Session 3 Reading Reflections: Bonobos & Data Feminism by Veronica Cassone McGowan

Bonobo Honey Orgies

2024-03-14 23:17:30 UTC

I found the comparison between bonobos and chimps fascinating with the contrast of using power to solve issues and using same-sex intimacy to solve problems. I do wonder how I could share this with 10th graders so our class doesn't fall apart from their shock and I don't get calls from families....

TSA and Beyond

2024-03-14 23:24:14 UTC

There were so many examples in this article that I had never heard of. The TSA example of someone deciding what sex they think we are and a misidentification leading to a pat down really displays how classification has consequences. I'm excited to be able to bring into class, from the AMA, their statement about sex and gender for when students and families might be wondering why we are exploring sex and gender variations. I also found the wording about gender being performative helpful; In class we talk about it being a social construct but I think more students will grasp the performance connection. I personally want to explore the regional variations of gender identity. I am also envisioning from this article a flow chart for folks to help decide when to ask for gender, keep it visible, hidden, count it, and ways to do it. We look at that amazing visual Beyond XX and XY in my class but I want to think this year (upcoming unit) how to help students engage and inquiry with it more.

Bonobos don't sweat the small stuff

breighrhodes1 — 2024-03-14 23:26:47 UTC

Bonobos are such a close relative of ours, so it was really interesting for me to see the way that they approach sex with what the author characterized as "unabashedly[...] with no shame whatsoever!"

Bonobos

2024-03-14 23:28:34 UTC

The idea that "love is a survival strategy" was really interesting.

Do some bonobos prefer SSB?

2024-03-14 23:28:50 UTC

I was familiar with bonobo sexual behavior, but I had not heard it called bisexuality before. I wonder if some bonobos engage in more same sex behavior and what that means for humans.

Bonobos and Chimps

2024-03-14 23:29:44 UTC

I did not know that much about the difference between Bonobos and Chimps. Mostly What I knew was about was the infanticide in Chimps wasn't found in Bonobos. I think I just naively thought the bonobos were more evolved (Lot of bias in that thought).

Chimps vs Bonobos

2024-03-14 23:30:08 UTC

I found it interesting that the females being together meant the males would not be able to corner or hurt one of them.

Data Feminism

2024-03-14 23:31:47 UTC

Concepts of gender are evolving and continue to change over time. Similar to categories of race in the census over time, leaving many individuals and groups out of data collection. It is crazy to look at the history of this.

Bonobos

2024-03-14 23:32:01 UTC

A group of females represents dominance.

Race was hazy concept

KSDarthTeacher — 2024-03-14 23:32:09 UTC

To realize, how deeply entrenched we are with race "boxes" when it was completely hazy concept before the 18th century slave trade. That is crazy amazing.

Data

2024-03-14 23:32:23 UTC

If something is not studied, then it is not considered. Medical studies are a great example. We have studied white men... but less other sexual identies and racial identies.

Bonobos

2024-03-14 23:32:37 UTC

I was struck by the mention towards the end of how female-female sexual acts in bonobos promote strong female relationships and bonding so that if a male tries to get aggressive, the other females have her back. In contrast, chimpanzee females don't form these bonds with each other and males keep females separate so they are easier to dominate. This resonated with me as I see a lot of connections with this and the patriarchy in keeping people separated or in competition so that they are easier to control. I have experienced a lot of female competition rather than camaraderie. I also thought it was interesting making the analogy of sports and team rivalries to our evolutionary history of "us" and "them" mentality as a means of survival when there are limited resources.

Data Feminism

2024-03-14 23:33:10 UTC

This was a much harder read ;)

There was a lot to think about. HOw do you push for inclusion and justice if you don't count everyone? But there were issues with how counting happens and what is done with it.

One of the parts of the Data Feminism article that really stood out for me was the idea of "administrative violence" and how systemic the male/female binary is (forms! airport scanners! bathrooms!) It's endless now that I think about it (cisgendered white woman here, so I knew about this, but not at the depth/breadth that it really occurs)

2024-03-14 23:33:34 UTC

DATA FEMINISM

2024-03-14 23:34:33 UTC

One example where gender bias has shaped medical thinking is autism. When a boy is fixated on trains, people think autism. When a girl is fixated on "Polly Pocket" they think that is "social behavior" and not autism. So many girls missed being identified younger.

Sex and Gender

2024-03-14 23:34:35 UTC

I saw in the Data Feminism article it mentioned saying "sex" in place of gender is no longer considered more inclusive and in fact, both are social constructs. This was something I wasn't aware of

DF

2024-03-14 23:34:42 UTC

race and sex didn't exist as a concept?

WOW- women were considered inferior men with hidden penises