For 9/20: YouTube - Christina Aguilera & Lil Kim - Can't hold us down

YouTube - Christina Aguilera & Lil Kim - Can't hold us down

What are your reactions to this song? What about the song itself--the beat, melody, poetics-how do you like it?

Here's the lyrics:

So what am I not supposed to have an opinion
Should I be quiet just because I'm a woman
Call me a bitch cos I speak what's on my mind
Guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled

When a female fires back
Suddenly big talker don't know how to act
So he does what any little boy will do
Making up a few false rumors or two

That for sure is not a man to me
Slanderin' names for popularity
It's sad you only get your fame through controversy
But now it's time for me to come and give you more to say

This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
So what do we do girls?
Shout out loud!
Letting them know we're gonna stand our ground
Lift your hands high and wave them proud
Take a deep breath and say it loud
Never can, never will, can't hold us down

Nobody can hold us down
Nobody can hold us down
Nobody can hold us down
Never can, never will

So what am I not supposed to say what I'm saying
Are you offended by the message I'm bringing
Call me whatever cos your words don't mean a thing
Guess you ain't even a man enough to handle what I sing

If you look back in history
It's a common double standard of society
The guy gets all the glory the more he can score
While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore

I don't understand why it's okay
The guy can get away with it & the girl gets named
All my ladies come together and make a change
Start a new beginning for us everybody sing

This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
What do we do girls?
Shout out loud!
Letting them know we're gonna stand our ground
Lift your hands high and wave 'em proud
Take a deep breath and say it loud
Never can, never will, can't hold us down

[Lil' Kim:]
Check it - Here's something I just can't understand
If the guy have three girls then he's the man
He can either give us some head, sex her off
If the girl do the same, then she's a whore
But the table's about to turn
I'll bet my fame on it
Cats take my ideas and put their name on it
It's aiight though, you can't hold me down
I got to keep on movin'
To all my girls with a man who be tryin to mack
Do it right back to him and let that be that
You need to let him know that his game is whack
And Lil' Kim and Christina Aguilera got your back

But you're just a little boy
Think you're so cute, so coy
You must talk so big
To make up for smaller things
So you're just a little boy
All you'll do is annoy
You must talk so big
To make up for smaller things

This is for my girls...
This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
So what do we do girls?
Should out loud!
Letting them know we're gonna stand our ground
Lift your hands high and wave 'em proud
Take a deep breath and say it loud
Never can, never will, can't hold us down

This is for my girls all around the world
Who've come across a man who don't respect your worth
Thinking all women should be seen, not heard
So what do we do girls?
Should out loud!
Letting them know we're gonna stand our ground
Lift your hands high and wave 'em proud
Take a deep breath and say it loud
Never can, never will, can't hold us down
Spread the word, can't hold us down

For 9/20: More troubling data about women writers

Any English majors in 190? If your female as well, this article suggests the cards are stacked against you. Read this:
More troubling data about women writers

How have writings by men come to be more revered than writings by women?

Toni Morrison at CSO

Toni Morrison - Rental Event - Tickets & Events - CSO:
This is sold out, but it looks really good.

For 9/20: Facebook | Three DC Male Students Awarded for Commitment to Ending Dating and Sexual Violence

Facebook | Three DC Male Students Awarded for Commitment to Ending Dating and Sexual Violence

Global Gender Gap

If you have questions about the methodology behind the Global Gender Gap report, you can find the entire report here.

Radish Magazine - Healthy living from the ground up

Radish Magazine - Healthy living from the ground up This article quotes me talking about why I decided to not buy any new clothes for a year.

Leading cause of death during pregnancy? Murder by partner. Comment by 9/13

A student in class wanted to comment on this fact on the Blog. What do you make of this fact?

For references to this statistic and others, check out the NOW page with the statistics on Violence Against Women.

Also, check out the government's Bureau of Justice Statistics, where it says:

Female murder victims are substantially more likely than male murder victims to have been killed by an intimate

In recent years -

• About one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate.
  
• About 3% of male murder victims were killed by an intimate (and here you have to factor in that studies show that in about half of these the woman is acting in self-defense.)
  
• Of all female murder victims, the proportion killed by an intimate has been increasing.
  
• Of male murder victims, the proportion killed by an intimate has dropped.

YouTube - Ciara - Like A Boy. Comment by 9/13

YouTube - Ciara - Like A Boy
A student sent me the link to this video. Why does the lyrical voice want to be a boy?

Name It. Change It. Comment by 9/13

Name It. Change It.:
What are the makers of this video trying to say?

Think this video is an exaggeration? Check out what Hillary went through on the campaign trail.

Using Facebook can lower exam grades - Tech News - IBNLive

Using Facebook can lower exam grades - Tech News - IBNLive:
One simple way to improve your scores? Turn off FB.

Sign full name and write at least 5 full lines. EC option for 9/13: Discussion Question

How does our society, historically and currently, define the difference between a miscarriage and a stillbirth? As a society, why do we not practice funerals with burials for miscarriages?

EC option for 9/13: Restrictions on Choice in States — Feministe

Restrictions on Choice in States — Feministe
The article linked above summarizes the ways that state legislators across the country have been hard at work to restrict women's freedoms in the "land of the free." You might also be interested in the full original report from the Center for Reproductive Rights, where it says that "On average, more than six hundred bills are proposed annually and dozens are passed, making it increasingly difficult for women in many states to access abortion." Are women really that incapable of making a decision about whether to carry a pregnancy to term that they need (usually male) legislators to write 600 bills about it? What PUBLIC issues might legistlators be spending time on instead?

Don't for get to write 5 full lines and sign full name. For now, focus ONLY on the questions posed in THIS blog post. Stay on this specific aspect of the reproductive rights, knowing that later we will examine other sides. Also, remember to be professional, polite, and patient when you make your comment. Keep in mind to trust that everyone in the class has good intentions.

The Wax Paper: Home Birth Science or Propaganda?

The Wax Paper: Home Birth Science or Propaganda?

Home Birth Science or Propaganda?

Studies, like the Wax Paper, that include high-risk ACCIDENTAL out-of-hospital births are going to show worse outcomes than studies that exclusively evaluate low-risk PLANNED out of hospital births with a skilled midwife. These more relevant studies show no difference in risk to the baby.

If someone tells you about a study that shows higher rates of deaths for babies born at home please ask them if they are comparing apples to oranges.

Specifically:

1. Does the data in this study include ACCIDENTAL out-of-hospital birth?
2. Why should that make me vote against PLANNED out-of-hospital births with midwives?
3. Doesn't this study really mean that I SHOULD vote for this bill, to make sure women PLANNING out-of-hospital births have access to midwives.
4. Why are you trying to trick me by mixing apples and oranges without telling me about the oranges?

Don't be fooled by BAD SCIENCE that
Compares APPLES to ORANGES

Comment by 9/13 Change the Course of History: “High Five” a Girl | The Vibe - The World According to SocialVibe

Change the Course of History: “High Five” a Girl | The Vibe - The World According to SocialVibe

Women's Salaries Back On Top For Younger Set : NPR

This IS big news, but it doesn't mean women have achieved it all--read/listen to the entire article.
Women's Salaries Back On Top For Younger Set : NPR

EC option for 9/6: Women MCs: Doing double what a dude could do

Women MCs: Doing double what a dude could do
I've watched about 10 minutes of this video about the history of women MCs and really like it so far. What do you think?
How are they taking a feminist approach to this video?

EC option for 9/6: Nicki’s World « The Crunk Feminist Collective

Remember to sign name and write at least 5 full lines for each comment. If you're interested in Nicki Manaj, this article might interest you:
Nicki’s World « The Crunk Feminist Collective

In your comment, discuss what you like or dislike about Minaj and how this article from Crunk Feminist Collective might change the way you view her work.

Coalition for Illinois Midwifery

Want to know more about midwifery laws in the state of Illinois and how we compare to other states? Look here:
Coalition for Illinois Midwifery - Welcome to the Coalition for Illinois Midwifery

EC option for 9/6: Child abuse in Afghanistan - Broadsheet - Salon.com

How does the author of this article comes to the conclusion that women's inequality hurts more than just women?
Child abuse in Afghanistan - Broadsheet - Salon.com

EC option for 9/6: abonly_comic1024.gif (GIF Image, 1024x591 pixels) - Scaled (91%)

According to the way this comic strip (scroll down and click on image to enlarge it) portrays abstinence only programs, what is the nature of male sexuality? How might abstinence only programs be promoting the idea that all men are rapists?
abonly_comic1024.gif (GIF Image, 1024x591 pixels) - Scaled (91%)

EC option for 9/6 (Be sure to sign full name after your 5-line comment)

Read this ENTIRE link:

Women and masturbation: We’ve come a long way, maybe?

Are women entitled to orgasms? Are orgasms important?

Also for EC for 8/30: Public Shirtlessness: The Next Feminist Frontier?

Is it unfair to prohibit women bearing their breasts on a hot day? Read Lori's perspective before you weigh in.

2 of 2 EC options for 8/30: Beyonce says feminism has helped her have successful relationships with men - Monsters and Critics

Read this link and comment:
Beyonce says feminism has helped her have successful relationships with men - Monsters and Critics.

What does feminism mean to Beyonce?

1 of 2 EC options for 8/30: Janelle Monáe - Tightrope [feat. Big Boi] (Video)

What do you think about this video? Anyone want to try to apply a feminist analysis to the video?

Today in Feminist History: Women Get the Vote

Today in Feminist History: Women Get the Vote

ella – progress and a reminder that we cannot rest until reproductive freedom comes

ella – progress and a reminder that we cannot rest until reproductive freedom comes

Slowpoke Comics: Hillary Nutcrackers

Slowpoke Comics: Hillary Nutcrackers

Music video: Why Feminism is still relevant.

Link to blog post and video about Mackenzie McCollom, whose Title IX rights were violated when she became pregnant

Pregnant high school athlete faces discrimination:

Pregnant high school athlete faces discrimination

If you missed class when the video was show, there's a link to the ESPN video on the blog.

Warning signs in bars are gendered.

I misspoke today in class when I referred to federal law that requires warnings on bottles of alcohol.

It's actually state laws (in ILlinois, for example,235 ILCS 5/6-24a. Sec. 6-24a.) that require that places that sale alcohol display birth defects warning signs. Many states have these laws. These laws usually require a sign posted in a bar, and single out women.

Unlike the bottle of alcohol, these laws don't require bars to post warnings about how alcohol can affect everyone.

To learn more about the gendered aspects of state legislative policy with regard to alcohol and pregnancy, this is a reliable source.

Required for 5/3: Degendering Dance

Watch this video, Tightrope, by Janelle Monae, featuring Big Boi:

Degendering Dance… and Some History » Sociological Images



How is this a great example of how dancing doesn’t have to be sexualized or gendered by movement or attire?

What choices does Janelle make that emphasize talent, skill, and high quality art?

Remember to sign your full name.

MomsRising.org | Take a Minute for Fair Pay!

MomsRising.org | Take a Minute for Fair Pay!

1 of 2 options required for 4/26: Healthy Media act for Youth

Sign full name.

Last month, Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced H.R. 4925, The Healthy Media for Youth Act. The bill, which draws on research by Girls, Inc. and the Girls Scouts Research Institute, among others, focuses on the most harmful aspects of media, including unrealistic representations of female beauty, sexualized images of young girls and teens, and violence against women as entertainment.

The bill, which has been referred to committee, proposes a three-pronged strategy to combat potentially dangerous media images: Media literacy, further research on the impact of consuming media that depicts women and girls in a less than positive light, and the formation of a national task force, run by the NIH, on girls and women in the media. You can read the whole bill here.

Is this bill legislating morality? Or, given the many studies confirming a link between self esteem and adds that show women only with idealized bodies and being both only sexual and innocent at the same time, is this bill really about supporting women's health?

Please comment, but support your opinion with facts from the blog post and from Killing Us Softly 3.

Also, consider that while the media tells women that they should be unrealistically skinny, the media also tells everyone that they should be eating more junk food, and that happy people eat junk food. When was the last time you saw an ad for just plain apples or carrots?

1 or 2 options required for 4/26: The pro-choice movement would fail without young women

The pro-choice movement would fail without young women

Answer these 2 questions: What is Jessica, who wrote this blog post, mad about? As a young woman, who do you think should be making the decisions about when you have children and how many you have?

As a young woman, are you capable of making moral decisions about your own body and your life plans?

Sign full name.

Love Your Body: 2010 Poster Contest Winners

Love Your Body: 2010 Poster Contest Winners

On the Love YOur body Website, there are also links to the latest offensive ads.

Nebraska to pass extreme, first-of-its-kind anti-choice bill

Nebraska to pass extreme, first-of-its-kind anti-choice bill

YouTube - guerrillagirlsontour's Channel

YouTube - guerrillagirlsontour's Channel

Awesomeness Alert: Guerrilla Girls On Tour!

Watch this video by the Guerilla Girls:

Awesomeness Alert: Guerrilla Girls On Tour!

Britney Spears highlights airbushing in latest ad campaign

This: Britney Spears highlights airbushing in latest ad campaign is an extremely productive protest against airbrushing women's bodies.

This is just too cool not to post

The first Black valedictorian of Notre Dame is a WOMAN.

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020733.html

A first step in a feminist direction: The Healthy Media for Youth Act

This is really cool!

A first step in a feminist direction: The Healthy Media for Youth Act

Paid internship for African American woman

RCRC - Programs

Required: 1 of 2 options for 4/19: (sign full name)

(Picture: Feministing.com founding editor Jessica Valenti at her wedding)

In Monday's class Katherine wanted to know how to draw the line between being a "gentleman" (doing things like opening a door for a woman, which is also called chivalry) and being sexist.

In order to explore the answer to this question, please think about where chivalry comes from (it didn't always exist) and why women and men often like playing roles in which the man is chivalrous and the woman is "pampered."

What are the intentions behind chivalry? Is it okay for feminists to enjoy chivalry?

Required: 1 of 2 options for 4/19: (sign full name) Creation of a Federal Holiday Recognizing the Struggle for Women's Rights Petition

Use this link to sign a petition for a national holiday honoring Alice Paul's suffrage efforts.

Creation of a Federal Holiday Recognizing the Struggle for Women's Rights Petition

Required for 4/12: What is woman? Sign your full name.

In A Mercy, Toni Morrison defines woman in relation to man. Is it possible to define woman without referencing man? If so, how? What is a woman and who decides?

How does society define woman? How do you define woman?

Can Animals Be Gay? - NYTimes.com

I couldn't resist posting this--and with the cute pics it's just in time for Easter.

Can Animals Be Gay? - NYTimes.com

WIUM: Shiva: Genetic Ag Fails to Yield Benefits (2010-03-31)

In this interview with Dr. Shiva she sites mentions the study "Failure to Yield" that found that GM (genetically modified) seeds that come from MOnsanto and other large companies, are not the cause of crop yields.

WIUM: Shiva: Genetic Ag Fails to Yield Benefits (2010-03-31)

If you have time listen to the audio.

Cheers,
Dr. Stovall

1 of 2 options Required for 4/5. SIGN FULL NAME AFTER COMMENT!

Has anyone seen this video? Watch it and then read this short blog posting:

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020550.html

Is the video "Feminist Art or Shameless Publicity Stunt"? What do you make of the ending?

1 or 2 options Required for 4/5. SIGN FULL NAME AFTER COMMENT!

Do men and women talk about food differently? Read this and comment on your own experiences.

The Forbidden Food

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020462.html

Are poor girls and girls of color more sexually active? This study says no.

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020462.html

Back Up Your Birth Control Day: Tell the FDA to get a move on

Back Up Your Birth Control Day: Tell the FDA to get a move on

Caesarean Births Are at an All Time High in U.S. - NYTimes.com

This report will not come as a surprise to you, but it's good to hear that mainstream data back-up Ricki Lake's observations.

Dr. George A. Macones, the chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis and a spokesman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says “What we’re worried about is, the Caesarean section rate is going up, but we’re not improving the health of babies being delivered or of moms.”

Caesarean Births Are at an All Time High in U.S. - NYTimes.com

1 of 2 options required for 3/29: Haul monitors: Young women, YouTube and price of beauty

Students in Women and Creativity are really enjoying this article, so I though you my like to have the option of commenting on it as well, but before you offer your opinion on these hauls, make sure you understand Chloe's point of view: we might expect feminists to criticize the makers of these videos as vain, but what is Chloe really saying? If Chloe does have a problem with the hauls, what is it?

Haul monitors: Young women, YouTube and price of beauty

1 of 2 options required for 3/29: http://community.feministing.com/2010/03/i-didnt-invent-patriarchy-but.html

Read this essay by a young, white, straight man:
http://community.feministing.com/2010/03/i-didnt-invent-patriarchy-but.html

INSTEAD of saying whether or not you agree with the essay, think about exactly what it is he's saying and HOW he's making his arguments. What, to you, are his strongest points? Is there any way he could make his arguments stronger?

What are LGBTQ people?

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020405.html

Many of you are Catholic. What do you make of this short link about nuns supporting health care?

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020405.html

Haul monitors: Young women, YouTube and price of beauty

Kelly Keating emailed me this post from feministing.com.
Haul monitors: Young women, YouTube and price of beauty

where is your line? » Blog Archive » I want you. I want you to beat me. Erotic Violence in “The Hurt Locker”

Look at these stills, from the Hurt Locker, with comments. What do they say about masculinity?
where is your line? » Blog Archive » I want you. I want you to beat me. Erotic Violence in “The Hurt Locker”

Vitamin D Lack Linked to Weakness in Young Women

Want to be stronger? Make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D.

Vitamin D Lack Linked to Weakness in Young Women

Having trouble reaching orgasm? Masturbation is your friend. | Scarleteen

More thoughts on masturbation here:

Having trouble reaching orgasm? Masturbation is your friend. | Scarleteen

After rejecting his advances on the dance floor, a woman was brutally beaten by a man in a bathroom stall of a bar in New York City early yesterday.

Social Bar Attack: Police Release Video Of Suspect In Severe Bar Beating [UPDATE]

Sex and Power, From North Carolina to Congo

Chloe Angyal: Sex and Power, From North Carolina to Congo

Quote from link: "When we forget that rape is about power, when we choose instead to imagine that it is about sex, we make a terrible mistake. It's a mistake that worms into every aspect of how we deal with the phenomenon of rape. It affects how we think about and talk about rape, perniciously affecting how we treat rape victims, how we prosecute rapists and how we try to prevent future rapes from occurring. When we imagine that rape is about sex, we forget that sex can be a beautiful, pleasurable, transcendent experience. Rape, on the other hand, can never be anything but a crime."

Required for 3/21: Ask Professor Foxy: Will Masturbation Ruin Me For Sex With Others?

Don't forget to sign full name.

Ask Professor Foxy: Will Masturbation Ruin Me For Sex With Others?

In your comment, consider how women can benefit from masturbation. According to Prof. Foxy, how does masturbation contrast with partner sex?

Lessons at Tuba City Hospital, Run by Navajos, About Births - NYTimes.com

Lessons at Tuba City Hospital, Run by Navajos, About Births - NYTimes.com

Here's what doctors have to say about how Midwives in a Native American Hospital in Arizona are successful with lowering the C-section rate:

Dr. Kathleen Harner, an obstetrician in Tuba City, said: “Midwives are better at being there for labor than doctors are. Midwives are trained for it. It’s what they want to do.”

Dr. Amanda Leib, the director of obstetrics and gynecology at Tuba City, said: “I think the midwives tend to be patient. They know the patients well, and they don’t have to leave at 5 to get home for a golf game or a tennis game. As crass as that sounds, I do think it has some influence.”

For credit, you must direct your comment SPECIFICALLY to the questions in my initial post.

While everyone one is welcome to respectfully express her or his opinion on blog posts, for credit, students must FIRST answer the questions I have raised in my post. Students must watch the linked video or read the linked article in order to comment in an informed way.

If you are not directing your comments specifically to my questions, you will not be receiving credit.

Feminism, Progressive Values, and Glenn Beck - Raina Kelley - Newsweek.com

Feminism, Progressive Values, and Glenn Beck - Raina Kelley - Newsweek.com

Great Job with BLOG!

I want the class to know that you've been doing a great job with the Blog all semester! I really appreciate the perspectives I get from everyone when I read it. I learn something, too.

To say "Thank you" I'm posting a silly picture of myself.

Want to prevent your friends from being raped by a serial predator?

On college campuses, repeat predators account for 9 out of every 10 rapes. This means that many rapes can be prevented by putting the offender behind bars. How do you do this? If you are raped, report it to BOTH the campus police and Macomb police. They need to have a record of the offender's name. Eventually, more women will report a rape by the same offender, until it becomes clear he's breaking the law. Read or listen to the story in the link: one college student was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping other college students.

Myths That Make It Hard To Stop Campus Rape : NPR

MilkandCookies - Daily Show: NILF Hunter

Do TV networks purposely hypersexualize women news anchors? Watch the John Stewart show:

MilkandCookies - Daily Show: NILF Hunter

Required for 3/8: Women at Arms - G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier - Series - NYTimes.com. Sign full name!

Click on the link below, scroll down, then watch the video:

Women at Arms - G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier - Series - NYTimes.com

What is the difference between official policy with regards to women and combat, and the reality of what women actually do in Iraq? Does anything need to change? If so, what?

Failed Justice Leaves Rape Victim Nowhere To Turn : NPR

In image, below, Margaux's parents were shocked at how few options there were for their daughter to prosecute the man who sexually assaulted her at Indiana University.


This is a follow up report to a study that concluded that campuses do not take rape seriously enough. You can listen to Margaux and her parents tell her story by clicking on the link.
Failed Justice Leaves Rape Victim Nowhere To Turn : NPR

University of Massachusetts forensic psychologist David Lisak says most sexual assaults on campus are perpetrated by serial predators. Should serial perpetrators be thrown out of the university?

Do You Actually Want Young People to Quit Smoking?

Do You Actually Want Young People to Quit Smoking?

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020144.html

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020144.html

Here is another very extensive report about sexual assault on campus. If you don't have time to read it all, just read the bold print.

Required for 3/1: For women in America, equality is still an illusion - washingtonpost.com

Read this article by Jessica Valenti (pictured left):
For women in America, equality is still an illusion - washingtonpost.com

What examples does Valenti give to support her argument that women have not achieved "equality" in the United States? What is the greatest threat women serving in Iraq face?

Pay particular attention to the way that U.S. women's problems are different from those of women in other parts of the world.

Why is feminism needed?

Don't forget to sign your full name and to enter your comment before class Monday.

Doctors continue to ban midwives, but without any data to back up their decision

http://www.feministing.com/archives/020093.html

V-men--ending violence

If you are a man looking for a way to prevent violence against women (and anyone or everyone) on campus, check out the new organization called V-men, which is a group of men dedicated to ending violence and oppression. Soon, there will be a special event at WIU that will involve the voices of men at WIU contributing to the struggle against violence.

According to Mark Matousek, " . . . violence against women is not merely a woman's issue; it is a human dilemma twisting the lives and consciences of men as well; men whose voices needed to be heard in order for the dialogue that began ten years ago with the founding of V-Day to be complete."

Why are rape jokes okay when racist ones are not?

http://www.feministing.com/archives/016918.html

Is the new start of the women's luge based on misogyny?

http://community.feministing.com/2010/02/womens-luge-start.html

Required for 2/22 (1 of 2 choices) Campus sexual assault: A new report and reform effort. Commnet by class time Monday and sign full name.

Campus sexual assault: A new report and reform effort

What do you make of the report in the above link?

Required for 2/22 before class--1 of 2 options. Where are the men who pressure other men NOT to rape? Sign full name.

http://www.feministing.com/archives/019351.html

A "what about the menz?!" I can get behind Read this link and comment. Do you agree with the blogger? Why or why not?

http://www.feministing.com/archives/018946.html

http://www.feministing.com/archives/018946.html

Virtual realities: Sydney University's "pro-rape" Facebook group

What Facebook’s pro-rape group says about our culture of sexual assault / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

What Facebook’s pro-rape group says about our culture of sexual assault / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

Female Genital Mutilation Versus Female Circumcision

Female Genital Mutilation Versus Female Circumcision

Why Aren't Female Ski Jumpers Allowed in the Olympics? | Mother Jones

Why Aren't Female Ski Jumpers Allowed in the Olympics? | Mother Jones

If The Dodge Charger Made Ads For Oppressed Women - The Sexist - Washington City Paper

If The Dodge Charger Made Ads For Oppressed Women - The Sexist - Washington City Paper

Suffer in Silence: Surviving Abuse as a Trans Male | CarnalNation

Suffer in Silence: Surviving Abuse as a Trans Male | CarnalNation

Femail Genital Mutilation

I student in class shared this document with me. The document is published by the International Confederation of Midwives--a very reliable source. The describes the 4 types of Female Genital Mutilation:

Type I Excision of the prepuce with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris
Type II Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora
Type III Excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of
the vaginal opening (infibulation)
Type IV Unclassified (includes several different forms of mutilation, one of which is cauterization)

Notes from a bitch...pondering five years of blogging...

Notes from a bitch...pondering five years of blogging...

On Personhood: The Dehumanization of Black Women & Children

On Personhood: The Dehumanization of Black Women & Children

Lady-Athlete Stories Be Damned

Lady-Athlete Stories Be Damned

Read the link. What do you think of the media coverage of Lindsey Vonn and other female athletes?

http://community.feministing.com/2010/02/would-you-like-a-college-degre.html

http://community.feministing.com/2010/02/would-you-like-a-college-degre.html

Required comment for 2/15--due BEFORE class. Sign your full name.

On College Campuses, a Shortage of Men - NYTimes.com

Consider these quotes from the linked article:

"Women have represented about 57 percent of enrollments at American colleges since at least 2000, according to a recent report by the American Council on Education. Researchers there cite several reasons: women tend to have higher grades; men tend to drop out in disproportionate numbers; and female enrollment skews higher among older students, low-income students, and black and Hispanic students."

“On college campuses where there are far more women than men, men have all the power to control the intensity of sexual and romantic relationships,” Kathleen A. Bogle, a sociologist at La Salle University in Philadelphia, wrote in an e-mail message. Her book, “Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus,” was published in 2008.

“Women do not want to get left out in the cold, so they are competing for men on men’s terms,” she wrote. “This results in more casual hook-up encounters that do not end up leading to more serious romantic relationships. Since college women say they generally want ‘something more’ than just a casual hook-up, women end up losing out.”

W. Keith Campbell, a psychology professor at the University of Georgia, which is 57 percent female, put it this way: “When men have the social power, they create a man’s ideal of relationships,” he said. Translation: more partners, more sex. Commitment? A good first step would be his returning a woman’s Facebook message.

Women on gender-imbalanced campuses are paying a social price for success and, to a degree, are being victimized by men precisely because they have outperformed them, Professor Campbell said.

You may choose to address these questions in your comment:

Does it feel like there's a similar ratio of women to men on WIU's campus as there are on the campuses mentioned in the article?

How does the ratio of more women then men effect patterns of dating and hooking up?

On campuses where's there's 60% women, should admissions officials try to achieve a 50-50 balance by refusing some women who are more academically qualified in order to admit more men, even though they might be less qualified?

Required comment for 2/8 (1 of 2 options, see below)

Do some browsing on http://community.feministing.com/ (this is the "community" section of Feministing.com), and find a post that's interesting to you. You might pay particular attention to the column on the right that says "Community Faves This Week." Copy and paste the name of that post onto your comment and then say what you like about the posting you have chosen. Have fun.

Another Athlete Speaks Against Anti-Choice Superbowl Ad

Another Athlete Speaks Against Anti-Choice Superbowl Ad

Successful abstinence-only education?

Successful abstinence-only education?

One new study seems to indicate that in some situations "abstinence" programs in schools can be effective if they are based on accurate information and do not advise students to wait until they are married to have sex.

New emergency contraception works five days after sex

New emergency contraception works five days after sex

Movies / Critics' Picks Playlist - Video Library - The New York Times

Movies / Critics' Picks Playlist - Video Library - The New York Times

The above link is to a video review of the movie, Citizen Ruth, which is about the extremists of the cultural wars.

Roxxxy the Sex Robot | January 12, 2010 - Raj Patel | ColbertNation.com

Roxxxy the Sex Robot | January 12, 2010 - Raj Patel | ColbertNation.com

What would make anyone one to have sex with a robot? This is what Samhita at Feministing.com thinks.

Required for 2/8

BREAKING: Scott Roeder Found Guilty Of Murdering Dr. George Tiller

Read the above link. If you like, log on to NYTimes.com and do a search for "Scott Roeder" to see if you can find out what Roeder was thinking when he plotted to kill Tiller.

Comment on this quote from Nancy Keenan: "Dr. Tiller was a tireless advocate for reproductive health who called on us to 'trust women' to make the personal, private decisions that are best for them and their families."

(Make sure your comment is at least 5 FULL lines)