This week’s lecture involved a discussion about society’s ideas of what is considered to be “ladylike”. I believe that being ‘ladylike’ is a set of gendered expectations and cultural norms for women in terms of appearance and behaviours. Being ladylike often refers to being graceful, polite and articulate, sitting with one’s legs crossed or together, speaking without the use of profanities and wearing certain clothing and items such as dresses and makeup. The term can have positive connotations and may be used to compliment women but is also used by some to perpetuate stereotypes and control or coerce women into conforming to social expectations. I associate this term, in part with depictions of women in the 1950, who were expected to be passive, submissive, and dependent on males without ambition or political opinions. The term ‘ladylike’ was used to encourage women to behave accordingly or risk sanctions or isolation. Those that didn’t conform were seen as not ‘ladylike’ and were seen as lacking and experienced negative reactions.
While the term has less rigid connotations in modern culture, because generally women have greater rights, women continue to experience harassment or discrimination in society from choosing to dress or behave in certain ways. Women who wear dresses, skirts and heels are still experiencing harassment in the workplace from some male co-workers or like myself at nightclubs because of assumptions made by others. Contrastingly, if we were to dress in an ‘un-lady like’ way such as wearing pants, and no makeup, we may be labelled as unprofessional in the work place or have our gender identity questioned in social settings. According to the traditional definition of being 'lady-like', I do conform to some of these expectations in certain contexts. I choose to when I think it will have a positive outcome as there are still social sanctions attached particularly in work situations. For example, I will always wear a skirt in a job interview, speak politely and cross my legs, as I believe it is viewed more positively by employers particularly in person-oriented jobs. However when going to lunch with my friends, I would definitely not be considered to be “lady-like”. Even in situations where women are not 'ladylike' I strongly believe they are still as much a woman.
Week 3- The Portrayal of Women in Culture, Advertising and the Media
Image result for sexy woman in magazine
Image result for female news reporters with boobs out
When I watch news and television, and read magazines, it is clear the media have very different role expectations for men and women. Male presenters, while sometimes older, and not the archetypical model of attractiveness, are employed for their intelligence, and competence in their field, and maintain their appeal as they age. In stark contrast, women news presenters, are typically thin, young and beautiful, and are disposed of as they age, and in some instances if they are vocal in opinion. For example prominent Australian morning show hosts such as Karl Stevanovic and Koshi who have been involved in controversy regarding inappropriate comments and appearances, still remain while their female co-hosts have been continuously replaced.
I found this video extremely powerful in highlighting the double standards placed on prominent women living in a highly superficial society. My Pale Skin, a successful beauty blogger known for her struggles with acne, aimed to shine attention to the blatant difference in social media feedback she received before and after she applied makeup. While her makeup look led to her being labelled a “slut” and having no respect, removing her makeup spawned comments such as how she is “misleading” and “disgusting”. I find it extremely sad that many young girls including myself in the past, who have similar struggles will watch this, and believe that no matter what they do, they can never attain “beauty”. On the other hand, I think that this video is a step forward, as it features a woman who is not “flawless” yet who is highly influential in the beauty field, devoid of airbrushing, success ful and strong in the face of harsh criticism.
Furthermore, film and television are also paving the way for more positive portrayals of women in modern culture. While earlier productions predominantly featured men, with a beautiful and thin female actress thrown in to play the seductress or the victim, recent shows such as the highly successful “Orange is the New Black” are redefining beauty standards which translate to the highly diverse world we live in. It features a vast array of actresses in their most raw form, stripped of makeup, and devoid of photoshop, a practice which until now has been unheard of in Television. I really do hope that this inspires future shows to follow, as I myself along with many other women, relate to and find great comfort in watching women who are flawed like ourselves, yet still portrayed as beautiful and
In OITNB the women are diverse and take centre-stage
strong.
In Baywatch, the women are the sex symbol sidekicks
Week 4- Child Bearing and Rearing
Through the centuries, the societal ideal for the timing of having children has changed, with many women nowadays having children later in life. Women are also provided with more methods of contraception. Despite these advances, termination of pregnancy remains illegal in Queensland due to moral and religious beliefs. Coming from a religious Catholic Family myself, I do understand the concerns held by some in regards to late termination or the use of termination as a contraception. While some may disagree, I believe it is considered a baby after 12 weeks, when the baby’s organs are typically fully formed, and therefore termination after this time should be avoided unless it risks the woman’s life. However I also strongly believe that every individual woman should be granted the freedom to make this decision based on her financial stability, socioeconomic status, her medical status and circumstances of conception. For example, it really angers me when young girls or women who are victims of rape have barriers in QLD to easily accessing a termination compared to other states due to legislative differences. This unfairly imposes additional stress at a very difficult time and likely contributes to an even poorer experience.
I think in this day and age, women are still being pressured to conform to societal expectations of the traditional life trajectory- Go to university, get a job, get married, have kids and retire. There are also time pressures, and expectations as to when you should have ‘completed’ these things by. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the more traditional approach, I am glad that more women are allowing themselves the freedom to do in life what suits them!! In regards to myself, I know that I highly prioritise travel and study over having a child, even into my thirties. Years ago, women were highly primed to be carers and mothers, and not adhering to these expectations was met with judgement. Nowadays there are several varied decisions regarding having children which I applaud. It is quite common, for women to delay having children until they have built a successful and stable career, some choose to do it alone as single parents, while many are also actively choosing not to have children at all.
Week 5- Gender and Work
When I was growing up my family defied the traditional gender roles allocated to husbands and wives. My mother had a successful job as a mental health nurse and enjoyed what she did whereas my father didn’t enjoy his work , earnt less and was keen to try his hand at being a stay at home dad. After the initial maternity leave period, my mum returned to full time work and my dad applied to his work to go on extended leave and when we went to school he worked part time and was primarily responsible for driving my brother and I to school, partaking in school activities, and doing the domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Now that I am older, these roles have persisted, with my dad now retired and continuing in maintaining the house hold, while my mother still works full time and this system works very well for my family. I was actually quite surprised that there are still many families who still engage in the traditional system for defining gender roles.
I found the ‘Growing Up Gracefully” video we watched in the break hilarious but it also opened my eyes up about all the work that is involved in staying home and caring for the children and the fact that household tasks are generally not considered to be “work” by society. I must admit, not having kids myself I did not realise how much work was involved in this role however after watching this video, I absolutely agree that this takes just as much effort and work as a paid profession.
Week 6- The Impact of Domestic Violence On Women
When I was listening to the lecture, I didn’t really think the topic of domestic violence was of relevance to my own individual situation despite appreciating it is a concerning issue in contemporary society. However, later I remembered a conversation I had with a good friend of mine about a year ago. She had been dating her boyfriend for about four months and was upset one day because he had called derogatory names during a fight. While I was talking to her, she also told me that sometimes he would check her text messages because he was suspicious she was interested in another guy. I told her that I didn’t think it was right that he was behaving like but not because I equated it with domestic violence but because that was not my idea of a healthy relationship. My friend made excuses for his behaviour at the time and condoned it because he would take her out for dinners and buy her presents. I realise now that while he wasn’t physically abusive, he was displaying other behaviours that fall within what we now know as domestic violence. I was thankful that the relationship broke up shortly after this when he started going out with someone else and I think she was lucky this occurred. It is important when raising awareness about domestic violence to highlight this so women can look out for early signs and seek help. Domestic violence education should start in schools and should involve teaching young people about having respectful relationships.
I found this speech by Rosie Batty who was Australian of the Year in 2015 very admirable. Rosie is an example of how devastating the consequences can be, with her son being murdered at the hands of his father. She speaks out against family violence and advocates for changes to be made so that women and children are better protected.
It is concerning, the magnitude of negative health problems experienced by lesbian women such as higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse as compared to heterosexual women. Furthermore, they are less likely to seek support and healthcare services due to fear of discrimination or indifference to their issues. I remember having a teacher in high school who was very passionate about gay rights and would speak about being discriminated against and having crude comments made to her whilst going out to bars and clubs with her girlfriend. This made her hesitant in seeking medical help when she was sick, and made her withdraw from society. Whilst we hear quite a lot about homosexual men, and celebrate homosexual men and gay couples portrayed in the media and in the celebrity world such as Mitch and Cam from Modern family, Elton John and Neil Patrick Harris, lesbian women (apart from Ellen) seem to be quite invisible in society and are not talked about as much.
With the upcoming plebiscite postal vote, this issue is more relevant than ever. Hopefully this directs attention to one of the many ways gay women are denied their rights and shines light on the array of difficulties they experience, things which are taken for granted by heterosexual women including myself. I also think that medical facilities and services need to be more tailored in a way that is sensitive to issues relating to homosexuality so that they create a more safe and comfortable environment for women to disclose their concerns.
Week 8- Mental Health and Substance Abuse In Women
Although I am a big fan of Florence and the Machine’s song “What the water gave me”, I had no idea it was based on the death of Virginia Woolf. After reading her story however, the parallels between her story and the lyrics are apparent. I imagine, Virginia Woolf, like many women of her time experienced immense pressure and discouragement regarding her literary talent.
It seems ironic to me, how women suffering mental illness, or even those who weren’t, were deemed neurotic, insane and hysterical when these could well have been manifestations of society’s treatment towards them and the constraints they faced. Women during the 15th century who possessed great talent or who refused marriage were accused of being witches, while others who possessed sexual desire were diagnosed with hysteria. Although hysteria is no longer recognised as a mental illness, borderline personality disorder is just as stigmatized and misunderstood. Susanna Kaysen in her memoir “Girl Interrupted” introduces a whole scope of women she encountered in a mental facility in the 60s who have varying mental disorders and who are on the fringes of society having been ostracized due to their illness. Susanna who is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder discloses the struggles she experienced during a time where mental illness was solely rooted in the individual, and not the product of systemic and societal stressors experienced by women. She even talks about how one of her “symptoms” was promiscuity as she had slept with a man out of wedlock. Although women with mental illness have a greater availability of treatment options, illnesses such as depression and borderline personality disorder are still greatly stigmatized. Being a psychology student myself, I hope to one day become a psychologist who treats women suffering these illnesses in a holistic and liberating fashion, so that societal and systemic pressures are recognised and overcome.
This video provided an interesting insight from women diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. It was quite astounding how many misconceptions and negative connotations are associated with this illness. A counsellor also spoke of how taboo this illness is in the medical field, and this is unacceptable as the stigma surrounding this illness is what prevents women from seeking help and support.
Week 9- The Fashion Industry and Body Image
With the society in which we live so deeply saturated with airbrushing, unrealistic body pressures and superficiality, it is nearly impossible to escape the influence this has on our own self-esteem and self-perception. From a young age I was exposed to images of thin models and flawless teenagers through teen magazines such as Dolly and Girlfriend. Although I stopped reading these as I got older, other mediums such as Facebook and Instagram took over the role of promoting “perfection” but with my peers as the models rather than complete strangers. This seemed to be even more difficult to ignore, as while I could tell myself that professional models were unrealistic and “not real”, viewing photos on Facebook of my friends and peers normalised these standards for me and I found myself constantly comparing myself to them.
More recently, I was stunned at how narrow the scope is in young women’s clothing shops in who they cater to. Although I would not consider myself to be large, again I was questioning my appearance when I first stepped into an upmarket and well known clothing store “Kookai”. I could not believe they only had two sizes which catered to size 6 to 8 and size 8 to 10. It made me wonder how other girls would feel, if they could not fit into these two size ranges. For me personally, in the past I have found myself crying when I cannot fit into a size 8 and refuse to go up a size, just because I am ashamed of the number written on the tag. I myself work in a mature women’s clothing shop and am faced every day with women who hate their bodies, and have such low self-esteem, which deeply saddens me. It seems women of all ages are affected by unrealistic expectations which are embedded in society. This makes my job worthwhile however, when I can find them options which flatter their body shape and make them feel confident and beautiful. I believe we need more stores like the one I work in, which caters for all sizes and body shapes.
I love this video, as it represents exactly how I have felt when I could not fit into an ideal number. It also demonstrates how every woman’s body is diverse in shape, size, and length, and how many garments do not take this into account.
Week 11- The Social Construction of Sexual Relationships
Today’s lecture was about social constructions of women’s sexuality and how women are frequently sexualised. A modern day example is breastfeeding in public, which although is a natural and necessary process between mother and child, is criticised by many. Many argue that that exposing the breast is provocative and socially inappropriate. I have also noticed that if two women were to wear a similar top, and one has a large bust, she would be labelled as dressing provocatively although she is naturally shaped that way.
We were asked in the lecture if a woman claimed she was raped on a date would that be more believable compared to if a man claimed that he was raped. I absolutely believe yes. Society has been primed to believe that women are not as sexual as men, and that men always want sex regardless of the situation and therefore they cannot be “raped” as it is socially constructed that they are always the pursuers. Furthermore, women are vulnerable while men are strong. While these assumptions by no means align with reality, they stem largely from cultural constructs.
Much of the media portray power differences between the genders based on discriminatory and sexualised views. Powerful men are portrayed as having high intellect, a strong personality and excessive money regardless of physical attractiveness. However an attractive women with a good figure dressed in a fitting short dress is more likely to be portrayed as window dressing for the powerful man. Conversely a powerful woman is usually portrayed as less appealing, middle aged and dressed in a manly suit. The social psychology unit studies confirm these discrepancies. Studies found that women highly value success in men, while men highly value attractiveness in women. Furthermore women are bombarded with advertisements promoting them to spend money on changing their appearance which is why 90% of cosmetic surgeries are performed on women.
Week 12- Mini Documentaries from the Film "Half the Sky"
The first vignette, really opened my eyes to how lucky myself and other girls are to live in Australia, where education is encouraged and accessible to women. It is sad how in countries such as Vietnam, many young girls and women have dreams the same as ours to work professional jobs and be educated, however face many challenges such as negative societal attitudes and lack of funds.
The video featuring a woman in Somalia who founded and assists in a hospital for women giving birth, was particularly inspiring. Despite her amazing efforts at improving women’s survival rates, death rates are still extremely high due the remoteness of these areas and scarcity of medical facilities as well as numerous other risk factors. It shows the devastating consequences of child marriage, as an indirect causal factor of death in child birth. Women who are married extremely young, and give birth extremely young, have very narrow pelvis’s placing them at risk. Furthermore, girls who are married are often uneducated and have limited knowledge surrounding hygiene and prenatal care. Despite these discouraging facts, this woman has made the first step towards building a future for women, as well as exerting her influence towards others who wish to follow in her footsteps. As a result, I find it incredible she has reduced maternal mortality rates by a quarter. This speaks volumes about the capacity the world has for change in terms of women’s health. Imagine what could be achieved if others acted given this one woman has had such an incredible impact. .
Week 13- Guest Speakers
Overall, I have really enjoyed this unit, and I think it has contributed immensely toward my understanding of the many facets of women’s health. I graduate in psychology this year, and am very grateful I had the opportunity to take a unit which I think has great practical application. After completing the essay in which I focused on postnatal depression, it has solidified what I wish to do in my professional career and as a result I hope to work with women who suffer mental illness including postnatal depression. I also would like to work with women experience domestic violence and substance abuse. Although I have studied subjects surrounding domestic violence and the theory behind it, it was great to listen to guest speakers from DVconnect who gave this issue context and application. I believe there is a gap in mental health facilities which provide services tailored to women and take into account societal constraints and attitudes and the effect this has on women’s mental health. Furthermore, being able to tailor a website towards women, was extremely rewarding and I hope to be able to promote a safe place for women in my future profession both online and in person.
Week 2- Women's Bodies
This week’s lecture involved a discussion about society’s ideas of what is considered to be “ladylike”. I believe that being ‘ladylike’ is a set of gendered expectations and cultural norms for women in terms of appearance and behaviours. Being ladylike often refers to being graceful, polite and articulate, sitting with one’s legs crossed or together, speaking without the use of profanities and wearing certain clothing and items such as dresses and makeup. The term can have positive connotations and may be used to compliment women but is also used by some to perpetuate stereotypes and control or coerce women into conforming to social expectations. I associate this term, in part with depictions of women in the 1950, who were expected to be passive, submissive, and dependent on males without ambition or political opinions. The term ‘ladylike’ was used to encourage women to behave accordingly or risk sanctions or isolation. Those that didn’t conform were seen as not ‘ladylike’ and were seen as lacking and experienced negative reactions.
While the term has less rigid connotations in modern culture, because generally women have greater rights, women continue to experience harassment or discrimination in society from choosing to dress or behave in certain ways. Women who wear dresses, skirts and heels are still experiencing harassment in the workplace from some male co-workers or like myself at nightclubs because of assumptions made by others. Contrastingly, if we were to dress in an ‘un-lady like’ way such as wearing pants, and no makeup, we may be labelled as unprofessional in the work place or have our gender identity questioned in social settings. According to the traditional definition of being 'lady-like', I do conform to some of these expectations in certain contexts. I choose to when I think it will have a positive outcome as there are still social sanctions attached particularly in work situations. For example, I will always wear a skirt in a job interview, speak politely and cross my legs, as I believe it is viewed more positively by employers particularly in person-oriented jobs. However when going to lunch with my friends, I would definitely not be considered to be “lady-like”. Even in situations where women are not 'ladylike' I strongly believe they are still as much a woman.
Week 3- The Portrayal of Women in Culture, Advertising and the Media
When I watch news and television, and read magazines, it is clear the media have very different role expectations for men and women. Male presenters, while sometimes older, and not the archetypical model of attractiveness, are employed for their intelligence, and competence in their field, and maintain their appeal as they age. In stark contrast, women news presenters, are typically thin, young and beautiful, and are disposed of as they age, and in some instances if they are vocal in opinion. For example prominent Australian morning show hosts such as Karl Stevanovic and Koshi who have been involved in controversy regarding inappropriate comments and appearances, still remain while their female co-hosts have been continuously replaced.
You Look Disgusting
I found this video extremely powerful in highlighting the double standards placed on prominent women living in a highly superficial society. My Pale Skin, a successful beauty blogger known for her struggles with acne, aimed to shine attention to the blatant difference in social media feedback she received before and after she applied makeup. While her makeup look led to her being labelled a “slut” and having no respect, removing her makeup spawned comments such as how she is “misleading” and “disgusting”. I find it extremely sad that many young girls including myself in the past, who have similar struggles will watch this, and believe that no matter what they do, they can never attain “beauty”. On the other hand, I think that this video is a step forward, as it features a woman who is not “flawless” yet who is highly influential in the beauty field, devoid of airbrushing, success
Furthermore, film and television are also paving the way for more positive portrayals of women in modern culture. While earlier productions predominantly featured men, with a beautiful and thin female actress thrown in to play the seductress or the victim, recent shows such as the highly successful “Orange is the New Black” are redefining beauty standards which translate to the highly diverse world we live in. It features a vast array of actresses in their most raw form, stripped of makeup, and devoid of photoshop, a practice which until now has been unheard of in Television. I really do hope that this inspires future shows to follow, as I myself along with many other women, relate to and find great comfort in watching women who are flawed like ourselves, yet still portrayed as beautiful and
strong.
Week 4- Child Bearing and Rearing
Through the centuries, the societal ideal for the timing of having children has changed, with many women nowadays having children later in life. Women are also provided with more methods of contraception. Despite these advances, termination of pregnancy remains illegal in Queensland due to moral and religious beliefs. Coming from a religious Catholic Family myself, I do understand the concerns held by some in regards to late termination or the use of termination as a contraception. While some may disagree, I believe it is considered a baby after 12 weeks, when the baby’s organs are typically fully formed, and therefore termination after this time should be avoided unless it risks the woman’s life. However I also strongly believe that every individual woman should be granted the freedom to make this decision based on her financial stability, socioeconomic status, her medical status and circumstances of conception. For example, it really angers me when young girls or women who are victims of rape have barriers in QLD to easily accessing a termination compared to other states due to legislative differences. This unfairly imposes additional stress at a very difficult time and likely contributes to an even poorer experience.I think in this day and age, women are still being pressured to conform to societal expectations of the traditional life trajectory- Go to university, get a job, get married, have kids and retire. There are also time pressures, and expectations as to when you should have ‘completed’ these things by. Whilst there is nothing wrong with the more traditional approach, I am glad that more women are allowing themselves the freedom to do in life what suits them!! In regards to myself, I know that I highly prioritise travel and study over having a child, even into my thirties. Years ago, women were highly primed to be carers and mothers, and not adhering to these expectations was met with judgement. Nowadays there are several varied decisions regarding having children which I applaud. It is quite common, for women to delay having children until they have built a successful and stable career, some choose to do it alone as single parents, while many are also actively choosing not to have children at all.
Week 5- Gender and Work
When I was growing up my family defied the traditional gender roles allocated to husbands and wives. My mother had a successful job as a mental health nurse and enjoyed what she did whereas my father didn’t enjoy his work , earnt less and was keen to try his hand at being a stay at home dad. After the initial maternity leave period, my mum returned to full time work and my dad applied to his work to go on extended leave and when we went to school he worked part time and was primarily responsible for driving my brother and I to school, partaking in school activities, and doing the domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Now that I am older, these roles have persisted, with my dad now retired and continuing in maintaining the house hold, while my mother still works full time and this system works very well for my family. I was actually quite surprised that there are still many families who still engage in the traditional system for defining gender roles.
Week 6- The Impact of Domestic Violence On Women
When I was listening to the lecture, I didn’t really think the topic of domestic violence was of relevance to my own individual situation despite appreciating it is a concerning issue in contemporary society. However, later I remembered a conversation I had with a good friend of mine about a year ago. She had been dating her boyfriend for about four months and was upset one day because he had called derogatory names during a fight. While I was talking to her, she also told me that sometimes he would check her text messages because he was suspicious she was interested in another guy. I told her that I didn’t think it was right that he was behaving like but not because I equated it with domestic violence but because that was not my idea of a healthy relationship. My friend made excuses for his behaviour at the time and condoned it because he would take her out for dinners and buy her presents. I realise now that while he wasn’t physically abusive, he was displaying other behaviours that fall within what we now know as domestic violence. I was thankful that the relationship broke up shortly after this when he started going out with someone else and I think she was lucky this occurred. It is important when raising awareness about domestic
violence to highlight this so women can look out for early signs and seek help. Domestic violence education should start in schools and should involve teaching young people about having respectful relationships.
I found this speech by Rosie Batty who was Australian of the Year in 2015 very admirable. Rosie is an example of how devastating the consequences can be, with her son being murdered at the hands of his father. She speaks out against family violence and advocates for changes to be made so that women and children are better protected.
Rosie Batty Speech
Week 7- Women’s health in same-sex relationships
It is concerning, the magnitude of negative health problems experienced by lesbian women such as higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse as compared to heterosexual women. Furthermore, they are less likely to seek support and healthcare services due to fear of discrimination or indifference to their issues. I remember having a teacher in high school who was very passionate about gay rights and would speak about being discriminated against and having crude comments made to her whilst going out to bars and clubs with her girlfriend. This made her hesitant in seeking medical help when she was sick, and made her withdraw from society. Whilst we hear quite a lot about homosexual men, and celebrate homosexual men and gay couples portrayed in the media and in the celebrity world such as Mitch and Cam from Modern family, Elton John and Neil Patrick Harris, lesbian women (apart from Ellen) seem to be quite invisible in society and are not talked about as much.
With the upcoming plebiscite postal vote, this issue is more relevant than ever. Hopefully this directs attention to one of the many ways gay women are denied their rights and shines light on the array of difficulties they experience, things which are taken for granted by heterosexual women including myself. I also think that medical facilities and services need to be more tailored in a way that is sensitive to issues relating to homosexuality so that they create a
more safe and comfortable environment for women to disclose their concerns.
Week 8- Mental Health and Substance Abuse In Women
Although I am a big fan of Florence and the Machine’s song “What the water gave me”, I had no idea it was based on the death of Virginia Woolf. After reading her story however, the parallels between her story and the lyrics are apparent. I imagine, Virginia Woolf, like many women of her time experienced immense pressure and discouragement regarding her literary talent.
It seems ironic to me, how women suffering mental illness, or even those who weren’t, were deemed neurotic, insane and hysterical when these could well have been manifestations of society’s treatment towards them and the constraints they faced. Women during the 15th century who possessed great talent or who refused marriage were accused of being witches, while others who possessed sexual desire were diagnosed with hysteria. Although hysteria is no longer recognised as a mental illness, borderline personality disorder is just as stigmatized and misunderstood. Susanna Kaysen in her memoir “Girl Interrupted” introduces a whole scope of women she encountered in a mental facility in the 60s who have varying mental disorders and who are on the fringes of society having been ostracized due to their illness. Susanna who is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder discloses the struggles she experienced during a time where mental illness was solely rooted in the individual, and not the product of systemic and societal stressors experienced by women. She even talks about how one of her “symptoms” was promiscuity as she had slept with a man out of wedlock. Although women with mental illness have a greater availability of treatment options, illnesses such as depression and borderline personality disorder are still greatly stigmatized. Being a psychology student myself, I hope to one day become a psychologist who treats women suffering these illnesses in a holistic and liberating fashion, so that societal and systemic pressures are recognised and overcome.
Spreading Awareness about BPD
This video provided an interesting insight from women diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. It was quite astounding how many misconceptions and negative connotations are associated with this illness. A counsellor also spoke of how taboo this illness is in the medical field, and this is unacceptable as the stigma surrounding this illness is what prevents women from seeking help and support.
Week 9- The Fashion Industry and Body Image
With the society in which we live so deeply saturated with airbrushing, unrealistic body pressures and superficiality, it is nearly impossible to escape the influence this has on our own self-esteem and self-perception. From a young age I was exposed to images of thin models and flawless teenagers through teen magazines such as Dolly and Girlfriend. Although I stopped reading these as I got older, other mediums such as Facebook and Instagram took over the role of promoting “perfection” but with my peers as the models rather than complete strangers. This seemed to be even more difficult to ignore, as while I could tell myself that professional models were unrealistic and “not real”, viewing photos on Facebook of my friends and peers normalised these standards for me and I found myself constantly comparing
myself to them.
More recently, I was stunned at how narrow the scope is in young women’s clothing shops in who they cater to. Although I would not consider myself to be large, again I was questioning my appearance when I first stepped into an upmarket and well known clothing store “Kookai”. I could not believe they only had two sizes which catered to size 6 to 8 and size 8 to 10. It made me wonder how other girls would feel, if they could not fit into these two size ranges. For me personally, in the past I have found myself crying when I cannot fit into a size 8 and refuse to go up a size, just because I am ashamed of the number written on the tag. I myself work in a mature women’s clothing shop and am faced every day with women who hate their bodies, and have such low self-esteem, which deeply saddens me. It seems women of all ages are affected by unrealistic expectations which are embedded in society. This makes my job worthwhile however, when I can find them options which flatter their body shape and make them feel confident and beautiful. I believe we need more stores like the one I work in, which caters for all sizes and body shapes.
"One Size Fits All" On Different Body Types
I love this video, as it represents exactly how I have felt when I could not fit into an ideal number. It also demonstrates how every woman’s body is diverse in shape, size, and length, and how many garments do not take this into account.
Week 11- The Social Construction of Sexual Relationships
Today’s lecture was about social constructions of women’s sexuality and how women are frequently sexualised. A modern day example is breastfeeding in public, which although is a natural and necessary process between mother and child, is criticised by many. Many argue that that exposing the breast is provocative and socially inappropriate. I have also noticed that if two women were to wear a similar top, and one has a large bust, she would be labelled as dressing provocatively although she is naturally shaped that way.
We were asked in the lecture if a woman claimed she was raped on a date would that be more believable compared to if a man claimed that he was raped. I absolutely believe yes. Society has been primed to believe that women are not as sexual as men, and that men always want sex regardless of the situation and therefore they cannot be “raped” as it is socially constructed that they are always the pursuers. Furthermore, women are vulnerable while men are strong. While these assumptions by no means align with reality, they stem largely from cultural constructs.
Much of the media portray power differences between the genders based on discriminatory and sexualised views. Powerful men are portrayed as having high intellect, a strong personality and excessive money regardless of physical attractiveness. However an attractive women with a good figure dressed in a fitting short dress is more likely to be portrayed as window dressing for the powerful man. Conversely a powerful woman is usually portrayed as less appealing, middle aged and dressed in a manly suit. The social psychology unit studies confirm these discrepancies. Studies found that women highly value success in men, while men highly value attractiveness in women. Furthermore women are bombarded with advertisements promoting them to spend money on changing their appearance which is why 90% of cosmetic surgeries are performed on women.
Week 12- Mini Documentaries from the Film "Half the Sky"
The first vignette, really opened my eyes to how lucky myself and other girls are to live in Australia, where education is encouraged and accessible to women. It is sad how in countries such as Vietnam, many young girls and women have dreams the same as ours to work professional jobs and be educated, however face many challenges such as negative societal attitudes and lack of funds.
The video featuring a woman in Somalia who founded and assists in a hospital for women giving birth, was particularly inspiring. Despite her amazing efforts at improving women’s survival rates, death rates are still extremely high due the remoteness of these areas and scarcity of medical facilities as well as numerous other risk factors. It shows the devastating consequences of child marriage, as an indirect causal factor of death in child birth. Women who are married extremely young, and give birth extremely young, have very narrow pelvis’s placing them at risk. Furthermore, girls who are married are often uneducated and have limited knowledge surrounding hygiene and prenatal care. Despite these discouraging facts, this woman has made the first step towards building a future for women, as well as exerting her influence towards others who wish to follow in her footsteps. As a result, I find it incredible she has reduced maternal mortality rates by a quarter. This speaks volumes about the capacity the world has for change in terms of women’s health. Imagine what could be achieved if others acted given this one woman has had such an incredible impact. .
Week 13- Guest Speakers
Overall, I have really enjoyed this unit, and I think it has contributed immensely toward my understanding of the many facets of women’s health. I graduate in psychology this year, and am very grateful I had the opportunity to take a unit which I think has great practical application. After completing the essay in which I focused on postnatal depression, it has solidified what I wish to do in my professional career and as a result I hope to work with women who suffer mental illness including postnatal depression. I also would like to work with women experience domestic violence and substance abuse. Although I have studied subjects surrounding domestic violence and the theory behind it, it was great to listen to guest speakers from DVconnect who gave this issue context and application. I believe there is a gap in mental health facilities which provide services tailored to women and take into account societal constraints and attitudes and the effect this has on women’s mental health. Furthermore, being able to tailor a website towards women, was extremely rewarding and I hope to be able to promote a safe place for women in my future profession both online and in person.