Week 7 Journal

Week 7 Session One Assignment One

1. What emotions do you expect you would feel (mark all that apply)?

Outrage at the insensitivity of the male leaders in both countries
Fear of losing your son
Concern for the suffering of the people in the other country
Self-pity that all of these problems have fallen to you to solve
Resentment toward people who live in more peaceful countries
Envy for people who live in more peaceful countries
Worry over whether everything is going to work out
Paranoia over being caught
Confidence that you will be able to figure things out and restore peace
Panic and anxiety over how to handle this complicated situation
Sadness at losing your husband
Shame or guilt at the thought that you are not doing enough to save people from dying
Other (please explain):

I would also feel annoyed and tired as well. As women we often have to put up with men who march around thinking they know everything. They “mansplain” things to us. They call us emotional even though they tend to blow up whole countries based on a hurt ego. I tend to get very annoyed at lack of intelligence. So if my husband had already been murdered senselessly and the same would happen to my son I would be really irritated that the men continued to undervalue women as if they knew so much better than us, even though clearly they had no sense.

2. Which three of these emotions do you believe you would find it most difficult to manage?

I would find it most difficult to manage my outrage at the men, the fear of losing my son and the anxiety about how to handle the situation. I love very strongly, so if I thought I would lose my child I would be going crazy. My fear would fuel my outrage toward the men, especially if they had no regard for what I was saying. People ignoring me is the quickest way to get me mad. Lack of acknowledgment for my thoughts is infuriating.

3. Which three of these emotions do you believe you would find most easy to manage?

It would be most easy to manage paranoia over being caught, shame over not being able to do enough and the worry that it won’t work out. I think that I might be able to get over the paranoia because I would be more concerned about the safety of my son and being angry at the men.

4. For each of these responses rank how easy or difficult you would find it to carry out each of these responses (very difficult, difficult, neutral, easy, very easy):
Establish an online group for women from both countries to share their experiences in the war. EASY
Make arguments on social media that women are qualified to participate in government and should be allowed to. EASY
Criticize the war on social media. NEUTRAL
Encourage the women in your group to meet in person and develop strategies for greater political participation. EASY
Ridicule, mock, and criticize the male leaders in your country. NEUTRAL
Stand up to the men in your family and community and demand that they work to eliminate the war. EASY
Contact and work with women hackers to freeze the assets of those financing the war until a peace can be reached. DIFFICULT
Organize a public protest along with the women in the other country. DIFFICULT
Convince the women in your group to use whatever power they have to sabotage the war, including boycotting certain products and withholding sex from their husbands. VERY DIFFICULT

While it would not be hard to go on social media and be criticize the countries and to encourage other women, I think it becomes more difficult when someone tries to actually make people take action. In a country like the United States where free speech is mostly guaranteed, it is not hard to go on a social platform and just say whatever you want, provided you are not worried about a job or a relationship. However, getting people to organize and take over an existing system is very daunting and an extremely difficult task. That takes a lot of persuasion and amazing leadership skills.

Week 7 Session One Assignment Two

1. Make a list of emotions that you expect leaders to commonly feel. Are female leaders limited in the kinds of emotion they are allowed/expected to feel and express compared to men?

• Irritation
• Frustration
• Anxiety
• Excitement
• Empathy
• Anger
• Compassion

Female leaders are definitely limited in the kinds of emotions they are allowed to show. Women are often said to be too emotional to lead. Therefore, they have to be careful in how they display their emotions. It is often a double standard and they cannot win. For example, in the OJ Simpson case the prosecutor was very hard and not very “womanly”. People wanted to relate to her better and so she was encouraged to change her hair and to dress a little more “feminine”. However, when she did that, the media blasted her. She could not win. If she were to be very concerned about her appearance from the beginning then people would say she was not interested enough in the case. People expect women to have a sort of warmness to them but also do not respect that warmness in leadership roles, even if that warmness can actually help them be better leaders.

2. What is your understanding of the word “devious”?

The word devious has a negative connotation. When I think of that word I see a gif of the Grinch grinning. Devious implies that the person’s intentions are bad and/or sneaky. To me devious means that someone devised a plan to do something wrong and did it while trying to keep it low profile because they know that they are wrong.

3. In your experience are women perceived by men as more devious?

In my experience men do not think women are more devious than they are because that implies that women are smarter than they are. In my experience, men tend to think of themselves as smarter than women or their ego gets in the way. For example, a man might date several women, but if one of the women they are dating happens to be dating several men they will be upset because they expect the woman to be all for them. They do not expect women to have several people to date just like they do. Well, in my experience…

4. Is there a double standard for female leaders in terms of deviousness?

Yes, there is definitely a double standard. Men get away with an apology and throwing money at a situation. People are less forgiving of women. For example, Donald Trump has committed countless crimes and said horrible things and is still the president of the United States, but when Hilary Clinton was accused of sneaking around and using a different email, people went crazy and she was called a “nasty woman” and could not win the election.

5. In your experience is there today a stereotype of women as lazy?

In my experience there is no stereotype of women being lazy. There is a stereotype of women that date rich and famous people being lazy. However, in general women today are not deemed as lazy at all. Women are ambitious. I see women in great positions all the time.

6. In your experience what are the most common feelings of inadequacy that women may experience when imagining themselves in a leadership role?

In my experience women face stereotype threat. In some cases women feel like they have to represent all women and instead of just being their normal selves, they overcompensate to make sure they are not seen as weak or vulnerable or “too emotional” to do the job.

7. In your experience are women today stereotyped for being too concerned with personal appearance?

In my experience women are not stereotyped for being too concerned with personal appearance. If anything, women are criticized when their hair, makeup, and outfit is not on point. I think people expect women to be very well put together and often judge when they are not.

8. Can we determine whether male leaders are more concerned with personal appearance than women?

Yes, we can. I noticed this when I was in high school. The girls would put on dressed and do hair and makeup just to go to school and the guys would show up in basketball shirts and an old t shirt. They might carry around a brush to do their hair every few hours but that was it. This is evident in leadership as well. For example, just compare Beyonce and Ed Shereen. They performed a song together and she had on a beautiful gown and he had on a t shirt and wrinkled jeans.

9. In your experience do women have different rhetorical styles than men?

In my experience women do have different rhetorical styles than men. Women typically use pathos (emotional appeal) approach by using certain tones and words. Men typically use logos (logical appeal) approach by speaking mostly facts. Women tend to have a better way with words than men do. They know exactly HOW to say it.

10. In your experience do old women lead differently than young women?

Yes, in my experience older women tend to hold on to certain traditions. Younger women seem more willing to adapt to a changing society. For example, my mother and my aunts are very religious. They really have no reason for it. They just are. My cousins and I are not as willing to go along with whatever any pastor says to us. We are more accepting of different types of spirituality and ancient practices.

Week 7 Session Two Assignment One

1. What do you consider to be the most important themes in the Lysistrata?

The most important themes are women v. Men, sexuality, and war.

2. If you could not use 5th century Athens for your setting, where in the world would you set the play?

I would set the play in South Africa.

3. To what extent is the use of female sexuality in leadership consistent with contemporary notions of feminism? In other words, would a portrayal of women similar to how Aristophanes’ portrays Lysistrata and her followers degrade or empower women today?

I think it would degrade the women today because it would make women seem like their only option to make a change has to do with their sexuality.

4. If you could not use women as the protagonists of the play, and instead had to select another minority group that is suffering from the poor leadership of the majority, what minority group would you choose — and who would be the majority group?

I would use South African people and their struggle against Apartheid.

5. What audiences do you think would find your play most relevant and why? Are there new audiences who perhaps are unfamiliar with the play who could be reached by your production?

I think people interested in historical fiction would find my play relevant because it would be based on a situation that actually happened and would be my own creative interpretation of history through art. I think my play could educate people on what was happening in South Africa and what still is happening in a different way.

6. Borrowing from Aristophanes’ own techniques, describe one scene in your play, as you envision it, that would call attention to the issues you want to raise in a very serious light (bringing sorrow and grief to your audience); and describe another scene that would make your audience laugh for its cleverness and absurdity.

One scene in my play to bring sorrow and grief would be during the protests. There would be a depiction of brutal violence that would be sad to watch and hopefully evoke a sense of sympathy.

One scene to make my audience laugh would be a scene between the leaders of the protests and the police. The leaders would trick the police and make them look stupid.

7. Give your play a title and a tagline

Fight the Power. “Bomaye, A Rumble in the Jungle”

Leadership/Accountability Partners Conversation 2/22 12 p.m.

This week Ella did not do great on a test, but instead of giving up she decided to work harder. She worked on the leadership skill of managing failure and went to the library to make ensure her success on the next test.

She said wanted to work on being a mentor for her brother but did not get a chance to talk to him about how his school is doing. She kept forgetting that they planned on checking in on each other throughout the semester but they have both been busy.

Ella is also networking with others this week. She said that this is the biggest thing she needs to work on because it will be very useful in the long run. Throughout college you need to network so starting to network with her peers with help her network with her professors next.

This week I wanted to work on helping my cousin with her research paper but haven’t had a chance. I also wanted to reach out to another cousin who I know is struggling but I need to get her number from my dad. I need to really try harder to get in touch with them and provide mentorship. I know I can help I just have to set aside the time.

I did well this week by working on being the middle man between my friends.

They’re all kind of at odds and I’m serving as mediator and trying to be objective and help them maintain the relationship.