Feminist Theory
Feminist Theory, the Body, and the Disabled Figure
The focus of this essay was on how the female body and the disabled body are seen as inferior in society. This reading really made me realize how we view disabled and female bodies in our society, and how we typically look the disabled so differently. I also thought about how often people so easily overlook the struggles that many disabled bodies have to deal with, like disabled women who want to have children or public facilities not having wheelchair access. It’s sad to recognize how most people see the disabled as inadequate and compensate for that by pitying them, rather than trying to treat them the same way as an able-bodied person. This essay made me think of one of my good friend’s older sister with Down syndrome, and how when we are out in public with her how many people stare at her because her disability is visible. I found it interesting how this essay talked about how the female body is seen as disabled and inferior to men’s: weak, soft, passive, etc. This essay sheds light on how our society has been trained to undervalue those whose bodies are considered abnormal.
The Body Beautiful
This article focuses on the Western idea of what a woman’s body should look like and the insecurities and struggles that it creates. The perfect body for a woman, in our society, is slim, tall, tan, and almost impossible to attain. The article speaks to the women who struggle with weight issues and how they have to deal with the pressures of the media and the expectations of society to have that perfectly slim and golden body. This reading shed light on how much society teaches women to develop self-hating relationships with their body and encourages women to deal with their “problem areas”. This article reminded me of how often I struggle with my body image and how often I feel guilty for eating the wrong foods and not working out enough. This article really made me realize that nobody judges you more harshly
The focus of this essay was on how the female body and the disabled body are seen as inferior in society. This reading really made me realize how we view disabled and female bodies in our society, and how we typically look the disabled so differently. I also thought about how often people so easily overlook the struggles that many disabled bodies have to deal with, like disabled women who want to have children or public facilities not having wheelchair access. It’s sad to recognize how most people see the disabled as inadequate and compensate for that by pitying them, rather than trying to treat them the same way as an able-bodied person. This essay made me think of one of my good friend’s older sister with Down syndrome, and how when we are out in public with her how many people stare at her because her disability is visible. I found it interesting how this essay talked about how the female body is seen as disabled and inferior to men’s: weak, soft, passive, etc. This essay sheds light on how our society has been trained to undervalue those whose bodies are considered abnormal.
The Body Beautiful
This article focuses on the Western idea of what a woman’s body should look like and the insecurities and struggles that it creates. The perfect body for a woman, in our society, is slim, tall, tan, and almost impossible to attain. The article speaks to the women who struggle with weight issues and how they have to deal with the pressures of the media and the expectations of society to have that perfectly slim and golden body. This reading shed light on how much society teaches women to develop self-hating relationships with their body and encourages women to deal with their “problem areas”. This article reminded me of how often I struggle with my body image and how often I feel guilty for eating the wrong foods and not working out enough. This article really made me realize that nobody judges you more harshly