When I first started taking Women Studies courses, I remember being filled with the fire of a young activist who has seen the light. However, I also remember (with some embarrassment) that I, being so very young and inexperienced, had no idea how to defend my new-found beliefs and passion of helping to make the world a more equal and just place. During various dinner parties, I can recall how some of my male acquaintances would make disparaging remarks regarding my choice to take GSWS courses. Of course I would try to tell them my reasons for why I believed it was entirely relevant to be a feminist in today's society; unfortunately, I was more sputter and stutter than clear, well-stated opinion. In other words, those uninformed guys frequently got the better of me and probably ended up thinking that I was some silly, misguided little girl.
If you can remember the first day of GSWS 398, both Claire and I stated that we wanted to improve our debate skills so that we could hold our own with those who were either anti-feminist or just plain ignorant. I have found that over the years, I have so many experiences and times with which to build up my repertoire of defense against the non-feminist. I have been able to look at our world and clearly point out relevant and obvious issues of inequality that even someone living under a rock could not deny. Not long ago, one of my older male friends started questioning me about Women Studies and why I found it to be practical and relevant to today's experience. Bam! This was my time to shine. I was able to clearly state the reasons for why I was a feminist, proud and loud, why I believed that Women Studies should still be called "Women Studies," and for why feminism and GSWS courses in general are so crucial to developing one's critical thinking skills. Although he seemed extremely skeptical at the beginning, by the end of the conversation I could feel that his opinion had shifted slightly. I am proud that I could spread some aspect of feminism to someone who has never really been exposed to what it means.
How about you guys? Have you noticed over the years that you have become so much better at defending your beliefs regarding feminism and action against inequality in our society?
Absolutely. It's gotten a lot easier for me, over time. I'm usually OK at voicing my opinions so long as I'm not in an extremely emotional state. It used to be that whenever someone was sexist or otherwise disparaging in conversation or debate, I would take it extremely personally, and I wouldn't be able to spit out anything useful. These days, I've found that I generally assume that anyone being sexist/racist/sizest/heterosexist is a bigoted idiot, then I just feel bad for them. Cultivate a sense of pity for your opponents - it makes it a lot easier to remain neutral. If they're just ill-informed dummies, you don't feel so much like it's a personal affront. :)
ReplyDeleteWay to go Debs, that's really great to hear! I still have troubles articulating my points to people who are questioning my beliefs but that's mostly to do with me not thinking before I speak. This class has taught me a lot and has encouraged me to do a lot of self-reflection which I find has helped me become a little more confident in my own opinions. I like Katie's advice though, I'll definitely have to try that out :)
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