I'll often use "patriarchy" to use the entire complex of systemic injustice--sexism, racism, antisemitism, ageism, ableism, classism, etc.
But are you really saying that all systematic injustice is related to the rule of men? That's what such usage implies to me. I've got enough 2nd wave in me to be more interested in how few the non-socially-constructed differences between men and women are than in celebrating differences. Fandom discussions have helped me reassess the value of traditionally feminine things, which I needed to do, but I'm not going to drop my position that those things are only feminine by tradition, both the negative and the positive. Thus when women are forbidden to vote, when women drop their own name for their husbands -- that's the result of male-dominated systems. There is nothing inherently male-dominated in a system sneering at "trailer park" accents or calling for separate drinking fountains or neglecting to build ramps.
Frankly, I would be happiest if sex and gender were taken out of the equation entirely. We could have unisex bathrooms and, hell, why not reproduction by budding? "PWP": Pollination Without Plot.
My masters program is interdisciplinary and my undergrad majors were English and philosophy&religion. Does that answer your question?
I was wondering because you mentioned the ALA. It was a pretty random thought. *shrug*
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Date: 2007-12-02 06:48 pm (UTC)But are you really saying that all systematic injustice is related to the rule of men? That's what such usage implies to me. I've got enough 2nd wave in me to be more interested in how few the non-socially-constructed differences between men and women are than in celebrating differences. Fandom discussions have helped me reassess the value of traditionally feminine things, which I needed to do, but I'm not going to drop my position that those things are only feminine by tradition, both the negative and the positive. Thus when women are forbidden to vote, when women drop their own name for their husbands -- that's the result of male-dominated systems. There is nothing inherently male-dominated in a system sneering at "trailer park" accents or calling for separate drinking fountains or neglecting to build ramps.
Frankly, I would be happiest if sex and gender were taken out of the equation entirely. We could have unisex bathrooms and, hell, why not reproduction by budding? "PWP": Pollination Without Plot.
My masters program is interdisciplinary and my undergrad majors were English and philosophy&religion. Does that answer your question?
I was wondering because you mentioned the ALA. It was a pretty random thought. *shrug*