When I first signed on to do this course I thought I had an idea on what I thought this course would be about but quickly into the first lecture I realised I was wrong. At first I thought this course would be focused more on physical health problems that women face rather than looking at women's health using the feminist conceptual framework. Whilst not too many years ago to be a woman meant that you were to be submissive and didn't have many rights in terms of voting nor were your opinions have any particular meaning or value. In today's society women have come a long way however even though women can now vote, drive a car or even provide for their own family, women are still discriminated for being female in several different ways.
Mrs. Charm School / because ladylike knowledge is ladylike POWER!! #Mrs Approved
...and it'll probably also make a present-day white straight man angry, because gosh they haven't changed much in half a century.
In week 2, we delved into women's amazing bodies and discussed a few topics such as sex vs gender, what is considered ladylike and female reproductive organs. A topic that I had particular interest in is 'what is considered to be ladylike'. I think through the use of the media, all women have an stereotyped idea of their bodies should look like. I know that more then once I have thought that my body was not good enough after looking through magazines, Instagram and looking at my reflection in the mirror. I was shocked when I read somewhere this week that over 50% of preschool aged girls are dissatisfied with their body and by the age of 3 some girls have already have internalised the idea that thin is good and bigger is bad. There has been a growing area in educating women to accept their bodies the way they are. Some of these organisations include pretty foundation and any.body co whose main objective is to erase body standards, quit comparisons and to help girls feel confident about their bodies.
Related image
Week 3 - Women in Popular Culture, Advertising, and the Media
The media has always had a huge influence on the perception of women throughout the ages across all different cultures. Whilst the media influences many different perceptions of women there are often key stereotypes that the media convey which some include that all women should be sexy, beautiful, thin and submissive. However in recent years through the use of the media there has be an increased influence to break down the stereotypes of women which has been down through news reporters, leading roles in movies and t.v shows and through the use of Instagram users. A particular Instagram user who is receiving a lot of attention is celeste barber who uses her platform on Instagram to hilariously show the reality of other users on Instagram.
Image result for celeste barber
Image result for celeste barber
Through the use of the media women tend to objectify women and can cause a range of health implications for women which can include depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. Even though I know that not everything I see in magazines or on the internet is real sometime I can’t help and think that the way I look is not good enough. The media needs to use their platform to encourage women that they should love the way they look and they shouldn’t be ashamed of anything.
I found this Youtube video which is though was nice to show all kinda of beauty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8BDgLpZkI
Week 4 – The ‘right’ time to have a child
This week’s lecture was about women and the ‘right’ time to have a child. This topic had me particularly interested as my family isn’t something you would consider traditional. I have three older sisters who are very close in age and then there is me who was born 7 years later. People have always asked me if I was close with my other sisters as by the time I was in high school they had all moved out of home. They are often surprised when I tell them that we are all extremely close with one another and the age difference has never provided to be a problem. In recent years my eldest sister who is particularly career driven and never had much interest in children, had her first child and whilst she doesn’t regret having a child in the slightest, her career hasn’t quite been the same ever since. It is unfair how much pressure women are put under to have a child and that they are expected to put their dreams and goals on hold in order to have a family.
Childfree by choice
Image result for abortion protest
This leads on to my second topic of reflection for this week, which is abortion. I strongly believe that abortion is a human right and should be legal everywhere. Nor should women feel ashamed if they decided to have an abortion. In this day and age where already some states have legalised abortion it baffles me that abortion is illegal in Queensland. The long abortions stay illegal the more women will suffer from health implications and at the end of the day abortion is a women's choice.
Week 5 – changing gender roles in families: paid work, house work, and child raising
In this week’s lecture we discussed gender roles in households. Whilst a traditional household where the wife is housewife and the husband is a breadwinner has revolutionised since the 1950’s, these stereotypes still play a large role in how families should be structured or function. Even though a lot of women these days are in the workforce they are still expected to do all the housework and take care of the children. For families with both parents working the man will usually be pain more which will force the woman to have to be the one who forfeited their career for the children. There is a stigma around 'stay at home' mums that they don't work because they don't get paid however the reality is that being a 'stay at home mum is work.
Fuck your gender norms. We need to stop giving genders to certain tasks, mannerisms, jobs, clothing etc. Yes the genders are separate we are different but that doesn't mean we need to assign gender to the most general things that people enjoy or choose to take part in. Stop forcing your gender roles on others and stop judging others for not conforming. Bobbi by angryteenagefeminist
Image result for stay at home mums
Upon reflection I considered my family structure. Growing up there was a strong gender role where my dad was the one who worked and my mum was a ‘stay at home mum’. However my dad was away from home 11 months of the year for work which meant mum had to raise her four kids alone for the most part. Whilst it was her choice to be the stay at home mum and care for us she instilled in us from a young age to be independent women who can take care of ourselves.
Week 6 – violence against women
Something that we discussed in this week’s lecture that I didn’t realise beforehand was how women who suffer from domestic aren’t usually able to just pick up and leave the relationship. For me I didn’t understand why a women who was suffering in a domestic relationship would stay however in this lecture it was explained that often the women are still in love and a longing for the relationship to go back to the way it was as well as they are often dependent on the abuser and become reluctant to expose them. It’s easy to say that is that was me I would just walk away but until you are in that situation you don’t know what you would do.
He sure did. All I can say is the Oscar goes to you because you almost had me fooled again. Won't be making that mistake.
"Domestic violence is an abuse of power. It is the domination, coercion, intimidation and victimisation of one person by another by physical, sexual or emotional means within intimate relationships”
When I think of domestic abuse I usually only think of physical abuse however this lecture make me realise that abuse can happen in several other forms which include verbal, economic and social. Whilst I have never been in an abusive relationship and hope that I never will, I can see how easy it could be to end up in a abusive relationship and feel like there is no way out.
Week 7 – Women’s health in same sex relationships
This week’s lecture devilled into the health issues surrounding those in same sex relationships. It was eye opening to see the amount of negative health risks that surround those in same sex relationships. I came to understand that those who are in same sex relationships often do not seek medical help when they need it due to reasons such as discrimination and judgement. It’s amazing to think that even in today’s society this is still an issue and having a serious effect on people’s lives. Gay and lesbian relationships are nothing new and have been around for ages. Why should it still be such a big issue?
Image result for love is love
Whilst I don’t have a lot of personal experience on same sex relationships with the upcoming postal vote it this weeks lecture is quite relevant. It would be nice to see that with all this attention that this postal vote is getting that they could bring so light to the health issues that surround same sex relationships. However, personally I do not think this will become a reality as time soon. It’s disgraceful to see that gay marriage has still not been passed in Queensland. Week 8 – Mental Health and drug/alcohol use amongst women across the ages
Growing up I and even into my young adult years I have never really had an issue with mental health and honestly I didn’t really know too much about it nor realised the severity of poor mental health. I regretfully have to say, that I was one of those people who saw mental illness as one of those things that you can control and would say that they were over dramatic. It wasn’t until university where I found myself doing lots of assignments on mental health and also with the help of media conveying the importance of mental health that I began to realise that my first perspective on mental health was 100% wrong.
Image result for mental health and instagram
Image result for mental health and pinterest
I do believe that growing up I didn’t have any or at least not any serious mental health issues. I’ve always been relatively strong and I don’t usually let anyone’s negativity affect me however I can understand how others can really struggle. With today’s media and the amount of pressure they put on you to look or act a certain way, I know that I have second questioned myself in the past. I remember reading for one of my assignment that Instagram is the top app to have an impact on someone’s mental health. I found this no surprise. Instagram is able to take on second on people’s lives and turn it around to give the perception that they are or their life is perfect.
Week 9 – The Fashion Industry and Body Image: Impact on Women’s Health
I think every single woman has at one point or another thought that the way they looked wasn’t good enough because of an image of a model. I know for myself personally I have been sucked into following health and fitness ‘gurus’ and models on Instagram all the time and for a second or too I think ‘okay time to diet’ and like everybody else (at least I hope) the next day the diet’s over and the cycle starts all over again. It’s no wonder that women suffer from low self-esteem and body issues with these unrealistic idea that the fashion industry can put into our heads.
Image result for body image and pinterest
Related image
Now through the use of Instagram this is sure to be a growing issue as most fashion stores will have an Instagram page that post photos of the models wearing their clothing. I also notice they only tend to re-post someone’s image who is wearing their clothes if they are thin and beautiful. Even though I am able to recognise that the harm in those photos and I’m happy with the way that I am I can see how others may not. This is a really big issue for women’s health and is something that need’s attention.
Week 10 – the health of Australia Indigenous health: what are the key challenges? The indigenous population face a range of different challenges so there was no surprise to learn about the challenged that the women in particular face. This week’s lecture was cancelled due to the public holiday however I found reading the slides quite interesting. Whilst I had general idea of the struggles the indigenous women face, this lecturer really opened my eyes to the topic. Some of the statistics that were shown in the lecture were very alarming and this is definitely a topic that needs more recognition and discussion. Some of the statistics that really stood out to me was the ‘population pyramid of indigenous and non-indigenous female populations’. It was clear that the non-indigenous people have a lot larger life span than those who were indigenous. It’s amazing that even though they live in the same country there is a huge gap in life span. This is just an example on why it is so important to lessen the gap between accesses to health care for indigenous people.
Image result for closing the gap
Week 11- the social construction of sexual relationships: impact on women’s health
In this week’s lecture we had a guest speaker and she discussed the sexualisation culture, post feminism and neoliberalism, the dominant discourses of sexuality, how these work and the resistance moving forward. I had recently completed an assignment on how today’s culture has become increasingly sexualised so several of the thing our lecturer were saying I already knew however I still find it really interesting how sexualising culture can have a huge effect on women’s health.
I found post feminism particularly interesting in this lecture how if a women was to be raped it would be more believable that if a man said he has been raped. I also found it interesting how women are constantly sexualised in today’s media however seeing a women breastfeed her baby is considered disgusting. Through the use of the media sexualising women have become the social norm which has further lead to women disregarding their health as they don’t think it is important or normal.
Week 2: Amazing Bodies
When I first signed on to do this course I thought I had an idea on what I thought this course would be about but quickly into the first lecture I realised I was wrong. At first I thought this course would be focused more on physical health problems that women face rather than looking at women's health using the feminist conceptual framework. Whilst not too many years ago to be a woman meant that you were to be submissive and didn't have many rights in terms of voting nor were your opinions have any particular meaning or value. In today's society women have come a long way however even though women can now vote, drive a car or even provide for their own family, women are still discriminated for being female in several different ways.Week 3 - Women in Popular Culture, Advertising, and the Media
The media has always had a huge influence on the perception of women throughout the ages across all different cultures. Whilst the media influences many different perceptions of women there are often key stereotypes that the media convey which some include that all women should be sexy, beautiful, thin and submissive. However in recent years through the use of the media there has be an increased influence to break down the stereotypes of women which has been down through news reporters, leading roles in movies and t.v shows and through the use of Instagram users. A particular Instagram user who is receiving a lot of attention is celeste barber who uses her platform on Instagram to hilariously show the reality of other users on Instagram.
Through the use of the media women tend to objectify women and can cause a range of health implications for women which can include depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. Even though I know that not everything I see in magazines or on the internet is real sometime I can’t help and think that the way I look is not good enough. The media needs to use their platform to encourage women that they should love the way they look and they shouldn’t be ashamed of anything.
I found this Youtube video which is though was nice to show all kinda of beauty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW8BDgLpZkI
Week 4 – The ‘right’ time to have a child
This week’s lecture was about women and the ‘right’ time to have a child. This topic had me particularly interested as my family isn’t something you would consider traditional. I have three older sisters who are very close in age and then there is me who was born 7 years later. People have always asked me if I was close with my other sisters as by the time I was in high school they had all moved out of home. They are often surprised when I tell them that we are all extremely close with one another and the age difference has never provided to be a problem. In recent years my eldest sister who is particularly career driven and never had much interest in children, had her first child and whilst she doesn’t regret having a child in the slightest, her career hasn’t quite been the same ever since. It is unfair how much pressure women are put under to have a child and that they are expected to put their dreams and goals on hold in order to have a family.
This leads on to my second topic of reflection for this week, which is abortion. I strongly believe that abortion is a human right and should be legal everywhere. Nor should women feel ashamed if they decided to have an abortion. In this day and age where already some states have legalised abortion it baffles me that abortion is illegal in Queensland. The long abortions stay illegal the more women will suffer from health implications and at the end of the day abortion is a women's choice.
Week 5 – changing gender roles in families: paid work, house work, and child raising
In this week’s lecture we discussed gender roles in households. Whilst a traditional household where the wife is housewife and the husband is a breadwinner has revolutionised since the 1950’s, these stereotypes still play a large role in how families should be structured or function. Even though a lot of women these days are in the workforce they are still expected to do all the housework and take care of the children. For families with both parents working the man will usually be pain more which will force the woman to have to be the one who forfeited their career for the children. There is a stigma around 'stay at home' mums that they don't work because they don't get paid however the reality is that being a 'stay at home mum is work.
Upon reflection I considered my family structure. Growing up there was a strong gender role where my dad was the one who worked and my mum was a ‘stay at home mum’. However my dad was away from home 11 months of the year for work which meant mum had to raise her four kids alone for the most part. Whilst it was her choice to be the stay at home mum and care for us she instilled in us from a young age to be independent women who can take care of ourselves.
Week 6 – violence against women
Something that we discussed in this week’s lecture that I didn’t realise beforehand was how women who suffer from domestic aren’t usually able to just pick up and leave the relationship. For me I didn’t understand why a women who was suffering in a domestic relationship would stay however in this lecture it was explained that often the women are still in love and a longing for the relationship to go back to the way it was as well as they are often dependent on the abuser and become reluctant to expose them. It’s easy to say that is that was me I would just walk away but until you are in that situation you don’t know what you would do.
"Domestic violence is an abuse of power. It is the domination, coercion, intimidation and victimisation of one person by another by physical, sexual or emotional means within intimate relationships”
When I think of domestic abuse I usually only think of physical abuse however this lecture make me realise that abuse can happen in several other forms which include verbal, economic and social. Whilst I have never been in an abusive relationship and hope that I never will, I can see how easy it could be to end up in a abusive relationship and feel like there is no way out.
Week 7 – Women’s health in same sex relationships
This week’s lecture devilled into the health issues surrounding those in same sex relationships. It was eye opening to see the amount of negative health risks that surround those in same sex relationships. I came to understand that those who are in same sex relationships often do not seek medical help when they need it due to reasons such as discrimination and judgement. It’s amazing to think that even in today’s society this is still an issue and having a serious effect on people’s lives. Gay and lesbian relationships are nothing new and have been around for ages. Why should it still be such a big issue?
Week 8 – Mental Health and drug/alcohol use amongst women across the ages
Growing up I and even into my young adult years I have never really had an issue with mental health and honestly I didn’t really know too much about it nor realised the severity of poor mental health. I regretfully have to say, that I was one of those people who saw mental illness as one of those things that you can control and would say that they were over dramatic. It wasn’t until university where I found myself doing lots of assignments on mental health and also with the help of media conveying the importance of mental health that I began to realise that my first perspective on mental health was 100% wrong.
I do believe that growing up I didn’t have any or at least not any serious mental health issues. I’ve always been relatively strong and I don’t usually let anyone’s negativity affect me however I can understand how others can really struggle. With today’s media and the amount of pressure they put on you to look or act a certain way, I know that I have second questioned myself in the past. I remember reading for one of my assignment that Instagram is the top app to have an impact on someone’s mental health. I found this no surprise. Instagram is able to take on second on people’s lives and turn it around to give the perception that they are or their life is perfect.
Week 9 – The Fashion Industry and Body Image: Impact on Women’s Health
I think every single woman has at one point or another thought that the way they looked wasn’t good enough because of an image of a model. I know for myself personally I have been sucked into following health and fitness ‘gurus’ and models on Instagram all the time and for a second or too I think ‘okay time to diet’ and like everybody else (at least I hope) the next day the diet’s over and the cycle starts all over again. It’s no wonder that women suffer from low self-esteem and body issues with these unrealistic idea that the fashion industry can put into our heads.
Now through the use of Instagram this is sure to be a growing issue as most fashion stores will have an Instagram page that post photos of the models wearing their clothing. I also notice they only tend to re-post someone’s image who is wearing their clothes if they are thin and beautiful. Even though I am able to recognise that the harm in those photos and I’m happy with the way that I am I can see how others may not. This is a really big issue for women’s health and is something that need’s attention.
Week 10 – the health of Australia Indigenous health: what are the key challenges?
The indigenous population face a range of different challenges so there was no surprise to learn about the challenged that the women in particular face. This week’s lecture was cancelled due to the public holiday however I found reading the slides quite interesting. Whilst I had general idea of the struggles the indigenous women face, this lecturer really opened my eyes to the topic. Some of the statistics that were shown in the lecture were very alarming and this is definitely a topic that needs more recognition and discussion.
Some of the statistics that really stood out to me was the ‘population pyramid of indigenous and non-indigenous female populations’. It was clear that the non-indigenous people have a lot larger life span than those who were indigenous. It’s amazing that even though they live in the same country there is a huge gap in life span. This is just an example on why it is so important to lessen the gap between accesses to health care for indigenous people.
In this week’s lecture we had a guest speaker and she discussed the sexualisation culture, post feminism and neoliberalism, the dominant discourses of sexuality, how these work and the resistance moving forward. I had recently completed an assignment on how today’s culture has become increasingly sexualised so several of the thing our lecturer were saying I already knew however I still find it really interesting how sexualising culture can have a huge effect on women’s health.
I found post feminism particularly interesting in this lecture how if a women was to be raped it would be more believable that if a man said he has been raped. I also found it interesting how women are constantly sexualised in today’s media however seeing a women breastfeed her baby is considered disgusting. Through the use of the media sexualising women have become the social norm which has further lead to women disregarding their health as they don’t think it is important or normal.