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Audio Activism

Third wave feminism is characterized by its activism. Although some still argue that there is ‘no third wave’ I see plenty of proof peeking up all over that a re-emergence of feminism is upon us and hopefully this will be accompanied by progress towards gender equality.

Audiocasting is an ideal tool for combining third wave issues with a people’s media. This audiocast addresses some issues surrounding opportunities for activism and one woman’s experience in social justice issues and as a nun.

Enjoy!

Download this audiocast now:

Activism (7 mins, 7 MB)

What is feminism?

This semester is challenging me to come to terms with this beast called “feminism”. Between papers identifying whether or not suffrage has made a difference in women’s lives to critiquing the third wave I waver between thinking the movement is salvageable and becomeing enthused with reform to seeing the idea as too far gone a struggle and trying to decide how to get where we need to go, and how to include the good parts of feminism while discarding the parts that impede progress. I came across this which speaks strongly to to me although I don’t know if I agree with her.

“Feminism isn’t an employment agency for women;
it’s an alternative way of ordering the social space,
in which women are the prototype rather than men.
It is based on collaboration rather than competition.
As a youngster, I still remember my feeling of joy
that one could look at the earth differently.
That’s feminism: everything is differently oriented.
Seeing the same world through different eyes.”
~ Ursuala Franklin

The Problem With Feminism

The use of the term “feminist” inhibits the goals of the movement for equality. In her article “Why I’m a Feminist,” Lauren Anderson describes some of the many negative stereotypes associated with “feminism” and “feminists” like “hairy-legged, bitchy, [and] lesbian” (Anderson 32). According to this stereotype, feminists are destructive, hateful, selfish and angry. These stereotypes are created and reinforced in and by our culture, and are very difficult to change. The semantics of a word are determined by its usage. Regardless if a dictionary or encyclopaedia defines feminism as the “belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes” (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language qtd. at www.dictionary.com), popular use interprets feminism as a radical movement, full of militant extremists.

Some self-defined feminists choose to struggle against this popular definition, in a quest to open the eyes and ears of society to the important work of the women’s movements. They claim that the purpose of feminism is to open doors and break socially constructed barriers erected to maintain the patriarchal power structure and keep women out of the public sphere. They say nothing about hating men, only about an imbalance in the power structure of society. This challenge seems insurmountable. It is time to re-evaluate what the feminist movement stands for and find a less stigmatized vocabulary capable of describing the goals and purposes of the movement while at the same time maintaining an open and receptive audience in present-day society. Read more

Victim

My house was robbed the weekend after finals. I’m just about put back together – luckily I had insurance. It’s been a great challenge trying to function without a computer for the past few weeks, borrowing and traveling to get the essentials met. Unfortunately the blog was one of the first things to go. My bank put a hold on the insurance cheque – said it coudl be fraudulent – and so between the sloth of the insurance company and the bank’s self-protection it took a month to get the funds to actually replace the things that can be replaced. My grandmother’s and aunt’s jewellery are irreplaceable. Read more

Why Anonymity Should be Protected in Cyberspace

An individual’s ability to operate anonymously in cyberspace must be protected. Anonymity is fundamentally linked to free speech, privacy and personal security. Instances where an individual might seek anonymity include communication, political action, research, and shopping. Anonymity/pseudonymity provides protection from persecution and creates a measure of physical safety. This paper explores why anonymity is necessary, how it can be compromised, the debate surrounding anonymity and cybercrime, and whether anonymity on the Internet is really possible. Read more

Non-sexist Language: The American Philosophical Association and Jennifer Mather Saul

Feminist discussions of gender neutrality in language have achieved some reform in spoken and written English language. Organizations like the American Philosophical Association (APA) provide guidelines to their members in the use of non-sexist language. Saul suggests similar strategies for creating gender-neutral language. This paper will discuss how the “Guidelines for Non-Sexist Use of Language” (Warren) call for concrete gender-neutral word choice and will identify where Saul’s discussion of gender-biased language differs in guidelines and in justifications.

Read more

Rating Internet Content

The American Civil Liberties Union article “Fahrenheit 451.2: Is Cyberspace Burning?”[1] illustrates how mandatory rating of Internet content will lead to blocking of information, create barriers between information sharing, and will result in an Internet dominated by big business. I agree with the ACLU’s position that rating Internet content compromises the free speech of individuals.

Libertarianism holds that individuals should be allowed complete freedom of action as long as they do not infringe on the freedom of others.[2] Libertarianism advocates that individuals’ negative right to freedom from interference includes freedom from government interference. When making the choice whether and how to rate Internet content the ACLU takes the moral position, as do Contractarians,[3] that considers whether individual rights may be at stake. The Libertarian position is that mandatory ratings coerce individuals to apply pejorative labels to information they wish to publish. This infringes on individual freedom to be left alone. Read more

Guilty of Appropriation

Every summer I take my children camping with a group of homeschooler families. This year’s trip is to a 17th century reconstruction of an Iroquoian village. The trip includes observing a ‘day-in-the-life’, performances of traditional Native dance and storytelling, canoeing down the river and sleeping in a longhouse. The goal of the village is to preserve and educate people about Native culture. I have never been there but have compiled information based on the promotional materials provided by our group organizer, the village website and discussions with people who have visited the village in the past. A year ago I never would have questioned going along with the group and would have seen the opportunity as fun and exciting. Now I wonder if this would be cultural appropriation and if going on this trip perpetuates stereotypes of Canada’s indigenous peoples. Starhawk, in “Cultural Appropriation” writes, “we can experience and learn from a multiplicity of cultures and spiritual traditions” but that “issues of entitlement and authenticity need to be addressed” (201).

It would be simple to say that camping at a historic site is an educational opportunity. Read more

Blogher Canada

Since the Blogher conference on 30 July 2005 the blogosphere has been filled with posts galore about the experience, the knowledge sharing, the future of blogging, and the building of a blogging community with personal friendships at its core.

For all those people who cannot make it to California, I’m suggesting we put together a Canadian version of the Blogher Conference, here in the great North.

• Who would like to attend?
• Who would like to help plan?
• Who wants to sponsor?

Ballet tutus

I struggle with the symbolism of the ballet tutu every day. I’m a ballet teacher: it’s a skill I have that allows me to buy groceries for my kids. Most of my students are girls under the age of 10. Many sign up because they’ve seen movies of beautiful Barbie princesses dancing beautifully about and they want to be just like her. The reality of classical ballet training is very different from the movies: it’s very disciplined, technical, hard work and lots of sweat.

Read more