Female students at Arizona University offered extra credit for not shaving armpits
WOULD you do this for extra credit on a university assignment? Get your minds out of the gutter folks. We know what you’re thinking, and it’s not that.
WOULD you do this for extra credit on a university assignment?
OK, get your minds out of the gutter folks. We know what you’re thinking, and it’s far from that.
The Arizona State University is offering female students extra credit for defying social norms and refusing to shave their armpits and legs for 10 weeks during the semester.
Men are also permitted extra credit as long as they shave their bodies from the neck down.
The incentive comes from Women and Gender Studies Professor Breanne Fahs, who encourages her students to disregard social norms of beauty and body hair for a semester and document their experiences in a journal.
“There’s no better way to learn about societal norms than to violate them and see how people react,” Prof Fahs told ASU news.
The Gender Studies Professor believes the choice whether to shave or not shouldn’t be a big deal. “But it is, as the students tend to find out quickly,” she said.
Student Stephanie Robinson said the opportunity was a “truly life-changing” experience. During the semester Ms Robinson noticed disgusted looks from strangers and other students on campus.
“It definitely made me realise that if you’re not strictly adhering to socially prescribed gender roles, your body becomes a site for contestation and public opinion,” she told ASU news.
Interestingly, the students in Prof Fahs’ class formed a camaraderie and bonded over their body hair (or lack thereof).
“They developed a sense of community and enjoy engaging in an act of rebellion together,” Prof Fahs said.
Prof Fahs said women who stopped shaving were more likely to be concerned about what their partner thought, while men who shaved focused more on what other men thought. Both genders experienced sexism from people in their community.
But despite the public reaction, Prof Fahs’ students are supportive of the program, many attribute the experiment with helping them shape personal lifelong views on gender rights and societal norms.
The question is, will they continue to rebel after the 10 weeks are over, or revert to the norm?
Would you do Prof Fahs’ experiment? Tell us in the comments below or join the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ