Visibility of Radical Forms of Body Modification

One thing which has been really swirling about in my brain since our discussion body modification is the invisibility of certain radical forms of body modification practices as compared to those which are considered to be cultural appropriate body modification practices such as cosmetic surgery. Is this essentially a way to a conceal the deviant and market the norm? When radical forms of body modification are often displayed within public view they are often highlighted as primitive, taboo, freakish, and even inhibitor to one’s well-being. Often harnessing historical and contemporary perceptions and attitudes of radical forms of body modification. Furthermore, the significance of radical forms of body modification is diluted. For the stories and relevance behind the procedures are often removed, or the certain form of body modification is portrayed as less of resistant movement and more of a subcultural practice.Whereas, cosmetic surgery is treated as a normal, medical procedure, which can ultimately improve one’s well-being. Does the invisibility of the radical forms of body modification aid in their resistant purpose? Or should more radical forms of body modification be made more visible?

Angela B.

Final Reflection

This course has offered me a critical lens to examine and analyze different historical and contemporary events, and explore the way in which science, society, and authority become interwoven, influencing one another in dramatic and sometimes detrimental ways. Furthermore, I have been able to apply the course material beyond the classroom to my everyday life. For I constantly find myself thinking of  a new question which applies to the course or recognizing something which relates to a topic covered in class. It has also help to inform my efforts of understanding a variety of different areas such as women’s reproductive health, disability, and body modification. Also, the information I've gained I have been able to use and apply to a variety of other courses and course work, including my Psychology independent study and Women's Studies capstone project which seeks to examine the stigma of menstruation. I feel that the knowledge which I have gained from this course will continue to have a profound impact on my life, and the way in which I view society, medicine, deviancy. With new knowledge gained from this course, I am able to make more conscious decisions regarding not only my healthy, but has inspired me to offer alternatives and information to others. Also, I must mention that the atmosphere of the class truly allowed for discussion and thoughts to flourish in a respectful and educating manner which I greatly appreciated. History of Authority was truly one of my favorite courses I've had the privilege of attending, and will continue to carry the knowledge which I've gained with me throughout my life and career.

Angela B.

Final thoughts

This class was by far my favorite class this semester, and one of my favorite in the four years that I've been here at Fredonia. All of the topics were so fascinating! I really learned a lot. One of my favorite parts of the class was the great discussion that we always had. I'm really glad that there were so many students with different majors and with different hobbies and lifestyles because it added so much to the class. With all the different topics we covered, from race to disabilities to sexuality and everything in between, there was something that everyone could relate to and that everyone knew something about. There was also something that everyone had never learned about before, and we all had the opportunity to be educated on various subjects. In the beginning of the semester, I admit that I wondered a few times how the lessons we were learning would be relevant to my life or my future career and how I could use them. I realize now that learning about deviance and normalcy and being aware of the medical community's role in forming those idea throughout history can be very relative to today's world and many different fields. As a school/youth counselor, I'm guaranteed to come across various individuals that fit into one or more of the categories of "deviance" that we've discussed. Taking what I've learned from this class will help me help them through struggles they may be having with their identity or with being judged by other people, and I can help them realize that they're not deviant or abnormal and that there's a great history that's relative to their situation.

The most important thing I'm taking from this class is what I've learned about other people and about myself. I never would have given most of these issues a second thought if I hadn't been forced to learn about them and really think about how I felt. Now, I can have a more educated opinion on issues that will certainly come up in my future and I have a little more experience discussing them with my peers. Thanks to all the other students in the class; you made it so much fun for me, and I really hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! And thanks, of course, to Jeff. Your class rocks, and I'm really glad that more students will have the opportunity to take it next semester.

Sarah Bradley

Tattoo Perception

I think that many people today still judge people that have tattoos. People say that they are becoming more widely accepted, but I think they really mean that tasteful and a limited amount of tattoos are accepted. Those who have multiple visible tattoos or entire sleeves are judged for it. Many make assumptions about that person before even getting to know them. I agree with Erin's post where she said that "all of who we are is just little pieces put together." I myself don't have any tattoos yet but I don't want to be judged for what I decided to do to my body. While some people may get meaningless tattoos, numerous others have a reason for getting their tattoo. Their tattoo is a sign of strength or in remberence of someone for them. They don't need to be judged for their decisions to get a tattoo. Unfortunately our society is too quick to judge one another.  

Body modification

When I used to think of body modification, I always thought of tattoos and piercings. It never occurred to me that cosmetic surgery, bodybuilding (or working out in general), and even tanning can also be considered body modification. I find it interesting that a lot of people judge someone that they might see who has had plastic surgery or who has a lot of tattoos or piercings, but they themselves could also be modifying their body in an unnatural way. Our bodies are just that--OURS. Everyone has the right to do whatever they want to their own body regardless of what other people may think about it. I found Angela's activity in class on Thursday really eye-opening because it proves how quick we can be to judge someone based strictly on their appearance, and how wrong we can  often be. And as long as someone understands the risks that they may encounter when changing their body in a drastic way, I don't think anyone should tell them it's wrong if it will really make them happy.

Sarah Bradley

Final Thoughts

Before this class, I had a very uncomfortable relationship with my doctor. Every time I had to go visit him I dreaded it. The entire time I was there I was sweating bullets in that thin paper gown. My doctor never really listened to me. If I complained about anything he was very dismissive, almost as if he didn't care or trust me. In all honesty, I thought that everyone had a relationship like this with their doctor, and thought that I was just going to have to get used to it. But taking this class made me realize the very complicated relationship between doctor and patient. It also made me realize that my relationship between my doctor wasn't supposed to be that way. Needless to say, I ended up switching doctors, and I am much happier! I really enjoyed the class. History of Authority took and alternative perspective on oppressions in our society that I never really thought of before. The class room environment was wonderful. Thank you everyone for creating a safe atmosphere where I could talk freely without being judged. I don't feel like I can do that in many other classes. Thank you Jeff for always putting 200% into your students and your teaching. I am glad I got to take this class my last semester.

I’m really glad I took this class this semester.  I was able to learn a lot of useful and interesting information that has brought me to question aspects of society that I had not considered.  I was most intrigued by the medicalization of women in the gynecological field, and in the medicalization of pregnancies.  Before these issues were discussed, I feel I hadn’t even thought twice about what steps to take when having a baby.  Although I was aware of different birthing methods, for some reason I just assumed you go to the doctor and the doctors take care of all of the decision making.  I think this is the idea that media and society encourages, probably to keep the medical field in higher authority than the common person.  I feel the medical field in some ways desires to make society feel ignorant, and as if they absolutely need the help of doctors and should always trust a doctors judgment.  So, I'm very glad I got to take this class to broaden my judgement and knowledge of the many injustices society can normalize.  Thanks Jeff & class! It was a great semester.
-Allison B

I really liked Angela’s activity for class yesterday; we could see how our attributions about the girl’s personality and life-style changed, depending on her tattoos.  Although we discussed how the story behind a person’s tattoo could alter our perception of the ink, our society enforces judgment based on appearance.  Our group assumes the heavily tattooed girl wouldn’t be in a traditional profession, and sadly that’s probably correct.  Employers make a lot of personality and work ethic judgments based on a prospect’s appearance.  Josh even told us how his tattoo could have affected his military career, I wonder if the strong stigma correlates with the prevalence of tattoos in prisons and gangs.  Does simply having a tattoo in our society, regardless of the meaning, make you a larger liability of violence and criminal behavior?

-Allison B

Tattoos & Body Modification Questions

I loved being able to present on body modification and tattoos yesterday, and I hope you enjoyed the activity. I thought it might be an interactive and interesting way in exploring the way in which we may make assumptions about one's character and behaviors depending on the amount, type, and placement of tattoos. So, thanks for your participation! However, I was unable to get to all my questions, so I thought I might share a few in case some of you are perhaps looking for something to write about for your one blog post or maybe didn't get a chance in class to share your thoughts.

1. Consider the way in which tattoos and other forms of body modification often mark one as "primitive" or "freak." Has the view of certain body modification evolved from this perception and attitude, or are individuals who practice certain forms of body modification still marked as "primitive" and essentially deviant?

2. Kat Von D and her television show often features women tattooists and clients. Does her show provide a false sense of equality or that anyone can do it? Is it another form of freak shows? Does it "dilute the significance," (273) of body modification practices?

3. Are tattooing and radical body modification practices an appropriate form of resistance? Are tattooed women transgressing the gender norms?

4. Some of the radical forms of body modification procedures have a spiritual aspect to them, (274). Are certain body modification procedures such as cosmetic surgery considered more appropriate and acceptable because they are situated within a medical realm?

Thanks again!
Angela B.

Final comments

This class should be considered for inclusion in the African American studies program.  The bias toward the poor African American victim has made this class, in my opinion, less informative than it could have been.  There are other victims of the establishment, perhaps their victimization has not been as well documented and therefore would be more difficult to introduce to the students, but this bias prevents a balanced view of how authority is used and applied to the less fortunate.  Other than this shortcoming the class was informative and interesting and provided an alternative view on the world as we know it.

Joyce Abbott

Tattoos

Today in class we discussed tattoos and the stereotypes behind them. Where you place a tattoo can say a lot about what kind of person. People are going to judge not only the placement but the tattoo itself. Looking at someone's tattoos you can not know the story behind it or the significance. I think that this is why they are received so negatively. I loved Angela's activity with the girl and the different amounts of tattoos, it really put in perspective how we could come up with a whole back story just based on her appearance, which happens everyday when you look at someone. I found a picture that I though was humorous, charting the meaning of tattoo placement that is usually assumed. Check it out! 
http://www.cracked.com/funny-298-tattoos/  

Classs Evaluation

I have definitely been enlightened on a lot of things as a result of this class. I already knew quite a bit about the issues that women face, but this class did help shed a little more light on things. But through this class I was able to learn more about other populations and issues that I was previously unaware of. So thank you Jeff and the rest of the class!

Erin Pattridge

Body Modification

Almost all of us participate in modifying our body in one way or another. Whether it be piercings, tattoos, etc., we all have our willing "scars" to show. I don't think people should be judged for this. All of who we are is just little pieces put together. You cannot judge one part of a person and assume it to be the whole truth of someone. I think we live in a world that it very harsh and our particular society is even harsher. If we value diversity so much, let's prove it. We all judge others, but it doesn't have to be so condescending. So let's instead view each person as different and having their own story, and not compare them to others because it is impossible and unfair. 

Erin Pattridge

the class as a whole

The class as a whole I felt was very interesting I learned alot of things that I did not know before and it opened my eyes up alot. The one subject that we didnt really cover was intersexuality, which I am actually using for my last project so I did get to learn about it. I think it would be an interesting subject to cover more in this class because it deals with what we learned about all semester of who has authority over your body. In the beginning of this semester we were asked to write down what we thought was authority and I wrote that it was something that is legal. Its people who have the power to tell other people what they can and cannot do. Authority also protects people like police or the government. It can also be other people like adults or teachers. I now see that that is not just what authority is. Through all the articles most of them posed the question of who had authority over your own body and now I see that authority is more then just the law it also deals with other things as well. In the medical world I learned that there is a constant struggle between doctors and their patients over who controls their bodie. I have also learned that while majority of these doctors were wrong in what they did it was something that was needed in order to be where we are today in the medical feild. I would have to say that my favorite part of this semester was reading the book about Henreitta Lacks and seeing what her and her family went through because of the struggle of who was allowed to have control over her cells. I would say all in all this whole course was interesting I learned many things that have opened my eyes up today that I probably wouldnt have learned had I not taken this course.

Body Modification

This week the readings for class dealt with body modifications. This has alot to do with today's world because it is something that occurs everyday and is becoming more prevalent in our society. People are constantly modifying their bodies to look how society tells us we should look. During one of the presentations the question was posed if we felt men define things like intelligence and beauty. I feel like men have a huge impact to defining beauty because women change their bodies to please men so we look like how they think we should. Today the body modifications that we spoke about in class was tattooing. We were given a picture of a women and we had to describe her. It was interesting to see how people compared her in a picture with tattoos compared to one without. I realized before this class that women were percieved differently when have body modifications but i didnt realize how bad it was. When she had tattoos she was looked at as being a "bad girl" compared to not being one when she didnt have tattoos. To me this is kind of ridiculous to judge someone on their apperance because I have two tattoos myself but they both have meaning behind them and im not the "bad girl" they were describing i am actually going to school to become a lawyer.

Body Mofidifcation

Female Body Builders, attractive or lacking femininity?

When I see a female body builder on the television or in person, I am not going to lie I am a little freaked out by it.  But even when I see a male body builder, I am freaked out.  These people are pushing their bodies to the extreme in a good and bad way.  When a person puts steroids into their body they are permanently damaging and/or creating an unneeded addiction.  Why does your body need to be that toned and "ripped"?  Is that really necessary? I do not think so.

A bunch of my friends back home participate in body building and they invited me to a competition.  I felt as though I was in another world of extreme fitness and protein.  The first thing I though of was the youtube video, "My New Haircut" where a gentleman mocks the Italian heritage and tries to pretend as though he is a body builder. 

I do not know how I feel about body building because it is a good way to stay healthy if it is done in modification and not to either extreme.

Leslie Walter

Modern Day Barbie?

In class we discussed body modification through plastic surgery.  This was a very interesting discussion because what is considered deviant under this topic.  Is too much plastic surgery deviant or is too little plastic surgery deviant?  I know personally, I will never go under the knife to get bigger breasts or a tummy tuck.  I find it very weird that people are obsessed with this area.  When I think of cosmetic surgery I think of Pamela Anderson and how unnatural she looks.  Yes, these people may seem more confident, but why would you want to put these risky objects into your body.  I have seen documentaries on television where plastic surgery has gone terribly wrong and people have gotten infections from it and been very sick, yet people still do it. 

I do believe it is an addiction because once you start, some people clearly can't stop.  There are a lot of different perspectives on this topic and debates as well.

Leslie Walter

Final Blog: Course Eval/Reflection

Although I thought the some of the readings were complex, I am happy that we were assigned them. Many of the articles have a very high fog factor or clarity index, which impedes effective communication, but it has allowed me to be a more effective reader. As the semester progressed, I found myself getting through the articles quicker and having to look up less-words. Although not a fan of Washington’s book—extremely biased, I thoroughly enjoyed skloot’s book. I even convinced my sister, who is in med school, to pick up the book.      Am a produced body? I don’t think so. According to Michel Foucault, I am a docile body. I admit that the Army has “broken me down” and “rearranged me”, but I do not think that I have become brainwashed. I entered the military knowing that I needed structure and direction. I still think the wars we are in are ridiculous, and unlike most soldiers who are conservative, I am one of the few liberals. A lot about being in the Army is either conforming or playing the game. But I get that the military as a whole is a form of “bio power”. For instance many soldiers—particularly active-duty soldiers—conform. They are an arm of the Pentagon; they represent the Department of Defense the way that the Department of Defense wants them to, both in deed and thought. Anyways my point is, is that I have always been aware of authority. I am also well aware of the norm or standard. What this class has allowed me to do is become more aware. I have a problem judging people. I was never quite popular in school, I have always been an outsider, an outcast, and have been called “weird” many times. So the very people that I loathed in high school, I absolutely cannot stand today. Ironically, I sometimes find myself conforming to the norm to be more accepted by these same people. As much as I hate the “biddies and bros”, I would love to have their “cool kid” persona. In the end though, I have tried to maintain my own identity, my own style, and my own tune that I dance to, and it has worked for me. But there are lots of people out there that are or feel like an outcast. And once in a while, I find myself judging these people, the part of me that wants to be a “bro”. This class has helped me to remember that individuality is a good trait to possess. Now when I see someone that is “weird” or “non-conformed” I try to think about something that I like about them; their shirt, shoes, hair, jewelry, eyes, glasses etc…instead of “why is that moron wearing that”. Eventually I would love to get to the point where I don’t judge at all, and have the fortitude to approach these people and tell them what I like about them. All in all, I know that one day I will achieve a high rank in the military, either as a commissioned officer or non-commissioned officer. I know that I will always face resistance; I do now, because I refuse to become an active member in the “good ole boy club”. My squad has more females than any other squad, and supposedly it is because I am the most sensitive; thus, the best one to lead females. And I don’t mind, they see through much of the bullshit that I do. What I do know though, that instead of conforming, and becoming “a sexist hard-ass”, I will attempt to be a leader that stands apart from the rest, simply because I will stand up for what is right and not what is “cool”…
Domalski

Male Plastic Surgery

I have to agree with Joyce when she said that it is common for men to undergo plastic surgery. I am sure that many male celebrities have had some procedures done to them. However, I don't see men going "over board" with the surgeries like we do with women. It is much easier for women to take it "too far". And I think the reason for that is because the ideal beauty for women is unobtainable. Though we see these perfect women in magazines, all of those women are photo shopped. However, some women believe they can achieve that beauty if they just have one more plastic surgery. But then, they go into a downward spiral because they realize one surgery is not enough, and suddenly they have taken it too far. I think it is more common for men to undergo plastic surgery that focuses more on their body. Men are constantly trying to achieve a certain body that they believe is attractive. The more muscles the better. And I am sure some men have used plastic surgery to achieve this look. In my opinion, I believe it is much easier for men to obtain this look then it is for women. Also, I think women believe they have to look a certain way in order to attract a partner.

"The Most Beautiful Face"

This was on Good Morning America the other day, so I thought I'd share this with the class since it's related to Tuesday's discussion: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/britains-most-beautiful-face-reveals-beauty-secrets-141700731--abc-news-topstories.html

I think it is interesting how they scientifically measure someone's face, and criticize the "symmetry" that you do or do not have.

- Josh Steffen

Normal or Deviant: Class Thoughts

Taking this class made me think about what is "normal" and what is "deviant." Going along with my other post, it made me think about Cher and how she fought with television censors back in the 1970s. In her book The First Time, there is a chapter called "My First War With the Censors":

"On the Cher show I had not just one censor on my set, but two, a man and a woman. And I don't know where they came from, but they interpreted everything as being about sex. They were also constantly objecting to my dresses: either they were cut too low or revealed too much. And the censors made our editor do a wipe on it, so that everything just about disappeared in fogginess, even me. One time, I was in an amazing bias-cut gown. And the censor came over and said, 'She looks like a hooker.' It was all kind of silly, because the thing CBS wanted me on the air for was the very thing they weren't allowing me to do."

Back in the 1970s, Cher wearing "revealing" clothes or "showing skin" was considered deviant because she was challenging the norm, which was to stay covered up - today though, its nothing to us and no one would bat an eye lash.

In the late 1980s, Cher's outfit for the original "If I Could Turn Back Time" video (a fishnet body stocking under a very revealing black one-piece bathing suit) caused some controversy, and many television networks refused to show the video. In 1989 the MTV network banned the video and later played it only after 9 p.m. A "censored" video, including new scenes, and showing less explicitly sexual content than the previous original video was then made.  At the time, this was deviant, but once again,  this would not be such a big deal today.

- Josh Steffen

tattooing the world. - Class thoughts

Is it easier for the world to accept women with big breasts, fake noses and liposuctioned hips than it is to see a women tattooed. From job interviews, to check out lines, how others feel about your mothering abilities,  women that are tattooed are still sometimes looked down upon because they are seem as alternative to the norm.
what i thought about the class... what i now wish i didn't know!
- I learned a lot about the world in the last fifteen weeks of classes. I learned to seconded guess everyone and the reason why they are doing what they are doing. I learned how ashamed i should feel being a white, middle class women and how proud i should feel so many issues that we read about don't happen anymore. I learned to question doctors and everyone more than I answer the questions.
this class made me a constant questioner
-Sarah Fiorella

Reponse to Women and the Knife

I'm very much inclined to agree with Joyce on this, but I can't help but relate it back to an earlier point.  When we think of plastic surgery we almost exclusively think of women wanting to enhance their breasts.  This is, in fact, rarely the case.  Plastic surgery first came into existence primarily to help those disfigured by war.  Men were originally the recipients of plastic surgery.  To suggest, as I believe the article does, that women are the primary patients in plastic surgeries is very misleading.  Men often require plastic surgery, or desire it to look younger or more physically fit.  In many cases, their motives are the same as women's.  Why then, are women so vilified for undergoing cosmetic procedures?

Only women do it ??

“Women and the Knife” is a very biased article.  It implies that only women have plastic surgery, only women are so insecure that they must change themselves to conform to some male stereotype of beauty and acceptability.  What bull!  True, male plastic surgeons prey on the insecurities of women and gladly benefit from this practice, but all of their patients are not of the female persuasion.  Men do and in increasing numbers are subjects of plastic surgery.  The men are very careful to keep it quiet, they do not want to be seen as wimps or effeminate, after all only women get plastic surgery. 

Joyce Abbott

Cher's Cosmetic Surgery

Today in class we discussed cosmetic surgery and naturally Cher was mentioned. I have to agree with what Sarah said about this kind of surgery depending on the individual. I think Cher has changed the way she looked because she wasn't happy with it. She has said that she didn't like her nose and teeth. I also think that the amount of work she has had done has been exaggerated. What I know for sure is: breast reduction, nose job, teeth straightened, face lift, eye lift, and maybe some sort of implant to make her lips look bigger - anything else is probably just talk.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cher, and if she feels the need to have these things done, it is her business. I also think that she takes care of herself, so that helps with her appearance too. This is what she's said: "If I'd had as much plastic surgery as they [say], you know, like I've got ass implants and calf implants and cheek implants," she says. "I've had the same cheeks my entire life. No butt lifts. No ribs removed." "If I want to put my tits on my back, it's nobody's business but my own."

- Josh Steffen 

Popular Science and Henrietta Lacks

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-01/five-reasons-henrietta-lacks-most-important-woman-medical-history

Henrietta Lacks has been featured in "Popular Science" after the publication of the Skloot book.  Take a look at some of the comments and see if you can throw your two cents in.  I have a feeling those who posted on the wall didn't do as much research on the subject as we did!

Cake Discussion

On another note, I'm glad that the cake post facilitated some discussion.  It wasn't a very obscure article, either and I'm surprised that more people didn't pick it up.  The fact that it was so blatantly racist, sexist and just plain insensitive is extremely baffling to me.  The idea that a cake, one of the most glorious of God's creations, could be used in such a way by someone in a position of power, is to me at least, disgusting.  The terror of racial oppression that has occurred over the last five centuries is as horrific as it is misunderstood.  Creations such as this cake, which I understand was meant to showcase the insensitivity of an elected official, should still be frowned upon.  The gender aspect of it is indicative of how much more ground women have to cover, black women in particular.

Apology

I would like to apologize to anyone who was offended by my use of the word "cans" in reference to Pamela Anderson's breasts.  The point that I was trying to make is that her boobs were so incredibly large and incredibly fake that they transcended supplementation and became a mockery.  I feel like when people think of plastic surgery, the "go to" example is always Pamela Anderson.  Crass as it may have been, that is the point that I was trying to make.  I apologize again if my use of the word offended anyone.

Sexed Ink

Well I am not quite sure about the overall message of Victoria Pitts’s article, “Reclaiming the Female Body”; some of the sentence structuring was pretty tough to get through. But I think it’s about women using body modification to reject normalized beauty ideals, and to “reclaim their bodies”. However, I think I would have to agree with radical feminists in that tattooing and other forms of body modification are starting to be “equated with more mainstream cosmetic practices that are seen as objectifying” (277). When in Kuwait, our unit would receive many care packages from our families or random folks. We would all take what we wanted and then discard the remaining items and put them on a shelf for anyone to take. Some of these items were magazines and bunch of them were “Ink” related. What these "Ink" issues all had in common is that they weren’t any different from any other magazine: Good looking women in skimpy outfits. They made tattoos and other forms of body modification “sexy”.  What’s even more interesting is that when they show some dudes tattoo, who is def. not a model, it’s a simple picture of the tattoo. Even more mind boggling, is that most of the time, the tattoos on the female models are fake. They are purposely promoting tattoos by making them appealing; no different than when selling any other product. I have included a couple pictures from the magazine Bound by Ink. I have also included a picture of Avril Lavinge’s “fuck” tattoo. Does the tattoo make one think that Avril Lavinge is rejecting normalized beauty ideas? Or reclaiming her body? Or does she and Maxim Magazine make the tattoo sexy, and thus in a sense making Avril Lavinge into a sex object even more than she already is?
Domalski

Veiled Terrorism

During my first semester at Fredonia, I took a class called, Women Health and Society. One article that we read that I will always remember is, “Veiled Intentions”. It is about Muslim women that chose to veil (wear a headscarf). We have a stereotype, and so do other industrialized countries that the hijab is a symbol of terrorism. We also believe that the scarf is an oppressive tool and is forced on Muslim women by the men in Islamic culture. But it’s ironic that the same population that spends millions on beauty products, plastic surgery, and self-help guides is the same one that takes pity on veiled women for being helpless and oppressed. We learned that wearing a scarf removes being judged, of being assessed based on measurement, and absolves the need or desire to be wanted solely for looks. The scarf allows others to look at these women equally and not rank them on a scale. It allows people to relate to the women naturally and liked for who they are beyond the body. But most importantly, veiling makes it easier for women to get through the adolescent stages: deters self-loathing, body hang-ups and sexual harassment. I think that veiling could be one of the “politically correct feminist responses to cosmetic surgery”. I also think this method would be more effective and much better than mutilating oneself to be ugly.
Domalski

Washington vs. Skloot

Yes, there is a difference in how Washington's views  Henrietta's story vs. Skloot's interpretation of her story. Could it be that because Skloot is white she doesn't feel that Henrietta's story has so much to do with race than illegally taking cells. I don't know if Skloot has ever been discriminated against because of her race or even the fact that she is a women. Skloot might not feel that it was a race issue at all. Washington being an African American women might know it feels to be looked at by what color or race you are. everyone different and so are the perspectives they bring with them. This is a great example showing the difference is authors race and perspectives. I wonder how the story would have come out if a white male had told it.
-SARAH FIORELLA

Washington vs. Skloot

In reading both works about Henrietta, they had very different meanings. Skloot emphasizes how the cells were taken without her knowledge and her family was never informed. Washington, on the other hand, never mentions that they were taken without permission and only focuses on Henrietta's race to support her book. She also says that this happened to many people and Henrietta's case was one of many and had no importance. Skloot sees it very different. She focuses on Henrietta as a person and not just as another number who was treated badly by the medical community. 

Debate

The debate that we had about individual rights or the good of the society was very interesting. I think that this was a hard issue to argue about because there can be good on both sides, depending on their situation. Being forced to support one side or the other was challenging and I think it was good for us to do. It made us reevaluate the HeLa issue and the impact that it had on Henrietta's family. I feel like when we were doing it we could not argue just one side, but both sides kept running together, which proved it is a complicated subject.