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HSY1511 Assignment 3 Semester 1 2024
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HSY1511 Assignment 3 2024
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Paragraph questions.Answer any two of the following questions in 15-20 lines each (maximum of 250
words per paragraph)
1. Discuss how Sarah Baartman became a symbol of ideas of race held by
Europeans in the 19th century and how this promoted racial and gender
discrimination.
Sarah Baartman, also called the "Hottentot Venus," was a woman from South Africa.
In the 1800s, Europeans treated her body very badly. They showed her off in places
like London and Paris because they thought her body was strange. They thought
African women were wild and too interested in sex. This made them think they were
better than African people. It was a way to show that white Europeans were superior.
Baartman's story shows how people were treated badly because of their race and
gender. She was exhibited in London and Paris, where she was displayed as a
curiosity, reinforcing stereotypes of African inferiority and white superiority.
Baartman's portrayal as a spectacle reinforced notions of racial hierarchy, with
Europeans positioning themselves as superior to Africans.
Sarah Baartman's story illustrates the intersectionality of race and gender
discrimination. As a black woman, she faced exploitation and objectification on
multiple fronts. Her treatment highlighted how gendered racism operated, with her
body commodified and her agency denied. Baartman's experience underscores the
dehumanizing effects of colonialism and imperialism, which exploited non-white
bodies for entertainment and profit.
, The exploitation of Baartman's body kept harmful stereotypes that justified the
control of African people and women alive. It contributed to the construction of racial
hierarchies that positioned white Europeans at the top and justified their dominance
over colonized peoples. Furthermore, Baartman's story serves as a poignant
reminder of the enduring legacy of colonialism and the ongoing struggles against
racism and sexism. Her exploitation and objectification continue to resonate today,
prompting conversations about representation, agency, and the intersectionality of
oppression.
1 I.D. Mothoagae (2016) Reclaiming our black bodies: reflections on a portrait of Sarah (Saartjie) Baartman
and the destruction of black bodies by the state
OR
Baartman, also known as Sarah, Saartjie had what was called
“staetopygia”, resulting in extremely protuberant buttocks due to build-up fat. This
made her a cause of fascination when she was exhibited at a venue in London’s
Piccadilly Circus.
Sarah was an African woman who in the early 1800 was something of an international
sensation of objectification. She was paraded around Europe, where spectators
jeered at her large buttocks.
Baartman is a Khoisan lady from South Africa. Emigrated to
Europe in the early 1800s. It’s unknown if she did it voluntarily or was forced.
Showmen took her around Europe, forcing her to sing and dance in in front of
hundreds of white bystanders in an unpleasant and demeaning show. Baartman was
occasionally hanged in a cage on stage while being poked,prodded, and touched
while naked in these displays. Her bulging buttocks, which were caused by a disorder
were described as grotesque,lewd,and vulgar.
She also had enlarged labia a physical trait dubbed a“Hottentot apron” by some. Both
became racial symbols and many more women from this region of Africa were
smuggled to Europe for white enjoyment. Baartman’s features were exoticism
because they differed so significantly from. Mainstream conceptions of white feminine
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