It's a bit too essentialist to me. There are differences broadly between men and women but there is a huge category of traits that are both masculine and feminine - or "neutral". But culture will claim some are more the domain of man or women - like "Men are strong and courageous." Hello, many women are too!
I couldn't believe the comment where the guy said that problem-solving was something only men enjoy, because of testosterone. What do I do all day long?
The problem with these essentialist arguments is that they take away MY femininity. They tell me that I am at essence masculine with all these supposedly masculine qualities, because I like computers, solving problems, because I think logically.. I don't want to be turned into a man by these people. I don't want to have my choices taken away - my preferences to do what I like - because I'm a woman and not supposed to like these things. I'm supposed to want a man to take care of me - I don't. I like men and would have married one if I had met the right one...but it would be so that he could be my protector. It would be because I admire his qualities - masculine and feminine.
Am I just such a wierd freak that I shouldn't be counted, are most women clamoring to stay at home and nurture, and don't want to think logically or solve problems?
Loved this commentator though: "Young working class men are now no longer in a kind of employment (if in employment at all) which brings you into contact with older people, or offers you incentives to knuckle down and acquire values of tolerance, hard-work and a respect for craft. There’s no contact with models of masculinity which include respect, tolerance and mutual support.
What you’re left with are examples of masculinity which come at young people through the prism of mass media, films and TV. If your model of what it is to be a man comes solely from action films, then it’s going to be lopsided. You can’t behave like Jack Bauer in the classroom, and masculinity is about far more than power and getting what you want by violence. It’s also self-reinforcing in that it doesn’t provide any practical applications to what you do to get on or improve yourself. Childhood bullying and underachievement persists into adulthood, and it’s never really challenged."
better notes on gender - http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/debate05/debate05_index.html
Spelke p0wned Pinker on a similar line of reasoning. Pinker was proposing a nature argument, Spelke was showing how its societal (this was in regards to science)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 01:19 pm (UTC)There are differences broadly between men and women but there is a huge category of traits that are both masculine and feminine - or "neutral". But culture will claim some are more the domain of man or women - like "Men are strong and courageous." Hello, many women are too!
I couldn't believe the comment where the guy said that problem-solving was something only men enjoy, because of testosterone. What do I do all day long?
The problem with these essentialist arguments is that they take away MY femininity. They tell me that I am at essence masculine with all these supposedly masculine qualities, because I like computers, solving problems, because I think logically.. I don't want to be turned into a man by these people. I don't want to have my choices taken away - my preferences to do what I like - because I'm a woman and not supposed to like these things. I'm supposed to want a man to take care of me - I don't. I like men and would have married one if I had met the right one...but it would be so that he could be my protector. It would be because I admire his qualities - masculine and feminine.
Am I just such a wierd freak that I shouldn't be counted, are most women clamoring to stay at home and nurture, and don't want to think logically or solve problems?
no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 01:21 pm (UTC)"Young working class men are now no longer in a kind of employment (if in employment at all) which brings you into contact with older people, or offers you incentives to knuckle down and acquire values of tolerance, hard-work and a respect for craft. There’s no contact with models of masculinity which include respect, tolerance and mutual support.
What you’re left with are examples of masculinity which come at young people through the prism of mass media, films and TV. If your model of what it is to be a man comes solely from action films, then it’s going to be lopsided. You can’t behave like Jack Bauer in the classroom, and masculinity is about far more than power and getting what you want by violence. It’s also self-reinforcing in that it doesn’t provide any practical applications to what you do to get on or improve yourself. Childhood bullying and underachievement persists into adulthood, and it’s never really challenged."
no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-18 01:21 pm (UTC)Spelke p0wned Pinker on a similar line of reasoning. Pinker was proposing a nature argument, Spelke was showing how its societal (this was in regards to science)