Unit II Reading

     Reading these five articles, I noticed the dates on some were not very current.  We've come a long way in just the past two decades.  As a fifty year old women, I have seen these changes unfold within my lifetime.  I would even say that today's younger woman would not have experienced the discrimination that women of my age and older have faced.  That said, here is what I gathered from the readings.
     The first article by Casalanti, "Age Matters Realigning Feminist Thinking,"  discussed "...the system of inequality, based on age, that privileges the not-old at the expense of the old." (pg. 1)  It states that feminist scholars give little attention to old age and women.  Agreeing with Sontag's notion of the double standard of aging that says women are judged by their appearance.  This article says that "successful ageing means not aging, not being "old," or at the very least, not looking old." (pg.2)  The latest reference from this article is dated 2004.  I would like to believe that much has changed in the past decade with regard to women's awareness and studies into later life issues.  We have many elderly entering the social security system.  AARP, the senior citizen's organization, has done well for its members in congress and continues to lobby hard on their behalf.  As more enter this organization, their rights are greater protected.
     The second reading by Margaret Cruikshank, "Learning to be Old; Gender, Culture, and Aging" resonated more with me.  "Learning to be old means knowing that the way you age depends on where you live" (pg 8) was on point.  As Americans we have learned that as we get older we are devalued.  Being self-reliant, or as the book noted, "rugged individualism" is a very real part of our culture.  I would say that as a group of hard working immigrants, most all of our ancestors have made the trip here and learned to work hard to succeed.  We were required to do this alone, with only family for our support.  Many elderly now facing what painter and writer Mary Meigs faced, with insensitive treatment by caregivers, still gives me great fright.  I watched as my very strong, independent grandmother, a hardworking Italian immigrant, was placed in one of these homes since the state deemed her dementia in need of constant care.  It became a place where she lost her dignity, being strapped down because she refused to be placed in diapers and demanded to use the bathroom.  Ultimately, drugged and placed in a corner until death took her.  Ms. Meigs stated, "The old person becomes a person who can be disciplined.  Lessons you must learn to have the dignity of someone who can't be disciplined." (Beyond Recall, 104)  The Eden Alternative nursing home model would be a good start if we saw it implemented on a nationwide scale.  This reading was dated in the late 90s and early 20s, well before Obama care and the future our elderly now face with death panels.
     "The Aging Women in Popular Film: Underrepresented, Unattractive, Unfriendly and Unintelligent" was written in 1997.  Also, Prochuk's, "Hell is Older People" review on horror movies and old women depicts them as witches; ghoulish and decaying.  I would say again that while some of these stereotypes will always exist, they are not exclusive to elderly, nor elder women in general.  Every group has Hollywood to blame for refusing to shatter these images.  Whether it is the dumb blond, the cranky old man, the decaying elderly woman, the illiterate muscle man, etc.  Today, we have more choices on what we desire to watch, thus telling Hollywood we no longer want to be entertained by these negative images.  Good examples are BET, Black Entertainment Television that successfully changed the image of minorities. Placing them in roles as doctors, lawyers and good wholesome families.  As for the older groups, I myself enjoy The Lifetime Channel.  Betty White is an awesome actress that made her earlier success as the dumb blond, even in the later role on The Golden Girls.  She is beautiful, witty, and sexy and currently kicking butt in her new roles on cable television.  Not bad for a woman in her nineties!
     Finally, "The Intersection of Age and Gender" by Krekula discusses studies conducted in Sweden.  This study is more recent, 2007, but in a country well known to be gender forward.  They were probably the first to socially consider women equal.  Yet, the findings were that women were considered "others" compared to men.  By doing so, we therefore become invisible.  I felt the findings were subjective and could have been twisted to become what was needed.  In no way did I consider these studies close to the trends American women have had to face.   In a nation where we supposedly have the greatest freedoms, you can see that just viewing the female body here is deemed offensive.  Where Muslim countries have had female presidents/leaders, we lag way behind on equality.  It is time to do more in depth studies, in our current times to see where we have been, where we are now and what we need to do again to move forward.
     Personally, I feel this country is stagnant as to the progressive movement of women. As more immigrants from oppressive countries enter ours, democracy demands majority rule.  These women have lived under the umbrella of submission for so long that having little freedom seems wrong.  As a result, we have started to move in the wrong direction, losing footing on our ability to attain equal status.  Small strides are finally being made, only after many set backs. It almost feels like a revolution like the one in the sixties needs to happen again to make demands for equality.   I hope someday that my daughters live in a country where they earn the same pay as their male counterparts, have better access to medicine geared towards their well being, are given the ability to do what they want with their bodies without justification, have a strong female leader and role model to move them forward to equality and live without fear of losing their identity.
    

"A little ticked off"

*Not sure if either statement is true, but I agree with the comments (minus the labels)

  

Alan Simpson, the Senator from Wyoming calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security " to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.

 

Here's a response in a letter from PATTY MYERS in Montana... I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is! Both political parties have raped our Social Security!

 

"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight!!!!!

 

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole (tit) for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and "your ilk" pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age, 67. NOW, you and your "shill commission" are proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now "you morons" propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because "you idiots" mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal our money from Medicare to pay the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you "incompetent bastards" spent our money so profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" to your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU:

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcase thieves who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers.

And for what? Votes and your job and retirement security at our expense, you lunk-headed, leech.

That's right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted
America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic, political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

P.S. And stop calling Social Security benefits
"entitlements". WHAT AN INSULT!!!!

I have been paying in to the SS system for 45 years “It's my money”- give it back to me the way the system was designed and stop patting yourself on the back like you are being generous by doling out these monthly checks!

Introduction/Ageism readings

                In the article, "America's Aging Population" I noted the age span used to defined baby boomers.  It always amazes me how the age span is different depending on which article you're reading.  Having been born in 1962, I hardly considered myself a baby boomer.  I immediately noted that this article included my age group which offended me.  I've always considered my parents to be baby boomers, and my generation the one that will support them while generation X comes up with a better plan for their retirement. 

                The article did bring up many points about how other cultures take care of their elderly.  In addition to many statistics about life expectancy between the genders, races, and even social standings, the information contained interesting facts about cultures and roles of women within those areas.  I was not very surprised by the numbers, or the closing gap between men and women.  It gave good information about living healthier lifestyles and how that contributes to living longer.

                In the text, "Is There A Double Standard Of Aging?:  Older Men And Women And Ageism" by Chetna Narayan, it discussed the term "ageism."  I never put a lot of thought into the need for a word for growing older, but the definition developed by Butler made sense for its time, specifically 1969.  It describes the biases and discrimination directed toward the elderly.  The results from the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) didn't surprise me.  I do feel that the term does need to be redefined.  The results of the survey should be an indication that not all people are compelled to believe the bias' out there.  I did appreciate how the headings to the surveys may have affected the results, but seeing the numbers listed, I don't think it an accurate assessment.  I believe the locations the surveys were conducted would have had a greater influence.  For example, the central plains where religion is heavily regarded would make me believe they take better care of their elderly than the Northeast, where the pace is much faster.

                Finally, I liked Susan Sontag's "The Double Standard of Aging."  She discusses the differences men and women face when aging.  I found it interesting that she felt women feel more anxious and aware of their mortality than men.  Also that woman hesitates when asked to reveal their age as if it would create a problem for her in the eyes of the person asking.  I do believe there is a double standard, but some of those barriers are slowly coming down.  No longer is it just the silver foxes having a good time.  Welcome to the age of the cougar and the empowerment of older women.

misscomputernication

Hi, my name is Andrea Albanese and I am a junior working towards my Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies. I have two Associates Degrees, one in Liberal Arts and the other in Business Transportation. I also studied at RISD earning my Interior Design Certificate. My most embarrassing moment would have to be a CAD (computer animated design) class I was taking at RISD. I had just construed a funnel that I had to turn into a piece of furniture. After all that work, I hit the wrong button somewhere and freaked! It took my professor some patience and his extreme knowledge of the program to retrieve my design. I would have to say I hardly recovered from that event. After that, I made sure I saved along the way to spare myself the embarrassment of losing my work and having to start from the beginning again.