This week’s session of the series, “Women on the Evolutionary Edge” continues the discussion with this week’s guest speaker was Zen teacher, Diane Musho Hamilton. She has an impressive list of accomplishments as do all the slated speakers. The topic was about the adaption of women from the more “masculine” aggressive model of the recent past back to a more feminine model. The goal is to create a unique power base embracing both feminine and masculine qualities.
We women are being called to “mother” the earth like we “mother” our children and families. But this is not about stepping away from all we have accomplished but rather to be powerful and active agents of change, moving toward our highest potential while discovering how to be comfortable with our feminine side.Women need to strive toward a true collaboration with men, fostering a deep mutual respect for our similarities and our differences, allowing for positive advancement.
And while there is a lot of positive energy in these sessions, there is also a need to explore some of the negative aspects that have affected women over the years. Without addressing our failings we cannot hope to move forward into more influential positions worldwide.
And so we must own our reluctance to take full responsibility for our past positions. By allowing men to “take care of” us, we relinquished our ability to move up the ladder of corporate and political success.
And as the feminist movement took hold and women began to push against those glass ceilings, we did not always support and encourage each other. In fact, it has been common for women to compete and behave aggressively toward each other.
We are entering a new era where many of our young women have no personal knowledge of gender bias. They are free to pursue whatever interests them without the stigma of having to consider if they are trying to do “men’s” work instead of “women’s work.” In order for both genders to work together to improve the world we live in, we must leave behind outdated labels and unproductive rivalries.
Women taking responsibility not only aids in advancing women’s equality but it also removes some of the burden from men who no longer have to be in the lead to define their masculinity and there would be much less stress for everyone if we work side by side, sharing the responsibility.What a wonderful world THAT would be!
Peace & Love, Rocky
UPDATE!
My friend, Dan at Through The Woods blog is doing a series of posts of quotes from people with November birthdays and he has a really terrific post on Sojourner Truth that seemed fitting to this post so, with his permission, I have lifted an excerpt:
"Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say."
A busy week, I missed this installment of “Women on the Evolutionary Edge.” Nevertheless, I do have some general comments to share.
ReplyDeleteFirst, why should men become involved? Regardless of gender, women’s empowerment is about human empowerment. Economies and societies fair far better when there full equality between the sexes. Conversely, if we concern ourselves with human rights, we must also concern ourselves with women’s rights; the two are inseparable.
Having daughters focuses the mind. I have three daughters, all dearly loved, all deserving of full equality of opportunity and full equality under law. This is why I pay attention.
My oldest daughter chose a career in a male-dominated world. She is in the military, a Major assigned to the Pentagon and soon to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Since her husband works closer to home, he is the one who puts dinner on the table and takes care of domestic chores.
In the early years of her career, she experienced gender discrimination from senior officers but never allowed setbacks to discourage or dissuade her. With incredible drive and tenacity, she has proven her worth,.
All told, I think of her as a woman on the “evolutionary edge.”
8pus - The partnership with men is paramount for the human race to succeed. The repression of any group whether by gender, race or religion has always led to diasterous results.
ReplyDeleteThe attitude of power mongering must stop if we are to survive here on planet earth.
Of course, this kind of thinking is usually labelled "dangerous socialism". I'm at a loss to understand why social creatures such as ourselves would be in danger from social endeavors that bring us together to pursue common, positive, life preserving goals.
Your daughter is a positive role model and pioneer that hopefully will inspire the next generation.
But first we must recognize the contributions of those who have helped shape our world no matter what race/gender.
Accepting the validity of human equality across all identifying characteristics is the only way we can move forward.
Octo, didn't know you had a daughter in the military, and a lieut. colonal at that!
ReplyDeleteRocky, as a teacher I've been amazed over the years at what young women often DON'T know about the long fight for equality. Seems like that history is in danger of being almost forgotten -- people ought to be familiar with the basic texts: Wollstonecraft, Woolf, de Beauvoir, et al. Have long thought that Mary Wollstonecraft made the grand argument, the one others have been further articulating and refining ever since.
Ahhh, Mary Wollstonecraft; one has to wonder what the underlying message of the novel Frankenstein might be when you consider that Mary Shelley was the daughter of this courageous, controversial pioneer!
ReplyDeleteBut I quite agree,Wollstonecraft should probably be considered the mother of the feminist movement. No doubt there were others before her but none who articulated so clearly the call for equality.
Octo, I had no idea, either, that you had a daughter in the military, and one so accomplished at that (though that last part does not surprise me :). You must be very proud of her -- and your other daughters as well (what do they do, if you don't mind telling?)
ReplyDeleteRocky, this is a really interesting stuff, but unfortunately I've been too busy and preoccupied lately to follow it (or sign up for it). Maybe I'll get it from the archives later, if available.
Two of the best feminist texts I've read were written by men: John Stuart Mill's "The subjection of women," and more contemporary Alan Johnson's The Gender Knot.
Dino, yes, it is somewhat surprising, isn't it, that young women today have so little awareness of the struggle for women's equality that, after all, is still going on. In a way, it's hard to blame them for that -- they are lucky that their mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers have fought the battle so they don't have to.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
ReplyDeleteThe fight is not over yet. Every day there are many, many women who are denied jobs, tenure and equal treatment under the law. Young women who think that there place is secure, or don't think about it at all, do themselves and their daughters a tremendous disservice. Would that it were not so, but this is the real world.
I have to echo Dino - young women and young men today are woefully uninformed about gender issues and about the past - as a historian I know that in order to move forward we must understand the past, they don't.
ReplyDeleteI am sitting at my desk right now grading papers for a feminist theory course I am teaching. My students are open minded and they want to learn - both male and female students. They are wonderful. But they are oh so clearly rooted in gender styereotypes.
A final note - as for women taking responsiblity for "allowing" men to play protector all these years - many women have fought this for centuries - literally - only to be shut down but a legal and social power structure established and run by men that guaranteed men the right of "protector." We neeed to be fair to our foremothers - many of them never willingly allowed this and therefore bear no responsibility for "allowing" it.
These are my very quick thoughts - thanks for posting these things Rocky - and btw - I will be absent mostly from the Zone for awhile - I am distracted elsewhere with a new project etc and stuff at work.
Squid, I hope you have successful, satisfying project(s).
ReplyDeleteAs for women taking responsibility; I can agree with you that in a long ago past, women didn't have much choice but that has changed alot since the 60s.
And still there are women who want to cling to that old pattern of being "taken care of."
They undermine the rest of us who are continuing the cause for gender equality.
Women must be willing to share equal responsibility with men, at home and at work. Only then can we demand equal respect and equal treatment.
Women like Palin and Clinton have held positions of power unheard of just a generation ago - remember Geraldine Ferraro's bid?
But even so, the first thing you hear are the crude, sexual jokes meant to undermine and marginalize women.
We have a choice to turn the tide now, but we must do it together. And we must take full responsibility for who we are and where we are going.
Sorry, does any of this make sense or do I sound like I'm rambling?
Rocky - what you are saying makes sense.
ReplyDeleteHowever - and yes I am a real stickler about the TOTAL lack of education of generations of living women about the struggles and achievements of their foremothers. I know personally of women caught up in patriarchally defined lives who are afraid of anything that seems feminist. They make fun of it. They fear it - because they have no basis of comprehension because they were never taught any history except a history that privileges men. They think feminism is a new concept born in the 60's which is pure nonsense. And they've been taught by mothers and fathers that patriarchy is the right way. Feminism was born centuries ago - we might realize this and aspire to follow in the footsteps of these long ago fems if we knew about them. If the history books allowed these women to be examples to us all - men and women. But the examples of history are almost entirely male. Things have changed a bit but history texts are still sorely lacking. Most people have no such frame of reference so they equate equality with bra burning harpies etc. Just plain silly.
I could go on - sorry - but I honestly feel a measure of sympathy/understanding for the women I know that I referenced above who are caught up in cowering to patriarchal values. I truly do. My former mother-in-law is one of them. They rely on men because they don't know how to rely on themselves AND they have never gotten the message that it has been ok to rely on themselves for generations. The message has been lost.
Forgive the speechifying!
I really do apologize for taking so long to get back to your comment, Rocky, and so many posts I have missed!
Squid - I was raised by a strong woman who was very capable when it suited her and then would turn to manipulative behaviors of the "I'm just a poor little woman" mein and I suppose that colors my thinking.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is hard to allow women a pass just because they were raised under patriarchial oppression - haven't we all been raised under the same conditions?
For some women, these conditions can be in the extreme and so I can somewhat sympathize with women who have gone along with the old female model in order to get along,but if we are going to change the world then the time has come to shed old ideas. And there are many women out there using these tired old excuses out of laziness rather than ignorance.
When you consider the life and feminism of someone like Sojourner Truth, it's hard to accept any excuse. She not only lived in a patriarchial society but also in slavery - if she can overcome, well the rest of us have little excuse.
But I agree that historical reference is terribly skewed and severely lacking in reference to women and minorites so children have little inspiration or direction.