The Man by Taylor Swift is a song through which Swift depicts the gender inequality that exists today. She highlights how the same behaviors, characteristics, and personality types are perceived differently based on gender. 

“I’d be a fearless leader

I’d be an alpha type

When everyone believes ya

What’s that like?”

Through this verse, Swift portrays how men are considered to be natural or born leaders. Men in leadership positions are described with valuable qualities. For example, a male leader is fearless, whereas a woman is considered reckless. Men in positions of authority are considered assertive and dominant, whereas women are considered aggressive, nasty, or self-centered. Swift also directly addresses men by asking them how it feels to be taken seriously. Men’s thoughts and opinions in leadership positions are valued, whereas women are never taken seriously, and their perspectives are never considered good enough. 

“They’d say I hustled

Put in the work

They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve

What I was wearing

If I was rude

“Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves?”

Swift also indirectly highlights the workplace stereotypes that exist concerning promotions. When men are promoted, no one questions how much of it they deserve. They are considered hustlers, hard workers, and providers for their families; hence, the promotion is well-deserved. If a woman is promoted too early or at a young age, her eligibility is questioned by everyone. Most people assume she would have had a sexual or romantic relationship with the promoter. Women in leadership positions are constantly attacked and never really seen as individuals who are worthy of the role. 

“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can

Wondering if I’d get there more quicker

“If I was a man.”

These lines form the chorus and are repeated throughout the song. It highlights Swift’s anxiety, frustration, and rage with her journey through the industry. She visualizes her journey as a race, which she runs the fastest she can. Yet, there is a feeling of loss and hopelessness attached to it. She wonders if she could have reached her destination or achieved her goals earlier if she had been born a man. 

I attended a Gender and sexuality presentation over working thesis that each student presented through their research questions. In this presentation I saw a diverse variety of students who I had previously talked to/ and were new to me.  The first student presenting title was “You look Gay: imagining queer body liberation alongside the canon of queer aesthetics”. My initial thought was that I loved the title it was very creative. As they presented, we learned about the queer theories liberations and what they tell us about the queer experiences. She went into further detail about Jose Esteban Munoz whose theory is important because the understanding queerness has a purpose. At first, I was not sure what the presentation was trying to argue however I did understand that the person presenting was focused on the mainstream queer aesthetic of clothing. For the second presentation Grant Hearn who is double majoring in GSS and Economics, had the question “to what degree are incarcerated workers economically exploited, and how does the exploitation of incarcerated workers operate to serve bio/capitalist agenda”.  Grant brought up so many facts that I was not aware of and some that I was. He stated that there are “5 times more black men than white men in prison”, which was something that I was not aware of, a least not the exact percentage. He later brought awareness how although the 13 amendment was put to place, there is still forced labor throughout the prison system. I was not aware to what extent force labor was in the United States and how 16 states use this as a form of criminal punishment.  I really liked how he mention The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, this book is so essential for people to read because it states many current events of The war on drugs that president Nixon, and Clinton brought into play.

I attended a webinar that hosted a conversation with Katharina Warda. Katharina Warda is a sociologist, literary scholar, and freelance writer who focuses on East Germany, marginalized identities, racism, classism, and punk. In her project Dunkeldeutschland (Dark Germany), she explores the post-reunification period from the social margins. In addition, she illuminates blind spots in German historiography based on her experiences as a Black East German woman in the GDR and after 1989/90. 

Her description of the subtle differences in racism in East and West Germany was fascinating. She talked about how racism existed at different levels. Institutional racism was most prominent. Migrant laborers of color were subjected to spatial and social isolation. They were kept in buildings on the outskirts of East Germany, away from the white Germans. Racism amongst the population and within communities was also very evident. However, everyday racism and race-based violence were something that was often overlooked. Although racism was abolished, it existed in indirect ways. For instance, POCs were considered lazy and untrustworthy. They were called ‘knife men’ and rapists. Chasing migrants from public spaces and throwing them into the village river were considered a sport. What struck me the most from these descriptions was how similar it was to the racism that exists today. These incidents from the 1970s don’t seem that distant, as police brutality and institutional racism continue to exist. 

What I found most interesting was Katherina Wards’s struggle to come to terms with her identity. She talked about experiencing double invisibility- being black and East German- two marginalized identities in Germany. Living in Germany as a Black East German woman meant that her opinions, ideas, and advocacy were often not taken seriously. However, through research, conversations, and readings of her history, she has been able to learn more about and connect with her identity. This inspires her to continue advocating for German POCs and work to fill the blind spots in German history. 

This past week I attended an EDU event called My Body, My Voice, My Choice which was hosted by PPGA, AKA, and Connor House. This event was very informative and especially interesting when compared with the abortion topic we covered in class earlier this semester. The session began with a Kahoot which tested our current knowledge of abortion healthcare. I would consider myself relatively informed on the topic of abortion so I was surprised that I got a few of the answers wrong. One specifical answer I got incorrect was the lack of abortion access in North Carolina. I don’t remember the exact statistic, but I believe it was that only around 13% of all counties in North Carolina have access to abortion centers. I was surprised by how low this number was and many of the other members of the audience were surprised as well. 

Although I was familiar with the topic of abortion from the unit within our class as well as my personal knowledge outside of the classroom, it was beneficial to hear a concise and well-though out presentation discussing many of the various components. One note made at the start of the presentation was the distinction of terminology. The presenters made a point to use gender inclusive language throughout the presentation and referred to individuals who could receive abortions as those with uteruses. Another part I found particularly helpful was the information around the two different types of abortion, medical and surgical. It was interesting to learn more information about these types of abortions and the specific instances they were used. The presentation ended with slides that demonstrated various resources available to Davidson students and others in the surrounding community. 

Overall the presentation followed similar themes to those we discussed in our classes about abortion. The following quotation from Feminist Perspectives on Reproduction and the Family from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy exemplifies the importance of choice discussed in the presentation and our class discussion, “contract or choice based feminists would allow individuals themselves to determine what kinds of families they want to create.” 

A WEEK OF CUTTING WEIGHT

Hale Robinson

Monday, November 7 (5-days out from weigh-in)

I step on the scale at 6:45 am and am currently down 14 pounds from what I weighed over the summer. I compete at 125lbs as a member of Davidson College’s Division 1 wrestling team. My body fat is around 10% (still considered a healthy value) and I am standing within 5% of my projected weight class. I finish a lift with my team and eat a low-calorie meal consisting of 2 slices of keto-bread, egg whites, and low-fat cheese. I rehydrate with 32 oz of water before going about my day. Later, I eat lunch comprised of chicken and rice and another 32 oz of water. At this point I check my weight again: the scale reads 131 lbs. I go to my second practice of the day and lose around 3.5-4 lbs. Again, I step on the scale before eating dinner. My dinner is composed of some beef, turkey, quinoa, and another 32 oz of water. I step on the scale before sleeping and end with a low-calorie protein shake before bed.

Wednesday, November 9 (3-days out from weigh-in)

            I woke up and ate a low-calorie egg sandwich to provide me with some energy before going to work out with one of my teammates. We wrestle hard and I lose around 2 lbs. After practice I step on the scale: 129.6 lbs. I rehydrate and eat lunch a little while later. Again, I return for a 4:30 pm practice in all hoodie and sweatpants where I am able to drop my weight to 128 lbs. I eat a dinner consisting of a turkey burger patty, rice, and some shredded chicken. I check my weight before sleeping once again.

Friday, November 11 (Day of weigh ins)

            I wake up around 128 lbs. This is a pretty good weight for me to wake up at when I compete at 125 lbs. I am definitely dehydrated and hungry. I eat a light breakfast of some eggs, a piece of toast, and turkey sausage. I drink a bottle of water throughout the day and show up to our pre-match practice at 128 lbs. We workout hard and I get down to the 125 lb weight allowance. I step on the scale and breathe a sigh of relief. I quickly rehydrate with Pedialyte, Gatorade, water and fuel up with bagels, honey, fruits, and more. My weight returns to normal, and I prepare to make the weight again the following week.

Notes:

            Despite what my body-mass index would imply, this lifestyle is not healthy. I have become skilled at losing a large amount of weight at a time while causing minimal harm to my body. However, this process is immensely difficult mentally and physically. It’s no surprise that a large majority of wrestlers obtain eating disorders throughout the season. Weight cutting when taken to the extremes can be fatal. There definitely is an issue with weight classes and wrestling. I do not understand why everyone cannot wrestle their each other at their natural weights. Regardless, losing weight whether it be through dieting for athletic purposes or aesthetic purposes can lead to severe eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and harmful physical effects.

On December 7, 2022, I attended a presentation about students majoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Each student spoke about their working thesis and research question of the year.

Grant Hearne is a student at Davidson College who is double majoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Economics. His presentation was about analyzing monopsony exploitation and necropolitical expropriation in prison labor. His research questions were the following: “To what degree are incarcerated workers economically exploited, and how does the exploitation of incarcerated workers operate to serve a bio/capitalist agenda?” Grant explained how the United States has the highest number of incarcerated people, specifically black men. There are 5 times more black men than white men in prison. In addition, the purpose of the 13th Amendment was to free all African American slaves throughout the US. However, 16 states present-day use forced labor as a form of criminal punishment. This has become a form of modern-day slavery. The worst part is that the United States is aware of this action but allows these 16 states to break the law. So much for “nobody is above the law.” Moreover, Grant defined the term monopsony. Monopsony is a firm in a noncompetitive labor market in which this company holds all the power. This firm has the capability of setting their wages as low as zero dollars if they wish. The concept of monopsony lead to new questions that embarked on Grant’s mind. One was “Why are companies hiring people that are not helping make revenue.”

In my opinion, I thought Grant’s presentation was very interesting. I wish him the best of luck with his thesis project. I could tell how happy he was with his research project through the way he illustrated his work. He did a great job keeping everyone’s eyes glued to the screen.

I attended a presentation called Gender Oppression Against Women in South Asia by the South Asian Student Association (SASA). The presenter was Sahana Athreya and she is the Vice President of SASA. Her presentation was divided into three main categories: cultural and religious, crime against women, and honor killings. 

The first part covered culture and religion in South Asia. Sahana began with social norms and how South Asia’s society is patriarchal. For example, women are viewed as mentally, physically, and emotionally inferior to men. It is also typical for women to receive a “virginity test,” which is supposed to measure her purity; if she passes, she will be worthy of marriage. Another social norm mentioned in the presentation was that women and girls have access to less education and are expected to fulfill their “duty” as caregivers, wives, and mothers. In addition, religion plays a huge role in how the society of South Asia is constructed. For instance, for those who practice Hinduism, when girls get their menstrual cycle, they are viewed as “impure.” On top of this, when women are on their periods, they are locked up and isolated from men until their cycle is over, and are not allowed to pray. 

The second part of the presentation explained a type of crime committed against women in South Asia known as acid attacks. The purpose of acid attacks is to cause permanent damage to a woman as a form of revenge. Men are allowed to commit this crime if a female ever hurt their feelings in any way and allows them to feel more powerful. In 2013, there were approximately 113 attacks, and 252 in 2017. However, acid attacks are not the only acts of violence toward women; some include rape, abuse, and murder. The worst part is that a man can justify any of these actions by explaining that they were stressed because of personal problems such as household issues, food shortages, and instability. 

In the final section, Sahana touched upon honor killings. This type of murder is allowed because it is an attempt to fix the reputation of a family after a family member has brought “shame” with their actions. These actions include rival relationships and premarital sex. About ⅕ of honor killings are committed in Pakistan, and laws allow many people to get away with this crime. 

In my opinion, the presentation was excellent. I enjoyed learning about the oppression that women in South Asia face. Although it was terrifying because I can only imagine how women must feel every day, it helped grow my awareness of this issue. I hope and pray that over time someone takes initiative to find a solution on how to make the society of South Asia safer for women all over. 

I attended the My Body, My Choice, My Voice talk hosted by AKA. This talk focused on the reality of reproductive rights in our country today and worked to inform all of us on what abortion really is. While I would consider myself pretty knowledgable on the topic of abortion and reproductive rights, I do think I gained a lot from the talk. 

The new information that I was most surprised by was the percentage of abortions that are done six weeks or earlier. According to the speakers, about 90% of abortions occur before the 13th week and about 75% before or during the sixth week. This fact was astonishing because so often the argument against abortion is, in reality, an argument against late abortion. In combination with this fact, the speakers included pictures of what a six week abortion looks like as well as a, if I remember correctly, a ten week abortion. Both images showed what looked like a small white sack, which had only grown a little in the four week difference. The importance of these images was to show that the images pro-life supporters commonly use are not accurate depictions of an abortion and are instead, frequently, pictures of late-term miscarriages. 

I think the talk in general is very applicable to GSS101, but my new understanding most closely relates to our discussions in class about abortion at the beginning of the semester. In my opinion, the images provide proof of the fear mongering that pro-life supports do in order to try to prevent abortions from happening. However, the reality is they only prevent safe abortions. I think this can be applied to so many topics we’ve talked about, such as gay rights. For example, strict laws against gay marriage or even expression of gay ideologies and behaviors did not stop them from occurring. Instead, people just got better at sneaking around, but it became less safe because they had no protection, abortion is similar in this way. Overall, I think that attending talks about the reality of reproductive justice in America is incredibly important in order to form an evidence based opinion before voting. I am personally thankful for AKA hosting this open event and showing me that even when I think I’ve learned all there is to know about a topic such as abortion, there is always misinformation to be corrected and perspective to be given.

Back in September 27 I participated in the No product day challenge. As I read the instructions the day before, It seemed pretty easy. When the day came, I learned how hard it was for me to stay away from so many products. I have been insecure about one main feature from my face that being my eyebrows. I put makeup on everyday in order to cover how light my eyebrows are, so it was very hard to go one day with out putting makeup on. In addition, I found it challenging not to use cream on my face, because I have very dry skin and It is something i have to use.

Through the day I felt as though something was missing, It made me feel very negative and insecure that I did not feel okay with out makeup. I tried to close myself from people or avoid seeing people in order not to get any comments about my appearance. I however, got a different response and a lot of compliments. This day helped me a lot about how I feel, I needed to know that I am still myself with or without makeup.

Nick Nguyễn shared his ethnography in this talk where he pointed out challenges, barriers that were in the past and are still being phased now by BIPOC at Davidson college and in the American Medicine. Nguyen brought up many statistics and personal statements given by students at Davidson college. Something that stuck out the most to me was the Imposter syndrome BIPOC students at Davidson feel. He talked about an specific experience he encountered where a classmate had got published their fall semester of freshman year. Nguyen talked about how many BIPOC students came from public schools and were not funded the same education white students had.

I really enjoyed this talk because I was suffering from imposter syndrome during this time. I am from a public underfunded school, and did not even have the options to select the classes I wanted to take like AP biology or anatomy. Coming here was such a culture shock and kept doubting myself. After the talk Nguyen made me feel more assure of myself and that I have place in.

To me, not using products for a day was more or less an easy task. The products that I typically use that I had to omit were: deodorant, hair oil, bodywash, shampoo, and conditioner. At no point in my day did not using these products make me feel uncomfortable because I didn’t work out that day. I purposefully chose to not work out, though. Had I gotten sweaty, I would have felt less comfortable not showering and using deodorant.

There was one moment where I had an internal dilemma about my use of products. I have been using a hair growth product for the last year since a dermatologist identified my early onset hair loss. I think of this as a medicine that would fall outside of the no-product day challenge. Honestly, though, this product is cosmetic rather than health-related. 

No-product day made me think about how hair is one part of the body where men have expectations that feel like those the patriarchy often puts upon women. Young men who are losing their hair are seen as unattractive and therefore less worthy of attention. I have been afraid of losing my hair because lots of men in my extended family are bald and I like having lots of hair, but I am starting to reckon with this change and how it conflicts with societal expectations. 

Overall, my takeaway is that for cis-men the consumer culture around products is nowhere near as stringent and encompassing as it is for other people. Even with this privilege, I was still able to feel the pressure to buy products to change yourself given by our capitalist society.

Stacey Waite is a poet and Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her poetry is bold in its confrontation of gender norms and ideals, but her beliefs are nuanced in an interesting and creative way.

What I found most interesting about Waite’s visit to Davidson was her discussion of pronouns. As a teacher and professor, she doesn’t have a time when students are supposed to share their pronouns. I have become so familiar with the introduction (especially in queer safe spaces) that includes name, fun fact, and pronouns. Waite believes that if you give everyone an opportunity to share what is most important to them, those who want to share their pronouns can. I personally like what we did in your class where we put our pronouns somewhere where people can see them if they want to see them.

Stacey Waite’s beliefs about pronouns display her more generalized belief that gender shouldn’t be taken so seriously. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that she believes you shouldn’t have to respect people’s gender identity and performance. Instead, she believes that gender should be fun and however you want it to be. She believes that people who have progressive ideas about gender and sexuality shouldn’t push out people who haven’t gotten here yet. Rather, we should bring them in to help them know that a person is defined beyond their gender and that you care about them wanting to learn and change. These beliefs were very powerful to me because I have personally worked with my parents about their beliefs that contradict mine. Because I didn’t shut my parents out, they were able to grow and learn so many new ways of thinking. Obviously not everyone owes this to the people in their lives, but it is cool to see an activist with such a positive attitude towards the direction of gender. 

To me, I love hearing about someone who expresses the malleability and exciting possibility of gender in their art. Waite’s poems were beautiful and emotional. They reminded me of Jacob Tobia (a personal role model) and their coming of gender story. I am super excited that Davidson was able to get Stacey Waite to come to talk to us because I have another gender role model who creates art that I am interested in.

Stacey Waite, a poet and Associate Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is known for her poetry exploring the intersections of gender, sexuality, and relationships. Waite’s Dear Gender event elaborated on this exploration, allowing some audience members to feel heard and others to comprehend the perspectives of those who defy the gender binary. 

As discussed in our class, gender begins at birth—sometimes even pre-birth. Gender reveals have become increasingly popular as finding out the sex of the baby becomes a milestone that many look forward to when pregnant. Professionals have begun to cite that parents only reinforce the idea of a “gendered world” in the gender stereotypes reinforced through toys, play, and the environment. 

Stacey Waite takes a new perspective on all of this, questioning what happens when instead of getting rid of gender, we take gender less seriously. 

While it is hard for me, as a cis-woman, to connect to the struggles gender non-confirming individuals face in a world designed for the binary, Waite’s helped to establish this connection. Waite noted that everyone, even cis-gendered individuals, has stories of gender. Immediately, I remembered something that happened to me in 5th grade. I was at aftercare sitting cross-legged at my desk when the person leading it, a male, gave me a note: “You can’t sit like that as a girl. You have to cross your legs.” I quickly got up from my desk and threw the note away before returning to my desk and sitting “like a lady.” I was mortified. I immediately questioned myself. “Why was he watching the way I was sitting? Was he looking up my skirt? I was wearing shorts under anyways. What had I done wrong?” Fifth-grade me knew what he did was weird, but I respected him because he was in a position of authority. However, I was too young to recognize that this was just one of the many ways society reinforces gender norms. 

As a cis-woman, I am in a position of power. Still, gender is forced on me in numerous ways; this is something nearly all of us experience daily. While Waite’s poems were moving—and very much needed in today’s world—I took more away from Waite’s conversation about gender. As Waite established, individuals must identify the systems of privilege they are in and use that for change. Simply reflecting on some of my experiences, as sparked by Waites, only amplified the importance of doing such.