Terms

Access- the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; admittance, to make contact with or gain access to; be able to reach, approach, enter, etc. (dictionary.com) Essentially, having access to an abortion means that it is available to you in a relational, locational, and economical standpoint. There will be a center within your county, or at least within the next, someone willing to take the time to sit with you and explain the process and your options, and an economic ability to pay for the procedure. Legality- the state or quality of being in conformity with the law; lawfulness. attachment to or observance of law. (dictionary.com) We all know Roe v. Wade and the right to privacy statute occurred, but just because abortion is a legal action within the United States does not mean that it's availability is not limited, in some instances greatly. Rural- of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people;of or relating to the countryside as opposed to the city. (dictionary.com) Urban- characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified; relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area. (dictionary.com) Universal Health care- Universal health care refers to government mandated programs intended to ensure that all citizens, and sometimes permanent residents, of a governmental region have access to most types of health care. Patients may pay for some portion of their care directly, but most care is subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory insurance... The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care) Transnational Feminist Theory- Looking at the lives of women across the world "without borders", the interactions within and between women of different cultures, and how various issues such as capitalism, globalism, the "other" sexuality, labor, and poverty affect women across the world differently. This theory avoids type-casting women through objectification. It recognizes that all women share a gender, but a "global sisterhood" is a false idea, and instead works to enhance aspects of other cultures through collaboration and education. (Adapted from FB, GRN, and syllabus) Cultural Relativism- The principle that ones beliefs and activities should be interpreted in terms of ones own culture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_relativism) -"...the term 'difference' assumes there is 'a norm' from which those who are labelled 'different' diverge, with the added implication that they should be assimilated into it, or aspire to be assimilated." (GRN p. 35) Classism- any form of prejudice or oppression against people as a result of their actual or perceived social class (especially in the form of lower or higher socioeconomic status). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classism) Ageism- stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageism) Sexism- commonly considered to be discrimination and/or hatred against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all systemic differentiations based on the sex of the individuals. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism) Racism- the belief that members of one race are intrinsically superior or inferior to members of other races. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism) "Politics of Location"- "By the term 'politics of location, I refer to the historical, geographical, cultural, psychic, and imaginative boundaries that provide the ground for political definition and self-definition for contemporary U.S. feminists." (FB p. 106) Multicultural Feminism- "...the task of recognizing and undoing the ways in which we colonize and objectify our different histories and cultures, thus colluding with hegemonic processes of domination and rule... cannot assume the existence of a dialogue among feminists from different communities without specifying a just and ethical basis for such a dialogue... requires...that we 'become fluent in each other's histories'... and [seek] 'unlikely coalitions'... and clarify the ethics and meaning of dialogue. [The] most crucial [challenge] for a critical multicultural feminism is working out how to engage in ethical and caring dialogues (and revolutionary struggles) accross the divisions, conflicts, and individualist identity formations that interweave feminist communities in the United States." (FB p. 125)