Welcome to the SOAR Lab’s Sticking Point page. This is where we’ll describe some of the thought-provoking discussions about current events.
Activism at the Superbowl
Feb. 13, 2020—Activism through entertainment and media during the 2020 Superbowl surfaces many unanswered questions about shifting stereotypes and gender roles. The reaction to the Olay women in STEM activism was largely positively, though the reaction to Shakira
and JLo’s performance was ambivalent at best, and “slut shamed” at worst. Why, in modern society (i.e., 2020!), does the expansion of women’s roles and defiance of stereotypes
only extend to some groups of women and not all?
Woman for President
Feb. 27, 2020—Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders allegedly told Elizabeth Warren that a woman wouldn’t be able to become president, and in a CNN debate, Bernie said he didn’t want to spend too much time addressing the topic. Why wouldn’t he think this an important issue
to spend time in addressing? Is this reminiscent of the age-old insistence that women keep their femininity out of
politics?
Women’s Rights = Human Rights
April 2, 2020—The U.N Secretary General called gender inequality one of the biggest human rights challenges we face in today’s society. From an international perspective, this strategic move raises a lot of questions. For example, can women be sexist, and can men be feminists? How do specific hegemonic ideologies/ stereotypes around gender impact how society treats and views women? Have things changed at all regarding inequality of women?
International Women’s Day
March 12, 2020—Also known as “When is International Men’s Day.” (It’s Nov. 19.) Twitter was set afire with tweets highlighting the renown of a day dedicated to women, but International Men’s Day faces obscurity. Why is this? To what extent does misandry exist solely to arise in opponent to feminism? What does true gender equality look like?
COVID-19 and Domestic Life
March 26, 2020—A lot of moms have been chiming in on social media about how much work they have to do at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that men haven’t been pushed to ‘do it all’ when it comes to raising children during this crisis. Why is that? Are men not staying home as much in these middle class families or are they and just not focusing on the children and on the housework? This is a monumental time we’re living in. Cultural norms are being challenged, people are discussing issues previously thought of as fringe positions. Do you think there’ll be any lasting change from this?
Bernie Drops Race for President
April 9, 2020—On April 8, Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign, leaving Joe Biden as the only candidate from the Democratic party. Suspicions surface as one considers Biden faces sexual assault claims (though this is an issue which transcends party lines). If we cannot hold politicians accountable for sexual assault allegations through voting, how do you think the issue should be addressed in an ideal world? With either a moderate democrat or a conservative as president, how will funding of social justice research topics be affected in the future?
Intersectionality and the Media of #BringBackOurGirls
April 16, 2020—Oftentimes it is easy to forget about situations happening around the world that do not directly impact us or that do not often come up in the news. The coronavirus pandemic, however, is directly putting the recently rescued Nigerian hostages at risk of being kidnapped again. How does intersectionality play a role in the impacts of the coronavirus? Why is news sometimes ‘silenced.’ Do you think the fact that women are being taken has any part in this phenomenon?
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