From: Kathryn Aegis (k_aegis@mindspring.com)
Date: Thu Dec 30 1999 - 18:51:26 MST
Got interrupted, will finish my reply to Robin here:
Robin Hanson summarizes what he sees as my premises:
>To paraphrase:
>"1. Most human gender differences are encoded in our culture, not genes.
Well, that's difficult to quantify. I would say 'many'.
> 2. We can change our culture, and more easily than changing our genes.
Yes. See my prior post.
> 3. It is bad for culture to create differences not in our genes.
> Therefore, we should eliminate/reduce culturally-constructed gender."
No, I don't mean that, and I don't think Lorber does either.
But I would say that culturally-constructed gender roles are
used by societies to control human lives to an inordinate
degree, and that is what should be minimized. This 'battle of
the sexes' is a social control mechanism, used to keep both
men and women in their appointed roles by creating a fictitious
'other' or 'enemy'.
Political science and international studies students talk about
the 'leopard game'. Are you familiar with this? Whenever a
leader feels insecure in his power, he finds an enemy around
which to rally his followers. Like a tribal leader who tells
campfire stories of a giant rampaging leopard against which
the tribe must unite.
Well, gender roles act like that leopard. Keep the women united
against the men, and vice versa. Use fear and insecurity: tell
the men they're going girly and soft, tell the women that they
are dyky and ugly. I've never been able to figure out the end
purpose, unless the theory of patriarchy covers it. But it's a
cycle we are capable of breaking.
Sincerely,
Kathryn
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