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Judith Butler, "Imitation and Gender Insubordination"

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Judith Butler, "Imitation and Gender Insubordination"

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Summary: In this essay, Butler argues that all gender and sexuality are performative in nature. Throughout the essay, Butler focuses on refuting the claim that homosexuality is a bad copy of heterosexuality by making the claim that heterosexuality is performative in and of itself, being a copy of the "ideal".
Analyzation:  It is seemingly a part of human nature to try and categorize things. This essay takes a look at grouping things within firm binaries. It is a very refreshing read, as Butler completely turned around everything that is typically taught about heterosexuality vs. homosexuality. One quote that really stood out to me in terms of what is being argued was, "...heterosexuality must be understood as compulsive and compulsory repetition that can only produce the effect of its own originality," (318). Compulsory heterosexuality exists as a sort of ideal for those who are performing to constantly chase. The ideas of how things are supposed to work in this ideal, are just that, ideals, things to attain. No one is born already knowing how to properly perform sexuality and gender in accordance with these ideals.
Reflection: I thought that this essay belonged in my survival kit because it made me yearn to learn more about gender and sexuality. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community this essay reaffirmed to me the validity of my identity, and made me feel like there really is a community out there for me. After reading this essay, I wanted to dive deeper into my own activism and seek out a community, which is exactly the kind of thing that inspires me to keep going when things in life get tough.

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Summary: This is a children’s book in which the author takes time to explain magical practices from 5,000 years ago to now. The book makes sure to dispel many of the myths surrounding magic and witchcraft and explain some of the rather sexist beliefs tied to these beliefs. It is a great way for children to learn about different cultures and beliefs, and also learn about the connection of women to magic.

Analyzation: Though some of the practices described in the book were exclusively practiced by men, most of them were traditionally practiced by women. The authors of the book made sure to be as respectful as possible while writing this and made a point to dispel many of the negativity surrounding magic that came up as a result of sexism in a way that is easy to understand. The book has an empowering message of respecting and celebrating differences.

Reflection: I feel that this book belongs in my survival kit because it is teaching about something that I believe should be a part of global feminist thought. I also think that we have a lot to learn from kids, so the idea that children would come to respect all of these practices just from reading this book reminds me to allow myself to think like a child in my theorizing and see where it gets me.

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bell hooks, "Theory as a Liberatory Practice" 

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bell hooks, "Theory as a Liberatory Practice" 

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Summary: In this essay, hooks points to theory as a form of healing. A way to make sense of all the things that may be going wrong in life. hooks speaks of using theory, even in her childhood, by questioning many things that are now hotly debated. She speaks of this as theorizing without having the formal term saying, “The possession of a term does not bring a process or practice into being...we can live and act in feminist resistance without ever using the term “feminism”,” (9).  She also takes time to speak on the delegitimization of works by women of color or other marginalized groups that has often been seen in academic circles.

Analyzation: This essay is really important because it sheds light upon the disconnect between feminist theory and feminist practice, and the privilege associated with even having a term for what you are discussing. In the essay, hooks describes women all over the world who are theorizing and living feminist lifestyles without having ever studied these things in an academic setting. This version of theory is no less valid and should not be looked down upon from academic circles.

Reflection: I definitely relate to the idea of theorizing without having the proper terms for what you are doing. I would say that my whole family practices feminism in some way or form within their daily lives, and I was raised to question things my whole life. However, none of my family members are feminist scholars and they typically rely upon life experience rather than formal training. I have navigated feminist theory on my own, and definitely relate to finally having a term for what you are doing.

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Roxanne Gay, "Confessions of a Bad Feminist" TED talk 

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Roxanne Gay, "Confessions of a Bad Feminist" TED talk 

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Summary: In this TED talk, Gay provides representation for the truth of modern day feminism. Gay freely admits that when she was growing up she had ideas about feminist, mainly that they were all, “hairy, angry, man-hating, sex-hating women,” (Gay 0:58). She is now aware that this is not the case, and is, in fact, a feminist herself. The talk address every type of woman and manages to bring up realistic perspectives from living a feminist life, albeit while being a “bad feminist”.

Analyzation:  Feminism is a label that often comes with bad connotations from society at large, and harsh expectations within feminist circles. There is no "right" way to be a feminist., if one aligns with the beliefs they are already doing the work. Gay confesses that she often does things that might make her a bad feminist, such as listening to “thuggish-rap” that often includes degrading lyrics (Gay 2:50). Though these things may contribute to the problems feminists are fighting, at the end of the day Gay is fully dedicated to the cause.

Reflection: This TED talk really spoke to me, as I too feel like I am not always practicing feminism properly. I just recently started learning about feminism on the academic level, so it is all rather new. This TED talk made me feel seen as an imperfect feminist, and it is experiences like these that make this a necessary addition to my survival kit.

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Roxane Gay: Confessions of a bad feminist | TED

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NYTimes "This is What a Feminist Country looks like." 

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NYTimes "This is What a Feminist Country looks like." 

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Summary: Sweden, as a nation, has taken the necessary steps to become a feminist nation, that is putting women’s rights, reproductive healthcare, and access to education front and center when it comes to policy making. This makes the country one of the best to live in if you are a woman and makes the lives of the women much more bearable within the country.

Analyzation:  Sweden’s focus on creating equality for women in the country has done nothing but benefit the overall happiness and satisfaction of its citizens. All of the things that they have implemented are things that women around the world have been trying to achieve in their respective countries for years. This article is seemingly proof that other countries implementation of these policies and practices would do nothing but improve the lives of women.

Reflection: For me, this article widens my perspectives on the global goals of feminism. Growing up in the United States we are told that we live in the best country in the world, though for women that does not seem to be the case. Articles like these prove to me that the things we are fighting for can be achieved, and that inspires me to keep going. I think that this article belongs in my survival kit because it is proof of the things that I personally want to see get implemented for women in my own country being realized in a great way elsewhere.

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Sweden has prioritized gender and women's issues for years. Even its foreign policy is feminist.

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Credit... Alva Skog

It's International Women's Day! You're reading In Her Words, where women rule the headlines. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Let me know what you think at dearmaya@nytimes.com.
"A feminist foreign policy is an analysis of the world." - Margot Wallstrom, Sweden's foreign minister, who introduced a feminist foreign policy in 2014, placing gender equality at the core of Sweden's international relations

What's so great about Sweden? Every year, the Nordic nation seems to rank highly on lists of the happiest, friendliest, most environmentally conscious countries in the world. But it's another title it often claims that struck me: one of the best places to be a woman.

This week, Sweden was one of the top three countries (along with Iceland and New Zealand) on the Women in Work Index 2019, a comprehensive assessment of female economic empowerment across 33 member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (You can find the United States at No. 23, dropping two slots since last year's report.)

But what does it really take to become one of the world's most gender-equal societies? In Sweden's case, it's largely policy and legislation.

Here are several ways Sweden leads on gender issues.

In 2014, Sweden became the first government to use the word "feminist" to describe a policy approach. (On its official website, the nation even refers to itself as "a feminist government.")

Sweden's feminist foreign policy (yes, really) places gender equality at the core of the government's priorities - from decision-making to resource allocation.

In 2016, Margot Wallstrom,Sweden's foreign minister, who introduced the policy, told The New York Times that a feminist foreign policy uses the usual tools of diplomacy to address three questions: Do women have equal rights? Are women at the decision-making table? And are resources equitably distributed to women?

Policy objectives include women's and girls' freedom from physical, psychological and sexual violence; political participation and influence in all areas of society; economic rights and empowerment; and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Sweden, which has a population of about 10 million people, has the most generous paid parental leave policy in the world. Parents get 480 days of leave to share, 390 of which are paid out at 80 percent. (Single parents are entitled to the full 480 days.) These days can be used until the child turns 8. Sweden's parental leave policy also applies to adopting parents.

Starting with preschool, many of Sweden's government-funded schools are doing what they can to "counteract traditional gender roles and gender patterns," my colleague Ellen Barry reported last year. State curriculum even "urges preschool teachers and principals to embrace their role as social engineers."

How are they doing that? Preschool teachers, for example, "avoid referring to their students' gender," Barry reported. They say "friends" instead of "boys and girls," and play is organized to prevent children from sorting themselves by gender.

Today, girls generally earn better grades and perform better in national tests than boys, according to Sweden's official website. And women now earn nearly two-thirds of all university degrees in Sweden. (Oh yeah, another thing: Swedish colleges and universities are free.)
Adopting gender-neutral pronouns (and quickly)
In 2012, the gender-neutral pronoun "hen" was introduced and swiftly absorbed into mainstream Swedish culture, something that, linguists say, has never happened in another country.

Prosecuting crimes against women
Last year, the Swedish Parliament passed a law requiring explicit consent from participants before they engage in a sexual act. "Sex must be voluntary - if it is not, then it is illegal" was the language used in the law, which aims to change the way sexual crimes are prosecuted in the country.

And 20 years earlier, in 1998, Sweden passed the Act on Violence Against Women, which pertains to crimes against women by current or former spouses or live-in partners. Under the law, men can be sentenced for each instance of physical abuse or sexual and psychological degradation against a woman.

Women held only 6 percent of chief executive positions in Swedish companies listed on its stock exchange, 29 percent of company board seats and only 5 percent of board chairs, according to a biannual report on gender equality published in 2016 from Statistics Sweden, a government agency.

And on average, women's monthly salaries are about 88 percent of men's, or 95.5 percent when profession and sector are taken into account.

Yet on the flip side, 97 women and 102 men led Sweden's public agencies in 2015, positions appointed by the government, which also sets the salaries for the posts. And of the 10 highest paid appointees, four were women.

Sweden also has one of the world's highest proportions of female lawmakers. After the 2018 election, women occupied 161 of the 349 seats.

If you could bring one of these policies back to your home country, which would it be? Write to dearmaya@nytimes.com.

From left: Rear Adm. Wendi Bryan Carpenter, retired, Lt. Col. Kimberly Ford, retired, Louise Graul Eisenbrandt and First Lt. Holly Harrington.

"It's been tough at times to have men tell me they will not work for me because I'm a woman." Forty servicewomen and veterans share the stories that have stuck with them the most from their time in the military. [ Read the story]

"Why International Women's Day isn't going away." For all the progress women have made, they are still a long way from true equality. [ Read the story]

"I thought I was strong, but felt powerless." Senator Martha McSally, the first woman in the Air Force to fly in combat, said a superior officer had raped her while she was serving. [ Read the story]

"The mind-set was, 'Don't be like us.'" As fertility rates across the United States continue to decline, some of the largest drops have been among Hispanics. One big reason: generational difference. [ Read the story]

"Is one new statue of a righteous, working, trailblazing achiever enough? No." New York will add four statues of women to help fix "glaring" gender gap in public art. [ Read the story]

______

As a girl of 13 in France, Noor Inayat Khan had to look after her siblings after her father died on a pilgrimage in India and her mother became overwhelmed by grief. Credit... via Soefi Museum

For women's history month, we're highlighting stories of trailblazing women you may not know, but should. We'll bring you two women each week in this newsletter; head over to our Instagram for daily posts. Sign up here Read past articles here Let me know what you think at dearmaya@nytimes.com. . to get future installments of In Her Words delivered to your inbox.
Noor Inayat Khan was not what one would expect of a British spy. She was a princess, having been born to Indian royalty, a Muslim, a writer and a musician. But she was exactly what Britain's military intelligence needed in World War II.

She joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in 1940 and became the first female radio operator to be sent by Britain into occupied France. Within 10 days of her arrival, all the other British agents had been arrested. Her superiors wanted her to return to Britain, but she refused, saying she would try to rebuild the network on her own. Read more about Noor Inayat Khan here.

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This Is What a Feminist Country Looks Like

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Sweden has prioritized gender and women's issues for years. Even its foreign policy is feminist. It's International Women's Day! You're reading In Her Words, where women rule the headlines. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Let me know what you think at dearmaya@nytimes.com .

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Summary: A modeling agency has plans to scout for new models at Daria’s high school. Daria and her best friend Jane decide that modeling, as it is a profession mainly based on youth and looks, is shallow and should be protested. Throughout the episode, Daria and Jane make it clear that they disagree with what is going on, and even manage to convince some others that it is bad.

Analysis: This was one of the first depictions of teenagers protesting something going on within their school or hometown and being taken seriously. They were painted in a very positive light, and there were certainly some good criticisms being brought up.

Reflection: This piece of media was one of the first things that I sought out when I was younger and first starting to get into activism and protesting. It was one of the first depictions of young feminists protesting that I had seen, especially in a cartoon, and it has meant a lot to me ever since. Even though it may be seen as problematic now, it was really powerful for me when I was growing up.

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Riki Wilchins "A Certain Kind of Freedom: Power and The Truth of Bodies"

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Riki Wilchins "A Certain Kind of Freedom: Power and The Truth of Bodies"

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Summary: In this essay, Wilchins argues that a society built upon binaries can be harmful as binaries are always based on either/or ways of thinking, and they almost always favor one side over the other. Throughout the essay, Wilchins calls attention to the emphasis placed on binaries within feminist circles, meaning that the focus on binaries is not only coming from the general public.  One quote that I feel sums up the essay quite well is the question, “What is it about binaries that so captivates our thinking: men/women, gay/straight, M-to-F/F-to-M, white/black, real/artificial, male/female, lesbian/feminist,” (341).

Analyzation: In this essay, it quickly becomes apparent that to be valid in our society you must be able to fit into strict binary categories. Not fitting into these binaries, no matter what they be, means that a person is outside of the norm. Everyday we go through interactions that are heavily based upon binaries. These interactions shape the way we think about how the binaries and norms are structured, which can be harmful to those who fall outside the binary.

Reflection: To me, this essay stood out because I had never sat down and thought about how binaries are so intertwined within our society. I am currently dating someone who identifies as nonbinary, so I am getting to watch firsthand how binary assumptions affect them. This essay gives me hope and inspires me to keep pushing for a world without binaries.

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Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, "Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory" 

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Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, "Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory" 

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Summary: In this essay, Garland-Thomson calls for feminist theory and disability theory to find a home within each other. Garland-Thomson feels like these subsets of theories would play quite nicely together because “...disability, like femaleness, is not a natural state of corporeal inferiority, inadequacy, excess, or a stroke of misfortune,” (295). Inclusion of disability theory would help to better inform discussion of feminist issues faced by all women.

Analyzation: This essay sees disability as something that everyone will eventually have to face. Because feminism and the act of being female were long thought of as being an inherent inferiority, disability theory would work nicely within the previously laid framework of feminism, so why not make feminist theory that much more inclusive.

Reflection: This essay caught my attention when we read it in class because it taught me quite a few things about current disability scholarship. I really appreciated the idea being presented that disability is a concept of the society it is present in. I think this belongs in my survival kit because it challenged me to have a moment of critical thinking about something that was previously just something I assumed was a part of society.

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Summary: This story tells the tale of Mrs. Louise Mallard’s reaction upon hearing that her husband has died. In the story, she goes through many emotions in the span of only an hour, but none more powerful than her feeling of being free from her life as only a wife, finally able to live her own dreams. At the end, it is revealed that her husband did not die, and she drops dead of “...heart disease-of joy that kills,” (70).

Analyzation: This story is very interesting, as it does not go the way one would expect a story written in 1894 to go. Louise hears of her husband’s death and immediately goes to her room alone, she marvels at the beauty outside as she comes to the realization that even though she had loved her husband, that meant little in lite of the “...possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being,” (70). She was free to make her own life, that is until her husband walked through the door. So maybe she did die of joy, but it seems that she died of having the joy of personhood taken away.

Reflection:  As a history major, I have focused a lot on early feminist thought and writing. Though it was written at a time when women were basically property to their husbands, the story features a woman being excited at the freedom of having a life outside of being a wife. I find that this story speaks to my own spirit of independence, and I feel like it has really influenced my thought.

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Irene Tinker, "The Adverse Impact of Development on Women," 

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Irene Tinker, "The Adverse Impact of Development on Women," 

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Summary: On a global scale, the Western idea of development has been viewed as the only way to make third-world economies boom. This development, however, has had harmful consequences for women. Many of these countries have long accepted the importance of women both in the domestic and in the economic spheres, which is not supported by most western ideals. Women are tired of their jobs being taken away, of being forced into the domestic sphere in order to fit the Western ideal, so these countries must stop trying to fit the Western mold and instead adapt their economies to fit the current global development.

Analyzation: Many of the countries that the West wishes to push development onto have been based upon subsistence economies in which “every family member traditionally is assigned roles which are essential to the survival of the unit,” (437). Women in these economies typically helped with farming and also did other things that were essential to the economy such as weaving thread ad fabric, cooking or preserving food, and making pottery. These are jobs that have either been given to man or fully automated meaning that women in these newly “developed” countries are finding they have less rights.

Reflection: I feel like this is an odd essay to include in a survival kit, but I like critiques of Western ideals because they offer learning opportunities for me. I feel that articles like these make me a better ally to those who are different than me, which is why it belongs in my survival kit.

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Summary: This article takes a look at college campuses, and the prevalence of feminist thought amongst female students. This is a change from 20 years ago, so how should administrators respond and shape their classes for this shift in consciousness.

Analyzation: Most young women who are going to college today identify closely with some aspect of feminist thought. This is a rather new thing, as not too long ago being a feminist still carried a lot of negative stereotypes. The question being asked is basically how faculty and administrators should respond to this shift in consciousness for their students, and what does this mean for feminist movements in the United States.

Reflection: I identified closely with the women in interviewed for this piece. I have always identified with being a feminist, and the act of becoming an educated women is proof of the successes of the movements that came before me. This piece proves that the opinion of many is changing, and that the movement is still alive in the hearts of young women.

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Women Today

The Crimson Women's Coalition protested at Harvard last year after the university announced restrictions on members of single-sex organizations. Credit... Katherine Taylor for The New York Times

One of the things Tina Campt, a professor and director of the Barnard Center for Research on Women, has noticed about the young women in her classes is their radically open notion of sexuality and gender.

"These students want the freedom to express who they are without the constraints of choices such as either a woman or man, heterosexual or homosexual," Dr. Campt said. "Those categories no longer carry a definitional value."

Women now account for the majority of college students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, 11.3 million of them as compared with 8.7 million men. And 63 percent identify as feminist. Their concerns run the gamut, from sexual assault and poverty to affordable education, immigration and reproductive rights, said Alison Dahl Crossley, the associate director of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University.

Both Dr. Campt and Dr. Crossley, who is also author of the book "Finding Feminism: Millennial Activists and the Unfinished Gender Revolution," say women today are in a world that is profoundly different from what it was a generation ago, so they are having to create ways of coping with new challenges, the same as previous generations did.

"The structure of the economy, of family and of work is very, very different," Dr. Campt said.

She said young women today were entering an economy with fewer work opportunities and much more debt. It is also an era in which feminist activism and education happen in both the physical world and the virtual one, often through blogs and social media.

One thing that surprised Dr. Crossley about the college women she studied was their wholehearted embrace of feminism. "They spoke about how feminism permeated their worldview and their interactions and the relationships they had in their everyday lives," she said.

We spoke to female undergraduates at colleges around the country to find out what issues they were most concerned about and what feminism meant to them. Their comments have been edited and condensed.
Sociology major and French minor
The biggest issue for me as a woman on campus is safety and acceptance. When I walk in a room, I do a quick scan to see if there are any other women there. And if there are men, I look at how many are white, and their ages. It gives me a sense of the openness of the room.

I worry about equality of pay, and it's something that when I hear my dad talk about, as a black man, I think, "He'll still probably make more than I ever will," because not only am I a woman, but I'm black.

I feel like the women's movement doesn't represent women of color as well as it could. I'm not expecting the movement to be perfect, but if you're talking about women earning 80 cents for every dollar a man makes, you're not really talking about Latina women, black women, Native American women, who make even less than that.
Neuroscience major
If you had asked me my concerns about being a woman six months ago, I don't know if they would have been the same. The election and college have changed that. I'm a Cuban immigrant - I came to the U.S. in 2009, when I was 11 years old - and what concerns me most now is the idea of safety, both on the college campus and in the world.

I'm very involved with the fight against rape culture, and I'm out as an L.G.B.T. student and activist. But the climate in North Carolina now, that's something to be concerned about.

I worry a lot about immigration status. I'm technically safe, but who knows what will happen now. The whole idea of safety as something that is given to us by society concerns me. The idea that we are to blame for what happens to us - women, minorities, immigrants - because of how we dress or express ourselves or our immigration status. There's so much victim-blaming.

I consider myself a feminist, and that means attaining equality in all the senses that entails. As an out woman of color, it's the idea that I will be able to be myself and fight for the things I care about.

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Alexa Dantzler sees a dearth of minority women in the STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Credit... Audra Melton for The New York Times

Biology and African studies major
For me as a woman, what I see on campus and in the bigger world is that we're always fighting for equal opportunity and access. I am on the pre-med track, and I'm also African-American, Korean and Slovak. I see such a lack of minority women in STEM.

I haven't had a physician mentor who is a minority woman, and I think it's harder to relate to role models in your future career field when they haven't had the same racial experiences. I don't have someone I can ask: "What was it like being a black woman in your medical school classes? What were the challenges you faced?" That's a real concern of mine.

On campus, I'm concerned about the language and rhetoric used to describe minority groups, and that includes women. I think our voices may be heard less as a result of the current rhetoric and the direct implications of it.
Public relations and marketing major
I'm concerned that some women don't feel capable of succeeding or comfortable in our own skin. I am a conservative Christian and my morals and beliefs line up with that, but I would also say I'm a conservative Christian feminist. I believe in God and I am definitely pro-woman, but I'm also pro-man.

I believe God created men and created women with different skills and talents to serve for different reasons. Feminism to me is believing in myself, following my dreams and empowering other people - both men and women.

There's a scripture in the Bible that I fall back on a lot, that I aspire to live by, and it's really important. In Proverbs 31, it talks about being a "wife of noble character." I'm not married, but I take it to mean not a wife but rather a woman of noble character. Full of confidence in myself and bringing good to everyone around me, being a hard and persistent worker, being respectful, being bold - not shrinking or weak.
Political science and geography major
The biggest issue on campus for women here is sexual assault, being afraid of the young men we know here, who are in our lives.

One of my best friends was sexually assaulted a year ago but didn't report it, and we were out at a bar and he was there. She was very uncomfortable with him being there, and I went up to him and said, "Look, she feels really uncomfortable, could you leave?" He said no. It's concerning, the rape culture and lack of respect for women.

Another big concern for me as a woman is being able to graduate and find a job. I think as a woman it's a lot more difficult. Guys are given priority - you've seen the studies where if it says you're a man on your résumé you are more likely to get hired. I'm also bothered that if you're an assertive woman - and I'm called aggressive all the time simply because I'm assertive - it's misconstrued as bossiness. That really undermines us. It says to women it's not O.K. for us to be driven, ambitious and have strong opinions.

Kelsey Ritchie went to the women's march in Washington, but also President Trump's inauguration. Credit... Allison V. Smith for The New York Times

Political science and journalism major,
business minor
I am concerned about unequal pay between men and women in the workplace. I'm going to grad school after college to study public policy and if I have debt after that, will I be able to pay it off as well as my male peers? Because men earn more. When I look at jobs, I know it will take me X amount of years longer to pay off my school debt than it would if I were a man. That could affect my ability to pursue a career I'm passionate about.

I consider myself a feminist and also a pretty religious Christian. I went to the march in Washington this past January, but I also went to the inauguration. I look at feminism as feeling empowered enough to behave in a way that demands respect, rather than acting in a way that demands attention. I am a student body vice president at T.C.U. and very career-focused. I've thought a lot about balancing what the world defines as a strong woman with biblical truths, such as this phrase in Scripture: "Submit to your husband."

The Bible is very clear about men being the ones to lead relationships. And for a long time it was difficult for me to accept this, but I've realized it doesn't have to demean a woman's role in a relationship. Submission doesn't have to come from weakness. We are all called to serve each other by utilizing our strengths. My biblical foundation empowers me to advocate for women's rights.

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On Campus, Embracing Feminism and Facing the Future (Published 2017)

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Women Today One of the things Tina Campt, a professor and director of the Barnard Center for Research on Women, has noticed about the young women in her classes is their radically open notion of sexuality and gender.

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Summary: This song is simply about the anger of a woman who has come to the realization that she is vulnerable in many day-to-day situations because she is a woman. It is a song about wanting to be able to do the same things as men and be able to do those things safely.

Analyzation: I honestly think the true message of the song comes through in the first chorus with the lyric, “I’m just a girl, all pretty and petite. So, don’t let me have any rights,” (‘Just a Girl’ 0:40). The song chronicles this realization that while women are just a capable as men, they are still unable to do certain things out of fear.

Reflection: This song was one of the many anthems of my childhood. I came to feminism from a place of pain, and at the time I felt that this song summed up a lot of the anger that I was feeling about the world around me. It got me through my angsty days of puberty, and still riles me up when need be.

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1.     Butler, Judith. “Imitation and Gender Insubordination.” Reading Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity, edited by Susan Archer Mann and Ashly Suzanne Patterson, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 317-320.
2.   Chopin, Kate “The Story of an Hour.” Reading Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity, edited by Susan Archer Mann and Ashly Suzanne Patterson, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 69-70.
3.   Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie “Integrating Disability, Transforming Feminist Theory.” Reading Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity, edited by Susan Archer Mann and Ashly Suzanne Patterson, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 294-298.
4.   Gay, Roxanne. “Confessions of a Bad Feminist.” YouTube, uploaded by TED, 22 June 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxt_MZKMdes
5.    hooks, bell. “Theory as a Liberatory Practice.” Reading Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity, edited
by Susan Archer Mann and Ashly Suzanne Patterson, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 8-14.
6.   No Doubt. “Just a Girl.” Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/5lWRaa0fBxDE5yU91npPq7?si=f4c352ac1b654305

7.   Ralphs, Matt. Season of the Witch. Illustrated by Nuria Tamarit, Flying Eye Books, 2020.
8.   Salam, Maya. “This Is What a Feminist Country Looks Like.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Mar. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/world/europe/international-womens-day-feminism.html.
9.   "This Year’s Model.” Daria, directed by Karen Disher, season 1, episode 6, MTV, 1997.
10.  Tinker, Irene “The Adverse Impact of Development on Women.” Reading Feminist Theory: From Modernity to Postmodernity, edited by Susan Archer Mann and Ashly Suzanne Patterson, Oxford University Press, 2016, pp. 436-441.
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