tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post1483870812716334747..comments2023-08-16T09:39:08.120-04:00Comments on femonomics: Feminist bloggers go meta: are we sacrificing truth for righteousness?Coca Colohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05951066922977616639noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post-4552618903766369962010-07-05T22:57:38.774-04:002010-07-05T22:57:38.774-04:00(I think this is my first time commenting here)
T...(I think this is my first time commenting here)<br /><br />This post really resonated with me. I know that I've become frustrated with the style of Internet Feminism, and this post puts it into words. The decision to brush off someone as antifeminist if they disagree, or classist, racist, and ableist makes it much harder for these issues to be taken seriously. <br />If I wouldn't have learned about feminism in school I doubt that I would have developed feminist ideals from the internet. <br /><br />Like Simon (again) I'm very much interested in the work of women in society; what work gets counted in the GDP and how much work done by women isn't counted; the economic stability of women in the workforce (here and other nations); and the unique economic issues faced by women due to childbearing, rearing, etc. I also care about racism, classism, etc. I'm a WOC so I'm personally invested in these issues because I am living these issues. <br /><br />Yet the name calling, the snarking, the superiority and self righteousness? I've been a part of it. And it's not helpful. I feel like the concept of privilege has become a way to win arguments. That wasn't the intent of it and it certainly doesn't benefit marginalized communities to use it that way.Miss Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post-61571519798469438912010-07-01T10:52:17.400-04:002010-07-01T10:52:17.400-04:00Hey anonymous, I didn't notice how close the l...Hey anonymous, I didn't notice how close the language came in those two quotes, but that idea was my point: we're so quick to label something with an ism that it can often block the conversation from developing and leading to places of new knowledge. But at the same time, it's often imperative that we do identify something as harmful, both to make our blogs and the world at large (grandiose, I know) a safer place. While Renee says she resents being called those words, she also frequently attaches those words to things she criticizes. I don't think it's hypocrisy, I think it's just a natural conflict between wanting to be heard out and understood ourselves, and yet wanting to divide the world around us into "feminist" and "not." We all have to draw our own line between where we say, "Interesting, tell me more..." and where we say "You know what, that's just really sexist (or some other ist)." I think the feminist blogosphere (mostly in the comments sections, not the posts themselves) may err too far to the latter, but I see why they'd be reluctant to grant the former courtesy to people who approach a topic from a place of arrogance rather than humility.<br /><br />If I could sum it up, I'd say, let's grant one another the benefit of the doubt more than we do, but also, if you <i>want</i> the benefit of the doubt, approach an issue with humility and admit your ignorance rather than coming at it with your own brand of righteousness. What do you think about that?Coca Colohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05951066922977616639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post-25482382865443043602010-06-30T23:38:02.468-04:002010-06-30T23:38:02.468-04:00I found it interesting that you asked, "Does ...I found it interesting that you asked, "Does smacking people down when they express an unfeminist (misogynist, racist, ableist, homophobic, etc) thought make the world more free from prejudice and oppression?" while also quoting Renee Martin saying: "Also, I am sick and tired of being called, racist, homophobic, sexist, ableist, and cissexist."<br /><br />I'm not 100% sure what "unfeminist" means, but I do find myself disagreeing (or sometimes, just not wholly agreeing) with many things I read in so-called feminist blogs, and yet I don't think that makes me a racist or a homophobe, or whatever. And I dislike that some bloggers and commenters jump to that conclusion just because someone questions a "feminist" argument here and there (I use quotes because I don't think there is a single definition to refer to.) I also dislike the "My views are right/All other views are wrong" tone that I get from many feminist blogs. Many issues are nuanced and should be discussed more openly without fear of being called an -ist word. <br /><br />Although I do proudly call myself a feminist.<br /><br />Just my two cents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post-85404267782971103802010-06-30T11:57:56.460-04:002010-06-30T11:57:56.460-04:00Glad to see that some of the Internet Feminists ar...Glad to see that some of the Internet Feminists are coming into this space of self-reflection.Feminist Reviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01146840036438732265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180270631422837748.post-67529168285863388992010-06-30T05:13:33.178-04:002010-06-30T05:13:33.178-04:00Thanks, the linking was appreciated. I can relate...Thanks, the linking was appreciated. I can relate to a fair amount of this. I was part of an activist group at university the main points of which were to discuss and confront racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc and to discuss transformation in South African society. Most of the members were from anthropology, sociology, gender studies and diversity studies. I was the lone economist who had frittered away some time on drama and English lit. When discussing the problems, I kept on getting into trouble for asking questions in ways or with words that many of the other members didn't seem to like - I didn't have the vocabulary that they did, but I did (and do) care about the problems. <br /><br />I like doing research in feminist economics and I have learned a lot from studying it. For example I care abut what we talk about when we talk about 'households', aggregating preferences, 'household heads', power structures in the household, who gets the money and who doesn't, whose work gets counted in GDP, etc. I care about economics education and the different ways of knowing that different people have, but how most of us economists continue to teach economics as if ways of knowing different to those typical of white males are irrelevant. In my activist group it often seemed as though, because I hadn't studied as much Butler, Foucault, etc, my interests in the problems themselves and my ways of expressing the interest were illegitimate. I know I'm going to get stuff wrong. I know I'm often going to think using the frames (e.g. marginalism) that I've been taught. I will try to question these. I'll slip up. But, as it seems you are intimating, I'd also like feminist/queer/etc blogs to help me to understand and to teach me rather than just insult me and call me a racist or an oppressor when I use taboo words or approaches, to catch me as I fall rather than to celebrate the downfall of oppressors when I hit the ground. I suppose one of the other problems with the internet rears its head here - tone, body language and sincerity often aren't conveyed. Luckily, I remain friends with the people from the activist group because my sincerity and dedication was always manifested. We eventually began to help one another better and my understanding improved as a consequence (though my scepticism of continental philosophy somehow persists). <br /><br />Anyway, that was my rather long way of saying - Yes, I hope to continue to be part of the conversation and please keep up the educating. I shall make mistakes. Forgive me.Simon Hallidayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04289994368497331598noreply@blogger.com