Global Women's Oppression

Global Issue: Women’s Oppression

          Our social conditions define our perceived reality. To some extent everyone has experienced oppression; some more than others. Women in particular are a group that, although have made huge strides for equality, still remain inferior across the world. As a white female in America, my experience is drastically different compared to women in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The conditions I encounter are much more liberated due to the feminist movement in the West. However, this is not the case for women in the majority of mass populated areas. Religion, male authority, lack of rights and cultural practices keep these women silent with little to no power. Women’s oppression is still heavily prevalent, yet is somehow not only tolerated, but accepted.
          Religion is an institution, created by man, to create rules for society to abide by. Among the many vastly different religions, there is a running theme of female inferiority. The Bible states that “Men are superior to women. Jesus is superior to men and God is above all. Women should worship all of them.” (14: 34& 35, Corinthian). In other religions, the Qur’an, for instance, claims that “Men have authority over women, for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expanded of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient and those you fear may be rebellious, admonish them to their couch, and beat them.” (Koran, Women, verse 38). Not only are these statements reiterating that females are less than and should not act out, it also allows permission in the latter quote, for the man to physically harm any female. A current example of this is the disturbing occurrences of “bride burning” in areas such as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Because dowries are still a form of exchange for marriage, the men resume full access and responsibility to the bride’s resources. If the resources are insufficient, the female is blamed and puts shame on the family name. Because the female is tied to the man she was arranged with, there is virtually no way out. “Kitchen accidents” are then the outcome of strained monetary relations, where the woman is doused in kerosene and lit on fire by her husband. The women have no rights and no voice, which is consequently perpetuated by the communal recognition of such ludicrous instances of women being burned to death. This is a “cognitive level of prejudice,” where a major religious group acknowledges the inferiority of one group; that being females.

          Another form of women’s oppression is seen predominately in Africa called “genital mutilation.” There are multiple forms of the procedure; ranging from removing the clitoris to removing the vagina entirely. One elder who performed the rituals said that “In order to be respected in the community, she must be cut.” When asked why this practice is still held in high regard, it was only a matter of the past tribal history performing it. It supposedly reduces a woman’s libido into a subdued “proper” state. The vagina has also been said to be seen as “dirty” or “unsightly,” and therefore must either be mutilated or even completely removed. This is a very extreme case of not being ‘good enough’ in our natural state, but is all too common across cultures. The most sacred part of a woman, her reproductive system, is being violated and dismembered…all for the sake of respect and acceptance. The message that is being perceived it that as women, we are never fully presentable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBEhynDDRkk

          In Saudi Arabia social stratification is implemented into all areas of society, at the expense of the women in the country. The apparent physical boundary appears with the hijab, or veil, used to conceal the women in public. She is not allowed to show her face, in fear of men acting upon such a seductive action. Women are not allowed to vote or drive a car. They are under strict male guardianship at all times, whether it be a brother, father or husband. This male guardian is in complete control of her every move. If she requests work, it must be “suitable” and approved by her guardian. There is sex-segregation in public and up until last year, all education was separated by gender. Polygamy is also practiced involving as many as four wives. In all of these non-disputable laws, it shows that women literally have no voice and thus have no personal freedom. Dictionary.com defines slavery as “a civil relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls his life, liberty, and fortune.” It’s hard to see any form of liberation in a culture as controlling as Islamic rule. The most disturbing aspect of Saudi culture is that women have been conditioned to be so compliant that they accept their conditions under the name of Allah. But do they really have any other choice in such a patriarchal society? This is an evident form of institutional discrimination where the customs and laws dictate a certain group’s existence. The selective employment, limited education and lack of resources make it difficult for any woman to break the mold and speak out against such belittling and insulting treatment.

http://www.globalshift.org/2010/02/28/slow-changes-to-womens-rights-in-saudi-arabia

          These are just a few examples cross-culturally and internationally that women are still knowingly being oppressed and treated clearly substandard. Knowledge is power, and by exposing this type of tyranny it allows people to see their world in a different perspective and hopefully provide a voice to a seemingly silent group.

Resources

“The Elders” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-JcpNBiRcM Jimmy Carter says that “religion is the cause of female inferiority.”

http://www.bikhodayan.com/Islamwoman/10.htm

Adapted from a speech given at a seminar on 8 March 19999 held by NUS’ Women’s Campaign at Cambridge University – U.K.

Copyright © New York Times, Jan 15, 1989 http://www.aintnowaytogo.com/hotBride.htm

 “Saudi Arabia: Women’s Right’s Promises Broken.” Human Rights Watch, July 8, 2009.

“War Against Women.” CBS News, 60 Minutes, August 17, 2008.

Manipulative Media

Nicole Lemas

SOC Domestic Paper

Mayeda 2/11/11

Manipulative Media

Allen Ginsberg, a passionate poet who criticized conformity and capitalism in America, used his words as a social force demanding honesty in humanity.  He once claimed that “whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture.” In a generation where mass media and technology has defined our current culture, it’s clear that as a nation we depend on media. Our primary source of information is found in our computers, on our TV’s and through our cell phones. Our communication is reliant on these means of contact, but what we fail to recognize and question is who is responsible for providing this information?

Politics are the key player in the distribution of advertising and propaganda. For instance, in a 2005 New York Times article, they stated that “the Bush administration spent $254 million in its first term on public relations contracts.” By maintaining a seemingly strong visual relationship with the public, any government is allowed more leeway on their actual motives. We can take Karl Marx’s ‘Conflict Theory’ into account as we see the consumer mentality of the majority of Americans. By emphasizing that there are limited resources, in whichever arena, individuals are urged to act quickly on their innate desires. This market censorship allows manipulation in all forms of the media to be a constant force.

As a culture, we are conditioned to demand instant gratification. We can see this within our relationships, our “self-help” phenomenon and even our concept of beauty. In “Celluloid Dreams” Kellner and Share (2005) point out that ‘individuals are often not aware that they are being educated and constructed by media culture, as its pedagogy is frequently invisible and unconscious’ (p.372). This insistence for immediate satisfaction has stemmed from the mass media telling us as consumers that we can have and be it all. But in reality it is deteriorating our relationships by impatience, our faith by intellect and our beauty by artificial products. Now when a question arises, an Iphone is illuminated by Wikipedia. There is no search for deeper knowledge and as a result our citizens are becoming more surface oriented by collecting what they see as the ideal being.

There is a new wave of socialization that is happening in our society where the customs and cultural norms are constantly being redefined. The way we experience symbols and interact with one another has become more and more distant. Long were the days when an individual’s audience only extended as far as their voice could carry. If anything the “freedom of speech” is being fully taken advantage of, for now everyone’s voice truly can be heard, even across borders. Globalization is happening at a rapid rate where our communication is the foundation to this spread of culture. Medium forms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube allow people from all corners of the world to share their opinion and unique community. We can also see that these forums can also be monitored and controlled by powerful forces such as the local government. Whereas in the U.S. there is a wide spectrum of free speech, in other areas such as China, “Big Brother” is always watching. In that sense as free as we may feel in our speech, because of the easy access to media, we are all being observed.

Fear is a common emotion felt amongst every human being. It is a vulnerable state to dwell in as we gather more anxiety about the current experience. Networks like Fox News fan people’s fears by wearing a propaganda costume and calling themselves a credible source of information. Our entire institution of information is based on seducing the innocent. We long for warm and fuzzy stories to make us feel safe and secure as a society, but instead we are bombarded by negative images of racism and inequality. This then instills more fear in our communities further strengthening the discord between humanity. If the analogy “we are what we eat” can apply to the concept of nourishing ourselves with ideas and concepts fed to us by media, we are all stuffed of false impressions of our reality.

The mass media manipulation may seem very abrasive and people may even outright deny being influenced by it. But the fact of the matter is, we are conditioned and brainwashed to be exactly what the media wants us to be: Compliant Consumers. We consume materials just as we consume others culture. Which makes me question if there is such as thing as ‘cultural integrity.’ And if there is, as an American society we honor this system and will perpetuate it for years to come.

http://www.projectcensored.org/ This is a link dedicated to uncovering censored media.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJnFZKbSqxw “Dreamworlds” is a documentary about how stereotypes are highlighted and praised in music videos and the alarming correlation between violence and sexual authority in the videos and in real life.

Celluloid Dreams: How Film Shapes America (Kendall Hunt) 2010

David Mayeda, Lisa Pasko, Christopher Ramos

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2005). Toward critical media literacy: Core concepts, debates, organizations, and policy. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 372.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/532/media-manipulation