[gender-it] More tech + activism frustrations
- From: "Sonja van Kerkhoff" <Sonjak@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <gender-it@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 16:16:41 +0100
sorry Faith, I meant to send this to the list.
thanks for your comments Faith,
>I agree about the defensiveness=20
>about feminism that is demonstrated particularly by 'liberal' people of =
all=20
>genders who think they are 'beyond' issues of feminism and yet are =
often=20
>unconsciously sexist and racist because they have not dealt with the =
embodied=20
>conditions of sexism and racism at all. They think it is all in their =
heads. And=20
>then they don't make the connections that need to be made.=20
it helps so much to voice things like this, so next time, any of us, =
encounters this, it is easier to dismiss or to react to it, in a way =
that is more effective, than just feeling invisible / annoyed / tired, =
etc.
>For example, anarchism=20
>is so related to feminism and to issues of racism. How could they not =
connect=20
>this? (Obviously they haven't read Emma Goldman or some of the Italian=20
>feminist anarchists).=20
exactly, when i lived in NZ, I was very involved in the Maaori community =
and what was of interest was that at times, white men involved in native =
issues, just couldn't understand why all women (of any race) couldn't =
see that race and feminism were related. But, at the same time, we all =
have our own blind spots.=20
>But also it strikes me that the people who most respond to=20
>feminism and are interested in it are often those who have not had a =
long history=20
>of feminist struggle and activism in their cultures.=20
I'm not sure that I agree with the above, just from my experiences in =
the Netherlands and NZ (with a history of feminism in the white =
x-colonial culture as long as the existence of this culture - we were =
the first in the world where women could vote) and in Maaori cultures it =
varies (some tribes have women as heads / leaders ) others more male, =
etc. In Maaori culture where there is 'sexist' practice it is different =
to European because parenting is so highly valued and is seen as a =
community thing, rather than something for women. So just that =
difference makes all sorts of other attitudes related to gender =
different. I was surprised how different it really is. Also =
traditionally grandparents raised children so parents continued working =
in their various ways. So the concept of a "housewife" is a European =
adaption and in tribal locatins and events - both genders have roles and =
these change in relation to the situation, so are not "set in stone" =
roles.
Then I think of the Netherlands (and I don't know enough of the history =
here, to be able to say if there has been a long history of feminism or =
not - I'd venture, not, only because, whenever people are willing to =
discuss it, they go on about the 1970's, so I guess there was some =
activity in this country, then.) My feelng is that society generally =
sees feminism as something of the past or as not applicable to this =
liberal land.
Anyway, i'd say that my culture is more New Zealand oriented than Dutch, =
where there is a long history of activism (at least a few 100 centuries =
as we are a young country). I think in this sense it is more to do with =
a culture which has constantly adapted -and been forced to adapt, =
whereas I am under the impression that the Netherlands have had few =
major upheavals (threats) to national pride or their place in the world. =
Also, I suspect that an educational system that is highly segregated =
(again compared to NZ's state educational system)tends to generate =
people who are not so open to change. Here, even at art school, I could =
tell what level of high school a fellow student had attended without =
asking. At ten or eleven years of age children sit a 5 day exam which =
determines which level of the 5 or so levels, they can attend. I think =
you can all guess which levels the children of Turkish and Moroccan =
students end up in. Once in a level it is near impossible (although i'm =
told it is possible - just as it is possible for a woman to be a Dutch =
prime minister) to move up. My son, at 11 years, was the only child in a =
class of 15 (all the other children were of Moroccan or Turkish =
background) to make it to the top level. I'm not talking about marginal =
differences :) Two other children in his class had high enough grades =
but were advised to go lower because 'the pressure would too much'. So I =
asked my son, how many of the children in his new class at high school =
are not Dutch born and bred. His answer, only himself.
>It is so important to me=20
>to connect up the history of feminist struggle with current =
manifestations=20
>and feminist contestations.=20
Yes!!
thanks, Sonja
Other related posts:
