Chp. 35 Muted Group Theory

Chapter 35, Muted Group Theory, argues that language is man-made and excludes women, and that if women cease to be muted, men will no longer be dominant in society. A muted group, according to this chapter, is a powerless group whose perspective is not heard in society. Now, this does not mean that their perspective is silent to others, it simply means that others in opposition choose to ignore it. This theory reminds me of an experience in high school which really changed our class, and entire school all together. When I was a senior in high school, I had a friend, Sarah, who really wanted to join the football team as their kicker (she was an awesome soccer player for our school). She had wanted to try out for the team since her freshman year, but when she approached the coach about it, he laughed in her face and told her to support the team by joining the cheerleading squad. She was very upset by this, and the next year, started a petition to let her join the team. She got the signature of every female at our school (and a few guys), including the female teachers and even some of our mothers. But still, the coach was relentless and did not want to even hear about a girl playing for his team. Finally, the summer going into our senior year, the coach let Sarah try out for the team as kicker. She, along with all the other male players, had to endure in harsh days of double-session practices, lifting, etc. It was hard for her, but she made it through. The coach was impressed with how much she had dedicated herself to the team, and come fall, he gave her a uniform and a helmet. She stood on the sidelines for most of the season, until one game that changed our school forever. Our first string kicker twisted his ankle and wouldn't be able to kick, so the coach put in Sarah to take his place. We were down by two points, with 8 seconds left in the game, and Sarah was up to kick. She went out onto the field and the crowd went crazy for her. She had been waiting so long for this opportunity. Needless to say, she kicked that ball as hard as her little body could and she made the 2 points for our team, advancing us to the state final. This experience relates to Muted-Group theory because it agrees with the thought that if women cease to be silent, men will no longer be dominant in society. Although Sarah is only one person, she changed the opinion of almost every man in the crowd that night. And that, folks, is what I call feminism.

Chp. 34 Standpoint Theory

Chapter 34, Standpoint Theory, says that your position in your society's social hierarchy affects how objective your perceptions will be in given situations, and that the lower your position, the more objective your perceptions. In class we discussed four marginalized groups. These groups include women, the poor, racial minorities, and homosexuals. I have to say, I totally support this theory and I don't think it could be any truer to what it states. Being a Kent State student on such a diverse campus, I see these marginalized groups everyday. I give a lot of credit to these groups, too, because it takes a lot of courage to stand up to the powerful. As a white, upper-middle class female, I've never really had to worry about being in a position where I would feel threatened, taken advantage of, or inferior to someone else. Although I am a woman, and women are in the marginalized groups, I have other characteristics in my life that make me a part of the "powerful." I remember watching the tv a few years ago and all I would ever see was "Should Gay Marriage be Legal?" across the screen. At the time it didn't really phase me, but now that I have gotten a little bit older, and especially from learning about these marginalized groups in class, I feel so terrible for them. I sometimes think how upset I would be if the government told me I couldn't marry the person I loved. These people have to spend the majority of their lives defending themselves, simply because of who they are. I have never been in that position, and I am lucky for that. But as a member of the "powerful people" I will do everything I can in the future to try and support these groups, and help them in their cause for acceptance.