Culture as defined by Merriam-Webster is, “a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.” Throughout the world different cultures and civilizations conform to the ways of life. Creating and depicting there own values and customs with the resources assessable to them. Gender is a term recognized in many cultures that symbolize the identity of humans and their behaviors. It is a symbol that embodies people and there thoughts of themselves.

There is a fine line between sex and gender. These heterogeneous terms unfortunately end up in the same category for individuals who are un-educated in the correct terminology of sex and gender. Sex is a simple term that can be described as, being male or female by the sexual organs displayed at birth. But people would come to think that just because you are a boy you should have everything blue, and just because you are a girl you should be coated in pink. What person thought that these colors could confine infants to one of those categories? As far back as we can look the color blue symbolizes masculinity and the color pink embodies the feminine (Artifact 1). Restrictions are immediately placed on children at such a young age to preform to the stereotype given. Boys are expected to play sports and use action figures and girls are expected to play with dolls and dress up, but not all children follow the heavy guidelines. There are some that are different and stick out and these children become targets to society.

Gender is a complex term that displays a variety of meanings. It is a way of identifying yourself to the public. Thinking outside the box of just male and female we come to see in the emerging shadows that lesbians, gays, and straight people walk among us. Those labels are placed on people that are different, people that do not follow the rules of only men and women being together. Girls are with girls, men are with men, and you even have some that are asexual and are by themselves.

“Gender expression is how we define ourselves each day as either male or female depending on the way we dress or style our hair” (Artifact 1). Gender is not just the fact that women have breasts and vagina’s and men have penis’s it is about how people are identified for there own personal happiness. Males get surgeries to become a women and women get surgeries to become men it is all how people value themselves. Caitlyn Jenner is known as a symbol of unity and hope for being transgender. He was once known as an Olympic athlete that represented the United States, but is now a shining light of hope to the transgender community. She underwent multiple surgeries to become the women she is today and had to overcome mountains of hatred and discontent. It was not easy for her family or those around her to adjust to the changed but in the end she was accepted not just by her family but also worldwide. This example is proof that the times are changing that it is okay to be different and stick out. But in the process of this entire people can still ridicule those for wanting to be different. Unfortunately these epidemics cause havoc and chaos in society. People that think they justify the traditions and values of America do not like to see others defy the old ways. Some are stagnant and stuck in the past, others are too stubborn to see that the world is adapting and expanding in new and advanced ways.

Gender has roots in all different cultures in all different countries around the world. It is not just solely rooted in the United States. People need to open up there eyes and expand their horizons. The government has a way of measuring certain aspects of countries around the world; they use what is known as the Global Gender Gap. “The global gender gap is a way of measuring countries on how well they are using their resources between male and female populations” (Artifact 3). People could probably guess that the United States is ranked low but what is shocking to me is the top five. “On the global gender gap index Iceland ranks number 1, Norway ranks number 2, Finland is ranked number 3, Sweden ranks number 4, and rounding out the top is Ireland. These countries rank among the top because they are equal in how they treat men and women” (Artifact 3). The way you gain points on the scale is by having an equal distribution between men and women around the country in different sectors. The top five does an extraordinary job of distributing resources to the men and women. “Iceland is ranked first because it has overall great scores, they have a literacy rate of .93 and a primary education rate of .92. They lack very little in politics but they have a score of .27 for women in parliament, which is more than most countries” (Artifact 3). Unlike the United States, Iceland uses the money they have and places it within the school districts. They have one of the highest literacy rates on the whole scale from all the countries around the world. With this it creates opportunities for women and men alike. Even the scores lack in the political department world wide these countries still have had women in high-ranking political positions. They trust women with power in foreign countries compared to the United States.

The United States lacks in many departments, for being the country of the home and the free. We are ranked 28 on the Global Gender Gap Index. “The United States does not rank among the top partially because we do not have consistency like the other countries. We are run by power hungry individuals who are in it for themselves and do not care about the good of the people” (Artifact 3). The reason we cannot hang with the top five is because we do not have “equal” opportunities with jobs in the United States. We have a score of .2 in parliament; this is because we have never had a female president. We have had women hold positions in the Senate and House but never as a president. This has affected us on more than just one level. Women are not paid the same as men, which is a huge blow to society.

Third world countries usually make up the bottom of the index. They fail to use the resources mostly because they cannot use them properly. “Chad is ranked 142 out of 145 on the index. This is a third world country that lacks in many resources. They have a .18 in politics and women in parliament. They have a high score in health of 1.02 for life expectancy but lack in education with a literacy rate of .66. Chad has many people that live there but not enough resources to take care of all those people” (Artifact 3). They do not have advanced technology to adequately use the resources given to them. One good thing about these countries is that they have had women in charge, which allows them to get. One problem is women get pregnant easily which hinders them to get jobs.

One thing the United States could do better to improve its ranking on the index is they can elect women into office. They can allow women to hold office and have power in parliament. This would allow diversification within the system improving rates. They could also raise the pay for women to allow men and women to be paid the same or even close to the same.

When you look at a man and a women next to one another you would think that the man is going to be the dominant sex right? But you are only judging that decision based on physical physique. “Men are the submissive sex, while women are the dominant sex” (Artifact 5). The Gender Health Gap is composed of many facts like, “culture norms, income differences, biological makeups, and women’s longer life expectancy” (Artifact 5). It is studied that men that are plagued by illness or hurt will try to “tough” it out and not see a doctor, while women will immediately go to the doctors and get checked out to heal faster or get proper medicine. The reason that men don’t seek help is because of masculinity. “They fear that if they reach out for help that they will be seen as weak and pathetic” (Artifact 5). It is a sad world that we live in when men are too scared to seek help because they fear judgment and reticule. This is not a good way to live; with this type of mentality across the world it will cause populations to decrease in size.

Gender norms affect society at multiple levels. A common norm is athletics. We all know the saying, “guys are stronger faster and just better than girls.” That is not always the case. Yes men are built differently than women but that doesn’t not make them any better than females. With high ranking sports like football and hockey fans only know it as a male sport when females play those sports and work just as hard as they do and get no credit. But in the end the women have the upper hand.

It is a proven fact that women will live longer than men in the long run. “Men are usually more prone to life threatening diseases such as cancer, heart disease, etc. Women aren’t as vulnerable to life threatening diseases due to the fact that they bear children and go through physiological stress during pregnant” (Artifact 5). More men die each year than females, they are just more prone to life threatening diseases that they either refuse to seek help for due to stubbornness or they unfortunately catch it too late.

“In the United States it is true the men do make more because the government doesn’t think that women are as good as men or suitable as men are. But in all reality we have women who hold high-end positions in the government and in the military women are being paid the same wages and are now being treated as equal to men” (Artifact 5). Women in the Army are now being treated as fairly and have now opened up equal jobs to women that men hold with the exact same pay. There have been multiple women who have taken on ranger school and passed. This just goes to show that baby steps are being made to find equals between men and women.

In conclusion, it can be seen that countries around the world create and depict their own values and beliefs of culture and gender. Gender defined again is a term recognized in many cultures that symbolize the identity of humans and their behaviors. Everyday this definition is evolving, moving forward with the times. These articles describe the ultimate meaning of what gender is. This course has expanded my horizons on this subject allowing me to dive deeper into the true definition and value of what gender truly is and how countries objectify its meaning. Every culture is different and expresses gender in a different way and this class has shown me that different civilizations and cultures operate differently than the United States.

Watching the movie Half The Sky opened up my views to third world countries and the hardships that they face. Gender based violence topic was interesting to watch because even though wars are over women still get raped and beat. It is disgusting to hear that 26% of these women are under 12 and this happens to 100-200 girls and women a month. With this a lot of sexually transmitted diseases are spread throughout men and women and only 1% of the men have been convicted because they turn a cold shoulder to the topic. There is not much that one could do to fix this only the fact of adding more officers around to keep an eye on it.

Sex trafficking was hard to watch because the women get sold at young ages and have to leave their families. There are many brothels that are there that buy women for sex and clients and they have to reach a certain quota each month or week and that all depends on how much sex you have. Simalia is a women attempting to teach the men and women about condoms and making a school to try and get the young girls off the streets so they wont get sold and used for sex trafficking. It is sad to see how the women get treated because they are so young and there is not much that people can do due to the brothels because they are dangerous and will kill people without blinking an eye.

Intergenerational prostitution in India is a major problem due to the brothels. Indian brothels use the girls for sex and money and then kill them and dispose of them and start with another girl right away. 1.2 million children are roped into prostitution and sold around the country to different brothels and people. Usually it is ages 9-13 that get sold because they are in there prime youth and they have time to mature and grow in the market. Once they reach a certain age they cannot do it anymore or are too old and worn out. Only help that we could possibly give would be to create schools to get them off the streets and add more police around the area or areas of brothels.

This movie was hard to watch because there is not much that anyone can do to prevent these issues because they have been happening for such a long time and it is just in their culture. No amount of police or outside help can stop the issue at hand. It will always be a problem because they will always win.

Tag: This article is talking about how women see their periods as negative connotations. It also reflects how men have trouble accepting the fact of periods. There are also positive ways to look at menstruation from male and female points of view.

The period for a female is seen as a negative context for my growing generation. It is not a good time when Mother Nature visits once a month. Many women attempt to hide it when it comes because they feel gross and disgusting and feel that no one wants to be around them. Women get cramps, bleeding, eat a lot, have headaches it is ultimately not a fun time. Women also become very hormonal during this time, estrogen is flying everywhere not being able to be controlled. Young girls that get their periods are embarrassed because they may not get it with all their friends. They also may be the only ones getting their periods and not know how to handle it. I know when I first got my period I was embarrassed to talk about it because none of my friends had gotten it yet and I felt alone. I then went and talked to my mom and she showed me how to use a tampon, and even then I was scared to use a tampon because I didn’t know what to do.

With men they do not like that time of the month either because women are hormonal and very needy or men sometimes are fed up with it. Women around the world are seen as weak and very feminine when they are on their periods because of the emotional stress that comes with menstruation. My father is the only man in the house with five other females and we are all cycled up usually minus my mom because she had a hysterectomy but he never wants to hear about it or do anything with it at all. It is kind of funny to realize how much it scares men when we are on our periods.

When developing more positive views on menstruation women could possibly see it as a good thing. When you get your period it means that you are not pregnant. For a lot of women that is good, epically when you are younger and you are sexually active. They could also be happy because when a female gets her period it is seen as a symbol of womanhood. They are now women and they are now starting to develop into mature women and leaving behind the child age. Men could develop a more positive view on menstruation by possibly going through what the women do. They could go through a simulation and put themselves in their shoes and see what women actually go through. They could also be more helpful to women when they are on their periods. Because lord knows men are selfish and get mad at us when we start our periods. I know they cannot have sex with us but it is only a few days they should be able to last!

Matewan is more of a realistic approach to Appalachia; as Deliverance is more of a make believe. They depict all the characters in both films to be stupid and illiterate. They used a person that looked like Appalachia natives which is insulting to the region. Matewan is based off of a coal-mining region with a focus on the coal miners lives, as Deliverance covers the vast forest and river of the region. Matewan is like the coal movie that we watched in class and it basically overlapped to that. Most do not look at Matewan in a negative connotation because it is a real life event that happened, as Deliverance is almost made up with the rape scene. The Appalachians are closer to nature in Deliverance, the flooding of the town will wash away the traditional way of life and restore a new town that is more advanced. They both show stereotypes of the region and how they are seen and viewed. Many reviews say that Matewan is a classic story that people love and it sings history. The reviews for Deliverance don’t say that, they say how it is a fantasy that is made up and not true. They say it is overall underwhelming nothing that great.

Tag: In this artifact you will find the comparison of male and female circumcision. It is not always a healthy practice for men but it should be done as an infant. It is never a good practice for females. You will see the positives and negatives of each male and female.

Circumcision is a medical removal of the genitals in both male and female practiced all across the world in vast cultures and society’s.

Male circumcision is “the removal of the foreskin from the human penis” (Wikipedia). A doctor in a hospital as an infant or baby usually preforms it. They numb the penis and remove the skin to separate it from the glands. It is dated back in the Jewish and Muslim culture starting with Abraham in 2000 BC. It is done all over the world, but there are issues with this in Western countries. Most of the time it is done as a ritual or to become a man in the society. They do this without the proper tools, they “sterilize” them but how do you honestly know that it is clean. Also there is an issue with passing sexual transmitted diseases, AIDS, and HIV from man to man in the camps. They also send them off to the woods away from their families with little food and little water. They do not bath themselves afterwards and usually rub white paint or dirt all over their bodies for days on end. Men in Africa are being pushed to get circumcised because it can possibly cause harm to their partners. It can cause UTI’s and other diseases to be sexually transmitted to their partners and risk the harm of them as well. Many men are encouraged to get it done as infants to divert from all of this.

Female circumcision is “is the ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia” (Wikipedia). Different types of female circumcisions include clitoridectomy, excision, removal of clitoral hood, and infibulation. There is not known facts about the origin but it is believed to be practiced 2000 years ago in Egypt. It is mainly preformed in households or small clinics. Most of the Western countries find this practice illegal so it is done through local physicians who still believe in the practice because hospitals will not allow the practice. This practice is religious in most countries it is not something that is highly encouraged and some have gone against the practice but get shunned from society. It is not completely eliminated because it has been done for centuries and it is just something that has been practiced. Most are scared that if they do not get it done they will be shunned from society but if the mother had it done by her mom then she will most likely make her child go through it as well. They have sent people there to do shows on it and start groups to rebel it but it has not worked, they have also banned hospitals from doing it but it is embedded in the society and culture so it will take years or centuries to get people out of their old habits.

Circumcision can be a good thing for males if done at birth other than that it is not safe, you bring in external factors that can hurt the male in many ways. It is becoming a new practice in Africa to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases but it is safe if just done at birth. It is not a right practice to do for females it should be banned and not practiced anywhere. It only hurts the female and ruins her life both physically and emotionally.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcision

I found that New York Times (website known worldwide for information) site for the movie, and it mentioned nothing really of contraversery more of how the movie was not up to par with the book. The movie did not do the book justice at all.

For an Appalachian standpoint I used itsnotmymountiananymore.com which is a website known for critiquing Appalachian reviews. They do discuss the fact that the movie was filmed on a river, which is a very sentimental object to the mountain people. It also brings up the fact that this movie portrayed negatively on the region showing the viewers exactly what they already think of them. The movie just solidified the point and made them want to judge the region even more. It portrayed that the “hillbillies/rednecks” are bad, ignorant, alcoholic people that take advantage of others are and violent towards guests. I think that the website hits it straight on. The movie was basically a slap in the face to the region showing the rape scene, which most people remember. They see that these mountain people are just joking around and being violent with the strangers. I think the most memorable part of the movie is the rape scene. It is a huge slap in the face to Appalachia, it is stating that they do not care for these men and that they just want to use them. People remember the bad more than they remember the good. That is why so many people remember this movie and critique it because overall it is a movie shown in a negative context that people need to speak out against. I would not want to be known for something like that. It reflects poorly on the whole region not just a part of it.

1. Why will there always be a need to degrade Appalachian people when they have made it for themselves?
2. Why didn’t early programs for education have anything about Appalachia in them?
3. What was attracting so many people to the up and leave the cities if it meant relocating and everything?
4. Where did the money come from for the two political programs?
5. Why was the education programs in Appalachia so far behind compared to the North?

Donskey says the play is equivalent to a “drive by shooting” because it was not necessary. It was done poorly and carelessly with evidence left behind of what happened. He means that they let another dumb writer who claimed to do research on the history of the region write a play that then went national and won a prize. This man portray to know everything about the region when in all honesty he was just writing the play to what he thought that it would be. He did not care about the way the region was exploited nor the effects it would have on the future. This play ultimately gave Appalachia a negative view to the public and made many writers angry. He did not do this region justice and that is why it can be related to a drive by shooting because he did what he wanted to do and did not take action nor did he care what effect it would have on Appalachia and the residents that have occupied it all these years and generations. This is also important because people need to know why he messed up. People need to know that he did this region wrong and he shouldn’t get off easy for messing up a regions value and culture.

The big deal about this book, The Kentucky Cycle, is that it conveys a story throughout 200 years of two families that ruin each other’s lives over land, hatred, and vengeance. So many Appalachian scholars are offended by the play because it hones in on two families who depict the rest of Appalachia as a war zone. It focuses on family feuds for 200 years. It portrays negative images of the rest of the region. Showing hatred and murder of loved ones, jealousy of men who cannot agree on anything, and most of all showing cold blooded murder of family and friends for land and money.

Personally I do agree with the side of people who are offended, because I know the rest of the region is not like that. I know that these people do not wake up everyday and hate their lives; I know that they are not solely driven by money and hatred. It does matter that the play writer director thought that he was helping the regions image because it did not. Why would anyone think that talking about murder and land of two families for 200 years would help anyone? There was never anything positive in this play it was all devastation and hate. It was a continuous cycle of land, murder, and money. There was no happy ending where the prince saves the princess. It was all turmoil and sadness. I think the worst part is that those people died for nothing they will most likely be forgotten because all they cared about was money. I know it was just a play but this should not have been published it was an overall sad play to read and see it continue for 200 years. I felt sorry for the children born into those two families.

The Rowen men are very protective of their land. They don’t want to leave it or have anyone take it from them. What the Rowen men have is never enough, they always want more and more. His father did not love the boy, Patrick, and he had an awful life because he was a devil child that was half Cherookee and half white. His father, Michael was a greedy man who only wanted more and more and deserted his wife and so. He only cared for himself and sadly those traits carried down to Patrick and in the end Patrick killed his father, Rebecca’s father and abandoned his gimp mother. The only love he ever knew he threw it away because he was greedy and quick to jump the gun. The Rowen men in this book will do anything for themselves even if it meant selling your own blood they would do it cold-heartedly and not blink an eye. In the end the son Jed, Ezekiel’s son goes on a rant killing people and comes back and kills again to even out the playing field once more like the beginning. We explore the themes of vengeance, anger, and hate. There is nothing but hatred in this first part. Everyone has to get someone back, no one can just settle for what it is.

Looking back on part one I can see why the book is called The Kentucky Cycle. It is a cycle of hatred and agony that has gone on for years and destroyed two sets of family for generations. The children have had to bare the pain of the past. This is significant because this depicts Appalachian people. This is a play shown to the public and people walk away thinking that these people are truly like this. It shows that Appalachian people are angry, violent, and illiterate, grudge holding people. This is only one event that happened this does not need to make up the whole Appalachian community but now people are going to think that, that is what they are all like.