Interview: Meg Gallagher
Interviewer: Sydney Lambson

Q: Why did you decide hold Women Talk Women.

M: I guess like for me , hm, as of like my own self-worth, I have thought about feminism and as I have gotten busy in my major, just through the past couple years I haven’t really taken the time to study it or even as like making it part of my life or part of my self.  Being a strong woman was always important to me and part of my family culture, I just never really took steps be active like in that way.  And in activist sort of way.  And not that I think I am an activist by starting Women Talk Women, I kind of always felt like that.  For my BFA project I have the opportunity to study something and represent it visually.  And so we write this huge paper, like twenty pages and have a thesis and then afterwards what stems from that research is our BFA project.  That’s how they do the BFA in graphic design.  And so I started writing this paper about feminism and Mormonism and the disconnect I saw, I read a bunch (more…)

PHD in Human Development
Intellectual Mormon Blog: Her cousin had been blogging about pornography. People were responding to pornography consumption across the US… and WHY Utah has the highest consumption.
Article in the “Atlantic”: Is Pornography Adultery?
It is something we should be talking about.

There are people who really think that pornography is fine.

Some Facts:
Six Trends in Marriage: What happens when your spouse uses pornography?
1.    Increase Marital distress/Risk of separation or divorce
2.    Decreased Marital Intimacy/Satisfaction, Infidelity:
Increased appetite for more graphic sexual experiences… they seek out crazier porn and other sexual experiences with children/prostitutes.
These people disassociate their sexuality with reality… so they can’t be aroused by their spouse
Devalue Marriage/Monogamy
3.    By going out to other people, Your partner may bring home STDs
4. Increased Risk of Job Loss
They are inhibited by this addiction at work.
Enough people have lost jobs that its part of the literature of studies on porn use (more…)

Gender Image/”I am Chris Purdie” Show

-Role Play
Emma coming back in as a man
(what was she doing?)
-Bounce to step
-Looking around and not caring

Is it an over exaggeration?
How do you tell genders apart?
-Physical characteristics/Body shape(Hips)
-Trimmed eyebrows/Facial Hygiene
-Mannerisms
-Hair length
Where do you learn stereotypes?
-Society
-changes during puberty
-someone had a sister that was 100% girl, just born that way, it was not learned
-Some come from the features that are natural and then the market plays off of those natural characteristics to use them to their advantage (stereotypes) (more…)

Dr. Erin Kramer Holmes
Professor at BYU- School of Family Life, and the College of Family Home and Social Sciences
-Different Jobs available (usually after a secondary degree) in the major working with children and non-profit organizations
-Is Marriage A Public or Private Institution?
-How can marriage influence others? How can my marriage influence society?
Are we too individualistic?

How is marriage private?
-We choose whom we marry
-Discipline wise-only we discipline our children
-Bond between two people
-Serve individual partners needs
-No-fault divorce negotiation

How is marriage public?
–Discipline wise-it takes a village to raise a child
-Tax wise
-Laws regarding age stating that have to be able to make the choice
Society reflects its smaller units- investment in families
Wendel Barry- writer, former English professor, and farmer
-Marriage is a bond between two people and it affects forbearers, children and neighbors
National Marriage Coalition states that marriage reflects how society functions
-Parents have the responsibility to socialize children
How do we influence our neighbors as a married couple?
-Create a bond with other cultures and our children with their children
-Through example
-Stress support
-New level of adulthood-new accountability to others
Marriage stabilizes the adult personality
-Responsibility with integrating your life
-Making a stronger piece of society
Depends on how we define community
-Can feel more connected as a mother
-Being married creates a less selfish person-more willing to reach out
-We are enhanced
Marriage statistics
-Cohabitation
-Rates up-in general, but among unwed parents as well
-Parents with children-Cohabitating
-White and Hispanic-50% and African American-22%
African Americans are more likely to be single parents
With Cohabitation vs. Married couples there are:
-Higher abuse rates
-Children appeared more like single parent children
Divorce
(more…)

Mariana spoke to us about fertility and a book she loves called “Taking Control of Your Fertility”

BY DON M. RUIZ

“How to Live Happier”

Agreement 1
Be Impeccable With Your Word - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Agreement 2
Don’t Take Anything Personally - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Agreement 3
Don’t Make Assumptions - Find the courage to ask questions and to express whta you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Agreement 4 
Always Do Your Best - Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it wil be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.

The FEMALE BRAIN -by Louann Brizendine, M.D.

Her book talks about the stages of life - and what to expect in each stage.

Brain chemically changes as you age and as life situations change.

Estrogen- “Queen”

Seratonin

Progesterone- Mellowing

Testasterone- Assertive, aggressive

Oxytocin- nurturing, loving

Cortisol - stress, blocks oxytocin

Men are chasers and women are choosers. It is programmed into us as humans, and as a species, as in many many species.

Women will always choose best for children and providers.

We somehow are classified as golddiggers when really biology has just given us a jolt of chemicals from our ancestral wish list. Biology builds our future?

-Men are attracted to small features in all cultures

- Men’s hardwired preferences?

- estrogen plumps your lips and brightens your hair and skin — signs of fertility.

Men like to trust women -

Do we assume that men are lying to us? “They are employing social filters the first date/ first little while, but when we really get to know them, they are different”

Can women read your face? They can tell honesty/sincerity

Men impose values that they want women to have, just because they’re physically attracted.. not necessarily true.

Girls get let down too easy so they do not expect much.

Woemn in love - show activity in many areas

Men in love - in visual areas - fall in love at first sight???

More women say beloved has no faults.

WE HAVE SERIOUS FUN AT SEGO. IT IS A GREAT SPACE.

WOMENTALKWOMEN JUST FOR WOMEN NIGHT IS THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AND WE WILL BEGIN TO HAVE THESE MEETINGS AT PENNYROYAL INSTEAD OF SEGO UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

ALL OTHER MEETINGS ARE AT THE SEGO ART CENTER!!!