Monday, October 24, 2011

WEEK 9: Adrienne Rich
Discussion questions for “Taking Women Students Seriously” by Adrienne Rich
(The Reader, pg. 273)
1) In the beginning of her essay, Rich states that her experience at an all girls’ school was that her teachers gave her great “content” (hard skills, actual booklearnin’) but that they didn’t teach the girls how to “survive as women in a world organized by and for men” (soft skills, in my opinion). Later in her essay, she hints at some ways that teachers can give women more soft skills in education. What are they? How crucial do you think they are? Are they still relevant to today’s students? (Her speech was given in ’78, remember).
2) Rich outlines the questions for teachers, and makes it clear that she feels issues of race and class are pretty much the same as issues of gender, with regard to discrimination in the university setting. Do you agree? What are some key similarities or differences that you feel are important? Does the university still have work to do in remedying this area

1) how can we teach women to move beyound the desire for male approval and getting "good grades" and seek and write their own truths that the culture has distorted or made taboo? is one of the things that she says teachers could do to help women. the things she saids is pretty crucial because back then men were still getting used to the ideal of women in the work place and sometimes even women didn't know how to handle it. so it will help alot. now in todays world maybe not too much because more women believe in women empowerment and stuff like that and they are also a lot more independent than they used to be.

2) yes i kinda agree because no matter where you go discrimination can be anything. in race and class sometimes if someone is black or asian they might not get a job if most of the worker are white or if what is sold there is mainly for white people like clothes. in gender is just the same if there mainly men working there a woman may not get there job. I don't think there is much differences between the two. I don't think unversity work like that as much as it used but there are cases where if a school as major rage of one race they will pay for students of a different race to go there.