My Social Location... I think.

Who am I and where am I from? Also, where am I going? These questions are simple in grammar yet could possibly some of the most difficult questions to answer. On the micro level I am a white eighteen year old female.  I am heterosexual, Christian and wealthy.  All these traits are obvious from my appearance.  My clothes say it, my actions say it and the people who I associate with say it.  Accordingly, my meso level is perfectly in sync with my micro level.  My home is Normandy Park, Washington a small city south of Seattle.  It is made up of very wealthy, white, christian citizens. That is my home, my comfort level and people whom I love.  My home now is also Washington State University.  Obviously, WSU has more diversity then my own home town but I still find myself being drawn to a place I am comfortable in, a sorority.  Chi Omega is filled with a hundred girls who share my socioeconomic status as well as beliefs and age.  For now I am a little confused on my macro level.  As an eighteen year old girl I feel like my voice has very little impact or power.  

As I look over my social location it seems very dominant.  As someone who is representing white wealthy teenage females I want to represent a positive image of us.  I want to be able to impact and change the world.  I want to break the stereotype of girls.  I want to be completely authentic.  Now I just have to figure out who I am to be authentic.

Defining Gender and Power

As a group we (Sierra, Stephanie, Dustin, Candace and I) came up with some ways we would define Gender and Power.

Gender:

• "more of how you see yourself"
  
• "how you portray yourself"
  
• "how you fit into societies roles"
  
• "society makes certain rules you consciously or subconsciously follow"
  
• "sex is biological"
  
• "reflecting or rebelling against society"
  
• "a label you buy into in society"
  

-femininity and masculinity  

Power: 

• "judgement"
  
• "strength" 
  
• "constantly judging each other and worried about being judged"
  
• "being outspoken no matter if you are right or wrong"
  
• "power of masculinity and femininity"
  
• "changing the way others think"
  
• "being confident"
  
• "holding yourself in a strong way"
  
• "doing things for yourself vs doing it for others"
  
• "only can have power if you have followers"
  

These are just some of the thoughts that came to us when we were discussing our definitions.  From my perspective Gender is a role that society has made rules for such as what males and females wear, act, present themselves, occupations and more. Since society has set these rules, people are suppose to follow the "gender" or their sex.  But there are still many questions that come up such as being gay, straight, bisexual or transgendered.  These positions in society do not seem to have rules and so the gender position is blurred. 

Power is being in control and to have control their comes strength, judgement, confidence and outspokenness. Again this definition also comes with questions like What is strength?  How do we define it?