feminism questions

Question 1

In Curtis’s work, we don’t see a collection of photographs of Indigenous people. Instead, according to Thomas King, “we see race”. Explain.

Answer 1

• He carried around a costume box while traveling across North America
• He believed indigenous people were dying out and needed to document them rather than help them
• Meaning his images were fabricated
• Long history of dressing up indigenous people to make them seem more authentic
• This lead to showing a distorted image of indigenous people
• “imaginary indian” “exotic” “primitve” “uncivilized” “trafitional”
• advertises settler colonialism
• forces and perpetuates a stereotype of indigenous peoples
• falsifies history
• we see a radicalized group that has been historically compared to white people as the standard

Question 2

Why does rigid binary gender make no sense in Anishinaabeg thought, according to Leanne B. Simpson? And explain why Simpson describes gender violence as a “symptom of settler colonialism”.

Answer 2

• In Anishinaabeg gender is not binary, rather a spectrum of multiple gender identities, expressions and cultures
• Example: 2-spirited people embody both feminine and masculine spirits who hold unique importance in their community
• Leanne Simpson views the pressure of gender binary as a form of settler colonialism
• this is a system of power that seeks to dispose of indigenous culture, people and their ressources
• meaning, gender violence is a product of settler colonialism which is an ongoing process that is not just physical but spiritual, cultural and social and affects indigenous people of all gender expressions and spirits

Question 3

Urban Indian Series (2004) What do you think Houle is trying to communicate with these photos?

Answer 3

• inserting indigenous people in areas where they were originally removed or erased from
• said to have a self-depricating sense of humour with an uneasy undertone
• houle explores the complexities of indigenous people in urban settings
• challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of indigenous people who are often found in rural and traditional settings
• this highlights the complexity of an indigenous identity and experience
• it demonstrates displacement, conformity and cultural assimilation while remaining close to ones original culture and identity origins

Question 4

Does our perception of “authenticity” remain connected to colonial stereotypes?

Answer 4

• yes it does warp our perception, people like thomas king create false stereotypes that can dangerously be taught in school
• certain aspects need to be re-examined and refined and it is not up to colonizers to do so for indigenous people
• due to colonialism and the reshaping of indigenous identites of removing language, heritage, story telling etc
• this perpetuates things like the colonial gaze where indigenous people are labeled as “primitive” and “uncivilized”

Question 5

Who is Edward Curtis and why does Thomas King discuss Curtis in your reading? (“You’re Not the Indian I Had in Mind”)

Answer 5

• Edward Curtis was a photographer whose work focused on American West and Native Americans
• Thomas King disucses that althought Edward Curtis’ images are beautiful to look at, they demonstrate a romantisized verison of native americans and how they have consistently been streotypes in media
• Curtis believed that the indigenous people were dying out and instead of helping them believed he had to capture these images
• Curtis was obssesed with the idea of hyper masculinity and looking more “indian”

Question 6

Describe the connection between resource extraction projects and violence against Indigenous women, according to Kyle Edwards. (“MMIWG’s findings on ‘man camps’ are a good place for government to get started”).

Answer 6

• temporary housing sites set up near extraction sites
• these camps are often set up near northern bc or near indigenous communities
• the impacts of sexual assault or harassment against women has never really been given thought or regulations havent been implemented in a meaningful way
• the influx of mostly male workers this leads to alot of sexual assault and violence against indigenous women
• ## which also leads to rapant drug and alc use

Question 7

Name 2 of the recommendations put forward by the final report in connection with the issue of violence against Indigenous women and resource extraction projects. (“MMIWG’s findings on ‘man camps’ are a good place for government to get started”).

Answer 7

• call to fund more research
• calls for all industries to consider the safety of indigenous women equitable benefit

Question 8

What do we gain from thinking of trauma from a “positive” or productive lens? What do we risk? Is this an effective lens of analyzing trauma? Why or why not?

Answer 8

• not make it a burden
• accept parts of ourselves instead of feeling shameful about it

Question 9

Name 2 of the recommendations put forward by the final report in connection with the issue of violence against Indigenous women and resource extraction projects.

Answer 9

• a call for industries to consider indigenous womans need to create a more equitable benefit (national inquiry)
• a call to fund more research: federally coordinated , cross jurisdictional national action plan against indigenous women

Question 10

Name the two things that Wendell says are important to remember about the “help” that people with disabilities need.

Answer 10

• the needs of individuals with disabilities needs to be met, they should have control over those needs and benefits and they need to be tailored to them, their needs and goals
• people with disabilities should not be seen as a burden or charity, they have the right to be treated with dignity and respect and the assistance they need should never be seen as charity or pity, rather be seen as a form of support that enables people with disabilities to live their lives in communities without being shamed

Question 11

Eli Clare criticizes what he calls “overcoming” stories about disability. Why is Claire critical of the “supercrip crap” (3)?

Answer 11

• stories give off the impression that people with disabilities are inherently helpless personal flaws that need to be fixed and overcome as opposed to a part of human diversity
• it is stated that disabilities need to be overcome and can be fixed by individual strength and perseverance
• this can be seen as an insult as it pairs people with disabilities with the need to be fixed rather than pairing people with disabilities with ableism, lack of funding, lack of employment, lack of education, inaccesible architecture etc
• ignores systemic barriers that people with disabilities face.

Question 12

Explain why Gillian Giles thinks we need to dismantle the ideas of productivity.

Answer 12

• the concept of a fast paced, productive and busy life is a capitalist and colonial ideology
• it suggests that our worth is based on our productivity
• it normalizes excessive working hours, labour, low wages and prioritizes profiting off of people
• this acts as a barrier for disabled people who may not live in the same fast paced manner
• this can be seen in schools, workplaces and other industries
• example: in school the idea of needing an accommodation is inherently ableist as it suggests there is a “normal” way of learning and a “different” way of learning

Question 13

What are “5 ways to challenge systemic ableism during Autism Acceptance Month”, according to Patty Douglas and Michael Orsini?

Answer 13

• awareness:
  challenge the ableist autism campaigns that see it something to “overcome”
• neuro-diversity:
  there are vast differences among people and we must accept neurodiverity within the autistic community
• inclusion:
  BIPOC people are often discluded from the movement, it must include people of all regions, cultures and ethnicities rather than a western view
• perspective:
  autistic campaigns often show and are demonstrated by non-autistic people, self advocacy needs to occur
• leadership:
  autistic people are often not considered or included in policy or descion making in movements

Question 14

Stella Young (Questions) What is inspiration porn, according to Stella Young?

Answer 14

• inspiration porn refers to the objectification of disabled peoples bodies for the purpose of motivating and inspiring able bodies people to feel “grateful” they are not disabled
• “my life is bad but it could be worse at least im not disabled”
• perputates the notion that people with disabilities are less than and only serve to motivate the lives of able bodied people
• highlights the idea that disabled bodies are in need of pity rather than viewing them for their complex identities with diverse lives

Question 15

Why does Young dislike the phrase, ‘the only disability in life is a bad attitude’?

Answer 15

• oversimplifies the experience of disabled people to the concept of a bad attitude
• smiling at a set of stairs wont make it turn into a ramp
• its inspiration porn
• it suggests with a good attitude you can overcome everything in life and all of lifes obstacles
• “disability makes you exceptional”

Question 16

What are some of the issues left unresolved by Laura Mulvey’s approach?

Answer 16

• lacks an intersectional approach
• mulvey doesnt include: black women, lesbian women, bisexual women, trans women, BIPOC women,
• spectators are forced to identity with the male gaze and be subject to mens sexualizations and objectifications
• reinforces male ego and their power
• leaves women , specifically bipoc women left at the bottom of the power system which contributes to the sexism and racism they recieve and experience

Question 17

What is the “oppositional gaze”, as described in your reading by bell hooks (“The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators”)?

Answer 17

• hook argues that it is a political act of ressiliance in order for black women to dominate the ways in which they have been protrayed in media, and challenge those stereotypes
• through the critical gaze black women can resist the ways they are objectified, marginalized, sexualized in mainstream media and insert their own subjectivity and agency
• the ways in which black women have historically been shown in media has led to violence, this sparks a necesity for black women to take back that power and dominate the ways in which they are shown in media

Question 18

Almah LaVon Rice describes how “the white gaze dimmed my own”. Explain what she means using one specific example from the reading (“Watcher Within, Watchers Without”).

Answer 18

• The “white gaze” refers to the way in which white people look at and evaluate black people based on their own cultural norms and values, rather than allowing Black people to represent themselves on their own terms.
• One specific example from the reading could be when the author describes how, as a Black person, she felt pressured to conform to the expectations of white people in order to be accepted or respected.
• She may have felt the need to modify her behavior, appearance, or speech in order to fit in with white standards of acceptability or professionalism.
• This could include avoiding certain cultural expressions or mannerisms, straightening her natural hair, or toning down her voice or accent to sound more “white.”

Question 19

What does Almah LaVon Rice mean when she asks the question, “how can you call Black anxiety maladaptive”? Explain in your own words.

Answer 19

• The word “maladaptive” is usually used to describe actions or ways of dealing with problems that are seen as unhealthy or ineffective.
• Rice takes issue with this characterization of Black anxiety because she sees it as a natural and reasonable response to living in a society that is structurally racist.
• Rice argues that Black anxiety is not maladaptive, but rather a necessary and adaptive response to the constant stress and trauma that Black people face due to racism and discrimination
  OCD, anxiety

Question 20

What is the opposite of surveillance, according to Almah LaVon Rice?

Answer 20

• Rice says that “seeing without watching” means being willing to see and value people as they are, instead of trying to fit them into categories or labels you already have in mind.
• It involves a recognition of the complexity and richness of human experience, and a willingness to engage with others on their own terms, rather than imposing one’s own expectations or assumptions onto them.

Question 21

How does Toni Morrison deal with the white gaze in her novels?

Answer 21

• explores the way in which white people have historically viewed and judged people of color.
• She shows how the white gaze has led to the marginalization, oppression, and erasure of Black individuals.
• Morrison challenges the white gaze by giving voice to her Black characters and showing their experiences from their own perspective, rather than through the lens of the white gaze.
• She emphasizes the importance of community and solidarity in the face of the white gaze, and her work offers a powerful critique of its impact on Black lives while also highlighting the resilience and strength of Black individuals.
• doesnt want the white gaze to be explained through white characters but rather through black characters

Question 22

In what ways does the interview reveal the existence of the white gaze in the world of literary criticism? Explain.

Answer 22

• She explains that the white gaze has historically been the dominant perspective in literary criticism, and that this has led to a tendency to privilege white writers and white experiences over those of people of color.
• highlights the way the white gaze has influenced the way Black writers are expected to write, with the assumption being that they should write about the Black experience in a way that is easily understandable and relatable to white readers.
• This expectation can lead to a kind of censorship of Black writers, as they feel pressured to conform to the white gaze in order to be accepted and recognized by the literary establishment.
• emphasizes the importance of rejecting the white gaze in literary criticism and in writing more broadly.
• She argues that it is necessary to center Black experiences and perspectives, and to resist the pressure to conform to the expectations of white readers and critics.