Caroline Potoclicchio's Main Post

In Enloe’s introduction, she introduces the book with the topic of curiosity. She talks about how it takes a lot of energy to be curious, which is a completely valid statement. She talks about many ideas that we are complacent with such as the adjective “natural.” She writes, “Generals being male, garment workers being female- it saves mental energy." She is saying that many people think this is natural. She then talks about tradition and how “Americans have always loved guns… Women have always seen other women as rivals.” She wants to present to her readers in this introduction that we can’t be satisfied with our natural tendency to assume such things. She talks about how she used to be complacent with the term “cheap labor” but then her curiosity, intellect, and fellow feminists lead her to realize that this term turned around has a whole lot more of a meaning: “Labor made cheap.” She also refers to the term patriarchy in her introduction. She writes that “patriarchy is the structural and ideological system that perpetuates the privileging of masculinity.” You can find these patriarchal values everywhere including hospitals, schools, militaries, banks, police departments, factories, legislatures corporations etc. these values downgrade the feminine. She states that it is not just the men who play into the patriarchy, but the women who accept it, and the jokes, gestures and rituals that go into it. She believes that patriarchy is just as abundant as nationalism, patriotism, and post war reconstruction. However with more feminists on the rise, patriarchal systems are less assured for success then ever. Enloe wants to spread the message to keep this progress coming.

 

In Enloe’s “The Surprised Feminist”, she talks about surprise. She didn’t want to claim any predictions among the progress of Feminist and gender issues going into the 21^st century because she knows that certain scenarios have invoked surprise in her. She states that surprise is “an undervalued feminist attribute.” Enloe talks about certain gendered situations that have surprised her over the years such as the NATO-ization of human rights, the rise of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the success of the Women’s National Basketball Association, the appearance of Russian women in brothels in Thailand and Israel, the Columbine High school massacre in Colorado etc. She talks about how in the classroom when a student asks her something that stirs up confusion, she is tempted to lead the discussion in a way that concurs her point, but instead she deals with her surprise in a way that facilitates class discussion between everyone as they explore new ideas. I think that this term of surprise has the synonym of openness, and I think both these terms connect back to curiosity in the introduction. My opinion is that a curious person likes to explore new ideas leading them to be open and prepared for surprise, because they are not the ignorant type to only go along with their own ideas and beliefs. I really enjoyed how Enloe didn't just talk about herself and her success in the introduction and first chapter, but rather put a spin on things and talked about the qualities it takes to be a good feminist, and how she will never be perfect.