Prof. Gwendolyn Shaw
Hi everyone! This class has been such a journey and I’ve loved reading all your blog posts and can’t wait to sit down and see all your independent studies. I did mine on Taylor Swift’s impact on the music industry, her standing up for artists’ autonomy, and just generally her impact as a powerful feminist and businesswoman. As shown, I made a huge drawing as my creative element, and the above link leads to my artist’s statement and bibliography.
Have a great summer!
Step 1-
I am interested in exploring sexism within botany as this is related to sexism and gender studies. Specifically the work of Thomas Leo Ogren he had essentially coined the term ‘ botanical sexism’. This is a more recent find and with allergies getting worse due to climate change knowing that our allergies are stronger due to this reason would be informative.
Step 2- What do you need to know?
What I would need to know to contextualize this project and discuss who Thomas Leo Ogren is. And why did he study this topic? The academic subjects that my project would relate to are science and health. This project concerns everywhere. This also affects everyone who suffers from bad allergies.
Step 3- 4 -Annotated bibliography
At least 3 online articles and 2 scholarly articles that relates to the topic
Botanical Sexism Cultivates Home-Grown Allergies
By Thomas Leo Ogren
This is Ogren’s explanation on what’s wrong with having all male trees and scrubs planted. He also states that these male trees production of high amounts of pollen harms children’s health and also states that women who have airborne allergies have increased health risks. He gives the solution of planting more female trees which would eliminate great amounts of pollen in our landscapes.
Allergy- Free New York
Thomas Leo Ogren
This news article explains the impact of having a lack of female trees in NY and the impact that it would have if there were female trees. Ogren further supports planting female trees would possibly solve this allergy problem along with plating a variety of trees so that people are not suffering from stronger allergies due to increased sensitivity.
The Allergy Fighting Garden
Stop Asthma with Smart Landscaping
By Thomas Leo Ogren
In this book Ogren creates a system for combating allergies based on the sex of ones plants. He explains in his book how planting female trees to capture pollen can reduce allergens. He also provides a great list of plants and an allergy ranking scale, to aid people in landscaping or their everyday lives.
Which is the most hayfever prone city and is ‘ botanical sexism’ to blame?
By Helen Lock
The Guardian
This article gives many examples of how having predominantly male trees or even a singular mature male tree production of pollen can negatively impact people’s health. Towards the end they give a solution to the problem for landscaping to be allergy friendly.
How urban planners’ preference for male trees has made your hay fever worse
Ally Hirschlag
This article further supports Ogren’s work.this article also discusses the impacts of pollen on heath.
Step 1:
I am choosing to use my independent study to shed light on the existence of race based hair discrimination in the workplace and how this practice lends direct assistance to the marginalization of black women that are members of the work force. I know that I am going to have to look further into specific accounts of women who have experienced indifferent treatment at work based on how they are choosing to wear their hair. I may even broaden the scope and look into how race based hair discrimination can limit the success of black women and young girls in their academic growth. Most prominently though, my focus will be African American women who choose to wear their kinkier tresses in professional settings that have received push back, lost their jobs, and even their right to an eduction as their natural hair textures are considered “unprofessional” and “unconventional”.
My project will cover topics such as (but, possibly not limited to):
Step 2:
Provisional Thesis Statement/Argument: Black people have faced years of stigmatization based on their appearances. Hair is a huge part of who we are. In most cases, many people use their hairstyle as a form of expression. When I see a woman with a huge healthy afro my mind immediately turns to words like strength, beauty, power, confidence etc. Alternatively, there a many who may feel that African American women wearing their natural hair reads as them being unprofessional and uncouth. These opinions derive from the stereotypes associated with being black in America. Women have it hard enough trying to find success in this society structured specifically for the betterment of men. To be a black woman in America expressing her blackness in the form of a hairstyle and have that classified as “unacceptable” is truly disheartening. We must normalize kinky hair as it is something that has existed for years and will continue to be part of the black woman’s aesthetic.
I am interested in learning about femicide and how women get blamed for the crimes against them (sexual exploitation) as well as other crimes otherwise unrelated to them other than through their relations to a male figure who committed the crime (victim blaming). I’m also interested in learning about the history of femicide around the world.
I am interested in exploring issues of Equality, and how many boundaries we can push through to get the playing field even, as they related to women, gender, and sexuality studies, especially the work of any current feminist activator during this day and age.
I am interested in exploring issues of women and sports especially at the professional setting. At this level of competition money is the main objective. I will explore the financial battles many women have with the different athletic organizations that they belong to. These athletes like their male counterparts sacrifice their health to perform at their very best so that they can entertain their fans. Women deserve equal pay to men in their respective sport.
I am interested in exploring issues of climate change within communities of color and how it disproportionately affects them as well as the lack of diversity within the climate change conversation as they relate to women, gender, and sexuality studies, especially the work of Isra Hirsi during our current time period.
I am interested in exploring issues of women to be free from sexual violence as they related to women, gender, and sexuality studies, especially the work of Rape Crisis Movement- Second wave during the time period 1950’s and 1960’s.
