rimbaud: I'm in a male dominated political science department. The bad part about this is that the female professors feel the need to compensate. My only B in the department came from a woman who's average grade for men in class was a 2.8. Average female grade? 3.5 That's the result of a study done by our student newspaper over a 3 year period. Not the most precise, I know... but when the margin is *that* large, and on average at our school, males have like a.06 higher GPA, it probably means something. Your statement that women are the stronger sex, except in terms of physical strength, is misleading, imo. While sociological studies have been mixed, the gene for intelligence is *not* sex-dependent. True equality really does exist between men and women in terms of intellect. The problem is, we socialize our boys in a very poor manner. Argh... I'm trying to remember another book that came out in the 80's that I had to read last year. It was about "boy" ethics versus "girl" ethics? DOes anyone else remember reading this? Basically said that boys think it terms of individual, autonomous ethical unit equations, while girls think in terms of connection. Good read. This, to some extent, explains the problem in elementary school. the normally female teacher thinks in terms of what the *group* needs, and the girls are able to adapt to this vision. But for the boys, they see this as *unfair*, since it fails to justly treat them individually. Hence they rebel. Makes some sense... but like all stuff like that, probably goes too far . ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment... [This message has been edited by haven (edited June 18, 2001).]
The way we "pay for it" is in the images we see portrayed as males. Imagine a male version of something like "Thelma and Louise!" How would that go over? ------------------ "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak. Because someday you will have been all of these."
What difference does image really make in your day to day life? As a male, are you really and truly that much worse off because of the ascention of women from a position of weakness to one of strength? In your daily life, do people discriminate against you because you are male to the point of making your life difficult? Image is illusion. It is not reality. ------------------ Things do not change; we change. - Henry David Thoreau
Haven, That is why I said that I, personally, feel that women are the stronger sex. No science, just my belief. That is not misleading, thanks. About your "B", big deal, as I said, it is a minor irritant. I had a highschool teacher who gave girls a higher grade because he was a pervert. It happens. Rich, I agree with Jeff, it is not as if men are being abused and mistreated and are really oppressed. thelma and Louise could not happen in a male version because it is a different power play. So, two guys go on the run because a woman at a bar tried to rape one of them? Lol! ------------------ I have just realized that the stakes are myself I have no other ransom money, nothing to break or barter but my life my spirit measured out, in bits, spread over the roulette table, I recoup what I can nothing else to shove under the nose of the maître de jeu nothing to thrust out the window, no white flag this flesh all I have to offer, to make the play with this immediate head, what it comes up with, my move as we slither over this go board, stepping always (we hope) between the lines
I wasn't really complaining that much . When I talked to the dean about it, he said "well, you could sue, and you might win since we get a lot of complaints about her, but you have to decide if it's worth it... she has tenure, so that's the only route." I decided against it. I think it's harder to focus on sexism that it once was, though. I mean, 85% of all discrimination is still patriachy. Problems like mine (and rimbauds) are the minority. But should we forget them? And if we do try to fix them, does that reinforce patriarchy? I don't know what society can do, other than take care to stop teaching boys to glorify big explosions when they're little. ------------------ Lacking inspiration at the moment...
