Discussion Questions
Question 1:
The view of symbolic violence as the product of a deeply ingrained sense of dominance within some sections of society is apt in describing the complexity with which the former is associated. For instance, society has in the past placed man on top of the social hierarchy and relegated women to subservience based on ancient norms and traditions. This then means that it would be inaccurate to assume that such skewed view of the social framework could be revised through simple appeals to the will as a way of redefining people’s interpretations of the role of each gender. Instead, an equally potent force as that which created the sense of dominance would be required to counter the negative effects of the latter.
It is in light of this fact that the past ages have witnessed a growing insurgence of women rights movements whose aim has almost ubiquitously been to change the notion that women should be seen as men’s subordinates. This meant the revision of some common ideas, key among which was that women were weaker. One particular movement that comes to mind is the Committee of Mothers and Relatives of Political Prisoners, Disappeared and Assassinated of El Salvador (CO-MADRES). As the name suggests, this group was set up to facilitate the inclusion of women in the affairs of the military as appertains to the plight of the former’s loved ones (Stephen 807). Later on, the movement changed its mandate to extend to matters of political interest to women. This particular movement managed to effect positive changes for their women members but was unable to duplicate the same success to all women across the nation.
According to Stephen (808), CO-MADRES is an example of a women’s rights movement that was able to achieve its mandate primarily by entering into the world of politics. A similar group is that which is colloquially known as the Peronist Movement of Argentina. According to Feijoo and Gogna (376), this movement began in earnest when the then Argentinean president Peron died in 1974. Peron’s widow at the time was groomed to be the successor and her rise to the presidency was seen as the first step towards a revision of the plight of Argentinean women. This hope was, however, short-lived as not much change was effected for the benefit of the plebeian majority. Finally, in a rather bizarre twist to the idea of the feminist revolution, a group of female prisoners took part in the now infamous Dirty Protests of between 1978 and 1981 in Ireland. The tactics deployed by the female prisoners were a resounding reiteration of the sexual differences between men and women, which basically put the women above the men. To put it in clear perspective, the protestation efforts of about 400 men were overshadowed by those of 40 women (Aretxaga 250).
Works Cited
Aretxaga, Begona. “Dirty Protest: Symbolic Overdetermination and Gender in Northern Ireland Ethnic Violence.” (n.d): 244-252. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
Feijoo, Maria del Carmen and Gogna, Monica. Women in the Transition to Democracy: Argentina’s Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. Geneva, Switzerland: United National Research Institute for Social Development, 1990. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
Stephen, Lynn. “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights: The Merging of Feminine and Feminist Interests among El Salvador's Mothers of the Disappeared (CO-MADRES).” American Erhnologisr 22.41 (1995): 807-827. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
Question 2 (B):
It is indeed easy to view the use of sports as a means of merging both gender roles as well as nationalism. In essence, such films as Murderball highlight the masses’ preoccupation with sports as a way of expressing their nationalistic ideals. This film in particular illustrates the intense rivalry between the two proximate North American neighbors, USA and Canada. The fans of both nations cheer on their teams with a sense of cultic reverence, which undoubtedly means a mutual disdain for each other’s teams. This essentially showcases the extent to which sports, coupled with the pompous portrayal of raw masculinity, serves to augment nationalistic ideals among people from different nations, even to a point of mutually disrespecting each other’s entitlement to their own sense of nationalism.
The foregoing thoughts are echoed with scholastic fervor by the renowned author on gender issues, Cynthia Enloe. In her book, Transnational Sport, she highlights the merger of masculinity and nationalism at the holistic exclusion of women. She contends that women have over the years been deprived of the chance to be part of the group of people that champions the ideals of nationalism (Enloe 42), through interactive activities such as sports. The Olympics is a good example of this concept. It is not until recent times that women have become a central part of the iconic sporting event that is in many ways an epitome of nationalism.
According to Joo (101), the portrayal of the different genders in major sporting events highlights the extent to which society has accepted by default, the merger between masculinity and nationalism. For instance, she gives the example of the hard masculine body of Korean athletics, who are in essence the pride of Korea, and the soft and supple bodies of female golfers. Such delineations between the genders only serves to bolster the primitive notion that females are somehow subservient to the males by nature.
Works Cited
Enloe, Cynthia H. Bananas, Beaches & Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2000. Print.
Joo, Rachael Miyung. Transnational Sport: Gender, Media, and Global Korea. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012. Print.
Murderball. Dir. Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. ThinkFilm, 2005. Film.
Question 3 (C):
The role of the media in depicting the relationship between gender and nationalism is similar to that discussed above involving sport. The mass media is especially a potent tool of influencing the ideas of consumers since due to its extensive nature and ubiquity. According to Abu-Lughod (5), the influence of the media among the masses is even evident in relatively developed economies such as Egypt. As an example, adolescent girls tend to be attracted to what appears as exotic content broadcast via television and radios, carrying with it the stereotypical depictions of the various roles assigned to each gender and how this plays out in the grander scope of nationhood. In essence, such girls are seen as being too eager to consumer that content which reiterates the women’s stereotypical role as homemakers and wives as opposed to that content which might encourage independence and leadership among women.
Famous film production houses such as Walt Disney are also known to employ what Baker-Sperry (717) calls the most ideal tool for propagating gender definitions to the masses, especially the children. A case in point is the portrayal of Cinderella in the famous fairy-tale film of the same name. Cinderella is seen as a house-worker and she is the film’s protagonist. This clearly sends the message to young girls viewing it that they are expected to be caretakers in their roles as part of society. Similarly, the evil step sisters in the film are seen to be overly preoccupied with the way they look, thus emphasizing the objectification of women by the mass media.
Similar stereotypes are evident in other films and television shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. According to McRuer (587), the behavior of the five homosexual men in the film deviates from what is normally termed as masculine. For instance, these five main characters are fashion experts, with fashion enthusiasm being popularly seen as the preserve of the women. It is therefore not a surprise that these five men are gay. The consumers of such films are essentially being bombarded by ideals and conceptions that champion the traditional roles of the two genders, with deviation from these stereotypes then leading to homosexuality.
Works Cited
Abu-Lughod, Lila. Dramas of Nationhood: The Politics of Television in Egypt. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2004. Print.
Baker-Sperry, Lori. “The Production of Meaning through Peer Interaction: Children and Walt Disney’s Cinderella.” Sex Roles 56 (2007): 717–727. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
McRuer, Robert. “Crip Eye for the Normate Guy: Queer Theory and the Disciplining of Disability Studies.” PMLA 120.2 (2005): 586-592. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
