Service Learning Log 8

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 16, 2010





Activism Log 8

Activism:

We will be meeting this Sunday to work on our presentation. I truly enjoyed this project and feel like I made a difference in the girl scout’s lives because they learned about money in which they may not have learned about it in the fashion in which we taught it. Getting feedback from them was awesome because then it became apparent with the fact that they did learn! I also notified Mariana as a reminder for her to e-mail the pictures from cookie sales and from our workshops with the girls.

Reflection:

Within the past week, we have discussed the feminist movement and its role in girls lives. The legacy of the feminist movement brings along the question of “How we are affecting girls right now?” We concluded that we are creating a future for girls that we may not agree with (Perez, 14 April). Which is true; the media gives an unrealistic perception of how a young girl should act, dress and look which is not fair to adolescents. They need role models and images that show that being fat is not wrong, being tall is beautiful and being a different race is unique.

Reciprocity:

Overall working with the girl scouts was an honor. I could not have asked to work with a better group of girls as well as a better group of peers to work with. As I have stated before, programs like these are great because they allow young girls to see the world in a completely new light. With that said, these types of programs do not receive as much credit as they deserve for the impact that they have in the long run.

Work Cited

Perez, Nina. Lecture.14 April 2010.

Service Learning Log 7

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 9, 2010

Activism Log 7

Activism:

This week we submitted our verification worksheets to Mariana. We cleared up any confusion as to exact dates and times because not everyone had the same amount of hours so we made sure that everyone was coordinated between the four of us. We also discussed a day to set aside to complete or presentation. We present on May 3, 2010.

Reflection:

Mariana without a doubt does a wonderful job of making sure the girls experience life to the best of their ability that they may not have been able to otherwise. Girl Scouts focuses a lot on “girl power” as well. As we have discussed in class, the question of “How is Girl Power something that can be bought?”(Perez, April 14). Young girls can buy shirts, shoes and accessories that emphasize “girl power” but it is definitely more than that! I remember in our last meeting with the girls and they were taking pictures, many of them put up the peace sign and their troop leader repeatedly told them not to since throwing up a peace sign has become so commercial, it takes out the essence of the whole movement. I commended Mariana when she did that because the peace sign and many other symbols somehow have just become cool to do without much thought being put into it. Especially for little girls and the romanticism that gets associated with symbols.

Reciprocity:

Girl Power to me is phenomenal! I am so for it because young girls need to be empowered to know their real worth in society and in the world. Many of them come from single parent homes, broken homes etc., which many of them will grow to make a change in the world. Programs like Girl Scouts as an outlet for them.

Work Cited

Perez, Nina. Lecture.14 April 2010.

Service Learning Week 6

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 2, 2010

Activism Log 6

Activism:

Although there was little activity with the project, Jessica and I assisted Mariana with the troop to a Magic Game, which was fun. The girls may have never gotten the chance to go to a game so this opportunity was great for them! Unfortunately, there were only a handful of girls who were able to attend.

Reflection:

The group of girls that we worked with were between the age ranges of seven and nine and were literally little women! They were very mature and very “prissy” yet smart. As stated in Women’s Lives, “…Girls who are active, confident, and feisty at the ages of eight and nine...” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 232). They stayed on task and it was rare that their troop leader Mariana had to reinforce much discipline with them, which says a lot about their background as well! We did find that one girl in particular spoke about diet, which was shocking coming from a seven year old! She would repeatedly say how her mom would not let her eat this or that which at that age, they should be able to eat whatever they want! Everyone is different so I definitely am not one to judge!

Reciprocity:

 

Overall, the girls enjoyed the game and their eyes lit up with excitement for being able to take advantage of the opportunity because they may not have been able to go to a basketball game. They loved every minute of being at the game, which they were appreciative.

Work Cited

Kilbourne, Jean. ""The More You Subtract, the More You Add"" Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 230. Print.

Ecofeminism Blog

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 13, 2010
Ecofeminism Blog

The Secret Garden

            The movie is about a little girl who loses her parents in an earthquake. After losing her parents, she is sent to live with her uncle who is not a very happy man. The Secret Garden exhibits the progress of character developments. Mary Lennox, Mrs. Medlock, Colin, and Mary’s uncle change in the end of the movie in a positive way.
             Mary Lennox who is a 10 year old girl had no attention or love from her family in her life. She was living in wealth; therefore she was a depressed child because of her parents being busy with parties or their business life, unfortunately not caring about her much. In the book Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives, “…an ecological feminism can, and should, integrate gender, race, class, and nation in its analysis and that its powerful theoretical insights can, and should translate into practice” (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 540). Nature and the elements don’t come into play until later but as a result of these, Mary developed her character in terms of a cold personality, and because of her being used to live in wealth, she always expects attention, and perfection from others who are lower than her. In the story line, Mary finds about a secret garden. Not having any reason that will keep her alive before, Mary dedicates herself to the development of the forsaken garden. She discovers the truth that lies in the secret garden. Her personality changes after she finds about her cousin who is ill and she tries to help him as much as she can. Trying to discover the truth and help her crippled cousin, she develops a new character, which is caring and for the first time she feels love.
          As a result we can say that all character developments in this story are results of Mary’s appearance and the discovery of “the Secret Garden”. When Mary reveals the truth, stepping into the forsaken place, she changed herself and others too, in a good way. She brought happiness to the place which seemed to have nothing like happiness or peace.
          The major themes relating to healing are the components of human companionship, friendship, determination, and love in relation to the garden. As stated in the book Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives, in Western thought, nature is often feminized and sexualized though imagery such as “virgin forest,” “the rape of the earth,” and “penetrating,” the wilderness (Kirk and Okazawa-Rey 539). In the movie, there is not much emphasis on the gender of nature but there is a deep contrast between the social standings of the characters. Suffering, secrecy, and sickness seem to be tied with those in the upper class. Those that represent and affect positive change are the country folk who are more truthful, compassionate, and noble than people not in close touch with nature.
            You cannot help but be aware of the themes of healing and personal change. The garden was as the central symbol, a place of personal devastation (as with Lily Craven’s death and Archibald’s mourning) and subsequent restoration (as with Mary’s self-discovery). It is evident that one of the strongest sources of healing power comes from within the individual. The story ends,with every character in the story smiling and again enjoying life, but all those are results of Mary’s appearance in the sad mansion.





Work Cited

"Women and the Environment." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 539-40. Print.

Personal Narrative Blog

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
April 5, 2010
Personal Narrative Blog

In this particular blog entry from Riverbend, on Tuesday June 21, 2005, she describes the events that go on daily in the city. Her cousins come over to wash clothes only to find out that there is no electricity in the mornings. This very article exhibits the overall sense of anxiety for the people because from day to day, there is an uncertainty of what will happen next. In the blog she states, “The Green Zone is a source of consternation and aggravation for the typical Iraqi (Riverbend)”. The green zone is where the US Embassy is located where separate rules, regulations along with government are made. Privilege between men and women comes into play because this exemplifies the Americans at this time given the opportunity to live a better life than most Iraqi people within the midst of destruction and turmoil. In Women’s Lives, it states “People in dominant positions may justify inequalities among and within nations with reference to ideologies of racism, classism, sexism, and national superiority (Living in a Globalizing World 376). The United stated is showing a perfect example of this by setting up shop and casting out the Iraqi lifestyle and letting them in. Majority of the “Green Republic” are men so women don’t have much say. Being hindered from other opportunities for the nation as a whole, it has become something that they are accustomed to with the bombs going off, and simply necessities as running water. Riverbend states, “It tells us that while we are citizens in our own country, our comings and goings are restricted because portions of the country no longs to its people (Riverbend).” Also, although the military system is a core element in the global economy (Women and the Military 508).
Major reconstruction has not even began which hinders the people let alone women who wish to work but can’t and if they do, they are given restricted times that they can work without much freedom. The patterns of women’s lives in Iraq are contextualized in terms of the intersection between the institutions of modern patriarchy and politics. No matter how it is culturally symbolized, it boils down to the simple principle: females live and die at the command of males, and males live and die at the command of the state. Although the dynamics of race and class create obvious inequalities within genders, the threats women experience prevails in the public sector.


Work Cited

Riverbend. "General Update..." Web log post. Baghdad Burning. Blogspot, 21 June 2005. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. .

"Living in a Globalizing World." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 376. Print.

"Women and the Military, War and Peace." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 508-209. Print.

Abstract for Discussion Leading 3/29

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
March 27, 2010

Antrobus, Peggy. "The Global Women's Movement." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 629-35. Print.

In the beginning of the passage, Antrobus defines what the global women’s movement is and various views on what it actually is. She begins the passage by asking a few questions concerning what it is and how we can understand such a movement. Antrobus states, “It seems to me that the continuing confusion about what defines women’s movements relates not so much to the fact that this movement does not conform to a conventional definition of a movement, but rather to lack of clarity about objectives in contexts that differ widely” (629).She then lists various ways of clarifying the contradictions reinforcing tendencies within the women’s movements and lists an array of professions, organizations and associations that women are apart of and argues that, ‘’All of these women must be seen as apart of, or at least contributing to, women’s movements” (630).

Antrobus lists various characteristics that fall under the scope of a women’s global movement such as diversity, feminist policies, global reach methods of organizing, symbols and images and origins. Antrobus states, “A characteristic of many of those involved in women’s movements is the process of personal experiences; still others work experience” (635). She also argues that there is a difference from other social movements that sets the women’s global movement apart from the rest.

Service Learning Log Week 5

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
March 22,2010

Activism Log 5

Activism:

There was not much activity this week with our project; it happened to be the week we got back from Spring Break so after completing our project we took a break. There was not much contact with our community partner, Mariana, either. As a group, we did discuss possible dates to submit the verification worksheets to Mariana as well. Jessica and I assisted with cookie sales outside of Wal-Mart as well which was fun!

Reflection:

As I look back at the course of the project and the times we met with the girls, rarely did I see fathers picking up their daughters. In Women’s lives it states, “More women than men make up the working poor, and women of color are more likely to be poor compared to white women” (Women’s lives 311). I say this because many of the families represented were minority. Also, this backs up what I said before about the mothers being just about the only ones picking up their daughters. Parental roles have also shifted with women being the breadwinners in the home.

Reciprocity:

As I said before, this week was pretty non eventful but cookie sales was a joy!

Work Cited

"Making a Home, Making a Living." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 311. Print.