So why do I think we should bring them back?
I want to take this class, maybe instead of my Social
Analysis requirement.
I’m a dancer, so I spend a ton of time thinking about
bodies and space. I guess it’s pretty weird, actually, the way I process my own
motion. (It served me well in a final project I wrote for a class last
semester, describing the choreography of my daily life. I may publish this
later.) Only recently have I begun really thinking about why I take the stances
I do: in the classroom, on the subway, at the store counter. The more I think
about posture, the more I think it is absolutely vital to a culture of
equality.
“Whoa, Bridget,” you are undoubtedly saying. “Hold on and
back up. Did you remember to take your meds this morning? The ones that prevent
your overdramatic, baseless philosophizing?”
I’ll start with what I mean by posture. I am not
referring only to the curvature of the lower spine (where you might think of “slouching”).
That’s very important, but you can think about the concept in a much more
complex, holistic way.
POSTURE INCLUDES:
1.
the
alignment of the spine (straightness and curvature)
2.
the
placement of the shoulders (toward or away from the collarbone or ears)
3.
the
position of the head (lifted, tilted, bowed)
4.
the
orientation of the knees (bent, straight, together, apart)
5.
the
relationship of the feet (wide or narrow)
6.
the
configuration of the arms (too many to list)
7.
probably
some other stuff I’m not thinking of right now
We are evaluated by our posture, categorized by our
posture, treated how our posture indicates we ought to be treated. I think it
is very likely that we are socialized to stand differently on the basis of our
sex. Males are taught to command space and attention with their bodies; females
are taught to deflect space and attention with theirs. (Of course, I’ve known
women who commanded space and attention, and I’ve known men who deflected it.
What I mean is that there is a gender-coding that manifests itself in daily
life and associates certain poses with masculinity and femininity.)
Inspired by the documentary Killing Us Softly 4, I
have been observing how female models in advertisements are posed. Oftentimes
their shoulders are raised and bowled, their knees are knocked and crossed,
their torsos shortened with curved or twisted spines. There is a two-part
philosophy espoused by such images: (1) women should not assume stances of
authority and power, and (2) women should take up as little space as possible.
Maybe this works in advertising, when the model’s [Photoshop-created]
beauty and the zoom of the lens demand the consideration of the viewer. But it
sure as heck doesn’t work in real life. If you make yourself small, you make
yourself unimportant. Trying to remove yourself from the space you could very
well be possessing is equivalent to trying to remove yourself from the
awareness of other people.
This is why we need posture class. We need to learn how
to sit up straight and take up space.
Fierceness may vary.
Women and men alike need to know how to sit and stand in
order to be successful, to communicate knowledge and ability. For girls who are
led to believe that they are more attractive when they take up less space
(hello, eating disorders), this is especially important. Good posture combats
insidious notions about the comparative value of male and female minds.
Try it at the seminar table, try it on the subway car,
try it when you talk to your professor or your boss or your mom. Plant your
feet wider than your hips, pull your shoulder-blades down and together, relax
your arms, keep your chin level. It isn’t about aggression or intimidation or
even really about size. It’s about that fact that you deserve the attention of
the world and that you deserve the same space any other individual. You just
need to claim it with your body.
--Bridget
