In one of our readings (Coming to Terms by Gerschick) we focused on the intersection of masculinity and disability and this started me thinking how this reading can be applied to men I know in my own life. In the reading Gerschick outlined that most men approach their own disabilities in three ways one of which is called reformation. In this approach the hegemonic masculinity is still the main focus, but it is reformed  so the man’s abilities can fit the masculine ideal. Continue reading →

I have been thinking about this past class’s questions a lot and how disability can really take a toll especially in the way our society is built. Being in a capitalistic society means that we must be constantly producing and consuming, but people with disabilities can’t produce/ work in the same way as people without disabilities can. People with mental illness can’t predict when they will have panic attacks and can’t plan their work schedule around them. And other mental illnesses (such as schizophrenia) can keep a person from working at all which in turn can keep them from receiving treatment (since they can’t pay for it). A lot of this also has to deal with stigma and ignorance when it comes to mental illness. Continue reading →

In our society thin bodies are usually seen as the “best” bodies to have and the most “glamorous” even if getting these bodies results in health problems. This can especially be seen in the diet industry or in the fad diets which can be incredibly unhealthy. Continue reading →

Many people use the BMI scale to judge whether or not they are at a healthy weight, even doctors use this scale to assess health but it was never supposed to be used as a measure of health. Continue reading →