I think the disparities of women in history is a really important topic that definitely isn’t talked about enough. As a WGSS minor, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the repercussions of the treatment and, oftentimes, complete disregard for women throughout history. And this extends far beyond women too, as this treatment has been the same for basically anyone who isn’t a rich, white man. Dr. Bezio talks a lot about this in the podcast so I won’t recap too much. But as far as being hyper-critical of history and the ways it has been recorded over time, that only goes so far. So much of our history as humanity has been lost in time as a result of the dominance of men. Now I could ramble on and on about this and the ways in which our history has been skewed simply by its construction, but I want to spend more time focusing on the emphasis on the “normal person.”
I don’t know if other people have had this experience, but when I was younger, I had big dreams of growing up and changing the world. I wanted to be the president, a big-name scientist, an astronaut, literally almost any big time profession that would leave my mark. But growing up, these dreams dwindled and I found myself feeling like every day I was closer and closer to failing my childhood dreams. And clearly I’ve adjusted my expectations and reconfigured my aspirations, but I still think about this a lot. This is why I found the podcast and reading so valuable. Thinking about invisible leadership and the work of many, contributions of the collective oftentimes far exceed that of one person. We place achievement onto the work or visibility of few, but making history is dependent upon all those involved. Especially in the 21st century where nearly every aspect of our lives is recorded to some degree, our collective visibility in the future as both groups and individuals will only be greater. Even if we still only remember the Great Men or people, it doesn’t seem like those who have been widely erased from history in the past will fall to the same fate.
I agree with everything you said in this and found myself relating to the second part of your response a lot. When I was growing up, I told my grandfather that I wanted to be a doctor. He looked me in the eye and told me that nursing was more in reach for me. I was shocked — my parents had always pushed me to go for what I wanted but I started to realize that not everyone will do that for me. Even in college, I find that my female professors are the ones more likely to believe in my potential (and this is not true for every professor or for every person). Overall, It is frustrating to know that we only know 1/2 the story (if that) when it comes to history because so many believe that the only important history was that of the white man. I want to be a part of the generation that completely overturns this.
I think its great how you brought up how you had big dreams when you were younger. By showing how your perspective changed, I believe that just comes from the experience you have encountered as you are able to see other perspectives and needs you did not see back then. But also those big dreams don’t go away they just shift in how they can be achieved.
I agree that as I’ve aged, I’ve definitely felt and seen myself changing my dreams and aspirations to be more “realistic”. This reading and podcast were valuable because they revealed how now all accomplishments have been recorded, and shed light on the idea of leadership and impacts in our individual lives.