Feminism and Philosophy (1988)

  

Feminism and Philosophy, Journal 1

     In understanding the "whole" of a particular problem or theory, one must look at all the threads that form the rope. Marilyn Frye presents this concept in her essay "Oppression." She notes how a single oppressive, or restrictive, barrier may not appear to indeed by much of a hindrance,but as many of these oppressive "wires" are perceived, one notices a cage of sorts. Frye argues that men are responsible for the building of our society which is oppressive to women, reasoning that it is men who receive the benefits of this structuring. In failing to adequately study the nature of the responsibility, I believe Frye limits the scope of her essay. As she notes, perception of the whole is dependent on recognizing all the wires, one of which must be the question: who creates and forms society?" If men are to bear the negative aspects of what our daily life entails, doesn't that mean they are entitled to claim responsibility for the positive aspects as well?

     Frye frequently uses the pronouns "we" and "them" in speaking of males and females.  I also see the danger of grouping peoples together only by identification of their genitals.This only maintains the gulf of misunderstanding between the sexes. Oppression itself is usually built of fear resulting from misunderstanding.

     I agreed with most of Frye's assertions concerning the oppression women suffer; sexual harassment, unequal opportunities in work and education, and downright degradation are all facets of every woman's life. But I think the notion of oppression is much more complicated than even Frye admits. It is easy enough to perceive and identify the wires that form the cage, but it is another matter to question who is supporting the oppressive norms.

                                                             ***

    In "The Problem that has No Name,"from Betty Friedman's The Feminine Mystique, the reader is told of a phenomena that American women are experiencing more and more; a vague notion of dissatisfaction, boredom, emptiness. Friedan seems to think that this is a new experience, that it has been growing in the minds of women, especially housewives, over the past few decades. The sources of this unidentified state of mind are multiple and various. Technology, education, economics, and media are all aspects of society that have been rapidly changing and may be partially responsible for a change in the consciousness of all people. As men and women are used to living in different spheres of daily life, changes in societal norms come quickly and without much notice. Women are finding their inner selves out of context with a society which has long oppressed them because of their sex.

     Of course, the essay does not finger anything certain other than "there is a problem." I found it very interesting, or revelatory maybe, that housewives have a sense of living fragmented lives; only spending a small portion of the day doing each task necessary. The daily routine of this would create an illusion of regularity, stability, while in actuality, the housewife's day may seem hectic and incomplete. The housewife's identity would likewise be fragmented and incomplete.

     One of the most important aspects of this problem is the sense of dependence many women feel. This is perceived as a weakness, as men are supposedly "independent." Whether the dependence is one of economics or a loving bond, all humans must be linked to one another in some ways, or else not be a part of society. As long as a certain class of humans, in this case women, feel dependent, the more isolated each of us feels and the colder the summer shall be.

                                                        ***

     In the introduction to Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, we are told that it is "doubtless impossible to approach any human problem with a mind free from bias." Every effort is driven by motives, many subconscious as well as realized, and it is impossible to completely remove "self" from "other." This is an essential aspect of human existence. There are women that assert it is impossible for men to be feminists because they benefit from the oppressive aspects of society, or really just want to appear as one who treats all humans equally. Accordingly, a book written by a woman about women has inherent motives, for better and for worse.

     From the introduction, Beauvoir seems to be a person writing from genuine interest.Her essential question is "what is a woman?" She illustrates how men have imposed standards of femininity through religion which is used as a dogmatic tool of oppression. Male-centered religions create absolute laws and further notions of basic, innate inequality of the sexes. Their myths of creation support the oppression of women as impure, devious, irrational beings that exist to prop up their mate's needs.

     As Beauvoir says, women need an identity based on their selves, not on males' ideals of femininity and morality. Since women and men must coexist to further the species, there can never be identity free of outside influence. Rather, we should strive to balance the perceptions of one another, resulting in just treatment of each human as the individual he or she is.

                                                       ***

     In dealing with the question presented in Nancy Holstrom's essay, "Do Woman Have a Distinct Nature," the author immediately questions the concept of what a "nature" is in our vocabulary. She notes that it usually refers to an immutable essence that is primarily biological. In searching for distinct, innate characteristics of men and women, one must realize there is a feedback principle involved in the interaction of biological and social dictums. As Holstrom notes, society could change child-raising practices to balance the maternal burden. Psychic trauma produces biological reactions, and it is evident that women suffer greatly from unfair moral and economic practices in our society.

"Nature" itself is not wholly influenced by biology; thus, it is mutable to accommodate rapid social change.

     Holstrom does believe that there are distinct differences in some traits found in men and women. While many existing beliefs are false, some studies cited in the essay conclude that gender frequently determines such things such as perception of fear, competitiveness, and compliance. The reasons behind these statistical findings are unclear at best. The influence of society and biology could only be determined in a vacuum atmosphere free of human influence. Holstrom notes vast differences between members of the same sex.. She also theorizes that female and male natures are blended within each of us. The symbolism of yin and and yang may apply to Holstrom's theory, showing that dichotomy does exist within each of us to varying degrees.

                                                      ***

     In studying the idea of women being associated with Nature and men with Culture, Sherry Ortner examines the differences between human universals and cultural particulars. Humans are equally affected by universals of existence, while cultural habits explain how members of our species think of themselves and others. Ortner identifies the physiology of women, with their social roles, and their particular psyche traits as reasons why women have been long identified with Nature. Men claim the role of cultural developers because they identify women with the Earth, which plays an paradoxical role in our survival. Life itself is deemed inferior to creative and religious constructs of men who usually identify life with imperfection; imperfect because mortality is a human universal. So Culture, guided by men, values the aesthetic creation over the natural, physical reproduction of life. As our relationship with Nature changes so does our view of women. The public sphere is slowly opening to allow women the opportunity to alter society in ways which will balance the roles of the sexes in cultural valuation.

     Sarah Hoagland argues that in society's portrayal of women as victims, women are accordingly mistreated and abused. Roles and imposed definitions of femininity are largely responsible for the continuing degradation of women. Similar traits found in men and women, such as aggression and confidence, are seen as being masculine or feminine and are viewed differently when manifested in actions. Hoagland theorizes that our perception of female resistance to unfair practices is muted by males who explain female actions as irrational or "air-headed." In reality, such action may represent discontent, not carelessness or lack of intelligence. Women must reject the values of femininity and live as their own entities before society at large can allow them full expression as individuals, and men must abandon the false notion of masculinity for this to occur.

                                               ***

The first two chapters from Angela Davis's Women Race and Class points out the lack of research into the study of female slaves and goes on to show the relationship between the anti-slavery movement and the suffragists of the time. Black women were oppressed both as women and as Africans, though their power as workers was recognized and manipulated by white male slaveholders. The black mistress was often unable to alter her relationship with her "owner," making her the victim of unrecognized rape. White women began to see that they are the slaves or property, of their husbands, by first sympathizing with the plight of black slaves.

     The abolitionist movement was the first opportunity for women to become involved in public political debate. They saw the subordinate role of women more clearly as they were bared from discussion or even attendance in many abolitionist meetings. Women became skilled at many aspects of political activism, including fund-raising, public speaking, and literary propaganda. The involvement of white women in the abolitionist movement lent sympathy to the cause, but their roles as consciousness raisers and prime movers in the Underground Railroad stand first and foremost as examples of women's potential strength.

                                               ***

The women's rights movement grew from the abolitionist and labor movements which were so dependent on women for support. The role of "servant" was close to synonymous with "slave" and "housewife" as society changed to accommodate the industrial revolution and emancipation of black Americans. Davis notes the changing perception of economics as being partially responsible for women's growing dissatisfaction with marriage. Many women working in factories never saw any wages, as their husbands considered all financial matters "above" the heads of their wives. Women were recruited out of farming communities to work in factories under the pretense of their being conditioned for the role of housewife-servant. With such obvious economic oppression, it is hardly surprising that women were responsible for the first governmental investigation of labor conditions.

     The most interesting information out of this reading selection was the rise of subdued racism in the women's rights movement. Women such as Stanton and Mott identified themselves with the abolitionist movement early on, hoping to win suffrage for women as slaves, as black men attained their right to vote. When they saw this wouldn't happen, their rhetoric revealed supremacist beliefs that had been subdued before for political unity. Not being able to win identification of woman as equal to man may have forced their racial egotisms to assert superficial precedence over any true notion of "equality."

Forest Bloodgood

University of Kansas

Journal 1

Prof. Ann Cudd