Ah, there are so many reasons I chose to take this
course. My undergraduate interests
in the way gender is enacted, began when I added a BA of Arts in Women’s
Studies to my plate. Being female,
the gendered expectations placed on me as a young girl came to mind, in
addition to being the mother of three male sons. More than ever, I began to reflect on the various ways in
which I responded to marketing as both child and parent. These reflections became foundations
for various simple theories as I set off on the path to teaching as a GA. As of late, I question my behaviors
when lined up against my words. I
reflect on the items I consume, the way I consume, the way I view consumers, as
all have come into play when considering my “girliness” and the way I
experienced girlhood.
As a fortunate volunteer with Girlhood Remixed, and post
creation of qualitative research inquiries with reference to females working in
technological fields traditionally viewed to be male professional fields – this
class fit perfect with all the mini-theories and research questions I have only
begun to toss around.
Lastly, I have just completed the Borderlands Writing
Project. This one-month long
course provided ample space for reflection on my literary history, personal
writing practices, teaching writing, and teaching inquiry. More than ever, I recognized on
reflection that the way I have enacted womanhood has had so much to do with my
girlhood experience, especially prior to returning to NMSU as a non-traditional
student. So, I guess you could say
I am taking to this course to understand more about the discourses under which
I was raised, the discourses I continue to participate in, the frameworks under
which I will become an instructor, and gendered expectations placed on females
and males. I ask, “How can I
participate in feminist activism, I don’t learn more about the foundations of
gendered expectations?”
I am excited about learning with all of you, feel fortunate
that I will be able to engage with so many blog entries, and hopeful that I
will be a much more knowledgeable contributor to academia by class end. It is my pleasure that we get to unpack
these ideas and break it all down together! Ready – set – GO!
Hi Karen!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you are taking this class! You mentioned GA--are you in the English master's program or are you doing a womens studies program--I hope that we get to have some (more) classes together next semester! I always love hearing your insight on subjects!
-Christine
Karen-
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to hear how Borderlands went for you. It's such a great program!
And I don't think anything makes you think more about gender and identity performance than standing in front of a classroom. I had a friend who once taught her whole online class without ever revealing her first name or sharing a picture. She said in the end she still felt gendered. It's hard - maybe impossible - to separate who we are from our gender.
Glad you are with us!
Thanks, for the reminder about gender in the classroom. The quiet women in my Developmental English classroom are a challenge for me. Because I was told to be quiet so much as a child, I have a huge problem when other women are quiet. Voices everyone! Of course I know not everyone learns or participates in the same way. ( :
ReplyDeleteHere's to the joys of being a non-traditional student!
Colleen
Hi Karen!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to be in a class (BWP was kind of a class, right?) with you again! I have my minor in Women's Studies!
I really like that you bring up the ways our beliefs and views do or don't manifest themselves in our consumerism. In many ways what and how we consume can define us. I agree with you that it is important to recognize and analyze how and why we make the choices we do. I think this class will be a great space to do!