SPSCC Sexism and Misogyny Reflection – Description
In 4-5 double-spaced pages, reflect on some of your relative acculturation and experiences in a deeply patriarchal social order. This could include a range of experiences, spanning from times you were intentionally or unintentionally sexist, to times you uncritically consumed harmful media representations or narratives, to times you have been impacted by sexist or misogynistic behaviors, policies, or stereotypical and sexualized representations. Acknowledging your current level of complicity or the ways you are being impacted is the most important aspect of this reflection. If you are a cis man, you might think about how the majority of your experiences have been catered around derogatory representations of women’s bodies and psyches, and what that says about our contemporary social environment. How do said representations function to justify apathy, discrimination, and violence on both the micro (individual acts) and macro (political policy and discourse) levels.
Some additional questions to ponder might include: 1) How do neo-liberal narratives of sexual “liberation” function to justify patriarchal expectations under the guise of “choice” or agency? 2) What aspects of sexism in our culture are taken for granted as normal? 3) How does misogyny function to uphold patriarchal norms and expectations?
To help you frame the issues at stake, you’ll be expected to incorporate at least two of the texts we’ve read in class.
Easy Steps:
Reflect on your experiences with and acculturation in sexism (as ideology) and misogyny.
Use two of our class readings to help define the issue and employ their terms to help frame your reflection.
Reflect on the representations and messaging you’ve consumed over the years that may have influenced you and/or others. You might also want to reflect on why men find it so difficult and painful to confront their internal biases when it comes to matters of sexism and misogyny. Connect this reflection back to the lived experiences you’ve shared to further unpack them.
Reflect on the relationship between sexism (the ideological component) and misogyny (the policing of patriarchal norms and expectations), and how these dynamics play out politically, economically, and interpersonally. As with your last essay, the goal here is to situate your experiences culturally and politically.
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