|
A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.599.3142. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: January 10. All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be emailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Adriana Rodriguez, student correspondent; special contributors: Heather Darrow, Sonya Flaming, John Glass; Nick Young, photography and layout.
|  |
|
|
Counseling Services to present display during “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence”
By John Glass, Professor of Sociology
Special Contributor
Throughout human history and among all known cultures people observe differences between men and women. Yes, men and women are physically different (big deal); and if simply noting these differences was all that we do, it would be a no-brainer. But we do more than note physical differences, and herein lies a problem.
Among the various cultures, the meaning of the differences in men and women have changed throughout time. One outcome remains consistent—women typically lack the same amount of social power as men. Social power means the ability to access and to be rewarded for the accumulation of valuable social resources such as wealth, income, opportunities, education and others. Although the situation is changing, we still see that men have a higher median income, hold more seats in national political offices, serve more often as CEO’s and are better represented on corporate boards than women. In other words, men have more social power than women.
Why mention social power in an article on the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign? Because many scholars believe and research supports that power and violence are intricately related, especially when it comes to violence against women. It is particularly necessary to make this point in the United States; some members of this society have this incorrigible proposition that men and women are treated equally in our society. This notion, however, is not supported by research; consider the above points about differences in social power.
Notice the following ideas that we take for granted in our society:
- Men are “naturally” more violent than women
- Women need protection by men
- Boys can do more things than girls (including staying out late, dating whomever they like, not having to account for where they go, etc.)
- If a woman is in an abusive relationship, we ask, “Why doesn’t she leave?”
These taken-for-granted ideas about gender differences inherently favor men. Since men are naturally more violent, their violence is more often excused; since we believe that women need protection by men, women are placed into a diminished status that requires control by a man; since girls can’t do the same things as boys, their movements, options, opportunities are restricted; and finally, by simply asking the question, ‘Why doesn’t she just leave?,’ we are inherently hold the man unaccountable for his violent behavior.
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign calls our attention to these issues. It specifically calls for the ending of violence against women by:
- raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
- strengthening local work around violence against women
- establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
- providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
- demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women
- creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women
Differences between men and women should be honored and respected; they should not be the basis for violence, social inequality and degradation.
Collin’s Counseling Services will present a visual display in the Spring Creek LRC window during these 16 days to heighten awareness of these issues. Please contact Counseling Services at 972.881.5126 with questions or comments.
If you have been a victim of abuse or violence, please contact Collin’s Counseling Services for assistance and resources.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
|
|
|
