Craving Classification by Roxy 01

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-19 00:23:32 UTC

Starting with the photograph earliest in history, is a man hunting a wild animal, ready to bash a rock to its skull. This statue is centuries old yet it still holds remnants of expected gender roles, societal expectations of gender that are labeled and displayed, failing to be biologically linked at times(Doing Gender, West and Zimmerman). A man killing an animal in a violent manner and being the one partaking in hunting, are the stereotypes the male gender held at the time, and some still exist today in the form of the man being the "provider" and being more aggressive. As we continue, there are more recent examples of humans attempting to classify separate groups across the human experience.

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-19 01:28:09 UTC

Another way humans tend to group themselves is creating gender binaries, when in reality there is a spectrum. Wearing nail polish, jewelry or makeup as depicted in this picture is considered feminine and for women, while in reality gender expression is separate from sex and sexuality. A man wears products that are deemed "feminine", depicting how gender and sexuality tend to be perceived as intertwined. Expressing yourself as feminine is only reserved for a certain sex (women), not to mention that your sexuality gets labeled as well in society if it's not a woman partaking in it. This picture breaks the mold of the confines of men/masculine and women/feminine. In reality, people are not always one or the other, as gender expression does not always correlate to sex, sexuality, genitalia, etc.

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-19 03:21:54 UTC

This picture represents intersectionality and its complexity. Another instance of grouping that humans tend to do in the context of feminism is oppressed vs. not oppressed. It is inaccurate to place every person in these two bubbles as it is more complex than that. Just looking at this picture, the tall, colorful tree would be symbolized as having "more privilege". Its branches have not been cut, and it can get more sunlight. However, the taller tree is surrounded by nassellas which are invasive and a fire hazard, while the shorter tree is surrounded by kleinia repens, which does not require a lot of water, allowing more for the tree. Their survival and health is also dependent on their age as well. With this example, it is noticeable that it is not as simple as one tree is more lucky than the other, or "women are more oppressed than men" (white feminism). Identities such as race, sexuality, and class (in the example of the tree, surroundings and age) all play a role in the quality of life, with intersectionality working to bridge those inequalities that come from these identities.

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-20 03:18:46 UTC

These two photo albums reflect my mother in Iran with friends, and in the United States with college friends. While groupings with gender and minorities have already been discussed, humans also group racial identities as well, an example given by Gloria Anzaldua (Mestiza Consciousness). When there are multiple ethnic or racial identities that someone possesses, it seems difficult to maintain both as it's expected to only hold one identity. While in Gloria's case it was her internal battle with her white and indigenous heritage, this picture pertains a women's dual American and Iranian identity-two different lifestyles and cultures as presented in the photographs. Due to recent political conflicts between these two countries, there is both an internal and external clash between these two identities, but both can be maintained as well as combined to create a personal ambiguity of culture.

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-20 04:58:17 UTC

Finally, the duality of feminism in the West and the Middle East is represented with these two magazines. In Western countries, sexuality is liberation, and modesty is a symbol of oppression. The western magazine is "Women's Health", a company for women, advertising a celebrity in a bikini and ways to achieve a sexier body for the sake of personal empowerment. For Vogue Saudi Arabia, the words "my choice" is advertised, insinuating coverage and modesty if a form of empowerment. This is because modesty prevents one from being sexualized and stuck in a cycle of pressure from capitalism ("My hijab has nothing to do with oppression. it's a feminist statement-Hanna Yusuf"). While it seems that these are the only two options and mindsets towards empowerment created, true liberation comes from the ability to choose how to empower oneself. Thinking outside of the bubbles of feminism in the east and west, allows for a more open mind and less judgement towards the different ways women choose to liberate themselves.

roxypuptaba — 2024-05-20 05:15:16 UTC

In order to have a better understanding of concepts, humans have had the tendency of classifying almost every aspect of life, usually into two groups (gender, sex, etc.). In reality, this is not enough to describe the human experience, and these photographs represent examples of these groupings as well as how some are impractical because there is more complexity. As humans begin to understand more about themselves and the diversity and complexity between us, we can move towards accepting identities and actions that exist outside the current societal norms.