Amelie
Figure 1
Blog Entry 1
Creative Self-Portrait & Interests
Hey! My name is Amelie. I'm a curious 18 year old, who cares a lot and can sometimes be stubborn. I am completely scatterbrained, but my long term memory is surprisingly good. I really love art. Obviously, I'm studying languages and my goal in learning them is to travel and get to connect with other people from other cultures. I really like to cook and to read and I love a good pun or fun fact. Honestly, I am not very creative, but I really appreciate the arts nonetheless (be it poetry, museums, or any other creative forms of expression).
Figure 2
Last edited on 28/01/22
Topic Idea(s)
Topic 1: The reclamation of language and certain words.
I will probably look at it through a feminist perspective and I have an interest in potentially exploring certain swear words. Overall, I want to look at the history of certain words, the power they held/hold and the evolution of meaning. The topic will focus on the power of language (critical discourse), to a certain degree.
Topic 2: Critical discourse and its effect on feminism
Figure 3
Last edited on 11/02/22
Blog Entry 2
Topic: How language affects feminism and the various women that it affects
Reaction to Feedback
The original topic presented to the group was much more vague than what was originally written. The group suggested that I refine my topic as I do research and find sources. The general idea of my topic also overlapped with Alix's and we discussed possible sources. Overall, the discussion helped me find a perspective I wanted to explore (feminism), as well as encouraging me to specify the topic more after I do more research and gather sources.
Figure 4
Last edited on 04/02/22
Annotated Bibliography
Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy, and Gina Mercer. “A Dialogue between Partnership and Feminism: Deconstructing Power and Exclusion in Higher Education.” Teaching in Higher Education, vol. 23, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 137–43. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=eric&AN=EJ1164060&site=eds-live&scope=site.
In the article, Mercer-Mapstone and Mercer explore the mission and goals of Student as partners (SaP) through a feminist perspective. SaP, is a movement that aims to change the traditional student teacher hierarchy into a partnership where both parties act as teacher and student. The authors claim that both SaP and feminism are working towards things such as change and empowerment through very similar means.
This source has been peer reviewed, can be found in the Teaching and Higher Education journal and it was published in 2017 making it a relatively recent and up to date entry. The authors briefly explore the topic of language and critical discourse and conclude that it can be applied to both the SaP context as well as a feminist one. Mercer-Mapstone and Mercer agree that language can have a significant influence in who holds power and how it is used. As such, the portion of the article I will be using for my topic elaborates on the power of language and how it can be used to either include or exclude. This will help support my claim that language greatly influences power and how feminism is trying to bring equity to the longstanding power imbalance among the various genders.
Last edited on 11/02/22
Blog Entry 3
Thoughts & Ideas
My original thoughts were to argue something in relation to critical discourse and women in general. However, after doing some research that proved to be too broad a topic. As such, I am going to attempt to still keep the general idea of critical discourse and feminism, but link it to more specific aspects like race and religion.
Figure 5
Last edited on 11/02/22
Annotated Bibliography
Hasanah, Savira Uswatun. “Representation of Muslim Women in Online News: Study of Critical Discourse Analysis.” Nobel: Journal of Literature and Language Teaching, vol. 12, no. 2, Sept. 2021, pp. 214–27. EBSCOhost, doi.org/10.15642/NOBEL.2021.12.2.214-227.
Hasanah uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Corpus Linguistics (CL) to analyze the portrayal of Muslim women in the media. Using CL-CDA, the author collected the top 25 words associated with Muslim women in the media, analyzed those words and then divided them into five categories. Hasanah claims that although Muslim women face a lot of prejudice and discrimination in the media, society’s perception of these women has improved over recent years.
This source has been peer reviewed, it can be found in the Journal of Literature and Language Teaching and it was published in September 2021, making it a recent and relevant study. The intended audience seems to be people with a prior knowledge of both CL and CDA seeing as Hasanah bases the bulk of her research on those two things. This source will be useful in justifying my claim that discourse impacts the views of women and how minority groups are often negatively portrayed. While I agree with Hasanah’s conclusion that the media portrayal of Muslim women has gotten better in recent years, I do not fully agree that “[m]any problems like injustice, suicide attacks, lack of tolerance exist in society in the name of religion” (Hasanah 218).
Last edited on 11/02/22
Blog Entry 4
Thoughts & Ideas
Currently, I know the direction I want to go in but I am having trouble specifying and organizing my ideas into something concrete and structured. Furthermore, I don't exactly know where to find sources that contradict my argument or disagree with it in some way. I want to talk about different types of feminism and different aspects of it and I strongly believe that CDA impacts women and the different types of feminism. That impact is not always positive and while there are movements to change that narrative, it is still a topic that needs to be talked about.
Figure 6
Last edited on 18/02/22
Annotated Bibliography
Mabhala, Mzwandile A., et al. “Mind Your Language: Discursive Practices Produce Unequal Power and Control Over Infectious Disease: A Critical Discourse Analysis.” International Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 11, no. 3, Mar. 2020, pp. 1–9. EBSCOhost, dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_431_17.
This source explores the effects of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), on the treatment and spread of infectious diseases. Mabhala et al. explain that there is a drastic difference in southern versus northern countries in terms of types of diseases, how they spread and how they are treated. The authors claim language is used to create a “hero-victim” narrative between northern and southern countries and that this narrative is detrimental to the treatment of various infectious diseases.
This source is peer reviewed, it was published in 2020 and can be found in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine. The article clearly cites their sources and uses relevant information from reliable sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and Foucault. The intended audience seems to be people in the medical field seeing as the focus of the article is about disease prevention and control, however, anyone with a background in CDA could find this article interesting and useful. Although I find the authors exaggerate the “hero-victim” narrative aspect of their research, I do agree that the language used around diseases and the southern and northern countries has led to an imbalance of power which in turn led to some less effective relief attempts. Despite the difference in topics between the authors’ claims and my subject, this article will serve to introduce readers to what CDA is and how it can impact different parts of society and the world.
Last edited on 18/02/22
Blog Entry 5
Tentative Thesis Statement & Topic Sentence
Thesis Statement: Language plays a significant role in the power imbalance women face and for positive change to occur, language must also adapt.
Topic Sentence 1: Language is often used against women and feminism.
Topic Sentence 2: The language used creates an imbalance of power.
Topic Sentence 3: Change in language is possible and will have positive effects.
Figure 7
Last edited on 25/02/22
Tentative Thesis Statement & Topic Sentence (Revised) & Reaction to Peer Review
Thesis Statement: Language is often used against women and the notion of feminism; it plays a significant role in the power imbalance women face and for positive change to occur, language must also adapt
Topic Sentence 1: Language is often used against women and feminism.
Topic Sentence 2: The language used creates an imbalance of power.
Topic Sentence 3: Change in language is possible and will have positive effects.
Reaction to Peer Review: I completed my thesis statement with additional information that tells the reader what specific aspects my essay will be addressing in relation to my claim.
Figure 8
Last edited on 25/02/22
Annotated Bibliography
Limerick, Philip. P. "Anti-racist Text and Talk: A Critical Discourse Studies Approach to Black Feminism". Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, vol. 3, no. 2, Aug. 2021, pp. 79-86, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.31849/reila.v3i2.6797.
This source aims to examine the language surrounding Black Feminism and anti-racism. Its author's goal is to highlight how women, in this case specifically Black women, are often excluded from the anti-racism discourse.
The article has been peer reviewed and can be found in a scholarly journal. Additionally, there is a full list of references and the author is associated with Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, USA. The article was published in 2021 and focuses on incredible relevant topics in modern society. The article seems to be intended for anyone studying race and power as well as Critical Discourse Studies (CDS).
This source will be incredibly useful in proving that how the imbalance of power affects different races as well as giving an example of a different type of feminism. The author is completely right in stating that Black women are often excluded from the conversation and that is something I would like to reiterate and prove in my work.
Compared to my other sources, this one makes a much more clear link to race and elaborates more than previously cited articles such as “Representation of Muslim Women in Online News: Study of Critical Discourse Analysis”.
Last edited on 11/03/22
Tentative Title
Breaking The Glass Ceiling: How the Language Around Feminism and Women Perpetuates Negativity
Figure 9
Last edited on 04/03/22
Blog Entry 6
Annotated Bibliography
Christiansen, Alex Phillip Lyng and Ole Izard Høyer. "Women against feminism: Exploring discursive measures and implications of anti-feminist discourse." Globe: A Journal of Language, Culture and Communication, vol. 2, Oct. 2015, pp. 70-90, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.5278/ojs.globe.v2i0.1049.
Christiansen and Høyer analyze the language used by the tumblr group Women Against Feminism through Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). They aim to explore how feminist language is reviewed by women and the issues that feminism faces in society.
This source can be found in the academic journal Globe: A Journal of Language, Culture and Communication and it has been peer reviewed. It was published in 2015 making it recent and it has a completed list of references for further research. Furthermore, both authors are associated with Aalborg University.
The intended target seems to be people with a prior knowledge of Fairclough’s CDA aas well as an interest in feminism. The article will be useful to demonstrate the power that language has over people and specifically how impacts feminism and how people percieve it. This source is much more obviously related to CDA than my other sources and does acknowledge another point of view apart from the pro-feminist stance.
Glenn, Cheryl. “The language of rhetorical feminism, anchored in hope.” Open Linguistics, vol. 6, no. 1, Jul. 2020, pp. 334-343, https://doi.org/10.1515/opli-2020-0023.
Glenn’s article discusses the idea of rhetoric and how it is used in modern day society. The article explores the feminist rhetoric, explains it nuances and highlights the possible benefits it would provide. Glenn aims to make speakers, of all genders, more aware of the language they use and to combat the prejudice language often associated with the idea of feminism.
Cheryl Glenn is a University Distinguished Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Penn State University and her article was published in Open Linguistics. It is peer reviewed, recent and has a completed reference list. The intended audience is anyone with a background in rhetoric or Women’s Studies, seeing as that is the essence of the paper and is evident in the vocabulary and sources.
While I found the writing of the article a little biased, Glenn provides evidence for her claims and makes valid arguments I agree with. The source will be useful to highlight the discrepancy between genders through language as well as explaining the positive outcomes that arise from language becoming more inclusive.
Last edited on 10/03/22
Reflection on Writing
Overall, I think my writing is decent. The grammar and spelling is always thorough and I try to make it as coherent as possible. I should probably use more formal language for certain entries, but my writing is never blatantly unprofessional. I could also work on expanding my vocabulary and limiting my repetitions. In short, my writing is standard and passable, but it could use work before publishing.
Figure 10
Last edited on 10/03/22
Blog Entry 7
Thoughts & Ideas
I am still looking for sources that counter my view on the topic and I am also struggling to find relatively credible popular sources. Furthermore, I would like to find some other / complementary sources that are of a different media. I think some charts, images, videos or even songs would be a great way to refresh my page and provide different ways for people to understand my subject. I also have an idea about interviewing women about their experience with feminism and womanhood and then potentially putting quotes / testimonials on my page. I think I would use them to break up the page a bit more and provide a personal touch to my project.
Figure 11
Last edited on 25/03/22
Annotated Bibliography
Asare, Janice Gassam. “Misogynoir: The Unique Discrimination That Black Women Face.” Forbes, 22 Sept. 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/09/22/misogynoir-the-unique-discrimination-that-black-women-face/?sh=4081de4656ef.
This article explains what misogynoir is and how it relates to intersectionality. This source explains how to fight misogynoir and what it looks like in our present day society. The author explains that misogynoir is an important issue that not many people know about.
Although this is a popular source, it was published by a well known news source. The author is credited and all necessary information to cite is given. The author cites her information directly in the text and adds links to external information relating to the topic. In short, it is a credible popular source that is relevant to my topic.
Misogynoir is an incredibly important term to know and understand when looking at feminism and I want to explain it in my paper and use it to highlight different experiences that women have in the realm of feminism and being a women. It is a good article to use to demonstrate different aspects and types of feminism as well as broach the subject of intersectionality.
Young, Cathy. “Stop Fem-Splaining: What 'Women Against Feminism' Gets Right.” Time, 24 Jul. 2014, https://time.com/3028827/women-against-feminism-gets-it-right/.
This article is about Women Against Feminism movement and the arguments made against the feminist movement. They argue that feminism is not as inclusive as it advertises and that it does not really fight for equality among genders. The author claims that the members of this movement make some very valid arguments as to why society does not need feminism.
This is a popular source, however it is from a reputable and well known magazine and has important information such as author’s name and the date of publishing. The author seems to be writing for the general public seeing as everything is explained in simple terms and the vocabulary is not complicated or overly specific to the topic.
I disagree with the author’s thesis and plan to use it as a point of opposition to my point of view. I will use my other sources to prove my thesis and why this source is less accurate. Furthermore, this article is far more biased than the previous sources I have cited and there is less concrete data.
Last edited on 07/04/22
Blog Entry 8
Thoughts & Ideas
After a discussion in class about introductions and conclusions, I realized I will need to incorporate a definition into my introduction. This will give readers context about my subject and inform them of the parameters within which I write my essay.
I will need to define feminism seeing as there are multiple definitions and not all are applicable to my essay. I want to use bell hooks' definition: "a movement that fights to end sexist oppression and exploitation without neglecting other forms of oppression such as racism, classism, imperialism and others" (Biana).
I will also probably use Kimberlé Crenshaw's definition of intersectionality, because you cannot talk about the different aspects of feminism without addressing intersectionality and how it affects women of all different races, religions, ages, etc.
Definition: "It’s basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other. We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status. What’s often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts" (Steinmetz).
Lastly, I will need to define Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) somewhere in the paper and I will use the following definition: "critical discourse analysis (CDA) studies the way power relations in a society are reproduced, reinforced, or challenged through the varieties of discourse (such as speech, text, or graphics) employed in that society. In particular, CDA focuses on exposing the way power inequalities are maintained through established forms of discourse" (Groff).
Work Cited
Biana, Hazel T. “Extending bell hooks' Feminist Theory”. Journal of International Women’s Studies, vol. 21, no. 1, Feb. 2020, pp. 13-29, https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol21/iss1/3.
Groff, Adam. “Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2020, EBSCOhost, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2070/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=ers&AN=90558276&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Steinmetz, Katy. “She Coined the Term ‘Intersectionality’ Over 30 Years Ago. Here’s What It Means to Her Today.” TIME, 20 Feb. 2020, https://time.com/5786710/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectionality/#:~:text=Intersectionality%20is%20simply%20about%20how,people's%20lives%2C%20it's%20under%20attack.
Figure 12
Last edited on 07/04/22
Annotated Bibliography
Kaushik, Nikila. “Misogyny and the Limits of Language.” Women’s Policy Journal of Harvard, vol. 12, Mar. 2018, pp. 56–59. EBSCOhost, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2070/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=a9h&AN=136572192&site=eds-live&scope=site.
This article analyzes a speech made by Australia’s former prime minister Julia Gillard in 2012, where she called out Tony Abbott, the leader of the opposition for being a misogynist. The article uses this event as a basis to explore how language is used to limit and exclude women in different areas of society, for example politics. Kaushika argues that language must be used to more accurately describe the factors that keep women confined to specific roles and expectations in society.
This source has been peer reviewed and can be found in the Women’s Policy Journal of Harvard. Kaushika’s credentials as an Australian lawyer and student at Yale Law School are provided as well as all the other necessary information for a citation. The paper is well written and all the sources used are given at the end of the article.
My point of view aligns with the author’s and I would like to use her article to provide a specific example of how misogynistic language is used and how it is used to confine women to predetermined stereotypes and roles in society.
Mubarokah, Nida Farhani, et al. “The Concept of Feminism in Islamic Education.” Nazhruna, vol. 4, no. 3, Nov. 2021, pp. 646-662, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.31538/nzh.v4i3.1634.
This article explores concept of Islamic Feminism by comparing it to Western Feminism as well as looking at it through the lens of religion and the Quran. The author claims that there is equality among genders in Islam despite that equality not conforming to the equality expected from Western Feminism.
This source is peer reviewed and meets many of the criteria to be considered a credible source. It lists the authors, journal, date of publishing and it cites all other sources used to write this paper. It was published recently and the topic is still relevant in today’s society.
This article explains a different type of feminism extremely well and the authors make and support some very valid points throughout their paper. I will use their arguments to demonstrate positive language related to women as well as give an example of how feminism varies from person to person, culture to culture and religion to religion.
Last edited on 07/04/22
Blog Entry 9
Potential Hook: "Mankind", "Chairman", and "Businessman", these are just a few examples of language that excludes other genders and perpetuates a harmful patriarchy.
Thoughts & Ideas
I'm not very happy with my potential first sentence and I think it is something I should revisit when I am further along in my essay. Right now the hook does not encompass the important parts of what my essay will be about and I don't think I will be able to right a good first sentence until I have a better grasp of my essay and what I really want to say.
Figure 13
Last edited on 08/04/22
Annotated Bibliography
Greitemeyer, Tobias, et al. “Changing the Track in Music and Misogyny: Listening to Music with pro-Equality Lyrics Improves Attitudes and Behavior toward Women.” Psychology of Popular Media Culture, vol. 4, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 56–67. EBSCOhost, https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.1037/a0030689.
This article explores the correlation between pro-equality lyrics in music and the positive perception of women. The authors found that peoples’ regard for women improved after listening to lyrics that had a pro-equality message versus lyrics that were deemed neutral. Thus, the authors claim that pro-equality lyrics do in fact positively impact the perception of women.
This source is peer reviewed and was published as recently as 2015. All the authors are credited and their various associations to different universities are all listed. All the information needed to cite the article is provided and a full list of references can be found at the end of the paper. These culmination of the components make this a very credible article for my paper.
I will use this source to demonstrate that change in perception through language is possible and effective. I will also be comparing this article to another one about ‘Rap’ and how derogatory language perpetuates a negative view of women.
Weitzer, Ronald and Charis E. Kurbin. “Misogyny in Rap: A Content Analysis of Prevalence and Meanings.” SAGE Publications, vol. 12, no. 1, Oct. 2009, pp. 3-29, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1097184X08327696.
This source analyzes how women are portrayed in the ‘Rap’ genre and relates it to cultural and music industry norms. The researchers also briefly look at the portrayal of women in ‘Pop’ music as well as the ‘Country’ genre. The authors found that misogyny was present in the ‘Rap’ genre and they concluded that for effective change to occur, the conditions in which ‘Rap’ music is created must adapt.
This article is published by SAGE Publications and has all the relevant information to cite the source, such as volume and issue number and date of publication. Both authors are listed as well as their associations to George Washington University and there is a complete list of sources at the end of the article.
This source further proves my point that language is used in multiple different aspects of society to degrade women. I want to pair and compare this article to another one I will use that found that music with pro-equality lyrics promoted positive behaviours towards and about women.
Last edited on 17/04/22
Blog Entry 10
Reaction to Peer Review
I am using the feedback when I review my work and make changes; I am trying to edited it to make it more concise and clear. Based on the peer review, I need to focus and improve my body paragraphs the most but I should also review the wording of my claim. Overall, this feedback was helpful and gave guidance on areas that need improvement and that I was a little unsure of.
Figure 14
Last edited on 27/04/22
Final Essay
Video
Effects of Language on Feminism and Women.mp4Image Sources
Figure 1: Party, Nicolas. Purple Peaches. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 2: Party, Nicolas. Landscape. 2015, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 3: Party, Nicolas. Sunrise. 2018, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 4: Party, Nicolas. Still Life. 2014, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 5: Party, Nicolas. Trees. 2014, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 6: Party, Nicolas. Cave. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 7: Druker, Amelie. Archway between two rooms at the Nicolas Party Exhibit at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. 2 March 2022. JPG.
Figure 8: Druker, Amelie. Archway between two rooms at the Nicolas Party Exhibit at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. 2 March 2022. JPG.
Figure 9: Party, Nicolas. Portrait with Lawyer. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 10: Party, Nicolas. Landscape. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 11: Party, Nicolas. Cave. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 12: Party, Nicolas. Sunset. 2021, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 13: Party, Nicolas. Sunrise. 2018, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.
Figure 14: Party, Nicolas. Portrait with Mushrooms. 2019, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal.