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The way gender is constructed for an individual depend on gendered interactions the individual has with others as well as other identities or roles he or she may have

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Mis T Masiapeto
Mis T Masiapeto

This document contains a student's paper submission for a gender and politics course. The paper discusses the student's social location and how their various identities like ethnicity, class, gender and geographical background have influenced their experiences and perspective. The student describes coming from a small rural village in Botswana that is looked down upon. At school, they faced discrimination and humiliation due to their ethnicity and background. However, their single mother encouraged them to focus on their studies to cope and empower themselves. The student now sees how their complex social location has both oppressed and motivated them over the years.

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DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES TRS 221: GENDER AND POLITICS NAME(S): OGONE THANDY MASIAPETO STUDENT ID: 201004144 LECTURER: MS. KGALEMANG THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL LOCATION DUE DATE: 02-09-2013
ABSTRACT The experiences of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, education, marital status, history and nationality intersect to produce a social location and construction that advantages or disadvantages people. Any individual within the social array experiences different forms of privilege and subordination, depending on their race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, history and nationality. Although these are not all identically salient in every set of social relationships in which inequality is done, each of these constructs is hierarchical, intersecting forms of domination producing both oppression and opportunity. This paper will briefly summarize Musa Dube’s article “Social Location as a Story-telling Method of Teaching in HIV/AIDS Contexts. I will further discuss my own Social Location by taking into account the issues of ‘Bread’ and ‘Blood’ as discussed by Dube. INTRODUCTION As defined by Musa (2003), “ Social location refers to an individual’s place or location in his or her society.
The way gender is constructed for an individual depend on gendered interactions the individual has with others as well as other identities or roles he or she may have
MY SOCIAL LOCATION I was not born a member of society. I became a member of society. In my life there has been a temporal sequence, in the course of which I was inducted into participation in the social dialectic though ‘successful socialization’. I was born and bred in Mabesekwa; one of the small settlements in the outskirts of Tonota village. I was inducted in to the cultural practices, ideology, ethos and the value system my community. My grandfather was well known for having so many livestock, through these in such a small settlement I was a ‘rich’ kid. I was respected for my family background and my ‘honored’ surname in Mabesekwa. I was the most valued ‘assert’ in my extended family as they are fewer girl child in the family. It is the family’s belief that I can bring the cattle to my grandfather’s kraal as my father is not part of my life when I get married. As I was growing I was groomed to be a responsible young woman and knew my limitations within the family sphere thus what I was entitled to as the girl child as there was emphasis on gender roles and privileges. Issues of race and ethnicity never hit-hard me in my comfort zone- Mabesekwa until I went on to do my Junior Certificate at Tonota. The three years, following the other two years of Senior School and then Four years of University has uncovered what I used to conceptualize as my ideal life in my community. Mabesekwa is not well recognized and is not even known by so many people. I remember that when I was asked where I came from at Senior School I used to say I came from Tonota as people from Mabesekwa were looked down upon, we were called ‘bana ba tengnyana-teng’ or ‘DIRADS’ referring to the Rural Areas Dwellers scheme that is administered to help the vulnerable groups access services. I began to realize that my geographical location, ethnicity and weight identified who I am. I was so reserved, had low self-esteem and I was
humiliated easily as the use to say my skin complexion and hair were those of the San ‘o seswarwa’. I was orientated by my single mother who is so influential in cognitive functioning to cope withstand all the pressures and humiliation that is the package of being a minority group and focus on my studies. I am now a typical University student whose day consists mostly of class, studying, and of course a little bit of fun every now and then! I feel as though being University educated will help empower me as a marginalized citizen in the future when entering the work force. My social location is complex. My social location has for the past years silent me in public arenas even behind closed doors thus in my intimate relationships. I was oppressed for my ethnicity and geographical location and that disempowered as well as empowered and encouraged me to perform well in my studies. My life experiences has been influenced and defined by my social location.
CONCLUSION In a nutshell, people are socially located and socially constructed and all this are inevitable.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Shields, S.Gender: An Intersectionality Perspective. Springer Science and Business Media, LLC, USA, 2008,p.301–311.
There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19] People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!! If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to…… LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to past hurts and pains………… LET IT GO!!! If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth….. LET IT GO!!! If someone has angered you. LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge…… LET IT GO!!! If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction…… LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents LET IT GO!!! If you have a bad attitude….. LET IT GO!!! If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better…… LET IT GO!!! If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him…….. LET IT GO!!! If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship……. LET IT GO!!! If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help themselves…… LET IT GO!!! If you’re feeling depressed and stressed……………… LET IT GO!!! If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying ‘take your hands off of it,’ then you need to….. LET IT GO!!! Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2009 (There is still time left, if not then we carry on in 2010) LET IT GO!!! Get Right or Get Left … think about it, and then. LET IT G O!!! ‘The Battle is the Lord’s!’

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The way gender is constructed for an individual depend on gendered interactions the individual has with others as well as other identities or roles he or she may have

  • 1. DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES TRS 221: GENDER AND POLITICS NAME(S): OGONE THANDY MASIAPETO STUDENT ID: 201004144 LECTURER: MS. KGALEMANG THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL LOCATION DUE DATE: 02-09-2013
  • 2. ABSTRACT The experiences of race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, education, marital status, history and nationality intersect to produce a social location and construction that advantages or disadvantages people. Any individual within the social array experiences different forms of privilege and subordination, depending on their race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, history and nationality. Although these are not all identically salient in every set of social relationships in which inequality is done, each of these constructs is hierarchical, intersecting forms of domination producing both oppression and opportunity. This paper will briefly summarize Musa Dube’s article “Social Location as a Story-telling Method of Teaching in HIV/AIDS Contexts. I will further discuss my own Social Location by taking into account the issues of ‘Bread’ and ‘Blood’ as discussed by Dube. INTRODUCTION As defined by Musa (2003), “ Social location refers to an individual’s place or location in his or her society.
  • 4. MY SOCIAL LOCATION I was not born a member of society. I became a member of society. In my life there has been a temporal sequence, in the course of which I was inducted into participation in the social dialectic though ‘successful socialization’. I was born and bred in Mabesekwa; one of the small settlements in the outskirts of Tonota village. I was inducted in to the cultural practices, ideology, ethos and the value system my community. My grandfather was well known for having so many livestock, through these in such a small settlement I was a ‘rich’ kid. I was respected for my family background and my ‘honored’ surname in Mabesekwa. I was the most valued ‘assert’ in my extended family as they are fewer girl child in the family. It is the family’s belief that I can bring the cattle to my grandfather’s kraal as my father is not part of my life when I get married. As I was growing I was groomed to be a responsible young woman and knew my limitations within the family sphere thus what I was entitled to as the girl child as there was emphasis on gender roles and privileges. Issues of race and ethnicity never hit-hard me in my comfort zone- Mabesekwa until I went on to do my Junior Certificate at Tonota. The three years, following the other two years of Senior School and then Four years of University has uncovered what I used to conceptualize as my ideal life in my community. Mabesekwa is not well recognized and is not even known by so many people. I remember that when I was asked where I came from at Senior School I used to say I came from Tonota as people from Mabesekwa were looked down upon, we were called ‘bana ba tengnyana-teng’ or ‘DIRADS’ referring to the Rural Areas Dwellers scheme that is administered to help the vulnerable groups access services. I began to realize that my geographical location, ethnicity and weight identified who I am. I was so reserved, had low self-esteem and I was
  • 5. humiliated easily as the use to say my skin complexion and hair were those of the San ‘o seswarwa’. I was orientated by my single mother who is so influential in cognitive functioning to cope withstand all the pressures and humiliation that is the package of being a minority group and focus on my studies. I am now a typical University student whose day consists mostly of class, studying, and of course a little bit of fun every now and then! I feel as though being University educated will help empower me as a marginalized citizen in the future when entering the work force. My social location is complex. My social location has for the past years silent me in public arenas even behind closed doors thus in my intimate relationships. I was oppressed for my ethnicity and geographical location and that disempowered as well as empowered and encouraged me to perform well in my studies. My life experiences has been influenced and defined by my social location.
  • 6. CONCLUSION In a nutshell, people are socially located and socially constructed and all this are inevitable.
  • 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY Shields, S.Gender: An Intersectionality Perspective. Springer Science and Business Media, LLC, USA, 2008,p.301–311.
  • 8. There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19] People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!! If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to…… LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to past hurts and pains………… LET IT GO!!! If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth….. LET IT GO!!! If someone has angered you. LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge…… LET IT GO!!! If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction…… LET IT GO!!!
  • 9. If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents LET IT GO!!! If you have a bad attitude….. LET IT GO!!! If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better…… LET IT GO!!! If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him…….. LET IT GO!!! If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship……. LET IT GO!!! If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help themselves…… LET IT GO!!! If you’re feeling depressed and stressed……………… LET IT GO!!! If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying ‘take your hands off of it,’ then you need to….. LET IT GO!!! Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2009 (There is still time left, if not then we carry on in 2010) LET IT GO!!! Get Right or Get Left … think about it, and then. LET IT G O!!! ‘The Battle is the Lord’s!’