Final Reflection
This class has broadened my learning to a point that is almost indescribable. I came into this class with a very closed mind. The first day of class came as a large shock to me. I am from a very small town full of people who lead the exact same lives. Conservative, white, Christians are the norm in Cheney, Kansas and those characteristics do not make my town lesser than others, but I definitely grew up very sheltered and close minded. I have always wanted to learn about these concepts, but never really knew where to begin.
I feel as if I most easily related to the topic of Social Construction of Gender. I believe my learning began to take flight throughout the first unit in this class. I noticed changes in the ways I viewed people and how I responded to different scenarios. We spoke of feminism, wage gaps, and man boxes. I can remember multiple times during that section where I had to stop myself and recognize that I was the problem in our society. I joke about various topics and never mean any harm but have realized that I am just as guilty of these horrible actions as others I despise. This was an aspect about myself that I have worked to change and adjust in order to make myself a better part of our society.
This class has taught me topics that I didn’t even know existed nor ever thought about. I honestly never found gender reveal parties to be sexist or dehumanizing. I have never been introduced to sexual cyberbullying and never had I known how greatly other races are mistreated. I believe I learned something new every single day whether it was through readings, TED Talks, or class discussions. Everyone in the class was very open and educated about these topics, so I felt pressed to keep up, which helped me in many ways. The students I had discussions with taught me and made me much more conscious of my actions.
As for privilege and oppression, I was humbled. I felt that as a woman, I was greatly oppressed. I found that others have been much more burdened than I have. I genuinely did not realize the effects of racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, or ableism. I have realized that I was raised in a family of people who fall under the “mythical norm” and grew up in a town full of that exact description.
One section that specifically influenced me were the videos of the foster family. This couple was obviously very loving and able, but because they did not satisfy the norm, the process became much more difficult. They were oppressed because they were not a typical heterosexual couple and were consistently not treated fairly. Being a white, able-bodied, heterosexual woman blinded me from these issues and created a barrier for my learning. I find that if I were oppressed in a more obvious way, I would be much more open minded and subjected to my learning. I did enjoy learning about the difficulties that women face, especially in the workplace.
The topic of intersectionality was something I struggled the most with. I found this to be a very hard concept to grasp, yet I wanted to be as educated as possible. I found the reading about the black woman dying in childbirth to be an eye-opening conception. Wanting to be a mother myself, I never truly realized the advantage I am given just for being a different race. Shalon was mistreated for her race and given improper care. “That’s a real problem that across the spectrum that [black women] are not feeling listened to and respected—that’s a structural problem,” (Martin, ProPublica 2017). There should be no difference in medical treatment for black, white, male, or female. There is a significant problem with our society when black women feel unattended to or unappreciated, especially during childbirth.
I feel as if I have required the skill to use the correct language when speaking to others about various topics. I often struggled to grasp every subject we discussed but found that I grew during those difficulties. My mind has definitely opened to the reality that not everyone is the norm, and everyone is important in their own ways. I believe my small-town tunnel vision has been significantly eliminated and I hope to find purpose in that elimination. I hope to be able to educate my family about these different topics and set a more positive example for my younger brother. When talking to others, I will have more empathy and be able to share my knowledge of the many things I have learned.
I believe there are various ways that I could possibly engage in praxis. I would want to approach praxis from more of a feminist stance most of the time. I believe I could apply my learning from previous sections in order to do that effectively. We were introduced to the different components of praxis early on, but it is time to apply them. As stated through Launius and Hassel: “praxis is about applying one’s knowledge to challenge oppressive systems and unequal traditions” (Launius, Hassel 2018 p. 194). This action of praxis could create social change and eliminate future complications of our society.
Our society operates in a very habitual way. We continue certain actions because that is the way we have always operated. I find that the importance of praxis is introduced when we discover that some traditions cannot remain as they are. I am passionate about various topics in our society including equality for mothers and women in the workplace. I feel as if this class has given me the confidence to engage in praxis and has provided the knowledge to back up my reasoning.
A policy I would be very interested in is women and children in the workplace. I chose this topic for our in-class activity and shared it with others. I feel very empowered to involve myself with this subject because it involves my future. I found a passion in the National Partnership for Women & Families. This organization provides support for paid leave, health care, and fair pay. According to the National Partnership website, they fight when others stand in the way of progress and speak their truth. This organization holds true to their meaning and seem to be a very stable and reliable organization (Women’s Agenda, 2018).
I find that I could easily engage in praxis in my fraternal organization. I am a part of Alpha Xi Delta, and a major awareness we practice is the work of uplifting women and providing equality. I believe I could take a leadership role in my small community of women and educate them of their rights and remind them of their capabilities. I joined this organization to have a home away from home and each of those women have provided that to me. I could take the concepts I have learned from this semester and apply my personal experiences to make my praxis unique to each community I involve myself in.
Our philanthropy is Autism Speaks and that is an organization I would like to be much more involved in. It is important to educate others on the oppression those who are not able-bodied face on a daily basis. I believe I could involve myself to a point where I could introduce the extremity of oppression and provide knowledge as to how these people could be more uplifted. Based on my readings from Launius and Hassel, I could connect my knowledge and experiences to create awareness for a social transformation. This could be done by applying my learning to this organization and educating others on ways to include those who are not able-bodied (Launius, Hassel 2018 p. 197).
I believe feminist action would be a major faction I would want to be involved in. According to The Great Transition, there would first need to be an end to all discrimination towards women and secondly, there would need to be an analysis that identifies the struggles of women and their social justice. Women can bring their experience and struggles in a way that could provide change and justice (The Great Transition, 2006). I find that I could be of assistance in the way of providing my experiences as a woman and how changes could be implemented in order to create a better life for them. I could give knowledge obtain from this class and further educate myself in order to provide the best praxis possible.
I believe praxis is very important and essential for social change. I am empowered by various organizations and believe it only takes one person to create a change. The information this class has provided to me is unbelievable and I have found a noticeable change in my worldview as well as my treatment of others. This class has introduced me to a new world and eased my transition to college as I now better accept change.
References
- Harcourt, W. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.greattransition.org/archives/papers/Feminist_Praxis.pdf
- Martin, N., & Montagne, R. (n.d.). Nothing Protects Black Women From Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirth. Retrieved from https://www.propublica.org/article/nothing-protects-black-women-from-dying-in-pregnancy-and-childbirth
- Women’s Agenda 2019. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nationalpartnership.org/national-partnership-for-women-families.html