Poli 328 Blog 3

This week's readings were not quite my cup of tea since economics might as well be a foreign language. However, the Seager textbook is just so reader-friendly that it was able to get my rusty economic wheels turning. What strikes me most about this all of this week's readings is how much I can relate to them.
I'll admit it, I'm very high maintenance. If I didn't have a wide array of products to chose from I would be a very grumpy girl. If I had lived in Bulgaria during the Communist era I would have done exactly what the women in that article did. Perhaps we were looking at the article in the wrong way. Rather than conforming to a Western view of a consumerist woman, the Bulgarians were rejecting the oppressive Communist mold while expressing their individuality. Instead of all smelling the same, the women would rather have their own distinct smell. How can we condemn them for that?
Just because a woman buys make-up and shampoo and feels pretty when she buys shoes doesn't mean that she is a weak-minded consumer. Personally I don't see anything wrong with retail therapy. Men do it too. Anytime my dad has a few bad days he buys himself a nice new golf shirt. After his first heart attack he splurged and bought an entire new golf bag. The problem I have is with the advertisements. Preying on the low self-esteem, the tendency toward jealousy or the desire to be like everyone else is a truly awful tactic to rely on. Advertising agencies prey on the weakest parts of us and that is why it makes women seem so "weak" for wanting to buy things. Highlighting the "weak" moments women have while ignoring the exact same moments that men have is why I have an issue with commercials and ads in magazines. Just because I like to smell like coconut and buy new shoes does not mean that my tough older brother is stronger than me.
On the other hand, the Seager readings dealt with employment and wages. I am lucky enough to have a job that pays depending on your position. For the longest time, there were no women working in the kitchen. Instead, it was like there was an imaginary line drawn between the kitchen and the restaurant and only men were allowed on the other side of the line. Sure we "waitresses" could cross the line, but only for a little while. But then about a month ago something extraordinary happened. The kitchen manager hired two girls to work in as cooks. The entire year that I've worked there, all he and the other cooks have said is that "girls aren't tough enough to work in the kitchen". Yet now we have two women working in the kitchen and not only are they two of the most efficient workers in the kitchen, their presence has motivated the guys to show off. The best part is, those women are being paid the same wage as the guys that hold the same job. And one of those women is about to be promoted instead of one of those guys.
Unfortunately, my workplace is the exception and that is a sad reality. Not all women are paid the same as their male counterparts and few women are promoted instead of men. Maybe the glass ceiling doesn't exist at my current workplace but it certainly exists elsewhere.

Poli 328 Blog 2

This week in Poli 328 we discussed several subjects. The most interesting was the Sullivan article about trafficking in human beings. It seems silly to think that people only associate trafficking with sex trafficking, though it is understandable. The image of a young woman forced into prostitution has a much stronger impact than that of a human being of any age forced into some other form of labour. However, as the article notes, trafficking with the intent to prostitute is a minority of the cases. This leads to troubling questions about the silence surrounding the other forms of trafficking. This article reminded me of a great movie I watched last summer. It was called "Human Trafficking", starring Donald Sutherland. It was a movie following three different trafficking victims: one was tricked by her new boyfriend, one was tricked by a fake modelling agent and the third was a little girl kidnapped while on vacation in Asia with her family. It was an eye-opening movie for me and it horrified my mother. As much as I enjoyed the movie, I found two problems with the situation. First of all, it did not address the victims who are trafficked for other reasons. Although they are not being physically violated the way sex trafficking victims are, does not mean that they are not suffering. They deserve just as much attention as the sex trafficking victims. Secondly, the movie pointed out that, even if they are lucky enough to be rescued, trafficking victims are often treated as criminals. They can be treated as illegal immigrants and sent back to their home country to be indicted. They can also be arrested for prostitution. Not only does this perpetuate their suffering but this also makes victims very hesitant to approach law enforcement. Of course, this was a Hollywood movie so it is not entirely trustworthy, but at least it was much more realistic than most movies about the subject.
This week we also watched the Ross Kemp movie about human trafficking. In this, he made a common mistake in talking to those women. He made it sound as though they were too trusting or that they made a mistake or did something wrong. In the Donald Sutherland movie that I watched, the victims are presented in a similar way. However, both of these movies are perpetuated the misconception that these women are tricked or duped or make a mistake. But what about the women who are simply looking for a better life? What about the women who immigrate to another country with the intention of joining the sex trade? Many studies leave out the majority of the victims, and yet no one seems to notice this massive gap in the literature. It is a disturbing thought to say the least.