Some tips in order to understand political text

 

In order to understand a not only a political text, but also other types of text, the title of the reading is the first thing that we should consider. By the title of a text we can have a general idea of the text, and somehow we can understand the author’s side in the article. The title also indicates the path that we are going through for example by title of “setting themselves apart: education, capabilities, and sexuality among Samburu women in Kenya” we can understand that the article is going to disgust about the differences that education, capabilities, and sexuality make among women. That indicates connection between education, capabilities, and the distance that Kenya women have among themselves.

Words and their meaning is the second important part that the reader should be careful about that.  Some times author use some etchings to make her/ his writing meaningful and make the reader think. One of the examples in “Women Capabilities and the Right to Education in Bangladesh” the author uses two words of “instrumentalist” and “instrument”. In order to understand what author means by these two words we need to concentrate on connection of women and education with “instrument” and “instrumentalist”.  These two words were confusing for not only me, but also most of the students. Finally, by the explanations that our instructor give us in the class we could understand that the author implies the essentiality of “education” for “ women” by using “instrumentalist” for education and “instrument” for women.

The third element for better understanding a political reading is to consider the structure of the reading. As It is noticeable “Women’s Capabilities and the Right to Education in Bangladesh” the writer chose the compare and contrast structure.  We should perceive why the author used this structure. One of the advantages of this structure is that this structure gives the author is opportunity to indicates the two side of discussion, however he/she implies his idea through the article. The author tries to make the reader to take a side at the end of the article, and obviously author wants to get an agreement from her/ his audience. For example in “women’s capabilities …” the author says “In some cases, people in the two villages believe that education increases women’s capabilities. For most part, however, people do not see women’s education as a threat to the status quo. For example cultural beliefs about marriage have not changed mush. Despite the increase in girls’ schooling, very few people question the view that daughters should not have much voice in when they are married” (Arends, Amin 129) In this part you can see that how author implies that the agreement for women education has more proponents than oppositions, and however the culture has not changed a lot, the people want education for their daughters.

            As has been shown, in order to understand a political reading we need to consider different aspects of a reading including titles, words and the position of words, and structure that can be another element to guide you to the author goal from the reading.

 

Works cited
Arends-Kuenning,Mary and Amin,Sanjeda, “Women’s capability and right to education in Bangladesh .” International Journal of Politics and Society, Vol. 15, No.1, September 2001. Print

Carolyn, Lesorogol.K, “Setting Themselves Apart: Education, capabilities, and Sexuality among Samburu women in Kenya” International Journal of Politics and Society.Print.

Missing Women in China Super Power of Economy

 China is a country with a traditional bias against women, but women’s importance could be identified by support of Chinese leaders that was done for reducing inequality between men and women. The Chinese leaders did this help by expanding medical services, and by increasing gainful jobs opportunities for women. Even though China was challenging with a terrible famines, the expectancy at birth increased from the low forties around 1950 to the high sixties. By 1979 that the economic and social reforms were introduced, there had been a sharp reduction in general mortality. After the reformation China had a big economical improvement. But at the same time, the official figures also record an increase in the general mortality rates(Sen,9).

While some people emphasize on economy to reduce mortality, this paragraph from “More than 100 Million Missing Women” indicates the peripheral role of economy in mortality of women. Good economy usually brings a good perspective of life in different aspects including medical treatment, nutrient food, and all the necessaries for a good life; therefore, people expect low mortality. China is a good example to indicates that powerful economy always does not help women. The reformation took women’s jobs from them; therefore, they lost their power and respect both in the society and families.  Medical services for women were stopped. Men took all the power of economy and women were forced to stay home; therefore, men were introduced as bread winners. The one child policy of China and the job situations for women pushed Chinese for being more sexist, as result there are many cases of abortion for baby girls. On the other hand since women lost their respect in the families and society, their needs are ignored both in families and society because they are not productive anymore. Obviously each person cares about her or his own needs more than anybody else, but unemployment of women made them helpless to answer their essential needs. As result Chinese are missing 50 million of women in their country.  All these clearly show that how women’s mortality is hidden under stereotype about wealthy countries like China.

 

Work cited:
Sen, Amartya. “More than 100 Missing Women.” Nybooks Archives. Dec 20, 1990. Mar 4, 2013.

Women in Traditional Boundaries

In A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN, the writer is talking about Shakespeare’s sister that is actually a tactic to grab the readers’ attention. When you read it you will ask this question that did Shakespeare have a sister. Of course that Shakespeare did not have a sister, but whoever she means, that person is a woman or even can be women. Women who were as talented as Shakespeare or other famous poet; Women who as the writer says “she was as adventurous, as imaginative as agog to see the world” (Wolf 43). But they were never spoken about; there is not any book, which women wrote them. What was the reason, and why Shakespeare’s sister’s name is not in history book; why there is no book of her. These questions can be answered with one question that is how women could be writer when families did not give value to girls to get an education. They were married in early ages by force. In contrary boys did not have this problem; they had freedom to go and adventure, to explore and find the best place to discover themselves. While Shakespeare was showing his talent on the scene, his sisters were getting ready for their arranged marriages.

Work Cited

Woolf, Virginia. “A Room of One’s Own.” Fort Washington: Harvest Book. 1981. First published 1929.

Diotima is a Woman Who is actually not a Woman!

   As we all know there was not something by the name of Feminist or women movement at that time. Women even were not considered as citizens. They were part of property of men like house, land, slaves or other things. But what Plato’s view about women is different from other philosophers of his time in the way that some people claim he was kind of feminist in his time. Talking about the possibility of Plato being a feminist is difficult, because Plato did not take a certain side about women like Aristotle. But if Plato’s talk is analyzed very well, it will be clear that even though Plato had some feminist view, he was not a feminist, but an anti-feminist.

   As it was said, talking about Plato side in feminist is difficult. The definition of Feminism is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of sexes (female and men). Some people say in symposium Diotima’s speech is given by a man and that is a negative point about women. But others say that women were not allowed to participate in discussion meetings at that time, and Plato could cleverly bring up Diotima’s speech in the discussion, Plato made others to listen to a woman’s speech. Now can we infer that Plato is a feminist?

Plato believes that there are women who can be same like men. They have the same abilities; therefore these women should be given equal rights like men. This is another confusing issue about Plato’s side about feminist.  Plato says that if someone allows his/her body to control over his soul it is like to be a woman. It means no difference that you are a man or woman if your body dominates your soul you are female. In other words it means if a woman does not allow her body to take control over her soul she deserves to have same rights like men. Now this question comes up that when a woman can have equal rights, does it really matter if she is told that she has a manly soul?

That might be true that Plato values women in some cases, and he was not like Aristotle that rejects all women. Actually Plato’s anti-feminist attitude is deeper than that.  What from all above can be inferred is that Plato could not ignore women’s bravery as just like he could not confirm that the coward men are also men, therefore he makes this claim that women who are brave and talented are actually men, and coward men are not actually men. Diomita is also one of the women that plato wished she was a male.

 

 

THE LOSTHALF

Aristophanes definition for love and how love really happens between two people is really fun and interesting. It might be true that Aristophanes’ definition is just a story or fiction, but it has a very important role in people’s believe; thus, in people’s life.
All of the religions have story based, and in some cases almost whole of the religion is made of stories. Story of creation of Eve and Adam is one of the most famous one among Muslims and Christians. Although it is a story, but people really have believe in it, and unfortunately it has been for a long time that women are blamed, because of this story. People really believe this was Eve that misleads Adam, and Adam ate that forbidden fruit, therefore we—all people spelled from Heaven. As has been shown, stories can make big changes even though they are just a story.
Something that religions and stories have in common with is that in both impossible can be possible. Usually when people are unable to understand reason of problems or events, they think that it definitely has a super natural power; therefore they start to create stories about the reasons. That is how stories tie to religion.
Aristophanes not only could explain the interest of men to women by his story, but he also could explain the reason of love between men to men or women to women. Gay love is one of the most complicated issues these days. People are really confused about gays, and about the honesty of the love. But the way that Aristophanes speaks about love in story firm it looks really normal, and easy to believe. If we look at this angle that gays also are looking for their other half, and it was just the destiny that their partner is someone from the same sex, it will be easier to get along with and accept this issue.
This idea that the shape of each human being was completely round and each round shape included two humans, then these people became separated by gods and goddess, and now everyone is looking for their half reminds me some people opinion including my mother’s about love. She used to speak about lost half. She believed that every person has a lost half and when each person meets with his the other half, he will fall in love with her. Sometimes happens that someone falls in love with another one and nobody exactly knows the reason. That belongs to this reason that she is his real the other half and nothing else.
In conclude, love is still something mystery. Still there are disagreements about the definition of love and what the real love is. Some people does not believe in love, some others think love happens when you find so many things in common with someone else, and another group believe that love just happens, and there is no reason to say why it happens, because it belongs to supernatural power and God.

In The Looking Glass poem by Kamla Das, the poet has tried to make aware women about the love and how they want to get their ideal man to love. Kamla says “Getting a man to love you is easy/Only be honest about your wants as woman”. She is saying that it is not really difficult to attract a man to yourself, but you should notice that what you really want as a woman from your man.
In the next section of the poem she used the imagery language, which is the most beautiful way to make her reader understand. When she says “Stand nude before the glass with him/So that he sees himself the stronger one/and believes it so” she enable the reader to picture a naked woman beside a naked man. The reader will see the differences of those two in physical aspects.Kamala continues her description for body of the woman while using assonance “You are so much more/ softer, younger, lovelier” the “e” “r” sound the words are the same, tying the three words together. Three things that almost always is true about beauty of women. But what the poet means by all is honesty. What she means by naked body is being honest with your partner, and admitting each other’s differences.
The poet also speaks about the woman’s beauty in another part when she says “the musk of sweat breasts” she uses figurative language to describe the beauty of women the breasts resemblance to musk, because it’s scent.
After all these poet comes to be realistic “Notice the perfection of his limbs, his eyes reddening under/ The shower, the shy walk across the bathroom floor, Dropping towels and the jerky way he Urinates /All the fond details that make him male / and your only man. Gift him all/ Gift him what makes you woman, the scent of / Long hair, the musk of swear between the breasts,/ The warm shock of menstrual blood, and all your/ Endless female hungers ”. She is speaking about both side of the life. The man who love you also have some shortages or bad hobbies, you will see him how he urinates in bath room, but still you will love him as what he is. You also give him all things that make your female identity; your hair, scent of your body and even the warm shock of monthly period, and he accepts you as what you are, and all things that are with you. And you two share all things with each other.
In the last lines Kamla talks about other realities of life, when she says “getting a man to love is easy, but living/ Without him afterwards may have to be/ Faced. A living without life when you move/ Around, meeting strangers, with your eyes that/ Gave up their search, with ears that hear only/ His last voice calling our your name and your body which once under his touch had gleamed/ Like burnished brass, now drab and destitute.” One day will come that you will lose your love and you will miss him and feel his empathy position in your life. You might meet other men to return your previous life. Even though they might be good men, but they cannot be like your love, and cannot return love to your life.