Link Salad

[curgoth]

Clearing out the tabs...

12 Helpful Suggestions for Men Regarding Conduct in Feminist Spaces

Dinosaur comics explains 'Male Gaze'

Because theory is easier to understand with dinosaurs.

Feminism101 on Male Gaze

The bit that made me want to jump up and down and shout "Oh! I think I get it now!" was this bit in the comments;

So when a woman is walking down the street, she self-consciously watches herself walking down the street, and modifies her behaviour for an imaginary ideal. In public situations, women define themselves as being constantly viewed and judged, in a way men don't have to.

Feminism101 on the role of men in the feminist movement.

My opinions and reactions to the actual theory presentedin these links intentionally left blank.

Comments

[curgoth]

The reason for the reticence in letting men "in" to feminism is based on experience, from what I've read - it's not uncommon for men involved in feminism to want to come in and take over - they're trained from a young age that it's the right thing to do. So, one of the concerns is having a man come into a movement about women defining thier own identities and place in society, and telling the women that they're doing it wrong. It's a slippery slope because of the various ways in which various bits of patriarchal training can warp good intentions - men are taught to take control, be authorities and to "look after" women. If we fail to keep those tendencies in check, we end up trampling all over a movement that is, at its heart, by and for women. Feminism is, at least in part, about women trying to define thier own role in society - or, to put it in much different language, about dismantling the patiarchy. If men want to throw off thier own patriarchal yokes and define their own role in society as men, feminism isn't ther place to do it.

That there really isn't a good place for men to work at doing so is something that I put a lot of thought into.

[the-nita.livejournal.com]

And again - if someone comes in and starts taking over, you can politely tell them to shove it without having to set down a set of rules for all men to follow...

Sweeping generalizations and all that.

Why do we need the men to keep their tendencies in check for us? Why can't we, as women, say "you (specific) are acting like a jerk (for some definition of jerk) - cut it out or don't let the door hit you in the ass?"

And I guess my long run upshot at this is an objection that there has to be a grand sweeping movement that we must all agree with - you are different than him than her than him than them. Why should the rules that we (as you and I) agree to have anything directly to do with anyone else? Use frameworks, but don't assume that any interaction with another human being MUST follow the same structure as your interactions with any other...