The “Sluts” Take a Stand

This week in Boston, about 2,000 people marched around the streets dressed in revealing clothing in the latest “Slutwalk,” a series of rallies in various cities in response to a Toronto police office implying that girls wouldn’t get raped if “they weren’t dressed like sluts.”

My first thought to this statement wasn’t indignant, but still disappointed. It shows me that no matter how far we think women have come, there are still ignorant people out there who think that girls ask to be assaulted. No one, and I mean NO ONE, has the right to make you feel uncomfortable, no matter what you happen to be wearing. I can see why some women might be offended that these women called them “sluts,” but I feel it may be a similar case to the n-word. It is still completely inappropriate to use that word, but this is a case where women have also decided to take that word and make it their own, if only to prove a point.

Newsweek Gallery

Some of the best and most inspiring women’s covers featured on NEWSWEEK by Sarah Ball.

These photos capture icons and feelings of passion during the Women’s Movement.

Evolution of World Politics

For some background to the paper I previously posted, here are a couple of articles that address the international perspective of gender.

Frances Fukuyama addresses the “problems” that come with having women in power. He suggests that women do not share the same aggressive traits that are needed to effectively run a country and keep it secure from attacks from the male leaders of other countries. J. Ann Tickner counters this argument by saying there is a misunderstanding between feminists and IR scholars. The notion that women are more peaceful is actually hindering to women and prevents them from achieving leadership positions.

Who do you think is right?

Neurological Sex Differences and Sex Behavior

Have you ever wondered if neurological sex differences lead to gendered behavior differences? This is a paper I wrote that addresses this question according to Cordelia Fine’s Delusions of Gender.

Has Research Really Proven a Correlation between Neurological Sex Differences and Sex Behavior Differences According to Cordelia Fine’s Delusions of Gender?

There is a difference between asking if there are sex differences/similarities between men and women and asking if there are gender differences/similarities between men and women.  Sex refers to biological differences between men and women while gender refers to a social construction, so the big question is whether sex determines gender, and if so to what extent? Or is gender solely a social construct?  To this day there is research being done on whether physical and hormonal differences in the body can be the precursor or causes to behavior differences between men and women. Research has been done on songbirds and rats to see if increased brain regions have an effect on behavior, as well as the effects testosterone has on newborn babies. Despite all the research that has been done there is still no hard evidence that proves that behavioral differences between men and women are innate because as Cordelia Fine addresses in Delusions of Gender there is a lack of connection between the actual research found and the conclusions being made and the effects of outside influences on gendered behavior.