The Arab World

Jessie Loy
Soc 202-02
4-12-13

In this article we find the struggles of women in the Arab world. While women are making great advances in terms of being more accepted in society, there are still fewer women in the work place. The article suggests that it is a major complication of these women who become educated. It is very possible to be come educated as a women in these areas but even still, they struggle with balancing working with raises a family, an idea that most women still hold in high regards. Rahma proves that it is possible. Leaving her home town to go to be trained in health care, she now runs her won practice out of her home. She delivers babies our of her private office. She is also married and has a family of her own. Of the community college graduates in Jordan in 2010, 92% planned on looking for a job while 76% planned on working full time. Only one year after that, of those who where married on 7% where employed; of those engaged, 14% where employed; of those who were single 21% where employed. 

Two thoughts I have with this article are one, there is clearly a paradigm shift for women in the work place and being more present in society. Having a family is still a very deeply rooted part of their culture. Here in the U.S. Women are having children later and later in life to accommodate for them having careers. I think without some kind of paradigm shift regarding family, it will continue to be difficult to balance the two. Secondly, the article does not talk about services available to new mothers or fathers. Child care or lack thereof, may be one of the biggest factors that are causing women to struggle between family and work. With both parents working, someone has to take care of the child. Without the proper child care services, seeing as women are used to caring for them, I imagine they would be the ones staying home to care for the child and not the husband. Here in the U.S. All you have to do is search online and one can easily find a well rounded and trained child care professional or child care center. I think that it is a good step that more and more women are wanting to take jobs, I think that now they have to be presented with the ability to do so. Simply wanting to have a job is not the only factor here. There is still the responsibility of a family.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/03/14/missing-voices-gender-equality-in-the-arab-world

Women in Sweden

Jessie Loy
Soc 202-02
4-5-13

In this article, the author was able to spend some time in Sweden with high priority figures. The author was able to spend time in the education system with teachers, met with the Ministry of Communications as well as met with members of Parliament. The one thing that stood out the most however was that most of these people, were women. Almost half of the seats in Parliament where women compared to the US Congress’s 18% of seats held by women. The author also goes on to say that there was more of a sense of community that shaped things like healthcare, education, housing and foreign aid. The sense of community is credited to the amount of women in high position jobs in Sweden, in the opinion of the author. 

I think this is a great step forward in the area of gender equality. Women are faced with various stereotypes of not being to preform on the job in the same manner as men. Women are constantly put down and made to feel inferior. We have come into a world where women are achieving academically on the same level or better as their male counterparts and are still put down. Here in the US I believe it has a great deal to do with pride and not wanting to let go of the White Male identity which has driven our part of the world for so long. Sweden has embraced the “Woman Power” and as a result, there are just as many high profile women as there are men. A common worry I, myself have heard is that women are moody and unstable and should not be in a position of authority because of this. Sweden has not only proven that is not a valid argument, but has also shown what a positive addition to government roles woman can be. Instead of looking at if from a negative point a view, women should be looked at for exactly what they are, a viable part of society. There is nothing to suggest that a women can not do a man’s job and Sweden has proven just that. 

http://blog.gmfus.org/2013/04/05/lessons-in-gender-equality-from-sweden/

Gender Inequality Banner Year

Jessie Loy
Soc 202-02
March 22

The article opens by explaining the goals and thoughts of Hilary Clinton before she left office. She states that is women and girls world wide where treated more fairly, as opposed to their male counterparts, the world wold see more political and economic progress. She also calls it a moral and economic issue as well as unfinished business of the 21st century. Two major organizations that are helping this cause are pointed out. The first is One Billion Rising. It is a campaign that is a one day event where one billion mothers, daughters, aunts and women victims of hate crimes gather together to experience events to help educate others. The goal was to discuss topics such as rape and abuse, to inform those what it is, what the issues are and how to help change the culture surrounding the issues. It was also aimed at leaders and urged them to take action and to prevent these issues from happening in the first place. The second of these was #WeSayEnough. It is a group of faculty and staff from the University of Cape Town. They held a protest march saying that women and girls have the human right to be safe in their own homes and that the government has failed them. The Stanford Association for International Development of SAID also held a conference to talk about the roles that women hold in international development. Aimed at getting more women into the field. 

These topics are indeed important. Historically women have had a harder time then men, be it black white asian, doesn't matter. Men have always had a one up from women. We are beginning to accept people of other races, nationalities and identities, so there is no reason why women should still be on the back burner. Women are often viewed as trophies or prizes to men who can be disposed of when we are no longer needed. Violent crimes against women have gone on far to long in such an advanced societies. I am very glad to see these organizations step up to the plate. This way other countries who are having the same issues with gender inequality have examples to follow. When leaders from other countries hear the cries of those who want equality, they don’t have to look very far for help. These organizations are not just here in the US. They are reaching out to other countries and other peoples to show them that women and girls alike deserver to be treated the same as their male counterparts. 

http://www.policymic.com/articles/27987/will-2013-be-a-banner-year-for-gender-equality-around-the-world

Jessie Loy Uganda

Jessie Loy
March 2nd

This article brings to light what life is like for any person who is not straight in Uganda. Uganda is a country that houses some of the most sever laws against gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals. The most terrible of those used to be death, however that has recently been removed as an option. Still a person who is convicted of sexual acts that are not straight in nature can be sentenced to a life in prison. Those who know someone is not straight and do not report it can face up to 3 years in prison. It is believed that this harsh take on these individuals came about because of three christian evangelicals who visited the country a few years ago.  Uganda being a very religious country took up these “values” rather quickly. In this article we find that a gay individual is not only hunted down by neighbors and policy, but can not be seen out in day light for fear of being caught and sent to jail. Once outed in any way, a person can no longer find work and can easily lose everything they have worked for. I feel like using religion as a means to push a particular agenda is not the fairest way to go. Even in the bible that they hold near and dear and use as a way to enforce their laws, says not to judge a man. They are going directly against that. I personally think it is a deeper issue. I think it stems from the country not being able to accept something that is different and not knowing how to handle it so they instead use something of value to say it is wrong. This article does a good job of showing us how unfair life can be from a gay man in a country such as Uganda. I think it is important to keep in mind that even though we are having issues here in the US with individuals who identify with something other than straight, other countries are worse than us. Its just something to keep in the back of our minds. That maybe we can set a standard for other nations if we could learn to accept the LGBTQ community. 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/gay-ugandan-man-seeks-safe-haven-in-manitoba-193216601.html

Jessie Loy- Transgender Thailand

Jessie Loy

Feb,22-2013

4:54pm

Soc 202-02

This article brings to light the fact that in Thailand there is an entire Transgender community. The article refers to it as a third gender. Pongsatpat Pongcharoen, who is a U.S.-educated police general created a well put together video about the transgender community. It is very upbeat and positive, as well as the first of its kind. Pongcharoen talks about how the global world is changing to be more positive about those who identify outside of being straight. She also states that Bankok as a city must be open to all variations of gender not just life styles. It is noted that not all transgendered individuals are savy when it comes to politics. It was stated however, that a transgendered individual was more likely to vote for someone who had an agenda that supported other genders and human rights. It was also noted that many politicians, including the first transgender office holder, rarely went out of their way to visit with those in the transgender community. It may come across to an outsider that the Thai community is very nice and wonderful, but it is reported to have problems just the same as any other community. Families may be supportive of transgendered members, but society as a whole can often be must more cruel. 

As an overall analysis, I think that it is a very good direction Thailand is headed in. The simple fact that they recognize transgender at all is more than other well known countries. They are much more accepting to those individuals who identify as anything other than straight. This is a huge deal when you think about it. As a human being, any one person should have the same rights as the person next them regardless of what they identify with. The fact that a man is gay or a woman is transgender does not mean they are less able to pay taxed or hold a job, yet that is how they tend to be treated. In Uganda and Russia, laws are being worked on to outlaw homosexual acts as if they are some sort of crime. Individuals in both countries have been hunted down and often live in fear, just because they are different. This is no way to treat someone. They are able to pay for taxes, hold a job and live in society the same as anyone else. In Uganda, faith is used against them and unfairly so. I’m very glad to see that there are some places in the world that are making progress towards including other genders. Thailand may not be perfect, they have their flaws the same as anyone else, but the fact they have an openly transgender commercial and woman in office speaks volumes. 

http://thediplomat.com/sport-culture/2013/02/20/thai-transgender-community-finds-its-voice/

Same-Sex Couples

Jessie Loy Soc 202-02 4:30pm 2-15-13

In this article the reader is presented with a Memo that was sent out in AP on referring to same sex couples or unions. The first memo that was sent stated only that the terms “husband” and “wife” where only to be used in stories with attribution. The memo continued on saying that in general AP used the terms couples or partners when talking about those in civil unions or same-sex marriages. A further memo was sent out to clarify what was meant by the first memo. AP explained that, in general, they used coupes or partners, but if the couple was used to referring to one another as husband and wife, then they where allowed to report as such. 

While I believe that this was simply a typo or a memo not fully thought out, I think it does bring up a very good point. When a reporter goes into the home of, or meets a couple that is of one male and one female, they do not hesitate or even ask to report them as husband and wife. It is simply assumed. That is not true for couples who are of the same sex. They are referred to as a civil union or as a same-sex couple, the same way AP refers to them. 

I personally do not condone this manner at all. We have labeled the use of the word “Husband” to mean the male in the relationship and the word “Wife” to mean the female in the relationship. I would not to demean a male in a same-sex relationship by calling him a wife, nor would I want to demean a female in a same-sex relationship by calling her a husband. It is true that some same-sex couples are fine with these labels and call each other husband and wife, but I find it a little sad that we can as a human race can come up with technology that can change our lives forever and yet we can not find a proper term for a same-sex couple. I honestly feel like right now at this point using terms like same-sex marriage and civil union are a bit awkward as they do not have the same intimate mind set as does husband and wife. I feel that those same-sex couples who do not identify as husband and wife, deserve a term that comes with the same endearment, they should not have to be labeled with terms that are any less than what they feel.  

http://www.mediaite.com/online/spousetrap-the-associated-press-maintains-marriage-inequality-style-ruling/

Jessie Loy 2-8-2013 4:11am Gender Inequality

Jessie Loy
2-8-2013
4:11am

This week I found a something a little more positive about gender inequality. A Miami high school senior who had been bullied as a female decided to speak out and raise awareness. She did so, however, through a very different way. She has started to make songs about speaking out against violence and having power in your voice. She has gotten together with some of her peers to collaborate on songs as well as touring to different schools to preform these songs. Abuse and bullying are common issues with young girls as well as young men. I think the idea of using music as a means of sending out a positive message is wonderful. For the age group that Rachel is trying to reach, music is very effective. Rachel her self admits that when she was struggling, music helped to push her through it. At the time of the article, she had already visited 30 schools and planed on visiting more by the end of the semester. Gender inequality is not just something that happens as adults in society. It starts at a very young age. The fact that Rachel has recognized this and is doing something about it is extraordinary. Teens are highly susceptible to the influences they come into contact with. It they are struggling with inequality, it is important to give them the strength and courage to stand up against it. Rachel’s music and attitude sends a very positive message to local teens at a time when it is most beneficial for them.  This is the fourth year students have come together and used their own talents and personal experiences to better the lives of others. In order to make a change in the world, you have to start at the heart of the issue. Rachel has done just that. She, herself struggled with inequality and chose to stand up against it. I think that this just goes to show that change can start any where and that it doesn’t a whole lot. Sometimes it is the simplest things such as a song to make a change in someone’s life, or to even make a change in a community. 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/teens-use-music-video-to-promote-gender-equality-190160511.html

Jessie Loy

10:30 am

Feb,1,2013

This article goes over a few of the basic issues in gender inequality, so I found it to be a good place to start with this blog. Prone starts the article by placing you in a situation as a female in a new job interview and the HR person asks you how many kids you plan on having. I, myself was horrified the second I read that. I for one would never want to be asked that question and would be the first to claim invasion of privacy. Prone brings up two very good points to this issue, however. The first being, does the job not have the right to know if you are planning taking a leave of absences to bring a child into the world. While that is an amazing adventure for the mother, the job will be faced with finding someone to fill in for the new mother and as Prone puts it, "inconsistency". Even as a woman I had to admit, looking at from that point of view, it didn't seem to far fetched. The second point that Prone brought up with this simple question, was why does the man not get asked the same question. He is in fact effected by having a new baby as well. The male often suffers from lack of sleep when a new baby is born. This lack of sleep can drastically reduce concentration and job performance. Is the company not worried about the risks involved with that? While it may seem like HR would be gender targeting woman at first, it can also be seen as just covering their bases with what to expect. It is also curious that men are not asked the same question, even thought they are just as effected. 

Prone spends a lot of the article talking about how women are pointed out and unjustly so. The point that I would like to focus on is also at the very beginning of the article. She talks about seeing baby shirts that say things like "smart like daddy" and "pretty like mom". Societies start on children as soon as they are born if not before on placing them into gender roles. At baby showers we somehow know that pink means little girl and blue means little boy. We start handing our children seemingly harmless items without thinking about what we are doing. Every little boy gets trucks, balls, video games, and anything plastered with a darker color. Girls get barbies, baby dolls make-up and bright pretty colors. Yet we wonder why on earth we are so gendered. It works much like subliminal messages. By giving boys trucks and balls we are telling them this is what your role is in life and society. This is what you must become. When we give girls dolls, we are telling them you must become a mother and that is just how it is. Its the simple things like giving a baby boy a shirt that says "smart like daddy" or a girl a shirt that says "pretty like mom". Those two shirt imply much more than at fist glance. We are telling boys, you must be smart but not always pretty and we are telling girls, you must be pretty but not always smart. One simple thing that leads to a whole mess of socially constructed gender inequality.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/terry-prone/too-sexist-for-my-t-shirt-this-gender-inequality-question-is-a-non-runner-220867.html

Inequality

For my blog I would like to look into inequality with special focus on gender inequality. It is very personal issue for myself as I have friends and family who deal with this. I am also deeply interested in the construct of gender and why certain genders are only allowed to do certain things. For something that is so deeply rooted in who we are as a culture and as a human race, I want to ask why different societies have labeled different genders the way they have. I also want to explore what happens when you have cultures who have more than two genders or genders that a person can go in and out of multiple times throughout life.