As we have discussed in class the consequences of being part of a deviant group are often being treated as objects rather than full human beings. This idea was clearly documented in the film Live Nude Girls Unite. This film follows the female dancers from New York’s Lusty Lady as they try to unionize. At the time, that this film was shot this was a groundbreaking endeavor in that no other adult dance clubs had been unionized prior.
Julie, the narrator of the film and dancer, begins by describing the trials that the women often experienced while dancing. The women expressed harassment from the male clients, constant demotions from management in an effort not to pay the women high salaries. The women were often encouraged to do illegal things in order to be paid more. Many of the nonwhite women expressed discrimination in the amount of shifts and pay they received. In the article Exotic Dancers: “Where am I Going to Stop,” Jennifer Wesely explains that many strippers see their performances as a job only and do not identify themselves as deviant in their outside lives. This was the case for the women from the Lusty Lady. In their outside lives, many of them were mothers and advocates for work place safety. In any other work place, the harassment these women faced would be reprehensible and there would be no question as to the fault of management in this type of situation. However, because people in the sex business are not often seen as full humans many treat them as if they deserve this bad treatment. In the article Humanizing Sex Workers by Margo DeMello, it is explained that many sex workers were shot, beaten, etc. by actor Charlie Sheen and that because they were sex workers it is as if they were “asking for it”. This is how many of the women were treated at the Lusty Lady and other dance club, at the time this movie was filmed.
The most convincing point in this film was showing how deviant groups in society can band together to get the rights they deserve and to be seen by their employers as more human and also how people seen as deviant can become less that human and not be afforded simply human rights. The least convincing point in this film was that even though Julie’s mother was a huge advocate for safe treatment of prostitutes, she was very embarrassed by her daughter’s profession of as a nude dancer. This clearly shows that the women, although making great strides, were still seen as deviant even from people who loved them and fought in some of the same circles as them.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A Story of PTSD
Mental health diagnoses are not undisputedly discovered like a cancer that can be seen with biological testing. To say that diagnoses are socially constructed is not to say they are socially invented or made up. Instead, they are fought for, opposed, and require the right political timing to be acknowledged. As deviance, such as aggression, is seen in large populations diagnoses are sought after in an attempt to explain such behavior. It is not the existence of the disease that is constructed it is the social acceptance and treatment of them that is. Existing symptoms that are organized and thereby labeled as a disorder are constructed to provide a more holistic approach to the care of the disorder. However, this approach may be met with great resistance from interested parties. This is the case for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as its inclusion, in some form, has been in and out of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) for decades. But how could this be? If a diagnosis is to be believed as scientifically proven how can it be removed and what are the consequences of its removal or inclusion? The individuals that advocate for medical diagnoses are often the people that suffer from the symptoms or care providers that stand to gain financially from the treatment of the disorder (Williams, 2012). The opponents of these disorders are often the insurance companies or, in this case, the government who typically will be responsible for financial reimbursement of the accepted disorder. Although PTSD in not limited to veterans of war, this analysis will be focused on soldiers as they are the most notable figures with the disorder and the ones in which the most scrutiny is allotted.
People exhibiting signs of PTSD have recurring distressful memories of the traumatic event, often in nightmares. They often have a numbing of feelings and emotions and avoid social situations. Many times PTSD sufferers will have a heightened startle response, a short temper, and other distressing symptoms making social situations especially difficult (Affairs, 2007). Emotional problems in soldiers returning from battle have been documented for centuries. In Homer’s Iliad (850 B.C.) the Greek hero Achilles was described as being tormented, in nightmares, by the hundreds of men he had kill in battle (Caffrey, 2009). Similar symptoms have been described as soldier’s heart (Civil War), combat fatigue, shell shock, war neurosis (WWI), and battle fatigue (WWII) (Disorders.com). The DSM is the book that all psychological disorders are diagnosed from in the United States. If the DSM does not include a description for a disorder then for all medical purposes the disorder does not exist and therefore will not be treated or accepted by insurance companies (Scott, 1990).
The first edition of the DSM included a diagnosis for soldiers that were struggling from emotional distress called gross stress reaction. However, it was thought that once the stressor was removed the symptoms would diminish. In 1968, the DSM-II was published and gross stress reaction was removed. This was due largely to decrease in military discharges, from psychological problems, during the Vietnam War (Scott, 1990). Because of great pressure from the Vietnam Veterans Against War (VVAW) groups and psychiatrists treating Vietnam Veterans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was officially included in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) in 1980. This was the first time that a mental health diagnosis could be given to someone indicating that the disorder was due to something outside the individual (trauma) as opposed to some inherent weakness from within (Wylie, 2011).
In the article What’s A Mental Disorder Even Experts Can’t Agree, Allen Frances editor of the DSM-IV explains that unintentional incentives can be to blame for over diagnoses of disorders like Asperger's in children. He continues to say that the writers of the DSM have to be very careful because if diagnoses can be misused they will be and that could cause a “flood of fad diagnoses” (Spiegel, 2010). This is especially the case with PTSD. Combat veterans receive financial benefits from the government for being diagnosed with the disorder. Reports of the amount of tax dollars being spent on PTSD suffers have an unfortunate side effect in that it can lead the public to believe that the funds are being allocated to people undeserving of the benefits. It is estimated that 20% of the veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will receive PTSD benefits and that as of 2009 390,000 veterans were receiving benefits (Laird, Unkown)
Reports such as, VA Disability Benefits: Can Anyone Fake PTSD written by Kerry Laird, claim that billions of tax dollars will be allocated to PTSD fraud cases. The article also states that pressure from congress on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) make it easier for veterans to file PTSD claims the author states that “The system is dysfunctional, an open invitation to fraud.” (Laird, Unkown) Because of the large amount of money given to veterans due to PTSD claims the military has a stake in seeing that the soldier’s symptoms are due to another diagnosis and not to PTSD. Many soldiers suffering from PTSD symptoms are being discharged or denied benefits with claims of preexisting personality disorders, which cost the military nothing (Kors, 2007)
After reports that 300 cases of PTSD were reversed in an effort to reduce military costs, the head of Madigan Healthcare System at joint base Lewis-McCord in Washington State was placed on administrative leave. This investigation was in response to the shooting of 16 Afghan civilians, allegedly by a soldier from the base. Also stationed at Lewis-McCord was John Allen Muhammad (The “Beltway Sniper”) who was executed in 2009 for killing 10 people.(Press, 2012) Reports such as these have great social effects in that they feed the fear that society has of people labeled with PTSD as being violent or able to “snap” at a moments notice. In the article Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers Whitney Blair Wyckoff explains that although there is increased knowledge of mental health disorders as neurological, stigmatization of the individuals still occur (Wyckoff, 2010). Despite current efforts by the military to inform the public of their PTSD support, according to President Obama stigmatization still occurs and must be stopped. He expressed his position in the following news conference:
Despite continued efforts by the government to stop the stigmatization of PTSD, negative attitudes about weakness, cowardliness, and malingering claims still exist within the soldiers themselves. This could be due to the constant media depicting of the “real man” as strong, aggressive, wielding a big gun, and emotionless. This is the stereotypical GI Joe. (Jhally, 1999) This is clearly described in the documentary “Tough Guise,” in which Jackson Katz describes the disastrous effects of the media’s depiction of masculinity. One of these disastrous effects may be the amount of PTSD that is unreported and the amount of suicides that are committed by soldiers and veterans. CBS News reported that in 2005 the number of veterans that had committed suicide was 120 per week(CBS news, 2007)
Although stigmatization and fear still surrounds PTSD, many seek the label and fight for what is rightfully theirs. For the men and women suffering from PTSD symptoms, their only goal is to get the help they need to return to a full and active life. Despite stigmatization, there is a comfort in having a label that explains the torment they have been carrying. Because of the financial benefits, they can continue to care for their families without the burden of worrying where the next paycheck will come from and most importantly get the therapy that they need, to get as well as possible. In an effort to support the soldiers, President of Veterans for America Robert Muller has suggested that soldiers diagnosed with PTSD should receive the honorable purple heart.(News, 2008) This would help the people diagnosed with PTSD in that it would not be seen as weak or dishonorable.
After more than a decade of war, the United States is sure to see an increasing number of PTSD claims. Thanks to the Veterans movement in the 1970’s, more veterans are getting the help they need. Although there are still perceived scandals in the military surrounding PTSD, the majority of the government and society seem to be rising up in support of the soldiers. Continued media attention will further the social construction of PTSD as a societal problem, as opposed to an individual problem. This will benefit the soldiers with the disorder by continuing awareness of the disease as something that is done to the individual and not something that is inherently weak inside them.
Word Count: 1,414
Works Cited:
Affairs, U. D. (2007, July 5). DSM Criterial for PTSD. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from National Center for PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/dsm-iv-tr-ptsd.asp
Caffrey, R. (2009). Combat Stress & Warriors: A Historical Perspective. Retrieved March 15,
2012, from Warrior Relaxation Response Center: http://www.warriorrrc.com/history.html
Disorders.com, P. (n.d.). The History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved
March 2012, from Psychiatric Disorders.com: http://www.psychiatric- Jhally, S.
disorders.com/articles/ptsd/causes-and-history/history-of-ptsd.php
Jhally, Sut. (1999). Tough Guise [Motion Picture].
Kors, J. (2007, October 15). Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington. The Nation , pp..
Laird, K. (Unkown). VA Disability Benefits: Can Anyone Fake PTSD? Retrieved March 16,
http://www.thenation.com/article/specialist-town-takes-his-case-washington?page=0,1
2012, from disaboom: http://www.disaboom.com/veteran-benefits/va-disability-benefits-
can-anyone-fake-ptsd
News, C. E. (2008, June 14). SHOULD TROOPS GET THE PURPLE HEART FOR PTSD?
Press, A. (2012, March 12). PTSD diagnoses at Lewis-McChord reexamined. Retrieved March
18, 2012, from CBS News.com: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57395375/ptsd-
diagnoses-at-lewis-mcchord-reexamined/?tag=mncol;lst;3
Scott, W. (1990). PTSD in DSM-III: A Case in the Politics of Diagnosis and Disease. Social
Problems , Vol. 37, pp. 294-310.
Spiegel, A. (2010, December 29). What's A Mental Disorder? Even Experts Can't Agree. mental-
Retrieved March 5, 2012, from NPR: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/29/132407384/whats-
a- disorder-even-experts-cant-agree
Williams, M. (2012). Story of an Illness. Retrieved March 2012, from Social Deviance:
Sociology 360 blog: http://wsuvdeviance.blogspot.com/
Wyckoff, W. B. (2010, September 17). Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma
Lingers. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Shots NPR's Health Blog:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/09/17/129937437/still-a-stigma-for-mental-illness
Wylie, M. S. (2011). The Politics of PTSD How a Diagnosis Battled Its Way into the DSM. the-
Psychotherapy Networker , http://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/populartopics/trauma/486-
politics-of-ptsd.
People exhibiting signs of PTSD have recurring distressful memories of the traumatic event, often in nightmares. They often have a numbing of feelings and emotions and avoid social situations. Many times PTSD sufferers will have a heightened startle response, a short temper, and other distressing symptoms making social situations especially difficult (Affairs, 2007). Emotional problems in soldiers returning from battle have been documented for centuries. In Homer’s Iliad (850 B.C.) the Greek hero Achilles was described as being tormented, in nightmares, by the hundreds of men he had kill in battle (Caffrey, 2009). Similar symptoms have been described as soldier’s heart (Civil War), combat fatigue, shell shock, war neurosis (WWI), and battle fatigue (WWII) (Disorders.com). The DSM is the book that all psychological disorders are diagnosed from in the United States. If the DSM does not include a description for a disorder then for all medical purposes the disorder does not exist and therefore will not be treated or accepted by insurance companies (Scott, 1990).
The first edition of the DSM included a diagnosis for soldiers that were struggling from emotional distress called gross stress reaction. However, it was thought that once the stressor was removed the symptoms would diminish. In 1968, the DSM-II was published and gross stress reaction was removed. This was due largely to decrease in military discharges, from psychological problems, during the Vietnam War (Scott, 1990). Because of great pressure from the Vietnam Veterans Against War (VVAW) groups and psychiatrists treating Vietnam Veterans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was officially included in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III) in 1980. This was the first time that a mental health diagnosis could be given to someone indicating that the disorder was due to something outside the individual (trauma) as opposed to some inherent weakness from within (Wylie, 2011).
In the article What’s A Mental Disorder Even Experts Can’t Agree, Allen Frances editor of the DSM-IV explains that unintentional incentives can be to blame for over diagnoses of disorders like Asperger's in children. He continues to say that the writers of the DSM have to be very careful because if diagnoses can be misused they will be and that could cause a “flood of fad diagnoses” (Spiegel, 2010). This is especially the case with PTSD. Combat veterans receive financial benefits from the government for being diagnosed with the disorder. Reports of the amount of tax dollars being spent on PTSD suffers have an unfortunate side effect in that it can lead the public to believe that the funds are being allocated to people undeserving of the benefits. It is estimated that 20% of the veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will receive PTSD benefits and that as of 2009 390,000 veterans were receiving benefits (Laird, Unkown)
Reports such as, VA Disability Benefits: Can Anyone Fake PTSD written by Kerry Laird, claim that billions of tax dollars will be allocated to PTSD fraud cases. The article also states that pressure from congress on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) make it easier for veterans to file PTSD claims the author states that “The system is dysfunctional, an open invitation to fraud.” (Laird, Unkown) Because of the large amount of money given to veterans due to PTSD claims the military has a stake in seeing that the soldier’s symptoms are due to another diagnosis and not to PTSD. Many soldiers suffering from PTSD symptoms are being discharged or denied benefits with claims of preexisting personality disorders, which cost the military nothing (Kors, 2007)
After reports that 300 cases of PTSD were reversed in an effort to reduce military costs, the head of Madigan Healthcare System at joint base Lewis-McCord in Washington State was placed on administrative leave. This investigation was in response to the shooting of 16 Afghan civilians, allegedly by a soldier from the base. Also stationed at Lewis-McCord was John Allen Muhammad (The “Beltway Sniper”) who was executed in 2009 for killing 10 people.(Press, 2012) Reports such as these have great social effects in that they feed the fear that society has of people labeled with PTSD as being violent or able to “snap” at a moments notice. In the article Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma Lingers Whitney Blair Wyckoff explains that although there is increased knowledge of mental health disorders as neurological, stigmatization of the individuals still occur (Wyckoff, 2010). Despite current efforts by the military to inform the public of their PTSD support, according to President Obama stigmatization still occurs and must be stopped. He expressed his position in the following news conference:
Despite continued efforts by the government to stop the stigmatization of PTSD, negative attitudes about weakness, cowardliness, and malingering claims still exist within the soldiers themselves. This could be due to the constant media depicting of the “real man” as strong, aggressive, wielding a big gun, and emotionless. This is the stereotypical GI Joe. (Jhally, 1999) This is clearly described in the documentary “Tough Guise,” in which Jackson Katz describes the disastrous effects of the media’s depiction of masculinity. One of these disastrous effects may be the amount of PTSD that is unreported and the amount of suicides that are committed by soldiers and veterans. CBS News reported that in 2005 the number of veterans that had committed suicide was 120 per week(CBS news, 2007)
Although stigmatization and fear still surrounds PTSD, many seek the label and fight for what is rightfully theirs. For the men and women suffering from PTSD symptoms, their only goal is to get the help they need to return to a full and active life. Despite stigmatization, there is a comfort in having a label that explains the torment they have been carrying. Because of the financial benefits, they can continue to care for their families without the burden of worrying where the next paycheck will come from and most importantly get the therapy that they need, to get as well as possible. In an effort to support the soldiers, President of Veterans for America Robert Muller has suggested that soldiers diagnosed with PTSD should receive the honorable purple heart.(News, 2008) This would help the people diagnosed with PTSD in that it would not be seen as weak or dishonorable.
After more than a decade of war, the United States is sure to see an increasing number of PTSD claims. Thanks to the Veterans movement in the 1970’s, more veterans are getting the help they need. Although there are still perceived scandals in the military surrounding PTSD, the majority of the government and society seem to be rising up in support of the soldiers. Continued media attention will further the social construction of PTSD as a societal problem, as opposed to an individual problem. This will benefit the soldiers with the disorder by continuing awareness of the disease as something that is done to the individual and not something that is inherently weak inside them.
Word Count: 1,414
Works Cited:
Affairs, U. D. (2007, July 5). DSM Criterial for PTSD. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from National Center for PTSD:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/dsm-iv-tr-ptsd.asp
Caffrey, R. (2009). Combat Stress & Warriors: A Historical Perspective. Retrieved March 15,
2012, from Warrior Relaxation Response Center: http://www.warriorrrc.com/history.html
Disorders.com, P. (n.d.). The History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved
March 2012, from Psychiatric Disorders.com: http://www.psychiatric- Jhally, S.
disorders.com/articles/ptsd/causes-and-history/history-of-ptsd.php
Jhally, Sut. (1999). Tough Guise [Motion Picture].
Kors, J. (2007, October 15). Specialist Town Takes His Case to Washington. The Nation , pp..
Laird, K. (Unkown). VA Disability Benefits: Can Anyone Fake PTSD? Retrieved March 16,
http://www.thenation.com/article/specialist-town-takes-his-case-washington?page=0,1
2012, from disaboom: http://www.disaboom.com/veteran-benefits/va-disability-benefits-
can-anyone-fake-ptsd
News, C. E. (2008, June 14). SHOULD TROOPS GET THE PURPLE HEART FOR PTSD?
Press, A. (2012, March 12). PTSD diagnoses at Lewis-McChord reexamined. Retrieved March
18, 2012, from CBS News.com: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57395375/ptsd-
diagnoses-at-lewis-mcchord-reexamined/?tag=mncol;lst;3
Scott, W. (1990). PTSD in DSM-III: A Case in the Politics of Diagnosis and Disease. Social
Problems , Vol. 37, pp. 294-310.
Spiegel, A. (2010, December 29). What's A Mental Disorder? Even Experts Can't Agree. mental-
Retrieved March 5, 2012, from NPR: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/29/132407384/whats-
a- disorder-even-experts-cant-agree
Williams, M. (2012). Story of an Illness. Retrieved March 2012, from Social Deviance:
Sociology 360 blog: http://wsuvdeviance.blogspot.com/
Wyckoff, W. B. (2010, September 17). Despite Deeper Understanding Of Mental Illness, Stigma
Lingers. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Shots NPR's Health Blog:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/09/17/129937437/still-a-stigma-for-mental-illness
Wylie, M. S. (2011). The Politics of PTSD How a Diagnosis Battled Its Way into the DSM. the-
Psychotherapy Networker , http://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/populartopics/trauma/486-
politics-of-ptsd.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Generation Rx: Film Review
The film Generation Rx is a thought provoking film dedicated to uncovering some of the causes and consequences of American society overly medicating its children. This film states that before the onset of mood altering drugs prescribed to children the pharmaceutical companies saw children as an untapped market. Because of their efforts to market, drugs to children the U.S. saw a 400% increase in mood altering drugs prescribed and according to the film, the U.S consumes 90% of the world’s supply of Ritalin. In fact, 69 billion dollars went to pharmaceutical companies to drug American children. Generation Rx takes an in depth look at how this happened and what some of the consequences have been.
Allen Frances, who is responsible for getting Asbergers into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), described in an article that this is a slippery slope and that although real childhood disorders do occur, over diagnoses and overtreatment will occur which can open the door for many fad diagnoses. (Spiegel, 2010) The film claims that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been diagnosed in epidemic proportions since entrance in the DSM and availability of drugs for children. Psychological disorders rely solely on reports from patients or people around the patients, such as parents and teachers, therefore when one child is diagnosed with something like ADHD parents and teachers begin seeing the same symptoms in other children causing a cluster of diagnosis in certain areas. (Minyard, 2010) This phenomenon is described by Minyard in the article The Autism Information Epidemic.
Generation Rx describes the advertising campaigns that were intentionally developed with children in mind, such as coloring books and cute little rocks taking drugs. All of these things and others lead to the on slot of children on drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac. According to the film, the consequences of this have been astronomical.
The film claimed that the consequences of these drugs have been great. These drugs have caused neurological imbalances in otherwise healthy children. The film points to these drugs as causing violent outbursts in children and suicides. In fact, many of the infamous school shooters were taking some of these mood-altering drugs. Many other physical side effects were also described in the film.
As the film began to look at how this epidemic had happened, they found that there were no scientific consistent tests available for ADHD and that many of the prescribing doctors themselves could not describe the characteristics of ADHD. They found no research that could prove that these drugs significantly increased the quality of life for children. They found that exceptionally gifted children and children young for their grade often exhibited ADHD behaviors. However, what was probably the most disturbing finding reported by the film was that 100% of the panel members responsible for mood disorders in the DSM were financially affiliated with the pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the FDA knew about the increase in suicide due to Prozac and like drugs, but still approved its use in children.
This film clearly points to the multiple conflicts of interest and blatant disregard for the well-being of America’s children for financial gain. It sheds a new light on the perpetuation of the increase in ADHD in children and really questions the validity of using these drugs on children.
To research this further it would be interesting to see the effects of taking these claimed ADHD children and putting them in a different kind of school system, such as one that teaches through hands on experience. I suspect that in a different school format the number of teacher reported cases of ADHD would drastically decrease.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tough Guise: Film Review
The film Tough Guise takes an in depth look at the social constructions of masculinity through media in the 1950s through the end of the century. The main concern of the film is that the representations of maleness in media are perpetuating a society where men are increasingly violent towards women and other men. In the film Jackson Katz states that the over representation of male characters as violent in television is clearly sending a message to viewers of the “real man.” He continues to state that this phenomenon is only multiplied when it comes to the representation of non-whites in media. He states that often men of color are shown in overly stereotypical roles such as the Asian martial arts hero or the African American gang leader yielding a big gun and a threatening stance.
While discussing reports of crime in the news Katz indicates that when men commit violent crimes gender is taken out of the equation. He illustrates this by showing head lines that say things like: So Many Women Were Raped, as opposed to This Many Men Rape, or reports of Kids Killing Kids, not Boys Killing Classmates. In their article What Triggers School Shootings, Kimmel and Mahler agree with this point. They say that society has completely “missed the mark” with regards to school violence and that “…desire to make sure that others know that you are a “real man” plays a pivotal role in these school shootings” (Kimmel & Mahler, 2010). The film Tough Guise illustrates the methods used to “train” these boys to be real men. It is possible that society is not seeing this violence in boys as a social problem because we do not see men as a deviant group therefore, society prefers to claim that violence is an individual problem not some inherent problem with today’s men as a whole (Fish, 2010).
The most convincing point made in the film is that men have over compensated to women’s’ challenges in business and politics and therefore, the depictions of men in media have gotten physically bigger and of women physically smaller. The film illustrates this point by looking at how much bigger and muscular heroes such as Batman, Superman, and GI Jo have gotten over the years. It would be interesting to do an experiment to see how boys today would react to the super heroes of a few decades ago to see if they thought they were “real men.”
This film is a good representation of how media continues to manipulate our ideas of normalcy and non-deviance. This film should be shown to high school children in an attempt to challenge their ideas of masculinity and to show them the preposterous ideal they are trying to achieve.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Don't Call Me a Bitch!
For as long as there has been a spoken language there have also been words used to dismiss, disparage, or otherwise hurt other people. Words in and of themselves are not powerful it is the powerful that use these words to stomp on others that make the words powerful. Where do these words come from and how do they become hurtful and once a word has the power to hurt large groups of people can it eventually lose its power through re-appropriation by the oppressed? In her blog, Trans Forming Media, Ashley Love discusses the negative connotations behind the word tra**y which goes to show that words are hurtful and powerful. One of these powerful words is bitch, which has a long history and is the subject of much debate today. Many believe this word has been re-appropriated and some wear it as a badge of honor. For a word to be re-appropriated means the negative connotation of a word is taken away from oppressors that are using it and begins to be used positively by the previously oppressed . Bitch is a word spoken by nearly everyone in American society but what are the underlying meanings and implications of this word?
Bitch literally means female dog however, around the 1400s it began to gain ground as a disparaging description of women “specifically “a lewd or sensual woman,” and then more generally “a malicious or unpleasant woman.” The word is first found used this way in the Chester Plays of the 1400's, which has the line “Who callest thou queine, skabde bitch?,” (Dictionary.com) In the 1600s bitch found its way into two Shakespeare plays but not as an insult to women but as an insult to men. First in the 1601 play Troilus and Cressida“…one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch;”and then again in 1605 in King Lier “Thou bitch-wolf's son, canst thou not hear?” (University, 2003-2012 ). The 1811 Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue defines bitch as “…the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of a whore…” (Grose, 1811).
Today not only is bitch used as an insult to women it is almost used as a synonym for woman, as in “She’s my bitch” as if women are something to be owned, like dogs. A woman that is labeled a bitch is said to be mean, moody, strong willed, and implies that she is somehow not upholding her duties as a “good woman”. One can be heard to say, “Look at that bitch who does she think she is?” More recently the term has been used to describe a submissive man often in a homosexual relationship as “make him your bitch” Even to ride on the back of a motorcycle, often referred to as “riding bitch” is seen as unmanly and somehow refers to the submissiveness of women whom usually ride on the back of motorcycles. To insult men people often call them a “Son of a bitch” which is to say that because they acted like an ass their mother’s femininity is in question. To use the word as a verb, to bitch, means to complain which is actually an insult to what is stereotypically contributed to women as complainers. In Bitch Power(or Not)from Clutch Magazine, Janelle Harris, recalls a time “…that one little five-letter word had the power to turn even mild-mannered, even-tempered ladies into, well, bitches. Raving mad ones at that” (Harris, 2011) She continues to say that this may not be the case anymore.
Many women, especially self-proclaimed feminists wear the title of bitch as a badge of honor. Popular feminist of the 70s, Jo Freeman wrote The Bitch Manifesto in which she says, “A woman should be proud to declare she is a Bitch, because Bitch is Beautiful. It should be an act of affirmation by self and not negation by others” (Freeman, 1968). Many women call themselves or other women Bitches. Many other women have claimed they have successfully re-appropriated the word. Writer Rebecca West, from Bitch Magazine, while defending the title of their magazine, claims that if women take back the word bitch it loses the power to hurt. She also says that if being seen as other than a doormat is being a bitch than she takes it as a compliment. The following clip shows a comedic attempt by SNL’s Tina Fey to re-appropriate the word bitch after it has been used as an insult to describe current Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, during her 2008 presidential nomination race.
Not everyone feels that words can be effectively re-appropriated. In her 2011 blog post,Toronto activists take back the slut, Jill says, “When you’re standing up against your own oppression as a member of the sex class, it is problematic and of questionable revolutionary efficacy to stamp yourself and your comrades-in-arms with the mark of the oppressor.” (Jill, 2011) In the article, What is Ableist Language and Why Should We Care?, Abbyjean describes the use of the word bitch as being sexist and says ”… this invokes the implicit assumption that women should be warm, caring, likely have a family and prioritize that family, always kind and supportive” (abbyjean, 2009). Ironically, the article was published in Bitch Magazine. Also, the blog post by Ashley Love explains that trans people who describe themselves as a tra**y have low self esteem and are taking the word as a false term of endearment.(Love, 2010). This is defiantly the case with the word bitch. For example, in the motorcycle community women may be referred to as a "Biker Bitch" which is also a false term of endearment.
The word bitch is a much bigger topic than can be completely addressed here. However, this is some insight into how the use of the word can be demeaning to certain groups of people. There are still many negative connotations to the word bitch used to describe women or men. It does seem that is it more acceptable for women to use the word to describe themselves and other women, than it is for men to use it. However, everyone in America uses this word freely, in television, in songs, in school, and in politics. In fact, listen to the song made popular by Meredith Brooks (below). She is clearly speaking to the thought that if a woman is not “innocent and sweet” she is naturally a bitch but has she re-appropriated it? Unfortunately, I think “bitch” is here to stay.
Word Count: 1,105
Work Cited:
1. abbyjean. (2009, November 11). Bitch magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Bitch Media: http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-what-is-ableist-language-and-why-should-you-care
2. Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bitch
3, Grose, F. (1811). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from fromoldbooks.org: http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Grose-VulgarTongue/b/bitch.html
4. Harris, J. (2011, November 11). Clutch. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from clutchmagonline: http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2011/11/bitch-power-or-not/
5. Jill. (2011, March 31). Toronto activists take back the slut. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from I Blame The Patriarchy: http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2011/03/31/toronto-activists-take-back-the-slut/
6. Love, A. (2010, December 16). Trans Forming Media. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from OK, I give up, you're right, I'm just a "tra**y", sorry for thinking I was a human being: http://transformingmedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/ok-i-give-up-youre-right-im-just-tray.html
7. University, G. M. (2003-2012 ). Open Source Shakespeare. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Open Source Shakespeare: http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
Bitch literally means female dog however, around the 1400s it began to gain ground as a disparaging description of women “specifically “a lewd or sensual woman,” and then more generally “a malicious or unpleasant woman.” The word is first found used this way in the Chester Plays of the 1400's, which has the line “Who callest thou queine, skabde bitch?,” (Dictionary.com) In the 1600s bitch found its way into two Shakespeare plays but not as an insult to women but as an insult to men. First in the 1601 play Troilus and Cressida“…one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch;”and then again in 1605 in King Lier “Thou bitch-wolf's son, canst thou not hear?” (University, 2003-2012 ). The 1811 Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue defines bitch as “…the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of a whore…” (Grose, 1811).
Today not only is bitch used as an insult to women it is almost used as a synonym for woman, as in “She’s my bitch” as if women are something to be owned, like dogs. A woman that is labeled a bitch is said to be mean, moody, strong willed, and implies that she is somehow not upholding her duties as a “good woman”. One can be heard to say, “Look at that bitch who does she think she is?” More recently the term has been used to describe a submissive man often in a homosexual relationship as “make him your bitch” Even to ride on the back of a motorcycle, often referred to as “riding bitch” is seen as unmanly and somehow refers to the submissiveness of women whom usually ride on the back of motorcycles. To insult men people often call them a “Son of a bitch” which is to say that because they acted like an ass their mother’s femininity is in question. To use the word as a verb, to bitch, means to complain which is actually an insult to what is stereotypically contributed to women as complainers. In Bitch Power(or Not)from Clutch Magazine, Janelle Harris, recalls a time “…that one little five-letter word had the power to turn even mild-mannered, even-tempered ladies into, well, bitches. Raving mad ones at that” (Harris, 2011) She continues to say that this may not be the case anymore.
Many women, especially self-proclaimed feminists wear the title of bitch as a badge of honor. Popular feminist of the 70s, Jo Freeman wrote The Bitch Manifesto in which she says, “A woman should be proud to declare she is a Bitch, because Bitch is Beautiful. It should be an act of affirmation by self and not negation by others” (Freeman, 1968). Many women call themselves or other women Bitches. Many other women have claimed they have successfully re-appropriated the word. Writer Rebecca West, from Bitch Magazine, while defending the title of their magazine, claims that if women take back the word bitch it loses the power to hurt. She also says that if being seen as other than a doormat is being a bitch than she takes it as a compliment. The following clip shows a comedic attempt by SNL’s Tina Fey to re-appropriate the word bitch after it has been used as an insult to describe current Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, during her 2008 presidential nomination race.
Not everyone feels that words can be effectively re-appropriated. In her 2011 blog post,Toronto activists take back the slut, Jill says, “When you’re standing up against your own oppression as a member of the sex class, it is problematic and of questionable revolutionary efficacy to stamp yourself and your comrades-in-arms with the mark of the oppressor.” (Jill, 2011) In the article, What is Ableist Language and Why Should We Care?, Abbyjean describes the use of the word bitch as being sexist and says ”… this invokes the implicit assumption that women should be warm, caring, likely have a family and prioritize that family, always kind and supportive” (abbyjean, 2009). Ironically, the article was published in Bitch Magazine. Also, the blog post by Ashley Love explains that trans people who describe themselves as a tra**y have low self esteem and are taking the word as a false term of endearment.(Love, 2010). This is defiantly the case with the word bitch. For example, in the motorcycle community women may be referred to as a "Biker Bitch" which is also a false term of endearment.
The word bitch is a much bigger topic than can be completely addressed here. However, this is some insight into how the use of the word can be demeaning to certain groups of people. There are still many negative connotations to the word bitch used to describe women or men. It does seem that is it more acceptable for women to use the word to describe themselves and other women, than it is for men to use it. However, everyone in America uses this word freely, in television, in songs, in school, and in politics. In fact, listen to the song made popular by Meredith Brooks (below). She is clearly speaking to the thought that if a woman is not “innocent and sweet” she is naturally a bitch but has she re-appropriated it? Unfortunately, I think “bitch” is here to stay.
Word Count: 1,105
Work Cited:
1. abbyjean. (2009, November 11). Bitch magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Bitch Media: http://bitchmagazine.org/post/the-transcontinental-disability-choir-what-is-ableist-language-and-why-should-you-care
2. Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bitch
3, Grose, F. (1811). Retrieved February 23, 2012, from fromoldbooks.org: http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Grose-VulgarTongue/b/bitch.html
4. Harris, J. (2011, November 11). Clutch. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from clutchmagonline: http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2011/11/bitch-power-or-not/
5. Jill. (2011, March 31). Toronto activists take back the slut. Retrieved February 21, 2012, from I Blame The Patriarchy: http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2011/03/31/toronto-activists-take-back-the-slut/
6. Love, A. (2010, December 16). Trans Forming Media. Retrieved February 22, 2012, from OK, I give up, you're right, I'm just a "tra**y", sorry for thinking I was a human being: http://transformingmedia.blogspot.com/2010/12/ok-i-give-up-youre-right-im-just-tray.html
7. University, G. M. (2003-2012 ). Open Source Shakespeare. Retrieved February 23, 2012, from Open Source Shakespeare: http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
Monday, February 20, 2012
Murder Ball: Film Review
Murder Ball is a film following some of the men on the United States and Canada Paralympics quad rugby team. This film is an in depths look at how many people with “disabilities” are just as capable as able-bodied people are. This film is not the typical depiction of disabled people described in the blog Good Cripple. Good Cripple describes the archetype-disabled person as being cheerful, upbeat, and having an obstacle to overcome. This film shows disabled people as any other athlete, with different personalities, relationships, struggles, and triumphs.
In “You’re Not a Retard, You’re Just Wise,” Steven Taylor writes that disability is a social construct that turns into a stigma. He continues to say, “A stigma is not merely a difference but a characteristic that deeply discredits a person’s moral character.” (Taylor, 2000) Therefore, disability is definitely seen in society as deviant. The film Murder Ball is an attempt to remove the stigma from people with mobile impairments.
The most profound statement in the film was by Mark Zupan, USA team spokesperson. He said, “The mind is a bigger disability than all the physical stuff.” When he said this, he was explaining that once one accepts that they are not going to walk again and get over it than one can flourish in their wheelchair and accomplish what they set their mind to. I found this most convincing because it really shows that the ideas society has about disabled people wishing they were able-bodied all the time are not necessarily true. Keith, a young man recently released from rehab after an accident, comes home and says, “This sucks, I’m in a wheel chair.” Although reality, I thought this could have been edited from the film because it was somewhat reaffirming to societies ideas.
In the film, Keith really seemed to enjoy the prospect of athletics in a wheelchair. Therefore, a good research study would be to introduce sports into rehab for people newly disabled. It would be interesting to see if groups of people that engaged in sports in rehab would have lower levels of depression, after returning home, than those who did not.
Over all this is a very good film that shows many aspects of life after an altering accident or disease. This film should be shown to people in rehab facilities across the county in an effort to show there is life after impairment.
Taylor, S. (2000). You're Not a Retard, You're Just Wise. In A. Thio, T. Calhoun, & A. Conyers, Readings in Deviant Behavior sixth edition (pp. 173-179). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Middle Sexes: film review
The United States and most western cultures have a strong belief that someone is either male or female. The film Middle Sexes Redefining He and She shows how incomplete this belief is and examines how varied gender really is. The film reveals the beliefs of different cultures such as, Africa, India, and Thailand. In these cultures, homosexuality and transgender are not thought of in the same way they are in western predominantly Christian cultures. For example in the United States, transgendered individuals are diagnosed with the psychological disorder of Gender Identity Disorder, this is explained in the following video segment by In the Life.
This is not the case in many of the cultures examined in the film Middle Sexes. In Thailand the Katoy are the accepted third gender of people that are transitioning or have transitioned from male to female. The Katoy and India’s Hijras are very convincing argument for more than two genders. However, it was not necessary to discuss the homosexual behaviors of the animal kingdom as a valid argument, because animals do many things humans do not do and vise versa.
Unfortunately, transgendered people are still considered some of the most deviant members of society and many times subject to violence, as shown in the film.
In the blog post, Why does the media show transgender children more sympathetically? Emily Manuel explains that children are not seen as sexual beings and that allows society to see transgender in children as not a sexual choice. The film depicts this idea with Noah a biological boy wishing to live as a girl. This idea of sympathy for transgendered children could be investigated further by selecting individuals, which claim to not approve of transgendered people and show them videos of both transgendered adults and children while monitoring their heart rate and blood pressure. I suspect they would have somewhat of an anger reaction to the adults and not so much the children. This may help to give people a better understanding of transgendered people and how to get us closer to more than one gender in western cultures as suggested in the film Middle Sexes.
This is not the case in many of the cultures examined in the film Middle Sexes. In Thailand the Katoy are the accepted third gender of people that are transitioning or have transitioned from male to female. The Katoy and India’s Hijras are very convincing argument for more than two genders. However, it was not necessary to discuss the homosexual behaviors of the animal kingdom as a valid argument, because animals do many things humans do not do and vise versa.
Unfortunately, transgendered people are still considered some of the most deviant members of society and many times subject to violence, as shown in the film.
In the blog post, Why does the media show transgender children more sympathetically? Emily Manuel explains that children are not seen as sexual beings and that allows society to see transgender in children as not a sexual choice. The film depicts this idea with Noah a biological boy wishing to live as a girl. This idea of sympathy for transgendered children could be investigated further by selecting individuals, which claim to not approve of transgendered people and show them videos of both transgendered adults and children while monitoring their heart rate and blood pressure. I suspect they would have somewhat of an anger reaction to the adults and not so much the children. This may help to give people a better understanding of transgendered people and how to get us closer to more than one gender in western cultures as suggested in the film Middle Sexes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)