Gender, sexuality, and culture are three major concepts that are heavily interconnected. These concepts can also be used within intersectionality and have the power to shape societal norms, challenge power dynamics within society and define one's individuality. In this essay, I will be discussing four separate readings that delve into these topics. Overall, the main principle that these readings share is that these concepts are ever evolving and adapting and that it is not a fixed idea, but a diverse spectrum despite the contrasting demographics of each reading. The first reading I will examine is, Reclaiming the past to inform the future: Contemporary views of Maori sexuality by Clive Aspin and Jessica Hutchings. This article discusses …show more content…
A case study of the politics of gay/lesbian belonging in an Australian country town by Andrew Gorman-Murray, Gordon Waitt, and Chris Gibson examines the politics of gay and lesbian belonging within Daylesford, Victoria through various events, festivals, and other data. In short, through certain incidents and events the contested nature of homosexuality within this town is revealed, contradicting their seemingly “gay-friendly” advocacy. Similarly to the other readings, homosexuality or sexuality and gender that does not fall under societal normality is met with oppression and disregard. Within Australia it seems to be no different, as on one end of the argument, states and territories have decriminalised homosexual activities; however, the federal legislation continues to discriminate against gay and lesbian rights, most notably through the 2004 Commonwealth Marriage Act which forbids same sex marriage (Murray et al., 2008). However, this reading does differ with the others as within Australia, the government publicly promotes all genders and sexuality to express themselves; whereas within the other cultures and countries in the readings, it is deemed to be not right or even forbidden. This is also not to say that there is no oppression against homosexuality within Australia though as there certainly still is; just not as blatantly as other places. A notable example of this is through the ChillOut Festival, which is meant to promote diversity and spread awareness; however, it can be noted that there were complaints about their ongoing policy of returning profits to the local community as a means of “buying acceptance”, which they have since made changes to. Therefore, even within a seemingly progressive country like Australia there still seems to be an ongoing battle between true expression of one's identity and societal
This essay discusses White’s statement from the article: “Inventing Australia Revisited” by considering nation and national identity, relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and gender relations. In the first part, this essay indicates how White refutes traditional claims about the nation and national identity, and then asserts nation and national identity are social and cultural products. There are three typical claims about the nation and national identity. First, it assumes
government, companies and other places. Diversity in gender quotas actually has positive effects to the company, but the ideology of Feminism itself, have both merit and weakness. This essay will use feminist to analyze the rationality of women representation increasing in company boards, in the background of Australia. Introduce Feminism and the current situation
that majority of those working in criminal justice are white males. The population of indigenous white men is larger than that of indigenous Australian women. Evidently, there is a racial disparity in the workforce of the criminal justice system in Australia
Mrs. Das is the author of many autobiographical works and novels in both languages, several highly regarded collections of poetry in English, numerous collections of short stories, as well as essays on a wide range of topics. Her work in English has been widely anthologized in the Indian subcontinent, Australia, and the West; and she has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1985 and the nomination for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1984. From the 1970s when
If you were given the task to pick out a homosexual character in a television series, most of us would be able to pick off who that character would be, but why is that? How is it that we’re able to determine the sexuality of a person just by looking at their appearance, listening to them talk or even just by looking at who they associated themselves with. Ever since the first appearance of a same sex couple on the big screen in 1895’s “The gay brothers” directed by Edison Short, every large media
interconnectedness between characters, communities (i.e. queer, heterosexual, AIDS and political communities) and events to which they are relative. This essay will argue that Kushner’s use of dual role’s effectively interconnects characters, events and their communities that may be seen as usually unrelated. Analysis of four specific characters, Antarctica, Oceania, Australia and Europa, in Act Five, Scene Five of “Perestroika”, will demonstrate the connection of each Act Five, Scene Five character, to the actors
The scene, accentuated by climactic orchestral music, emphasizes Bella's pleasure and challenges societal norms surrounding female sexuality. The scene also emphasizes the significance of female pleasure, with the camera closing on Bella's face as she revels in her sexual encounter. This depiction serves as a commentary on the importance of women expressing their sexuality on their terms, encapsulating the film's use of black comedy to critique patriarchal systems. Additionally, Bella's swift transition
In 1964, Donald Horne wrote his famous book, ironically titled The Lucky Country. The book aimed to shake Australian’s complacency regarding the reasons for their booming economy and a high standard of living at the time. He wrote, ‘Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people’s ideas,…most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity in the events that surround them that they are often taken by surprise. The publication of this book
to venture outside the private realm into culture, politics and the workforce. These freedoms gained by these movements have reached a point where many young women today believe that equality has been achieved and feminism is no longer needed. This essay will discuss how third wave feminists are believed to be undoing the efforts of the mothers of feminism and how, although freer than women of the past, the extensive freedoms afforded to women today does not equal gender equality, as they are still
This essay is looking at the work of the theorists Connell and Messerschmidt and the concept of hegemonic masculinity with a focus on gender identity. This essay will introduce Connell and Messerchmidts’ concept of hegemonic masculinity and then how that ties in with and how they address gender identity. Finally this essay will examine how these theorists examine gender identity with a view to implement reform or social change. Hegemonic masculinity, was first proposed in reports from a study
feature in Australian and English school programs. At one level physical education has enjoyed considerable political support, acquired support from athletes and secured a place on Australia and England's national curriculum. However on another level physical education has been the subject of crisis meetings in Australia, on the verge of being wiped out in later secondary school education in England and had numerous reviews. So why is physical education important? The major factor being the increasing
In order to satisfy the requirements of part one of this assignment, I have analysed my cultural identity and values through the lens of intercultural communication. Firstly, I discuss the five core cultural groups which I feel are integral parts of my identity. Following this, is highlight two key components of cultural identity, specifically socioeconomic status and ethnicity, and compare and contrast differing cultural groups and my reaction to those differences. Finally, I will address the origins
various social phenomena, such as ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, to gain a better understanding of the dominating values [and 'norms'] that underpin a society’s function and provides an individual with a sense of belonging or attachment. This insight into human behaviour, both as an individual and as part of a group, has been the foundation for sociological thinking in the past and is still relevant in understanding the present and future. This essay is broken into three main points - the history; legacy
Derek Jarman’s film Blue I am a cock sucking Straight acting Lesbian man With ball crushing bad manners Laddish nymphomaniac politics Spunky sexist desires Of incestuous inversion and Incorrect terminology I am a Not Gay (Blue, Jarman; 1995: 119). In offering this extract from Derek Jarman’s film Blue, (England, 1993) I have established an expectation that this paper’s concern is with the sexual body of East End boot stomping, ball crushing queens. However, whilst this sequence
addressed. Health in particular is an area of social policy that affects every Australian at some point, and so it is essential that policies be implemented to ensure equity and wellbeing among all members of the community. For the purpose of this essay, only health in relation to women will be explored. There will be a particular focus on the impact health policies have had on women over time, as well as why there have been significant policy changes. Current issues in the delivery of these services