natxoxposts-blog

[natxoxposts-blog]

QUEER PostMoDeterimnist THEORY

Queer Theory/Modernism vs Postmodernism/Determinism/Feminist Theory

QUEER PostMoDeterimnist?

Queer Theory: Queer is an umbrella term of peculiarity because it has no set stone identity on sexual identity and can include anyone who identifies to one of the following: lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Or it can also be used by people who don’t label themselves but find themselves apart of this spectrum or someone who is QUESTIONING their sexuality and identity, which can explain the use of the letter Q in queer. The purpose of the queer theory introduced through multiple sources by reappearing in critical and cultural contexts. The theory is used to reshape our two gendered identities for uniting rather than queerphobia. Theorists worth mentioning who helped establish the theory we recognize today are, Micheal Foucault, Gayle Rubin, Eve Kosofsky Sedgweck, and Judith Butler.

Their contributions:

Micheal Foucault

Foucault argued on the biological and social identity and that everyday notions can redconfine the gender norms of masculinity and femininity which causes oppression.  

Gayle Rubin

Gayle Robin contributed through her essay “Thinking Sex,” in support to Foucault's theory based on actions against norms being the lead to oppression because society is hierarchically organized. In her essay, “A Traffic for Women” she states,

Sex is sex, but what counts as sex is equally culturally determined and obtained. Every society also has a sex/gender system - a set of arrangements by which the biological raw material of human sex and procreation is shaped by human, social intervention and satisfied in a conventional manner, no matter how bizarre some of the conventions may be.” (Rubin, 32)    

Eve Sedgweck

“Epistemology of the Closet” was Sedgwecks contribution as she argued sexuality in understanding our culture through various texts.

an understanding of virtually any aspect of modern Western culture must be, not merely incomplete, but damaged in its central substance to the degree that it does not incorporate a critical analysis of modern homo/heterosexual definition. (1990, p. 1)

This reference argues the incoherence of westerns definition of sexuality, therefore it must be redefined rather than create a binary system within gender identity.

For some some people, the preference for a certain sexual object, act, role, zone, or scenario is so immemorial and durable that it can only be experienced as innate; for others, it appears to come late or to feel aleatory or discretionary. For some people, the possibility of bad sex is aversive enough that their lives are strongly marked by its avoidance, for others, it isn’t. For some people, sexuality provides a needed space of heightened discovery and cognitive hyperstimulation. For others, sexuality provides a needed space of routinized habitation and cognitive hiatus. (1990, p.25)  

This passage takes into regard our individuality and cultural differences as a concept to the queer theory is cultural intelligence because it is not a affair within limitations, it is universally contradicted.

Judith Butler

Butler focuses on feminist issues, however there is direct intersections between her ideals of feminism and the queer theory in her book Gender Trouble which looks at gender identity through performativity, the physical attributes that many don’t have the accessibility to.

...the repeated stylization of the body, a set of repeated acts within a highly rigid regulatory frame that congeal over time to produce the appearance of substance, of a natural sort of being. (Butler, p.33)

Our composed norms of appearance should be destigmatized because we constantly judge on appearance. For an example we have classified lesbian women into two categories, those who present themselves through “masculine” traits and those who are extremely “feminine”. Therefore appearance interferes with distinction, “Very distinctions between the natural and the artificial, depth and surface, inner and outer through which discourse about genders almost always operates.” (Butler)

Modernism vs Postmodernism: Modernism is the drastic change in culture during the late nineteenth century  and early 20th century which could be shown in art, literature, music and architecture.Postmodernism began after modernism as it was redefined to postmodernism during the late 20th century because there was a paradigm shift of art into philosophy, school of thoughts, critics, art and architecture through questioning ideologies acquired.

The queer theory itself is a result to postmodernism because for generations sexuality has always been under debate and the theorists mentioned beforehand came forward with their art for social change. “Our working hypothesis is that the status of knowledge is altered as societies enter what is known as the postindustrial age and cultures enter what is known as postmodern age.” (Lyotard) This was extracted from A Report on Knowledge by Jean-Francois Lyotard. There is a significance in knowledge and understanding and postmodernism contradicts theories to enhance accurate, scientific data beyond biblical teachings against queer teachings.

Modernism consisting of queer art yet it was not identified or praised over therefore it is difficult to re-confine in but it is existent during the twentieth century. “The Queer British Art (1861-1967)” suggests homosexuality in displayed in art as the exhibition in London is being decoded due to the fact that being queer was unthinkable and prior, males hide their identity through slang to identify one another and build a community. Therefore art work could have possibly been a hint yet not directly stated because of the fear of death. Edmund Dulac’s “Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon as Medieval Saints,” from the 1920’s display two man, one holding a peacock feather. The mythology behind the peacock feather is as a protector, what do these men fear for sitting naked side by side as shown in another art piece I've attached featured in the gallery?

Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon as Medieval Saints

Henry Scott Tuke The Critics 1927 Courtesy of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (Warwick District Council)

Determinism: It is looking at current status quo that remain fixated as our futures are defined by our pasts, yet that does not me the chain cannot be unbroken. Based on my theory of QUEER PostMoDeterimnist I would like to acknowledge the presence of determinism and the fact that we constantly define our futures based on our past, but refuse to resolve the status quo. The queer theory has not been addressed and it dates back to religious beliefs and attribute still associated and present today which creates a feud in arguing the notions of gender identity because of the unchanged nature of “deviance” attributed with religions.

The theory of Determinism, in which the will is determined or swayed to a particular course by external inducements and forced habits, so that the consciousness or freedom rests chiefly upon an oblivion of the antecedents of our choice. (Tomson, 1855)

This supports the fact that everything can be explained and determined. Our history and acts of ignorance towards queers support this idea because it is still present and to overcome it we must overcome the determined future to outrule the past and contradict the theory of determinism. The Bible is constantly used to condemn LGBTQ members is under the Christain Bible Saint Paul says, “you shall not lie with a man as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” But the Bible is abruptly told through storytellers, who avoid topics concerning sexuality in our historical evaluation, but that does not mean it was not present.  

We will tell you that 20,000 years of evolution of, societal evolution, has taught us the same thing that a society that embraces homosexuality is a society that will not last much longer. Anybody who’s studied history knows that. (Michael Savage, 2006)

But as well it can support the idea that being queer has always been present, an unchangeable entity to contradict those against it that claim they must “heal” LGBTQ members. For that to be done we must decode our historical roots through modernism. It was present even before the nineteenth century and found in 7th century B.C.E art.

Sexual and romantic relationships between older males were ridiculed at various times in Greek and Roman history, as in the case of Julius Caesar's affair with King Nicomedes of Bithynia. The negative feelings toward such relationships arose from a belief that an adult male who assumed a passive role in sex was likely to do the same in his political life. This certainly was not true in Julius Caesar’s case. (Williams, 1999)  

Many of the historical artworks and artists acknowledges today to support the fact that same sex marriages were actually honored at one point therefore it should be honored today but we ignore historical content and rather than focus teachings within texts on sexuality we focus on the metanarratives, instead we read about riots and ancient cultures. Has any of us learned about gay rights movement in San Francisco? Do we acknowledge that Susan B. Anthony, who fought for women's rights to vote was most likely lesbian? Why did we fear an alliance of feminism and sexuality?  

Feminist: The sociology of feminist theory is focusing on of issues concerning female that are generally overlooked such as stereotypes which can interfere with queer identities, oppression economic inequality exclusion, the list is never ending.

The feminist focus to this theory is generally to unite two historical marginalized communities in hopes of addressing the status quo. Society recognizes Queers and feminists but what about queer women, women who identify as lesbian, transgender or bisexual and face confliction between both LGBTQ communities and for being a female. In reference to Laverne Cox, a transgender who faces issues women and LGBTQ indivudals encounter. Feminism will not only bond women, but members struggling to find their identity because feminism is not about female dominance but equality to allow anyone who identify as a female to abide in women empowerment and shift away from gay liberation for their own identity.  

Human and sexual life will always be subject to convention and human intervention. It will never be completely “natural” if only because our species is social, cultural, and articulate [...] but the mechanisms and evolution of this process need not be largely independent of conscious choice. Cultural evolution provides us with the opportunity to seize control of the means of sexuality, reproduction, and socialization, and to make conscious decisions to liberate human sexual life from the archaic relationships which deform it. Ultimately, a thoroughgoing feminist revolution would liberate more than women. It will liberate forms of sexual expression, and would liberate human personality from the straight jacket of gender. (Rubin, p.52)  

The mid 90’s “Lesbian Avengers”: a group of lesbian women who came forward because they felt on gay rights were issues of focus. While fighting for their sexuality they fought for general women rights such as “free the nipples’ as they went out shirtless and behaved “deviant” and un women like as they recruited other women while partying, in the club etc.  

Examples of queer feminists:

Ellen DeGeneres

Sandra Bernard

Camille Paglia

Questions of Concern

Why have we created a barrier between LGBTQ communities and feminist? Are feminist refusing to abide individuals who gave up their freedom and rights as a male?

What truths are being hidden in modernism?

What doe these truths reveal? Does it reshape determinism to be a positive theory or extract or negative?

Who reshaped our ideals of sexuality? Was it present during biblical times? Why is it not mentioned in bible?

How are queers who identify as a women oppressed by not only men but other women?

How can we rewrite the bible to met our modern needs? Or had the bible already been altered? Or simply did we ignore old history? How do we decide out history? Who is writing our history? How to reveal our true historical roots to use determinism to our advantage...

Are all lesbians feminists? Are all feminist lesbians? How do we overcome these stereotypes?

The primary focus of this theory will surround queer women who experience segregation against women including sexism concerning their sexual identification and gender as a whole. This theory will attempt look into the depths of postmodern and modern work to extract the proof of queer communities in our history to support the theory of determinism and contradict religions today to prove queer to not be a “new” idea but in the roots of our history to determine why it is acceptable and not against god's doing. Support my hypothesis of false determinism based on false historical teachings that exclude sexuality not because it was non-existent but it was not spoken about therefore oppression is constantly present. We are determined by religion and must address the status quo against queer and women who are oppressed.

Viewing the present and Future…

    To understand the present we must understand the past, therefore truths must be found. This theory will allow us to distigmatize stereotypes. Modernism theory is used to bring back art as a platform to fuse society, not only within the boundaries of my theory focusing on female queers, but humankind. Kodie Shane is one of the few artists who defy gender roles and looks beyond one's gender being our main focus and defining who we are for us because “you gotta be you—all the way,” she says. Songs and artists like Shane should be recognized in mainstream.

This song presented by Aquilo tackles queer issues and stereotypes through oppression and hatred against individuals who represent ideals against norms, 

My theory will help revamp mainstream art to expand our minds into understanding our historical past and uniting communities. This theory is not attack a specific group, nor is it attacking the government or religions it is only revealing hidden truths because individuals truths have been alter.

Determinism will be used to define the future into its natural roots to reimburse our ideas of relationships and sex to the time of Adam and Eve, maybe not through postmodern views but through the technique of modernism in art to be proof and postmodernism work to be the support.

Ultimately goal is not to strive for perfection because we live in a world of imperfections and countercultures vs subcultures, but the hope is to up-bring a paradigm shift to how we define queer and females in works to disconnect it as a group based identity, but rather solemnly equally associated in society without fear. For the future to be determined on our past, we must leave expanding art to be deconstructed just as generations before us has because ultimately we will never reach a “perfect” universe of acceptance to all.                 

Annotated Bibliography

“A Queer Overview of Judith Butler's [Gender Trouble].” Angel Daniel Matos, Ph.D., 20 Jan. 2014, angelmatos.net/2013/09/18/gender-trouble/. Judith Butler's work that contributed to the evolution of coming out as queer, through    appearance and overcoming historical ideologies. Modern artists such as Lady Gaga being used as a example as she dresses like a male. She looks into gender performativity to identify us and illustrate a picture.

Crossman, Ashley. “What Is Feminist Theory?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/feminist-theory-3026624

Society is shifting away from male dominance and a pathorical system and is promoting equality and justice. To contradict issues that revoke oppression, inequality, injustice to girls and women within present day and tracing back historically. This article looks at social theories focusing on women and away from men. Looking and gender differences, gender inequality, gender oppression, and structural oppression found in strains of the 20th century and today.

Hoefer, Carl. “Causal Determinism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 23 Jan. 2003, plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-causal/.

This encyclopedia helps understand the main focus of determinism within society today through a historical introduction to examples. Defining determinism as “The world is governed by (or is under the sway of) determinism if and only if, given a specified way things are at a time t, the way things go thereafter is fixed as a matter of natural law.” Yet coming to a conclusion the theory is still under review and open to new ideas therefore it is not fully constructed.  

“How Gay Artists Expressed Forbidden Desire in Code.” Google Search, Google, www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cnn.com/style/amp/queer-art-tate-britain/index.html.

This article looks at modernism and how it presented forbidden love. LGBTQ communities found ways to find one another without being killed or discovered but to form a group based identity of a group who countercultured solidified norms. Today we can deconstruct the meanings behind many of the artworks, to be beyond beautiful art but art determining or working to understand their identity and question sexuality.   

“Queer Art: 1960s to the Present.” Art History Teaching Resources, 23 Dec. 2016, arthistoryteachingresources.org/lessons/queer-art-1960s-to-the-present/.

A gallery of queer art in modern day and Greece history. It has two goals:censorship and visibility. To reveal queer and LGBTQ communities that were concealed in the 20th century, hidden identities but truths found in art, answering where the truth is found?  

“Queer Theory - Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.” Carbon, Energy, Greenhouse, and Atmosphere - JRank Articles, science.jrank.org/pages/10943/Queer-Theory-Eve-Kosofsky-Sedgwick.html.

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick looks at art in the 20th century based on the piece, “Epistemology of the Closet” and looks at contradictions in sexuality and identity. Looking at cultural differences that create a binary between hetrosexuality and homosexuality.

Scrum_Jet. “Gayle Rubin, The Traffic in Women (1975).” Selected Tales, 26 Apr. 2013, purpleprosearchive.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/gayle-rubin-the-traffic-in-women-1975/.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Lost Identities

This images use of allegory showcase society wanting to obtain complete power and control over individuals by reconstructing them to fit their standards. Each body is placed in rhythmical boxes identical, yet each individual is trying to be let out because we all have different needs.

It is similar to concepts shared by Shirin Neshat’s Ted Talk Art in Exile as politics attempt to define the lives of Iranian women as they fight against the regime. Many societies share the same ideal of complete power by claiming to be protecting individuals by making them identical. Therefore should schools be forcing children of diversity to wear uniforms, what is interesting uniforms are used mostly in Catholic school Boards. Culture plays a huge role when obtaining power, the head wants to control individuals and inclusion by making everyone the same makes it easier to control each individual because they are no longer considered an individual but a group-based identity.

Maybe this can resolve exclusion, but that is not their goal, their goal is power. The truth of the matter is we all have stories and our diverse needs, we can not live off of the same things weather it is physical objects or knowledge. Imagine we were all given the same knowledge and understanding, there will be no opportunity understand different cultures and ideas, but that is what they want, to stay within their own cultural index. Not accepting internationalization because it risks contradiction.  

[natxoxposts-blog]

Ignorance on Social Media

http://www.dailyedge.ie/alfie-deyes-pointless-blog-4077005-Jun2018/

YouTube stars are the role models of our youths, people like Alfie Deyes and Logan Paul, but both lack cultural intelligence. Due to their fame and fortune they forget their truths do not represent the world and even when they try to connect with other “villages” or communities to understand their lifestyles, it can’t be understood.

Meta-narratives conceal them from other aspects to the lives of those in poverty, depression, etc. it is universal stories which look at the end results, the fact that people are are dying from starvation because of poverty. Therefore Alfie Deyes the British Youtube star was accused for his blunt and unrealistic views of living off of one dollar. Simply drinking tap water, getting free water, using other washroom facilities just won’t do the trick. He was looking at the ultimate goal to live off of a pound, rather than the realistic outtake of how they live off of a dollar, questioning what do they have access to? If he’s video was interplayed as a sitcom to popontray ignorance in society of those experiencing suffering than maybe he would’ve received less backlash.  

To defend his position he is rebuilding his image by apologizing to viewers and giving all proceeds made from the video to charity, but he has also took it down as soon as hate was received. His mistake was designed to correct his vision, so in the end mistakes and our passivity works in our favor to correct understandings and learn from mistakes.    

[natxoxposts-blog]

Consequences of Meta-narratives

This photo opposes meta narratives, the egg demonstrates the bigger picture while the artist or audience dig deeper, metaphorically, into the egg. Meta narratives limits our range of thought therefore it is easy to be deceived into a pre generated opinion. For an example, in Stephen Fry’s Out There film he unites with Neil Patrick Harrison, who identifies as gay. Looking at the bigger picture one would not be able to easily identify him as gay as a consequence to stereotypes. Even with the acknowledgement that he is gay that is only the whole picture, what about his history? Other aspects to him? Met-narratives undermines our expansion to new perspectives and understandings and instead follows the notion of normalcy and familiarity. Conclusively our egos overtake us as we hate to be contradicted of our beliefs and stripped away from our truths, just as we neglect to acknowledge how receive eggs. Even this image does not display a deep enough perspective, to the point where violence and harm is present, before the egg sat on the table was present and all there was, was a chicken. Do we avoid these questions because deep down we know the answers? They prefer ignorance and invalid assumptions based on subculture norms instead of affirmation.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Social Fragmentation Impossible to Reconfigure

http://ew.com/music/2018/03/14/harry-styles-medicine/

A single word can completely change the meaning of a phrase/sentence. Harry Styles new song Medicine, which is yet to be released and only has been sung live is being debated weather the singer says “them”, “him” or “you”, making fans worldwide question his sexuality. It is now identified as a “bi anthem”, while others claim he has been changing the lyrics during each live show which is believable based on our society. For starters, the LGBTQ community is constantly battling oppression, even after it has become mainstream and a subculture the damage is still left, some things can be forgiven but not forgotten, hence why many individuals still feel deprived and isolated when they are socially accepted. Homophobia is still present but less in comparison to years before, but just because we have accepted love for love, individuals still face the trauma and are in a healing process of self-discovery and identity because even if their society has accepted them, what about in other nations where they are being killed and segregated. 

Why is the LGBTQ community even considered a SEPARATE community? Therefore I question why fans have so focused on the gender of who is the love interest in the song instead of focusing on the idea of sleeping around. This proves society is constantly holding on to the past and the ideologies.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Self Love vs Selfishness

http://www.dw.com/en/china-when-poetry-saves-you-from-the-factory/a-43989328

How do we perceive cynicism? Cynicism can be interpreted as selfish because it surrounds self-interest, but in a disrupted world of migration and globalization selfishness is necessary for survival. Societies like China have strict laws to begin with but for survival they must convict illegal acts by migrating to another country for employment. It is an example of Merton’s strain theory because individuals want to work in an industry outside of labor in China, careers that are rarely acknowledged to be real careers such as a poet. Is it truly selfishness or self care?  Self Care is important to develop character and independence to make decisions like becoming a poet. Individuals who experience nurturing themselves rather than always taking care of others (codependency). Codependency can mean a social fragmentation because they lacked the attention necessary when growing up and understanding themselves, therefore they confirm into ideals and expectations of themselves in hopes to make others happy and accept them. Attempting to “fit in” is no longer a act for oneself to feel belonged but to satisfy others. The lack of self-care can abrupt a blind-sighted, dumb down culture that accepts what is expected of them, therefore many continue to work in unpleasant environments to please their peers because they’ve inherited the role of a nurturer which prevents them from making more of themselves and instead is isolated just as many mothers are in a patriarchal household. You can’t be saved from the factory without understanding and accepting yourself.  

[natxoxposts-blog]

Dehumanized of their Culture

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/10/native-nations-march-washington-dakota-access-pipeline

No human should be restricted of their culture. Yet it is a  CURRENT issue re-occurring in native tribes.

The irony in the government system who fight for the rights and freedoms of individuals yet excludes the Indigenous community.

The U.S. government chose to proceed with the Dakota Access pipeline project which will transfer oil from North Dakota to South Dakota, interfering with native land and polluting their water.

Politics has been a vital segment that created a barrier for communities standing on either end. Ultimately society is run by governments who seek the best for society as a whole. In this particular issue the government separates native tribes categorizing them as if they are not apart of the countries overall image and when planning new projects, they disregard the effect it can have among them.

What do they tell their children if they can’t provide water? Who is at most affect? The youth. Women. Putting them at higher risks as they have noticed an increase in rape, killing and sex trafficking rates. A drastic increase in violence against women and children.  

Who commits these crimes?

Their own community members as they are dehumanized to go against each other during protests as many young women and children attend in avoidance of a future where their child's community has demolished. During these protests family members are separated. Living in these conditions damages how native children, growing in this community perceive their community, either for standing their grounds or being violated and looked down upon.

I usually acknowledge pride to have a negative connotation, but the truth is is necessary for Native people to preserve their land for generations ahead, yet America has pride in exceptionalism.  

Feminism also comes into play during protests. It’s not new that women are categorized as the lesser sex. In the film it demonstrated the large amount of women coming together, are they one of the reasons protesters are not taken as serious?

If women in western societies aren’t fully given equal rights, would it be any different for Indigenous women or worse?

The connection between nature and human, cultural issues found under U.S. government's lack to cultural knowledge needed not only when in ties with foreign business partners but within their own country. As in the film concerning the event titled Standing Rock, an individual said, “it’s hard to explain to non-native people,” which was when referring to their connection with water. The police officers job are  to limit the expansion of Indigenous communities and beliefs to ensure it does not interfere with western growth. Ultimately they want to direct tribes and control what their beliefs are just as residential schools wanted to re-educate children to cultural norms that are categorized as the “dominant” culture.

I feel we have created a false image of indigenous communities for colonial ideals that only protects one segment of society. Media is used for both positive and negative movements. Native Americans are seen in a narrow lens, displayed as historical figures not living beings who are more than drunk environmentalists. They are segregated to be individuals of the past not the present, therefore they are ignored by society and not taken serious.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Who is to Blame for Rape?

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/06/07/opinion/not-all-heroes-wear-bras-students-fight-right-not-wear-one

This article is a vivid image of the division between males and females because we claim women to be the victims of rape because they are “fragile”, “weak”, “innocent”, yet alongside these stereotypes women are accused of encouraging rape culture by dressing “provocatively”.

I agree with students at the all girl private school in Montreal, students should have the option to “free the nipple” or wear a bra. But sadly clothes is no longer a choice and form of expression, it defines who we are. There is no justification to defend rape, but clothes can encourage the portraiture, but who are we to blame? The criminal or society?

Society has created these false stereotypes of a prostitute, “slut”, “whore” etc. Woman who are given these labels are bashed while men who commit similar behaviors when hitting on a girl, are congratulated by their peers. Why is that? They are admired until a illegal crime is committed.

Even then there actions are hidden because girls are deemed as the “slut” under sexual situations while the male is favored while for all we know the girl could have been sexually assaulted, similar to Jessica’s plot-line in Thirteen Reasons Why. She was the victim of rape, the tapes were released yet she was still considered a slut while Bryce (the rapist) walked around admired by woman and males within the school. What does this say about stereotypes?

They define us and conceal truths or reshape truths even for the individual themselves. The victim may even begin to blame themselves for their rape that they accept gender limitations and become silent, outcast, modest etc. Subculture has brought a world of violence against woman, the woman who support a counterculture caste system and decide to dress “provocatively” and “ free the nipple”. They are blamed for their sufferings leading to re-configuring themselves into a subculture system. The status quo of how woman chose to dress is constantly debated, but it shouldn’t be a debatable topic, woman should NOT be accountable for other people's actions but we should as well consider cultural differences. Woman should always keep in mind the risks when dressing sexually or provocative because ultimate we do not all inherit cultural intelligence. In America and Canada there are a diverse range of communities, meaning different interpretations based on how one dresses.

Lastly I agree many feminist such as Miley Cyrus who said on Jimmy Kimmel Live,

“My dad’s cool because I’m sure he’d maybe me rather not have my tits out all the time, but he rather me no0t have my tits out and be a good person than have a shirt on and be a bitch.”

In this text we see many feminist argue they want gender equality therefore women should not feel obligated to wear a bra, but realistically if a man went out in heels how would you react? The same reaction would be received, stereotyping the individual as gay when it good simply be there style preference. Fashion should be a choice of expression, but not define who we are, women should be free to free or conceal their skin and same applies for men, but either way labels will always be imposed, calling her  a nun or a slut or calling him gay or a nerd.  

[natxoxposts-blog]

She’s my beauty, yet your ugly

This video illustrates consequences to meta narratives that generate a single label without taking into account humans are not objects, there’s more to a person than their label. Individuals and communities are then segregated because of something they can’t control, their sexuality and appearance, labels we enforced onto them or through a labeling theorist perspective labels enhanced as deviant such as divorce being unacceptable in Christian beliefs. The masks are used to show meta narratives to possibly defining labels because it relies on their own truths and anything against it is unacceptable.

Your truth may perceive skipping class as deviant, while to me it is acceptable. It’s dependent on what a majority of society agrees on, if more students attend in class, it is socially considered an act of deviance yet if more and more students are skipping class there is a paradigm shift where the label of being deviant, a slacker, unintelligent, or even “positive” labels some strive to achieve such as being considered laid back, adventurous or free. Ultimately if enough students join in skipping class will teachers still perceive it as deviance? Yes, because they hold authority just as the government system does and consequences are always placed weather it is legitimate consequences such as reaching to the students parents or consequences within the individual's future beyond high school.

But this video does not segregate one community, but society as a whole. From uncontrollable things that are unacceptable to the basic perception on how a female should present herself. We will ALWAYS intact labels, intentionally or unintentionally, but the action taken afterward determines the consequence because labels only share a portion of their stories and humans are reluctant to stay open-minded because every individual is flawed. Labels help individuals understand others. Stereotypes use their “flaws” against them to defend their reasoning behind isolated them when truly it's about power. In this case being a nurtured can be defined as unacceptable because yes they care and love for their family, but don’t financially help or it could be the opposite, they work yet don’t nurture their children. Society or in fact the universe has unreachable standards which only assists in our loss of identities as we strive for an image or label given to us rather than embody our own name and label ourselves. Labels in general have consequences, even the labels we give ourselves, yes there are labels that encourage us to work harder but there are also labels that restrict us of our true potential and identity and there is the answer to why we have labels. To restrict individuals of obtaining power and contradicting societal standards.    

Labels limit you to think, behave, and overall limit individuals morals and values because it creates “equality” among a community. It is like the concept of school uniforms, it is argued that school uniforms create equality, reducing bullying and isolation between peers. In reality they are proposing a specific way to present oneself and restrict them of their individuality. Politics tend to enforce power and control. “Elite groups are not defined by their wealth but by their control of the advantages of gaining access to these scarce social resources.” (Bankston III, 1994, p.66) Therefore individuals seek an attainable identity or label that can provide temporary “joy” and “belonging” but long term loss and despair because as the video demonstrates everyone is secluded as they grow older because labels solemnly look at meta-narratives and reflect upon that, but our meta-narratives differ, your ugly might be my admiration.                  

[natxoxposts-blog]

DEFINE HIJAB?

The term hijab is used in the Quran but used appropriately, not defined as a veil instead a barrier like a “physical screen” for separation and secretion. Society changes the connotation of the word to dumb-down women of the truth. Whenever we think of stereotypes Samani Ali states “Isn’t it strange that what the term actually means, being screened off, divided away, barred, separated out, these are the very terms that come to our minds when we think of a Muslim woman.” the Quran does not actually use the term hijab with its new meaning and women are instructed on how to behave and dress but vaguely so the issue is up for discussion and change as cultures evolve.

The hijab was not associated through the Quran nor through Islamic revolution as women joined the battle. “It was costume for woman to select her own husband and propose.”

those , including myself jump to conclusions to understand the status quo of women in Muslim religion because of our lack to cultural intelligence we make assumptions and blame their history or culture.

In these countries, profiteers who share the Quran rephrase wordings to change meanings as Samina Ali states a women only has one function in society, “the best of women, the most honorable among them, is uneducated, and so powerless, not very different from a slave. So she remains at home, without complaint, without a bra, ready and available at all times to satisfy his every whim. Even if it's to lick his entire body. Satisfying him whenever he calls whether it's in his bed or on a mountain on a camel.” What are these Clerics teaching us of Islamism, they claim to be preventing women from deviance of being raped and molested to reason why they wear a hijab, but to the men the women are deviant because they go against norms that dictate Islamic culture. Many Muslim women have come to Canada and are not considered deviant because deviance various depending on cultures. To us in western society, these males are deviant that institutionalize women in their society to obtain power and control which is contradicting because they defending their deviant behavior by claiming women are the deviant ones.      

[natxoxposts-blog]

Media Relevance vs Novel Relevance

https://globalnews.ca/news/4259019/netflix-defends-13-reasons-why/

Should some things remain unspoken? Thirteen Reasons Why has been receiving extensive attention and raising eyebrows of parents who are concerned what the show is really implying. Claims state the show is directed at address issues of rape, violence, shootings, bullying and suicide, yet families argue it actually does the opposite and give young teenagers and adults to new outtakes of how to handle their grief. Or some argue the show shares the raw truth and is detailed and disturbing because disturbance is what triggers us. What texts or films do we remember the most? Disturbing ones such as Canival, Game of Thrones, The Lonely Hearts Hotel, a novel no matter how hard I’d try to remove from my memory it stays intact.  In fact Thirteen Reasons Why can help parents understand what their children may inheriting and face on a daily basis. That being said if a parent decides to prevent their child from watching the show it will only intrigue their curiosity more and many scenes can be triggering meaning help phones, counselors or support groups may be needed but what I question is would youths feel reluctant to attain help because the show implies that help systems are unreliable. So who can they reach out to? It’s contradicting because at the end of each episode during season 2 they provide a help phone line and site but the show general states no one is there for you, your best friend abandoned you, your summer fling is ashamed of you, your high school lover is too consumed at saving his own reputation, his best friend is a rapist, your parents are too caught up in their own struggles to see your signs of pain and when you finally reach out for help you are denied it, brushed away by an individual within the school board who supposedly deals handles these issues. Why has the show raised more infliction when the book has been released since 2007, proving these issues have yet to be resolved and has only now been labelled deviant because i it has become visual. Just as Hannah Baker's parents were ignorant to the signs of help, parents today are ignorant until they’ve physically visual things because conclusively we tend to not rely on words as the over said cliche states “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

It’s a consequence of meta-narratives because we look at the bigger picture, the end result, rather than what established the outcomes. Therefore I applaud Thirteen Reasons Why for looking beyond suicide as its primary focus and focused on what led up to it during season 1. As for season 2 I believe the same technique was used because during the season finale of season 1 most viewers predicted Tyler would attempt a school shooting, therefore each event was leading up to that final moment, the big picture. 

Should Thirteen Reasons Why be a show for parents and their children? Share your outtake... 

[natxoxposts-blog]

Embrace Deviance For  A Paradigm Shift

Shea Diamonds song I Am Her deals with issues surrounding identity, sexuality and segregation displayed by embracing deviance. If it is embraced enough will it shift away from being perceived as deviant and be socially acceptable, things such as drugs, sexuality, sex. Diamond, in her song calls herself an outcast, yet also accepts the her label of deviance as the lyrics say “There's a dark cloud in everybody's sunlight And I am her (I am her)”

These lyrics refer to her as “evil” symbolized through defining herself as the dark cloud. Rather than defend her stance she embraces her label, if we embrace our “evils” or “deviance” can we change internationalizes? For that to be effective we as individuals would need to revamp our paradox of time and revise our lenses and eyes to our own visions before we can correct others. Shea Diamond came out as transgender but committed a crime in 1999 leading to her imprisonment in a male prison for 10 years, during that period she wrote the song I AM HER. Ultimately her song is an example of Primary and secondary deviation, committing a crime and continuously acting deviant because of anger for being punished to begin with. A symbolic interaction theorist would focus on individuals embrace deviance rather than resistance after punishment. If we were to resist labels understood as deviant, would the status quo against women, the LGBTQ community, race, class etc. be confined? Ultimately our truths of deviance are different, it is all dependent on our own values and morals. For an example swear words are no longer negatively understood or defined and are being redefined. For an example saying “that film was the shit”, shit is being used positively saying it was outstanding. Essentially stricter laws can actually be enforcing deviant behavior in comparison to it was acceptable and removed of it’s negative association because an individual would no longer feel like they must prove a point through the perception of cynicism within subcultures.

[natxoxposts-blog]

What Has Our Generation Come To?

This video gives an overview of our future generations outtake on feminism and gender equality and equity for comedic purposes on Jimmy Kimmel as it is a late night show for amusement but it does linger the dark truth. Society, even young girls are undermined by condensed perspectives that create social exclusion. In this video you would expect the males to support males yet they support women while some young girls “police” and degrade their own gender, therefore they are degrading themselves by implementing stereotypes that men work harder and women are incapable of tasks men are capable of. Does being a part of a community give us the right to criticize our own community by excluding them from the same rights as women police other women or black people policing other black people?

It is due to the fact that we begin to inherit stereotypes and society expectations surrounding our label and inflicting concepts held within the labelling theory. At constant evolution because at one point in our history and as proven by this children today, women have a specific role in society, the inferior. Women who would overlook their roles and overpower their husband were labelled deviant, the labeling theory explains the change in perspective of what is deviance as today women exclusion is deviant. That being said children are continuously influenced by their parents, as a result they are blindsided by misogynist behavior their mothers inherit. When taken into comparison some of the males in the video looked up to the mother while other young girls agreed with stereotypes. Why? Children look up to their parents, ultimately it comes done to the practices enforced within their families that define if a young girl accepts an “unavoidable” future of being marginalized and forced to dumb herself down because it’s her duty and role as a female. We constantly say our futures are in the hands of the future generation, which is accurate, but elderly's influence their perceptions and understandings of the world. I agreed with one comment made, “the world is a messed up place.”

[natxoxposts-blog]

Appearance Vs Reality Enhances Seclusion

Jim Crow signifies the segregation applied against African Americans though racial laws that promoted post-colonial theories that European lifestyles meant success and happiness while others were marginalized from schools, parks, restrooms, buses, trains and restaurants because of racial conflicts.  

Blacks were dehumanized and emasculated of their identity as Jim Crow played by Thomas Dartmouth in the 1830’s imitated African Americans. He painted himself black, sung slave songs, made a mess of things and was clumsy, and that is how they defined and interpreted African Americans.This event is believed to have originated human rights, but racism did not end there as police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Freddie Gray in Baltimore shed light on the truth that African Americans are still divisionalized. I understand Jim Crow represents a period of segregation, but we’re still living in the same conditions and instead need to recognize the linkage of these historical events to modern issues surrounding race rather than ignore our past. Ultimately it is impossible to forgive and forget, therefore we question if there will ever be a time when African Americans and whites accept and embrace their differences, yet why are their differences when we are striving for equality? Sadly Americans/whites have built and negative image of themselves and yes they can be forgivinging but the memory can not be erased or reconstructed. Novels such as What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons are literature that help understand the lives of African Americans surrounding their history and discovery of identity because of social fragmentation created by whites and blacks. Novels should be focusing on the postcolonial aspect of colonial oppressing from two communities. Many authors endorse European lifestyles to define our success or in fact strive for The American Dream. Rather Clemmons introduces Thandi who is a half African American, half south African therefore she finds herself struggling with identity, race, oppression, marginalization and cultural appropriation. The reasoning behind the barriers she encounter is a result to the aftermath of society attempting to control exploitation of individuals and communities of colour. Literature and media can either work in favour of overcoming racial conflict or idolize over ideologies of The American Dream. A conflict theorist can examine how Americans treat African Americans as inferior to maximize their own power therefore they stigmatized negative stereotypes against black communities.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Deviance in Religion

https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/moving-walls/18/being-gay-uganda

We are all deviant

We typically see religion and the LGBTQ community as rivals therefore many individuals move away from religion and are unaccepted by their family because they are “deviant” due to postmodernism and religious practices. I came across these stories of individuals apart of the LGBTQ community and some shared their perception on religion. The linkage between postmodernism and sexuality is bluntly obvious, each group believes in different truths. For an example Christianity see’s sex outside of marriage to be deviant. If being gay is labelled deviant under Christianity, why is killing practiced when the bible states evil should not be repaid with evil.

“No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 23:1)

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)

Can we be apart of two opposing communities, similar to being an African American? Or do we need to make a decision of what we identify ourselves as some of the individuals disconnected themselves to religion.

“I used to be religious, but I’m not anymore. I lost my religion because of all the hatred preached by the Christians here. I’d rather go to my room and pray by myself to God. I know that God is there.

”

“I don't go to church. The church criticizes homosexuality too much. They say it's madness. We are believers, but can't go to church. Wherever we go, they talk about homosexuality. They think we do it for money.

“Right now we are just hoping and praying.

Religions such as Christianity are so intact to postmodernism because they are skeptical to look outside of their religion and antic beliefs because individuals rely on the bible for absolute truths rather than through paradigm shifts which alters perceptions of religion. For the LGBTQ community they felt a paradigm shift within how they define and understand their faith. Postmodernity is a tool that contributes to isolation taking into account one who moves away from their faith and closer to their faith. These individuals continue to respect their religion but hold different truths regarding their identity. Ultimately postmodernism is a weapon inflicting segregation. The Universal Declaration of Rights respects each individual's dignity and freedom, yet are church members respecting the dignity of “outcasters”? Under these circumstances who is deviant? What is deviance? Individuals define deviance differently, for an example many see prostitution as a career that is deviant yet on the contrary to a wide range of people prostitution is their only way to obtain money to support their family. Ultimately deviance does not have a concrete definition but is dependent on what a majority of a community define as deviance because it goes against norms therefore homosexuality is deemed deviant under Russian ethics and Christianity while Western society oppose their beliefs and label discrimination and racism to be identified as deviant because deviance is not solemnly based on an action but a label a majority of society imbeds, conclusively I believe we have all been labelled deviant at some point in our lives.

[natxoxposts-blog]

Am I Too Feminine?

This TedTalk featuring Justin Baldoni makes a reference to the world being like a movie script when it comes to confined gender roles. Boys and Girls grow up with a script on how they should behave and portray themselves to be apart of a group based identity. In this case there’s only two that seems acceptable, male and female. The world ventures to choose our identities for us, as said by Baldoni, “I was living in a state of conflict. Conflict who I feel I am in my core and conflict with who the world tells me as a man I should be.” People in this world try to define who they are, but they are incapable to because of “the broken definition of masculinity”. They initially end up playing a role given to them and society is the director who needs to give permission to show “femininity” and vulnerability. It's as if there’s cameras constantly following their every move, similar to the lyrical message held in Weaves ft Tanya Tagaq’s song Scream.

The lyrics reveal the exile in our status quo of gender roles. The song speaks about being watched, as the lyrics say, “I’m a child of commercials and body language and floating drones.” The drones are stereotypes enforced therefore we are continuously trying to find a new identity based on what is approved not debunked. The social identity theory is what enhances isolation and characteristic barriers between genders because it divides society and creates bias opinions against people who act “differently” to the script they are given. Baldoni concludes that ultimately these men are contradicting stereotypes of being brave, tough and masculine by being afraid of vulnerability. Sociologist Émile Durkehim introduced the anomie theory, where norms become invalid and they are left normless for the time being. This applies to Baldoni’s beliefs of his own life, but not to society as a whole. He temporarily felt isolated and a loss of what it meant to be masculine only to redefine his own definition of masculinity. It’s possible that for there to be change, society must enter a phase where individuals feel normless to branch out and re-establish the differences in genders.       

[natxoxposts-blog]

Our New Drug - Social Media

This image is distinctly portrays social media to be a addictive platform which promotes a dumbed-down culture and narcissism. We are aware of it as well. The cigarette symbolizes the negative results to social media, an example of cognitive dissonance. In class it was mentioned how people who smoke are aware it’s bad for them, same applies for social media. We are aware that it contains pointless images and memes, yet we continue to scroll through it for hours self-consciously. Just as smoking can cause cancer, social media can cause ourselves to strive for less rather than more. Individuals are fed with “the american dream”, that we forget social media networks (in particularly Instagram) only show the aspects of the life individuals choose to share. As High school students most of us works towards attending post secondary, but based on a single post from a famous YouTuber an individual chooses to aim for their lifestyle and dropping out of High school. In most cases that’s the pathway Youtubers follow.

During the process of wanting their lifestyle, we are being dumbed-down by what it means to be successful that we tend to put ourselves down. Rather than be induced with thought provoking posts, we look to mainstream role models. We become absorbed by the network and opt to receive as many likes because individuals believe the more likes they receive the closer they are to that lifestyle.

Social media can be a powerful tool that stimulates paradigm shift, but it all depends what individuals are fed with when scrolling through their feeds because ultimately society is shifting away from using analytic intelligence and rather feeding us answers in schools, through musical blunt lyrics and meaningless posts that are “aesthetically pleasing”.