Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Gender Stereotype
Stereotype is typically defined as a simplified generalization about members of a particular group. And, gender stereotype is a widely adopted concept about different gender attributes. The way our society portrays women as inferior to men in toughness, whether it is courage, physical strength, or intelligence expresses a common gender stereotype. Such portrayals are often carried out by propaganda, entertainment, communities, and cultures in general as we experience it or see it around us. And the reasons for the persistence of a belief that women are inferior to men in toughness are due to scientific prejudices based on biological differences, social barriers of domestication, and the influence of multimedia.
Beena PatelPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Periods
I have an established dislike for school periods. But now I want to emphasise my hate for p e r i o d s. A scary word, I can’t even type it properly. The teachers fear it, the parents shush it, the boys run from it. Top secret operation that must be contained, else the world will die from disgust. But… It’s not! I know, shocking! Confusion! Sirens in the distance! Suburban moms, cover your kids' eyes and ears!
Hairy Little Girl
If you're a female like me, take a minute to think back to when you were a little girl. See if you can remember the first time you shaved. Do you remember it, do you remember how old you were, but most importantly, do you remember why? Maybe you share my story.
Claes CummingsPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Dope Moments in History: Ellen Degeneres
There's this shirt that I see a lot, it says "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History." Hell yeah. (I actually believe that well-behaved people don't often make history, but I'm not touching that issue. Not here at least.)
Triple Decker SandwichPublished 6 years ago in Viva
We Are Queens
Before we are born, our parents have the opportunity to know if we are male or female. This gives them the chance to plan for the color of the nursery, clothing, toys, and more. Boys will get a blue-themed nursery, trucks and toy cars, and clothing with "boy" slurs and dinosaurs. Girls get a pink-themed nursery, dolls and teddy bears, and clothing with bows, flowers, and polka dots. This begins what our society calls gender roles.
helianthusPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Body Positivity
So what are a few things I can do to be body positive? Well, for starters... 1) Reject mainstream culture. Question and critically analyze everything you see rather than passively accepting it. Why are white, thin, young woman over-represented in the media when most of the world isn't white, thin, or young? Question why women and men are expected to be obsessed with their bodies at the determent of everything else in their life. Might it be to keep us confused, hungry and not focused on more important matters? Might it be to sell us more and more "miracle" products that promise to shave off the pounds, lighten your skin and find you a husband?
Sarah SparksPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Together We Can
College is supposed to be a safe place to experiment and learn about who you are as a person. Unfortunately, the common occurrence of sexual assault in colleges and universities across the nation makes this a mere dream for many young people. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center one in five women are sexually assaulted on a college campus while one in 16 men are. That means that there is a 20 percent chance that a woman will be assaulted and a six percent chance a man will. Those numbers, although not huge, are alarming. It is an experience that NO person should ever have to go through. So how do we lessen these statistics?
Raven SpoorPublished 6 years ago in Viva
A Non-Feminist in a Feminist World
Whilst doing my regular rounds on YouTube and looking at the arguments represented by both parties in the non-feminist and feminist community, I decided I wanted to write something that will explain what it's like for a woman to not be a feminist in the feminist world.
Fat Betty
In 1989, psychotherapist Irvin Yalom published the candid autobiography called Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy which was a journey into Yalom's own mind and the encounters he had with patients over the course of his career. One of the patient's stories presented in the book, muddled with Yalom's own self-analysis, was the story of "Fat Betty".
Sarah SparksPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Women in the Edwardian and Interwar Era
The Edwardian era began with the death of Queen Victoria on January 21st, 1901 and the accession of her son, Edward VII in 1902. Victoria reigned for 64 years, most of the nineteenth century which was a period of great social reform. Industrialization had created vast wealth, which was in the hands of a small minority of the population. Though the middle class was growing in industrialized countries, a significant portion of the population, those who worked in the factories which made the rich wealthy and gave the middle class the comforts they enjoyed, lived in extreme poverty. Poverty leads to many other social problems. The reform movements which sought to solve these problems often had women playing large roles. These reform movements paved the way for the social change of the twentieth century, which allowed for the emergence of some of the most remarkable, and notorious, women in history.
Rachel LeschPublished 6 years ago in Viva
10 Ways to Protect Your Bodily Autonomy
People seem to be obsessed with taking away a woman's bodily autonomy. It's why there's a war on abortion, why many pharmacists refuse to hand over birth control, and why doctors might even lie about services they perform.
Katie MarchbankPublished 6 years ago in Viva
Women's Health Organizations You Need to Know
Women's health has been under attack for the past decade, and it's really beginning to show in more ways than one. Unfortunately, many women are finding it harder and harder to actually get the healthcare they need.
Stephanie GladwellPublished 6 years ago in Viva
