introduction letter

Hello, my name is Charlotte Albone and I am currently a freshman at UCF. I was born in England and moved to Florida when I was six. My family and I moved to Jupiter, which is about two and a half hours south of Orlando. My house in Jupiter is 10 minutes from the beach so I am always there. I love lying out by the pool and doing anything outside, or in the water. I have been a competitive swimmer since the age of eight and was also captain of the swim team my senior year in high school. My major at UCF is political science and I am minoring in women's studies.

 I am interested in taking this class because I want to learn more about women's place in society and how it has evolved over time. I also want to learn more about how women have broken barriers, and the harsh encounters that they endured while doing this.

 I have done a few activism activities that were actually on campus. A women's suffrage march took place during the fall semester in which I walked with many others in celebration, marking the anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. I also went on a slut walk. A woman was raped and the police officer told her that if she hadn't of dressed so "slutty" she wouldn't have gotten raped. The slut walk was held so women know that nobody brings rape upon themselves. The way a woman dresses is not responsible for her getting raped. I think activism is important. Making our voices heard in society is what can really impact the future.

 I think that feminism is actively trying to bring equality for women in economic, social, and political aspects. This differs from women’s studies because women ’s studies focuses on understanding how history has shaped women’s experiences and positions in society today. I think that feminism is more focused on changing and improving the status of women, while women ’s studies looks at the experiences and aspects that affect where women are today.

The major differences between genders are the way that females and males are supposed to act. Society has made it so that men are supposed to be tough and strong. A man who shows his emotions and cries is considered to be “weak.” A woman, on the other hand is supposed to be more emotional and delicate. I think the people who have had the greatest influence on my understanding of how men and women behave, are my parents. When I was younger, my mom bought me Barbie dolls and dressed me in girly dresses. By doing this, my mom influenced the way I would differentiate between how men and women behave. Whenever adults see baby girls they usually compliment the girl on her looks and tell her how pretty she is rather than how smart she may be. This again affects the way one would understand how men and women behave.

I have read, understood, and agreed to the terms of the course syllabus and the blogging protocols