Womens Studies 2200

My understanding of feminism has increased greatly due to the material and discussions in this course. When this course first started I had a small general idea of what feminism was. I always assumed it had to deal with women’s rights and movement, mostly about the African-American movements. I had no idea that feminism tied into so many different subjects throughout history and even the present day. This course also had a broad overview with many different types of readings. The readings, along with the discussions generated a more in depth view on particular topics. Although I had a general knowledge of some of the topics, other topics were completely new to me and I found them very interesting. For example, the topic about the native settlers that were forced from their native land by the Europeans, specifically about the Beothuck people of Newfoundland.

One unit that really sparked my interest was Unit 11: Advertising Culture and the Commodification of the body. I think that this unit was very intriguing, as I have always wondered about how and why the media portrays women the way they do. This idea of “Fat” women has become such a profitable topic in the media. The article by Lisa Ayuso “I look Fat in this” portrayed an excellent view from women who often feel ashamed of their body because it is not the “perfect body” that is plastered all over the media.

Another unit that I thoroughly enjoyed was Unit 8: Diasporas. I enjoyed reading other students posts on how they feel about Newfoundland culture and its traditional items. Many students registered in this course are from Newfoundland, so the shared culture among us with the different viewpoints, I found really interesting.

This course has not changed my view or position on a particular issue. I have increased my knowledge and have broadened my views on many topics. One particular issue that came to a complete shock to me was about the forced sterilization of young black women. Especially about the doctor...