Thursday 10 July 2014

Mustard, Sunflowers & Women in Science

Sweater and shorts are thrifted | space shuttle c/o Eclectic Eccentricity | astronaut c/o Ginger Pickle | tights are from my shop | shoes are Naot | earrings are handmade by me

Because it's the middle of winter and my house doesn't have any heating (#studentlyfe) I have been wearing mostly warm colours like orange, red and yellow - as if I'm trying to trick my brain to make up for our lack of heating. I have also been ~constantly~ wearing this new Lime Crime velveteen lipstick (Wicked) because it's also a lovely, warm colour and it goes perfectly with my hair! Seriously, this lipstick is tha shiz - I put it on after breakfast, and it's still there when I'm getting ready for bed, without any reapplications! Now how's that for staying power?

And then there's these tights - they're my absolute favourite right now. Even when I'm just wearing a pair of plain black shorts and a sweater, they make that outfit interesting. I've been wearing this floral pair for the last week to check out how durable they are, because I have them for sale in my shop - and they're super good quality, I have not gotten a single ladder or tear, and I've even been taking them bike riding! So with that little plug, if you want to buy a pair I have about 8 pairs for sale in my shop!

"Our words can have a huge impact. Isn't it time we told her she's pretty brilliant too?"

This video from Verizon shows us how both society and parents unintentionally dissuade girls from going into science, and oh boy, it gets so many things right. And yeah, it's an ad for Verizon, but it's a really great one. First off, it's a video all about female empowerment that doesn't resort to how women look - such as those ads that emphasise "don't worry, you're beautiful whatever you look like", and in doing so perpetuate the idea that appearance is still the most important thing to strive for if you're a woman.

As slate observes, the ad makes parents and society into the problem, not the girls themselves. "So much of our efforts in trying to encourage girls end up treating them like they're the ones who are screwing up, either with too much "body talk" or being lame for playing with certain toys. This ad shifts the focus, arguing that girls are born fine and it's the rest of us who screw them up" says Slate's Amanda Marcotte.

The idea of young girls being "ladylike" - of not getting dirty, not playing with things found at the beach, staying safe, being quiet and letting the men handle potentially dangerous tools - is also telling those girls that they shouldn't have an interest in science and technology, because it's not a very "ladylike" profession to strive for.

Yes, you can tell a young woman that she's pretty, but that should never be her most important quality. Because "she's pretty brilliant, too".







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18 comments:

  1. I love this post! Women are SO discouraged by social paradigms & it sucks. Not just in science but in so many aspects of life! Ugh. It's awful.

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  2. Also, this reminds of the #Likeagirl ad that shows the difference between really young girls & older women's interpretation of 'like a girl'

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    1. Yep. That was a really great video, too!
      And yeah, it definitely discourages women from many, many things, not just science - thought I'd just focus on science coz of my whole sciencey-blogging thing haha. ;)

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  3. You look fabulous...and that lipstick is fantastic! :O
    I absolutely love that video, yet I find it so sad just the same because its so true! I hope societies view on a girl's worth improves a lot more in the future :3

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  4. Excellent post! What a great ad. I love the few recent ads coming out which highlight the issues with how girls and women are conditioned to behave. I'm hoping there can be a larger shift in the way people think about gender and how they raise their children. Hopefully clips like these are eye openers to otherwise oblivious people. Also, your outfit is adorable. Stay warm <3

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  5. I love your outfit! and how cool are those necklaces! whoow. And hell yeah girls and science. My sister is a scientist and awesome! She is one of the smartest people I know. Go girls GO! :D

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  6. Really love the colour combinations in your outfit, especially that lipstick. And wow, that ad was great but also really sad because it's so true! Kids need to be encouraged to be who they want to be and not penned in by these social boundaries that determine what a girl or boy 'should be'. I love that there's a few of these videos popping up about young girls growing up. But what about little boys? Told they need to 'act strong and brave like a man'? It's a tough society we live in.

    Cats in Crop Tops

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  7. Gorgeous outfit :)
    Thanks for sharing this video! I study Biochemistry, about to go into second year! I love that science is seen more and more equal now :') I know so many girls who are into it, although doing science at school there were only two girls in my Chemistry class and two in my Biology class! People should strive to do whatever they want :') I feel lucky that I was always encouraged to do science rather than told to do something more ladylike xo

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  8. Not a Verizon fan but I love their ad. We are so much more than our looks and that message should definitely be given over and over again to our little girls....it has to start at home first. Have you seen the Goldie Blox ad? It is amazing. They're a toy company that makes engineering toys for girls. You can find it on youtube under Princess Machine.

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  9. I love the outfit, such lovely colours you have chosen :D Also what a great video! I think this issue needs to be raised more, I used to hear phrases like that from my family myself when growing up so it's almost relateable too. Thanks for raising this issue, it is definitely something that needs to be addressed :D

    www.violetdaffodils.blogspot.co.uk
    xx

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  10. love this! especially because of the mustard. Mustard is the best <3

    http://roseandvintage.blogspot.com/

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  11. Wow, quite a gorgeous outfit! I love that sweater :)

    xx
    ~Chantilly

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  12. I've been loving that Verizon campaign. So glad to see people trying to do something about the lack of women in science & math fields.

    Also your outfit is just so cute and fall-tastic with those warm colors. I agree that a pair of cool tights can make any outfit really interesting. These are wonderful and unique!

    Jamie | PetitePanoply.com

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  13. You look amazing! I love the colour of the jumper and the tights are soooo cool! I can't totally relate to freezing in a student house in the winter, January and Feb is deffo the worst! (I live in England)

    The Velvet Black // UK Style, Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

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  14. I guess I never realized that winters in Australia are maybe more mild than the ones here (your grass is still so green! Do you guys get snow??)! I love this color combination, and you look awesome with the dark lippy. You are such a multi-faceted, strong, smart person, Annika, and you have one of the most lovely spirits of any blogger I know. You always to manage to bring up such important points.

    xox Sammi

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  15. Annika:
    You are the BEST of the BEST! Always so very stylish........I adore those tights.........even more than the harlequin white and black ones......

    You're sooooo right about women in science careers too..... It's happening in America, trust me

    Jayme, your biggest GUY fan in America

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    1. It took me a while to come up with the thought...but I've got it..... you remind me of a beautiful fall day in New England............ the colors in your outfit are so perfect.....just as the scenery in New England with the fall foliage.
      one other thing...... I love those houndstooth tights you have on sale as well...... shame you don't carry large.....

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  16. I love this outfit so much ^_^ Especially the tights!
    Also, your hair looks so cute up, I like the natural wave it has.
    xox

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