Final Post by Blair West

I was quite interested to hear about other people's final papers; I had been spending so much time researching and formulating my topic that it was refreshing to sit back and learn about other sociological issues that I found to be downright fascinating. While it sounds trite, I am so impressed with our class because everyone showed so much curiosity, enthusiasm, and insight. Ellie, I thought your statement that homosexuality cannot be synonymous with 'sexuality' was quite wise. Just as Mike pointed out that people often associate masculinity with anything 'not gay.' Ellie also said that hatred and fear go hand in hand, a fact which I have found true in so many aspects of our society. People mistreat what they do not understand. This reality relates to Brooke's topic, which I found quite relevant and personally meaningful. The fact that female politicians are judged solely on their appearance is appalling, but it is indicative of our society's ignorance and arrogance towards certain groups. Brooke's topic struck a chord with me, because, as a woman, I have often been put into certain categories based on my appearance or behavior. I have lost count of the amount of times that men or people in general say 'you're much smarter than you look,' or 'I'm was surprised when I met you,' or, 'you don't act the way you look.' Perhaps its my blonde hair that makes many people assume I'm a ditz (just as Sarah Palin was labeled because she took care of her appearance). My father told me that I should dye my hair for job interviews and wear no makeup-- seriously! It truly frustrates me how some people are marginalized or pre-judged, just as the female politicians are. Clinton apparently looked haggard and unkept during one public appearance (irrelevant!!!!) but they did not judge her for being preoccupied by her appearance, as they did Palin. Men have never had such foolish adversity with which to contend. It makes me wonder whether we should have 'ghost politicians' who never reveal their race, gender, age, or identity (what a thought..).

Another presentation that I found particularly intriguing was Gracie's. After hearing you speak about the difficulties of the birthing process, I whispered to Jenn that I never wanted to have a child! My close cousin just had her first child and she elected to do a water birth during which she delivered her son in a bathtub. I asked her why she would put herself through that extra stress and pain, and she answered "I just want to be in control." Gracie, you really explained well how pain medication and procedures can be tricky and untrustworthy in this day and age. I was shocked how you emphasized the fact hat hospitals are essentially a business and doctors just want to continue with their jobs. I volunteered in a hospital for four years and during emergencies the oldest volunteers would deliver paperwork and I always eavesdropped on the doctors' conversations. They would be filling out lab reports and be talking about their personal lives or weekend plans. Of course, I don't mean to criticize every physician out there, but they are certainly not flawless geniuses.
It is fascinating how we collectively researched a wide range a topics, from sports culture to homosexual rights to reality TV. Well done, class! You really made me think.