Members DevotedToAMC Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 As a research paralegal, I am often assigned to write some papers for my boss so this next one is on women's issues and I designed a questionnaire to help me out and am hoping some of you can respond to it. As a note, you DO NOT have to answer every question and you can respond here or PM me 1. What was your family life like growing up (re: social setting, social class, status, parents’ work life)? 2. Which stereotype associated with women do you find the most damaging and why? Do you have a personal experience to base your answer? 3. Female celebrities find success but occasionally have a difficult time doing so-do you feel this is all related to stigmas associated with women and why? (Meaning are stigmas always to blame or is it another factor like the woman justifies a certain stereotype to get the success) 4. Which female celebrity do you admire the most (you can say more than one)? What do you and your celebrity/celebrities of choice share in common? 5. Do you have any professional experience working with women on women’s issues? If not, do you support certain groups and/or causes for women? 6. Are you a mother? If yes, how has your experience from a social and psychological perspective changed over time? If not, would you consider having children based on what you know about pregnancy and motherhood? 7. Which female political leader (first lady, Senator or Congresswoman, Parliament, prime minister, monarchy, et all), past or present, do you feel represents women’s issues the most? Do you have any specific examples to support your answer? 8. How does the media portray women as a whole? What standards would you like to see the media abide by with regards to women? 9. What do you hope women improve on over time (e.g. behavior, work force, social movements, et all) and why? 10. Do you ever see equality for women? Why or why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JER Soaps Fan Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 Can only women participate? I'd LOVE to participate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevotedToAMC Posted March 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 No this is open for both men and women to answer...for some reason I thought you were a woman hehe. So go ahead and respond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Q Steph Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 3. Female celebrities find success but occasionally have a difficult time doing so-do you feel this is all related to stigmas associated with women and why? (Meaning are stigmas always to blame or is it another factor like the woman justifies a certain stereotype to get the success) Female celebrities are labeled as too driven and only wan a carrer at the expense of motherhood. Case in point, Jennifer Aniston was slammed after her split from Brad Pitt, accused of only caring about her career. So what? Women don't exist to just pop out babies. Female celebrities are also criticized for their looks, their every flaw, imperfection and wrinkle scrutinized as if the aging process were a plague. 4. Which female celebrity do you admire the most (you can say more than one)? What do you and your celebrity/celebrities of choice share in common? I admire Angelina Jolie for her humanitarian efforts, but my personal respect for the woman has waned considerably. She annoys me on a personal level. I respect and admire Reese Witherspoon. She's a good mother and is holding her head up despite an impending divorce. Oprah's alright. She's done a lot of good. We're both survivors of childhood abuse. Alicia keys has a good heart. I like her. She's a bad dresser but I like her. Victoria Rowell tells it like it is and is ocmfortable in her own skin. 5. Do you have any professional experience working with women on women’s issues? If not, do you support certain groups and/or causes for women? I have no professionial experience but I do support the pro-choice movement, sexual assualt centers feminism, equal pay and opportunity and safety for battered women and abused children. 6. Are you a mother? If yes, how has your experience from a social and psychological perspective changed over time? If not, would you consider having children based on what you know about pregnancy and motherhood? I'm not a mother. I don't feel comfortable entertaining thoughts of having children when I have not reconciled my own issues; the emotional responsibility would be a burden and not a blessing as it should be. There's also the physical aspect and throwing up all over the place, hormonal surges and hard labor just isn't for me right now. 7. Which female political leader (first lady, Senator or Congresswoman, Parliament, prime minister, monarchy, et all), past or present, do you feel represents women’s issues the most? Do you have any specific examples to support your answer? Betty Ford did an excellent job of bringing awareness to social issues such as alcoholism, depression and hisorty has appropriately afforded her that disctinction. Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and other fmales on Capitol Hill are making their impact simply by their presence. Nancy became the first Speaker of the House and she is holding the Bush adminstration acocuntable for their fallacies concerning the war. Gilda Mahir (sp) and Margaret Thatcher were also trailblazers. 8. How does the media portray women as a whole? What standards would you like to see the media abide by with regards to women? The media has been persistent in categorizing women in three distinct roles without the foresight to understand the underlying complexities. The media and this country pontificates that the Bible is the origin of morality. The bible states that we were all created in God's image, but yet over the centuries, the The Victim A woman who is emotionally crippled or otherwise deemed in need of rescuing. Life knocks everyone down, but it's not necessarily a failure of one's strength to accompany emotions to certain situations. Crying does not make one weak or inferior, but rather human. The !@#$%^&*] A woman who is assumed to have stepped out of her place besides she has dared to speak her mind rather than to hold onto conventions of seen and not be heard. She comes across as a hardened female who rebukes male ocmpanionhip, but rather, she simply chooses not to have a male as a participant to her every decision. Her strength is seen as intimidating and therfore, there seems to be the resound declaration to put a woman in her place as oppossed to letting her voice be heard and accepting it equal to the loud timber of a male's. Furthermore, a woman shouldn't be decried because she wants a career, having the drive and ambition to manifest those goals. The feeling of empowerment has become a convienient slam against those who seek to exert any other feeling other than a maternal one. Femme Fatale A slut who is only good on her back; as if women are having sex by themselves and men have no basic need. Granted, there are women who ho around, but men ho around too. 9. What do you hope women improve on over time (e.g. behavior, work force, social movements, et all) and why? I hope that women as a whole can imporve on their self esteem and image. Our self worth and value should not be solely based on our physical appearance and the leverage our bodies afford; this is not meant to admonish women who do seek a sexual liberty, but when that attribute is the only arsenal in one's weaponry, it's sad and pathetic. Women should be whole and not seen as pieces of flesh to be fawned over, dismissed as being devoid of any intelligence or nay other capacity than a sexual one. 10. Do you ever see equality for women? Why or why not? Eventually, but not in the forseeable future. Despite the progression and success' women have achieved, we are still viewed as the inferior sex withi mplcations of emotionally inferior, weaker and merely carriers of life whoshould be barefoot, pregnant and submissive to the male ego, somehow being grateful that we are granted the right to breathe without permission.. Women are so much more than that and should be allowed the opportunity to prove that we are equal to male counterparts. This correlation should begin in pay, multi taking carrers and motherhood, job status, better representation in political affairs, etc. At the present moment, there is too much of a male domination on the Hill and it's saddening that in 2007, it is still seen as a liability and far more insulting, an impossibility that a woman is lacking the capacities to govern as President of the United States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tishy Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 I really want to answer these but I am too tired to give you good answers. I will probably be too busy tomorrow during the day. When do you need the answers by, because I really want to answer and help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BingCherry Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 1. What was your family life like growing up? Initially it was just my mom and me; my birth father didn't come into my life until I was 4 and he didn't really step up as a father until my mom was sick. I have a lot of aunts so they were pretty substantial in my life growing up. 2. Which stereotype associated with women do you find the most damaging and why? Do you have a personal experience to base your answer? Black women as easy or aggravating. 3. Female celebrities find success but occasionally have a difficult time doing so-do you feel this is all related to stigmas associated with women and why? I think the biggest stigma I see is that it is percieved by critics and especially the media is that they're merely sex objects regardless of how talented or untalented they are. I think people see female actresses as transparent in a way and see only T&A. How do you think Sharon Stone has a career? It certainly ain't her talent; it's because she showed her bush in "Basic Instict". 4. Which female celebrity do you admire the most? What do you and your celebrity/celebrities of choice share in common? I have a strong admiration for Susan Sarandon. She's very ballsy and not afraid to speak out on what she believes in & she's also incredibly talented. 5. Do you have any professional experience working with women on women’s issues? If not, do you support certain groups and/or causes for women? No. I wouldn't consider myself a feminist per se, but I would consider myself a supporter of feminist issues, like the woman's right to choose. 6. Are you a mother? If yes, how has your experience from a social and psychological perspective changed over time? If not, would you consider having children based on what you know about pregnancy and motherhood? No. 7. Which female political leader, past or present, do you feel represents women’s issues the most? Do you have any specific examples to support your answer? Sadly, I don't think that there are any real female politicians past or present who have or had supported true women's causes. 8. How does the media portray women as a whole? What standards would you like to see the media abide by with regards to women? The media portrays women as either sexual stimulation, sluts, or aggravated angry women. 9. What do you hope women improve on over time and why? I don't think that women should improve on anything; it's the men who make the images who should improve on their outlooks. 10. Do you ever see equality for women? Why or why not? Not really, because as long as we've got "I Love New York" and women competing on national television to be a skank, er, Pussycat Doll, people are still gonna be have a bad mindset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevotedToAMC Posted March 18, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 This Saturday...I begin writing it next Monday. Well I can probly write it all in one day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brandeis Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 I'll try to answer before then. I too, am pretty tired. Long night at work last night (I assume by Saturday you mean the 24th) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JER Soaps Fan Posted March 18, 2007 Members Share Posted March 18, 2007 I, TOO, assumed that Saturday means the 24th. I will turn my answers in before that time. That's not a promise, just in case things suddenly, come up; but it is to say that if I do it at all, I'll understand that my deadline is the 23rd (to be on the safe side). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brandeis Posted March 19, 2007 Members Share Posted March 19, 2007 As a research paralegal, I am often assigned to write some papers for my boss so this next one is on women's issues and I designed a questionnaire to help me out and am hoping some of you can respond to it. As a note, you DO NOT have to answer every question and you can respond here or PM me 1. What was your family life like growing up (re: social setting, social class, status, parents’ work life)? I was born a frateral twin in Taiwan to a Chinese mother and a mixed race caucasian/african american/Canadian father in the diplomatic corps. Aside from my fraternal twin sister Grace, I have an older brother Fred and an older sister Marjorie. We came to America when I was age two. All of us siblings are now firmly entrenched in American/Canadian culture. No accents. Only my older sister Marjorie has any memory of being Chinese (but we can speak Mandarin). On arrival in Seattle, Washington, we were given "American" names. My birthname is Lai Ping but everyone knows me as Brandeis or Brandy. Same for my siblings; they are known by their American names. My MIXED parents' marriage was given a difficult time by the Asian side of my family, particularly by my Mandarin Chinese grandmother. We were somewhat upper class with my Dad (not wealthy), but merely working class immigrants on the Chinese side. Clearly my dad in his position as a cultural attaché was able to pull strings to get my witch grandmother and her 4th husband, and her sisters and brothers into the US. It should have been appreciated but it was not. As kids, my siblings and I experienced a mix of immigrant life and diplomatic privilege depending on which parent we were with. In the end my parents got back together. That was the best time of our lives. We also experienced a lot of racism. In society in general, but more from the Asian side of our family. I was considered to be more "stupid" because of my darker skin. Recipe for rebellion. I could go on and on but I won't. PM me if you want more. 2. Which stereotype associated with women do you find the most damaging and why? Do you have a personal experience to base your answer? That our competence depends on where we are in our menstrual cycle. No specific experience, too much out there, merely "She's on the rag" type comments. 3. Female celebrities find success but occasionally have a difficult time doing so-do you feel this is all related to stigmas associated with women and why? (Meaning are stigmas always to blame or is it another factor like the woman justifies a certain stereotype to get the success) This is mostly bull. People like OPRAH are as sleazy and smarmy as Donald Trump. I appreciate the likes of Rosie O'Donnell (who I used to hate) for being out and proud and speaking her mind as a woman--- there's your stigma. And I believe it's mostly OTHER WOMEN who have a problem with her and any other outspoken women. 4. Which female celebrity do you admire the most (you can say more than one)? What do you and your celebrity/celebrities of choice share in common? None that you would know. But part of my reason for moving to Canada was this woman, Adrienne Clarkson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson Canada has a good recent tradition of appointing strong women, starting with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Sauve Here is the current governor general http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michaelle_Jean All accomplished women, two of which are visible and cultural minorities; one white, but still a cultural minority. 5. Do you have any professional experience working with women on women’s issues? If not, do you support certain groups and/or causes for women? As victim of sexual assault, I found the only way I could reconcile my anger and pain was to volunteer in a counselling center. I was let go from the hotline 'because I'm too aggressive'. However, I still support that particular cause financially. If I had more money, I'd support others. 6. Are you a mother? If yes, how has your experience from a social and psychological perspective changed over time? If not, would you consider having children based on what you know about pregnancy and motherhood? Not a mother now. Would love to be a mother. Look forward to the whole experience, even the childbirth . Love kids. My kids would be raised in a gay household with 2 moms, ideally. 7. Which female political leader (first lady, Senator or Congresswoman, Parliament, prime minister, monarchy, et all), past or present, do you feel represents women’s issues the most? Do you have any specific examples to support your answer? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrienne_Clarkson 8. How does the media portray women as a whole? What standards would you like to see the media abide by with regards to women? We're not all stupid sluts who have bad period days. Those of us who have kids are not all homicidal right after - but the ones who are are legally insane - time to ask the husbands a few questions. The glass ceiling of the corporate world is just that, made of glass, we can shatter it. Why am I a B1tch when a man who operates the same way as me is admired? Why must I be nasty to get the same results? (not always, it seems) 9. What do you hope women improve on over time (e.g. behavior, work force, social movements, et all) and why? The glass ceiling is just that, made of glass, we can shatter it. Most religions are paternalistic in nature. They've had their day in many western countries. Time to get back to "private faith" It will happen. 10. Do you ever see equality for women? Why or why not? No. Never total equality. Much as I want it, and we deserve it, we won't get it. Not in my lifetime, anyway. But the fight for it is part of the fun, as is the dialogue with the men. The only way women will ever be equal to men is if there is a true separation of religion and state for the whole world. Religion, for the most part, is there to subjugate women. Until then, the dialogue continues. And gets more and more interesting.l -------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members taybas123 Posted March 20, 2007 Members Share Posted March 20, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevotedToAMC Posted March 22, 2007 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2007 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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