Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with empowerment

A feminist gift for my mom?

salvia — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:34:06 -0800

GiftFilter: Light-hearted feminist stuff for my mom? A good gift for a 55 year old woman asserting her "bad" side and moving toward self-empowerment? My mom spent her life feeling pressure to be "good" and make everyone else's needs her priority. Maybe in response, she's always liked things that show people, especially women, rebelling and being "bad." She likes things like the Pirates of the Caribbean; the book Wicked; all those "teen witch"-type movies; the Anne Taintor cards, stuff like that.

Anyway, she and my dad are getting divorced, and she's redefining her life. So more than ever, I'd like to support this spirit of independence and female empowerment. Any ideas about what might appeal to her? Something with confident and empowered women as a realty, ideally (rather than passive-aggressive snark, or rebellion fantasies where female empowerment requires supernatural intervention). My default idea is a subscription to Bitch Magazine, but that's probably the wrong demographic. Any ideas?

Seeking information about self defense course(s) and related activites/classes.

iamkimiam — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:03:32 -0800

I am interested in self-defense classes. There are lots of methods and places to do this. The options are a little overwhelming and I know very little about the topic. Can somebody break it down and make some suggestions and/or recommendations that might be best suited for me? Based on the following (below), what would be a well-rounded type of self defense that might be most effective for confidence-building, safety, and exercise?

• I am a 5' tall, physically active, late 20s female
• I have lots of free time (could attend one class, or a series, but don't know what the difference is between a single session or an intensive course)
• I live in Oakland and can travel
• Would be interested to martial arts (there's so many kinds!) and/or other forms of activity
• Classes that allow me the opportunity to meet other women and/or men in the area would be great too

Any other info and ideas welcome. Thanks!

FemFilmFilter.

Kibbutz — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 17:01:11 -0800

Hypothetically, let's just say you . . . I dunno . . . are in charge of "movie night" for 40 womyn, who work with victims of . . . let's say . . . sexual assault on a daily basis. What films would you recommend? A little on the lighter side is preferable, but Thelma and Louise-ish is okay, too. An apt theme might be "Right on, sister!"

Interactive storytelling – good examples of both traditional and electronic?

chocolatepeanutbuttercup — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 18:28:43 -0800

There’s a long tradition of telling a story, say, around a campfire, or to a group of friends in a bar, and based on the feedback you get, changing the story to suit or entertain your audience. Today, the web gives everyone the ability to tell a story and receive feedback from a much wider audience than was previously possible. Two examples I can think of are the blogging phenomenon and Shelley Jackson’s hypertext writings. I’m looking for traditional/historical examples and sources as well as as well as online equivalents?