As a sexuality education and feminist ethicist, I am often asked why I spend so much time talking about girls empowerment. First, I think that is a false statement. When parents, students, Christian educators, and so on hear me talking about gender equity, they often assume it is only about “girls”. In fact, gender equity is about everyone both being unique and valued for how they live out their gender as well as not discriminating Read more…
Originally posted at Gathering Voices, TheThoughtfulChristian.com Technology is often described as a “tool” – a means by which to accomplish a task more efficiently. Telephones reach people (almost) anywhere, and they help us send messages faster than other available forms of communication (ie. handwritten letters.) Machines assemble cars, knit clothes, and create food products in a fraction of the time a human can build most anything. Technology is not just a “tool;” it can radically reshape human Read more…
Lately, it seems the news is plagued by stories of sexism and violence related to young women and girls globablly and in the U.S. While I think we all need to express collective outrage at such blatant and systemic acts of gender-based oppression and violence, we also need to see the daily impact of sexism all girls lives. Similar to what Jennifer Harvey recently wrote about “girls” vs. “boys” items and gender policing in Read more…
Reposted from www.fsrinc.org/blog Valentine’s Day has been civilized and capitalized, hallmarked and disneyfied, all in an attempt to clean up love and signify sexuality into a compartmentalized relationship standard, tied nicely with an over romanticized bow. As a cradle Catholic, the veneration of saints has been part of my religious heritage. I still remember elementary school projects about our patron saints. So, every year when Valentine ’s Day rolls around, I find myself wanting to Read more…
Reposted from Young Adult Catholics, Call to Action Sex, sexuality, gender, sexual pleasure, sexual orientation . . . that’s not something “good” Catholics, especially women, ought to talk about. As a teen, everything I knew about the topic was hearsay (or should I say, heresy). I grew up attending Catholic schools through high school and participating in a Catholic campus center in college. Sexual health and reproduction were addressed two times in health class: as Read more…
When it comes to advertising, it’s difficult to know whether the content is reflecting society or shaping it. In many ways, I think it is a delicate balance of both. A Tide commercial which many of you may have already seen has caught my attention time and again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCYwAOCLiTA I’ll admit that I’m partly drawn to this commercial because my husband does most of the laundry. As a toddler, my daughter was very messy. She Read more…
I struggle with the perennial debate of how much and what kind of TV to let my children watch. There are of course numerous research studies that name the negative consequences of excessive TV for children’s learning, eyesight, and attention, not to mention the ways it might socially shape them. Disney channel (and all its derivatives) has long been a favorite in our house. We don’t love princesses and we don’t get caught up in Read more…
As yet another Mother’s day is upon us, I am reminded that even Hallmark Holidays can be a moment to reflect gratitude. In our house, we probably don’t celebrate in a traditional mother’s day manner. What I mean by that is, it isn’t a day for me, “the mom” to be freed from the overburden of household work, or be given a spa day where I don’t have to interact with any of my family Read more…