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.

Service Learning Log Week 4

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015

Professor Nina Perez

March 5,2010

Activism

This week, we discussed with our community partner when we would submit our tracking sheet for service learning. Next week is our Spring Break so we will not be meeting.

Reflection

The girls in our group’s parents all work and I am sure that most cannot afford childcare for their children. Therefore, programs such as Girl Scouts are a great opportunity for them to stay entertained and their parents will not have the burden of having to pay for childcare. As stated in the Women’s Lives textbook, Childcare is a major family expense (Women’s Lives 307). A huge weight is lifted from their parents in this area but their children are not only taken care of but they can also engage in rewarding activities that will not only alleviate stress but also can be a stress reliever for the girls because of what may be going on at home.

Reciprocity

Word would never be able to describe the reward I get from working with young girls. It is truly a great opportunity for us to be able to instill basic knowledge into these young girls’ minds to better their future.

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. 307. Print.

Vixen in the Kitchen-Angel in the Attic Blog Assignment

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
March 16, 2010

Vixen in the Kitchen-Angel in the Attic Blog Assignment

                  In the premiere episode, "Patriarchy," Kitty Walker (Calista Flockhart) returns home to California after having been estranged from her mother (Sally Field) for three years. Meanwhile, William Walker (Tom Skerritt) brings Sarah (Rachel Griffiths) into the family business, where she soon discovers some glaring financial discrepancies that could undermine the Walker family's way of life.
                The series follows the Walkers through the maze of American life today- the pressures, limitless options and the struggle to grow beyond our backgrounds into ourselves. This is a prime example exhibited in the book Women's lives Multicultural Perspectives,working-class women are heavily penalized for job intteruptions, although these are the very women who allegedly "choose" less demanding occupations that enable them too move in and out of the job market without undue wage penalties" (Kirk and Rey 341). Through these fascinating siblings-Sarah, the corporate VP who returns to the family business so she can give to her marriage as much as she does to her career; Tommy (Balthazar Getty), the loyal son trying to live up to his father's expectations; Kevin (Matthew Rhys), the gay lawyer cautiously learning about love; Justin (Dave Annable), the baby of the family, grappling with war trauma and addiction; and Kitty, right-wing radio host turned TV host who has always been daddy's little girl-the show explores what it means to be a family in the 21st century, and how these brothers and sisters balance their own lives as they strive to accept their parents as people-flawed, contradictory and forgivable-rather than just as a father and mother. The parents are William Walker, the larger-than-life patriarch and president of the family business, and Nora Holden, the opinionated wife and mother to the five Walker siblings. Then there's Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden, Nora's brother; John Pyper-Ferguson as Sarah's husband, Joe; Sarah Jane Morris as Tommy's wife, Julia; and Patricia Wettig as Holly, a woman who's history with William could bring the Walkers and their company down.
               The episode perpetuates traditional gender roles by the wife doing motherly/wife roles like cooking or taking care of her children while in this case, the mother’s children are all adults. Gender roles are also divided equally. According to Paula Ettelbrick, the concept of equality in our legal system does not support differences, it only supports sameness ( Women's Lives 318).

Work Cited

Ettelbrick, Paula. "Since When Is Marriage a Path to Liberation?" Women's Lives Multicultural
        Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
        318-18. Print.

Crittenden, Ann. "The Mommy Tax." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk
         and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 341-41. Print.

Behind the Music Blog Assignment

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015
Professor Nina Perez
March 2, 2010

Behind the Music

“Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

"Before He Cheats" tells the story of a woman taking revenge on her potentially unfaithful boyfriend. She imagines him hanging out and flirting with a "bleach-blond" girl shooting pool, buying her a drink, dancing, and hoping to be "getting lucky" with her. As a result, she does several law-breaking actions including vandalizing his customized four-wheel drive vehicle by scratching its side with a key, carving her name into its leather seats, smashing the headlights with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat and slashing all four tires. She hopes that this will make him "think before he cheats" again.

There is a double standard against men and women because women cheat, they just don’t get caught. This video is a form of economic violence at that falls under threats/intimidation because it is the destruction of property or valuables. At micro and meso levels, women can be violent as well as men (Kirk, Margo Okazawa-Rey "Violence Against Women”).The song has drawn criticism for its glorification of violence as a justified response to the infidelity suffered by the subject of the song. Someone vandalizing their boyfriend's car would not simply get away with it and come out on top, as the woman in the song seems to think/suggest she will (especially given that she slashes her name into the seats, making it easy for any investigator to determine a prime suspect). As stated in the book Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist, Rape will not end when women stop wearing short skirts; it will end when men stop overpowering and violating women (Seely 201).Unfortunately in some cases the man doesn't walk away at all because the estranged wife or girlfriend feels that the cheater is better off dead. Revenge is a sweet thing but killing someone over infidelity or veen going to jail is not worth it...there are enoguh fish in the sea! 

Lyrics: http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/underwood-carrie/before-he-cheats-16593.html

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaSy8yy-mr8

Work Cited

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl:How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York UP, 2007. 201. Print.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Violence Against Women." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 258-58. Print.

Service Learning Log Week 3

Shanay Cogdell

WST 3015

Professor Nina Perez

February 28, 2010

• Activism

This week we wrapped up our second half of the Penny Project with the Girl Scouts. As we did before, we informed our community partner,Mariana, of the materials we needed in successfully completed our project. For the first two hours that we were there,we taught the girls about ways to save their money. For the second half, we played the penny project game and they also painted piggy banks. We then had ice cream and apple pie with the girls for a treat! As far as our project is concerned, we are done and there is no more that we have to do.

• Reflection

In doing this project, there have many life changing impacts that it has had on me but the most important has been to be thankful for what I have in my life. A lot of these girls are living in undesired circumstances which is not their fault. By being part of an organization such as Girl Scouts, they are given an opportunity to see the world in another light and also have the chance to go places and do things that they may not otherwise be able to because of money,etc. It was a joy to be able to be someone that a seven or eight year old can look up to other than their parents. 

• Reciprocity:

Like I have said before, it it a blessing to be able to work with a group of girls that we had. They soaked everything up that we were teaching them which was a big reward because it will make a difference in their lives.

 

February 26, 2010

 

February 26, 2010

 

The girls playing the Penny Project Game

February 26, 2010

 

Penny Project Game

February 26, 2010

 

The girls painted piggy banks

February 26, 2010

Service Learning Log Week 2

Shanay Cogdell

Professor Nina Perez

WST 3015

Febuary 20, 2010

           Activism Log 2

• 
  
  Activism

This week we met with the Brownie Troupe for the first time on Friday February 19, 2010 at the Bithlo Community Center. We started the first half of the Penny Project with the girls and it was a major success because the girls enjoyed learning about types of money and what can be done with money. With our community partner, Mariana, we informed her of materials that we would need to carry out the project successfully such as fake money, coins, crayons, etc. As a result, we were able to complete the first half of our project in it's entirety. There weren't any pitfalls because everyone was on the same page and we communicated our needs and wants very well. For next week, we will prepare for the second half of our project as well to ensure that we know what is going on.

• 
  
  Refelection

It is very evident that there is a social class division within this group of girl scouts compared to the rest of the community around them. The area of Bithlo has a lot of manufactured homes which saddened me a little because for most of the girls, there are limits to how far they will be able to go as far as their future. We were able to see some of their parents which explains why they are living the lives that they are living.

As stated in the book, Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives, "Economic security is also an important aspect of well. Low educational attainment, low wages, having children, and divorce all work against women’s economic security, as do macro-level economic trends” (Kirk, Okazawa-Rey p 315). Most of the families that these girls represent are products of their environment and unfortunately can do nothing about it. There were a lot of single parents as well who allow their children to be in programs such as these as a way out to pursue opportunities that they otherwise would have never been able to take advantage of.

• Reciprocity

At the meso level, we are teaching the girls the use of money and ways to save their money. Realizing how much of an impact that this can have in the present will also have an effect for them for their future. That in itself is a reward to me because as I have stated before, we are empowering these young girls to be better women when they become of age.

Feburary 19, 2010

Feburary 19, 2010

 

Work Cited

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

Great News!!!

I just scored an internship blogging for a designer out of California that designs evening gowns.

I for one am excited becuase I'll be interning in the field I LOVE while also giving feedback on various designs,etc.

More importantly/relevant to this course, a portion of the proceeds of every DALIA MACPHEE gown is donated to Women for Women Int., an International Organization that assists women who have been victimized in war torn regions of the Congo and other sruggling areas.

I got very excited as I started reading the information on the website and saw THIS because it definately relates to the course as it deals with women's issues!

Take time to read, become enlightned and enjoy =)

One of my favorite designs!!!

Body/Sexuality Blog Assignment

Shanay Cogdell

Professor Nina Perez

WST 3015

February 16, 2010
    
                                Body/Sexuality Blog Assignment

        Based on the Jane Austen novel, the Pride and Prejudice movie is a classic tale of love and misunderstanding unfolding in class-conscious England near the close of the 18th century. Marriage in the movie is clearly acknowledged and wealthy men during this time were forced to be in search of a wife. Ettelbrick states that marriage defines certain relationships as more valid than all others (317). This is a prime example with the movie because the thread that sews together the lives of all the characters in this classic is the establishment of marriage. As stated in the “Making a Home, Making a Living”, Marriage is often thought to be an essential part of a woman’s life (301). Mrs. Bennet is an irritating woman whose main goal in life is to get her five daughters married in which she felt social and financial pressure to do so. Her husband's estate was entailed to his nephew, Mr. Collins, upon Mr. Bennet's death. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters to have financial stability elsewhere in case of their father's death. In the time period of this story there was very little social acceptance of women who were single their whole lives. For the most part, women could not acquire money on their own without inheriting or marrying into good fortune. Women who could not find a husband were often referred to as old maids and lived their whole lives with their parents. People may not refer to unmarried women as “old maids” or “on the shelf” as much as in the past, but there is still a stigma attached to being single in many cultural groups if a woman remains unmarried after a certain age (Kirk, Margo Okazawa-Rey “Making a Living” 301). In which I can see why Mrs. Bennet felt the way she did and did not want this for any of her daughters.

       The Bennets' marriage was not ideal. Mr. Bennet had married his wife because she was beautiful in her youth and her ability to supply him with children. Eventually though, her beauty faded and so did their enjoyment of each other. He enjoyed his time alone in his study where he could be away from his wife and daughters. Mrs. Bennet enjoyed gossiping about neighbors and finding future husbands for her daughters in which it almost seems as a hobby for her! I believe that the director is showing the viewers that marrying only for physical appearance is wrong because we all know that beauty fades with time.

       A dear friend of Elizabeth, Charlotte Lucas, marries Mr. Collins just for money; Charlotte accepted his proposal for the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment. She was twenty-six years old and her family begun to worry. Upon hearing of her engagement, her brothers were relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte dying an old maid. Charlotte wanted nothing more out of marriage than financial stability and that is what she got. In Hunsford it seems that Charlotte did nothing but tend to the chores of maintaining her home and pleasing Lady Catherine. I do not believe that Charlotte and Mr. Collins were in love at all and they did not really seem too happy in each other's company. I think their marriage was an illustration of why you should not marry just for financial reasons which is a popular dream of most women these days. Lydia's marriage to Wickham was simply for romance and lust. For some time, the flirtatious teenager had had her eye on military officers. I believe that when Wickham showed her attention she fell in love and henceforth came their marriage. The sad fact is that she liked him a great deal more than he cared about her. Wickham had many debts and used the money he got from marrying her to pay them off. Therefore, Lydia is married to a man that doesn't really care for her all that much and Wickham is married to a girl that cannot really offer him anything. This couple shows that you should marry someone who feels the same towards you or eventually you will be unhappy. The marriages of the two oldest Bennet daughters were ideal. Jane had longed for Mr. Bingley for quite a while. Bingley was handsome, rich, kind, and well liked. He and Jane shared many conversations and had complimentary personalities. They were matched perfectly and I believe that they shared a happy life together. Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage was also a match made in Heaven. They were both were equally intellectual, had physical attraction and deep love for one another, financial security, romance, and companionship. This is an example of a real relationship because they would be most happy in life. In my opinion, marriage should be approached as a package deal - a package of love, financial stability, physical attraction, and happiness.



Work Cited

Ettelbrick, Paula. "Since When is Marriage a Path to Liberation? (1989)." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. By Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey.  5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 317. Print.

Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. "Making a Home, Making a Living." Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 301-03. Print

Service Learning Log Week 1

Shanay Cogdell


Professor Nina Perez


WST 3015


February 13, 2010

   Activism Log 1

• Activisim

This week our group met with our community partner, Mariana Ordaz, to get information on what we will be doing for our project as well as set up dates for each task to be completed.

Sarah, Jessica and I met with Mariana face to face which worked out very well; all were present except for Kelly who had to work. Mariana gave the outline for the project and explained that we will be working with a group of young girls with ages ranging from six to eight years old. Our project is called the “Penny Project” that is a financial literacy curriculum for Girl Scout Brownies, which uses an interactive educational approach to help girls gain an understanding of money and the responsibility that goes with it. For the first official meeting, we were very successful in all efforts in setting up our dates and ensuring that it worked for everyone in our group. In efforts of completing our project, next week we will be meeting to go over the guidelines and instructions for the Penny Project in preparation for our first meeting with the young girls at the Bithlo Community Center. We also completed the volunteer application as well as a background check.

• Reflection

The young girl scouts that we will be working with are in more than one way, less fortunate. Most come from broken homes and are otherwise unable to have programs such as Girl Scouts in their community due to low funds. The Penny Project will allow the girls to become empowered and learn ways to save their money and become successful in life. As stated in the book, Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives,"…poor people are usually assumed to be on welfare, masking the reality of life for many working people(Kirk, Okazawa-Rey p 311) ." This holds true to the young girl scouts because most of their parents are making just enough money to pay the bills and this project will hold as a new light that is shined in their lives and will teach them ways to manage their money.

• Reciprocity

Empowering women and young girls is something that I am a strong advocate for and programs like these are positive because it teaches girls how to do things on their own and become financially stable. I am very excited to see how this project benefits them in the long run!

Work Cited

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

Service Learning Proposal

Service Learning Proposal

For Girl Scouts of Citrus Council

Kelly Hales

Sarah Jackson

Shanay Cogdell

Jessica Schwendeman

February 3, 2010

Jeannina Perez

WST 3015 – Introduction to Women’s Studies

Community Partner: Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, Mariana Ordaz, Girl Scout Outreach leader

Address: 341 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803

Contact: (407) 896-4475 & mariana.ordaz@knights.ucf.edu

Community Partner Mission Statement: Girl Scout Mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place (Girl Scouts of America).

Political and/or Social Basis for Organization: Girl Scouts of Citrus Council is a not-for-profit organization organized in 1956 - following the founder Juliette Gordon Low's guidelines - serving girls throughout Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties since 1956.

Community Partner Needs: The Girl Scouts of Citrus Council provide plenty of volunteer opportunities. These include fundraising, funding, and help with Girl Scout events. Adults may chaperone these events which range from camping to mentoring.

Memorandum

TO: Jeannina Perez

FROM: Kelly Hales, Sarah Jackson, Shanay Cogdell & Jessica Schwendeman

DATE: February 3, 2010

RE: Proposal to Write a Feasibility Report for a Service Learning Project

The following is a proposal to outline the needs, rationale, and feasibility for a service learning project to benefit Girl Scouts of Citrus Council. The following proposal contains background on the need for and benefits of a financial literacy project, an outline of the work we plan to do, the rationale for its inclusion in WST 3015, and a scheduled timeline. This proposal may need to be revised after beginning the project and must be flexible to meet the needs of both the Service Learning project and the community partner.

Need for: The mission statement of the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council is “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” Girl Scout Outreach is a special program designed for interested girls ages 6 - 8 from low-income families who might not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in Scouting. Through our assistance, these Scouts will be able to learn about money management and financial responsibility, including the importance of saving, investing, and wise spending. The goal of cookie sales is for the girls to enjoy a special reward that they earned through their hard work.

Plan Proposal: We will meet with the Girl Scout Outreach group to interact with the girls and work through the financial literacy curriculum, “The Penny Project”. After the completion of the workshop, we will work to reinforce concepts learned by assisting with cookie sales around campus and in the Central Florida area.

Rationale for Women’s Studies: Through the teaching of the workshop, we will “help girls learn and implement key concepts and skills related to personal money management” (Girl Scouts of America). According to materials provided by the community partner, 90% of all women will be solely responsible for their financial self-sufficiency at some point in their lives, and 48% of single women ages 21 – 34 say they live from paycheck to paycheck (Girl Scouts of America). Facing statistics like these, it is clearly beneficial for girls to learn financial literacy skills as early as possible. This workshop presents the information in an appealing, accessible and fun way for the young girls. Additionally, assisting the Scouts with cookie sales will help to reinforce concepts learned and will help the girls in working as a team to achieve a set goal.

Action:

• Kelly Hales researched the community partner through their national website and concluded that there was a need for this type of program in our immediate area

• Jessica Schwendeman contacted Mariana Ordaz, Program Facilitator for Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, to set up a consultation

• The entire group met with Ms. Ordaz to discuss needs for her specific troop and tentative dates

• The entire group met to write up the Service Learning Proposal and discuss expectations

• The group will meet to familiarize ourselves with the curriculum and plan for the facilitation of the workshop

• The entire group will go through the background check process mandated by Girl Scouts of Citrus Council in order to work with the girls

• The entire group will visit the Scout meeting at Bithlo Community Center on two separate occasions in order to work through the entire curriculum with the Scouts

• At different points throughout the project, group members will assist with cookie sales at different locations around campus and the Central Florida area

• Group members will also contact organizations and departments around campus to find more opportunities for the Scouts to sell cookies

Timeline:

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Meet with group & community partner to discuss mutual expectations and goals

Monday, February 15, 2010 Meet with group together to practice workshop and familiarize ourselves with curriculum

Sunday, February 14, 2010 Assist with cookie sales

Friday, February 19, 2010 Meet with girls to present first half of workshop

Saturday, February 20, 2010 Assist with cookie sales

Sunday, February 21, 2010 Assist with cookie sales

Friday, February 26, 2010 Meet with girls to present second half of workshop

Works Cited

Girl Scouts of America. Girl Scouts of Citrus Council. 2 February 2010 .

—. "The Penny Project: A Guide For Adults." New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2005.

Taking a Second Look Blog Assignment

Shanay Cogdell
WST 3015
2/6/2010
Professor Nina Perez

Taking a Second Look Blog Assignment

In this is nontraditional Gucci ad, the women is promoting a purse and using her son as an accessory as well in which both characters are active. I’m not too sure as to why a child would be used in a high fashion ad like this. Both characters are positioned comfortably but the mother is making sure that her son is fine with his stance. This ad will make women, mothers in particular, feel good about themselves and bodies and can have a sense of empowerment because they can live a luxurious life as well as take care of their children at the same time. These years may be a time of self-definition and autonomy when they can resist earlier pressures to conform to dominant beauty standards (Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives, p 208). I like the fact that Gucci took this ad to the next level because it embodies normal women because there are a lot of mothers who feel as if they are stuck and there is no world outside of having children. In my opinion, this is a positive portrayal of women because it shows that women can have a baby then lose weight and get back to their normal lives. The woman is smiling which indicates that she is happy about her life and loves her baby but by the way she is holding her baby, it seems as if she feels the baby is an inconvenience. She does not look like me and I often find that women in ads don’t look like me but I often dream of living the luxurious and fabulous life that is often displayed. The ad is realistic because women have children all the time and also multitask. Also, it displays that adult women can also be fun and playful, even with their children. In women’s and teen magazines it is virtually impossible to tell the fashion layouts from the ads (Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives, p 236). This is a fashion layout because it is high fashion but is also an ad to sell an accessory. In advertising a product like this, I would stay away from using a child as an object because children should not be seen as objects but as human beings; the fact that the child is adorable is besides the fact. Overall, this ad embodies every day mothers living the luxurious life, not far from Real Housewives of Orange County!



References:
http://www.bwgreyscale.com/adimg10/adv_4828.JPG

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

Herstory Blog Assignment

Shanay Cogdell


WST 3015

1/30/10

Professor Nina Perez


Herstory Blog Assignment

In early 20th century England, it was a time of strife for women unable to vote in any elections. The women apart of the suffrage movement then became instrumental in winning voting rights for women everywhere. Several years later, the movement came to America but at first didn’t inspire women in America because the suffragists were too radical. The suffrage movement during this time period is represented by the “First Wave”. The first Wave of the women’s movement is characterized as the suffrage movement and occurred primarily during the 1800s and early 1900s. Originating the abolition movement to end slavery, women began working toward winning the right to vote (Fight Like a Girl, p 40). Early in the film Iron Jawed Angels, one of the many suffragists, Carrie Catt, was skeptical of the whole movement and the involvement of women coming to assist them from England due to their extreme tactics and remains passive throughout the whole movie. The main character Alice Paul of the National Women’s Party drafted an amendment to the U.S. constitution that was introduced to the senate in 1923 (Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives, p 11). Alice Paul is most active and is a suffrage in all aspects because she fights for women’s rights and is relentless by doing everything in the name women’s suffrage. In Ironed Jawed Angels, activism is represented by parades, protesting and lobbying. In the opening scene of Mary Poppins, Mrs. Banks plays a key role of a suffrage. She sings a song that describes the women’s movement and the rights of women and to the importance of solidarity among women that is essential to the success of the suffrage movement; elaborating on the place of men in suffrage. Her feminism is opposed by Mr. Banks views of the family as the king of his home and society. Mr. Banks’ home revolves around his authority, schedule and his overall happiness and represents all males in early 20th century England. He is also seen as a symbol for male domination and oppression as well as the entire economic system since he represents the financial district as the employee at a bank. Mary Poppins takes over as nanny as well as a catalyst for change in society’s conception of equality and the Banks’ conception of family.

Both films relate to “isms” in many ways because suffragists were the minority and not the majority and as a result, they were not seen as equals to men.



References

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

Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl:How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York UP, 2007. Print.

Womens groups urge CBS to drop Tebow Super Bowl ad - NFL News - FOX Sports on MSN

I thought this was interesting since it pertains to our class!

Womens groups urge CBS to drop Tebow Super Bowl ad - NFL News - FOX Sports on MSN

Introductory Letter

Hello All!

I am a 22 year old who was born in Jacksonville, Florida and in 1995,myself along with my mother made the move to Orlando and since then this has been my home. I am the only child on my mother's side but I have 4 siblings on my dad's side!

Here at U.C.F. I am a senior with two semesters left(yay),pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Mass Communications. Upon completion of my degree, I plan on using it in the field of fashion in which I have a HUGE passion for!

I've always had a slight interest in Women's Studies but never once thought that I would want to take a course in it but there's a first time for everything so here I am!

In my life my grandmother, aunt and my late mother have all had the greatest influences on my understanding of how men and women behave. Throughout my life, I have gone through tons and tons of lectures as well as life lessons that each have given me on friends,boys and everything in between. A lot of those lessons I have learned from my grandmother because she is wise and has gone through a lot of the trials and tribulations that I have gone through or things that I may be going through now.She would always lecture me about how guys behave and how they think and to just simply stay away from them until I'm done with school;to stay focused on my priorities and not to loose sight of my goals in life! =)
I owe it all to those three women because without them I would not be the person that I am today. Even though at times I may not have wanted to listen to what they were trying to tell me but in the long run,it all came in handy and I am forever thankful.

As far as women and women's studies is concerned, I want to learn more about how to deal with other women better and I would also like to learn about the struggles and trials that various women have gone through in order for me to be where I am at today. It is empowering for me to see other women excel with any endeavor that they pursue!For instance, for the past few months I have been inspired by our first lady, Michelle Obama, because she embodies strength and stands by her man 100% which is rare to see these days. At the end of the class, I hope to be empowered even more an an African American woman to help others get to where they need to be in life.

I have read,understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus and the blogging protocols, which I see as a contract for our course.