Women Prior to Taking This A-Level Coursework

Total Length: 1948 words ( 6 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 6

Page 1 of 6

139). When she is "taken for a man," she is "not fat," because of the different gendered social norms related to body size (Bergman, 2009, p. 139). Thinness is also a type of privilege, as is external or socially acceptable beauty. Beauty ideals and norms are also tied in with race, culture, and class. Economic class and social class often determine access to healthy food, which is why low-income people are more likely to be obese and have related problems. Although generally, African-American women have healthier body images than white women, white cultural hegemony has started to infiltrate black culture, especially in what Riley (n.d.) calls "bourgeois black families," (p. 358). Riley's (n.d.) experiences reveal the interconnectedness, or intersectionality, between race, class, and gender. Just as it is important to recognize different gendered identities for women from different cultural backgrounds, it is also important to acknowledge that not all women subscribe to the same notions of beauty.

Women's studies also embrace the difficult dialogue related to gender and sexuality in ways that are not discussed in other departments.

Stuck Writing Your "Women Prior to Taking This" A-Level Coursework?

Gender and sexuality are related topics, but it is important to remember that gender does not determine sexuality any more than biological sex determines gender. We are just now starting to recognize that the binaries of male/female and heterosexual/homosexual are detrimental to psychological and social health. Human beings are too complex, and their sexual and gendered identities too complex, to allow for artificial binaries to persist. Learning about the fluidity of both gender and sexuality, we become liberated to explore our own personal identity. Women's studies asks each person, no matter what their background, gender, or social status, to forge a strong identity and be assertive enough to express that identity. This is the personal dimension of women's studies. Women's studies also has a powerful political dimension. From a strong personal identity, we become empowered to take action in the world. We may make a difference in someone else's life, perhaps by sharing our story or starting an organization. Women's studies are about personal and social change......

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Women Prior To Taking This" (2014, May 07) Retrieved May 15, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/women-prior-taking-188952

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Women Prior To Taking This" 07 May 2014. Web.15 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/women-prior-taking-188952>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Women Prior To Taking This", 07 May 2014, Accessed.15 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/women-prior-taking-188952