Although I learned about myself, the way I think, and how to analyze the world I live in from the methodologies that we have discussed and read, I find that the most moving literature for me is about narratives of women. Coincidentally, the literature on the best approach to feminist research and methodologies moved towards the narrative approach (Cockburn, Wibben). For me the most powerful reading was from Ann Jones, Kabul in Winter. Jones (2006) gave me nightmares, made me sick with anger and horror. While I was reading I was simply mortified that this was occurring, that this was allowed to happen in the world. But then it dawned on me after listening to her speak, violence against women happens all over the world in many forms. Some of the worst violence against women taking place right here in the United States, including structural violence implemented by the state and targeting minority women. The truth is that violence is all around us, and that the violence around is normalized. This reading and Jones' lecture made the continuum of violence make sense for me. It made me wonder where the women in Afghanistan had begun to deny that "nothing was really happening" to allow the society to normalize the grotesque violence they experience now? It made me think about where the women in the U.S. had begun to normalize the violence and allow for questions like "why didn't she leave?" to take the place of "how did we let this happen?"
What narratives have done for me is realize that while I am reading the stories of women in other parts of the world, they might be reading stories from mine thinking the same thing or even seeing similarities. Victim blaming happens in parts of the world such as Liberia, parts of the world we would never equate with our own society! I think it is important to not remove ourselves from the narratives of others, but use them as tools and stories to understand the violence that is happening in our own societies as well.
Reference
Jones, Ann. Kabul in winter: Life without peace in Afghanistan. New York: Metropolitan, 2006. Print.
What narratives have done for me is realize that while I am reading the stories of women in other parts of the world, they might be reading stories from mine thinking the same thing or even seeing similarities. Victim blaming happens in parts of the world such as Liberia, parts of the world we would never equate with our own society! I think it is important to not remove ourselves from the narratives of others, but use them as tools and stories to understand the violence that is happening in our own societies as well.
Reference
Jones, Ann. Kabul in winter: Life without peace in Afghanistan. New York: Metropolitan, 2006. Print.
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