Class Discussion

I'm not really sure how to sum up what happened in class today because 5 people were talking all at once but, what I did hear really didn't make sense to me. Mr. Heidkamp was setting up a list of what our community and society have told us is "girly" and "manly". He was not saying that exclusively girls listen to Justin Bieber and so on. It was clear that he was setting up this list to get us to think about how difficult it is for people to cross over the gender role barrier. He was obviously not saying that he believed that those are things everyone uses to define their individual gender. I'm not entirely sure that this is what the argument was over but I think some people in the class just really wanted to have an argument about gender and weren't listening to what Mr. Heidkamp was trying to do. Yes, its a little difficult to think up this list because even thinking about these aspects of constructing gender seems offensive and digressive. There was also this other argument about how its difficult for women to wear heels and makeup without feeling like they are being looked down upon by oppressive "feminists" and Mr. Heidkamp was trying to talk about trans genders and I'm pretty sure he acknowledged its true that "girlier" women are also looked down upon but its typically much more difficult for people to cross over the gender role barrier then it is to "stay on your side". If that's what he is getting at then I agree because who is more likely to get disapproving looks in the hallway: a female with unshaved armpits or a female in heels and a skirt. Both women are constantly being oppressed by their peers and community, I would completely agree with that, but, honestly, who is going to get more ridicule.