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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Hi, I am Hully's DS. Hully said I could ask you a question!

336 replies

Hullygully · 02/12/2011 18:20

For R.S i have been asked to think, and collect, 10 key points WHY women have suffered from sexism in the past. I can think of HOW, but I am interested in WHY. I would be really interseted and grateful in any thoughts you may have! Thanks!

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/12/2011 18:49

Oooh ... sorry thread moving so fast I'm not sure if this has been said: but one thing is, a woman always know the child she gives birth to is her biological child. Unitl very recently, men could not know this. That's one reason why men would have a motivation to try to control women - so they could know that 'their' woman was having their children, and they weren't spending their effort raising a child that wasn't biologically theirs.

(Not an argument that sounds PC now, I know!)

purplepidjin · 02/12/2011 18:49

How 1: Women are paid less to do the same job.

Why 1: Because women are seen as less efficient in the workplace due to divided loyalties between career and family

How 2: Women are expected to the more caring jobs needed by society

Why 2: Because it is assumed that a woman's ability to give birth equals the ability to care for children and, by extension, the ill and elderly.

Is that the kind of thing you need, Hully Jr?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 02/12/2011 18:51

crazy - I think She was joking when she made women too. Grin

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 18:51

purple - I don't know! I'm writing every single reason down!

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caramelwaffle · 02/12/2011 18:51

Because no society is highly successful without first creating a slave class.

Cinquefoil · 02/12/2011 18:51

But how do you define strong and weak? I mean, more female babies survive than male babies do, women tend to live longer, are less susceptible to heart attacks.

Men can run faster, hit harder, throw further.

But why would those things be more denoting of strength (especially if it's all about survival)?

ShirleyKnot · 02/12/2011 18:52

Actually I think that the number one reason is that the old adage of "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world"

Much, much better to make sure that the hand that is rocking the cradle is controlled and conditioned to support the males, teach them, and let them lead the way (That's an old song BTW)

And thus ends my contribution to this thread.

ShirleyKnot · 02/12/2011 18:53

I think it was the "hit harder" bit that has shaped our society cinque.

Cinquefoil · 02/12/2011 18:53

Hully DS, just out of interest, have you asked any men this, and if so, what do they think?

Chaotica · 02/12/2011 18:53

As cinquefoil and Heebiejeebie said - what women do is mysterious (long ago) and women don't actually need men much unless they are threatened/nursing/pregnant. This is threatening.

I think that the power aspect also involves an economic point: it is very cost effective to keep half society subservient and working for free (even more so in societies where women can be bought and sold). (A similar case could and would have been made for slavery in Greek or Roman times (and modern ones, unfortunately).)

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 18:54

Hey, Shirl, my mum's told me about you!

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Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 18:55

Cinque - I only just got the question. Mum said I should go and ask dadsnet too.

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ShirleyKnot · 02/12/2011 18:55

I bet she has!

Tell your mum I think she's ACES, and I've met her in real life. And keep that telling in your head as well - your ma is fab.

Cinquefoil · 02/12/2011 18:57

Would love to know what they say, HDS - do keep us updated on how this goes :)

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 18:57

Oh Shirl

Thanks everyone, I bloody love MN and you all Thanks

It's so great for ds to hear all this from someone apart from me as well!

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ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 02/12/2011 18:58

Don't worry HullyJr, I won't tell the other kids so they don't find me on here

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 19:00

Will do. Thank you all very much. HullyDS Thanks

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TeamDamon · 02/12/2011 19:02

Hully: your DS seems fab!

I teach lovely students too but I bet none of them would have the balls courage to come on MN and ask us lot what we think!

FlamingoBingo · 02/12/2011 19:03

Cinque - it's the 'hit harder' bit I think,

purplepidjin · 02/12/2011 19:06

Want me to ask on a big car forum and find out what answers we get?

GrimmaTheNome · 02/12/2011 19:07

I blame testosterone and possibly the amygdala.

crazycrackernanna · 02/12/2011 19:07

Hully...how old is Jr? Xmas Smile

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 19:08

Thank you Team! He loves MN (chip off the old block). He was reading the pregnancy threads earlier...

No answers from dadsnet yet...

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slug · 02/12/2011 19:08

Because while, up until very recently you always knew who the mother of a child was, but you couldn't be sure who the father was. (until DNA testing that is).

If property was to be passed down through a family, it becomes very important to know who the father is. To do this you need to control women so they don't have children with anyone other than their husbands. The easiest way of doing this is to build it into religion because who can argue with god? So what you do is keep knowledge, especially religious knowledge, restricted to men so they can interpret it in their favour.

Out of that evolved the concept of women as less than men and, in many cultures women are legally children. Keeping women oppressed has many advantages for men. You can, for example have sex with whoever you want then blame the woman for it (she was wearing a short skirt, she tempted me, she deserved it etc) Keeping women in second class status means you can pay them less, keep the jobs for men and make laws to benefit men at the expense of women.

Original poster
Hullygully · 02/12/2011 19:08

He's 14, crazynanna

That DAMN amygdala

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