I asked Elizabeth why I decided to take Women's Studies and she said she didn't know. She's been trying to figure that out for a while.
Last semester I declared a Women's Studies major. It seemed like a brilliant decision. I could talk about my feelings on gender and how it affects my life and how I frame my identity, but that all seems so distastefully personal.
It's enough of an introduction that I am from South Jordan, UT. I have a hard time being away from home. I'm only really interested in class discussions if they talk about gender.
Five questions I would like to answer for myself (as opposed to have answered in the course of the class? does this mean they have to be highly personal, self-discovery questions?): I guess I feel like questions of gender and women's studies are personally relevant anyway, so I can make any question personal.
- I want to be fully briefed on the current research concerning biology and gender. How much of gender is biologically, hormone-driven? I would like to say that sex and gender have nothing to do with one another. I've always been annoyed by the conflation of sex and gender, but where do they intersect?
- What is the status of the Feminist movement? I am aware that there is a myriad of ways for one to fight patriarchy, but I have a specific question. I was watching High School Musical 2 with Jennifer, and she was disgusted with the portrayal of Sharpay. I seemed defensive, but she's probably right. I want to know more. From here I'm just vaguely interested in everything that is Women's Studies. My big thing is sex vs. gender, but I also got really excited when I saw the Women Pilot museum outside of the airport.
- What is the most relevant way for me to fight Patriarchy and inequality?
- Are there any relevant applications of Women's Studies to agricultural subsidies? It's the debate topic this year. I've really lost interest in all of the dense philosophical Nietzsche/Heidegger/other-people-I-don't-like-reading debates. I just want to talk about issues that I care about.
- What can I do to help the world with a Women's Studies Major? I don't really put too much thought in my future, but it seems appropriate for question the fifth. This is late and I apologize. I also apologize for the length. It seems inappropriate now. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to this class and my Women and World Politics Course. However, someone asked me why I was in the class. I mentioned the recently declared major. She seemed impressed; I would get 'all the girls,' she said. I was annoyed at her heteronormative deduction of my interest in Women's Studies to a desire to get laid. That seemed relevant, but now I fear, again, I've been inappropriate. It does introduce myself, in a roundabout way. And it reminds me of another question.
- Why did she do that?
- Why has sex and gender been conflated? Where did gender characteristics start being assigned to biological sex?
Thank you,
Garrison Warren
