The last issue of the Campus featured an article from The Peak, the Simon Fraser University newspaper, by Dan McPeake. It was titled “Being secular does not mean banning religion: French move to ban the burqa hurts religious freedom.” The editor’s note to the article pointed out that a similar ban is currently being debated in Quebec “with the introduction [...]
I recently watched both the Twilight and New Moon movies and, although they were able to reel me in, I was astounded at how overtly they projected patriarchal and “true”-love narratives. Not only does protagonist Bella’s lack of independence as an autonomous individual reveal the still very patriarchal Western society we live in, but so do her relationships with vampire [...]
I very recently tuned in to The Tyra Show and found myself curiously watching an episode called “The Cougar Convention.” This episode disturbed and intrigued me: a cougar convention? It also got me thinking: dominant, often patriarchal, ideology affects women of all ages – in this case, those women who are middle-aged and “good-looking.” Today, these women are referred to [...]
As I have stated in previous articles, the Canadian government’s current neoliberal thinking posits that Canada has achieved equality and thus feminism is no longer needed. The general population seems to have also embraced this thinking. However, race and gender inequality persists. One particular inequality that currently exists is that of violence against women. Over the past thirty years, many [...]
In previous articles, I have discussed the socially constructed nature of beauty in Western society. However, in this article, I will look at this construction in relation to women’s bodies. A disconnection between women and their bodies currently exists because of the unrealistic beauty ideal that is perpetuated through the media; in particular, through advertising. According to Dr. Fabienne Darling-Wolf [...]
Hundreds of organizations that aim to help children and families living in poor African countries exist today. When watching television, we are bombarded with images of both malnourished children and what many people may consider un-progressive societies. Since this new—dare I say—trend, has begun, I have been trying, although often unsuccessfully, to become more concerned about these young children, specifically [...]
The October issue of French Vogue features a thirteen page spread of Dutch model Lara Stone painted in blackface. Lara is modeling high fashion ethnic looking clothing while painted entirely in dark make up. This issue of the magazine has caused quite a stir of controversy over the past few weeks, especially in North America. Fashion bloggers have received thousands [...]
Female sexuality, as defined by the Patriarchy. By now, most of you have probably come across Freud’s theory of penis envy. In case you haven’t, Freud stresses the realization in female psychosexual development of a lack a penis. For years, feminists worldwide have debated this so-called theory. Luce Irigaray is one of these feminists. In her incredibly explicit and moving [...]
As many may suspect, the media drives current notions of beauty. In this article I will focus on one aspect of the media: magazines. Many magazines associate beauty with a particular female physique; a woman who is thin, “feminine,” youthful, and white is considered beautiful. As many women read these magazines, they often objectify other women according to this image [...]
I would like to start off this article by saying that, as a feminist, I am aware that my personal experience with discrimination comes from a white middle class perspective. However, in this article and in others I would like to address issues that women who are outside of the white middle class encounter. As I do this, my goal [...]
