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on MUSEUM STUDIES at Tufts University
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13 hours, 56 minutes ago
March is going to be a very, very busy month for me. So busy that I'm writing and pre-scheduling this post in January so that I don't have to think about it. Since January is also kind of busy, this is post […]
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14 hours, 7 minutes ago
Everyone knows that ‘Do not press the red button,’ is extremely counter-efficient. In fact, people should resort to that sign if they are keen on people pressing the lovely red button. Chances are the button would […]
on Other Worlds
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14 hours, 39 minutes ago
Growing up in the largely homogenous city of Shanghai, where religion was not a huge component of daily life, it was hard for me to understand Nussbaum’s argument at first. The majority of Shanghai was not largely […]
on Other Worlds
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17 hours, 3 minutes ago
I found Nussbaum’s opinions on the proposed ban of burqas quite intelligent. Despite not being well informed about common arguments for and against wearing burqas, I thought Nussbaum’s writing was very logical and easy to follow. I really like her use of common social examples as evidence. To counter the first two common arguments in favor of banning the burqa (first, that showing one's face in public is crucial to establishing security; second, that showing one’s face is necessary to reciprocating human interactions), she points to how wearing scarves and hats in cold places (i.e. Chicago) is never brought up as an issue. She also talks about how people who work in well-respected professions (like medical surgeons, dentists, and football players) often go out in public with their faces covered up; yet, they are never assumed to be suspicious. Nussbaum brings up a strong point here. People never seem to question the identity of professionals wearing their required uniforms. However, they might look twice at a woman’s burqa even though it is simply a symbol of her Muslim culture. With this statement, Nussbaum delves into a deeper issue- why does wearing the burqa in particular cast an air of doubt? Do the Muslim women actually deserve this suspicion or is it our perception of Muslim culture that causes us to be suspicious? To counter the third common argument (the burqa objectifies women), she points out the many flaws in our society that seem to go unnoticed. She smartly notes that the female image in today’s society is already extremely degraded with the prevalence of sex magazines, nude photos, and tight jeans. Yet, society doesn’t seem to mind this. In fact, our media even seems to encourage the objectification of women, as evidenced by the common practices of plastic surgery and liposuction. Again, Nussbaum suggests that people might assume the burqa to be a symbol of degradation because of our perception of Muslim culture when in fact the practices in our society are much more degrading towards women. Here, Nussbaum indirectly calls our society hypocritical and prompts us to re-evaluate our own practices.
on Other Worlds
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17 hours, 37 minutes ago
A growing debate in many countries is the potential ban of the burqa. Nussbaum uses the loose garment to explain how those who don't use it end up criticizing the burqa, supporting the ban, and validating their […]
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