Position Essay on Student Source Use in the Academy
Shehanh Alghamdi
Professor Bock
EN 102
November 15, 2018
Annotated Bibliography:
Women’s Rights Movement and how Mary Tyler Moore Show helped
Positioning Gender In Discourse
Baxter, Judith. Positioning Gender In Discourse. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
This book looks into a new approach of studying a discourse in public settings where
either males or females become powerful or powerless and that the situation changes in no given
time. This approach, Feminist Post-structural Discourse Analysis has however proven that
women are still viewed as the minority in their speeches and are shown how powerless they are.
The book reveals how the object of public discussions and interaction are formed and
how the speaker's form their identities in relation to gender and power and that the females are
demonstrated to be powerless in settings that are mixed. The analysis takes into consideration
interactions of how institutions shape them both in the cooperate and even n classes.
1.“In this book power is conceptualize as Foucauldian sense not as a possession in somebody’s
hand but as a net-like organization.”(Baxter, 8)The power an individual gets is seen to start down
from the organizations that people grow up in. Most of which tend to reflect that men are more
powerful and given more platform than women. Organizations should instill values that nurture
equal opportunities to both genders and try eliminating public tension in gatherings.
2.“…there might be dominant discourses constructing stereotypical assumptions about
masculinity, feminism and binary gender differences…” (Baxter, 8)The inequalities happening in
communities are all stereotypical in that people assume because one is a woman they are
supposed to do or not do certain things. These are what make people view each other differently
and when one does not follow that trend are seen as rebels
3. “Like post-structuralism feminism draws a small but thorough theoretical
tradition.”(Baxter,4)Theories are a basis of the social sciences where teachings are drawn from
them. Like any other topic, feminism has its basis on traditional theories that may not be hugely
impacting but are very thorough in explaining issues in the community. Feminism theories, in
this book especially, explain how the deep-rooted problems of inequality have evolved and are
not new to society. Although some of these theories do not look into the different causes of
discourse in society.
Femininity, And Popular Culture
Hollows, Joanne. Feminism, Femininity, And Popular Culture. : Manchester University Press.,
2000.
This text upholds feminists from the 1960s and expresses the issue of New-Wave
Feminism in that the early feminists gave the basis for the recent ones to fight. Earlier on the
women in society fought and used to show each other how important they are. They fought for
issues in society about personal development compared to the new-wave feminists who fought
for equality between men and women and freedoms from the laws.
However, the book suggests how feminist can be viewed differently as a weakness or
should women accept their femini. It shows how some feminists see that the fight of feminist can
only be won by excluding the feminine part and accepting masculinity. However, transforming
the whole society as a whole is key for feminists.
1. “Second wave feminism is seen as a product of the past.”(Hollows,2). Before the 1960s
women were being mistreated and they found it unpleasing hence they started to fight for what
they wanted. The difference is that the women then and those who are advocating now are for
different opinions, but all the feminists that are known had built their basis on these traditional
ones. If the women in those early times did not rise to fight for what they wanted women would
not have gotten the motivation to do so.
2.“Many women began to value each other and be proud to be women.”(Hollows 3)
For women to have begun noticing that they were mistreated they had to accept who they are.
These early feminists knew that the most certain way was to show how valued they are and
helped other women who did not think in the same direction. This helped them come into terms
with their feminist and fight towards a good course. Women in this century should follow the
same, they should not see themselves as any lesser, and they should empower one another in this.
3.“…equality between men and women might be achieved if women rejected feminine behavior
in favor of masculine values and behaviors.”(Hollows 10). This statement may be seen as true or
false according to the way one views it. It is a contradictory statement bringing into account that
may be equality will not be achieved unless all people became of the same behaviors and values.
Eliminating feminine values and accepting masculinity only shows how much women have not
accepted themselves, fear is still in them and the stereotypes that men are better than them.
Feminists should work to enhance that the knowledge and acceptance of women are widely
spread, and women are shown their best values and work on them.
What Would Murphy Brown Do?Seal Press
Klein, Allison. What Would Murphy Brown Do? . Seal Press, 2006.
The writer of this book incites how she grew up in front of the television while as she
went to school to although most of her time was on the screen. She shows how television helped
she who she has and that it is evident that many women have been helped by television sitcoms
and shows express their reality. A show like Mary Tyler Moore revealed a fictional character that
most women could relate to and suggested that it was okay to be old and single and even
divorced.
She also compares how during her mother’s generation things were different compared to
her generation in that even the role models were male-dominated compared to her having
females as people she could look up to. She feels television plays a major role in expressing
feminism and shaping women in general.
1.“But TV is an important part of my life and has helped shape my sensibility.”(Klein 1).
Television has been viewed by some as something that enhances anti-social behavior where one
spends more time watching than taking part in the social gathering. However, this article shows
how important television is and played an important role. The same way, in this century, social
media should be used wisely by spreading messages of empowerment about feminism rather
than negative comments.
2.“She and other historians have noted that without the restrictive and sometimes ridiculous
images of early television, women wouldn’t have found the fuel that ignited the feminist
movement.”(Klein 1). Although television shows were restrictive in what it aired, women could
relate to what they saw in the television shows. Mary Moore was one which impacted many
women at the time, and it still does by bringing into character women that could not be
envisioned in society. Realities were exposed which helped to empower women and how they
could solve some problems. Such platforms are important, and restrictions should be raised to
enable more openness and airing of reality.
3. “She’d grow up with posters of male celebrities on her walls; I grew up with female
ones.”(Klein 3). Role models are important in the lives of people as we often look at how people
did some things and we follow. However, before the 1980s women were not given priority as
men were. Women were not seen as achievers compared to men and society was looking upon
them. However, shifts have occurred as women are coming up doing what men could have done
without fear and transforming societies at large.
America Made Me A Feminist
Porizkova, Paulina. "America Made Me A Feminist." The New York Times , 2017.
The opinion essay was written by a former model who slowly transforms into a feminist
after being married to an American man. She had moved from Czechoslovakia and was bullied
in a Swedish school. The way women were treated in Sweden differed from how they were in
Paris and in America. She came to realize how the women in America were controlled by their
men, social groups and the government and wanted to use her former experiences to being a
feminist and be able to stand for her.
1.“It didn’t take long to understand that in Sweden, my power was suddenly equal to a boy’s.”
The way societies are shaped enable behavior in different people and how one reacts. The way
the children are brought also matters as that is the basis of their reactions to some issues. In a
society where one does not react well to inequality and condones it then children will grow u to
know that is how it should be instead of fighting it they will do nothing.
2.“Instead of feeling celebrated, I felt patronized.” This article showed how women would be
seen as sex puppets and would be praised for that. They would be treated well, but it made them
feel like they are worthless and did not bring a sense of joy in that. Women should be praised for
their achievement and should always be treated good and not only when something is needed
from them.
3.“In America, important men were desirable. Important women had to be desirable.” In
America men who were successful were seen as important automatically without any effort.
Women, however, had to show their efforts, fight for them to be recognized and for people to see
them as desirable.