Section 3 :: Deviant Bodies (Part II: Feb 14, 16 and 21)

For the last three days of this section, we are going to be discussing other types of deviant bodies. We are going to discuss our obsession with size, and the beliefs we have about overweight bodies. Then, we are going to discuss bodies that are seen as disabled, and the limits of our beliefs about what constitutes "ability" and "disability."

As with all of the groups we discuss this semester, members of the fat and disability community are both challenging us to think about how we define "normal." In our images of ideal men and women, we have very specific ideals for what we think bodies should look like, and how they should function. If you look around, you will see that almost all aspects of our culture is based on an assumption that we meet the ideal, or pretty close. Look at the classrooms on campus--do the chairs, desks and rows make assumptions about your body size and shape? What are they assuming about your physical abilities? Next time you go to a store, look--would you be able to get into the store, if you were in a wheelchair? Does the layout of the store make assumptions about your body, in size and ability? If they sell clothing, do they sell clothes that would fit any type of body, based on size or ability?

Both weight and ability are a master status, so when you are not the ideal size (which has nothing to do with averages, or reality), or have a visible disability (which has nothing to do with your actual capacity), you are seen first and foremost by that status. Your actions and words get put through the filter of assumptions we have about fat and disabled bodies. For example, in both communities, there is a perception that when you are fat or disabled, you are asexual. Mainstream society has a hard time believing you can be attractive, attracted and sexual. You are considered deviant if you want to have sex with someone fat or disabled. Why? What are the underlying assumptions and social constructions? How does this relate to our ideas of "ideal women" and "ideal men"?





On February 14, we will talk about fat bodies (I use the term "fat" in reference to the fat acceptance movement). We will ask where our beliefs about people who are fat come from, what that means for the lives of those who receive the "fat" label, and the consequences of the stigma that comes with that label.

Required:

• Read The Stigma of Obesity by Goode, in your text.
• Read Three Strikes Against Curvy Women by Lisa Brody, on the consequences of obesity for women in the workforce.
• Read In Defense of Fat by Tasha Fierce on the Clutch Magazine blog. Fierce also has a blog called Sex and the Fat Girl.
• Watch two videos (below). The first one is a discussion on the obsession with celebrity weight loss. The second is a trailer for the PBS documentary called FAT: What No One is Telling You.
  

On February 16, we begin talking about people with disabilities, and our assumptions behind that label. What constitutes "abled" or "disabled" and who gets to choose where to draw the line between those two labels? Some people get from point A to point B by walking. Others roll. Who says one way is better? How does all of this work with our images of the ideal man and woman? What are the consequences of being labeled "disabled" in our society? What do we think we know about people, based on their disability as a master status?

Required:

• Read You're Not a Retard, You're Just Wise by Taylor, in your textbook.
• Spend some time getting to know the timeline for Milestones in Long-Term Care Policies on NPR.
• Read about two archetypes we see in the media for people with disabilities: The Good Cripple and Supercrip. Both of these are part of a series called "The Transcontinental Disability Choir" on the Bitch Magazine Blog.
  
• Watch the video "The World Needs All Kinds of Minds" (below) from Dr. Temple Grandin. Grandin is a scholar and professor who has autism. She talks about how there are many ways of communicating, and understanding, and knowing, and how her autism allows her to understand things that non-autistic brains could not.
  

On February 21 we will finish this section of the course by watching the film Murderball and completing our discussion of what it means to be able-bodied. Be excited to see this documentary--not only will it blow you away, but the star of the film Mark Zupan will be coming to WSUV as the Marquee Diversity speaker on March 7! Here are the details. Reserve your seats now!

Required:

• Read the blog post "What is Ableist Language and Why Should You Care?" from the Bitch Magazine blog.
• Spend some time exploring the History of Deaf Rights, Culture and Language on the PBS Independent Lens web site.
• Read or listen to the story "Deaf Team's Standout Seasons Draws Cheers" from NPR.
• We will watch Murderball (see trailer below) in class. Learn more about quad rugby here. Remember the Film Review will be due by 9:00pm February 26th!
  

Bonus: Mark Zupan in Jackass Number Two!

Section 3 :: Deviant Bodies (Part I: Feb 7 & Feb 9)

Now we begin the part of the class I enjoy the most! For the rest of the semester we are going to take on a new topic every day or two. It is going to move FAST, and you are going to have to read/watch quite a bit, but it is worth every moment of your time. Be ready for interesting class discussions--bring your questions and your perspective, and be prepared to talk!

Here are some definitions from the WSU Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center (GIESORC) to help you navigate the rest of the discussions on gender and sexuality. Be sure you know these terms!

For Section 3 of the course, we are going to spend 2.5 weeks talking about Deviant Bodies. As we will discuss this semester, some people are labeled "deviant" because of their actions, and some people are labeled because of their identities. In this section, we will be learning about and discussing people who have been labeled "deviant" because of something about their body or embodiment.

On February 7, we will begin this conversation by learning about how the concept of "sex," just like gender, is a social construction. We have been raised to believe that sex is simple--there are men and there are women, there is a penis or a vagina. As you will read, and we will watch and discuss, it is more complicated than that. If you take all of the components that scientists use to determine "sex" we find out that male and female are umbrella terms for all sorts of possibilities. As the image below suggests, instead of thinking of things like gender, sex and sexuality as binaries, it can be useful to see them each as a separate continuum. Be sure to read Biologist Anne Fausto-Sterling's short and fascinating article on sex and intersex conditions (you will notice she uses the terminology hermaphrodite--that is now outdated). Fausto-Sterling has written several interesting books on the topic, if you are interested, including the wonderful Sexing the body: gender politics and the construction of sexuality.

Image source: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2011/11/breaking-through-the-binary-gender-explained-using-continuums/

Required:

• Read The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough by Anne Fausto-Sterling (available on Angel).
• Read Alice Dreger, Gender Bender by Danielle Magnuson on the Ms. Blog.
• Spend some time exploring the Intersex Roadshow blog to read the stories and words of some members of the Intersex community.
• Watch the 2:48 clip called Reteaching Gender and Sexuality, shown below. It was made by youth in the Seattle area, and they are asking us to rethink the way we categorize, label and (de)value gender and sexuality.
• In class, we will be watching the HBO documentary Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She. The film explores the limits of a male/female binary by discussing transgender children and adults, the intersex community, and members of third genders in various parts of the world.

NOTE: Remember you need to complete a film review after each film we watch in class. See you syllabus and the Film Review blog post for details!

On February 9 we will continue talking about the limits of the gender binary with our exploration of the transgender and gender non-conforming communities. We will first read an except from activist Leslie Feinberg's book Transgender Warriors to give you a little history on transgressing the gender binary. We will then read several articles with varying perspectives on aspects of the transgender community, and watch a clip on the history of "Gender Identity Disorder" as a mental illness. We will discuss more about the DSM and mental illness in Section 4 of the course.

Some concepts to think about when we discuss transgender issues, especially in how they are often framed as a mental health issue, are achieved and ascribed statuses. As we have discussed, we all have a host of statuses, including our master status. All of us have achieved statuses (social positions we have "earned" or for which we have been chosen, such as our education status or status as criminal), as well as ascribed statuses (the ones we are assigned at birth, or assumed involuntarily, such as age, race or class). How do we treat people differently, based on if we assume their "deviance" is an achieved or ascribed status? Think about this example: in U.S. surveys, when respondents are asked if they think being gay is a choice, or an inborn trait, those that think it is inborn are more likely to support gay rights. Are we more forgiving when we think someone "can't help" their deviant status (ascribed, instead of achieved)?

Also think about language. People who are marginalized or seen as deviant in the culture are often told they need to "get a sense of humor" when they do not like being the butt of a joke, or dehumanized. Think about terms like "fag", "you're so gay", "tranny" or "that's retarded." Are those just innocuous phrases, or do they reproduce deviant statuses?

Required:

• Read the article Transgender Warriors by Leslie Feinberg (available on Angel).
• Read the blog post Okay, I Give Up, You're Right... by Ashley Love on the blog Trans Forming Media.
• Read the blog post Why Does The Media Show Transgender Children More Sympathetically? by Emily Manuel on the blog Raising My Boychick
• Read the article I'm Retiring The Word 'Tranny...' Will You Join Me? by Kelly Osbourne. Yes, that Kelly Osbourne.
• Watch the following clip (about 11 minutes) that talks about Gender Identity Disorder and the Diagnostic Statistical Manual. As it is now, if you want to take hormones or have any surgeries to alter your assigned sex, you must be diagnosed with this disorder, and you are then officially considered mentally ill. Is this the best approach?