Post by travellingfay on Oct 10, 2008 22:09:33 GMT -5
One of the things that I particularly appreciate about Avatar is that there are strong, interesting and rounded characters - white hats and black hats both - of both genders. I was a trifle sorry that Team Geezer in the finale underlined the fact that none of the older mentor figures had been women, but overall I thought the show did pretty darned well at showing people as people. The girls kick Equus asinus - but not at the expense of the guys. (It would have been very easy to have Sokka be the fall guy - I really was delighted that he got to mature and grow along with the others, and that he had his moments of genuine heroism and competence.)
So to the topic in question.
...er, not so much, actually.
Feminism is the outrageous concept that women are people, and that they should have the rights, freedoms and opportunities of people.
Now of course with any movement or phiosophy, you have a vast array of different (and indeed wildly contradictory) belief systems and ideals contained underneath that one umbrella term. Feminism incorporates all manner of different beliefs - but the bottom line is that women are people, and should have the rights, freedoms and opportunities of people.
Do I consider myself a feminist? Certainly. I think that the gender one happens to be born into should have no bearing upon one's pay, or one's right to vote, or one's right to an education, or one's right to enter into professions for which one is competent and capable.
I think that parenting is a vitally important job, and that choosing to stay at home and raise a child is a perfectly sensible, dignified and mature choice; but I don't think that it's a woman's duty to stay home and raise the kids. I think it's a parent's duty (albeit one that we can't always manage these days - plenty of people HAVE to work, for financial reasons, and don't have the chance to stay home and raise their child).
Interestingly (and in spite of the profound power imbalance in many Muslim countries these days - in Pakistan, for example, if a woman is raped SHE IS SENT TO PRISON) Islam has historically been quite a bit LESS sexist than Christianity. Mohamed was quite clear on the fact that women had souls just the same as men (something that Christians were denying until fairly recently, believe it or not), and that women were responsible for their own choices and salvation. Women were also in charge of their own money from the get go, and were welcome to be businesspeople. And they could divorce their menfolk if they wanted. Much of the sexism in Middle Eastern countries these days is tied in with tribal beliefs and traditions, rather than religious doctrine. Which is a bit off topic, but I think it's quite interesting.
.....er, Sweeping Generalisation much?
Oh, I quite agree that these are ugly formations. "They" and "Them", however, are perfectly innocuous and sensible alternatives, where the gender of the person in question is uncertain. Using "His" or "Him" to refer to people of both genders strikes me as even more jarring. (And I'm a teacher myself, for what it's worth.)
...WTFF? Seriously? You're playing the "women are emotional and impractical" card?
...er, again, not so much. On behalf of the people of the rest of the world, I bring you greetings. Hi. We exist.
So to the topic in question.
That's [ie wiping out all men] kinda the extreme, and eventual goal, of feminism.
"Feminism," in its true form, not the watered down "equal rights" front group, seeks the domination over men.
"Feminism," in its true form, not the watered down "equal rights" front group, seeks the domination over men.
...er, not so much, actually.
Feminism is the outrageous concept that women are people, and that they should have the rights, freedoms and opportunities of people.
Now of course with any movement or phiosophy, you have a vast array of different (and indeed wildly contradictory) belief systems and ideals contained underneath that one umbrella term. Feminism incorporates all manner of different beliefs - but the bottom line is that women are people, and should have the rights, freedoms and opportunities of people.
Do I consider myself a feminist? Certainly. I think that the gender one happens to be born into should have no bearing upon one's pay, or one's right to vote, or one's right to an education, or one's right to enter into professions for which one is competent and capable.
I think that parenting is a vitally important job, and that choosing to stay at home and raise a child is a perfectly sensible, dignified and mature choice; but I don't think that it's a woman's duty to stay home and raise the kids. I think it's a parent's duty (albeit one that we can't always manage these days - plenty of people HAVE to work, for financial reasons, and don't have the chance to stay home and raise their child).
Been like that for thousands of generations and mostly due to religious society seeing how in Christianity, Islam, and even Judaism there have been countless sexism.
Interestingly (and in spite of the profound power imbalance in many Muslim countries these days - in Pakistan, for example, if a woman is raped SHE IS SENT TO PRISON) Islam has historically been quite a bit LESS sexist than Christianity. Mohamed was quite clear on the fact that women had souls just the same as men (something that Christians were denying until fairly recently, believe it or not), and that women were responsible for their own choices and salvation. Women were also in charge of their own money from the get go, and were welcome to be businesspeople. And they could divorce their menfolk if they wanted. Much of the sexism in Middle Eastern countries these days is tied in with tribal beliefs and traditions, rather than religious doctrine. Which is a bit off topic, but I think it's quite interesting.
It's funny, the Japanese have no issues with patriarchal society, because they find that everything works fine. Wonder why westerners aren't the same way.
.....er, Sweeping Generalisation much?
My english teacher (who's a woman by the way) hates it when people turn in their essays and write "he/she" or "his or her", because for the sake of political correctness or pro-feminism the english language gets butchered, and I have to say I agree. As you say, we live in the now, so we should try to just live our lives instead of nitpicking every little infraction to people's feelings.
Oh, I quite agree that these are ugly formations. "They" and "Them", however, are perfectly innocuous and sensible alternatives, where the gender of the person in question is uncertain. Using "His" or "Him" to refer to people of both genders strikes me as even more jarring. (And I'm a teacher myself, for what it's worth.)
But, I'm just a cold, practical man, what do I know.
...WTFF? Seriously? You're playing the "women are emotional and impractical" card?
America is the only country that has a problem with patriarchal society, because here, a woman won't get shot or beaten for speaking her mind (usually).
...er, again, not so much. On behalf of the people of the rest of the world, I bring you greetings. Hi. We exist.