i was at work today, which is always a kick in the pants (or a pain in the ass) and one of the people i am a caregiver for whispered something to me. she leaned in and said "my other staff member doesn't shave her legs." i leaned closer to her and said "neither do i."
what is so interesting about the population i work with is that there is so much emphasis on "passing" and/or living "normal lives." at the same time, it is also a lesson for "normal" people on how to acknowledge that there are differently-abled people in their community...back to assimilation...
so, this job is all about disciplinary practices and reproductive labor; teaching and re-teaching all of those things we do every day to maintain our lives. it is also very similar to being a stay at home parent. but what is different is that the parent changes all the time and what is "normal" to one parent is totally "abnormal" to another. the person i work with has been socialized to believe that women shave their legs, but now she has two staff members who don't and is slightly confused by this.
though i shouldn't be, i am always shocked at how a woman who doesn't take part in certain "grooming" practices are always thought of to be taboo. even in a hippie town like Moscow.
