Global Sex Trafficking (The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World 56-57)

I found this entry in The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World quite interesting especially with the illustration of the map and the way it was color coded. A lot of the things I read in this chapter of the atlas made me think a lot.

I thought it was interesting that a lot of the countries that traffic people out are part of what we categorize as the "Third world", while a lot of the countries that receive people are what we consider the "First world". My final presentation is about sex trafficking, but more specifically mail-order brides, and to read the quote about Western men wanting a more "traditional" companion kind of made me feel disgusted. Western ideals have become very global and it seems like everyone is catering to the Western world so much. The "First world" countries are appealing to mail-order brides because of the economic stability compared to their country. It puzzles me how people can still buy other people. I thought slavery was done with, but in the sex industry, it happens quite often.

It makes me sick to think of people taking advantage of others, especially when they are young. I wonder why men are almost always the ones who are the consumers in the global sex trade. Is it a biological urge or is it something else in the culture that pushes them to buy, buy, buy. It also makes me scared to think that people in my community could be consumers in the global sex trade industry. If they are going to foreign lands to exploit young children, what happens when they are back in our country? There can be pedophiles living in your own neighborhood without your knowledge. It is a scary thought and I wish there was a more effective way to cut down the global sex trade.

Racial and Ethnic Interpersonal Violence (IVUS 275-299)

Bias crimes are just another way for people to feel like they have control and more power over other groups of people. I will never be able to fully comprehend the mind and thought process of someone who participates in hate crimes. When a bias crime occurs in recent times, it makes me feel like we haven't made a lot of progress as humans. Are we letting bigotry run rampant? This chapter from Inequality and Violence in the United States makes me think of local instances of bias crimes. Just this school year, we've had instances of people being attacked for their affilitation with the GLBT community, and other instances of racial comments being written on doors or even as graffiti. It is disappointing to know that these things have occurred here at the WSU Pullman campus because I feel like others see it as a reflection of the values and thoughts of our community. I also think about the responses to bias crimes. I think that making people aware of what happens sort of gives satisfaction to the person behind the crime to know that it has caused a stir, but at the same time, it makes the community pull together to take a stance against the crime and it gives the community an opporunity to be proactive about preventing bias crimes from happening. Racial and ethnic interpersonal violence happens around the country and may never fully be abolished, but by pulling together, a lot can be done to reduce the amount of occurences.

Upcoming Public Lectures

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about upcoming public lectures that might be of interest especially for us since we are in a women's studies course focusing on power and gender. On Thursday, April 16th, 2009, Delia D. Aguilar will be giving a public lecture in Todd 230 at 5:00 pm. Her lecture is entitled "Teaching about the Social" and she will be focusing about the need to connect the individual narrative with the social (the larger social system). A little tid bit about Delia D. Aguilar is that she is a former WSU professor of Women's Studies and Comparative American Cultures. Then, on Friday, April 17th, 2009, E. San Juan Jr. will also be giving a public lecture in CUE 203 at 3:00 pm. His lecture is entitled "Race or Class?" and he will be reflecting on the critical race theory and the question of the empire. Both former professors of WSU be back here at Washington State University to share her knowledge with our community during the 2009 NWFASA Conference: Knowledge into Action.

I hope you all consider attending these scheduled lectures!

Facilitation Two

Hildegarde Velasco
WST200 -- Gender & Power
Spring 2009
April 13th, 2009


Facilitation: “Domestic Violence and Asian American Women (2002),” Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives Fourth Edition, Lora Jo Foo, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, 273-279.

Key-words: individualism, tolerant, sexism, racism, homophobic, ostracize, coalition, disaggregate,

Key-phrases: institutional barriers, language capacity, social practices, “save face”, same-gender relationship violence,

Key-organizations: Asian Task Force against Domestic Violence, Apna Ghar, Manavi, Nav Nirmaan Foundation Inc., Raksha, Pragati, Sakhi, Asian Women’s Shelter (AWS), Asian Health Services, Boston Asian Task Force, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Asian and Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Institute

Key Ideas:

1. Cultural differences and laws contribute to the domestic violence problem for the Asian community. Language wise, the problem is often not interpreted because of language barriers. There are also laws that prevent some women from wanting to find help.
2. The need to “save face” and keep the family unit together is greater than individual needs. Women are encouraged by cultural norms to endure domestic violence to keep the reputation of their family.
3. Organizations are taking action to protect these women through legal matters and through changing the cultural norms.

Questions & Quotes:

1. Domestic violence is also gendered. Women are automatically assumed to be victims, and men are assumed to be the abusers. What happens to the men who are the victims? How would our culture perceive them, and would these help organizations reach out?
2. Could these social norms confining these women to these abusive relationships ever be changed? Is this idea of “saving face” and keeping the family together too rooted to change?

“Asian American women, the majority of whom are foreign-born immigrants with different languages and cultures, experience numerous institutional barriers to seeking safety.” (273)

“The notion of having to preserve the family and “save face” often makes Asian women more hesitant to leave and break up the family. Women in abusive marriages are frequently blamed for not behaving or told to tolerate the abuse in order to save face for the entire family or clan.” (276)

“Even when abused queer Asian women seek help, they find that the vast majority of domestic violence agencies are not able to meet their needs…The mainstream domestic violence movement understands violence as a patriarchal phenomenon, deriving from sexism, with men using violence to control women…women can be survivors and batterers.” (277)

"Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?" (WL 61-72)

Although this reading was assigned a while ago, I've found this question hard to answer. There can be so much to say, but it's been hard to even start.

After reading "Identies and Socia Locations", I started quesitoning where I, myself, am located in my own perspective, in others' perspectives, and ultimately, in the world's perspective. I enjoyoed how the text described identity as "fluid" which gives me flexibility allowing me to hypothetically change my social location if I wanted to do so. Identity and social location isn't only dfined by ourselves, but other's perspectives are factors too.

In my own perspective, or what we could call the micro level, I am shaped by me personal experiences. The micro level is a level of self-awareness in which we are set apart by the personal experiences we've had in our lives. For myself, was born and raised in Hawaii where I experienced growing up and being surrounded by the "aloha spirit". That environment was all I knew until last year where I chose to go to school here at Washington State University. I realize that my experiences are different than those of people I go to school here with, and vice versa.

At the meso levels, others categorize us. We are somewhat defined by our physical appearance which the text says separates people into being "one of us or not". Instead of being looked at individually, we are looked at as groups or categories. I am a first generation Filipino-American which explains the way I look. My mother and father came from the Philippines to Hawaii and raised me to be proud in what I am. I speak English, yet i can also understand the languages my parents speak. I have dark hair, dark colored eyes, and tan skin. I am from Hawaii which I will always consider my home. My upbringing has taught me to value my friends and family.

In the global level or the macro level, we are defined by social categories which keeps a "social order". Almost every category has a dominant and a subordinate group. In the gender category, I am a woman, a female. Based on the race and ethnicity category, I am a person of color who is not European but Asian. I am a heterosexual and I am in my youth.

After thinking about what the text meant, I was amazed at how complex our identities are. Because of the complexity, no two people are exactly alike. We can share some of the differences we have, but ultimately, we are individuals that make up the whole. I also understand that I will never be able to have a complete answer to the question of where I am socially located because there is so much to say, and things can change because of that flexibility. I tried now, but who knows, in ten years, some things could be completely different.

Facilitation One

Hildegarde Velasco
WST200 -- Gender & Power
Spring 2009
April 8th, 2009

Facilitation: "The Care Crisis in the Philippines (2003) Children and the Transnational Families in the New Global Economy," Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives Fourth Edition, Rhacel Salazar Parrenas, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, 416-425.

Key-Words: transnational, egalitarian, OCW (overseas contract worker), remittances, estrangement

Key-Phrases: care deficit, "stalled revolution", collective mobility, family solidarity, nuclear household, extended kin, nontraditional gender roles, "ideological stall", public accountability, familial responsibilities

Key-Names: Rhacel Salazar Parrenas, Fidel Ramos, Rosemarie Samaniego, Ellen Seneriches, Jeek Perenos, Rudy Montoya, Armando Martinez, Theresa Buscara, Jason Halili, Arjun Appadurai

Key ideas:

• Gender ideology in the past has assumed women to be care givers and men as the providers. However, in the Philippines, economically, women have been shown to be the main contributor in these transnational families. The government has in turn spoken out against the migrant mothers, in essence trying to put them in "their places" in their domestic jobs at home.
• Media influence has stigmatized transnational families through biased reports. These reports have created an image of abandonment and exaggerated suffering of the children of these families.
• Men also have responsibilities in the family. The gendered roles of giving emotional care does not only fall on women. Gender egalitarian views place accountability of care not only on mothers, but on fathers as well. In addition, roles of motherhood and fatherhood should be seen as both providing for the children.

Questions & Quotes:

1. How much power should the media play in portraying the effects of these transnational families? Should there be some regulation to the media, and who would be in charge of regulating?
2. How is migration gendered in this article? Who should be allowed to migrate?
3. After reading the narratives of those who are part of transnational families, who is strained the most? Is it fair for women to leave their children behind?
4. Seemingly, why is there no attention to fathers taking responsibility while their wives are gone?

"If we want to secure quality care for the children of transnational families, gender egalitarian views of child rearing are essential…Gender should be recognized as a fluid social category, and masculinity should be redefined, as the larger society questions the biologically based assumption that only women have the aptitude to provide care." (423)

"Moreover, calling for the return migration of women does not necessarily solve the problems plaguing the families in the Philippines. Domestic violence and male infidelity, for intance -- two social problems the government has never adequately addressed -- would still threaten the well-being of children." (423)

WST200 Midterm Assignment

Part I:

Source One: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2007/4/absolut-pregnant-man.jpg

In Absolut Vodka's "In an Absolut World" advertisements, the company asserts their power by claiming to be able to make a person's dreamworld. In this specific advertisement, they are portraying the ideal world for a woman. Although gender roles have evolved over the years, stereotypes still exist. Women have the expectation to be the care-givers because they are biologically built to carry children and are assumed to have that motherly instinct. On the other hand, men have the expectation to be the bread winners and thus the head of the household. In this world, the men have the upper hand. In the dream world this company creates, the gendered roles switch. Men are the care-givers and the women are the bread winners. The power shifts in favor of women. The woman in the image is significantly happier than the man who has a rather stern look on his face. We assume the man feels a burden with the heavy weight of child breaing while the woman is happier with her choice to wear whatever she wishes and drink whatever she wishes. This can be seen as a spin on the nuclear family. There is a mother, father, and child in what we assume a white upper middle class suburban neighborhood based on their appearances. The woman labors at the workplace while the man presumably labors at domestic chores. Are the terms "mother" and "father" the same although the roles have switched? Do men finally feel what women have felt for centuries? Perhaps, in an Absolut world.

Source Two: http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/absolutperfect.preview.jpg

Another one of Absolut Vodka's advertisements in their "In an Absolut World" series is this image. The woman seems to have ordered the "perfect" male who is strong, smart, romantic, talented and professional. It seems to portray the iamge that women aren't capable of being independent and seek the company of a man who can be what she perhaps lacks. The image does not show how women can be strong on their own. The power is still in men's hands because they are the ones who women are searching for. On the other hand, the image also treats men as commodities that can be ordered and delivered to the front door.

Source Three: http://www.highsnobiety.com/uploads/RTEmagicC_nascover.jpg.jpg

Controversy was stirred up when the image of Nas' shirtless back appeared on the cover of his album. The lash markings on his back are in reference to slavery and the mistreatment of slaves by their owners. This is part of labor history in the United States. Many slaves wer transported from Africa to the Americas as commodities, not even thought of as humans, yet rather as mere objects. The power was not in the slaves' hands, but the hands of the owners who were the cause of the lash markings. This image is a bold statement of the history of African Americans in the United States, how this history has laid foundation for our country, and where we have come thus far.

Source Four: http://www.rebeccawilsonlundin.com/TWTPortfolio/Benetton.jpg

The powers between light and dark are linked in this image by Benetton. The image shows a balanced power between black and white under the forces of the law. The cuffs on the hands of these men assert the equality between the two. The uniformed clothing of the two men gives a sense of one-ness despite the pre-existing color binaries. Overall, this print advertisement asserts the equality in humanity despite the binaries created thus far.

"Women's Bodies and Beauty Ideals" & "The More You Subtract the More You Add"

Beauty Ideals.

Who shapes beauty ideals, and what exactly is the "real" definition of beauty? These questions were the very first things that came to my mind when I read this article. Of course there are different ways that beauty can be nterpreted. Beauty is defined by one's culture or even by the dominant industries within one's society. We can recognize that mainly, beauty is gendered female. There is an endless amount of magazines and beauty products for women which will supposedly help them "better themselves". Women have made themselves into commodities, always looking for ways to be in the best condition.

Why buy in so easily? I feel like the beauty industry creates standards of beauty that we can never attain. No one will ever have the perfect hair, the perfect eye makeup, the perfect skin, the perfect body type -- no one will ever have "perfectness". Even traits that women supposedly should have can conflict with eachother. I admit, I sometimes get confused about what I'm supposed to act like or look like.

"Girls are put into a terrible double bind. They are supposed to repress their
power, their anger, their exuberance and be simply 'nice,' although they also
eventually must compete with men in the business world and be successful. They
must be overtly sexy and attractive but essentially passive and virginal." (133)

I also think about what the beauty ideals for guys are. They have to be the tall, dark, and handsome stereotype who portrays themselves as very masculine. These ideals have boxed us all in. I think it is already really hard to resist the stereotypes though. There is so much that has been ingrained into my thinking through different channels like television and magazines (which I find recreation in) throughout the years. I think being more aware of these issues and what they mean for us is helpful to shape how we view beauty.

Domestic Violence (Penguin Atlas of Women of the World)

After reading some of the facts about domestic violence in the Penguin Atlas of Women of the World text, it made me wonder why? I know that 'why' is a very powerful question, and the answer isn't always easy to find because there could be an endless amount of possible answers, but I couldn't help pondering the question.

From what we've learned so far, the statistics could be influenced by the gender expectations of the specific culture and area one is in. Like we observed in the movie "Tough Guise", males have to portray a tough exterior to fit into what is expected of them in some cultures. It seems like it makes it okay to be agressive and in control because that is what is expected. Some guys feel like they have to be in control and dominant over another person, most often over women. I wish I knew the thought process of the mind of an abuser to get an understanding of why, and possibly think of ways to combat it.

Another part of me also questions the other aspect of domestic violence. Sometimes we only think of it as women being abused and males abusing them. What happens when it is the opposite, with a woman abusing her husband or male spouse? Or also, if a man abuses his male partner or a woman abusing her female partner. What are the numbers behind those occurences, and what help would they be able to get? When men are abused, it's hard for them to admit to it because of having to portray a tough exterior. Tough men aren't supposed to be abused by a woman. Who helps them?

Beauty (The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World 52-53)

"International beauty contests promote and export white, Western standard of
beauty. Globalization is accelerating the adoption of these standards around the
world." (52)

When I was younger, I used to watch the broadcast of beauty pageants like Miss World and Miss Universe with my mom. I would always end up wishing I looked like a pageant contestant and would find myself putting more effort into the way I looked in the days after watching these contests. Now that I think about it, I wonder why in the world I would go and do that. I bought into the ideas of beauty that I was watching on television! I wanted to be thinner, stand taller, have my hair done, bat the longest lashes I could, and pretty much look like the girls in the pageant. The media, world wide, portrays these kind of traits as desirable and then it becomes the norm when we think about beauty.

Standards exist everywhere. When I watch TFC (The Filipino Channel) with my mom at home, I can't help but notice the way the women are portrayed. All of the dramas on that channel show women who have long , shiny, straight hair, very fair skin and are thin. Many of the older women in my family tune into this channel and I've noticed how they view lighter skin and straight hair as more beautiful. I naturally have a darker skin tone and wavy hair but I find myself staying out of the sun when I can and straightening my hair so that they can view me as beautiful too. Then, it confuses me when people admire me for being tan and having wavier hair. Maybe it's just me, but I just can't help feeling like I can never keep up with these things.

Love Feminism but Where's my Hip-Hop?

Let's face it, hip-hop culture is continually expanding and continues gaining popularity. Take a look at your own social circles. How many people you know are fans of the music, clothing, or swagger of hip-hop? Hip-hop is becoming a way of life -- slang keeps evolving and has become its own language; hip-hop inspired clothing and style has become a way for people to express themselves.

Like other cultures, the hip-hop culture is very male dominated. From producers to the artists themselves, men seem to be in charge. These male artists continue making music dealing with sex, drugs, money, and fame. I lose track of how many songs degrade women and support a patriarchal and materialistic society. Terms like "ho" have been used so freely in mainstream hip-hop that it has been desensitized (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUq1hWELKd0). I've noticed a lot of younger kids using these terms, oblivious to the significance of it. It bothers me to think of what other offensive terms will be desensitized next.

Also, in a lot of the hip-hop music videos, women make appearances, but not in a way that empowers them. Women in these videos are merely objects who serve a purpose to be eye candy for the male audience. Female bodies are put in the backgrounds to shake and wear almost nothing. Younger females see these images that they feel that guys are in to and these girls buy into it. Some attempt to imitate it, and it becomes popular to do so. It amazes me how hip-hop easily influences.

In the article, it is mentioned how femists have been able to take a stand in their music. Salt n Pepa, for example, have empowered themselves with their song lyrics. The way in which some of these female artists empower themselves, though, is through their sex appeal. I mean, it is good that they are finding empowerment, but to have to resort to using sex appeal to do so seems to take away from what they are trying to do. Sometimes, What is it with this obsession over sex, drugs, money, and fame? What about the other things in life. I feel like I've grown a deeper appreciation for the artists who are breaking boundaries. I like the artists who are talking about other topics and the female artists empowering themselves.


Can't Hold Us Down -- Christina Aguilera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0bjiyvWqb4

Inequality in the United States (IVUS 51-69)

Class, race and gender. Some things we can't choose, others we can move around in. Our race, class, and gender are things we are born into, but with class, we have mobility in. I understand these things can determine some of the opportunities and impact our relationship with violence. When I read this chapter in Inequality & Violence in the United States: Casualities of Capitalism, I questioned where I fit in on some of the things mentioned and where the rest of the community I am surronded by fit in. On page 53, there is a table that shows the class composition. According to this table, I am at the bottom, falling into the underclass while my family fits into the working category. I feel ike compared to the community of WSU, my family comes up a little short. I also tried fitting myself into the other tables that deal with median incomes by race/ethnicity. The only ethnicities/races that were included were white, black, and Hispanic. I couldn't find where I would fit in.

I don't think I really like these tables.

Categorizing people allows a lot of hierarchy and people to feel inferior. I think it gives a way for people to have power and more privilege which can cause conflict between the categories. I think that the tables also leave some people out, more specifically the tables that categorized based on race/ethnicity. So where do I fit?

How the World Sees America & How America Sees the World (SAE 98-99)

Are we, as Americans, really that self-centered? That was the first question that popped up in my mind as I was reading the articles from the State of the American Empire book.

"Americans are so convinced of the superiority of their own system they have
difficulty appreciating the virtues of others." (Burman 98)

Just the other day, as I was eating dinner at the dining center near my dorm, I witnessed firsthand the arrogance of those who think we are the center of the world. It shocked me as I sat and listened to the ongoing conversation. One of the males kept insisting that America is way better than the country that the student was from. I just couldn't help feeling disgust toward how this person was imposing their ideas on this person. I guess that this person was falling into what Burman explained -- "The danger arises when this self-admiration extends to a desire to impose the American social model on to other cultures." (98)

Although some people may be that way, the way Burman writes makes me feel like he is bashing the United States of America. He uses pretty harsh words in my opinion when he describes and makes comparisons of the United States of America.

"At its worst, Americans see alternative cultures as embodiments of evil, and
combating them as a duty to civilize a world corrupted by false gods. As a
result, the USA often lacks the respect and restraint necessary when dealing
with sovereign states, and instead a mirror image of radical, proselytizing
Islam." (Burman 99)

I feel that he makes the United States of America seem obsessed with making everyone Christian and that those who don't conform to how we do things are seen as "evil". I don't think America is that bad. I mean, there are flaws to every society, so I'm just wondering if this author publishes bias in this text. Is it just me or is there a lot of negativity in this text?

"Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us" (WL 28-37)

I've never come across the word "patriarchy" before so I found this article in Women's Lives quite interesting. The terms male, control, and power seemed to be repeated throughout the whole article, which I found interesting. Patriarchy seems to be an institution that sets expectations for everyone -- male and female. Men are the ones who were created in the image of God and dominate culture while women are not as superior and stay home to do the housework. We don't have to follow these expectations, but we do anyway. I never knew it before, but we live in a patriarchal culture that creates inequalities between men and women. The standards placed upon us has put us all in thought a thought process that keeps us in the box. Now that I've learned about patriarchy, I can, like the article says, decide if I want to participate in it or not. I sometimes wonder why some people choose to participate. I guess they may be scared into it because patriarchy has been the way things are for so long, but I think change could be good for everyone. I guess we never know until we try.

"The Social Construction of Gender" (WL 24-27)

In the article "The Social Construction of Gender" (WL 24-47), Lorber presents to us the notion that gender is so intertwined in everything we do that we sometimes don't even catch ourselves in the act of "gendering". Gendering is deeply-rooted into our lives, not through genes, but through social interaction. Yes, I admit that I participate in gendering, whether I'm aware of it at the time or not. The occasional baby shower shopping or even birthday gift shopping are just a few of the examples of my personal experiences with gendering. Usually, I'd be on the look out for items that have certain gender qualities to it (like blue for boys, pink for girls).

I kind of can't help that I'm so prone to gendering. I think it's become sort of automatic for most people. It's what we've been taught and what we've grown up with. I know many have had the experience of being told that they are not acting like their gender. For me, my mom would often tell me "That's unladylike, stop it" when I was doing something she perceived as "tomboyish". In the Lorber piece, she refers to gender as a "social instution". This social institution is quite oppressive in itself. Lorber writes:

"In social interaction throughout their lives, individuals learn what is expected, see what is expected, act and react in expected ways, and thus simultaneously construct and maintain the gender order." (pg. 25)

What is the keyword throughout this particular idea? Expected. Expectations can somewhat be overbearing. As a woman, some classic expectations include acting feminine, dressing in feminine ways, and being submissive counterparts to men. I can feel the expectations bearing down on me. There's pressure coming not only from society, but there's pressure coming from myself too. Not being able to keep to the expectations somewhat makes me feel awkward at times, like I'm doing something wrong. After reading that particular quote from Lorber's piece, I thought this poem I read in English class:

Barbie Doll
by Marge Piercy

This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.

The poem reminds me of some of the ideas that Lorber presents in "The Social Construction of Gender". The poem's beginnings show how the little girl is taught gender. She is presented with all these effeminate things like stoves and irons at a young age. Additionally, she's advised to act in certain ways (coy, hearty). Socially, her interactions mold her into the young woman she is, feminine in her ways, but the poem kind of brings out the question-- is it all too much? She's become, as the title of the poem states, like a barbie doll, and eventually the poem ends in a sort of grave way. Yes, gender roles are changing, but does this social construction of gender still exert too much expectation?

'We the People' preamble, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights Reading Response

Susan B. Anthony once said:

"It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less."

The Declaration of Independence & the Bill of Rights, some of the most celebrated documents in America, were written by a group of white, Christian, heterosexual males. Whenever the words Men and people are used in the text, it always refers to males (white, Christian, land-owning, heterosexual). Women, children, and slaves, were not considered as equals when these documents were being created. It wasn't until these subordinate groups protested to gain the same rights as these dominant males that these texts were considered to refer to them as well in terms of "equality". Of course, full equality, the kind people can only dream of, does not exactly exist yet, but it certainly has made progress. I think it hasn't always crossed my mind before, because I've always assumed that when the documents like the Declaration of Independence mention, equal, men, and people, it covers men and women alike. I guess its important to realize these facts because these founding documents were so one-sided and the struggles to change that is a part of our history and contributes to our social location and identiy (which we read about in other chapters).