Reflective Essay: Women And Gender Studies

The topic of equality is not something that is new to me, but as of recently has opened my eyes to new perspectives and ideas on the subject. Through women and gender studies, I have discovered that I am a post-feminist with sincere fictions about some of the people around me. Although I consider myself open, accepting and curious of other cultures, women and gender studies has allowed me the opportunity to explore a couple of topics through campus discussions to apply my newfound knowledge. I was able to attend a scholarly discussion based on overcoming set identities, binary understanding of religions through the need of belonging to a community and bridging gender gaps in outdoor leadership. The ladder is interesting to me since I am a minority in my field of outdoor leadership and education. Women studies will enable me to better address gender issues and insecurities in the field. While there have been advancements in equality for people based on gender, class, race, ethnic and social backgrounds, we still have farther to go before we can truly reach equality. The first event I attended was located in Las Vegas for the National Recreational and Park Association, which was hosted by Kathrine Switzer-Ramer, Christine Wegner and Carrie Briscoe.
Due to socially constructed gender roles, women are expected to care for others then themselves. Pursuing leisure or adventure recreation can be overwhelming due to the masculine expectations that society has places on recreational activities such as rafting, backpacking and climbing. These pursuits should be based on a woman's passion for the outdoors or desire to explore and not merely for wanting to be one of the guys (Wroblewski 5). The wilderness can offer a sense of belonging, community, and physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and personal growth that all deserve to enjoy (Wroblewski