While reading Campbell's essay, Agency: Promiscuous and Protean, Campbell explains what her definitions of "agency" and "Rhetorical agent" are. Campbell states that "agency is communal, social, cooperative, and participatory and, simultaneously, constituted and constrained by material and symbolic elements of context and culture." (Campbell 3) and that "rhetorical agency refers to the capacity to act, that is, to have the competence to speak or write in a way that will be recognized or heeded by others in one’s community." (Campbell 3) After reading these two statements and I felt as though I could fully grasp the concept of what being an “agent” entails.
In Campbell’s essay she also talks about cutting out essentialism from todays society. This made me also consider Hielbrun’s essay Writing a Woman’s Life, where she theorizes the effect of agency and writing as a woman. Heilbrun says that “Women need to learn how publicly to declare their right to public power” (Heilbrun 18). Clearly in the past this was very much relevant because women didn’t have any form of power. But while thinking of the two essays I considered how both Campbell and Heilbrun would talk about women agents, agency and how that effects the young women of todays society.
Although it is very different around the world, in the United Sates women technically have the same rights and amount of power as any man. We all know that this isn’t necessarily true. But women do have the power to be rhetorical agents. This makes me consider the powerful women agents today. Unlike the past many young women don’t look up to authoritative figures like, Hillary Clinton, Oprah, and Michelle Obama. These three women as rhetorical agents, are able to contribute to society in an effective way and have broken the essentialism stereotype of women.
Today more young women are looking up to more celebrity figures like Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. These women are examples of Heilbruns, powerful women in society. But are all of them using their power as a rhetorical agents wisely, to positively effect the young women of today. I think that the way many artist project their lifestyle and decisions is negativley effecting the essentialist role that women like Heilbrun, Clinton and many more have worked so hard to change. Although many of the women artist preach women empowerment, most of their lyrics still have a less than positive motive. Campbell talks about how you are judged by how you contribute to your collective. Although these artist are contributing to our culture it isn’t in a positive way. Its further pushing the degradation of women away from equals to men.
Although celebrities are thought of as having power, because they are able to reach out and influence youth, I think that Heilbrun would argue that, in fact they have the opposite of power. Heilbrun say that, “Power is the ability to take one’s place in whatever discourse is essential to action and the right to have one’s part matter.” (Campbell 18) I don’t think celebrities project Heilbrun’s theory of power because, how does breaking up with your boyfriend change how society thinks of women. I think that popular women agents follow more of Campbell’s theory that, “Rhetors/ authors, because they are linked to cultures and collectives, must negotiate among institutional powers.” (Campbell 5) Although musical artist aren’t though of as organized or conventional, they are very much an established power in todays culture, influencing todays youth. Although we will never know what Heilbrun or Campbell would think popular agents today, I think it is safe to say, that neither of them thought it would turn out how it is.
-Samuel
Hi Samuel,
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued that you thought of the idea to incorporate Campbell and Heilbrun’s beliefs into women of today’s society. I think that Campbell and Heilbrun were limited because they could only provide examples of women and agents that were in their time period or from the past. Obviously the world we live in today is much different than the one that Campbell and Heilbrun were examining. Women today are considered equal to men and in some aspects even superior. Of course there are still places or instances where women are not treated equal but for the most part the world has evolved a tremendous amount.
I don’t share the same belief as you though when you say that women today only look up to celebrities. I think there are many women who look up to rhetorical agents such as the ones you mentioned (Hilary Clinton, Oprah, and Michelle Obama). Yes these women have broke the essentialism stereotype, but you are almost contradicting your belief when you say that women don’t look up to them but rather celebrities. You are giving women the negative stereotype of being not intellectual or intelligent enough to recognize true role models. Your belief is grouping women together in a negative light almost giving light to the fact that essentialism is still present. I also think your judgment of female celebrities is placing them in a negative stereotype too. I did like reading your opinions though, they obviously shed some light of issues that I had not previously thought of.
In regards to agency, I think that Campbell and Heilbrun would agree that women today are agents and are capable of agency. However I think that they would still agree that constraints are present. Your assertation alone and stereotyping of women is an example of the constraints placed on women. Yes women are equal today but the negative connotations that come along with being female are still present. Heilbrun would probably believe that we still need a new base for looking at feminist discourse.
- Cailyn Callaway
Hi Sam,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would like to start off by saying that I enjoyed the fact that you compared Campbell and Heilbrun to authoritative women today. This was a different approach that I can appreciate. I also enjoy the incorporation of celebrities because you are absolutely right, many women, especially young women, look up to celebrities now a days. Depending on which celebrity it is, their influence could be a good or bad thing. The celebrities you mention are powerful to society but in different ways than Heilbrun was. Out of all 4 of those women, Taylor Swift and Beyonce shed the most light on empowerment to women. Of course they choose to do this through their music where as Heilbrun obviously chose to do this through writing. My favorite idea that Heilbrun has about women and writing is the fact then men always get to play the superior roles in writing, i.e. the hero or the "warrior" as she says. Your post got me thinking about the roles men and women play in music compared to writing. Are the roles different or even switched? In my opinion, women are certainly empowered in music by certain artists today. Beyonce empowers women to be themselves and to be okay with their self image. Taylor Swift empowers women to not let men walk all over them and to essentially not care what anyone thinks of or about them. My question or thought is, does music empower women more than writing? Do women musicians empower women more than women writers? Also, do women musicians have more guts to sing about how women should feel proud and empowered rather than women writers having more guts to write about women empowerment? I also think that times have changed substantially. I do think that today women have more confidence and power because they can. I think Campbell thought the emergence of women empowerment would happen more and more throughout the years and in my opinion, she was right. As far as what Heilbrun and Campbell would think about the women that other women look up to today, we will never know. I can say that I agree with you on the fact that they probably would be a little confused as to why some of these women are looked at as influences today.
-Dina Kratzer
When you began to talk about the fact that women look up more to Miley Cyrus and Niki Minaj than they do Oprah or Michelle Obama, a painful sting of reality struck me. Your post caused me to face what is actually valued among today's generation of women, and more importantly, why that is. My take on it reflects on the issue of power that you brought up in your post. How one views what it takes to be powerful has evolved over time. From the era of the conquering of lands in the Roman Empire, to being the most open-minded and and abstract thinker of the Renaissance, to basking in exploration like Columbus and Ponce de Leon, even to being the most loving and free-spirited peace-maker, the recognition of power has been viewed through a different lens. It's sad to see that those considered to have power by women, especially and most importantly young women, are those who have embraced a shameful lifestyle and acceptance of immoral behavior as something to be proud of. It's curious how much influence these two women, Cyrus and Minaj, have as musical artists and the ages of which they are saying they are trying to 'reach' and yet have the attitude "I don't give a f*&#!!" I agree with the question of what empowerment of women is that? It surely isn't in my definition of self-encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI honestly thank you for the harsh wake up call to how those in society, and women themselves, view power and the role of the female in America.
-Valerie Gardner