On the “Period” thread, Schmo asked me several questions about the consequences of my approach to feminism. I said I’d be happy to discuss them in another thread, and here it is.
Let’s start here:
“Res” wrote: But that triggers a defense mechanism in many men that insures that the BS persists.
My comment was an observation of behavior, one that I’ve personally witnessed many times, including right here on this thread. Based on listening to discussions among women, this is behavior that I think most women have experienced when they try to point out sexist language or behavior. This was the identification of something that I see is a problem. I did not draw any conclusion at all, let alone the conclusion that we should pretend up is down our black is white.So, in the scenario when a woman falsely accuses a man of being a sexist, the proper course of action for the accused is to pretend it's true? It's important to maintain that B.S. so this other B.S. doesn't persist?
Why don't we just get rid of all the B.S.? How about that idea?
What I’m describing is a shift in perspective. I think that’s useful when trying to solve a problem that appears unsolvable. To understand my perspective, you have to keep in mind a couple things. First, I’m a pragmatist. If I see a problem, my focus is on fixing it. Second, people are complicated. Slapping labels on people and thinking we’ve accomplished something is, in my opinion, a mistake. Third, I’m a kind of structuralist. If I see a problem, I don’t see the solution as sorting people into good guys and bad guys. I consider the structure of institutions, society, and thought and speech patterns and try to figure out how those structures make the problem better or worse.
Adopting that perspective has, in my opinion, significant impact on how people think about racism and sexism. When most people discuss sexism, their primary concern is identifying who is the good guy, who is the bad guy, and “I’m a good guy.” My primary concern is “What is the impact of the speech or action? If it’s harmful, how can we move people to avoid causing harm.”