Can men discuss feminism critically? (page 6)

sweetstuff

really? well I guess that 3 year politics degree was a complete waste of time as i learnt nothing about the 3 waves of feminism. perhaps you could enlighten me mr doe....

Ness, he's too busy watching Beavis and Butthead at the mo.

diamondblue1974

But in general, my opinion is that academic standards which apply to research and scholarship are simply not followed in gender and racial scholarship. that makes much of what is produced of no value to us as a society.

I agree with you to a certain extent - there is definately a shortage of good scholarly material relating to gender although there is some out there if you can be bothered to look hard enough. That being said you do have to wade through an awful lot of crap before you get to the good stuff.

One of my favourite authors is Nicola Lacey (although her subject relates to Feminist Legal Theory) - another would be Judith Butler.

G

brinjen

Para, I realise your post was for sixonine, however as I said earlier it really depends on the form of feminism you're talking about...

When I studied liberal feminism in the late nineties, many of the issues we studied did include men taking on the role of housekeeper and (among others) men choosing careers dominated by women (such as nursing), they are still regarded as feminist issues by many, they just don't get the same coverage. Which is unfortunate as they are still very important issues.

A large push now is for more affordable child care for working mothers. This one rather baffles me. Most working mothers regret having to leave their child at a caregiver, but it is a necessity. So much focus has been put on women need to do it alone, that they are forgetting an angle that I think would work better. Promote homemaking for men. Work to lower the stigma for male homemakers then a woman that wants to focus on a career can do so.

Agreed! I really think the issue of who works and who stays with the kids should be decided as a couple. What works for you & your family, not someone else's. We seem to be steering away from the original way of feminism which was to simply allow women the freedom of choice.

Having said that, I do think to a certain extent the issue is also an economical one. Many couples simply can't afford to live on one income...

Paralipomenon

brinjen, sorry I skipped over your comment.

I completely agree there are many forms of feminism, I am more focusing on those with a large political entities as they end up influencing more people.

Usually the more open minded feminist movements aren't as well funded and likewise have less of a presence. That's just my personal opinion, I have absolutely no data to back it up so I'm quite open to being corrected on it.

Paralipomenon

Many couples simply can't afford to live on one income...

In my economics studies I think the feminist movement shoulders some of the blame for this.

Middle class families used to be able to get by with (for example) $50k per year. As the right to work started being adopted, rather than either the man or the woman earning $50k a year, they were both able to work and have a combined income of $100k/year.

More disposible income usually leads to inflation and slowly the cost of living is rising so that now it takes $100k/year to live so that a woman working is not longer an option, but in many cases a necessity.

brinjen

Usually the more open minded feminist movements aren't as well funded and likewise have less of a presence.

I agree...

I think that has more to do with politcs than anything else. Parties who are out to snag a specific group of voters tend to focus more on specific issues instead of looking at the bigger picture...

I don't think anyone wins that way

brinjen

Middle class families used to be able to get by with (for example) $50k per year. As the right to work started being adopted, rather than either the man or the woman earning $50k a year, they were both able to work and have a combined income of $100k/year.
More disposible income usually leads to inflation and slowly the cost of living is rising so that now it takes $100k/year to live so that a woman working is not longer an option, but in many cases a necessity.

You may have a point there... Can't speak for Canada, but here in Oz, a big part of that is the cost of housing. Affordability is at a 30 year low. Rising cost of fuel is another ($1.40 a litre or more here) and the fact that we seem to need to have more crap than ever before...

hamsterbait

In this modern age the stay at home CHILDLESS house wife is just as treacherous a parody of the human female as a prostitute.

It is absurd in this age that a woman stay at home devoting her only life to household drudgery in exchange for having all her bills paid for her by somebody with a penis. It is unfair to expect a man on an ordinary wage to support both himself and another healthy adult as though she is a child or a mental defective.

The job of a mother is so big and time consuming it relegates housework to a minor role.Yet mothers dont always do best by their children. How often are children battered to death in a creche? It happens with horrifying regularity at the hands of frustrated housebound mothers.

The average housewife looks after one man and two children. Compare this smug caring with that of the nurse who shows unselfish devotion and care to complete strangers AND has to do her own housework.

Battered women - how many are non working women who put up with vile treatment?

The childless housewife is not a prostitute. Prostitutes earn their own living, and dont spend their days flicking switches and watching soap operas.

As for day care - We are now in a ridiculous situation, where a woman puts her child in a centre, and goes out to earn wages MOST OF WHICH GOES TO PAY FOR DAY CARE. The women working at the centre are probably working there to pay for their own kids to be looked after in another creche!!

HB

ness

HB...your post does not betray your gender and Im just itching to know...im guessing female.

trevor

Feminist

Racist

Sexist

People will throw these terms around in an attempt to gain unearned advantage. They are cards played to silence opposition to change which advantages those seeking the change. Of course to be a feminist is admired among like minded women.

Interestingly, although it is unacceptable to be viewed as a racist or a sexist it is OK in some circles to be viewed as a feminist. Why?

To be critical of men on the basis of their gender is sexist. To say women are better than men just because they are women is again sexist. Aren't feminists attempting to do to the other sex what racists do to people of other races?

To put any one down and think them lesser because of their gender or race is what civilised nation have fought against for years.

Men and women of all races should not have to tolerate people who badge themselves as racists, sexists, feminists or ridiculously - maleists.

Can men discuss feminism critically?

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