The International Bill of Gender Rights by Martine Rothblatt
A charter proposing the rights to define one's gender and express it
(e.g. through marriage, freedom from psychiatric diagnosis, adoption of children, etc.).
Yawning Bread
Gay and political social and cultural issues from a Singaporean point of view.
Note that much of the information here is opinion or only verifiable by word of mouth.
Suite101.com Topic: Feminism Revisited by Chantelle Cherise Dooley
Articles, reviews, and a selective guide to online resources. Interesting and readable.
Worth spending some time looking around.
Voice of the Shuttle: Gender Studies Links
Online resources on Women's Studies & Feminist Theory;
Gay, Lesbian and Queer Studies; Men's Movements & Men's Studies;
Cybergender & Transgender. Extensive and scholarly.
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1953)
One day I tried to define myself to myself, and I found I had to begin,
"I am a woman." So Beauvoir says.
A classic - after half a century you'll still find yourself agreeing with her often.
The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer (1970)
"She absolutely must be young, her body hairless,
her flesh buoyant, and she must not have a sexual organ."
A groundbreaking, angry classic.
Greer's more recent
The Whole Woman surveys more recent feminist issues, unfortunately with less style.
Beauty Queens on the Global Stage: Gender, Contests, and Powered. Colleen Ballerino Cohen, Ricjard Wilk & Beverly Stoeltje (1996) Runs the gamut from Mr Personality (British Virgin Islands), to the concept of the nation as female
(Miss Tibet and Miss Thailand), or the connection between beauty pageants
and perestroika. Scholarly and fascinating studies.
Brainsex: The Real Difference Between Men and Womenby Anne Moir & David Jessel (1991?) From parenting styles to management techniques, sexual turn-ons to academic likes,
this book surveys many ways in which men and woman are equal but innately different.
Rather traditional repertoire of arguments, but lots of interesting facts.
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhoodby William Pollack, Mary Pipher (2001) "New research shows that boys are faring less well ... that many boys have
remarkably fragile self-esteem, and that the rates of both depression and suicide
in boys are frighteningly on the rise."
The Myth of Male Power by Warren Farrell (1996?)
War, lifespan, rape accusations - this book argues that men are
the sex discriminated against in many ways.
I Don't Know How She Does It (Allison Pearson, 2002)
Welcome to the life of Kate Reddy, devastating fund manager
and beleaguered mother of two small children,
who doesn't know how she does it either. Not profound, but hilarious and heartbreaking.
See also the nearly-opposite perspective of
The Nanny Diaries.
The Gate to Women's Country (Sheri S. Tepper)
Post-nuclear dystopia: female dictatorships in every civilised town,
men banished to the military garrisons for most of the year, and a guilty secret.
Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)
The story of a poor Irish childhood, in the days when a father
could drink away his entire salary, leaving his wife with no recourse but to beg.
And it still manages to be funny.
M Butterfly (David Henry Hwang)
A French diplomat learns that his mistress of twenty years,
a Peking opera singer, is not a man but a woman.
A play based on a real-life story.
Farewell My Concubine (Chen Kaige)
Two boys grow up under the brutal discipline of a Peking opera troupe.
Douzi (Leslie Cheung) has to be beaten into reciting the line "I am a girl",
but becomes a star female impersonator. Emotionally wrenching: gender, love and betrayal.
The Ice Storm (Ang Lee)
Set in 1970s America. An family in crisis in the age of Nixon: explores American innocence and bad fathers.
Ang Lee is better known for
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
My Sassy Girl (Kwak Jae-Yong)
Korean: lovably naïve pushover hero looks for nice traditional girl
to marry, and ends up in a hilarious gender-bending relationship.
See
official site for music/video clips.
Bend It Like Beckham (Gurinder Chadha, 2002)
"A U.K. comedy about a young Indian girl who dreams of
playing professional soccer, but must hide it from her traditional parents.
Hilarity ensues when her sister's wedding falls on the day of an important soccer match."
(Comingsoon.net)
Essay Questions
Questions: Equality of the Sexes
The equality of the sexes is biologically impossible and therefore
should not be enforced by legal means. Discuss. (JC1 CT89)
Tip: Must identify the assumptions and discuss why they might be valid or
invalid.
Would recognising sexual differences impede the fight for equality
between the sexes? (JC1 CT97)
Tip: Figure out the cause-and-effect relationship between A and B. The answer
should not be obvious.
Will men and women come to regret women's liberation? (JC2 CT96)
Tip: Do not forget to cover the effect on both men and women.
What does a woman want with rights when she has privileges? (JC1 CT91)
Tip: Define women's rights (feminism) vs. women's privileges
(chivalry). Decide if they're compatible.
Do you agree that there can never be equality of the sexes? (JC2 CT98)
'Equality between the sexes should be encouraged.' Do you agree? (JC2 CT88)
"Men and women have never been more equal than now." Discuss. (JC1 CT94)
Equality between men and women comes with a price. (JC1 CT91)
In today's society, it is better to be a male than a female.'
Do you agree? (JC2 CT2 95)
Despite so much talk about equality today, do you think women are
still discriminated against? (JC1 CT1 96)
Questions: Male and Female Roles
Do you think that society is better off with the liberation of
women from their traditional roles? (JC2 CT87)
Tip: Do not get distracted by the effect on women:
focus on the effect on society.
How should men regard their roles in a world where women work? (JC1 CT92)
Tip: Focus on cause and effect.
"Surely the roles of men and women are unalterably dictated
by biology." Discuss. (JC1 CT96)
Is there a gender gap, or are men fast becoming sensitive
'New Age Guys'? (Prelim 95)
Tip: With either-or questions, always decide whether
they are really mutually exclusive.
Are male and female roles changing significantly in your society? (JC1 CT95)
Do you agree that a woman's most important role is that of wife and mother?
'The sensitive new age man' — myth or reality? (JC1 CT98)
What use are 'macho men'? (JC2 CT97)
Tip: Respond to the provocative tone, and take advantage of the literal meaning.
"When it comes to women's rights, women want to have their cake
and eat it too." Do you agree? (JC1 CT93)
"Many social problems have arisen because more and more women
are going to work." Do you agree? (JC1 CT93)
"The future is female." How true is this of your country today? (JC2 CT95)
Questions: Gender-Related Issues
'The position of women in society provides an exact measure
of the development of that society.' Discuss. (PL 93)
Tip: Define "position of women" and "development of that society".
Focus on cause and effect.
Why are there so few women in politics? (Promo 94)
Should women be encouraged to be more involved in politics? (PM 94)
Do you think girls should be given the same education as boys? (81)
'For parents to choose the sex of their unborn child is neither
natural nor desirable.' Discuss. (GCE 95)
Questions: Marriage
Is it true that in the West people marry who they love and
in the East they love who they marry? (JC1 96)
Tip: Decide exactly what the question thinks they do
in the West and East. Focus on "is it true".
Do you think that preparation for marriage at an early age
will ensure a successful marriage? (JC2 CT85)
Tip: Focus on cause and effect.
'Considering the many other options available for couples,
marriage no longer serves any purpose.' Do you agree? (SAJC Promo 2001)
Tip: Go through a number of different options, and focus on
"no longer serves any purpose".
"Everyone should get married." Do you agree? (JC1 CT90)
Is it really necessary to get married? (JC2 CT98)
Is marriage necessary? (JC2 CT93)
Should marriage be a life-long commitment? (GCE95)
Need marriage be a life-long commitment? (JC1 CT2 1996)
What factors should be weighed by a person considering marriage
to someone from a different culture? (Prelim 87)
In what ways does the maturity of a couple contribute to the success
of their marriage? (JC1 CT87)
'Love should be the only reason for marriage." Comment. (JC2 CT1 93)
Questions: Divorce
Do you think divorce should be made more difficult? (JC2 CT2 97)
To what extent do you approve of the idea of divorce? (JC1 CT1 94)
Is divorce a social evil? (JC1 CT1 96)
Questions: Family
How essential is the family in today's society? (JC1 CT1 94)
Do you think the family will continue to be an important social institution
in the next century? (JC2 CT3 94)
Many people are opting for smaller families. Is this always a good thing? (JC1 CT2 95)
Why is the family institution universal in all societies? (JC1 CT1 96)
In the context of family life, can 'quality time' replace 'quantity time'? (JC2 CT 95)
In general, family ties are weakening. What effects is this trend
likely to have on your society? (GCE 80)
'The weakening of family ties is the root cause of modern society's
ills.' Discuss. (JC1 CT96)
To what extent is a stable family vital for a successful society? (GCE 97)
Do you think that family life is increasingly under threat? (JC2 CT94)
Why has the family unit survived? (Promo 87)
The happy family is little more than a myth in which we like to believe.
Do you agree? (JC2 CT97)
Describe the part that grandparents play in the family of your society. (GCE 81)
Can one generation ever understand another? (JC1 CT 94)
Questions: Children and Parents
To what extent are we influenced by our parents? (JC1 CT2 95)
Why do people have children?
Why have children? (JC1 CT1 94)
'In raising a child, the father is just as important as the mother.' Discuss. (JC2 CT2 94)
Is single parenthood a disturbing phenomenon in today's society? (JC2 CT3 93)
Discuss the qualities of an ideal parent. (JC1 CT2 97)
Discuss the qualities you would look for in an ideal parent. (GCE 88)
'Today's children are growing up in a world their parents never knew.'
Is this why there is a 'generation gap'? (JC1 CT 87)
Why do people have children? (JC2 CT 96)
What do you think are the most important considerations in a child's upbringing? (JC2 CT 96)
Can children be raised responsibly by a single parent? (JC1 CT 94)
Is peer group pressure stronger than parental influence for
young Singaporeans today? (JC2 CT92)
Childcare has become a standard feature in many societies.
What are the implications of this for society? (JC1 CT91)
Questions: Family-Related Issues
Do you think that parents should be held accountable for their children's
misdemeanors?
"The cult of youth that is so widely prevalent today has resulted in the
marginalisation of the aged." Discuss.
'The family has become an unfortunate casualty of progress.' Is this true? (Promo 94)
Is the family the most appropriate means of transmitting values
of the community, personal responsibility and social discipline? (JC1 CT92)
The school and not the family is responsible for the shaping of youth today." (JC2 CT3 96)
