565 distribution centers, laying off over 18,000 employees in the process. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The company has gone through rough patches in the past years, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice and shuffling through 7 different management teams over the past 10 years. Despite these facts, the company has placed sole blame for the closings on a strike by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. Hostess CEO, Gregory Rayborn, released a statement declaring "We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trumpeting the headline, “</span><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/16/hostess-brands-to-liquidate-lay-off-18500-after-crippling-union-fight/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hostess to close, lay off 18,500 after 'crippling' union fight,</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” Fox News has readily endorsed this version of events. Throughout their article, which appeared on Friday soon after the announcement, Fox intentionally created a heavily one-sided narrative that pits the beloved, well-intentioned folks at Hostess at the mercy of cut-throat, greedy unions. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you don't believe this is a biased account of events, take a closer look:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.0025757639668881893" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fox reveals in its </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">opening </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sentence that "A small union's stubbornness in contract talks with Hostess is being blamed for the shutdown of one of America's snack food icons, the loss of 18,500 jobs just before the holiday season and much-needed tax revenue from hundreds of plants and shops across the country." The content of this sentence is factually accurate, but rhetorically designed to be incendiary. No other self-respecting news outlet would evoke the subjective idea of "stubbornness," or sensationalize job loss by connecting it with the holidays or tax revenue. Fox goes on to report that the "union representing bakery workers refused to agree to concessions, prompting the mass layoffs and closing down of hundreds of plants, bakeries and delivery routes." Again, the use of the word "concessions" is significant. Rather than citing that both sides could not come to an agreement, the workers refusing to "concede" paints them as stubborn and unreasonable forces who are unwilling to compromise for the greater good of all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because this information is placed at the beginning of the piece, it automatically establishes the viewpoint of the story as that of Hostess, and, in doing so, inherently builds bias against the workers who were advocating for themselves. This trajectory continues throughout the article. A few paragraphs later we learn that "the national strike... that began last week decimated the 82-year-old company’s ability to produce and deliver products." Yes, the strike </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">decimated </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the company. Another subtle, but skillful manipulation of word choice to evoke sympathy for the "82-year-old company." Before the end, we hear once more that "the company sought concessions from employees, but instead got a costly strike that further crippled it." Again, sympathy is established for Hostess.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, compare this to other media outlets, who have taken the more formulaic and objective route: laying out the problem (the company closing its doors) and then offering competing ideas as to its cause, giving equal weight to all viewpoints.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be fair, this is by far </span><a href="http://nation.foxnews.com/gay-issues/2011/06/20/obama-bureaucrats-imposing-radical-homosexual-sensitivity-training"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not the most biased piece </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that has emerged from Fox News over the years. And Fox does briefly offer the countervailing viewpoints for the story, citing the concerns of local BCTGM leaders over mis-management and loss of benefits. However, the news organization leaves it at the level of hearsay; Nowhere does it research and present the facts themselves: steadily declining sales rates, multiple bankruptcy filings (in spite of massive </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-hostess-failed-hedge-funds-v-unions-2012-11"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">influxes of credit</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from various hedge fund takeovers), </span><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/11/16/1203151/why-unions-dont-shoulder-the-blame-for-hostesss-downfall/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">substantial raises for top executives</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (including a 300% raise for the CEO) </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">after </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the second bankruptcy filing--- despite </span><a href="http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/26/hostess-twinkies-bankrupt/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">over $100 million in cuts in labor costs and thousands of jobs lost</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">--- and a lack of investment in marketing and innovation by the company. Nowhere does it mention the many </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-hostess-failed-hedge-funds-v-unions-2012-11"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">previous union concessions</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="http://www.12newsnow.com/story/20121088/hostess-jobs-great-or-not-worth-saving"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">resultant decline in employee benefits, pensions, and salaries</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (one worker saw his salary steadily decrease over the years from $48,000 to $34,000, which would have again been cut to $25,000 under the new contract). And needless to say, in the Fox News report, union members are denied the generous rhetorical allowances bestowed upon the vintage company.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Personally, I don't know enough about Hostess’ business history to pick "sides" in this debate of worker vs. employer. To me, it seems like a well-loved company has just struggled for years to keep up its sales in the face of changing product markets, shaky management and turnover, and the rise of the health food craze. The signs of its insolvency have been there. It's sad for the business, and sad for the employees, and sad for us chubby kids. However, I do not think presenting this as a "the evil unions have taken away your treats" is fair reporting on the issue.</span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-31988116935133545632012-10-09T00:22:00.003-04:002012-10-09T00:23:59.357-04:00Is Time Really Money: Work Time, Motivation, and Productivity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/j5WavzsrYXbxfAcVTI9_llVYMVO_hYhTFCvzHRj635Akyaz0ffTSmF72DsEm5PSkyL8yrjUD3h2GZNrI6ghOkGnLVr30FlTcqtmWTaiKjc6Mth34b78" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/j5WavzsrYXbxfAcVTI9_llVYMVO_hYhTFCvzHRj635Akyaz0ffTSmF72DsEm5PSkyL8yrjUD3h2GZNrI6ghOkGnLVr30FlTcqtmWTaiKjc6Mth34b78" width="253" /></a></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9537516471464187" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While conversations over the domestic economy tend to focus on the macro-level (tax cuts, outsourcing, policies that impact small business), we often neglect to look at the equally critical goings-on within the workplace. We forget that the unique relationships among employers, </span></b><b id="internal-source-marker_0.9537516471464187" style="font-weight: normal;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">employees, culture, and structure occurring daily in the office directly impacts the amount and quality of work being done there. Therefore, on par with any macro-economic policy touted by our presidential hopefuls, these micro-level dynamics are fundamentally indicative of the nation’s economic productivity.</span></b></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the question is: what creates the most productive workplace? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harvard Business School lecturer, Robert C. Pozen, a</span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/business/measure-results-not-hours-to-improve-work-efficiency.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rgues that for too long the answer has been time.</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It is an antiquated and specious notion that equates longer working hours with greater effort and success. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As evidence, Pozen cites a UC Davis study which revealed that corporate managers perceived employees who stayed extra hours as more ‘committed’ and ‘dedicated’ to their work. Pozen explains this response:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9537516471464187" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reactions of these managers are understandable remnants of the industrial age, harking back to the standardized nature of work on an assembly line. But a measurement system based on hours makes no sense for knowledge workers.</span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9537516471464187" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In other words, hourly wages make sense for manual labor on an assembly line, where more time automatically equates to greater physical output. However, that is not the case for most jobs in our current economy, in which a tangible product is not the direct outcome of labor.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the contrary, hourly wages (or pressure to work extra hours, for salaried folks) often decrease productivity in this economy. Think of it this way: if you’re getting paid for the amount of time you put in, rather than the quality of your labor, you will do everything to make that task last as long as possible. Cue office lollygagging, facebooking, water cooler chat, etc. There is a direct disincentive to doing your work quickly-- as Pozen states, “If employees need to stay late in order to curry favor with the boss, what motivation do they have to get work done during normal business hours?” Even when one is not putting in extra time, there is little incentive to do well on a particular task because one will earn their wages if they simply show up. Together, this all leads to inefficiency and suboptimal productivity.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As an alternative, Pozen argues that “[A worker’s] contribution should be measured by the value they create through applying their ideas and skills.” In other words, one should focus on the results of that labor. Is good work being done? What is the quality of the product? Are employees using their time wisely? Is a task being done efficiently?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, this is rarely the ethos in the modern workplace, wherein employees face top-down (implicit and explicit) pressure to spend more time on the job, with little notice given to the actual work. Not surprisingly, when an employee sees their work as inconsequential, themselves an interchangeable cog in the machine, there is little intrinsic motivation to perform well.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a former teacher, and employee of both positive and negative work environments, I often think about what motivates people. To me, it boils down to a few simple things: recognition, respect, trust, a sense of pride and value in one’s work, and a sense of purpose. Most of these factors, in turn, necessitate strong company culture, instituted by strong leadership. It is for this reason that the economists over at the Freakonomics blog are looking to the impact of</span><a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/02/23/the-dilbert-index-a-new-marketplace-podcast/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> company morale</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/09/28/calling-all-bosses-for-a-new-freakonomics-radio-segment/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> bosses</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on workplace productivity. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is also for this reason that a switch to Pozen’s “results” framework would have far-reaching benefits for most companies. With a paradigm shift from hours to results, recognition and emphasis would rightly be restored to the work, itself. Employees would consequently feel valued and motivated. And efficiency and quality would once again reign supreme.</span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-45950511882970274652012-10-04T17:44:00.001-04:002012-10-04T17:44:10.819-04:00Update... I'm aliveJust wanted to say that I will be up and posting again in the near future. I've spent the last month starting a new job, studying for the GREs, and applying to graduate school. But have no fear, readers, it's all over! Return soon for new content!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-40580459640563166322012-08-28T13:16:00.002-04:002012-08-28T21:12:07.558-04:00Sex as Civil Resistance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpDEUG0vJM0/UD1qvXjQBeI/AAAAAAAAAHI/kQksxuXVZrE/s1600/map-togo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpDEUG0vJM0/UD1qvXjQBeI/AAAAAAAAAHI/kQksxuXVZrE/s1600/map-togo.png" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">In Togo this week, the women's faction of a civil rights coalition is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19389625" target="_blank">encouraging women to stage a week-long sex strike in order to demand political reforms</a>. According to leadership of the group, Let's Save Togo, the strike, which began yesterday, will place pressure on Togolese men to demand the resignation of President Gnassingbe and put an end to a political system which allows unlimited electoral terms.</span></div>
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This campaign leaves me somewhat conflicted.</div>
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On the one hand, in an era which glorifies electoral politics at the expense of the wide spectrum of political activity, this example of civil disobedience is truly exciting. It is made more remarkable by the fact that women are organizing as a political force on the basis of their sex, following in a grand tradition which spans from the March on Versailles during the French Revolution to the Chilean March of the Empty Pots in 1971 to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-wilt/read-my-lips-hands-off-my_b_1836201.html" target="_blank">reproductive-rights protests currently occurring outside the Republican National Convention in Florida</a>.<br />
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On the other hand, the sex strike is problematic for several reasons:</div>
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First, it assumes that in order for their concerns to be heard, women must pressure their <i>men</i> to pressure the government-- women's voices, in and of themselves, hold no value. And the only way for women to exert such pressure on the men-folk is through their bodies, as opposed to intellect, reason, moral suasion, etc. Even as they engage in serious political activity, women are once again reduced to their sexual and biological functions.<br />
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Secondly, any type of coercion, including sexual coercion, dilutes the moral force of the issue, itself. Using gimmicks and tricks to gain support is ineffective and generally weakens the cause in the long run. </div>
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Finally, using sex as a weapon is damaging to all individuals in society. Withholding sex to gain something, commodifies sex, itself. It engages all participants in a type of prostitution. Furthermore, this type of action reinforces the antedeluvian notion that sex is some "gift" that women exclusively hold--- perpetuating damaging myths about girls, virginity, purity, and the mother-whore dichotomy--rather than a mutually-enjoyable activity between two (or three or four) individuals.<br />
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For once, I don't intend to resolve this ambivalence. But I do wonder what the consequences of this kind of political activity are, and am left pondering that age-old question, "Do the ends justify the means?"</div>
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-48944708595890708112012-08-22T11:55:00.000-04:002012-08-22T16:00:32.506-04:00"Legitimate" Abortion: What We Should Be Talking About in the Akin FiascoEveryone is talking about the insensitive and ignorant remarks made last week by Missouri House Representative Todd Akin, who, when asked to defend his stance against abortion even in the case of rape, claimed that pregnancy as result of rape was practically impossible. Supported by the latest research from Pseudoscience CrazyNutJob Weekly, Akin stated that <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/19/missouri-republican-claims-legitimate-rape-rarely-results-in-pregnancy/" target="_blank">"If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” </a><br />
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I'm not going to delve into what a bonehead this guy is-- the 24 hours news circuit is covering that pretty well. I do want to use this conversation to take a step back and examine the way we talk about abortion in this country.<br />
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A very long-standing pro-choice response to anti-abortion arguments is "Well, what about abortion in cases of rape or incest?" (This is where Akin got himself into hot water). It's an easy talking point to invoke, because pretty much anyone with a heart will admit that a pregnancy under such horrifying instances, in which a woman had no choice to have sex in the first place, and therefore is in no way responsible for her pregnancy, is an exception to the "no abortions ever" rule.<br />
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I understand that the intention of asking "What about cases of rape?" may have initially been to expose a logical inconsistency* in the pro-life argument (which has been futile given how comfortable people are living with cognitive dissonance). But this is not the way it's being used: pro-choice politicians regularly frame any argument for abortion rights in terms of victims of rape and incest. It's a cheap way to draw sympathy to the cause, and it's insensitive to actual rape and incest survivors.<br />
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Furthermore, the tactic is truly dangerous and disempowering for women, because the implication is that abortion needs to be available <i>just in case</i>. All other reasons for abortion rights are considered secondary and illegitimate. The voices of all women who choose abortion outside of rape or health concerns, or support the right to one, are silenced. The discussion leaves out the myriad of reasons why abortion rights are essential: so that women can control their lives and bodies, so women can choose the number and spacing of their children, so that families can make responsible decisions, so that women for whom contraception and education are not readily available have some protection. </div>
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Abortion is a sensitive issue, for sure, but until we start acknowledging the real needs of women regarding their reproductive health choices, women will never be able to lead free and self-fulfilled lives. It starts when we agree on the basic principle, with no equivocation or euphemism, that women should be able to do whatever the hell they want with their bodies. Period.<br />
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*<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If you truly believe in the personhood of a fetus, as many pro-lifers do, it really would not matter how the pregnancy was derived. That pregnancy would still be perceived as a human child and to abort it would be murder. I don't agree with this, obviously, but this is the logic of the argument. If pro-lifers are willing to equivocate in the instances of rape, I believe, then their reason for being against abortion cannot be because they believe human life starts at conception, as is commonly argued. Consequently, one can assume, that anti-abortion regulation is really intended to control women's behavior. In other words, if you don't choose to have sex (in the case of rape), you can have an abortion, but if you did choose to have sex, that option is off limits because... <i>how dare you be such a hussy</i>! Akin is actually one of the few who is logically consistent in his views. He went onto say in his notorious interview that, for cases of pregnancy resulting from rape, " I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child."</span><br />
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Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-52142889114212364352012-08-20T09:16:00.003-04:002012-08-20T09:17:43.634-04:00Breast Regards: The "I (heart) Boobies" Bracelet Ban<br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6212405590340495" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2010, Eastern Area Middle School in Pennsylvania suspended several middle school students for wearing the "I (heart) boobies" breast-cancer fundraising bracelets. The students then did what any self-respecting tween with money will do-- took the school district to court, claiming the ban on the trendy wrist-wear violated their freedom of speech. While the federal judge ruled in their favor last year, the school district appealed to the federal circuit court, which <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/full-appeals-court-to-weigh-pa-school-districts-effort-to-ban-i-heart-boobies-bracelets/2012/08/16/a453eef2-e81e-11e1-9739-eef99c5fb285_story.html" target="_blank">recently determined it will hear the case in front of the full 14-judge court. </a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a former teacher of young teens (which Science has proven to be the most annoying age EVER), I empathize with the teachers and administrators at this school. There is nothing like delivering a beautifully poetic and painstakingly-rehearsed lesson on the pythagorean theorem, only to be interrupted by a cacophony of giggles and snorts of "haha BOOBS!" Yet, at the same time, it is difficult to tell a teenager who is supporting their mother, sister, aunt, etc. who has battled cancer that their particular form of support may be inappropriate for the classroom. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regardless of this quandary, which will soon be settled in the federal courts, the situation gives us an opportunity to examine a very problematic media campaign.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Keep A Breast Foundation, a breast cancer awareness nonprofit in California, introduced the "I (heart) boobies" rubber bracelets in 2004 as part of a strategy to involve younger generations in the fight against breast cancer. With their bright colors and semi-risque phraseology, the bracelets made breast cancer fun and sexy (because what's sexier than a debilitating disease?). Since then, the bracelets have become a fashion craze among teens and tweens across the country. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But at what cost?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the campaign has successfully reached a previously untapped demographic, it is popular only because it sexualizes a very serious disease and objectifies women’s bodies.</span></b>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6212405590340495" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Think of it this way: the bracelets do not say “I (heart) </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">women</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” The message is not that </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">women </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are awesome, that we should concern ourselves with saving </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">women's </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lives. No, the message is that </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">boobs </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are awesome, that we should worry about saving boobs. It reduces women's complex lives down to a highly sexualized body part. Consequently, the breast-cancer-battleground shifts from promoting women's health to protecting men's desire to look at, play with, and otherwise enjoy breasts. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If the end goal of breast cancer awareness, education, and research is to improve the health and well-being of women, then this type of outreach is counterintuitive. Sex may sell, but the cost-- reinforcing a system of male gaze and privilege-- is simply too high.</span></b>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-69777126860365854872012-08-14T12:48:00.000-04:002012-08-14T22:46:54.177-04:00Does Ryan Bring Substance to the 2012 Election?The country is abuzz about Romney's choice of Wisconsin Congressman, Paul Ryan, as the vice presidential nominee.<br />
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Many have criticized the so-called "risky" choice, arguing that Ryan fails the simple two-pronged criterion for nominees: (1) Does the candidate enlarge the political base, and (2) does (s)he do nothing to alienate the existing political base?<br />
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Regarding the first issue, presidential nominees often choose a running mate who is from a swing-state or has slightly different political viewpoints, with the hope that they will garner new votes. Ryan offers neither of these benefits. It is uncertain, at best, that he would carry his home-state of Wisconsin-- a state which, although "moderate," swung Blue for the last six elections. Furthermore, as Ryan and Romney belong to the same ideological camp on most major issues, Ryan offers no advantage in capturing votes that would not have already been cast for Romney.<br />
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Not only is Ryan not likely to bring in new Republican votes, his policies have alienated certain members of the national Republican<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> constituency. Recipients of entitlements like Medicare and Social Security, for which Ryan has notoriously attempted to cut and privatize, are especially likely to view Ryan disfavorably. This could be disastrous for Romney in Retirement Mecca, otherwise known as the Great (Swing) State of Florida.</span><br />
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So that leaves us to wonder: Why Ryan? Aside from a charming smile and genuinely nice attitude (yeah, that's how we do in Wisconsin), Ryan is most known for his <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ryan-budget-20120814,0,217409.story" target="_blank">federal budget proposals</a>, which emphasize slashing federal entitlement programs to offset huge tax cuts. While Ryan has been lambasted as an ideologue (it is well-known that Ryan made everyone on his staff read Ayn Rand) and an extremist, one cannot deny that he is consistent, articulate, and well-informed about his particular vision for the economy, however much you might disagree with it.</div>
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By choosing Ryan as the VP nominee, then, Romney explicitly makes this election about the economy. Each party now represents very different, and, yes, very thoroughly reasoned approaches to the economy and the federal deficit. This will, as it stands now, not be an election about personalities, flip-flopping, bridges to nowhere, and other red herrings, but actual (economic) policies. Every political scientist in the country should be falling over dead from shock right about now.<br />
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Of course, things may change. Scandals may arise, gaffaws may be made (I'm looking at you, Vice President Biden). Or maybe someone will remember that there is still a war in Afghanistan, a raging domestic battle over women's reproductive health, and an educational crisis that also could use some attention. Regardless, as it stands now, the election is shaping up to be a contest of substance over spectacle. </div>
Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-76586594137901509032012-08-09T14:55:00.000-04:002012-08-09T15:03:19.061-04:00Gross Domestic Happiness?<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5704021523706615" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a speech to Cambridge economists and statisticians on Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke suggested that we radically<a href="http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_268744/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=khLwRKjP" target="_blank"> alter the way we evaluate economic recovery</a>. Instead of focusing on traditional indicators like the unemployment rate, consumer spending, and inflation, Bernanke argued that we need to expand our definitions and measure people's </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">happiness</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bernanke stated that by looking only to financial and other traditional metrics, we take a myopic view on “economy,” which really should be a measure of well-being amongst a society. Money, especially on an aggregate level, does not accurately reflect people’s satisfaction in life. And a decreasing unemployment rate does not automatically correspond with an increase in quality-of-life. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consequently, Bernanke insisted, policy-makers need to expand their scope and make decisions with the end goal of increasing people’s happiness, rather than just their pocketbooks. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5704021523706615" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a radical idea, which, frankly, I am shocked to hear from anyone inside the political establishment. The ethos of capitalism-- for better and worse-- is so inextricably wrapped up in every fiber of our government, that it is rare to hear someone question the adage that “more money” automatically means “better.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet, it is not a new idea. Theorists and political scientists in the field of economic development have been grappling with this question for years. What should be the end goal of “development?” Is development only concerned with GDP? The poverty level? Is development inherently a capitalist concept? Should we concern ourselves with health-care? The Environment? Education? Political freedoms?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For many years, the idea of “economic development” was synonymous with “economic growth,” the measures for which were GDP, GNP, and National Income. In more recent years, it has been acknowledged that these numbers often mask essential information-- for instance, income distribution, participation in informal economies, and the calculation relative poverty---which all affect people’s quality of life and should, therefore, be included in the measure of economic development.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To remedy this, new metrics have been put into place with the goal of capturing a more comprehensive view of economic progress across the world. One is the Gini index, which depicts inequality (usually in income, but also used to measure other disparities), as opposed to absolute wealth. Another is the Human Development Index (HDI), which draws on the<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Development-as-Freedom-Amartya-Sen/dp/0385720270/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344538231&sr=8-1&keywords=amartya+sen" target="_blank"> “capabilities” approach</a> of Nobel-Prize winner, Amartya Sen. Developed in 1990, the HDI measures life expectancy, education levels, and standard of living, defined as GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP takes into account the relative value of money amongst different countries). </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are a host of other indices that measure gender parity, education levels, ecological impact, among other variables. All of these measures demonstrate a monumental paradigm shift in the goals of economic development, from national wealth to individual human well-being--- or, happiness, if you will.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is time, then, to apply these international lessons to our domestic economy. As the international community has asked “What is development,” we must ask “What is economic progress?” Can we see beyond dollar signs and look to measures of human happiness? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our country, unfortunately, has witnessed the consequence of the dollar-signs-approach. For decades, we have considered financial growth the holy grail of economic progress. The logical consequence of this is that the entire country-- from policy makers, to big business, to individuals-- operates with the end goal of making money, no matter what the social cost. This is how we lapsed into financial distress in the first place-- a financial industry predicated on speculation, predatory lending, dangerously high profit margins, and bought-and-paid-for politicians who facilitate the whole process. You can call it greed, but it is simply the consequence adhering to the assumptions and goals of an economic system that views money not only as inherently good, but the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">only </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">thing of value in society.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to shake up our values and take a more comprehensive view of economic progress if we ever want to truly achieve a fair and just society. Bernake has started such a conversation this week by suggesting we measure people’s levels of happiness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, the question remains how to measure such an elusive and vague quality as “happiness” (some argue that this is why we use financial indicators in the first place-- as a proxy for the immeasurable). Is happiness knowledge, wealth, equality, opportunity, freedom, luxury, health, or some combination of above? Is it possible to agree on a common definition? What are our metrics for those things independently and aggregated? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We may not have answers for these questions yet, but as we dig ourselves out of recession, it is essential that we decide towards what end our society will grow and how we will determine its economic success.</span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-14205314382046314082012-08-06T12:33:00.002-04:002012-08-06T13:59:51.235-04:00Framing the Issue: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Domestic Violence Discourse and Services<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5137192097026855" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally acknowledging the causal links between lack of preventative care, poor health outcomes, and soaring healthcare costs, the Women’s Preventative Care Amendment of the Affordable Care Act went into effect last week. As of August 1st, 2012 insurance companies must provide for several essential women’s services free of charge, including annual woman-care visits, gestational diabetes screenings, STI and HIV counseling, breastfeeding support, HPV DNA testing, and, that holy grail, contraception. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we joyously bid adieu to copays, we cannot underestimate the revolutionary significance of these provisions. For the first time in this country, women’s mental, reproductive, and sexual health are being recognized as essential components of the overall health and well-being of women and their families. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One among the mandated services has especially caught my attention for this reason: screening and counseling for domestic violence.</span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5137192097026855" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Department of Health and Human Services <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/womensprevention08012011a.html" target="_blank">fact sheet </a>on the new preventative services states: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5137192097026855" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence should be provided for all adolescent and adult women. An estimated 25% of women in the United States report being targets of intimate partner violence during their lifetimes. Screening is effective in the early detection and effectiveness of interventions to increase the safety of abused women.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Domestic violence-- also known by the more-inclusive term, "intimate partner violence"-- is still a pervasive and underreported issue in our country. As reported above, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one in four women </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">will be attacked by an intimate partner in her life. Here are a few more statistics on the subject:*</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.3 million women are subject to intimate partner violence each year, resulting in nearly 2 million injuries and 1,300 deaths.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">30% of female homicides are committed by an intimate partner.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">13.6 million days of productivity from paid work and household chores are lost each year due to intimate partner violence.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Children under the age of 12 resided in at least 38% of the homes of female victims of intimate partner violence.</span></li>
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: square; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">W</span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">itnessing violence between one’s parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: square; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.</span></li>
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teen dating violence is on the rise, as 33% percent of adolescent girls have experienced violence from a dating partner.</span></li>
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: square; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Studies also show that teens who experience dating violence are more likely to partake in other high-risk behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, engaging in risky sexual behavior, and practicing unhealthy diets.</span></li>
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</b></ul>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5137192097026855" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite this, domestic violence is one of the most under-reported crimes in the nation. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: </span></b><br />
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<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only one-quarter of all physical assaults and one-fifth of sexual assaults are reported to the police.</span></b></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: circle; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Less than one-fifth of victims reporting an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury.</span></b></li>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the Affordable Care Act may begin to change all this. By elevating the issue of domestic violence prevention to the category of “health care,” we take it out of the shadows. We acknowledge that domestic violence is a real and prevalent issue that affects the health and well-being of countless women and their families. We recognize the detrimental physical and mental impact-- including chronic headaches, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and PTSD--that intimate partner violence has on women.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It remains to be seen what shape the new DV-related services will take and how widespread of an effect they will have on the levels of intimate partner violence in this country. But it is an incredibly hopeful sign that we are shifting the national discourse surrounding domestic violence from blame, guilt, fear, and avoidance (Did you make him mad? Maybe he was just drunk? What about the children?) to support and positive treatment. This change is a crucial first step to dismantling the culture of shame and permissiveness that has perpetuated such a high level of violence, so that we may create a society intolerant of it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*Statistics are taken from <a href="http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/ipvus.pdf" target="_blank">The Bureau of Justice Statistics</a>,<a href="http://www.nccdglobal.org/sites/default/files/publication_pdf/focus-dating-violence.pdf" target="_blank"> The National Council on Crime and Deliquency</a>, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/IPVBook-a.pdf" target="_blank">The National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control</a>, and <a href="http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf" target="_blank">The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence</a>.</span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-48912410644011261512012-07-09T15:03:00.002-04:002012-07-10T00:20:01.909-04:00On Doing "Good Work": Take-Aways from Feminist Brunch<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last weekend, my friends, Lucy and Carolyn, organized a small "feminist brunch" for a few of us politically minded women in our mid-twenties. The agenda of the morning was clear: eat delicious assorted breakfast foods, drink mimosas, and talk social justice shop. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived early on Saturday morning, passions and appetites ablaze. Over the next 3 hours, the four of us talked about everything from national news to trashy literature to community development. If I had to summarize our unwieldy conversation--- which, oddly enough, never really landed on anything explicitly feminist-- I would say it revolved around what it takes to do "good work" in the world, and the specific personal and organizational challenges to pursuing this work {NOTE: I broadly define “good work,” as any related to social services, non-profits, research used for social benefit, urban planning, socially progressive policy/politics, etc.}</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I begin, I must note that my friends and I are blessed to have options that are not available to everyone, and certainly were not available to women of previous generations. However, we do face obstacles to doing the work for which we are passionate and must develop specific responses to address them. This is what I write about today.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With that said, I want to present some take-aways from the morning:</span></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.) Mid-Twenties "Having it All" Syndrome</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's a myth that somehow in your twenties, you are supposed to figure it all out. Out of college for a few years, you try out a few jobs only to discover your true passion which you pursue for the rest of your days-- which, incidentally, earns you tons of money. You meet the love of your life and discuss your white picket fence futures together. You take your first steps on the road to Happily Ever After.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reality is a little different.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.) The Challenges to Doing “Good Work”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For social justice advocates, that confrontation with reality is jarring in a unique way. In college, it's easy to dream of dedicating your life to promoting justice, equality, and positive change in the world (in non-culturally pejorative ways, of course). In doing so, you presume that your work will be your life and your passion. In reality, the fields of nonprofit work, research, advocacy, and social service are subject to the same constraints of capital, labor, supply and demand, economic trends, leadership, and funding as any other industry. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My friends and I discussed the following challenges:</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A.) Labor Market</span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our generation faces historically high levels of unemployment, with so much competition that hiring decisions often seem arbitrary. It no longer is enough to have a passion, or even extensive experience in a particular field. And it can be particularly crushing to find that "perfect job" only to discover you are not the "perfect candidate."</span></span></div>
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In this environment, the four of us have all had the misfortune of taking jobs that were far less than ideal-- whether due to a disorganized work environment, unrealistic expectations, or abusive employers-- with no ability to advocate for ourselves. In this employee-saturated market, we are keenly aware that we are easily replaceable if we express dissatisfaction.</span></span></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">B.) Organizational Issues</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></b><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also discussed the organization and leadership problems of the non-profit realm. First of all, non-profits are subject to the constantly-changing funding streams. It is impossible to strategically plan when each year the organization is subject to fluctuations in public and private funding availability. </span></span></span></div>
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Secondly, where funding is available, it is extremely limited and also contributes to labor problems. There is often more work than full-time staff paid to do it. Consequently, social services and non-profit workers are over-burdened, over-worked, and stressed out. The burnout level is extremely high.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In an environment where job security is incredibly unstable, yet the work itself is overwhelming, one can easily understand why staff turnover in these fields is high. This turnover fosters much of the organizational inefficiencies for which the non-profit field is known.</span></span></span></div>
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Third, leadership in many non-profit organizations is lacking. Most often this is because leaders are passionate about their cause without having any practical knowledge of how to run an organization, motivate employees, and achieve organizational success. And people who would be good leaders are disincentivized from entering the field because of the above-mentioned issues.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>C.) Oh yeah, MONEY</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7558159481268376"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Further disincentivizing "good work" is the fact that social justice fields are not known for their high-earning potential. To anyone who enters these fields, this is no surprise. And to the four of us, it was pretty much an expectation that we would never grow beyond our meager subsistence if we wanted to dedicate our lives to good work. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the immediate years after college, this didn't seem like a big issue. All four of us shared that we had either grown up or grown accustomed to living on tight budgets. We've all eaten our fair share of ramen noodles. But now that we are getting older, we've had to acknowledge that money is a concern-- even for do-gooders. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We're starting to plan for the practicalities of our futures, and not just the dreams. Living out of shoeboxes and apartment-hopping across the nation are no longer sustainable options. One day, it would be nice to have an apartment with real furniture (not that IKEA hasn't gotten us through some rough times) and non-hand-me-down decorations (what Lucy calls "emergency art"). On a more serious note, we would like to one-day have children and provide for their health, education, and well-being. And some day in the far- future, it would be nice to retire.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Money is perhaps not the most important challenge we face to doing what we love. It is indicative, however, of the changing priorities we’ve acknowledged as we grow older and wiser.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3.) The Need to Re-Evaluate </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So then we all decided to give up. Half of us decided to join Corporate America, and the other half to pursue careers as trophy wives.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just kidding.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this all sounds depressing, our conversation wasn’t. Mostly, we recognized that, as we grow older, we need to re-evaluate the “having it all” myth and the subsequent pressures and unrealistic expectations we are placing on ourselves.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are the lessons we walked away with: </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A) Balance and Choice Are a Part of Life</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Having it all” is a myth. Part of being an adult is realizing that life is full of choices and tradeoffs. The best we can do is to honestly evaluate our options and make well-reasoned decisions based on the information. Sometimes we will choose family, sometimes location, sometimes money, sometimes love, and sometimes passion. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My friend Jacob, the other day, mentioned a piece of career advice that his father imparted to him: You can do what you love, you can do what you’re good at, or you can make money. If you hit two out of three, you’re doing pretty good. I think that’s good advice.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is not to say that we shouldn’t fight to create a society where one does not have to make such constrained choices, but we must also not be so naive as to despair at the thought of prioritizing. To have choices in the first place is a beautiful thing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2.) The Opportunities for Good Work are Limitless</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can do good work in various capacities, for various causes, in all aspects of our lives. If what you thought you would do in college (or as a child, for those Type A’ers out there) does not come to fruition, it is not a reason to give up. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And good work doesn’t need to be confined to the world of wage-labor. Volunteering, community organizing, writing, creating art, teaching, and raising conscious-children are all ways to positively contribute to society. Our lives are more than the 9-5 and we can find personal satisfaction both inside and outside those hours.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3.) It’s Important to Be Flexible</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Related, we do not need to have it all figured out right now. We need to be flexible, take opportunities as they come, be comfortable with personal and circumstantial change, and live life. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I breathed easier after our morning’s conversation. Well, not literally-- I was very full from all the delicious food. But it was comforting to know that I was not the only woman in my mid-twenties trying to “figure it all out.”</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I personally took away from this time is that we cannot underestimate the importance of community in the life-long endeavour to “figure it all out.” Our brunch was an example of such community-- a place where like-minded individuals could honestly discuss hopes, dreams, anxieties, and fears in a place of safety, love, and intellectual engagement (.... and eggs and sausage and fruit and mimosas). I encourage everyone to find this kind of community where they can. </span></span></span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-2027873575428321222012-06-26T16:04:00.001-04:002012-06-27T09:54:41.732-04:00Can Women Have it All: Bridging the Public and Private Spheres<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Former State Department official, Anne-Marie Slaughter has swept headlines and conversations with her recent piece in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Atlantic</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Former%20State%20Department%20official,%20Anne-Marie%20Slaughter%20has%20swept%20headlines%20and%20conversations%20with%20her%20recent%20piece%20in%20The%20Atlantic,%20%E2%80%9CWhy%20Women%20Still%20Can%E2%80%99t%20Have%20it%20All.%E2%80%9D%20%20Reactions%20have%20been%20published%20in%20Salon.com,%20The%20New%20York%20Times,%20Forbes%20and%20feminist%20blogs%20across%20the%20country.%20%20%20%20In%20the%20piece,%20Slaughter%20destroys%20the%20popular%20myth%20that%20women%20today%20can%20%E2%80%9Chave%20it%20all%E2%80%9D--%20meaning,%20simultaneously%20successful%20careers%20and%20families--%20without%20significant%20changes%20in%20our%20social%20and%20economic%20structure.%20%20While%20women%20have%20made%20enormous%20strides%20over%20the%20past%20century,%20they%20are%20often%20still%20unable%20to%20take%20advantage%20of%20new%20opportunities%20due%20to%20policies%20and%20cultural%20practices%20that%20prevent%20a%20healthy%20work-life%20balance%20for%20women%20and%20their%20families.%20%20Yet,%20often%20women,%20themselves,%20are%20responsible%20for%20perpetuating%20the%20%E2%80%9Cmyth%E2%80%9D%20that%20this%20work-life%20balance%20is%20achievable.%20%20It%20is%20easy%20to%20understand%20why%20women%20would%20continue%20this%20fiction.%20%20We%20constantly%20urge%20that%20women%20can%20do%20everything%20as%20well%20as%20men--%20that,%20given%20the%20opportunity,%20women%20have%20every%20ability%20to%20be%20as%20successful%20as%20their%20male%20counterparts.%20%20%20%20What%20is%20ignored,%20however,%20is%20that%20the%20cost%20of%20achieving%20this%20is%20often%20one%E2%80%99s%20personal%20and%20family%20life.%20%20Our%20current%20society%20is%20structured%20so%20that%20there%20is%20a%20tradeoff--%20you%20are%20either%20a%20good%20professional%20or%20a%20good%20parent.%20%20As%20Slaughter%20states,%20%20%20Male%20leaders%20are%20routinely%20praised%20for%20having%20sacrificed%20their%20personal%20life%20on%20the%20altar%20of%20public%20or%20corporate%20service.%20That%20sacrifice,%20of%20course,%20typically%20involves%20their%20family....It%20is%20clear%20which%20set%20of%20choices%20society%20values%20more%20today.%20Workers%20who%20put%20their%20careers%20first%20are%20typically%20rewarded;%20workers%20who%20choose%20their%20families%20are%20overlooked,%20disbelieved,%20or%20accused%20of%20unprofessionalism.%20%20Additionally,%20those%20who%20do%20dedicate%20time%20to%20their%20families%20often%20face%20insurmountable%20barriers%20to%20re-entering%20their%20career%20track.%20%20Therefore,%20in%20order%20to%20be%20successful,%20women%20must%20often%20hide%20or%20ignore%20their%20commitments%20to%20their%20families--%20a%20choice%20which%20is%20often%20undesirable%20and%20unsustainable.%20%20%20%20Slaughter%20goes%20on%20to%20suggest%20a%20variety%20of%20changes%20not%20unfamiliar%20to%20her%20feminist%20counterparts:%20friendlier%20workplace%20policies%20for%20parents,%20flexible%20scheduling,%20parental%20leave,%20a%20redesign%20of%20the%20career%20path%20to%20account%20for%20time%20spent%20raising%20children.%20%20What%20makes%20Slaughter%E2%80%99s%20position%20particularly%20unique,%20however,%20is%20her%20insistence%20that%20the%20country%20%E2%80%9Crevalue%20family%20values.%E2%80%9D%20%20%20%20Many%20women%20have%20ostensibly%20opposed%20this%20last%20suggestion,%20as%20Slaughter%20explains:%20%20%20Women%20have%20contributed%20to%20the%20fetish%20of%20the%20one-dimensional%20life,%20albeit%20by%20necessity.%20The%20pioneer%20generation%20of%20feminists%20walled%20off%20their%20personal%20lives%20from%20their%20professional%20personas%20to%20ensure%20that%20they%20could%20never%20be%20discriminated%20against%20for%20a%20lack%20of%20commitment%20to%20their%20work.%20%20Slaughter%20argues,%20however,%20that%20this%20is%20the%20nature%20of%20the%20problem:%20%20By%20hiding%20their%20commitments,%20women%20are%20contributing%20to%20a%20society%20that%20devalues%20the%20time%20people%20spend%20with%20their%20children.%20%20It%20is%20this%20which%20contributes%20to%20the%20cultural%20expectation%20that%20people%20will%20devote%20all%20of%20themselves%20to%20either%20their%20work%20or%20their%20children,%20but%20not%20both.%20%20%20%20For%20this%20reason,%20she%20urges%20greater%20female%20representation%20in%20leadership%20roles%20in%20order%20to%20institute%20workable%20change%20that%20reflects%20the%20fact%20that%20successful%20people%20can%20(and%20should)%20care%20just%20as%20much%20about%20their%20families%20as%20their%20careers.%20%20%20For%20instance,%20Slaughter%20mentions%20that%20in%20her%20various%20leadership%20roles,%20she%20%E2%80%9Cdecided%20that%20one%20of%20the%20advantages%20of%20being%20a%20woman%20in%20power%20was%20that%20I%20could%20help%20change%20the%20norms%20by%20deliberately%20talking%20about%20my%20children%20and%20my%20desire%20to%20have%20a%20balanced%20life.%E2%80%9D%20%20Despite%20the%20pleas%20of%20some%20frightened%20female%20colleagues,%20she%20chose%20not%20hide%20this%20significant%20part%20of%20her%20life.%20%20Instead,%20by%20elevating%20her%20family%20life%20to%20the%20level%20of%20workplace%20discourse,%20she%20set%20an%20example%20to%20that%20would%20change%20the%20normative%20culture%20of%20her%20workplace.%20%20%20%20As%20I%20read%20it,%20what%20Slaughter%20is%20ultimately%20proposing%20is%20an%20eradication%20of%20the%20artificial%20private/public%20distinction%20of%20Western%20society.%20%20She%20urges%20the%20reintegration%20of%20one%E2%80%99s%20private%20persona--%20focused%20on%20family,%20hearth,%20and%20home--%20and%20the%20public%20persona%20one%20puts%20on%20in%20the%20workplace.%20%20%20%20There%20is%20nothing%20more%20promising%20for%20feminists%20than%20this%20prospect,%20because%20it%20undoes%20the%20foundation%20of%20an%20oppressive%20(though%20historically%20contingent)%20liberal%20philosophy%20that%20has%20oppressed%20women%20since%20the%20Age%20of%20Enlightenment.%20%20%20%20Before%20delving%20into%20why%20this%20has%20been%20an%20oppressive%20ideology,%20I%20must%20clarify%20that%20when%20I%20refer%20to%20%E2%80%9Cliberalism,%E2%80%9D%20I%20speak%20of%20the%20classical%20liberalism%20of%20Locke,%20Smith,%20Rousseau,%20etc.--%20which%20stresses%20limited%20government%20and%20individual%20liberties--%20%20and%20not%20modern%20liberalism%20in%20America,%20which%20we%20associate%20with%20the%20Democratic%20Left.%20%20%20%20The%20central%20tenet%20of%20classical%20liberalism%20is%20that%20every%20citizen%20has%20universal%20equality%20of%20opportunity%20within%20the%20public%20sphere.%20%20Sounds%20pretty%20awesome,%20right?%20%20Wait%20for%20it...%20%20Liberal%20theory%20posits%20as%20its%20foundation%20the%20separation%20of%20public%20life%20from%20private%20life.%20%20The%20private%20sphere%20is%20a%20place%20of%20difference--%20difference%20in%20ability,%20wealth,%20biology.%20%20These%20differences%20consequently%20provide%20the%20basis%20for%20discrimination%20and%20inequality.%20%20The%20%E2%80%9Cnatural%E2%80%9D%20law%20of%20this%20land%20is%20the%20law%20of%20patriarchy--%20the%20law%20of%20fathers,%20authoritarian%20relationships,%20master-slave%20dualities.%20%20%20%20Liberalism,%20therefore,%20offers%20the%20%E2%80%9Cpublic%20realm%E2%80%9D%20as%20salvation.%20%20The%20public%20realm%20provides%20the%20legal%20fiction%20of%20citizenship,%20and,%20with%20it,%20equality.%20%20In%20the%20polity,%20all%20men%20have%20the%20same%20rights.%20%20All%20men%20are%20free%20to%20exercise%20their%20political%20rights%20and%20decision-making%20capacities.%20%20All%20men%20are%20brothers,%20rather%20than%20following%20in%20the%20patriarchal%20roles%20of%20fathers%20and%20sons.%20%20The%20problem%20here%20for%20women,%20and%20other%20marginalized%20communities,%20is%20that%20the%20private%20sphere%20%20does%20not%20cease%20to%20exist%20just%20because%20the%20public%20sphere%20coexists%20with%20it.%20%20The%20private%20sphere--%20the%20sphere%20of%20family%20and%20home--%20retains%20its%20authoritarian,%20patriarchal%20relations%20and%20rules.%20%20In%20fact,%20the%20promise%20of%20liberal%20citizenship%20is%20not%20only%20that%20the%20government%20will%20not%20interfere%20with%20one%E2%80%99s%20rights%20in%20the%20public,%20but%20that%20it%20will%20%20not%20interfere%20with%20a%20man%E2%80%99s%20sovereignty%20in%20his%20private%20home.%20%20%20It%20is%20premised%20on%20the%20fact%20that%20there%20will%20still%20be%20inequality%20it%20the%20private%20realm.%20%20%20%20And%20guess%20who%20%20has%20historically%20been%20stuck%20in%20the%20private%20realm,%20denied%20the%20rights%20of%20liberal%20citizenship%20in%20the%20public%20realm?%20%20You%20guessed%20it--%20all%20those%20wives,%20mothers,%20sisters,%20home-makers,%20baby%20machines,%20and%20other%20women-folk%20(obviously,%20also%20anyone%20who%20is%20not%20a%20white%20man)%20who%20do%20not%20qualify%20as%20real%20citizens.%20%20This%20brings%20us%20back%20to%20Slaughter.%20%20Slaughter%20escapes%20the%20trap%20of%20assuming%20that%20because%20women%20have%20successfully%20pushed%20their%20way%20into%20the%20public%20sphere%20that%20we%20have%20somehow%20achieved%20equality.%20%20After%20all%20this%20push%20for%20%E2%80%9Cequality,%E2%80%9D%20women%20need%20to%20ask%20%E2%80%9CEqual%20to%20what?%E2%80%9D%20%20Equal%20in%20a%20system%20inherently%20based%20on%20oppression%20and%20discrimination?%20%20Equal%20in%20a%20system%20that%20still%20does%20not%20allow%20for%20the%20coexistance%20of%20political%20liberty%20and%20familial%20well-being?%20%20The%20myth%20of%20equality%20is%20what%20has%20kept%20so%20many%20women%20from%20%E2%80%9Chaving%20it%20all.%E2%80%9D%20%20It%20is%20a%20false%20liberal%20promise%20that%20causes%20women%20to%20internalize%20the%20failures%20of%20an%20unequal%20and%20unfair%20system,%20rather%20than%20fighting%20to%20change%20it.%20%20Justice%20will%20only%20exist%20as%20the%20meaningless%20distinction%20between%20public%20and%20private%20life%20that%20serves%20as%20the%20premise%20of%20our%20patriarchal%20system%20is%20destroyed.%20%20%20To%20reintegrate%20the%20public%20and%20private%20spheres,%20workplace%20policies%20and%20cultural%20expectations%20need%20to%20%20be%20informed%20by%20the%20real%20needs%20of%20caregivers%20and%20their%20families.%20%20And%20that%20involves%20women%20speaking%20up.%20%20And%20then%20%E2%80%9Chaving%20it%20all.%E2%80%9D">“Why Women Still Can’t Have it All.” </a> Reactions have been published in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/06/21/can_modern_women_have_it_all/singleton/">Salon.com</a><span id="goog_1980894634"></span><span id="goog_1980894635"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/us/27iht-letter27.html">The New York Times</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/womenintech/2012/06/25/women-cant-have-it-all-maybe-no-one-can-or-should/">Forbes</a> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and feminist blogs across the country. I find the piece particularly fascinating for the way it challenges our traditional definitions of </span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"equality" and progress for women. </span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the piece, Slaughter destroys the popular myth that women today can “have it all”-- meaning, simultaneously successful careers and families-- without significant changes in our social and economic structure that would allow a healthy work-life balance for women and their families. Yet, often women, themselves, are responsible for perpetuating the “myth” that this work-life balance is achievable.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is easy to understand why women would continue this fiction. We constantly urge that women can do everything as well as men-- that, given the opportunity, women have every ability to be as successful as their male counterparts. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is ignored, however, is that the cost of achieving this is often one’s personal and family life. Our current society is structured so that there is a tradeoff-- you are either a good professional or a good parent. As Slaughter states, </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Male leaders are routinely praised for having sacrificed their personal life on the altar of public or corporate service. That sacrifice, of course, typically involves their family....It is clear which set of choices society values more today. Workers who put their careers first are typically rewarded; workers who choose their families are overlooked, disbelieved, or accused of unprofessionalism.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, those who do dedicate time to their families often face insurmountable barriers to re-entering their career track. Therefore, in order to be successful, women must often hide or ignore their commitments to their families-- a choice which is often undesirable and unsustainable. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slaughter goes on to suggest a variety of changes not unfamiliar to her feminist counterparts: friendlier workplace policies for parents, flexible scheduling, parental leave, a redesign of the career path to account for time spent raising children. What makes Slaughter’s position particularly unique, however, is her insistence that the country “revalue family values.” </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many women have ostensibly opposed this last suggestion, as Slaughter explains: </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women have contributed to the fetish of the one-dimensional life, albeit by necessity. The pioneer generation of feminists walled off their personal lives from their professional personas to ensure that they could never be discriminated against for a lack of commitment to their work.</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slaughter argues, however, that this is the nature of the problem: By hiding their commitments, women are contributing to a society that devalues the time people spend with their children. It is this which contributes to the cultural expectation that people will devote all of themselves to either their work </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">their children, but not both. </span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7708568959496915" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For this reason, she urges greater female representation in leadership roles in order to institute workable change that reflects the fact that successful people can (and should) care just as much about their families as their careers. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For instance, Slaughter mentions that in her various leadership roles, she “</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">decided that one of the advantages of being a woman in power was that I could help change the norms by deliberately talking about my children and my desire to have a balanced life.” Despite the pleas of some frightened female colleagues, she chose not hide this significant part of her life. Instead, by elevating her family life to the level of workplace discourse, she set an example to that would change the normative culture of her workplace. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I read it, what Slaughter is ultimately proposing is an eradication of the artificial private/public distinction of Western society. She urges the reintegration of one’s private persona-- focused on family, hearth, and home-- and the public persona one puts on in the workplace. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is nothing more promising for feminists than this prospect, because it undoes the foundation of an oppressive (though historically contingent) liberal philosophy that has disempowered women since the Age of Enlightenment. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before delving into why this has been an oppressive ideology, I must clarify that when I refer to “liberalism,” I speak of the classical liberalism of Locke, Smith, Rousseau, etc.-- which stresses limited government and individual liberties-- and not modern liberalism in America, which we associate with the Democratic Left. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The central tenet of classical liberalism is that every citizen has universal equality of opportunity within the public sphere. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Wait for it...</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Liberal theory posits as its foundation the separation of public life from private life. The private sphere is a place of difference-- difference in ability, wealth, biology. These differences consequently provide the basis for discrimination and inequality. The “natural” law of this land is the law of patriarchy-- the law of fathers, authoritarian relationships, master-slave dualities. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Liberalism, therefore, offers the “public realm” as salvation. The public realm provides the legal fiction of citizenship, and, with it, equality. In the polity, all </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">men </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have the same rights. All men are free to exercise their political rights and decision-making capacities. All men are brothers, rather than following in the patriarchal roles of fathers and sons.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem here for women, and other marginalized communities, is that the private sphere does not cease to exist just because the public sphere coexists with it. The private sphere-- the sphere of family and home-- retains its authoritarian, patriarchal relations and rules. In fact, the promise of liberal citizenship is not only that the government will not interfere with one’s rights in the public, but that it will not interfere with a man’s sovereignty in his private home. It is premised on the fact that there will still be inequality it the private realm. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And guess who has historically been stuck in the private realm, denied the rights of liberal citizenship in the public realm? You guessed it-- all those wives, mothers, sisters, home-makers, baby machines, and other women-folk (obviously, also anyone who is not a white man) who do not qualify as real citizens.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This brings us back to Slaughter. Slaughter escapes the trap of assuming that because women have successfully pushed their way into the public sphere that we have somehow achieved equality. After all this push for “equality,” women need to ask “Equal to what?” Equal in a system inherently based on oppression and discrimination? Equal in a system that still does not allow for the coexistance of political liberty and familial well-being?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The myth of equality is what has kept so many women from “having it all.” It is a false liberal promise that causes women to internalize the failures of an unequal and unfair system, rather than fighting to change it. Justice will only exist as the meaningless distinction between public and private life that serves as the premise of our patriarchal system is destroyed. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To reintegrate the public and private spheres, workplace policies and cultural expectations need to be informed by the real needs of caregivers and their families.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that involves women speaking up. And then “having it all.”</span></b>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-90596885902172228472012-06-16T11:10:00.000-04:002012-06-16T12:58:25.506-04:00Happy Father's Day Weekend!!<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite essays is Lisa Bloom's<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html"> "How to Talk to Little Girls."</a> In it, she describes the propensity for people to speak to little girls only about physical beauty (You're so pretty! Isn't that a cute dress?) at the expense of encouraging their intellectual development. </span></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She articulates the problem:</span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What's missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women have made enormous progress over the last century. Yet, many women still do not perceive themselves as worthy enough to take the opportunities presented to them. This is a cultural problem that begins not only with how we </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">talk </span><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to girls, but how we </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">raise </span><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">girls altogether.</span></b><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I think about this subject, I invariably reflect upon the way that I was brought up. I am blessed to have been raised with a healthy level of self-worth, and much of that is due to my father (who, incidentally, is my #1 blog reader). </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In honor of Father’s Day, therefore, I want to reveal the AWESOME things my dad did to make me an independent, kick-ass-take-names-kind-of-woman:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>1.) He encouraged me to do "boy stuff"</b></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My dad and I never did the stereotypical things we associate with little girls. We played videogames. We played chess. And we played </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so many sports</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And he never took easy it on me, just because I was a girl. We bought one of those pop-up basketball hoops and then proceeded to do daily drills so that I'd be the super-star MVP of the 3rd grade team. He painstakingly taught me the correct form in tennis, at a stage in my life when I was extremely uncoachable. And he ran me off the track during a very competitive go-kart race. Thought I forgot about that, Dad? Don’t worry, I’ll get my revenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>2.) … and develop my intellectual side</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My dad also let me GEEK OUT as a kid. We regularly took 4-hour day-trips to Barnes and Noble (even though he is a self-professed "non-reader”). He listened attentively as I described the latest empire I was building in a computer game. We strategized over Splinter Cell. And when I decided to forego sports in middle school for some decidedly uncool extracurriculars, he patiently accepted it (and attended all my forensics competitions!).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether sports or books or videogames, it never occurred to my dad that most girls are not encouraged to pursue the things that actually interest them if they conflict with accepted gender roles. To my dad, it did not matter how an activity was gendered, but whether or not it was </span><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cool</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. We did cool stuff. More girls need to do cool stuff.</span><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3.) He taught me to make myself proud</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In school, I was always an overachiever, a quality which became more pronounced as the grades progressed. My dad, however, never pressured me. Instead, he told me "I don't care if you get a C or an A, all I care is that you do your best." This has always stuck with me, and it drove me to intrinsically value my own achievement. </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4.) ...and respected me</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My dad has always respected my ideas and talked to me like an equal. Even as a kid, we talked about world events and politics, and he sincerely asked my opinions on the issues. When I was 14, he urged me to write to Bill O’Reilly to express my outrage at the latest falsehood presented on his show. I was skeptical that my voice would be heard, but my dad was insistent that my opinion was valuable---regardless of age or gender.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.) ...and supported me</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My dad always believed I could do anything I put my mind to- giving me the confidence to take steps even when the ground was shaky.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I grew up, he also intuitively knew when I needed to chill out. As a diabetic kid, he broke me out of school-jail early to play in the arcade before doctor appointments. Understanding the pressure I put on myself in high school, he let me take “mental health” days. And when I spent too much time locked away with my books, he made me go to the movies with my friends.</span></b>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6825374439358711"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6.) ...and told me to be myself</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there was one lesson I heard </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ad nauseum</span><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> growing up, it was this. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why do you care what other people think? Be yourself. </span><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Generally, this was heard after my dad had done something that left me feeling I would die of embarrassment (dancing in public, talking to teachers, etc). </span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While not appreciated growing up, this is the best lesson I have ever learned. Because, provided you are not harming anyone else, you should live your life! Who cares if you’re different? Who cares if other people disagree with you?</span></span></b>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMSkgF9EkgA/T9yae32rp6I/AAAAAAAAAGs/GO8oUHoy2WI/s1600/xena2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JMSkgF9EkgA/T9yae32rp6I/AAAAAAAAAGs/GO8oUHoy2WI/s320/xena2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For example, I spent my vacation reading a book about Xena: Warrior Princess and wearing this outfit. But my dad was chill with it, cuz I was just doin' me.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, too many girls today are taught to be quiet, pretty, accommodating, loving (at the expense of self-love), pleasant (at the expense of questioning), and docile. I want to live in a world where girls are encouraged to play, get dirty, kick ass, show off, and express themselves. I want a world where girls grow up to be strong, confident, active, beautiful, flawed, intelligent</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, complete human beings. </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline;">And it begins with how we raise young girls. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It may not have been my dad’s intention to ra</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ise an ardent, outspoken feminist. However, by treating me as a human being, and not “just a girl,” he pushed me to go beyond what society expected for me. And I couldn’t be happier about it.</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, thanks, Dad!! </span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Happy Father’s Day to all parents out there!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-28319580182754413362012-06-13T16:14:00.005-04:002012-07-10T00:26:02.877-04:00Where-Oh-Where Did the Working Class Go?Regarding the gubernatorial re-call election last week, many expressed shock that Wisconsin's working class did not overwhelmingly oppose Governor Scott "Unions-Are-the-Plague-of-the-Earth" Walker. The man who once <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/124627903.html">described collective bargaining</a> as an "expensive entitlement" walked away last Tuesday with 38% of the working class vote, and 61% of the white working-class vote. To me, these numbers do not demonstrate that the labor movement has drastically changed its agenda, but rather signify the decline of the working class as a unified political identity, altogether.<br />
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There are several explanations for this trend. Psychology professor, Jonathan Haidt, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/05/why-working-class-people-vote-conservative">proposes that economic interest is not the unifying force in electoral decision-making that people assume</a>. In his research into political decision-making, Haidt found that “When working-class people vote conservative, as most do in the US, they are not voting against their self-interest; they are voting for their moral interest.” Contrary to popular opinion, he explained, people vote in accordance with their moral value-systems rather than economic interest. While liberals are more concerned with “care,” as a moral value (thus often advancing policy related to social welfare), conservatives tend to value more respect for authority, group loyalty, and sanctity. Haidt suggests that in the wake of the financial crisis and looming uncertainty, American citizens are more likely to vote for the order and national cohesion that conservative values and candidates offer.<br />
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On another front, Doug Henwood, of LBO News, <a href="http://socialistworker.org/blog/critical-reading/2012/06/06/lessons-wisconsin">theorizes that the labor movement's decline</a> is due to the siphoning of political activity away from grassroots education and organizing, and into electoral politics. Rather than pursuing the interests of the working class on the ground, union leadership is too busy filling the pockets of Democrat candidates who rarely fulfill the needs of its constituency. This, coupled with a decided amount of corruption and mistrust among certain union leadership, has led to disillusionment among voters, who no longer see the labor movement as serving their interests.<br />
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Both of these are relevant, and non-exclusive, theories that address the changing choices of working-class voters and the decline of proper leadership in both the labor movement and the Democratic party. There are a host of other reasons to explain the decline of the working-class as a unified political identity (including, in my opinion, the inability for most Americans to see modern problems through the lens of social class), but I will forgo them for now. Suffice it to say, while the labor movement was once a powerful voice in America, it is no longer the same organizing force of the early 20th century.<br />
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Not only is this true, but “union” has become the dirty word de jour in this country. Schools are failing? It must be the teacher's union. Job outsourcing? That's the union. Small business in decline? I think you see where this is heading...<br />
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I will be the first to admit that unions are not perfect. Especially where they have been overly-bureaucratized or, as Henwood suggests, co-opted by ill-intentioned movements, leaders, and political machines (the last of which we see often in cities like Chicago and New York), we witness large amounts of graft, inefficiency, and short-sightedness. However, these are generally problems of leadership and organization, not intention. Furthermore, this view lumps all unions into one category, when the locations, activities, and interests of each are quite specific. <br />
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In truth, the unionization movement has been grossly oversimplified and misunderstood in the public eye, making it an easy target for all social ills. And while we are busy attacking this straw man, the multitude of harmful practices and policies enacted by both corporation and government continue unnoticed.<br />
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By unilaterally denouncing all unions and labor organization, we throw the baby out with the bath water. While many unions, and the labor movement as a whole, may be poorly directed, organization based on working-class interests is still sorely needed.<br />
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For example, in a<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/opinion/nocera-turning-our-backs-on-unions.html?_r=2"> recent New York Times article</a>, Joe Nocera points to how declining union membership has led to severe problems for America's middle class. In the absence of union protection, there is nothing to stop big corporations from taking advantage of their workers. Nocera cites columnist Timothy Noah, who reveals, in his work on income inequality, the close inverse correlation between union membership-- which has declined from a high of 40% of workers in the mid-1950s to a mere 12% today--and rising income inequality. Nocera states:<br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4369004676118493" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />This makes perfect sense, of course. Company managements don’t pay workers any more than they have to — look, for instance, at Walmart, one of the most virulently antiunion companies in the country. In their heyday, unions represented a countervailing force that could extract money for its workers that helped keep them in the middle class. Noah notes that a JPMorgan economist calculated that the majority of increased corporate profits between 2000 and 2007 were the result of “reductions in wages and benefits.” That makes sense, too. At the same time labor has been in decline, the power of shareholders has been on the rise.</span></span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4369004676118493" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
So we see, there is no real incentive for wages and benefits to grow alongside profit without some sort of organizing force to make it so. <br />
<br />
The needs of the working class extend further than this. In our current economic climate, employees in most industries are an expendable commodity. After the financial crash, unemployment skyrocketed, leaving America with an employee-saturated market. Without any type of labor protection, this leaves employees extremely vulnerable to the whims of their employers. Employees have no leverage to demand a basic living wage, health insurance, reasonable work-days, or basic dignity. If they were to make such demands, they risk being tossed aside for the next resume in the pile (or worse, for an unpaid intern).<br />
<br />
It is in this climate that we need a strongly organized labor movement. It does not need to be radically Marxist, or a carbon copy of 20th century movements. And it certainly should not build on the inefficiencies of current leadership and politics. <br />
<br />
What the movement must do, is educate, organize, and politically engage working class citizens in their economic interests. At the same time, it should encourage the critical examination of the root causes of economic inequality in society. It also must advance a fundamental agenda that includes the provision of living wages, safe and dignified working environments, and healthy living conditions for workers and their families. And last, it must serve the broader principles of human dignity, equality, and economic justice for all. <br />
<br />
<br />
… aaannd it might want to put a few people out there in Wisconsin come next election. Just to be sure.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-13788892654427965552012-06-05T19:05:00.001-04:002012-06-05T23:20:23.324-04:00(S)He Works Hard for the Money<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Men
are <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/business/increasingly-men-seek-success-in-jobs-dominated-by-women.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&src=recg">increasingly entering traditionally female-dominated professions</a>,
according to recent analysis. </span>Shaila Dewan and Robert
Gebeloff<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"> reveal that
</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;">An
analysis of census data by </span><span style="color: black;"><i>The
New York Times</i></span><span style="color: black;">
shows that from 2000 to 2010, occupations that are more than 70
percent female accounted for almost a third of all job growth for
men, double the share of the previous decade.</span> </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dewan and Gebeloff
offer a variety of plausible explanations for this trend, including
“financial concerns, quality-of-life issues, and a gradual erosion
of stereotypes.” They hypothesize that the stigma of entering
female-dominated professions is lessoning, while, at the same time,
the stability of female dominated professions compared to
male-dominated professions is increasingly attractive in the current
economy. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whatever the reason, I believe this trend has interesting implications for not
only the gender segregation of labor, but the value of such labor.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.23in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since
the rise of wage-labor during the Industrial Revolution, women's
labor has consistently been devalued relative to men's labor.* This
was the subject of <a href="http://carlsonsalon.blogspot.com/2011/07/worst-paying-college-majors.html">my first blog post</a>, in which I argued that the
“caring professions,” including nursing, teaching, and social
work, are specifically devalued due to being female-dominated
professions. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
introduction of men into the “pink collar” professions may change
all this. With more men entering these professions, it is possible
that the segregation of labor may slowly begin to erode.
Consequently, as both men and women are represented proportionally in
various professions, the formerly-female-dominated jobs will no
longer be stigmatized as “female,” and will presumably demand a
more equitable salary based on merit, rather than gender.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">This
is a promising idea, but it also troubles me for several reasons: </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">First,
this does nothing to address the problem of women earning less than
men for the <i>same</i> work. It will take a host of cultural
solutions and policy interventions in labor and family services
(i.e., state-sponsored childcare, so that women do not get pushed off
the career track when they choose to have families) before anything
resembling gender-based economic equality can be reached in this
country. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Secondly,
this idea does not address the inherent value of women's work as
opposed to men's work; It simply helps eradicate the two categories
so that they cannot be compared. In the end, one can presume
that women's labor (not to be confused with female-dominated
professions), where it exists, will still be devalued compared to
men's, for it is only when men enter a profession that wages begin to
reflect the actual labor rather than who is doing it. We will have
done little to ensure that women, and their labor, are valued in
and of themselves.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">On
a practical level, however, this may be our best hope for economic
equality. Personally, I have spent many years focusing my attention
and efforts on the value (or devaluation) of women's labor without
questioning the category, itself, too much. This was ideological
product of my “Women-Are-Powerful-Ra-Ra-Sisterhood” political
ideology. However, this trend is convincing me that efforts to
improve gender equality would perhaps be more effectively directed
towards eradicating the gender-segregation of labor, in the first
place. This is a complicated issue that carries interesting
theoretical consequences--- including new perspective on the feminist
“difference vs. equality” debate---so I'll defer judgment for
today. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Regardless,
the fact that previously female-dominated professions are carrying
less stigma cannot be construed as anything but a positive sign. And
I welcome as many men into the teaching, nursing, clerical, and other
traditionally female-dominated professions as will enter. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">*Although the gender-segregation of labor was nothing new at the time, it was not until the
introduction of paid wages that this monetary devaluation could occur
as men's labor moved outside the home into the realm of wage-labor, while women's work remained in the home and unpaid.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-31298907668774661902012-06-01T09:21:00.000-04:002012-06-03T20:44:55.994-04:00Is Class Size a Big Deal? Depends on who you ask...<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As part of a broader plan to discuss
his education policy with the nation (and to shore up the
African-American vote, no doubt), Mitt Romney<a href="http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/05/24/mitt-romney-visiting-west-philadelphia-charter-school-thursday/"> toured a West Philadelphia charter school </a>and spoke at a round table with
teachers and educational leaders last week. Our Republican presidential nominee took the opportunity to tout his
educational reform mantra of parental choice, introducing plans for
voucher program that would use federal money to allow students to
attend various well-performing public, charter, and private schools.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Expounding upon his platform, Romney revealed that he does not consider class size to be a determining
factor in student performance. Rather, in line with his
anti-teacher-union strategy, Romney argued that the push to decrease
class size is merely a wasteful union ploy to hire more teachers.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While urban teachers everywhere, whose
intuition screams that this is false, pick their jaws off the floor,
I will concede two things that lend credence to the Republican
nominee: First, Romney's argument is <i>logical</i>, though
fundamentally incorrect. Secondly, Romney does cite specific
scientific studies that support his conclusion that class size has
minimal effect on student achievement.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On a personal level, even this is is
hard to admit. In my own experience as a teacher, I found classroom
size to be critical to classroom success. This principle was
eloquently articulated by Erin Thesing, who teaches at another West
Philadelphia charter school, on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2029820623"> the Obama-Biden blog this w</a><a href="http://www.barackobama.com/pa/entry/pa-class-size-a-game-changer">eek</a>.
Thesing reasoned<span style="color: black;">
that “</span><span style="color: black;">at
the end of the day, smaller class sizes mean that there is more time
for small groups or individualized instruction, and that is game
changing for learning.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">However, putting this “anecdotal”
evidence aside, numerous studies, including that which Romney cited,
conclude the exact opposite: that class size does not play an
important part in student achievement. Plenty of classrooms across
the globe have classroom sizes that rival those of the U.S., yet show
academic progress at a much higher rate.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is not recognized in these
studies, however, is that the influence of class-size as a variable
impacting student performance, is context-dependent. Whether or not
class size plays a critical role is dependent upon the particular
classroom, in a particular community, etc., etc.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In an affluent classroom, class size
may not be as crucial because students are already receiving the
vital outside-the-classroom support to succeed in school. These
students receive help on their homework from tutors and parents.
They have access to proper libraries and other resources. And, most
importantly, they develop in an environment which is conducive to
learning-- in other words, one absent poverty and chaos, and in which
a high degree of value is placed on academic success while
simultaneously providing the structure and tools necessary to develop
well-formed study habits.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For students who do not grow up in this
environment, and do not have the outside educational resources of
their more affluent peers, the classroom is often the sole locus of
learning and educational opportunity. Time spent with their teacher
may be the only focused, individualized attention that students
receive regarding their school work.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Therefore, in these cases, class size
is critical; With too large of a class size, a particular student
will never be able to fully communicate with their teacher because
he/she is too busy trying to reach 35 of their peers. If that
student becomes confused during a lesson without the opportunity to
clarify with their teacher, they run the risk of falling dangerously
behind as each subsequent lesson spirals on the information they
should have learned in previous week. It is not hard to make the
jump between a first-grader lost and neglected in a sea of students,
to a teenager later dropping out of high school because they have
fallen so far behind over the years. While my reader may find this a
drastic conclusion, I have unfortunately listened to enough of my
high school students' stories to know this to be a frequent
occurrence.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To argue that class size is a
negligible factor in student success ignores the contextual
conditions facing many students in urban America. While in a perfect
world, class size may not carry such a weighty influence, we must
face the imperfect world in which we do live. With this said, all
educational reform efforts--- including, but not limited to, those
relating to class size--- need to acknowledge what is happening
on-the-ground within classrooms in their specific local contexts. To
attempt reform otherwise, will be ineffective at best, and dangerous
at worst.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-76619135410580538372012-04-25T21:17:00.001-04:002012-06-05T21:14:57.654-04:00Seeing the Forrest: Population, Development, and Women’s Self-Determination<b id="internal-source-marker_0.547788037918508"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/world/africa/in-nigeria-a-preview-of-an-overcrowded-planet.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=general&src=me">New York Times article</a>, Elisabeth Rosenthal addresses the population crisis occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa, where population in many areas far exceeds resources. This rampant population growth has predictably disastrous consequences: substandard living conditions, congestion, rampant unemployment, drains on infrastructure and natural resources (including food and water supply), and, in some areas, immigration concerns.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rosenthal specifically cites the case of Nigeria, which has seen its population balloon in the last quarter-century to 300 million people despite the spatial and economic limitations of the country. Nigeria contributes to a trend of overall population increase in sub-Saharan Africa, where, in many countries, women often average more than 5 children. Experts state that it growth within this region that is largely accountable for the world population recently exceeding 7 billion.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is in stark contrast to “developing” countries* in Asia and Latin America, which have seen birth rates stabilize at the expert-sanctioned 2 children per family after years of intensive policy prescriptions aimed at lowering fertility. What is note-worthy, is that most of these interventions are directed at improving women</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">'s</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> opportunities and choices. As the world has learned, when women are educated, afforded some degree of self-determination, and have access to contraceptives and reproductive healthcare, the birth rate drastically decreases and standard of living increases.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, it should be noted that attempts to lower the birth rate by these means have been erratic in much of sub-Saharan Africa due to the cultural importance placed on large families, among other factors. Additionally, I do not want to suggest that population policies have always been innocuous or even well-intentioned. Unfortunately, there have been many instances of cultural insensitivity, exploitation, and unintended consequences in this field. What I think is important to acknowledge is that (1) population growth is a serious problem with real effects on development, and (2) women's autonomy and self-determination is inextricably linked with development.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This last point is especially important as it is common to view women’s rights and “women’s issues” in a vacuum, without connecting them to the health and well-being of </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">humans. The forgotten truth is that even though women are marginalized across the world, they are not a minority. Women constitute half the population and, therefore, any issue that affects women, affects everyone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Related, anything which empowers women, empowers all people. When women are gainfully employed, the overall productivity of a nation has the potential to increase. When girls have access to the same educational resources as boys, their knowledge can be used towards the betterment of society. When women take leadership roles, organizations and states benefit by better representing the wants and needs of all constituents.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And when women are given full access to reproductive information and choice, they often choose to have smaller family sizes-- beginning a reactionary chain that can improve the living conditions of an entire nation. The choice to have fewer children places less of a burden on individual women, who are often primary care-takers. It places less of a burden on the family unit, which must provide for children with a finite amount of resources. Finally, it places less of a burden on society, and, going one step further, can actually promote economic growth for a country. As Rosenthal explains, when population growth is carefully balanced, and the number of young working people relative to dependent groups, like seniors or children, is large, economic productivity can sharply increase due to the available workforce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If our society wants to affect this kind of macro-level change (economic growth and development), we need to start by perceiving and addressing micro-level problems (like family planning). We need to see that women’s rights--- along with racial justice, labor rights, environmental issues, healthcare, criminal justice, and the host of other things that fall under the umbrella of “social issues”--- are not separate from or peripheral to global economic development, but deeply intertwined in it. It is only by seeing the connections among systems, levels, and people, that we can truly begin to address our social ills and improve the global standard of living. </span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-2203817636394707432012-03-25T19:56:00.001-04:002012-03-25T23:17:52.907-04:00When Privacy Controls Aren't Enough...<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Those of us maturing in the Facebook
Age have undergone a quick schooling on internet privacy. By now,
most of us know to carefully control access to our social media profiles for fear of what acquaintances, employers,
and even family members might see (don't get me started on the year
that Aunt Cindy found a picture of me smoking--- not a pleasant
Christmas conversation). However, employers are now trying to
circumvent these attempts at privacy by<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/job-seekers-getting-asked-facebook-passwords-071251682.html"> demanding new employees release their social media passwords</a> during interviews.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This situation raises some interesting
questions about citizenship and public space in the digital age.
Those who oppose these measures claim that demanding access to an
employee's social media presence is a profound violation of privacy,
and legislation is already being drafted in Maryland and Illinois to
make the practice illegal. Facebook, itself, has threatened to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/facebook-employer-employee-passwords_n_1375020.html">sue employers who demand passwords</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Personally, I see both sides to the
argument of whether or not this level of employer-snooping should be
illegal. On the one hand, if we consider our virtual selves as an
extension of our human selves (as I have <a href="http://carlsonsalon.blogspot.com/2012/02/can-social-media-be-vehicle-for-social.html#more">argued here before</a>), then it
makes sense that we have some degree of privacy based on our historic
conceptions of liberal citizenship and the public/private sphere
distinction. In other words, what you do in the privacy of your
home, or on your <i>homepage</i>,
is your own business. There would also be a strong legal argument
against the practice among public sector employers by invoking the
right to privacy read into the 14<sup>th</sup> Amendment.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the other hand, if we consider the
internet, itself, as an extension of the public sphere, privacy is no
longer the issue. Privacy remains in the home, away from the
computer, and what we freely choose to reveal to the world-wide-web
is a matter of public speculation.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beyond these philosophical questions,
the situation sheds light onto current labor relations in this
country. If Facebook had been around 15 years ago, when the job
market was far less grim, would this occur? If
unemployment and under-employment were lower--- if people were less
desperate for jobs and employers did not have such a wide pool of
applicants--- would employees stand for this level of invasiveness?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unfortunately, we are living in times
when employees do not have the luxury of refusing demands. So, if
you're in the job market, be prepared to defend that rant against
Corporate America and those pictures from Spring Break 2007. Until
then, readers, set your privacy settings-- like your aspirations for a better tomorrow-- very high.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-36010647090504954352012-03-13T10:55:00.004-04:002012-03-19T06:33:04.566-04:00Learning is Struggle<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In <a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/clarity-not-always-the-best-for-learning-30339/">this recent blog post</a>, psychology
professor Nate Kornell explores a fascinating aspect of learning:
challenge. He argues that clarity can actually be an impediment to
learning, as it is only through challenges that people
correct their misconceptions and reach true understanding.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As a former teacher and life-long
student, I find this to be very true. As much as we are wont to believe that students miraculously learn through a teacher-dictated-top-down approach, learning is really a self-directed
process. As Kornell states, “According to growing
mountain of research, understanding isn’t enough. It’s the
struggle that makes us learn.”<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Personally, as a student, this makes a
lot of sense to me. In high school, I excelled on AP exams not
because my teachers were exceptional (which is not to say they
weren't wonderful teachers), but because I pushed myself. I was
also incredibly proud, and found it difficult to ask for help,
instead pouring over the intricacies of problems until I reached a thorough understanding.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For example, I remember studying
factoring in my 8<sup>th</sup> grade pre-algebra class. To me,
factoring did not make sense, but everyone else in my class found it easy. I was personally dissatisfied with the complete-this-series-of-steps approach that my classmates took, and instead
intensively dug into my textbook during my free time (I probably
wasn't the most fun kid to be around, but that's neither here nor
there...) until I had a conceptual understanding of quadratic
equations. A few weeks later, the problems grew more difficult,
requiring thoughtfulness and number sense. It was then that I had
the upper hand on math over my classmates, but it would not
have been this way if not for the failures and struggles through
which I'd labored. Now that I've been in the education game for a
bit longer, I understand this to be an inefficient/time-intensive way of operating,
but I can look back and see the value; Everything that I studied, I
learned completely.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Teachers can take away a lot from
Kornell's argument. The best teachers are those who produce
environments wherein students can learn, explore, make meaning,
thoughtfully deconstruct problems, build off of each other's
knowledge, question themselves and each other, and muddle through
challenges. Notice, I did not say “listen to lectures and take
notes.” Of course, this sort of teaching is extremely challenging, itself, as it requires an intense amount of foresight.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It also requires that teachers <i>let
go</i> and let students regain control of their learning. Teachers
tend to spend hours on lesson plans, learning the material and
thinking about how to best present it. All this does is make very
smart teachers and very poor students, as students are robbed of the
learning process. For most teachers, especially new teachers, the
idea of student-centered learning is a scary proposition, as it is
very common to feel the need to have strict control over a classroom,
its ideas, and its voices at all times. However, this is a hindrance
to students' learning, and, on a more significant level, their
academic freedom.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is also difficult to teach in this
way because students, themselves, are terrified of making mistakes.
They have learned throughout the years-- no doubt aided by the
current high stakes testing educational environment--
that there is a right answer and a wrong answer. And no one wants to
be wrong. However, as we have seen, learning really only occurs
through failure. Without recognizing our mistakes and correcting
them, there is no deeper knowledge of an issue. Additionally, it has
recently been proven that <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120312101439.htm">students gain confidence and perform better when failure is explicitly acknowledged as a part of the learning process</a>. With that said, teachers should strive to create
environments where it is safe to be curious, to hazard guesses, to
make mistakes, and to learn from failure.</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-83447887957973881692012-03-12T19:57:00.001-04:002012-03-12T23:36:44.488-04:00What Are You Reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xLnZCL1z6OQ/T16NZJKX38I/AAAAAAAAAFY/7JCk7XnxjQg/s1600/news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xLnZCL1z6OQ/T16NZJKX38I/AAAAAAAAAFY/7JCk7XnxjQg/s1600/news.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm deviating from the blogger path right now, but I'm very curious what online news sources/journalism you all read. I've included my list below. I'll include a blog list in another post. I'd like to say that I get the time to regularly read all these, but...you know... Netflix... shit....</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Al Jazeera English</span></a> **</span> This is where I read most of my news, actually.<br />
<a href="http://www.propublica.org/"><span style="color: purple;">Alternet </span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.propublica.org/"><span style="color: purple;">Propublica</span></a><br />
<a href="http://thehill.com/"><span style="color: purple;">The Hill</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/" style="color: purple;">Freakonomics Blog </a>ok, I know I said no blogs, but I consider this a pretty useful source of info<br />
<a href="http://www.salon.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Salon </span></a><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://motherjones.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Mother Jones</span></a> </span>love/hate, but they've been on point lately<br />
<a href="http://www.wired.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Wired</span></a><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.miller-mccune.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Miller McCune</span></a> --</span> just found this; it's AWESOME<br />
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Daily Kos</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/"><span style="color: purple;">Real Clear Politics </span></a>ok, they mostly consolidate news, but they do a damn fine job of it<br />
<a href="http://www.thenation.com/"><span style="color: purple;">The Nation</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, there's the usual suspects, too: WSJ, WashPo, NYTimes, etc.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">So now it's your turn? What are you reading? What's good?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Megan</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ps I know this post sounds like a pretentious "omg, guess how much *I* read?" thing. Eh, get over it.</span></span>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-56175171834492470602012-03-08T09:40:00.000-05:002012-03-19T06:34:56.295-04:00Putting the Electric Car on the Back-Burner<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last week, <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/automobiles/213889-gm-halting-production-of-chevy-volt">GM announced that it was temporarily suspending manufacture of its Volt hybrid electric car</a>,
claiming that there was not enough market demand at the moment to
justify production. Sales of the electric car have fallen short of
projections, recently, despite several government interventions at
the local and federal level to boost sales. These interventions
included a $105.9 million grant to help produce battery packs and
$151.4 million grant to produce battery cells,* a tax credit to
buyers of electric cars, and the ability to drive in High Occupancy
Vehicle lanes in the state of California.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The decision relieved many
Congressional Republicans, who opposed the heavy hand of the
government in this particular branch of the automotive industry and,
needless to say, the President's ringing endorsement of it. They
claim that, as Pennsylvania Representative Mike Kelly said in a
recent House hearing, “When the market is ready...[the car] won't
have to be subsidized.” Without delving into whose interests these
Republican leaders serve (hint: it rhymes with Shmig Boil), their
claim overlooks several key points that expose the most insidious
myths of “free market” in this country.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
First, the free market does not take
care of everything for the greater good of all. The Reagan-era,
trickle-down theory-- that profits at the top eventually find their
way down to the bottom through increased spending--<a href="http://www.faireconomy.org/research/TrickleDown.html">has been time and time again proven false</a>. At best, the free
market mass produces some value-neutral items and services at low
cost, the profits of which go into the hands of those who control
production.**</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So what's wrong with this, and what
does this have to do with the electric car? The problem with this
arrangement is that often what's most available and the cheapest is
inherently damaging to one's health, the environment, or the general
well-being of humanity. By definition, we need government
intervention in exactly this case-- when the uninhibited free market
would lead to an outcome that is detrimental to the public good.
This is where we are in America. We are destroying the environment
with the emission of fossil fuels, a direct consequence of our
automobile use, and our dependence on foreign oil has threatened our
national security. Clearly, subsidizing the electric car, promoting
its use, and creating policy to incentivize ownership are all
positive interventions the government needs to take in order to
protect the public and planet from the unintended consequences of the free
market.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Related to this first point,
intervention is necessary because in a capitalist society,
information, itself, belongs to the highest bidder. Research in this
country is often privately funded by those who would benefit from the
research. And I can tell you that Exxon Mobile is probably not keen
on researching alternative forms of energy that would destroy their
market. On a more conspiratorial note, it has long been speculated
that oil companies buy out any research which contradicts their
interests, and this is why it has taken so long to produce a car that
runs on alternative sources of fuel.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last, even if we <i>did</i> assume that
the free market takes care of every need for the benefit of all, and that all consumers had the necessary information
to make the best choices, we still would be in a predicament. This
is because we simply do not live in a “free” market, if we take
“free” to mean a market absent <i>any </i>government intervention. On
the contrary, market intervention is extremely common in this
country, yet often hidden under the illusive title of “free
market.” If not, what do you call the many policy interventions on behalf
of Big Oil? Tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans? How about the
subsidies that <a href="http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2010/11/23/stop-federal-corn-subsidies-to-decrease-childhood-obesity/">benefit industries and products that actually harm Americans</a>? Unfortunately, in this country, “free market” is
merely a rhetorical term that has no basis in actual market
principles.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All this is to say that arguments from
Republican representatives that
rely on “protect-the-free-market” reasoning need to be closely
examined. If those same representatives are supporting some of the
interventionist policies mentioned above, especially if those
policies benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations, their
word is null.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So instead of worrying about
“intervention” and “subsidies,” as though they are terrible
things, let's make sure that when government intervention occurs it
is for the right reason. Let it protect people, instead of corporate
interest. With this said, in a time when gas prices are up, the
environment is decaying, and there's heated debate over our
dependence on foreign oil, it seems like a win-win-win to publicly
invest in the electric car.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Full disclosure: I do not know what
the difference is between a battery pack and a battery cell, please
do not embarrass me by asking.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">** I, personally, am wont to believe the Charles Wheelan axiom that capitalism is the best of bad options.</span></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-89530563470294554282012-02-23T23:29:00.003-05:002012-02-24T19:00:41.338-05:00Political Experience: Too Much of a Good Thing?<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What makes a good president?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Leadership. Confidence. Eloquent
communication. Organizational skill. Clear Vision. Ability to
compromise. Commitment to Integrity. Political experience...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<i>Hold the
phone there... </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">As
counter-intuitive as it may sound, experience may actually be a
liability to a presidential candidate. A recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/politics/after-debate-santorum-finds-himself-on-the-defensive.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp" target="_blank">New York Times article</a> exposes how this is exemplified in Rick Santorum's campaign
for the Republican nomination. Michael Shear reports that while
Santorum has attempted to run on the basis of his 16-year
Congressional career, his congressional track-record is now being
used to portray him as an inconsistent “a creature of insider
politics” who does not really uphold conservative values. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">Shear
neatly points out that this sort of mudslinging is very common when
congresspersons run for office. While it would seem logical that
legislators would want to run on their congressional record, proving
their experience and know-how, it also opens them up to an intense
amount of criticism. As Shear notes: </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
For every vote that
becomes an effective campaign talking point, there is another that
threatens to lead a candidate into explanations requiring awkward,
process-laden Senate-speak. And those votes often cast a spotlight
on the messy compromises and partisan accommodations that are a
regular but despised part of the legislative process in Washington.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">One
sees, then, that there is a catch-22 to running for presidential
office. One needs experience, of course, to run for such an
essential position. However, the more experience one has in the
spotlight of our nation's Congress, the more likely one is to have
exposed oneself to liability. That liability could be a compromise
on health care, supporting an issue which earned political enemies,
or voting for a bill that contained a substance-less earmark
(remember that Bridge to Nowhere?), but, regardless, it could cost
just enough votes to lose the election. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">Shear
mentions that Obama, who ran after serving just two years in the Senate,
may have directly benefited from this principle. This is fascinating
given that one of the big arguments against Obama in the 2008
election was his inexperience. I guess he laughed his way to the
White House on that one... </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">This
insight has left me with a two sets of questions. First, what makes
an “electable” candidate? Are state elected officials and
legislators more likely to be elected than someone with national
experience? Is obscurity a benefit? Does it make more sense for
parties to start catering to a more inexperienced candidate pool?
What are the implications of sending the nation's Doogie Howsers into
the White House? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">Secondly,
what the heck do people think goes on in national politics? Why is
experience seen as something untrustworthy? Unfortunately, many
Americans simply do not understand the legislative process or what
their legislators do. And this ignorance is to the benefit of
politicians, who can use it to make weak arguments against their
opponents and for themselves, and mass media, who can drum up a good
profitable controversy over routine congressional procedures. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="text-decoration: none;">To
be fair, it is important that an elected official's inconsistency and
political pandering be exposed. However, equally important is the
ability to discern mudslinging from knowledge of the every-day
compromises that congresspersons must make to effect change. If
anything, citizens should be angry not at inconsistency, but an
electoral process and legislative environment which incentives
officials into making backroom deals and compromising political
decisions. It is definitely time to examine these systems if we are
living in a time when “experience” is considered a bad thing.</span></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-1526135484632416022012-02-17T13:01:00.000-05:002012-02-20T17:53:43.053-05:00What's 'Freedom of Conscience' Got To Do With It?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is heated controversy
surrounding the Obama mandate for employers to provide no-copay birth
control under the Affordable Care Act. Unsurprisingly, the mandate has
caused an uproar among religious conservatives, who insist that forcing all employers, especially those of
religious organizations, to provide contraception is a violation of
“freedom of conscience.” Despite a compromise to address the
issue, wherein the burden of conscience would shift to insurance
companies rather than employers, conservatives remain firm in their opposition. They've even gone so far as to organize a House forum entitled “<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?” (I couldn't make this up, if I tried). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sadly, resistance to contraception access is part of a long historical trend. While this remains constant, I am continually fascinated by the changes in <i>argumentation </i>for and against reproductive justice in this country. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mostly, I have studied these rhetorical shifts in terms of abortion (if you would like a copy of my widely-read BA thesis, address inquiries at the bottom), but there is distinct overlap with the discourse around birth control, as well.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the case of abortion, the left wing
went through several incarnations of its current argument. In the
1960s and 1970s, it was argued that abortion, along with all other
reproductive health measures, was a part of one's political freedom--
-that without the ability to determine when and under what
circumstances one would have children, one could not exercise their
own self-determination. This changed with </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roe v. Wade</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which
encased a woman's right to abortion within the Right to Privacy under
the 14</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Amendment. In other words, it said that what
people do in homes and doctor's offices is their own g-d business!
Beginning with </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roe </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and
proceeding into the Reagan-era, the left-wing co-opted
neo-liberal discourse, and the fight for “reproductive freedom”
(which evoked a sense of woman's political activity and agency)
became the “right to choose.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a pretty snappy catchphrase.
So snappy, that the right wing quickly developed it's own soundbite:
“the right to life.” What was before a fetus, became the dawn of
human life. Abortion was no longer a procedure; suddenly it was
murder (as a side note, little was said by pro-lifers of a <i>woman's</i>
“right to life,” but it must have been an oversight). The “right
to life” rhetoric was also applied to birth control. The natural
consequence of sex, it was argued, was human life. To prevent human
life from being formed was to stand in the way of mother nature, God,
the universe, etc., etc.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the early 1990s, many pro-lifers
became increasingly extreme in their protests against abortion
clinics. What started with pictures of aborted fetuses, quickly
evolved into mail-bombs, violence against doctors, and harassment of
women seeking services. Leadership in the pro-life movement realized
this was not exactly a popular public image, and, therefore, switched
its rhetoric once again. Co-opting pro-choice language (noticing a
pattern yet?), the new talking point was women's well-being. The
woman-friendly argument framed abortion as a procedure which mentally
and physically debilitated women for the rest of their lives.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pro-choice movement also took a
softer approach, along with most women's rights activists who were
suffering from negative public image. Because the idea of “women's
rights” was evoking a scary stereotype of a baby-hating, loveless
femi-nazi, the decision was made to instead promote a woman's
physical well-being as a non-controversial shift. Consequently, the
language of women's <i>rights </i>was
cast aside for that of women's <i>health</i>. The trend
continues today: Arguments surrounding abortion, birth control, and
even domestic violence now are all enveloped in the language of
women's health, rather than reproductive freedom or justice.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the anti-reproductive-health front,
there is another shift: the argument for freedom of conscience, as
witnessed in the current contraception-mandate frenzy. Women have
again been left out of the equation, as the rights of employers and
companies have come to the forefront.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In spite of the apocalyptic tone the
media is drumming up, I personally feel (from a
pro-reproductive-justice standpoint) that this this shift is a
positive sign. Think of this: the argument is <i>not</i> that women
should not be able to make decisions regarding their bodies, it is
not that employers should not have to provide healthcare, it is not
that we need to look out for the potential of unborn children.
Today, these arguments would never work because they would be too
unpopular-- a fact which shows the enormous progress of women in the
last 20 years! The opposition's rhetorical shift, therefore, shows
an implicit acknowledgement that women have a right to reproductive
self-determination, simply because it does not attack that premise in
its argument against contraception coverage.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is obviously much still to be
done for reproductive justice. The fact that any argument is made
against providing birth control shows that there are many to whom the
argument appeals, and that the audience is considered politically
relevant.. However, to me, the fact that contraception is garnering
so much public attention seems like a red herring: a politically weak
attempt by certain conservatives to evoke the antiquated “culture
wars” in the hopes of gaining a few votes and distracting the
public eye from more immediate concerns. Hopefully, the public sees
past this ruse and continues to take a stand for women's freedom.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-9124218253595800742012-02-04T18:54:00.000-05:002012-03-25T23:34:12.075-04:00Can Social Media be a Vehicle for Social Change?<br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.423321453621611"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By now, many of you are familiar with the uproar surrounding the Susan G. Komen Foundation. While many terrible things were discovered this week, there were also a few positive take-aways. Among them, is the proof that, under the right circumstances, social media can be effectively utilized for social change.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those unfamiliar with the situation, I’ll summarize: On January 31, the Komen Foundation decided to exclude Planned Parenthood from its list of grantee recipients, stating that it does not award money to any organization under federal investigation (for an excellent refutation of this premise, see <a href="http://jezebel.com/5881802/an-accounting-of-komens-impressive-financial-hypocrisy" target="_blank">here</a>). However, as quickly acknowledged by the public, the ostensible reason served as a thin veil for the pro-life pandering of the Foundation’s leadership. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The public reaction was swift and clear: there would be no support for a foundation which claims to support women’s health, yet hypocritically refused to assist an organization that provides routine checkups, cancer screenings, counseling, birth control, and STD testing for uninsured women. News about the decision quickly flooded Facebook status updates, twitter feeds, and emails. Thanks to Planned Parenthood and Moveon.org social media savvy, internet petitions against the Komen Foundation soon circulated. Former advocates pledged to remove their support, or transfer it directly to Planned Parenthood. Several high-level employees of the Komen Foundation resigned. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The American public also spoke with its pocketbook. Last year, Planned Parenthood was the recipient of over $680,000 from the Komen Foundation, which was earmarked for breast cancer screenings and treatment. This amount of money was quickly surpassed by an outraged populace. Within days, $3 milion was generated for Planned Parenthood, including a $250,000 matching grant from Mayor Bloomberg and a $100,000 donation from LIVESTRONG.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On February 3, the Komen Foundation bowed to the massive pressure and re-instated funding to Planned Parenthood. In all, this was a huge victory women’s health proponents (although complicated by the fact that, as a country, we depend on private donors, in the first place, to ensure basic human rights). However, beyond this, what I find fascinating is the instrumental role that social media played in affecting this outcome-- which leads me to the title of this post: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can the internet, specifically social media sites, be a vehicle for social change?</span><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.423321453621611"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many have said that it cannot. The argument here is that political activity via social media is lazy politics. It is for those who have time to post/retweet an article, electronically-sign a petition, or enthusiastically click the “like” button, but don’t have time to actually </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">something.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this definitely occurs, the argument overlooks the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">potential </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of social media to foster political activity. But to have a better understanding of this potential, we need to re-think our definitions of political space and political self. Right now, the popular mindset is that if something happens over the internet, it’s not “real.” Real interaction, real communication, real activity, real politics occurs in some tangible “outside.” Political activity, by definition, must be conducted in a literal, public space. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In actuality, however, much of our social interaction these days occurs in cyberspace. We establish public personas, educate ourselves, communicate, find jobs, find love, buy and sell in various markets, and share information all via the world wide web. As much as people decry the denigration of personal relations in this digital age, we are actually communicating and interacting more than ever. The medium may have changed--technology as opposed to face-to-face--- but that does not mean personal relationships have eroded.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same applies to political activity, which may, in fact, be increasing despite the change in medium. For too long, Americans have considered voting as the end-all of their civic duty. To be political was to physically go to a poll and check a box every so often. To me, this is a politics far more lazy than a political debate on Facebook. And if voting alone is what constitutes political participation, it is delusional to believe that in “real life” we are exercising our political selves any more than on the internet. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More and more, however, we are seeing virtual reality as the site of most non-electoral politics. It is where people learn about the issues, engage in political debate, and present their demands. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once we acknowledge that all of our interactions over the internet </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">real life, and establish the fact that the internet is a public and political space, we can acknowledge the transformative potential of social media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social media, at its most basic, brings multitudes of people together in civil and political discourse. There are few forums in physical reality that can parallel the immediacy of this network. This discourse has the potential to raise political consciousness, provide a sense of connectedness to other citizens, and organize people around pressing issues. Furthermore, as we have seen with the Komen Foundation backlash, the use of social media </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">produce real change. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, just as social media has the potential to foster political participation, it can just as easily remain a forum for the latest celebrity gossip. To move forward in a productive way, progressives need to figure out how to most effectively harness the internet for strategic benefit. This requires having a clear agenda and sense of purpose. Pressure against the Komen Foundation worked because it struck fear among executives that their decisions would drastically reduce financial support. The same tactics might not work against a politician who feels secure in their voter-base. All this is to say that social media cannot be considered the ends of political activity (i.e. getting a thousand people to post about X issue with no further action), but rather a tool used towards a greater purpose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d love to hear what other people think about this topic. I think we are at the beginning of an interesting trajectory, and I’m curious to see where we will go from here.</span></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4772207203831744995.post-91028587951361558552012-01-20T07:54:00.000-05:002012-02-15T22:44:39.408-05:00Let's Talk About Sex...Education<div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9867725456133485"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As many of you know, my side gig when I'm not being a professional blogger is teaching high school English (well, maybe it's the other way around, but let’s pretend). The other day, as a reward for finishing their state tests, I was letting my students talk quietly in groups and do word games. I sat next to three of my 9th graders (3 girls and a boy) and quickly joined in on their discussion.</span></b><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.9867725456133485"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They were talking about teenage pregnancy, noticing the high number of girls in the high school who were currently pregnant. The tone of the conversation started playful, but the students were asking some very serious questions. The sole male student in our group directed the following question to me: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yo, Miss-- who do you think is more responsible for getting pregnant-- the boy or the girl?” </span></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I could answer the girls were quickly interjecting their own opinions. It was the boy’s responsibility, because he was the one who needed to use a condom. It was the girls’ responsibility because she shouldn’t be letting a boy go that far with her. It was the parents’ responsibility because they should be monitoring their kids so they don’t have sex, in the first place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reeling the conversation back in from this heated debate, I said, “Well, first of all, I think it’s everyone’s responsibility because the consequences can affect each person. But I think that’s the wrong question. My question is why are teenagers getting pregnant in the first place. And I think the honest answer is that you guys just don’t receive a good sex education in school.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To my surprise, the kids whole-heartedly agreed with this (not that I expected them to be against it, per se, but rather, in the true spirit of teenager-dom, to be somewhat apathetic to anything say). Many were quick to point out that they had had </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">no </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sex education in their public schools. And they were even quicker to insist that they needed it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What followed was a barrage of basic sex-ed questions,- from prophylactics to periods to pregnancy-- some of which astonished me in their </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">naïveté</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. For example, one of my students asked if using condoms was even “worth it” because “a lot of times they don’t work.” Astonished to find that several of my students were nodding in agreement, it dawned on me that this is a direct consequence of the misinformation that gets spread with abstinence-only sex education. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In abstinence-only “sex education,” educators must emphasize abstinence as the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">only </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">true method of birth control. Information about prophylactics, disease, birth control, etc. gets spinned to reflect the abstinence-only rhetoric. Therefore, rather than facilitating a discussion about the importance of using condoms for safety, educators must state something along the lines of “Condoms are only effective a certain percentage of the time and they can even break. The only 100% safe method of birth control is abstinence.” While this information is technically true, it leads kids to believe that there really is no other form of birth control except abstinence. This is one of the most dangerous misconceptions that teens have. It leads them to engage in risky behavior that might otherwise be avoided by simple information. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What has been proven, time and time again, is that <a href="http://www.openeducation.net/2009/01/05/abstinence-only-sex-education-statistics-final-nail-in-the-coffin/" target="_blank">abstinence-based sex education is ineffective</a>. The reason is simple. People have sex. And I’m going to say something truly shocking to everyone: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">teenagers have sex, too</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. While this may be an affront to our Puritan sensibilities, what </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">should </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shock us is that teens are having sex without the necessary information to protect themselves, prevent unwanted pregnancy, and feel respected and safe at all time. Furthermore, the scare-tactics used in abstinence-based sex education (like, “don’t have sex, because you’ll get AIDs and die) are making teens too afraid to ask appropriate questions about sex-- something that perpetuates the ignorance which leads to high-risk behavior. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is not to say that parents, families, and communities cannot impart their particular moral values around sex to their children. However, this should be the basis of a child making the </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">decision </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">to have sex. Regardless of the outcome of that decision, I maintain, they should have all the information necessary to be safe should they choose to have sex. {NOTE: Obama has technically lifted the Bush-era ban on funding comprehensive sex education; however, many states have not moved from abstinence-only sex education}.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For my students, as a moral responsibility, I did my part to dispel any of the myths or misinterpretations that they had been forming. I told them the percentage effective-ness rates for condoms when used correctly and incorrectly. I gave them resources to where they could go to find other age-appropriate information. We talked about the subject maturely, objectively, and scientifically, and the students appreciated the candor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the discussion progressed, more and more students moved their desks towards are table-group in the center of the room. All of this tells me that teens are CRYING OUT for information. More than that, they want to be able to ask questions in an environment where they feel respected as a young adult and not judged for their curiosity. It’s time that we stop shaming teens for trying to educate themselves and do our part to make sure they have the correct information when the time comes for them to make potentially life-altering decisions. </span></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01005371358407418741noreply@blogger.com1