by Jocelyn Shutak, Sydney Phillips, Alexandria Gooch, Gracelyn Cox, and Nathan Evans

I honestly loved doing the research for my project specifically, because our topic has changed so much over time and culture. Love and intimacy displayed themselves totally different. It was also eye-opening to see that even ancient texts touched on subjects that are still very prevalent today such as gender stereotypes, social norms, and glass ceilings. For example, the reading “Laughing Warrior Girl,” explains that the main character was not only a woman but “also a man.” This was because the girl did not wish to “behave correctly,” and instead wanted to help the men fight the enemies. After they let her, she became a female fighting icon and broke the “glass ceiling” regarding women being able to protect and serve as
well.

Additionally, the text also touched on gender normalities and stereotypes regarding behavior. People of society did not believe she behaved well because women were supposed to be obedient, subservient, and quiet. While some women in certain cultures held power, they were still supposed to be emotionally “put together” and display level-headed thinking. The subtle
integration of this topic into the piece caught my attention. I didn’t believe that behavioral gendered stereotypes were something that ancient cultures would recognize, but they did. This made me all the more excited to teach our class about the reading and what we personally interpreted from it. I also was eager to hear what the class thought about it, too.

Sydney Phillips, “Reflection on Presentation Project”

“I think our group presentation went very well, I really enjoyed watching my classmates participate in the activities and I think it was really enlightening to see peoples perception of themselves. . . . I learned that gender is not just what you have on your birth certificate or what you identify as or your pronouns. It’s deeper than that, it’s the person inside.”

Gracelyn Cox

The final discussion was the highlight for me, watching people discuss and laugh and understand each
other better whilst learning more broad stuff and bringing forth their personal ideas and
perspectives.

Nathan Evans