It's a Girl

                                                                     Reflection # 8
                                                          “It’s A Girl documentary”

Description

My friend Amelia is the community engagement class informed me that Brock University was showing the documentary “It’s a girl” I had seen previews for this back home in Toronto, along with people on the sidewalks downtown trying to spread the word. We had both wanted to see this film, so this was the perfect opportunity. Us two along with two of our other friends hopped on the bus on Friday night around 6:30pm, to make it for the 7pm start time. As we were sitting in the lecture hall thistle 247, I was looking around at the amount of people there for the viewing, and I was presently surprised by the amount of older people who had come to see the film. An older couple in front of us didn't have an affiliation with the school, but they attending because they were excited about this documentary. As the lights dimmed and the film started, it became very quiet, it was completely silent. I believe this was out of respect for the women throughout the film, they were sharing with us the emotional and touching stories of their lives. For these women to talk about aborting and even murdering their baby girls must have been extremely difficult, even though they believed it was in the best interest for the girls. The film was hard to follow at the beginning because the subtitles weren't turned on, so we only knew what was truly being said when the narrator was talking in English.

 The film explored the struggles that people faced in India and China. While sitting there hearing that baby girls weren't favored, and were killed because they weren't needed, I thought to myself how lucky I am to live in Canada. Being a twin to a boy, I wouldn't have survived if I lived in India or China. It was quite distributing listening to the ways in which they kill the child after it is born, by drenching a cloth in water and holding it over their face so they could no longer breathe. The story that stood out to me was about an Indian lady, who was having female twins and her husband and mother wanted her to abort, and left her in a room locked up. She ran away and delivered her twins prematurely, and is now the poster face for Indian women in walks against selective abortion. The term gendercide was mentioned throughout the film, and this is the killing of a certain gender purely based on being female. Males were thought to carry on the family name and take after parents in old age, which I knew before the film, but it also explained the idea that they gained a wife and the money form her parents, and a daughter was only a burden as she would get married and give money to the fiance  Overall, I really enjoyed watching and seeing the perspectives from the other side of the world, it made me really appreciate where I live.

Examination

Ivan Illich’s article “to hell with good intentions” he argues that when North American students take “Mission-Vacations” it is offensive to Latin America, that for North American wealthy students it is just the thing to do. He believes that when we go to ‘help’ the Latin Americans we are pretentiously imposing ourselves on them. This relates to the OCCLO of “it’s a girl” documentary because I think we have North American ideas about what is right and wrong. The issues that China and India are facing, we are the first to judge and think that we are helping by spreading the word when really in the end judging them and criticizing them for making decisions because of the culture and society they live in. The limitation on having children, and the want to have a boy because society has taught them that, causes these individuals to make these poor decisions of gendercide. Also in Ivan’s article while in Latin America, we would be socializing with people close to us, according to class and language, not the actual people who need help because they can’t speak our language and we can’t speak theirs. This shows that if we were to visit China and India we could make our own assumptions about the women there from our own perspective, we are quick to judge. This article, along with the documentary don’t really discuss if we truly can help these people, if more people are to be educating on both these topics than I think better changes would occur.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that we in Canada are extremely privileged because issues such as gendercide don’t occur. Women are way more respected and aren't taken for granted in the western side of the world. China and India both have huge overpopulation problems, which makes them favor males over females, to carry on the family name and bring resources to the family. This brings many implications along with it, such as the ratio for male to female.

I learned this when the documentary addressed the issue of the three words parents dread hearing are “it’s a girl” this is what the film was named for. The society still follows traditional roles, which causes problems to occur for females in both China and India.

This learning matters because women’s rights have come so far in the western world, but yet on the other side of the world problems still exist surrounding gender issues. The killing of one gender is a genocide, which is not right and therefore something needs to be done about it.

In light of this learning I hope that more and more people are informed on this topic because spreading the word and making this known can only benefit. This documentary shows the perspective from a different point of view, they believe it is for the food of the baby girl, but hopefully this way of thinking will change.

Reference

Illich, Ivan. To Hell with Good Intensions. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. Print.

Activism

Reflection Grace Week
Activism

Description

For my last and final OOCLO I had to partake in a activism activity, I decided to look online at change.org. While searching around the website, many different topics stood out to me, such as transgendered Ms. Universe or allowing a gay straight alliance at a Catholic school. I am majoring in Sociology and perhaps that is why these jumped out at me, they are showing change within society and people’s views on marginalized others. The petition that I signed and took part in was Teens get magazines to stop photo shopping models. I think this is a great idea, a girl named Julia won the petition over the popular magazine seventeen. The petition that I signed was to have this same impact on vogue magazine, I think this is so important because females compare themselves to the models in magazines, and when they are photo shopped the models don’t even look like that. "I Don't Look Like that & don’t Desire to Look Like That" is a famous quote by Kate Winslet on GQ photo shopping 1/3 of her weight off for the cover. Signing the petition I felt empowered, that I am actually contributing to a positive change. I know that I can do more to help the issue, but this is one step in improving giving girls a positive body image, and showing them realistic body types to achieve. When I purchase a magazine, it is all decided on whose on the cover, magazines are for looking through pictures, especially for younger females and therefore I would be impressed if I looked through pictures and noticed regular girls that look like me. These stereotypical beautiful women are often photo shopped, air-brushed, and edited to look thinner, and appear to have perfect skin, with barely any pores. A girl you see in a magazine probably looks a lot different in real life. These are the messaged that I took away from the change.org website while surfing the petitions. Julia is part of the SPARK Movement, a girl-fueled, national activist movement, she has been fighting to stop magazines, toy companies, and other big businesses from creating products, photo spreads and ads that hurt women. I think SPARK is an awesome movement, and I hope that more people join the motion.

Examination

Alisa Miller in the “The News about the News” describes how Americans have a distorted view of the world because of the news coverage they receive. News that involve celebrities are covered more because issues on Britney Spears or Michael Jackson dying is cheaper than relevant than issues that are actually relevant to the world. Soon enough Americans think that this gossip and tabloids are the news and become accustom to it. Through the usage of television, newspapers, radio and internet which I believe is becoming the most popular source for world news. Stories on celebrities are less money to process and therefore other more important news gets pushed aside. Celebrities such as Britney Spears or Michael Jackson dying is cheaper than covering worldwide news. Soon enough Americans think that this gossip and tabloids ARE the news and become accustom to it. The cost effectiveness of gossiping about famous people rather than global issues is the reasoning behind Americans having a distorted view. This is terrible to think, and who decides what is more relevant and important than other things? Some Americans believe these stories about celebs are the news when really things should change and more global coverage should be addressed. This relates to the petition on photo shopping in magazines, because teenage girls and women start to truly believe that the models look like the images in the magazines, which distorts their own body image and self-esteem. What is shown in magazines becomes what people think is normal, exactly the same as the news. Magazines show “perfect” and “beautiful” women, which leaves out the normal women, sex sells and therefore this is what is presented.


Articulation of Learning

I have learned that girls want to be accepted, appreciated, and liked and magazines should represent a healthy body image not unrealistic photo shopped ideals.

I have learned this when researching and searching on the topic of photo shopped models, how some celebrities don’t even appreciate being touched up and air brushed. For girls to be able to relate and maintain a healthy body image, they must be presented with this through media.

This learning matters because when the girls don’t fit the criteria, they try to fix themselves. This can lead to eating disorders, dieting, depression, and low self-esteem.

In light of this learning I plan on seeing what other petitions are taking place, if I can easily read up on the issue and help them out by signing I think it is a great way to make changes.

Reference

Miller, Alisa, dir. The News about the News. 2011. Film.

Welland Walk

Reflection 7

Welland Walk

Description

Last Tuesday was freezing, but my boyfriend and I were visiting Niagara Falls for a couple of days over reading week so I thought what better time to get an OOCLO done? We went at about 4:00 in the late afternoon, because it gets dark any later in February. I think he was more excited than me too embark on this Thorold adventure, and learn about the war of 1812. I really had no idea about the history. It wasn’t very busy perhaps because it was so cold out, good thing we dressed for the weather. Overlooking the canal, I knew that the ships were going to be massive but seeing them up close was a different story, along with the huge gates. As we continued walking we posed for some pictures with the murals, well mostly I did and in the pamphlet it said that these were the largest mural project of their kind in Canada, they were much larger than I had originally expected. The water I was use too and had seen before is in Toronto, so you can only imagine I was used to seeing water and the area around it highly polluted. Unexpectedly this water was clean, he wind caused it to be choppy and I can imagine very cold. Walking past the Constable house, the area was absolutely breathtaking, even though I found it a bit sketchy perhaps because the area was very old and it was starting to get darker out. I felt like someone was following us the whole time, it looked and felt like something out of a movie. Closer to the houses on Regent and Chapel, we noticed children outside which caused the eeriness to go away. The houses down Carleton Street were large in size along with the property they had, which I wasn’t expecting in this area usually the land suffers in older neighborhoods and the houses have character but aren’t huge. I enjoyed that all the houses were different, not like in my community all built by the same builder causing every other one to be the exact same. We than decided to return to his car, my glasses fogged up when entering the warm car which was slightly embarrassing. Tim Horton’s was the next stop to attempt to warm back up.

Examination

I was looking through all the past readings we have done, and Imagine Niagara popped into my head when thinking about this OOCLO. When I thought of Niagara before coming here, I imagined casinos, hotels, waterparks and haunted houses, a tourists dream. After doing OOCLOS and seeing this Canal it changed my mind and made me realize you can’t judge places before you see them first hand. Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) talked about two imaginations “industrial riches and natural heritage”. I think taking a walk through Thorold and seeing the canal is the perfect place to find this. You have the industrial aspect of the actual canal and locks with the metal and coldness, while the nature incorporated as well.

I think like Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) argue that the past makes us who we are and therefore we must treasure it and display it where we can. In 1812 I learned that this area use to be a battlefield so back then it wouldn’t have looked the same as now, but at least having this canal and murals holds on to some of the past. Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) say that places by their nature are going to change we just must hold onto the memories and meanings for the next generations which I believe directly relates to the Welland canal and Thorold walk.

Relating to our topic of social media from this semester, I believe that our phones and the internet have steered us away from getting to see the outside world and I for one am guilty of this. Looking at pictures and experiencing something for you are two totally different things. I hope that my children will still get to see and experience nature for themselves and not take it for granted.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that history isn’t boring and is still significant to us today, by taking walks or seeing murals on the wall.

I learned this when I walked through Thorold, along the canal, down Carleton street, and past the houses.  

This learning matters because I think I myself take nature and history for granted, when really it is important to know the area in which you’re living in.

In light of this learning I plan on taking more walks around the area, as I am new to this area I feel like I should make a lot more effort to get to know where I live.

Reference

Schneekloth, Lynda H., & Shibley, Robert G. (2005). Imagine Niagara. Journal of

Canadian Studies, 39(3), 105-120. 

Art Centre

                                                                       Reflection 6
                                                             Rodman Hall Art Centre

Description

I have never been extremely interested in art and always thought it was boring, I have been trying to engage in activities to change my mind and have me think of art in a new light. The Rodman Hall Art Centre seemed like a great opportunity to do so. On Thursday January 24^th, I decided to tag my roommates along and visit this museum. The museum is located in an old house downtown St. Catharines, this added to the “artsy” aspect I was thinking of. I love that each season they display different events and exhibits every season, therefore it would keep people wanting to go back to check out the new designs. While we were visiting there was three, Usher the fall of the house, Settlement and All that is solid. The most interesting one was the settlement because it was outdoors. I had never seen this before and I think it would be awesome to see the sculptures within the garden atmosphere but they hadn’t bloomed yet while we were there. The exhibit all that is solid was all about technology and dimensions, and at first I thought of art as paintings and drawings hung up around a museum, but Rodman Hall Art Centre proved me wrong. They had displays and abstract objects which caused me to pay more close attention and think of art in different ways.

Examination

The article that relates to this OOCLO is The role of the voluntary sector in a modern welfare state by Neil Brooks. The voluntary sector is social activity that organizations take on without the government and not for profit. Because these sectors are non-profit and don't take money from the government, it is difficult to collect funds. Everyone in a given society is supposed to have equal rights to all services that are provided, and everyone in St.Catharines does have the right to visit the Rodman Hall Art Centre. Together people of the community can support one another and provide these services, such as having an art museum. I think societies don’t focus enough on the arts, perhaps these places aren't known about or people believe, like I did that art is boring and pointless. Even though most art museums aren't funded by the government I still think they play an important role in a community.

Articulation of Learning

 I have learned that you have to truly see things, and take things in for yourself before judging it. In movies and through the media, museums are shown as dull, quiet places were old paintings are hung. I have learned that this isn’t always the case.

 I learned this when the Rodman Hall Art Centre has sculptures or badgers and coyotes on display, and some of the art was based around technology and the future, not the past.

This learning matters because some people really enjoy art and believe that it makes people think outside the box, and have more abstract thoughts. If more people took time to really focus on art without any bias thoughts, I think they would feel the same.

In light of this learning I hope to visit other art centre’s, perhaps closer to home and think about the art and what the artists are trying to portray.

Reference

Brooks, Neil. (2001). The role of the voluntary sector in a modern welfare state. In J. Phillips, B. Chapman & D. Stevens (Eds.), Between State and Market: Essays on Charities Law and Policy in Canada (pp. 166-168, 185-202). Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press. 

Mid-term Meta-reflection

Thinking back over the course, the best sources of learning in general would have to be the OOCLOS because they were different activities every two weeks, and the expanded my way of thinking. Through the OOCLOS I met new friends, learned about what's available in the community and learned about myself when placed in different situations. The other activity that I enjoyed in the term was in class when we made towers out a newspaper, it was a fun class and I again got to meet new people. We worked as a team, and didn't come across any issues even though other teams had announced that they faced some problems. No matter who won, we had fun rolling up the newspapers and working together.

When arriving at the sites second term, I plan on taking more field notes to make it easier when I am going to write my reflection. I think that this will deepen my learning, because the notes will spark what I was thinking at that exact moment of the OOCLO. I am looking forward to continuing this class and doing more hands on learning. I hope to participate in more OOCLOS that involve people in the community, and I hope to engage with them and hear their stories.