Post #3

                There is a saying that says “You have to know where you have been to know where you are going.”  When I was asked this week to identify with a women’s movement and men’s movement I had to think start to think about my past and everything that I have experienced to become the person I am now.  Reading about the different movements in our past and present that have gotten our society to this point was eye open at times and other situations are still hard for me to understand. 

                I most identify with the third wave feminists, they acknowledge that being a woman is not simply one obstacle that we face.  The textbook we are using says that we are different in “race, class, sexual orientation, body shape and size and (dis)ablility”.  So my experience with discrimination is going to differ from everyone else’s.  There is a strong sense of individualism that is key to this third wave.  I do not believe that what is good for me is going to be good for everyone else.  We each experience different things in our lives.   I think this movement is about doing what feels right for you.  If I wanted to be a doctor (typically a male profession) I could or I could choose to be a nurse (typically a female profession).  I appreciate that the women of the third wave do not stress the need for women to go after male dominated fields to prove a point but stress the importance of women going after things they personally want. 

  I am lucky enough to live in a society that I have not been outright denied anything that I have wanted based on my sex, that does not mean that I have not had to fight to gain the respect I deserved in those situations.  My experiences with prejudices from males because of my sex have always been because of stereotypes that were already in place.  In second grade I played little league baseball.  I was the only girl on my team and there was only one other girl in the league out of 8 teams.  The boys on my team we nice enough to me but without the adult coaches I would have never been given a chance to prove that girls can play sports.  After a few practices I was able to prove that I could play that my sex did not make me play any worse than anyone else.  I also experienced the same thing when I arrived on my first ship in the Navy.  The stereotype of women in the Navy is not a very flattering one.  The guys hear stories about how women only join to find husbands, or are ready to make false reports of sexual harassment if they do not get their own way.  It was a long first few months onboard, the guys did not want to talk to me for fear of being reported.  They were also scared to give me work in case I could not do it.  After a few months of sticking to my guns and proving myself as a hard worker, I was no longer seen as a “Navy girl” but I was a Sailor.  We used to say there are no men and women in the Navy only Sailors.  I think that is kind of how the third wave looks at things.  There are no men or women just people.  We need a society that can appreciate but not judge based on our differences.

I don’t think that reading about the third wave movement had such an impact on me.  I have never really thought of myself as a feminist, but I have always tried to do what I wanted to regardless of if it was girly or not.  What did have an impact on me was reading about the womanists.  I grew up shelttered and have never really was exposed to a lot of racism.  I never would have thought that women fighting for their rights would be so exclusive. 

The mens movement that I would identify with is the Fathers' Rights Groups.  I love my father and have been lucky enough that always have him in my life.  He has always done his best to be there for me when I need him.  This movement is about helping fathers to get 50% of the custody of children if the partents are not living together.  I think if men were expected to also be apart of a childs life legally then the society will have to change and support a positive image of the man being able to be a great father.  I can not believe that only 2 states in America encourage courts to grant joint custody.  Possible once our court system begins to get younger judges in the courtrooms our men will have better chances.