Instead of looking at gender issues from the perspective of women I am starting to believe you must also look at gender issues from the perspective of men. Before everyone screams, that is what the academy has always done please hear me out. Instead of exploring privilege from the perspective of the disadvantages of women and what has lead to those disadvantages. We need to look at privilege from the perspective of the advantages of men and why they have those privileges. By doing this, we can show men how their privilege is structural and is unearned. In addition, we can motivate men towards working to end male privilege and maybe more men will become interested in accomplishing this goal. Yes, I understand we cannot lose sight of women because historically women and their issues have been ignored by the academy but at the same time an exploration of privilege from the perspective of the dominant group will help further our understanding and hopefully help us end the structural and other oppression that exists for the subordinate gender group.
Inspired by Karyn Loscocco and her framework for exploring racial privilege from the perspective of the dominant group.
I would really appreciate (and am interested in) more contributions from you that relate to your personal experience as a male body in this patriarchal world and an analysis of your privilege. More about your social location, and how you have come to a realization about your socialization, and even how this extends to your male social circles.
ReplyDeleteI understand you feel often cornered in class by all the "female-vantage-point" opinion, but maybe the best strategy is to contribute your (analyzed) "male-vantage-point," instead of constantly challenging us (the women) to consider the male vantage point. I think of our class as a community and as a space to muddle through our feelings and thoughts, and I encourage you to contribute more of your personal feelings and reflections as a male body with a unique opinion and view.
Also, I feel a little "irrationalized" when you refer to my opinion stating as "scream[ing]."
(p.s. I almost wrote "I don't know if this is just me but..." but I just read Elise's post and was like "Goddammit this is my rightful opinion)
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ReplyDeleteI understand your want of me to contribute more of myself in class and I will try to do so. My difficulty with that is that I feel that I have not exactly had the typical male experience but I will try and contribute what I can.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand that I shouldn't expect other classmates to " want to or [be] ready to discuss where [men] fit in or what role [men] should take" in feminist thought (the.strenuous.briefness). I believe that it is a little hypercritical to want men involved in the conversation to teach other men but then not be ready to look at how men are affected by their privilege and how they may be helpful to the feminist movement.