Follow Up: Responding to Julia

The readings for today’s post deal with women’s sexuality. Julia touched on some very important topics that I attempt to delve into. I personally found Walker’s piece most engaging. Walker talks about her experiences with her sexuality and states, “Girl’s need not feel guilty concerning their sexuality—instead females can celebrate their sexuality regardless of traditional gender constraints.” She talks about how after the “initial awkwardness” she loved sex, and what I found was interesting was that she constantly changed herself to the man she was currently with; in other words she “plays Woman.” What exactly does this mean? I definitely think women of today sometimes change their behavior depending on the person they are currently involved in. For example, if a guy is really into sports, a girl may read up on current sports scores.

I liked how she compared women’s sexuality with Eve and claims how women were punished for seeking more knowledge (for her argument about the body). Women “called sluts and whores” are considered “impure or psychotic.” To me, this reflects the idea of a double standard: men are considered players and looked up to for getting as many girls as possible, while women are whores. Why are men praised for this?

The source of this double standard comes from society and social relationships. Pop culture and media play a huge role in revealing how social roles “should” take place and perpetuate the double standard. Take for example, American Pie. In the movie, a group of young guys said that men should take the number of women they have slept with and multiply it by three, while women should divide by 3 the number of people they've slept with. This idea plays out in many other media sources as well. Can you think of any other examples?

Another issue that I found most engaging, like Julia, is Walker’s discussion on the importance of education. I agree with Julia analysis of Walker in the sense that she argues that the way we understand and learn about sex is necessary for our own growth. Walker writes, “we are growing, thinking, inquisitive, self-possessed beings who need information about sex and access to birth control and abortion” (24). I agree with Julia that people would generally benefit if sex were acknowledged as a natural event. It is important for students to be well educated with everything that sex brings to light- abortion, STDs, HIV, birth control to name a few. Through education, people will make smart decisions.

However, this article ("http://www.examiner.com/x-19632-Salt-Lake-City-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Study-shows-sex-education-program-reduces-teen-sex-activity") showed results from a sex education study. It showed that the students who took the class were actually less likely to be sexually active. What would Walker think of this?

Also, like Julia, I see the connection between Collins’ article and Sonia Shah’s article. Collins discusses the awareness of the balance between different societal forces which are, as Julia points out, echoed in Sonia’s article on managing and reconciling her Indian heritage with her American upbringing. There are stark differences between the ideals of her heritage and upbringing creating two different approaches towards sexuality. In order to reconcile the differences between their heritage and upbringing, these girls had to realize that they could simultaneously recognize and identify themselves with both cultures.
I thought this essay was a fascinating look into the lives of Indian American girls. It was sad to read about all the problems that Sonia faced when trying to express her sexuality as a teenager: the harassment from boys, the pressuring for sex, and her decline in self-esteem.

I liked how Sonia spoke of feminist ideals interwoven in her discussion of her sister. Sonia doesn't want to discourage her sister from being sexually active, but she also doesn't want her sister to objectify herself. Her sister insists that she wear the tight jeans, accessories, and makeup not for the male gaze but rather her way to express her identity. It was enjoyable to read Sonia’s development and realization that her sexuality is not bound to her Indian or American cultural identity. She was able to successfully mesh them together, which resonates with her to this day. What other examples can you think of where individuals struggle to find a balance between different societal forces?