Week # 6 Good bye for now....

Well it's a wrap! What a remarkable performance this semester! The passion and energy and overall excitement for gender studies was so satisfying as a teacher. Thank you for making it a great class! The class was so successful because you cared about sharing and promoting your ideas with one another. An online class needs students that are passionate, and have an intellectual curiousity. This shouldn't be the ending but the beginning. Take the ideas shared in this course (text, blogs, wikis, Bb, etc.) and continue to explore, recognize and continue to live them. I would really appreciate it if you would NOT delete your blog. I would like to be able to use your blogs in the future in my teaching and faculty training. I am proud of the work that has been done this semester. I am always here for you if you want to continue this gender communication discussion! Enjoy your summer! Wishing each of you all the best!

Week #4 Eureka Moment

Chastity Bono has begun transitioning her gender. What are your thoughts on this story especially after taking this class?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525869,00.html

Week #3 Eureka Moment

So, I have been "half watching" a reality show called "the Cougar". ("Half watching" means keeping it in the background while I do other things...) The premise of the show is a 40 year old woman looking for a partner. The men on the show are all in their twenties. I gringe each time I turn it on and see the title...trying to portray an older women as a loose, or immoral for being interested in a younger man, This reality show premise was to hype the reverse role expecations on gender and age as being "wrong" or unnatural for an older woman to date a younger man. The life experiences of the people involved was more of an issue than the older woman and younger men scenario. Gender was less of an issue than life experience. The woman was a strong, independent, self sufficient woman not looking for a caretaker but a partner. The stereotypes of a younger guy interested in a physical relationship were also debunked. It was a show that promoted itself on the gender role expectations and yet, they weren't illustrated and even moreso, these new expectations seemed so natural... it was a reality TV show and like all shows, I don't believe that anyone can really consider themselves in love without time and committment to the couple experience, but, it was interesting to see that even thought we want to promote the stereotypes of this gender reversal, it didn't seem to exist.