- mothers working outside the home (nope, that's capitalism)
- institutionalised child-care (capitalism as well)
- raunch culture (this is a 'bizarre twisting of 'liberation' by men for their own ends')
- pornography (it didn't need feminism!)
- homosexuality (in a culture of permissiveness, where else is there to go?)
- global warming
Monday, September 7, 2009
feminism is not responsible for:
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Hi Simone,
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with the last four - with the first two I think it depends on what you mean by responsible.
I don't think that you can say that feminism hasn't contributed anything to them (in the middle classes anyway), in particular our attitudes towards them. And many feminist writers (not all) have promoted both of these things.
As for global warming, have you seriously heard it blamed on feminism? (Then again, thinking of some sermons I've heard, I wouldn't be surprised.) Thinking about it, though, if I were so inclined I could mount an argument for it, but I'd first have to blame feminism for mothers working outside the home, or something similar, first.
Caroline
Hey Simone,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're getting at, but do you think your understanding of 'responsible for' seems to be a little reductionistic in its view of causality?
I know I know I know!
ReplyDeleteJust wanting to put an idea out there to get us thinking.
I'll comment more later.
Anyone else got stuff to say first?
I certainly agree that economic forces are far more significant in causing the first two than feminism. I think certain feminist thinkers have influenced the meaning of these things in our culture, however.
ReplyDeleteOh, you want constructive comment?
ReplyDelete:(
Sorry, I'm too ignorant (currently) of history to be able to actually contribute something other than ignorance.
And what about science - birth control etc. Would work etc ever have been an option without reliable birth control?
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is, "God bless the makers of the pill!" because without it I'd be either a screaming, crying, wreck or a semi-comatose zombie a couple of days a month because of period pain.
ReplyDeleteActually, I can say more. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Fall is responsible for anyone working outside the home (or even bothering with houses in the first place).
Women were working outside the home for reasons other than choice well before the advent of "modern" feminism. Feminism just gave them a) a chance at equal pay and b) the right to be employed at something they enjoy post-wedding (my grandmother had to stop teaching when she married because she was a woman).
Feminism was initially pro-life.
Same sex attraction is more attributable to the same sex parent being emotionally unavailable - and that can happen in a family where the parents are still married.
Haven't heard the global warming one but I'm sure, given some of the twisted logic I've heard from some public speakers, I could, like Caroline, mount an argument for it.
"Would work etc ever have been an option without reliable birth control?"
ReplyDeleteSure, you just wait 'til your husband dies. There were plenty of business-women and female heads of households in the first century.
Even the married ones could have done plenty of work outside the home. They used contraception and had abortions (both of these were a little dangerous) and adopted instead of having their own kids.
Why, you could find a whole bunch just by reading the New Testament.
... or sitting in bw's lectures...
ReplyDeleteNah, I'm normally asleep. Just ask him.
ReplyDelete