You spoke about bodily autonomy so eloquently. I really liked your use of the propaganda photos to speak about violence against women as well as their lack of bodily autonomy even within the media. Like you said, I think a lot of people associate bodily autonomy solely with abortion but do not realize its implications and affects in other marginalized communities such as trans-people not having access to healthcare, women's healthcare having very little research by women on women, people of color still being denied rights and all groups experiencing violence because of their identity. I really liked how you used Hall's case to explore bodily autonomy and talk about the importance of valuing one's autonomy. I think it goes beyond just direct control over your own body but also to feeling safe and comfortable in your body as in not threaten by an outside force simply because you look the way you do. Propaganda like the ones you showed and your use of slave stories to explore that idea was so intelligent and I really enjoyed reading your piece!!
You did an amazing job at explaining and speaking on bodily autonomy. I enjoyed your approach as well as your word choice when describing it. You addressed multiple different things that tied back to bodily autonomy, and I found that impressive. My favorite thing that you brought up was where it says, "We as Americans could talk for hours about instances in which the media has discussed or captured times when someone’s autonomy was disregarded or taken away, but these issues used to be much worse. It was many of the same groups as today, but given even less autonomy than is allotted today. Many experienced much less or no bodily autonomy." This statement that you made hit me; it not only speaks to how we as a people have these discussions about bodily autonomy, but it also speaks to how things have changed, which you do throughout the entirety of your essay, so I must applaud you.
I appreciate how you explain women's bodily autonomy. You specifically bring up current political times and acknowledge that this is the first place many minds go when talking about women's bodily autonomy. It is particularly important to note that bodily autonomy is not simple; it also involves self-expression. I love your addition of the propaganda, displaying the active misogyny not so subtly hidden. I agree with your idea that the propaganda can be portrayed as something sweet, but sinister messages lie beneath the surface. Propaganda like this can lead men astray, leading them to believe they can take what they want, no matter what women may want. It evokes violence and encourages the confidence of men over what an individual woman may want.
I thought this was truly an amazing analysis of what bodily autonomy means and how it has changed throughout time. One specific part that I really like you mentioning was how bodily autonomy is not simply abortion, even though it is the topic in today's political climate, but the ways in which people express themselves, as well as healthcare. I also loved how you pointed out how bodily autonomy has gotten more inclusive over time. Even if it is not perfect, it is important to see how far we have come. I really liked the examples you used to show how bodily autonomy has been and is continuing to be stripped from individuals in the past. Starting with slaves, being sold, and their bodies being used for the convenience of other people. That is obviously a very significant and extreme form of somebody's bodily autonomy being violated. With women today, there has been an ongoing conversation regarding a woman's right to choose whether or not to get an abortion, which is a very important issue, but I also liked how you brought up the ways women's bodies are viewed and seen as less than men's. This can then be tied to why there are high rates of violence towards women and how the choices surrounding their bodies are being debated. When bringing up Thomasine Hall, I appreciated how you talked about self-expression that they showed through clothing, but were then forced to dress a certain way. Something so simple as clothing is a form of bodily autonomy and something often overlooked.
I really liked how you explain bodily autonomy beyond just abortion and connected it to everyday things like clothing and self expression. The example of Thomas/ine Hall was especially was good in showing how autonomy was controlled in the past through forced identity and appearance. The part about women's autonomy was also strong, especially in how you explained the ways of consent and decision making can be determined through social media pressure. The examples you used, particularly the propaganda pieces helped show how autonomy isn't just restricted through lawas but alo through cultural messaging, gender expectation, power dynamics that shape behavior and perception. Good job Max :)
Hi Max! This is a great essay and I especially enjoyed your commentary on clothing in relation to Thomas/ine Hall and bodily autonomy. The history of clothes and gender is really interesting and at the time of Hall, gender expression was inextricably linked to clothing. We don't usually think of clothing choice as an example of bodily autonomy but, especially in relation to queerness and gender non-conformation, it is a really important conversation! Forcing Thomas/ine Hall into feminine and masculine associated garments was not only a form of humiliation but also an outright denial of Hall's bodily autonomy. They could no longer choose their form of expression and this stripped them of the ability to move how they wanted through society as they had done previously with different expressions of gender.
You spoke about bodily autonomy so eloquently. I really liked your use of the propaganda photos to speak about violence against women as well as their lack of bodily autonomy even within the media. Like you said, I think a lot of people associate bodily autonomy solely with abortion but do not realize its implications and affects in other marginalized communities such as trans-people not having access to healthcare, women's healthcare having very little research by women on women, people of color still being denied rights and all groups experiencing violence because of their identity. I really liked how you used Hall's case to explore bodily autonomy and talk about the importance of valuing one's autonomy. I think it goes beyond just direct control over your own body but also to feeling safe and comfortable in your body as in not threaten by an outside force simply because you look the way you do. Propaganda like the ones you showed and your use of slave stories to explore that idea was so intelligent and I really enjoyed reading your piece!!
You did an amazing job at explaining and speaking on bodily autonomy. I enjoyed your approach as well as your word choice when describing it. You addressed multiple different things that tied back to bodily autonomy, and I found that impressive. My favorite thing that you brought up was where it says, "We as Americans could talk for hours about instances in which the media has discussed or captured times when someone’s autonomy was disregarded or taken away, but these issues used to be much worse. It was many of the same groups as today, but given even less autonomy than is allotted today. Many experienced much less or no bodily autonomy." This statement that you made hit me; it not only speaks to how we as a people have these discussions about bodily autonomy, but it also speaks to how things have changed, which you do throughout the entirety of your essay, so I must applaud you.
I appreciate how you explain women's bodily autonomy. You specifically bring up current political times and acknowledge that this is the first place many minds go when talking about women's bodily autonomy. It is particularly important to note that bodily autonomy is not simple; it also involves self-expression. I love your addition of the propaganda, displaying the active misogyny not so subtly hidden. I agree with your idea that the propaganda can be portrayed as something sweet, but sinister messages lie beneath the surface. Propaganda like this can lead men astray, leading them to believe they can take what they want, no matter what women may want. It evokes violence and encourages the confidence of men over what an individual woman may want.
I thought this was truly an amazing analysis of what bodily autonomy means and how it has changed throughout time. One specific part that I really like you mentioning was how bodily autonomy is not simply abortion, even though it is the topic in today's political climate, but the ways in which people express themselves, as well as healthcare. I also loved how you pointed out how bodily autonomy has gotten more inclusive over time. Even if it is not perfect, it is important to see how far we have come. I really liked the examples you used to show how bodily autonomy has been and is continuing to be stripped from individuals in the past. Starting with slaves, being sold, and their bodies being used for the convenience of other people. That is obviously a very significant and extreme form of somebody's bodily autonomy being violated. With women today, there has been an ongoing conversation regarding a woman's right to choose whether or not to get an abortion, which is a very important issue, but I also liked how you brought up the ways women's bodies are viewed and seen as less than men's. This can then be tied to why there are high rates of violence towards women and how the choices surrounding their bodies are being debated. When bringing up Thomasine Hall, I appreciated how you talked about self-expression that they showed through clothing, but were then forced to dress a certain way. Something so simple as clothing is a form of bodily autonomy and something often overlooked.
I really liked how you explain bodily autonomy beyond just abortion and connected it to everyday things like clothing and self expression. The example of Thomas/ine Hall was especially was good in showing how autonomy was controlled in the past through forced identity and appearance. The part about women's autonomy was also strong, especially in how you explained the ways of consent and decision making can be determined through social media pressure. The examples you used, particularly the propaganda pieces helped show how autonomy isn't just restricted through lawas but alo through cultural messaging, gender expectation, power dynamics that shape behavior and perception. Good job Max :)
Hi Max! This is a great essay and I especially enjoyed your commentary on clothing in relation to Thomas/ine Hall and bodily autonomy. The history of clothes and gender is really interesting and at the time of Hall, gender expression was inextricably linked to clothing. We don't usually think of clothing choice as an example of bodily autonomy but, especially in relation to queerness and gender non-conformation, it is a really important conversation! Forcing Thomas/ine Hall into feminine and masculine associated garments was not only a form of humiliation but also an outright denial of Hall's bodily autonomy. They could no longer choose their form of expression and this stripped them of the ability to move how they wanted through society as they had done previously with different expressions of gender.