Reliance on social constructivist theory

Jean Kilbourne relies on social constructivist theory. The theory states that the body
should be viewed through the eyes of the culture. Culture gives the body meaning. To this end,
the advertising industry has chosen to establish a culture that objectifies women. Through the
unreal portrayal of women in adverts, the esteem of women is often lowered. Kilbourne chooses
advertising because of the power mass media has on defining the idea of beauty. Advertisements enhance the culture in contemporary society

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sterilization practices. Women that did not stem from the privileged white race and who did not
know how to read and write were the main victims. Since they could not read and write, they
signed documents that gave consent for sterilization practices to be done on them. The practices
compounded the inequalities that existed in the country.
Question Three
Heterosexism alludes to the systematic discrimination against homosexuals. It is an
ideological system that assumes that homosexuality is not a normal sexual orientation. People
who are not heterosexual are thus stigmatized and denigrated. Heterosexism results in
discrimination and oppression of homosexuals. Like cultural racism, heterosexism permeates all
forms of culture and society. When gay women and men identify themselves as homosexuals,
they are systematically attacked by society. Although society has attempted to change the laws
and institutions to accommodate homosexuality, the bias and prejudice against homosexuals
continue to cause various hate crimes and oppression of both gay men and women. The dominant
attitude that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation continues to create a society
characterized by discrimination. The society has institutionalized oppression of homosexuals due
to the belief that homosexuality is not the normal sexual orientation. Antigay attitudes and
behaviors continue to be seen in various parts of society. People are willing to commit various
crimes, including murder, to defend their sexuality against what they consider to be a threat to
society.
Question 4
Kimberly Springer states that black women have a hard time saying yes to sex owing to
how religious institutions, media, home lives, public policy, schools, and parents portray black

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women’s sexuality in a bad light. Black women are forced to use silence as the tool to deal with
public assumptions about sexuality. Black women have over the years, attempted to escape
sexual scrutiny. Women are assigned motherly duties in an attempt to keep them in check.
Stereotypes that have characterized society have made black female heterosexuals to appear
queer. English colonialists and European explorers referred to black women as promiscuous.
After the end of slavery, black women were referred to as hypersexual in a bid to excuse the acts
of white men raping black women. Kimberly relies on history as well as existing societal
institutions to refer to black female heterosexuality as “queer”. Springer further states that
sexual freedom should be accorded to black females.
Essay

Reproductive justice is an attempt to analyze systems that interlock and affect the lives of
women. Pregnant women may make choices that touch on their reproductive health. On the other
hand, the ability of women from various socioeconomic groups to choose may be actively
limited by regulations and laws enacted by governments. The balance between ensuring that
women can actively make choices and government regulation that limit their choices forms the
basis of the discussion on reproductive justice. One of such issues is the topic of abortion.
Abortion is a topic that has taken center stage in various discussions. The issue of abortion has
many facets, and people have taken different stances on the issue.
The abortion debate came to life in the early 20 th century when the birthrates of certain
groups of women, including native women and African American women began outpacing that
of white women. Between the colonial era and the mid-1800s, abortion was legal if it occurred
before “quickening”. However, close to the 20 th century, many states began coming up with
restrictive laws. Abortion was only legal if it interfered with a person’s mental or physical health.

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However, feminist movements began protesting these laws. In the year 1973, the Supreme Court
decision in Roe v. Wade highlighted the tight balance that exists between a state’s intention to
create reproductive laws and regulations and women’s rights to privacy. The Supreme Court
stated that a woman’s right to privacy must be respected and she has a right to obtain an abortion
within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
Katha Pollitt highlights the connection between governmental regulation and women
rights to privacy. She highlights cases of women who have been convicted by the state on counts
of delivering drugs to children while pregnant. Evidently, state regulations seem to be interfering
with the women’s right to privacy. Men are not oppressed in any way and are not affected by
regulations that touch on reproductive health. Pollitt explains that issues dealing with
reproductive health through the criminal justice system are in itself ironic. Evidently,
reproductive justice entails ensuring that a person’s right to privacy is respected as seen in
government regulations. Government regulations may interfere with one’s right to privacy, and
this has created various forms of injustice over the years.
Dorothy Roberts takes the debate further to examine racial oppression and the connection
to reproductive health. Roberts argues that racial oppression against African American women
has been executed through the regulation of African American women’s reproductive freedom.
The reproductive capacities of African American women have been limited through acts such as
sterilization. These acts inhibit African American women’s right to privacy. Katha Pollitt argues
that the duty of care owed to the fetus is antichoice in itself. The fascination with the duty of care
means that women are constrained to put the interest of the fetus first. However, this obligation is
only imposed on women and leaves out men. The responsibility should be placed on society as a
whole. She states that limiting the choices that women can make portrays a woman as having

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contingent value. It gives women varying responsibilities without considering their beliefs. It sets
aside the choices and beliefs that women have and instead imposes responsibilities related to
maternity.
One justification that relates to the intervention of the private doctor-patient relationship
relates to parental consent and notification laws. When a minor makes a decision to procure an
abortion, most states require the parent to consent to that decision. Parents must be involved a
day or two before the procedure is carried out. Parents are also expected to show proof of
parenthood. In requiring parental consent, an intervention to the otherwise private doctor-patient
relationship is justified. A minor may bypass the requirements of parental consent through a
judicial bypass. Judges are given the power to rule on abortion matters. The rules vary from state
to state.