4/18/2014 Final Discussion

by Manish Garg

As the year slowly comes to a close, I think it's a good thing for us all to have one last time that we come together and just talk our troubles (or joys, or llamas) away. Many of you know my usual deal: no particular subjects, no information to read or know beforehand, no weird or difficult philosophical texts (unless someone else brings them in), just all of us talking about whatever we want to talk about.

I went to Sicily once; did you know that they use donkeys for garbage collection? Is this sentence false? How was your day? I like purple! Wheeeeeeeee!

See you on Friday!

4/11/2014 The Image of Women: A Reflection or an Illusion?

by Julia McNiff (with Emily Dodge)

     The 60s and 70s witnessed some of the greatest social and political gains for women in the private and public sphere. Women can now divorce, have custody of children, have abortions, buy contraceptives, have better (although still unequal) wages, and have the same school and employment opportunities as men. But where does this leave female sexuality? The Sexual Revolution gave women the right to obtain contraceptives and the social approval to engage in recreational sex. Many great feminist writers like Anne Koedt began to investigate the mystique and uniqueness of female sexuality through a female viewpoint for the first time. In the Pornography Wars of the 80s, the sexuality of women came into question again for the feminists: is a sexually liberated, pornographic view of women freeing or constraining?

 To this day, many feminists debate over whether this hyped-up view of female sexuality is a form of freedom or objectification. Sex-positive feminists claim that this is liberating, allowing women to enjoy the same sexual privilege as men. Sex-negative feminists, however, believe that this is objectification by a still predominantly male business world that utilises the female body and sexuality to sell products and make profit. What we ponder this Friday is, what is the current social and philosophical state of female sexuality? Are women being sexually liberated or oppressed? Is female dignity being respected (both as itself and as the [equal] counterpart to male dignity) or demeaned?

4/4/2014 Hazing

by Gabrielle Crosby

I suppose you could say my topic is hazing though I am starting to think that the root of my confusion on the subject lies in a realm beyond simple bullying.  A growing concern in America due to the increasing extremity of college Greek life and sport team 'rituals', hazing is defined as the rite of passage imposed on incoming group members that involves varying degrees of harassment, humiliation, or psychological and physical abuse.  I find this definition unsettling on all levels and the continuation of such a system incomprehensible. From the perspective of both the dominating individuals and the willingly oppressed, it seems pretty lose-lose, and yet the cycle has continued for thousands of years.

Since I know next to nothing on the topic, this presentation will be 90% guided questions and 10% background history and exemplary articles.