Blessed

An identities of oppression in which affect my daily living would be as a woman, as a person of Asian or non-Caucasian decent.  As a woman, the expectation of daily application of cosmetics in order to feel or be beautiful, is not one the male gender shares.  The days I decide not to wear make-up, colleagues ask if I am feeling well, or mention that I look exhausted or unprofessional.  Ensuring I park my car in a well lit area, with my keys out and not attending to a phone call when working late and walking to my car is an aspect of the woman target identity.  Women are preyed on and seen as vulnerable, due to the general smaller muscle mass and frame in comparison to men.  The mentality to think of physical defense is a daily aspect of being a woman.  As a woman who was in an abusive relationship for several years, I lived everyday aware of the lack of physical strength in comparison to a man. The manner in which my male director addresses and communicates with me, by stating, “You’re the nurturing type,” when referring to my distress and acknowledgement of the obvious hostile work environment and the 50% employee turnover rate in the past 6 months.

As an able-bodied person, this is a non-target identity in which affect my daily living.  Transportation to work, with my factory standard car, and walking with ease, are ways that this dominant social group identity provides privileges in my life everyday.  I can go up and downstairs with ease as an alternate route of using the elevators.  There are expected behavior of able-bodied mobile people, to maintain and care by an active lifestyle and regular physical activity.  As an able-bodied person, I identify myself as physically normal as I do not require special accommodations in how or where I sit for work/class, how I travel, and the lack of need for assistance (cane, wheelchair).

The concurrency of being an able-bodied woman, contains various expected behaviors and confined roles.  The worldly expectation of this pairing includes the demands of being beautiful, fit, maternal, who is a great cook and is in line for the next promotion.  Pinterest is resource that offers ideas and concepts, encouraging women to find worth if she is excellent in all those aspects.  This concept of being beautiful, fit, a great cook, with a great education, great job, and in a happy relationship is what I weighed myself in.  Trying and repeatedly failing year after year, I never could be excellent in all those categories.  The longings, to be loved, to feel significant, to be cared and to be worthy, could not be satisfied with what I brought to the table.  It was not until last year, when I accepted faith into my life, where I began to feel the weight and the pressure be lifted from my shoulders.  Every day, each moment, each interactions, I feel blessed in how I identify with privilege of middle-class, and as a target identity as a woman, with the trials providing me with growth and depth.

An interesting piece:

http://ted.coe.wayne.edu/ele3600/mcintosh.html