WGS 298: Black feminist lens. Creative Analytical Paper Assignment Guidelines: Inequalities that Black Women Face in Canada
Creative Analytical Paper: Submit a creative analytical paper in which you explore a topic raised in the readings through a Black feminist lens. Begin by exploring the subject matter through a creative medium (personal narrative, poetry, art, etc.). Then write a 3-4 page paper in which you explain what you were trying to express through the creative rendition of the subject, and analyze the course readings to explain how they deepen your understanding of that topic. You must use at least 3 assigned course readings in your paper.
Guidelines for written assignments: Your work must be typed, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman, 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Make sure you include your name, the date, the instructor’s name, and the course number. You may use APA, MLA, or Chicago citation styles.
I expect that you turn in well-thought-out and well-written papers. You should allow yourself sufficient time for revisions and edits. You are encouraged to visit the U of A Centre for Writers https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/centre-for-writers/index.html.
Additional Guidelines:
- Keep written creative portions of the paper to 3 pages maximum
- For artwork, upload a clear image of the piece.
- Please upload the sound or video files for creative projects needing video and/or sound.
- For any other questions, please email the professor.
| Name: | |||||
| Criteria | Sophisticated | Highly Competent | Fairly Competent | Not Yet Competent | |
| Creative Project | |||||
| Creative Project Format and Execution
——/10 |
The project follows the chosen medium to an outstanding degree and exhibits expert execution. | The project follows the chosen medium to a good degree and exhibits good execution. | The project follows the chosen medium fairly and exhibits fair execution. | The project does not follow the form of chosen medium
and exhibits poor execution. |
|
| Creativity of Project
——/10 |
The project goes above and beyond in creativity and design. | The project demonstrates average creativity and design. | The project demonstrates moderate creativity and design. | The project demonstrates little creativity and design. | |
| Written Explanation | |||||
| Analysis
——/60 |
Written work provides an in-depth analysis of course texts that exceeds expectations and offers excellent supporting details. | Written work analyzes course texts well and offers good supporting details. | Written work provides a satisfactory analysis of course texts and offers satisfactory supporting details. | Written work provides poor analysis of course texts and offers poor supporting details. | |
| Organization and Mechanics
——/20 |
Ideas are coherent and well-organized, with minimal grammatical or mechanical errors. | Ideas are organized with some grammatical or mechanical errors. | Ideas are not well organized, with minimal grammatical or mechanical errors. | Ideas are poorly organized, with many grammatical or mechanical errors. | |
| Total Points
——/100 |
Comments:
|
||||
ANSWER
Inequalities that Black Women Face in Canada
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor
Date
Inequalities that Black Women Face in Canada
Poem
She stands at the intersection of worlds unseen
The inequalities black women face, a power unseen
At the intersection of economic, social, and political
The fight for equality an uphill battle. Equality is an idea that we all should aspire to
But for black women in Canada, it’s a reality they face
Every day they face the inequality of race
The challenges and struggles that come with being a minority
There’s still so much to be done, but they keep going
Fighting for equality and the right to be treated equally
Equal rights, and equal respect, that’s what they fight for
Equality is something we should all aspire to
But it’s still an uphill battle for black women in Canada.
There are so many obstacles in their way
But they never give up, they keep going
Fighting for their rights and the right to be treated equally.
Analysis of the Poem
Canada is one country that has long been hailed as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. Unfortunately, this idealistic image does not extend to everyone. Only some people, particularly those white, are afforded the same opportunities as other marginalized groups. This is especially true for black women in Canada. There are several reasons why black women in Canada face inequalities. One reason is that black women are perceived as less capable than white women. This is evident in how they are paid, treated, and respected both in the workplace and beyond. Another reason for black women’s inequalities is that they are more likely to experience violence and abuse. This is due in part to the way that their communities are structured, as well as the prevalence of racism in Canada. People need to understand the inequalities black women in Canada face, which, based on the poem above, are categorized into economic, social, and political obstacles.
The poem states that black women in Canada face several economic obstacles that make it difficult for them to achieve parity with their white counterparts. One of the most significant disparities is that they are paid less than men for the same job (Nash, 2019). This is due in part to the way that they are typically employed in lower-paying positions, as well as the fact that they are more likely to be in the workforce part-time. Additionally, black women are less likely to hold positions of power within businesses or organizations. Research indicates that they are less likely to receive promotions and are less likely to earn a high salary (Nash, 2019). This is because they are often not hired for positions requiring a degree or advanced training, and they are less likely to be promoted because they do not have the same experience level. According to the poem above, despite black women trying to defy negativity surrounding the education levels, skills, and experiences of women of color, they continue to face discrimination in the workforce. They are usually seen as less learned and unable to meet the same expectations as white women. Another important economic obstacle black women experience in the US is the wealth gap (Nash, 2019. This gap exists between black and white households, which is the widest for black women. This disparity is because black women are less likely to earn a high salary and own assets like homes or businesses. This wealth gap significantly impacts their ability to accumulate wealth over time and contributes to the socioeconomic disparities between black women and men.
Another inequality black women face in Canada, as presented in the poem above, is social obstacles. This invisibility negatively impacts how black women are viewed by society and affects their ability to achieve parity with white women. Another social obstacle black women face is the power dynamics between men and women. This power dynamic often results in black women being disadvantaged regarding their opportunities and access to resources. According to Borlik et al. (2021), “society places an immense amount of value on white femininity and black masculinity is viewed negatively.” This power dynamic significantly impacts how black women are treated by society and their ability to achieve parity with white women.
One of the most significant political obstacles that black women face is the institutionalized racism that exists in America. This institutionalized racism results in black women being treated differently than white women, limiting their opportunities and access to resources (Ritchie, 2017). Additionally, black women face significant political obstacles when trying to achieve parity with white men through institutionalized sexism in America. This institutionalized sexism results in black men being treated differently than white men, limiting their opportunities and access to resources. These political obstacles result in black women and men having a significantly lower level of parity with white women and men.
Several solutions could be implemented to help achieve parity between black and white women in America. One solution is to implement affirmative action policies that focus on hiring black women in positions of power (Lloyd & Carlson, 2023). This will help to address the institutionalized racism that exists in America and enable black women and black men to have parity with white women and white men, respectively. Additionally, affirmative action policies could be implemented that focus on hiring black women in positions of marginalized status. This will help address the institutionalized sexism in America and enable black women to have parity with white women. Finally, it is important to provide black women with quality education and resources. Education in the US is a key factor in determining economic status and parity between genders. By providing black women with access to quality education, they will be able to achieve the academic qualifications necessary to have parity with white women.
In summary, black women’s inequalities have continued to exist and have not been addressed adequately. The disparities in economic opportunities, educational attainment, health outcomes, and rates of violence underscore the need for action to address these issues. Several policy options could be implemented to address these disparities. For example, affirmative action programs could help redress economic opportunities and educational attainment imbalances. Additionally, health care and safety initiatives could be implemented to address the high rates of violence and poor health outcomes that black women experience.
References
Borlik, M. F., Godoy, S. M., Wadell, P. M., Petrovic-Dovat, L., Cagande, C. C., Hajirnis, A., & Bath, E. P. (2021). Women in academic psychiatry: Inequities, barriers, and promising solutions. Academic Psychiatry, 45(1), 110-119.
Lloyd, C. M., & Carlson, J. (2023). Short-and Long-Term Policy Solutions Are Necessary to Address Inequities in Access and Affordability in the Early Years. Transforming Early Years Policy in the US: A Call to Action, 47.
Nash, J. C. (2019). Black feminism reimagined: After intersectionality. Duke University Press.
Ritchie, A. J. (2017). Invisible no more: Police violence against Black women and women of color. Beacon Press.
Branch, L. (2020). National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Town of Huntington, 844.