Campus Engagement One "The Purity Myth"

I recently went to the movie viewing of “The Purity Myth”. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge the movie. A lot of information talked about in the movie would have been valuable to me a couple of years ago. I never had anyone teach me how to value myself; I had to learn it on my own. Values were one the many talked about subjects in the movie. It explained that every woman should hold some type of values for herself. Not allow anyone to disrespect her and mistreat her. A lot of times women don’t realize having values and standing for them gets you a long way in life. Values are viewed in many ways or another. Having values makes me fearful, serious, and time means everything. Other ways my values shows are through intelligences, empathy, compassion, loyalty, and kindness. I stand my ground and hold on to my values. I don’t let anyone take them away from me or tell me I am anything less than what I value. On another note, the movies talked a lot about what is referred as a woman V-Card. This topic has always been a rocky topic for me, because double standard plays its role heavy. As a woman if you have had sex before marriage, society often look down upon you. You are viewed powerless and unworthy in many cases. But if a man was to have sex, he get applaud for it. I find that unfair because instead of coming down on the woman, who in most cases is pressured into sex from a man; the guys should be at fault also. Put the same judgment on the man as you would on the woman. Also, I was shocked and surprise to hear that there are formal balls held for fathers and daughters. These balls are held so that the daughter can make a promise before god, that they will give their V-Card to their fathers until marriage. I founded that to be creepy and crazy. Some of the daughter was as young as seven years old. At that age, little girls are clueless about what they are doing. I would have never wanted to experience that. I honestly feel all you have to do is instill values in your daughter; as well as your son, so when they do decide to take that step they know the outcome of their actions.  The movie was a great viewing and I will suggest all women and men to watch it.

The Beauty Ideal

The beauty “ideal” plays a huge role and women lives. It affects women mentally, socially, physically, and finically. Women worry about how society views them, rather than how they view their selves. Women are expected to act and dress a certain way and while trying to keep up with that, some experience dysfunctions.  While constantly getting judge by society, women are doing just about anything to look remotely close to how media is displaying a prefect image of a woman. The media plays a huge role and pressuring a woman to look certain. The beauty industry is constantly coming up with ways to improve the woman’s bodies. In many women feel as though their bodies is in need of correction, so they are using the product that’s being sold. There is different type of realty show that’s airing what society thinks women should look like. There are even some that go out and randomly pick a woman and give her a makeover. With these types of shows constantly airing women will constantly feeling as though they need improvement.  As stated in the book, advertising images can severely undermine girls’ self-confidence and sense of agency, which can lead to serious physical and emotional health problems (pg.208). With the daily advertising seen, many women are finding ways to keep up with the image. They are physically changing their bodies to countless amounts of surgeries, using different products, taking different approaches to diet plans. Not knowing the side effects, some are having health issues. There are some who even amount to experiencing eating disorders. Eating disorders are mostly found amongst teenage women trying to be viewed as what society considers beautiful.  That’s when the problem becomes a health issues. Some other health issues are depression, self-hate, feeling attractive, and etc. With beauty being defined as tall, thin, young, white, flawless, and well groomed, those that don’t fit the stereotype are often judge. The beauty ideal is a major issue amongst women because every woman wants to be viewed as beautiful. Every young woman wants to appael to be sexy, flawless, and thin. While every older woman want to look younger, health, and thin. Women will constantly experience these issues because society has a set way they all should look. Therefore, if it takes spending countless amount of dollars on make-up, clothes, aging product, gyms, weight-loss programs, diet plans, plastic surgeries, and more then as long as its selling women will be buying it.  

Service Learning Proposal

Service Learning Proposal For MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention)
By: Emily Leiter
Raati Kumar
Racara Jackson
Jamie Crenshaw
Amanda Santos
Fadia
September 26, 2012
Meredith Tweed
WST 3015-0001

Community Partner Profile:
Community Partner: MVP (The Mentors in Violence Prevention)
Contact: Abigail Malick

Community Partner Mission Statement: “MVP provides the leadership necessary, within sport and beyond, to address the global issues of sexism – especially men’s violence against women. In our advocacy efforts and training programs, we educate, inspire and empower men & women to prevent, interrupt and respond to sexist abuse” (MVP).

MVP is an organization put together to bring awareness to sexual abuse. Motivate and educate students on prevention against violence on gender and bullying. Their goals are to inform students on violence accruing against men/women and help bring light to those everyday issues happening. Also, the organization will be challenging and developing their volunteers to inspire and inform others on potentially dangerous situation.


Political and/or Social Basis for Organization: ‘’MVP was founded in 1993 by Northeastern University for the Study of Sport in Society and the National Consortium for Academics & Sports. The multi-racial MVP Program was designed to train male college and high school student-athletes and other student leaders to use their status to speak out against rape, battering, sexual harassment, gay-bashing, and all forms of sexist abuse and violence’’ (MVP).

Still today many schools are using the MVP program to bring awareness to those issues. The program is influencing individual to have a voice and helps to prevent accruing situations. They have events protesting and informing student on sexual abuse, bullying, rape, violence’s, and gay-bashing. MVP allowing those who have or have not been victims stand up and fight to prevent these issues from happening.

The Proposal

The following is a proposal to outline the needs, rationale and feasibility for a service learning project to benefit Mentors in Violence Prevention. The following proposal contains background on the need for and benefits of a Community Outreach project, an outline of the work I plan to do, the rationale for its inclusion in WST 3015, and a scheduled timeline. This proposal may need to be revised after beginning the project and must be flexible to meet the needs of the both the Service Learning project and the community partner.

Need for volunteers for the Community Outreach Program

The Mentors in Violence Prevention program acts to prevent violence against women. Their main goal is to raise awareness of violence against women, and to educate everybody on ways to prevent such violence. Our community does not see domestic violence as being as serious and other forms of violence. MVP strives to make people understand that this violence is, in fact, preventable. Through different trainings, MVP achieves their goal of prevention by having volunteers look at the subject of domestic violence differently, not just as this taboo subject that nobody wants to address. It is MVP’s hope that through these trainings, participants will become inspired to be leaders in our community, when it comes to dealing with domestic violence and educating others about ways to prevent such violence.

Plan Proposal:

Throughout the semester, MVP will have various activities to raise awareness of men’s acts of violence against women. Some of these activities include screenings of victims’ documentaries, such as Telling Amy’s Story, at least once a month. Another activity in which MVP hopes to raise awareness of violence against women is through holding brown-bag lunches, in which people discuss attitudes toward abuse while having lunch together. During these lunches, participants will be talking about abuse in society with scenarios that people can relate to. To advertise these events, volunteers will create flyers and posters to be displayed around campus, advertise via social networks like Facebook. We will also be sponsoring a table in front of the Student Union, as well as making announcements in class inviting people to attend and support the organization. MVP will invite local community partners involved with domestic violence to attend the activities as well.

I will be part of a team of volunteers that will dedicate our time and effort into this organization, educating people about domestic violence, bullying, hazing, as well as its implications. By informing others, especially women, of our individual rights I can take part in making this community, state, and country domestic violence free and become better citizens.

Rationale for Women’s Studies

MVP mission pertains to our women’s studies class, specifically to level of analysis and violence against women. Its focus is to bring awareness and knowledge to others on issues happening around you. The level of analysis, focus on the situation at a micro, mezzo, and micro level. Looking at it from a micro level, the individual will blame his/herself for the violence or abuse that has occurred. On a mezzo level, is when other get involved; such as a police. The macro level is when action is happening and he/she is held accountable for their action. While MVP approaches, is mainly on the victim as a whole. At micro level the focus is on victim instead of the praetor. The macro level, finds ways to openly speak out through others to help bring awareness to domestic violence. Violence against women affects women in all socioeconomic classes, all racial, ethnic groups, and it can occur throughout the life cycle (Gwyn Kirk, Margo Okazawa-Rey pg. 257). There are more women being abused then men. Not only was popular back than but still today abuse against women is still happening. They are related because the chapter explains the concepts behind women violence and MVP help unpack those concepts by explaining, informing and coming up with action plans to prevent occurring situation. By keeping these such organizations and classes alive, many will have the basic but knowledgeable information to stay in for and help prevent domestic violence against anyone.

Action:

I have already met with Abigail Malick, the UCF Campus Coordinator of Mentors in Violence Prevention, to discuss volunteer opportunities available this semester. In addition to contacting her regularly, I will be helping to organize, as well as attend, brown bag lunches and be involved in organizing and advertising for the screening of “Telling Amy’s Story.”

Timeline:

The Service Learning Project will be completed approximately November 20, 2012. The dates that have been listed may change, due to other activities that might become available throughout the semester. Also the Social Media Blogs are continuous throughout the semester; there is no specified deadline as of now.

1. Invite people for the Brown Bag Lunch-In October 3
2. Make flyers for Tell Amy’s Story October 8
3. Social Media Advertising October 12
4. Brown Bag lunch-In October 17
5. Tell Amy’s Story October 24 6. Invite people for Brown Bag Lunch October 31
7. Brown Bag Lunch November 14 8. Social Media Blogs (no specified date)

Works Cited

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives 5^th Ed. New

 

"MVP | Mentors in Violence Prevention National Program." MVP | Mentors in Violence Prevention National Program. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. .

 

WORD COUNT: 1179

Gender & Patriarchy

Gender is constructed through birth. Society classifies people as a girl or boy. Since the day I was born my gender identifies who I am. I was identified as a girl and was taught to act accordingly as one. Every day I act and dress as women. For example; I do my hair, put on make-up, where earrings, and wear women clothes. In society, our gender is viewed by our outside appearance. I didn’t realize how often I did gender daily. Just in school alone I do gender at least ten times or more, walking from one class to the next. For example; I saw a girl dressed as a man and acted as one. Her outside appearance viewed her as a man from head to toe, but the moment she spoke her gender spoke loudly. From there, I then realized I was doing gender without even knowing it. On another note; just like gender, patriarchy plays another daily role and my everyday life. I feel I was taught to act accordingly to the “patriarchy world”. From birth I was taught that girls act one way and men act another. Therefore, I act accordingly and show in my everyday life. Every morning I wake up and do what are considered women duties. I make sure my household is in order and my boyfriend is ok. Then, I head to school and work. While in school men holds the door from me and allow me to walk out first. In since society expect that to happen, I follower alone with it. While at work patriarchy also plays its part. Men naturally handle things that they are expected to handle and the women allow them to do so. For example; the men handle all the heavy items and fixing broken stuff, they also the ones who take out the trash. The women are the ones who do all the baking, cooking, and tray handling. We do pretty much everything men don’t do or not “expected to do”. Many people don’t realize how much gender and patriarchy places its part in their daily life until its brought to their attention.

"A Letter Of Introduction"

I am Racara M. Jackson. I am 23 years old with no kids. I love to read books, cook, watch TV, and do fun things. I was born in West Palm Beach Fl, which is about three hours away from Orlando. Every since I was younger, Orlando have always been a place where I wanted to live and go to school. This will be my first year attending UCF as a transfer student. I recently transfer from Seminole State College where I receive my AA Degree in General Education.  I originally wanted to become an Elementary School teacher but just a week ago I decided to change my major. My current major is now Early Childhood Development.  I decided to change my major because I have learn that I am better with younger kids that older. This course is not a course that is needed for my major. Being that I attended the last orientation, the classes were very limited. All the classes I need towards my degree was fill or online. Therefore, instead of sitting out until spring semester; here I am taking three classes I found that was interesting. This course sparked an interest because as a woman who wouldn’t want to learn more about themselves. I feel learning about me as a woman (current to past history) will be a great experience. Women are often judge upon, mostly by men; because of what past history have label women as. Many still believe that women are only good at baring kids, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the home. I strongly believe that now there is not major different between men and women. Many women are taking the responsible that men are known for doing. Job that are known as “men jobs”, are now being taking by women. Women have proving that they can handle things that men usually doing. Nevertheless, gender still somehow plays its role. Even though women are doing what men do, there are still things out there where a woman will need the help of a man. With the help of classes, media, book, and my own knowledge; I strongly believe that’s my greatest influence on understanding how men and women behave. As a child I was taught that a woman behaves a certain way and so does a man. I am at an age where I know right from wrong. In society, men and women are looked upon to act how they should and when that rule is broken issues occur. Some of the occurring issues are ones are being judge for their actions. I believe that rule should be changed so no one is being judge. Ones should be able to act how he/she wants to. Gender is an important access because our gender is what separate us and the constant labeling is what makes us. I am happy to be in this course and looking forward to adding on the knowledge I have. I hope to gain a clear understanding on the known and unknown information, would make this course a successful course token.