Activism Log 1

This week our group tabled in front of the Student Union for Animal Safehouse on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday was a pretty big pitfall for our group, since there was no definitive list made for what people were going to bring as far as materials and items for the bake sale. As a result, our table lacked color and did not look appealing at all. We also ended up eating the majority of the cookies being sold. Before we left our tabling session, I made sure to write down commitments from every member of the group as far as what we were committing to bringing and contributing for Thursday's tabling. Thursday's tabling went a lot more smoothly, our table was more appealing with colorful signs and the colorful cupcakes that Kailee brought. For next week I was thinking of creating some sort of interaction with the people walking by, like an arts and craft area where individuals can make toys to donate for Animal Safehouse. Also, for next week a collection cup is necessary because our Smoothie King styrofoam cup with 'donations' written haphazardly in faded Crayola marker is not cutting it.

The activism that we've done this week relates to our reading where it defines 'productive' and 'nonproductive' work, where productive work is "market-oriented" work. Where "unpaid work is defined as unproductive to the economy"(Kirk, Okazawa-Rey 305).This is problematic because if a woman were to spend her entire day making meals, cleaning, changing diapers, paying bills, etc. it would not be considered 'productive' work. In this case activism, like tabling for Animal Safehouse, is considered 'unproductive work' because it does not contribute to the Gross National Product. This week's events influenced the way I view feminist activism by only encouraging me to cotinue raising awareness and advocacy about women's issues. Multiple people asked what Animal Safehouse was about, and every single person that asked seemed surprised that no one has thought of Animal Safehouse before. Even people who didn't have any cash to donate, they asked for more information and how to get more involved. Sometimes I feel really overwhelmed because I feel that even with all my activism, on a macro-level, all my organizing, tabling, rallying, educating, etc. is so minuscule in that regard, that many times I wonder if it even is making a difference. But through tabling I loved getting that reaction from people who have never even thought of those issues in that way, and it was inspiring that there are people still willing to listen.

Word count: 422

Works Cited:

Kirk, Gwyn, Okazawa-Rey, Margo. Women’s Lives Multicultural Perspectives Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill , February 2009. Print.