Is Violence Funny?

I am currently taking a social work/women’s studies third year course called Abuse in the Family. This course is designed to shed light on abuse not just in the family but in society as a whole. There was recently an issue which came up in class which really hit a hot button with me. We were watching a short film clip on male violence against women and female violence against men. Keep in mind that this is a third year social work class full of future social workers. As we were watching the clip of a woman being harassed by her male partner, the class was silent. As soon as the roles were reversed and we were presented with a woman being violent by hitting and yelling at her male partner the majority of the class began to laugh. Remember that these are our society’s future social workers...

As soon as the film was over I could feel the rage brewing inside of me because of how inappropriate this was, for someone to laugh at violence.  So I put up my hand and posed a question to the class asking how they, as future social workers, could sit there and laugh at the violence on the screen. People immediately began getting defensive and saying things such as “well the acting was funny” and my response to that was it should not matter if the acting was bad or not, you are laughing at an image of violence. Why did nobody laugh when the woman was being beat by the man? The acting was just as bad. But we have been socialized not to laugh at male violence against women because it is considered to be "serious" whereas female violence against men is "less harmful".

People do not realize the stigma attached to female violence against men, and they do not understand the severity of their actions when they were laughing at the violence. What if there was a man in the class who had been abused by his female partner? How would he feel sitting in this class with people laughing at that image? It is a fact that women do abuse men, and that men tend to under-report this because of the way society reacts to such an accusation, “oh what you aren’t man enough to defend yourself?”  This needs to change because violence is violence, it is harmful and damaging no matter who is committing the act.

Education is key when it comes to changing stigmatizing views on issues; the more we know the more we can create change. The future is shaped by our present actions, and apparently our future social workers view violence as funny. Sensitivity training is one thing that many entering the helping professions need to get involved with and I am curious to find out if this is offered and if people actually get the proper training. 

©2011, Zain Alglaieny

My Feminist Manifesto

Feminism can mean many different things to many different people, especially to me. My feminism revolves around giving a voice to those who need it most, and for me there are only two groups which I feel are truly deserving of my attention simply because of my personal connection to each. This is not to say that I do not care about other relevant issues, I simply mean that I cannot devote myself to a cause I do not feel a connection to otherwise I would feel like an imposter. The first issue I believe in is standing up for, and listening to battered women and their children; the second is giving a voice to those women, men and children who are faced with both physical and mental disabilities.

People can be so cruel when they see someone who is not the “norm” according to societal standards. This manifesto calls for a strong voice for those who need it and it draws upon a more liberal feminist approach in that you must work with a system, not against it. My personal feminism comes from the understanding that you should fight for what you believe in, and this is what I will continue to do. 

Manifesto

• Giving others the respect and dignity they deserve, just as I would ask for myself to be treated in that manner. Understanding that we all have different viewpoints in life and that those views shape us, they don't break us.
•  I will avoid judgement – it is often easier to judge than it is to listen and learn.
• I will never assume that I know everything, no matter how rooted, involved in and committed to a movement I am. I will always listen to those voices around me, and let them be my guiding light.
• I will always stand up for what I believe in, working towards my goals and not being afraid to ask for help along the way.
• Getting involved in fighting the dirty politics that diminish a person’s worth; finding the space to fight against those which governing rules which do not work.
• Ensuring that my human needs, rights, and wants do not infringe upon another human beings rights, needs, and wants.
• Living, fighting, and believing in what I hold close to my heart, whatever it may be.
• Most importantly: I will become someone’s ally— I will go by the mantra of don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice.
  
  
  What this manifesto is meant to be is a guide for my life, a guide for my feminism. I believe that this manifesto is an opening statement for why I believe feminism is a part of my life. As this blog continues, I will be analyzing my feminism figuring out whether it truly exists or not in my life and I look forward to sharing this with my readers.

©2011, Zain Alglaieny

Introduction

Welcome to My So Called Feminist Life, a blog delving into an exploration of feminism and its connections to my life. This blog will be developing over the next few weeks as a final project for my fourth year women’s studies seminar Finding Your Feminist Voice. The purpose of this blog is to explore my feminist voice and express it to the world.

As a women’s studies major I have been introduced to many feminist concepts and have been challenged to see how feminism fits into my life. For the last four years I have wondered to myself, am I a feminist? Why should I consider myself a feminist? With this blog I am looking to answer these questions for myself in a free and creative environment. These questions will be what guides my blog in attempt to connect my life to my feminism. 

So what can you expect? You can expect a wide variety of posts which deal with: violence against women, sex/gender system, gender performativity, media portrayals of women, my music and my feminism, 
pictures, poetry, and anything else I find is relevant to the blog.


This is my blog and I would appreciate any feedback from visitors, but I must stress that the views and opinions expressed in this blog are my own  and any negative commentary will be removed. However, I will accept positive feedback as it is greatly appreciated and will encourage conversation.

 

©2011, Zain Alglaieny