Why are there so few posts on the feminism board? (Part 2)

[Jackieharris]

Since the last one filled up I though I'd start a new one as the conversation seemed to be mid flow.

"TheCow.. that doesn't mean that posters who post on AIBU or anywhere else are NOT intellectual or academic." Of course it doesn't!

Okay Lying I think I understand my difficulty.

You said it would be only if it was truly equal and everyone had the same sort of things to do could you see where the cards fell. But the fact that it's not means the system is sexist to me.

Saying that, I do not think, women are the only people who suffer under patriarchy, I see that men do too. That their struggles under patriarchy are very different to women's to me says that the system is sexist.

Yes, women are probably equally involved, in some cases more and in some cases less so, in policing gender behaviour that produces harm against women. Being a feminist, to me, does not mean I am fighting men, it means I am fighting patriarchy, whosoever is practising it. It is not saying, by reason of being female that person is going to be feminist in her actions. Or that I should support that person because she is female. I support women in their fight against oppression where that oppression arises purely because they are women. This does not mean that I deny the oppression of men as men, far from it. I hope and believe the fight against the inequities I face as a woman means that men, too will be free from the oppressions they face under patriarchy. Equal parental leave would be an example of this in action. As a finest I fight for this because I want women to be liberated from unfair expectations that they shoulder more of the parenting responsibilities. But I love and welcome that that means men's importance and rights as caregivers are protected and promoted.

I think in Part 1 of this thread I commented that I didn't visit FWR because I didn't always understand the threads. I can put my hand on my heart and say I have never felt this in AIBU. I don't think that's a bad thing to say.

LyingWitch I know it doesn't mean that. I'm neither intellectual or academic!!! I just didn't understand what was belittling about the statement, that's all. It was directed at AIBU, not the posters on there I thought?

I do think MN has a funny issue with 'academic' as a word.

I've never seen anyone ask suspiciously why the Religion/Spirituality section seems to attract vicars as well as all sorts of other people interested in religion.

It's just a job title. It's not rude to observe that Religion/Spirituality is more theological than AIBU and it's not rude to observe that FWR is more academic.

TheCow.. that doesn't mean that posters who post on AIBU or anywhere else are NOT intellectual or academic.

No, it doesn't LyingWitch. You've also missed out the important qualifier 'overtly'. But as a whole, AIBU is not a board given to intellectual/theoretical/academic discussion.

I'm an academic. I enjoy academic-ish threads now and again. I also enjoy threads about parking, trashy tv, current affairs, and all the rest of the MN smorgasbord. Hope that's ok with you.

And yy , Jeanne, to the weird response you get on MN towards 'academic'.

AICM- any comments?

I may have jumped in too harshly about a few things.
However your last line about me I take as a personal insult.

Are you and AIBU one and the same, then?

I wonder if I should start in with threads in AIBU with titles like 'AIBU to think Foucault's position on gender is shallowly historicized bullshit that takes the feminist cause back 50 years?'

I suppose it's possible people would be really into it, but somehow I suspect they'd think it was boring jargon that should be kept to the relevant section (and probably hidden if posted there).

Janine... it's not me - or AIBU - asking why people are not posting on FWR board. I don't care where anybody posts, I'll challenge why someone would be dismissive of posters (en bloc) on a board you seem to look down on. You've responded, guilty pleasure, fair enough. I've nodded my head at all your posts on this thread.

Why are they started though? To be provocative? Bear baiting is another reason that springs to mind from some posters and it's quite transparent. It's not quite the thing, is it?

As far as MN being funny about 'academics', why would they be? The only thing I can think of is that it seems to be the only profession that people keep declaring their academic status about on here. People might post that they're teachers or nurses in passing but that's about it. Odd but not really remarkable or something that people would be funny about. MN isn't 'the Borg'. Everybody is from different backgrounds, employment and education levels.

The pasting of AIBU irritates me though, it's not as if there's some kind of 'league table' on MN, it's a chatboard.

Some people need a thicker skin in life. It is one of the best thing you can give your daughters a sons - the old British stiff upper lip, ability never to give way under pressure and mental stoicism to get to the top.
Sticks and stone might hurt your bones but words will never hurt you.

I have never once found the feminism threads too hard to understand.
feminism is very simple -it's equality for men and women at home and at work. It is simple things like women doing as well as men at work or doing better. It is men doing as much dull house stuff as women do. There is still too much sexism in the UK, more at home than at work these days and too many women unhappy with being at home and domesticity - two recent threads for example on women at home hating it and wishing they worked come to mind. So the lesson is don't get stuck with dull domestic stuff and make sure your daughters don't as you'll regret it later. Earn a packet. It rocks.

I dare you, Jeanne

lying, how is it pasting AIBU?

What's offensive about it?

MN really is funny about academics. And sometimes about teachers, too.

Yes Lotus, because it's absolutely that simple

I don't think describing AIBU as 'not overtly intellectual or overtly academic' is the same thing at all as 'pasting' it.

Yes, feminism is just fairness. Not hard to explain to anyone. It benefits men as much as women.

When you post a reply they don't agree with your called a troll. You have to be like minded.

No, Janine, it's not the same thing and that's not what I said. Depends on your definition of intellectual/academic and where you think you 'sit'.

It's the general sneering. The original OP Scarletohello posted on AIBU; same thread - either to provoke discussion or to drum up customers. Both fine. What wasn't fine was to post about that thread then in FWR and sneer.

I don't understand the motivations for this second thread either really. It seems like an excuse for a bunfight but, if that can't be had due to reasonableness, then a little jibe here and there will do just as well.

Lotus are you saying it's easy to explain, or easy to "solve"?

Every time some one comes along and spouts the following words:

"Let me educate you"
"So you have knowledge to make an informed decision"
"And make better choices"

It makes me seethe. How arrogant do you have to be to think:

1. You are needed to educate a person you know nothing off.
2. Their decisions are uninformed
3. They haven't made the best decision already?

For the last time, most people have are informed, they have just come to a different conclusion and made a CHOICE DIFFERENT TO YOURS!

Once again and and not for the last time,

WOMEN OF COLOUR ARE IGNORED!!! When I have posted on topics form a WoC point of view, they are always ignored and posters just speak on top of what's a very concerning matter. A thread adressing this was started sometimes ago, interesting most of the prolific feminists on MN did not contribute a single post! That alone was telling. There was some very good debate though.

White women are in a superior position to WoC and Men of Colour so YOU ARE part of the oppression we experience just as you complain about the MENZ!

I am not interested in feminist threads about pube hair shaving etc, I have short curly hair so I do not have the same issues with hair. These stupid threads are the least of a WoC's worries in the grand scheme of things.

misogynistic beer...oh dear!
Fe its issues with Married women taking on their husbands name? Only a privileged well fed white woman has time for this shite!

We have white women offered jobs overly WoC
We have white women promoted over WoC who are more qualified (I've seen it throughout my career), usually the WoC is used to train up the sparkling new white woman who is then promoted as boss over the WoC.
White women's views are listened to more attentively whilst WoC are simply ignored in the workplace when they have very valid points.

When we join in a thread expressing these concerns don't ignore us..
Perhaps think about bigger issues such as how can we support the WoC who works with us apart from just 'how can I get the male CEO's job?'

Yes, that's a few of the reasons why I don't bloody participate!

A thread adressing this was started sometimes ago, interesting most of the prolific feminists on MN did not contribute a single post!

I just wanted to apologize about this. I saw that thread and felt it'd be rude for me to post because I am not a WoC. I'm sorry that was the wrong decision and left you feeling unsupported.

Sorry, Lying, I don't follow you. I thought this was a discussion following on from AICM's posts on this thread, which were about AIBU being described as 'not overtly intellectual/academic'.

I do think there's quite a lot of confirmation bias in this debate.

People seem to expect fwr posters to behave in a certain way so they are on the look out for said behaviour. So as soon as one person posts something they find challenging it immediately confirms their suspicion that the whole board and every poster is the same.