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Feminism

Joining this group

nbarker's picture

Ndifrank, Sunshine, and I discussed this earlier, but I'd like to add on that they have graciously allowed me to join their group. I realy agree with how well this has been thought out, especially how it takes into account different levels of comfort & ability, and the need for the humanization in this debate. In addition (I thought of this after our in-person conversation), it might be a good idea to set up an anonymous way to add in comments, to even make confidentiality & accessibility greater. 

Can't wait to get this going!

Body Image Conversation

Sunshine's picture

We want to focus on body image and the health center. Keeping in mind the techniques of monsoon and benaifer, the health center and the students will talk one on one. Meaning that members of the health center will get to share their experience as much as the students.

my thoughts on feminism and Ifemelu

ndifrank's picture

When thinking of various categories of feminism and Americanah, I find myself wanting to label Ifemelu as a feminist. Yet, when I try to pick which category she would fall into I have hard deciphering if she is purely on category. I think about Adichie's tedx talk and quote used in flawless, the simple definition she gave for what constitutes a feminist. In some aspect I agree that as long as you believe in the social and political equality of the sexes than you are a feminist yet, I have a personal dificulty with both making feminist a broad title or by doing the opposite and catorgorizing feminism.

Mental Health Discussions as a Cultural/Class Marker

abradycole's picture

After Ifemelu has the traumatizing experience with the tennis coach in Ardmore, she’s left feeling wretched and alone. She experiences all of the symptoms used to describe depression, but she refuses to let the word depression define the state she’s in. It seems that mental health issues are, to her, a reality experienced only by Americans who are too self-obsessed to consider anything but their own lives and feelings. By comparing Ginika’s and Aunty Uju’s responses to depression, I can see that one’s perception of mental health and the importance of the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals is completely socially constructed.

Black American

Sunshine's picture

It woudl be interesting to talk about how we view black Americans and black Africans differently. And how black Americans and black Africans view each other. I think the term "black American" instead of "African-American"itself is indicative of a lot. It is a term my mother uses, and to me places "African-Americans"as completely American, without any assaciaton to their roots elsewhere. 

American = Higher Class?

Hummingbird's picture

Like bridgetmartha, I was interested in the way American culture and "being" or "acting" American was linked to higher class status by many in Americanah. And I was interested by the in-between role Ifemelu played in America as an observer and distanced perspective on American culture and race relations, as well as someone who seemed to understand America deeply while holding on to her own Nigerian culture.

Media in Americanah (so far)

smalina's picture

One of the interesting aspects Adichie explores in Ifemelu's transition to the United States is the role media plays in Americans' self image, and the ideal of happiness. Ifemelu has watched American television programs and films for much of her life because they are available in Nigeria, but she is first exposed to American advertisements when she arrives in the U.S.

Class thus Far

bridgetmartha's picture

Throughout these first chapters and moving forward through the book, Adichie makes many allusions--some more obvious than others--to the connections between Americanism, class, and language. Being a part of American culture is seen as desired for many of the people around Ifemelu because, as Obinze told her and his mother, "America is the future" (84). America is the place to go to be educated, to get a stable career and perhaps send money home. But this mindset is also restricted when we look at the glorification of America as framed by class.

Access, Accommodation, Universal Design

Kristin's picture

We’re all doing a lot of emotional as well as intellectual work in this 360! Sunshine’s and ndifrank’s posts are helping me to think about incorporating conversations about nonvisible disabilities and about the theory and practice of accessibility and “accommodation” into our class. As Jay Dolmage and other disability studies scholars have noted, access is always aspirational, never perfectly achieved. But it’s always worth aspiring to, and I think we need to address what access, accommodation, and universal design might look like in a classroom/ our classroom.