31 October 2009

Women Unbound Reading Challenge

I am so excited for this challenge! Eva at A Striped Armchair, Aarti from Booklust, and Care from Care's Online Book Club are have opened a challenge dedicated to women. The Women Unbound Reading Challenge encourages participants to read nonfiction and fiction books related to women’s studies. Eva gives a definition of this on the page about the challenge. Eva has even given us a great reading list to give us some ideas. They've definitely left the topic of women's studies broad enough that the choices are practically endless.

There are three levels you can choose as a reader:
  • Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
  • Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
  • Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.
Head on over to the Women Unbound blog to learn more and sign up. The contest runs from November 1, 2009 - November 30, 2010, so going to go for Suffragette. With a whole year ahead of me, I'm optimistic that eight books is no problem!

Eva has posted a WOMEN UNBOUND Start of Challenge Meme:
1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act?

Feminism, for me, is the philosophical belief that people are equal regardless of gender and contains the express purpose of countering antiquated beliefs about what it means to be a woman. I don't believe feminism is particular to any specific situation or locale. It is a state of mind, something that does not leave you or shift from one place to another. And it doesn't have anything to do with the way you look, the way you dress, where you work, sexuality, religion, or even gender.

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Absolutely. The issue of female equality has been lauded as a success. Oh, Hilary Clinton, Sarah Palin, look how far women have come. And I absolutely agree that the struggle for equality has come a long way, but there is still much to do. When 19 year old females in my college English course tell me that they wouldn't vote for Clinton because she's a woman and "can you imagine what she'd do while PMS-ing?", I know that we have a long, long way to go.

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

The biggest obstacle women face today is the misconception that the struggle is over. That we are equal to men and we can relax now. We have fooled ourselves into believing that the issues women face have been solved; that perceptions regarding womanhood have shifted to the point where we no longer need to be so concerned. These rose-tinted glasses mean more and more women are blind to the obstacles we still have to overcome. As for a second obstacle - WOMEN. We are our own worst enemy as we allow ourselves to be objectified and even encourage this objectification and youth-based sexualization. Even after how far we've come, girls still "act stupid" around guys - I see it every week in the college courses I teach; an A female student will dumb herself down for the C male student she has a crush on. It's terrifying.

15 comments:

  1. I plan to join in on this challenge as well. I used to read a TON of women's studies (mostly non-fiction), and I think it's time to revisit some of that. Loved your meme answers as I feel much the same. Especially about the freshman girls and those PMS opinions. Ugg! I hope they think back about those statements in 10 years and blush--hard.

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  2. Wow, it's disturbing students in your class said that about Clinton. But I think a lot of people worry about women leading the US- strange as women have led other countries, just now ours. One group at a time, I guess!

    Hope you have fun with the challenge :-)

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  3. This sounds so interesting! I might have to give this one a go. Oh gosh. So many cool challenges, so very little time!

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  4. Agree and really appreciate you taking time to express how you feel.

    It bothers me, too, that girls and women will alter themselves in order to make a man feel comfortable.

    I'm fine with partners in a relationship making compromises for the relationship but not compromise who you are. How do we teach girls and women the difference?

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  5. AMEN to all of the above. I just signed up myself - can't wait to get reading, and see what everyone else chooses!

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  6. Fantastic answers! I agree, women are their own worst enemy...we still have long way to go, don't we?

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  7. Thanks for joining in! Just to let you know, Aarti posted the meme, not me. ;) I LOVED your answers!

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  8. It does sound like a fun challenge!

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  9. Andi - I hope they do too.

    Aarti - The whole pre-election all I could think about was Chisholm's essay titled "I'd rather be black than female." I think sexism is ingrained in us and so much more accepted while we strive to eliminate racism.

    Rebecca - I know! It's not even the new year yet and here I am already starting 2010 challenges.

    Susan - If you ever have the answer to that question, please let me know!

    Elizabeth - I'm working on a list of possibilities for the challenge; there's just so much to choose from.

    Wendy - To tell you the truth, I think we've slid backwards over the past 40 years in some ways!

    Eva - Ah, I really need to check those things. I'm too used to one person hosting a challenge!

    Rebecca - I hope you are joining in!

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  10. While I get that women are sometimes foes rather than allies, I do not believe women are our biggest enemy. To paraphrase Alice Walker, when I walk down the street I don't fear women. Women aren't raping and killing other women. Daughters are beaten by their fathers, raped by dates and boyfriends and assaulted by strangers. I'm not a man-hater. But our greatest enemy are men who think so little of us that they cause us bodily harm.

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  11. Susan - I see your point, but the overt sexualization and objectification of women is the result of women, not men. I think that until we take it upon ourselves to be more than tiny waists, big boobs, and bedroom eyes, we can't expect men to treat us as anything other than what we are pretending to be: sex toys. It's possible that men think so little of us because we think so little of ourselves.

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  12. "The biggest obstacle women face today is the misconception that the struggle is over...These rose-tinted glasses mean more and more women are blind to the obstacles we still have to overcome...As for a second obstacle - WOMEN. We are our own worst enemy as we allow ourselves to be objectified and even encourage this objectification and youth-based sexualization."

    Yes, yes, yes and yes! SO right. Thank you for saying this so eloquently and I can't wait to read more of your blog and your thoughts during this challenge.

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  13. Trisha -
    Great responses!
    Off to check out your list.
    Shellie

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  14. Jade - Glad you agree!

    Mel U - Awesome!

    Shellie - Thanks. Er... no list yet. I'm so durn indecisive on it.

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