Being an Advocate: The Opportunity to Embody Social Justice in Nursing
"It's time to teach our daughters that their ability to be good people depends on their being good people, not on whether or not they're sexually active (Valenti, 2009)."
I am far beyond the point of remaining silent when I hear someone else's prejudiced opinion, especially when it is in front of someone who is impressionable to these distorted and stigmatizing attitudes, especially a young woman who, through this type of talk is learning about how to feel shameful for decisions that may differ from traditional, outdated and violent notions of what it means to be a woman, and consequently how to shame other women because of this. And, as a woman who believes in social justice for women, I will always choose that hill to die on because that is how important the issue is to me. I very much understand that I cannot change another person's beliefs, but I can certainly share my own. I very much believe that I can help to inform others, challenge traditional gender stereotypes and help society move away from an accepted culture of violence against women. I think that it is wrong to accept use of terms like slut and whore to describe women and condemn a woman's sexual behaviours because they may differ from one's own and their idealization of how a "good" woman should behave. I especially believe that I can help shape my own children's values and beliefs. I think that if I did not hold those beliefs wholeheartedly and genuinely believe that change is not only possible but something that I need to take responsibility in being a part of, then I could not do the work that I do anymore.
As an aside, I am writing the Canadian Nurse Association Mental Health Nursing certification exam next Saturday. Unfortunately I feel very distracted lately due to many other life commitments. I am hoping that the last 7 weeks of orientation, which has consisted largely of classroom training in mental health topics ranging from therapeutic models to proper documentation, has adequately prepared me. I will inform you about the outcome of that in one week's time. Wish me luck...
Valenti, J. (2009). The purity myth: how America's obsession with virginity is hurting young women. Seal Press: Berkeley.
I am far beyond the point of remaining silent when I hear someone else's prejudiced opinion, especially when it is in front of someone who is impressionable to these distorted and stigmatizing attitudes, especially a young woman who, through this type of talk is learning about how to feel shameful for decisions that may differ from traditional, outdated and violent notions of what it means to be a woman, and consequently how to shame other women because of this. And, as a woman who believes in social justice for women, I will always choose that hill to die on because that is how important the issue is to me. I very much understand that I cannot change another person's beliefs, but I can certainly share my own. I very much believe that I can help to inform others, challenge traditional gender stereotypes and help society move away from an accepted culture of violence against women. I think that it is wrong to accept use of terms like slut and whore to describe women and condemn a woman's sexual behaviours because they may differ from one's own and their idealization of how a "good" woman should behave. I especially believe that I can help shape my own children's values and beliefs. I think that if I did not hold those beliefs wholeheartedly and genuinely believe that change is not only possible but something that I need to take responsibility in being a part of, then I could not do the work that I do anymore.
As an aside, I am writing the Canadian Nurse Association Mental Health Nursing certification exam next Saturday. Unfortunately I feel very distracted lately due to many other life commitments. I am hoping that the last 7 weeks of orientation, which has consisted largely of classroom training in mental health topics ranging from therapeutic models to proper documentation, has adequately prepared me. I will inform you about the outcome of that in one week's time. Wish me luck...
Valenti, J. (2009). The purity myth: how America's obsession with virginity is hurting young women. Seal Press: Berkeley.
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