This past Wednesday February 20th, we continued with oral history presentations and the second book presentation for This Chair Rocks by Ashton Applewhite. Following the trend from last week's presentations, this week's presentations were so diverse and creative. Many individuals shared histories of their parents and grandparents, most of whom were immigrants to the US from all over the world. The physical projects created were amazing and incredibly thoughtful. There was a wide range of creations, including a handmade dream catcher, a custom cookbook, and a restaurant "menu". Though I didn't get to present this week, I left class feeling really inspired by the stories that everyone shared thus far. I'm excited to share my mother's story next week.
Next, we had a discussion on the book "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism" led by the second book group.
Our class discussion reiterated ideas and strategies against ageism from the previous week. Everything from media to the physical infrastructure of buildings can reinforce ageist ideals. Media, especially social media platforms, is a powerful and constant source of pressure on people to keep their appearance youthful. It incessantly reminds us of the beauty standards we're expected to uphold, which places most of the burden on women. We discussed the importance of intersectionality within ageism, because it often affects women more negatively than men. Older women face a lot more pressure to maintain a youthful appearance than older men, and face more backlash for not doing so. This sexist ageism is especially prevalent in professions that are often in the public eye. For example, older female personalities will get criticized for their wrinkles and graying hair, while older men of the same age are viewed as being more "wise" and respected as they age. Though we do live in the most progressive era than ever before in terms of representation, I think there is still a lot of work to be done in order to dismantle the hegemonic ageist ideals. Building a society that is as inclusive as possible, while valuing every life equally may sound impossibly idealistic, but I think that even small, individual actions can move us forward. It starts with the language and words that we use, the content we share and support online, the businesses we support, and most importantly the stories that we choose to hear.
Next, we had a discussion on the book "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism" led by the second book group.
Our class discussion reiterated ideas and strategies against ageism from the previous week. Everything from media to the physical infrastructure of buildings can reinforce ageist ideals. Media, especially social media platforms, is a powerful and constant source of pressure on people to keep their appearance youthful. It incessantly reminds us of the beauty standards we're expected to uphold, which places most of the burden on women. We discussed the importance of intersectionality within ageism, because it often affects women more negatively than men. Older women face a lot more pressure to maintain a youthful appearance than older men, and face more backlash for not doing so. This sexist ageism is especially prevalent in professions that are often in the public eye. For example, older female personalities will get criticized for their wrinkles and graying hair, while older men of the same age are viewed as being more "wise" and respected as they age. Though we do live in the most progressive era than ever before in terms of representation, I think there is still a lot of work to be done in order to dismantle the hegemonic ageist ideals. Building a society that is as inclusive as possible, while valuing every life equally may sound impossibly idealistic, but I think that even small, individual actions can move us forward. It starts with the language and words that we use, the content we share and support online, the businesses we support, and most importantly the stories that we choose to hear.