1. I definitely do not agree with female genital mutilation. I think that in this day in age, when our world has become more conscious of itself and more globalized, we need to be able to look out for one another. Even though this problem is primarily in third world countries, it is our duty to ensure that this practice does not continue. It is painful, unsanitary and is not a mandatory procedure. It is painful and disturbing for the individual enduring and I don’t wish any female to experience that kind of pain. I don’t think that Canada should have a say in cultural or religious body modification practices, however if there is a certain practice that is deemed morally wrong by the public then someone should step in. I don’t think the state should step into the personal lives of others, but if a line gets crossed they have no choice. In this case I think that female genital mutilation is definitely a reason to step in.
2. When society constructs certain judgments about certain genders, races and classes, women are directly affected. Society begins to formulate this ideal that all women should live up to or try to attain. In the movie Western Eyes, this ideal was a more western appearance. Sharon and Maria had a difficult time growing up. Society continued to reinforce this notion that Asians were odd. They were judged by the way they looked, dressed and spoke. The society constructed this devaluation of these women’s culture and class. They were looked at as being dirty outsiders when they were children. Now that they have matured into women, they compared themselves to the western ideal of beauty. In this case, both Sharon and Maria believe that they will be “beautiful” if they surgically alter their appearance. Thus, they are trying to attain a more westernized look. This social construction of society and what true beauty is deeply damages the self confidence of women. They end up changing themselves because they feel they have not met up to a certain...