What is going on in the world?! Is it me, or have this week's current events have been loaded with anti-feminist landmines? I'm talking about the media's reaction to Lara Logan's sexual assault (the Guardian's coverage and Bitch Media's analysis are the best articles I've seen), the "don't dress like sluts" comment from a Toronto police officer to York University students (read the Toronto Star on this one... brilliant dialogue for a mainstream publication), the release of GeoGirl's anti-aging makeup for preteen girls, and Justin Bieber on anti-abortion and the rights of fetuses in the Rolling Stone. Are we really blaming victims for sexual assault, telling children to look younger and asking an adolescent popstar to comment to his massive teen girl fanbase on rights of women?
On the flip side, antagonism is in the air. These and other sexist (and xenophobic and racist) representations have been met with healthy outcrops of resistance, and this gives me hope and courage. Egypt is on fire, Italian women are hitting the streets against Berlusconi, the Toronto Police are apologizing, and Bieber... well, nothing is happening to Bieber. Hmph.
Last night, I hadn't yet framed the week's current events to include excitement for forms of resistance, so I was feeling a little disheartented. My head drowning in images of the four horsemen (...er... horsepeople), I joined a good friend of mine and a former professor (now friend) for a cocktail at the neighbourhood wine bar. It was lovely and therapeutic, through and through. We talked about current events, politics, academia, working in the public sector, mentorship, motherhood, marriage, professionalism... you name it. What made the conversation flow so brilliantly to me is we did not hesistate to weave our gender based analyses through each topic of discussion. Sure, this is becoming common practice as I shrink my social bubble, but it felt great nonetheless.
Following this meeting, I joined another group of friends (2 men included!) at a cozy pub. We talked about sexism and discourses on breastfeeding and motherhood. Very cool.
This morning I'm walking on the sunny side of the street as I remember that all is not lost. I'm buzzing with ideas about how to include forms of resistance in my dissertation, and I don't think the sugar high from my breakfast truffle is to thank. All month I've been feeling bogged down by what I consider to be a frightening backlash against the previous era of feminism, and while I still think this backlash is real and dangerous, especially as it takes more or less covert forms, there are strong, focused, independent and loving people having conversations about sexism over cocktails. This continuous dialogue makes me excited about the possibilities.
I appreciate your authenticity and transparency as well as the breezy, evocative way you write. I did take a look at the Guardian's coverage as you suggested, and was reminded there of something I had wanted to ask you about. It's about us vs. them.
ReplyDeleteFreud said he worked best in an environment characterized by having an enemy before him and a friend at his side. How about you Amanda? Do you live in a world (your shrinking bubble) in which there are good women and men with whom you share common values and a cause standing against bad men and women? I doubt you have your world divided up in such a manner, but let me put it to you again using different language.
In the psychoanalytic understanding of development, some people end up identifying themselves with others (family, neighbours, or people who share their faith, politics, nationality or cause) as the good people, the ones they trust, the ones they would hesitate to believe anything bad about). These people also easily see outsiders as not to be trusted, likely to harm their folk, etc. Using psychoanalytic language I'll call this sort of person paranoid: the world really is split for them into those they trust/admire and those they distrust/loath.
Others who made it further down the developmental path I'll call "ambivalent" as they recognize that we all are good/bad and that members of any group of ours are as likely to do something wrong as members of outside groups. We ambivalent people have less illusions about us versus them.
So, Amanda, what do you think of us vs. them and how does that relate to your identity as an emerging pheminist?
http://www.ted.com/talks/jacqueline_novogratz_inspiring_a_life_of_immersion.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-02-16&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
ReplyDeletefrom Tedwomen comes an inspiring example of an answer to my question! :)