“For Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of health and gender in the medical discourse on cosmetic surgery in twentieth century Canada” – Tracy Penny Light

This article was interesting to read as I have not looked into cosmetic surgery a lot, but the connection of “fixing”[1] bodies that are not broken, or modifying them in order to meet societal standards. Tracy Penny Light’s major focus in this chapter was the idea that when cosmetic surgery is used in ways that are not fixing life threating issues. This article discussed that the psychological well-being of these patients was seen as more important than altering something that was necessary to alter. The main reason cosmetic patients were undergoing these procedures was to live up to the impossible standards placed on each gender that society had created. With desire to live up to these societal norms, there is the struggle of naturally living up to them and the surgical option is the only option left. This is connected to the psychological well-being of individuals in the society who are struggling, to meet these unrealistic standards. In society today, the stereotypes and gender ideals are very prevalent, and the challenge to meet these are increasing at a rapidly pace. This article by Tracy Penny Light discusses the connection of gender and the roles that everyone plays in society and the importance of it. This article fits well into the historiography of cosmetic surgery and its connection to gender and how society plays a significant role in how we view ourselves in term of others, and how cosmetic surgery allowed for individuals to have access to try to achieve the impossible standards. There is a connection between this article and the other article that was assigned for this week, is that they both stress the impact of gender in society, in all aspects and how gender allows us to be the citizens society desires us to be.

“I Feel like a Girl Inside”: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School” – Anika Nicole Stafford

This article was interesting because as I get closer to becoming a teacher and having my own classroom, the thought of this teacher presenting this to her classroom, was something I never thought I’d have to think of teaching that. Although, I do agree with the idea that the when children play games in the playground, they should not have teams that are “girls vs boys” they should have different team names, as the example in the article did. This article was informative of gender in schools, and how they have been teaching children, and helping them understand that anyone who is different, in terms of gender orientation, should not be treated differently. It made an interesting point that “the poster [discussing homophobia] in the classroom was above my eye level. This sends an interesting message about sexuality and otherness: they are present but not in plain sight.”[2] The placement of these posters showed that it was something that was not discussed at great length. The discussion of “sexuality and otherness”[3] in schools is not a regular conversation, but it shows that children are able to pick up on differences at young ages and how they are not necessarily as innocent as assumed. This article is connected to the historiography of this topic of gender in grade school and how it plays a role in the impact of play and other aspects of the social environment of schools. The role of gender and differences found in other students, are connected to the overpowering impact of societal construction of gender ideas, and this can be connected to the chapter written by Tracy Penny Light. Gender influences who we are as citizen and what roles and behaviours we are supposed to take on based on gender, and the backlash if individuals fall short.

 

“What’s the Matter with Obstetrics?” – Little – CMAJ (May 1929)

This source is a primary source and I plan on using it in my paper to support the debate between doctors and midwives in terms of where and who should be involved during childbirth.  As childbirth was in the process of becoming medicalized, there were several debates and struggles of to the education that was provided to students as well as the procedures performed in hospitals. The argument that this article from Canada Medical Association Journal, is that the when women experience childbirth at the hospital, they lose the personal touch of a midwife as they might not perform all the unnecessary procedures the doctors do. It was discussed in this article that doctors are trained to do certain steps when a woman is in labour, but they don’t specialize it to the individual like the midwife might. This debate of hospitalization for childbirth has continued through the years and even today, we still see this debate raised. The connection to the historiography of this topic is that it adds to the argument of midwives and how some women may desire the more personal experience, and to not have procedures performed that are unnecessary. In my paper, I plan on discussing how there was much debate and opposition to the medicalization of childbirth, and how mortality was a large factor and the welfare of mother and child became a large concern since the death rates were increasing in the hospitals opposed to the statistics of home births. This article fits in well, and it argues for midwifes to still be the primary childbirth caregivers, and that this part of life should not become a male dominated field.[4]

 

 

 

Bibliography

H. M. Little, “What’s the Matter With Obstetrics,” CMAJ (May 1929): 646-647.

Penny Light, Tracy, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in    the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Penny Light, et.al, Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015: 319-346.

Stafford, Anika, “‘I Feel Like a Girl Inside’: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School,” BC Studies, 181 (Spring 2016): 9-29.

 

[1]  Penny Light, Tracy, “From Fixing to Enhancing Bodies: Shifting Ideals of Health and Gender in the Medical Discourse on Cosmetic Surgery in Twentieth Century Canada,” in Penny Light, et.al, Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015: 319-346.

 

[2] Anika Stafford, “‘I Feel Like a Girl Inside’: Possibilities for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Early Primary School,” BC Studies, 181 (Spring 2016): 18.

[3] Stafford, “‘I Feel Like a Girl Inside’, 18.

[4] H. M. Little, “What’s the Matter With Obstetrics,” CMAJ (May 1929): 647.