Hi!
My name is Devorah I am a Junior at UCF majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies: Womens Studies Track, and I am from Palm Beach Gardens. I love reading, hanging out with my friends, watching mindless television, and traveling. After graduation I plan on going to nursing school, and one day becoming a midwife. I am interested in women's issues, specifically women's health.
Although this class is required for my major, I also think it is important to learn about the Feminist movement and what is truly stands for. Sometimes the term can be intimidating or carry heavy meaning, but it is clear how much we take Feminism for granted. Without the movement, women in America and all over the world would be in a very different place. Women's studies offer the opportunity to learn and have a complete understanding of the differences between women and men so relationships between them are fair and mature. But, there is much more to women's studies than just Feminism. I would like to learn about women's roles in society, and throughout history, and how it has changed.
I think activism is the only way that change can be made. Regardless of cause, activism and leadership changes the way things are done, and the way people think about certain things. Without outspoken advocates certain things like women's rights, marriage equality, and civil rights would not have progressed as far as they have today.
Gender roles, balance and equality are important aspects of life and serve a prominent role in how we conduct ourselves. In everyday life, gender is something that I may not be conscious of but affects everything I do. For example, I think that I feel slightly more casual and comfortable with someone who has more feminine characteristics. A gay man or a female counterpart are usually people I feel more comfortable around; an alpha male is someone who I would be easily intimidated by. For example, I naturally feel more comfortable around female professors, and are usually more professional around male professors. These are the small, but important aspects about gender that affect my everyday life. I am not sure if there is one person who has influenced my opinion on men and women's behavior, but when I hear of women who break typical gender associating roles I am surprised and proud. Personally, I think that it is really great when I hear about or meet women who study or work in male dominated areas. Women engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and doctors have broken the mold of what we typically think of when it comes to those fields.
Have a great semester!
