Bumble: Giroux // ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?

Education…
What is the purpose? My entire life I was told that going to school was about thinking critically, making informed decisions, and have evidence to be able to back up your point. Until going into the CMC major, honestly, I have not felt that those who preached actually followed through in teaching. My parents were the ones who taught me to think critically and meticulously. Even so, I sometimes do not feel the need to question my parents when they tell me something. This is because of the ideology of "older is wider..." NOT ALWAYS true, although many times it is!

Most of the students who you would talk to are so threatened by bad grades in as Althusser would say is an oppressive state apparatus, that they are not concerned with truly learning and challenging what we learn, but rather, just listening and following directions. They say to challenge what we hear, but many teachers will punish if this happens. I believe it is important to challenge always, not in an oppressive or negative way, but rather a quizzical way. When someone tells me something, I like to ask why they think that and where they heard that from. Much information that we hear is spoken without points to back it up, and so that is why it is important to ask the questions.

Also, people fear asking questions because of how they might appear in class.

One class which I took, really opened my eyes to the notion of our right to question and ponder information flung at us from all directions. My frontiers to physics class, was taught by president Duncan, and the most important thing he taught us was never to accept anything at face value. What we are taught growing up is that science is a hard truth that is testing and therefore must be correct. He made us challenge this conventional knowledge and look at how these scientific conclusions were made. You have to be even more critical about science given to you, because many of us are not experts in it, and tend to take the science as a given truth. Nothing can ever be proven true, you can only prove something else to be false. Theories are what make up our lives, not facts.

Rollins College does not excel in students challenging authority, think about how few protesters there are. But, for the most part I believe it has to do with the ideology of GRADES. While this article suggests to not have a clear cut curriculum, I thrive on structure and some sort of path, predetermined.

This article also remindined me of the class when we discusses opposing ideologies like active and passive. Both are seen as positive and both can be seen as negative. Particularly in the genre of education.

Bumble: Luce Irigaray

Females…sex….gender, this article proves what has been pointed out by every single theorist, there are hidden ideologies behind everything.

According to Marx, our lives are defined by the rule class, which this article points out is the male species.

Females are thrown into certain behavioral patterns, and act with certain emotions because of all of these external factors affecting our consciousness.

It is ironic that femininity is defined through a male lens, where everything in society is run by this ideology. It is only natural that we perceive ourselves in a certain way. Many things make sense if you look at the hierarchy of gender roles.

This article was very graphically descriptive, but only made the points stronger that women are defined by men.

There was a theorist who wrote something very interesting. Thomas Fitzgerald defined masculinity by a term called oppositional gender. Basically, it is acceptable (and normal according to this article) for women to possess or want to possess male qualities. Feminism is described as women who live in envy of the penis. However, men are distinctly defined as “NOT feminine.” Again, this feeds into the notion of the negative ideologies attached to being female. Feminism according to this definition is conflated with bad, or not a sociological norm.

Women’s right are interesting because essentially, it is the right to do what men do, which by it self is degrading and suppressing rights. It is a very unique and interesting cycle.

Women in the submissive sense, are simply (as the article says) somewhat like slaves to men. But, on the other hand are conforming to men.

Double Edge Sword?

Even the famous: WE CAN DO IT: female rights poster, implies that we can be as physically tough and strong as Men:

sawsaw Giroux

After reading this essay by Henry A. Giroux, I feel that I have gained a new understanding of the concept of postmodernism. The way Giroux breaks up the nine points into different ideas regarding postmodernism made it easy to comprehend. I found the first point, "education must be understood as producing not only knowledge but also political subjects" to be correct. The point he makes about linking public education to the imperatives of a critical democracy is something that our education system lacks greatly. Students are not taught about democracies and the importance of being a critic in our school systems. We need to try and link the practices of critical democracy and public education. The eighth point Giroux makes about: "Critical pedagogy needs to develop a theory of teachers as transformed intellectuals who occupy specifiable political and social locations" (387). He later goes on to say that a critical pedagogy needs to ascertain more carefully what the role of teachers might be as cultural workers engaged in the production of ideologies and social practices. (387) Giroux is encouraging teachers to undertake social criticism as a public intellect who addresses social and political issues in the world around them. I feel that this point is very true and accurate. It is the job of teaching professionals to be a critic of the world around them. To discuss political and social issues and to teach students to analyze the world around them.

sawsaw Irigaray

I found the read, "The Sex Which is Not One," by Luce Irigaray to be very inappropriate and vulgar. He goes into great detail about the women's body and gives more information then needed. I was very uncomfortable reading this essay because I feel that it exposed too much of the human body and shined light on things I feel are private. By exposing the women in this essay, Irigaray feels that he is defending the oppression of women's desires and pleasures and trying to show to the world that women are being taken advantage. Although, I do agree with sticking up for women's feeling and emotions and would never want women to be oppressed, I feel that the method Irigaray uses only further exploits women. By using detailed imagery and sexual language women's most private and intimate feelings are being revealed. Irigaray's main point is shown in the last sentence of the essay: "But, if their goal is to reverse the existing order even if that were possible-history would simply repeat itself and return to phallocratism, where neither women's sex. their imaginary, nor their language can exist" (258). This sentence is saying that women will never reach the point where they are free to be themselves and have liberty to express their feelings and desires. I do feel that it is important for women to be their true selves and to be free to express their feelings I feel that what Irigaray is trying to expose is private and should be kept secret. He wants women to be open with their sexuality and be able forward with their desires and yearnings. By doing this, women will only further be adhering to the desires of men. If women become free and open with themselves and their sexuality it will further entice men's sexual desires. I think that what Irigaray is defending should be sacred and something that should be kept private.

July 4-17-08

Like I mentioned in my previous blog, authority figures have the ability to start and stop whatever, whenever. Foucault’s quote represents this notion perfectly: “Everyone locked up in his cage, everyone at his window, answering to his name and showing himself when asked.” The word “everyone” stands for the populace within the United States, while the word “his” represents all Repressive Apparatuses. For example, the government set laws that society has to abide by, but it has become so rehearsed that society can’t distinguish between their individual rights and the rights forced by the government. When a police officer stops a man for no apparent reason or uses his suit to gain respect in wrongful ways often creates controversy among society and higher forces, but it’s dangerous to question authority, especially when they have the right to stabilize you.

This leads me into Foucault’s second quote, “Inspection functions ceaselessly.” Society functions as a mechanical device that is preprogrammed to act in a certain way. When authority figures bust in houses, pull over cars, harass people, or stage a crime, they don’t get arrested like the people caught in these stages do; instead they are brought into court and dragged out into they are clear of all charges or it eventually gets buried under other reports. We have to let authority figures take their course when claiming to benefit out environment, but it’s a time when they go to far.

July--> Foucault

Foucault introduces readers into the state of political force. There was an interesting quote that he discussed in the reading, which is “Our society is one not of spectacle, but of surveillance.” The class discussion that came about really struck a nerve because it reminded me about our campus. The quote basically means that our society likes to be watched. I believe that surveillance is needed for security reasons, but not when one’s privacy is invaded. Back to Rollins, in the apartment complex there has been vandalism occurring on a weekly base, but authority figures are not handling the situation in a sincere manner. Students who are affected by others insecurity believe that cameras are needed to overcome this dilemma. Surveillance is needed on a college campus, especially when campus security isn’t patrolling the building every hour. The political force in this situation is the president or the one who has the hold on cameras being installed within the apartment complex. The president holds everyone accountable for the vandalism that occurs on each floor. For example, if there are exit signs, holes in the walls, or minor damages made to the third floor, then all of the residents that live on that floor split the final bill and it is put on the student’s school account. “Cameras Cameras We Want Cameras”! This is the constant chant spoken by Rollins’ students who are victims of their peer’s behavior. Authority figures have the power to make rules, but only when it’s convenient for them. Rumors have arisen: “Authority figures don’t feel there is a need for cameras because students are afraid of getting caught doing multiple things or they don’t want to be held accountable for their guest’s actions. These are not valid reasons for not installing the cameras. As one can see, I agree with Foucault’s quote because I’ve been affected by it!

kMO 4/17

In today's world image is everything. From everything as simple as a young girl feeling pressure from the media to be a size 0 to an entire corporation's marketing tactics, image is VITAL. In class we discussed facebook and it's impact on society. Interestingly, today it is harder to find someone who doesn't have facebook as opposed to someone who does. Frighteningly, this explosion of private information being exposed to the public has happened in less than 2 years...

Sometimes when I read articles in which describe the effect websites such as myspace and facebook are having on the community I realize I don't want to be a part of the trend. The thought of any information (especially pictures) being permanently accessible on the internet is terrifying...What most people don't think about is the future. Do I really want my children to have unlimited access to pictures taken of me from college parties? Or do I really want a potential workplace to have pre-conceived notions about who I am and the lifestyle I live?

The idea of the Panopticon is one I have constantly thought about...The idea that one acts a certain way while under the surveillance of others in comparison to how they act while alone is a very fascinating topic...If you apply "organizations" such as religion and the government to this concept a whole new world of ideas is born. It is important to note the way we respond to the laws of the government in comparison to those of any "higher power." We know for sure that if we murder someone we will spend our lives in jail under the United States law, whereas we do not know for sure what will happen under the laws of a "higher power." In my opinion people feel they can get away with more when they feel they are not under strict ruling...