March 2, 2003
Great conversation going on at Full Bleed: Confessions of a Zine Girl: Here We Go Again that began with her annoyance at a newspaper article about blogging that barely included women and moved into Dru’s asking two significant questions:
1-Who is hurt by cultural bias and gender bias?
2-Whose "Job" is it to "do the legwork? [i.e. work to change the way things are]
I'm not going to try to recount the whole conversation, which deserves to be read and added to (so go there and do it).
But I will repeat here my own two comments.(Why not, it's my weblog, isn't it?)
1. First of all, I'm feeling like Suzanne. Having struggled for equity on lots of fronts since the 60s (when I was in my twenties and married with children), I'm tired. And, like Suzanne, I thank you, Dru, for not giving up.
It's interesting to read comments that mention political weblogs so often. It's also interesting to me to realize that the weblogs I read most are more like personal essays -- sometimes on politics, sometimes on relationships, sometimes on the weather etc. etc. And they are weblogs that offer a comment feature. And they are often by women, who seem to be drawn to richness of the entire gestalt, who use their weblogs to share reflections on all sides of life.
The real beauty of weblogging, as far as I'm concerned, is the enabling of conversations with people I'd never have a chance to get to know and interact with any other way. (I find that most "journals" don't have a comment feature.)
But back to the lack of recognition of the excellent women bloggers out there: blogging is an extension of a larger world, and most men in the larger world still don't demonstrate the same acknowledgment of women's worth/interests/abilities/perspectives as they do of their own gender. And, let's face it: the world's power is in the hands of men. It is not surprising that it is each other whom they listen to, read, and acknowlege.
I applaud the men of our younger generations who have moved beyond the restrictions of gender inequity. (I wonder how many of them were raised by feminist mothers.)
When the larger world moves beyond a male-dominated paradigm (and into a more balanced mode), then, so will blogging, reporting...
In the meanwhile, Dru, it's up to your generation to fight the good fight. Women like me are still here to back you up, but many of us really are worn out by the struggle.
2. Back to your questions:
Who is hurt by gender and cultural bias? Of course those of us against whom the bias works [are hurt and] would like to think that the human race benefits [from a more equitable system of human interaction]. Don't you think that the truth is that those who are now benefitting by the bias have no reason to want things to be different? Well, OK, maybe some of them understand that it would be a better world in general if everyone believed and acted as though everyone were "equal." But don't you think that most people who have any kind of power are afraid to give any of it up -- even for a better world in general? Because their worlds, in particular, would be ones in which they would lose something they want.
Whose job is it to do the leg work? The ones who REALLY want things to be different, of course. Don't you think that even men who think they want things to be more equitable really are afraid that they'd have to give up some things that they want to keep?
So, guess who has to do keep doing the leg work -- and most of that means raising sons with more egalalitarian values and daughters who expect those values of the men with whom they partner.
Revolution didn't work. Now we need to help evolution along.
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Old Comments (3)
drublood on 03 Mar 2003
Here's what I just said in reply to your latest comment, Elaine:
OK, yeah. Definitely. But that doesn't mean that I have to concede that it's "my work" to do. Just because someone refuses the work, does not mean it wasn't their responsibility all along. I'm thinking of my 6 year old here...he might mess up his room, and it's really not in his best interest to clean it up ("I like it messy, mom.") but if I go ahead and clean it up for him (because I know that he actually plays in his room more when it's at least a little bit orderly) it does not necessarily mean that it's my job, it just means that I'm sort of throwing up my hands and, rather than waiting around for it to become important to him, I'm cleaning it up anyway.
What I'm hearing from some people is the equivalent of my son telling me that it was my responsibility to clean up the room all along. Kind of like how my son claims to not care that it's messy, but demonstrates a preference for a clean room, men here and elsewhere claim that they are for equality, yet they feel like it's a woman's job to get us there.
And, you know, the work gets done exponentially faster (and it's way more fun) when everyone pitches in.
Gina Giuliano on 03 Mar 2003
"So, guess who has to do keep doing the leg work -- and most of that means raising sons with more egalitarian values and daughters who expect those values of the men with whom they partner."
Elaine, I couldn't agree more!! Sadly, I know plenty of people who (at least seem to) politically support egalitarian values - but on a personal level do not model the behavior. (Same is true for many other issues, for example respect for the environment.)
dzwonki polifoniczne nokia on 13 Jun 2004
Hmmmmm interesting !!!