They are assuming, and asserting, that if someone doesn't agree with them that the differences between genders are fundamental and important to feminism and to the ongoing problems of sexism [1], it's not because they the speakers might be mistaken, it's not because the person has considered the claim and rejected it on sound grounds, it must be because they-the-male-speakers are being ignored on the grounds of their gender, or because the person who disagrees with them is clinging to "victim identity." While loudly bemoaning that they aren't getting the respect and attention they are used to taking for granted.
Somehow, none of the men who complain that feminism--by which they almost certainly mean specific feminist women they know or work with--won't listen to them, get around to writing up their "sounder" and "more empirical" feminist theories and sending them to a newspaper or book publisher.
I'm a white woman. I might well be talking to other white people about some aspects of race and racism as they exists in the U.S., which is where I live (and always have). If one of them started complaining about how fundamentally unfair it was that black people wouldn't listen to us, I would point out that the entire history of this culture involves white people getting to speak, and be listened to, far more than black people do. These men are in a similar situation: they are so used to be listened to, with at least the pretense of respect, that they assume it as a right. They take for granted that they are entitled to women's time and attention, whenever they speak up, and regardless of whether, by doing so, they are interrupting women who are already speaking, and presenting important information and ideas.
[1] This complaint never has to do with the visible and/or statistically significant differences between the genders, such as that men average taller than women and none of them can bear children, while some of us can. Because "men can't bear children, poor us" or "men can't bear children, and thus need not worry about contraception" aren't where they want to take this.
Miscellaneous. Eclectic. Random. Perhaps markedly literate, or at least suffering from the compulsion to read any text that presents itself, including cereal boxes.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-10 12:07 am (UTC)Somehow, none of the men who complain that feminism--by which they almost certainly mean specific feminist women they know or work with--won't listen to them, get around to writing up their "sounder" and "more empirical" feminist theories and sending them to a newspaper or book publisher.
I'm a white woman. I might well be talking to other white people about some aspects of race and racism as they exists in the U.S., which is where I live (and always have). If one of them started complaining about how fundamentally unfair it was that black people wouldn't listen to us, I would point out that the entire history of this culture involves white people getting to speak, and be listened to, far more than black people do. These men are in a similar situation: they are so used to be listened to, with at least the pretense of respect, that they assume it as a right. They take for granted that they are entitled to women's time and attention, whenever they speak up, and regardless of whether, by doing so, they are interrupting women who are already speaking, and presenting important information and ideas.
[1] This complaint never has to do with the visible and/or statistically significant differences between the genders, such as that men average taller than women and none of them can bear children, while some of us can. Because "men can't bear children, poor us" or "men can't bear children, and thus need not worry about contraception" aren't where they want to take this.