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signalnoise

Oak Park, IL

Member Since 2004

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Friday May 27, 2005

May 27, 2005
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If you're a geek, how do you avoid work? By looking up OTHER stuff to read. wink

Today I wasn't clear, really, how republicanism and liberalism were all that different, as "liberty" is at the core of both. So I spent a good 30 minutes looking into that. It's sort of sad that even when I waste time, it's still useful. [If you're curious: liberalism is dedication to liberty - usually represented through a system of legal rights, perhaps most saliently the defense of property. Thus, it's a fairly thin system. Republicanism, while also stressting (a more idealistic and open ideal of) liberty, is a much more robust political notion. Republicanism, classically, also refers to ideas of separated government, constitutionalism, and civic virtue (meaning it also differs by placing less emphasis on the public/private split). So there you go.]

Lately, I've been thinking about a topic that I do not know enough about. That issue, time time around, would be gender difference. Not surprisingly, I do not buy that men and women are all that different - I consider myself a feminist etc. Of course, there are some obvious physical differences in size, and perhaps in brain chemistry, between the genders (or among - to throw Judy Butler a bone wink). However, most gender differences I am willing to chalk up to social construction (and even some of those biological ones may also, to a degree but probably not entirely, be indebted to environment as well). And, of course, I fully endorse political equality and equal opportunity. I'm also all about much more critical views of gender, and an investigation of "masculinity" and "men" (the "invisible category" that is not discussed, in its negative and positive forms, nearly enough).

However, I wonder if there are not *existential* differences between men and women, that are independent of their cultural milieu. Notably, I am thinking of pregnancy/birth/early child care (re: breast feeding). I wonder if these experiences - strong and intimate - do not fundamentally make mothers *diffferent* than fathers/men in general. Assuming that experiences shape us, and considering the intensity and longevity of the experience of bearing a child, this argument feels like something worth pursuing.

I think of this in relation to cases where women/mothers are accused of kiling their children. The general public often expressed tremendous outrage at this. Feminist critics then get annoyed, arguing that it ignores both the pressures of motherhood, but often and more interestingly, that it makes *essentializing assumptions* about women. And, frankly, I think this last claim is sort of wrong.

Now, I do not argue, qua TV pundits, that women are *inherently* parental, especially in relation to their husbands. Rather, I would suggest that killing a child is *undeniably* irrational act: from a biological perspective, you are voluntarily snuffing out your genetic contribution. In certain circumstances, this might be rationalized (say, to prevent starvation - as a kind of mercy killing). But it is not purely rational - for any parent.

However, when a woman does this - it is considered even more abhorent - and this annoys feminist types. But, it seems to me that the general public might be right, although their reasons are wrong. Murdering a child is not incomprehensible because of something inhernet in women (there is no natural ethic of care here if you ask me), but rather becasue the experience of "motherhood" is so existentially powerful we would not predict this kind of behavior. The link between mother and child, we might predict given its intimate form, is one that is nearly unbreakable (in fairly normal circumstances - we're not assuming an abusive home or unwanted children). Hence, still working from a social constructivist viewpoint, we seem able to account for viable gender difference.

If this is so, it might suggest there are *fundamental* differnces in the way men and women (or mothers and everyone else at least) view the world. Fathers (or adoptive parents) may have similar attitudes - but the visceral experience of motherhood might distinguish even fathers/adoptive parents from mothers in both intensity and types of attitudes. This isn't about loving your offspring or being a good parent either. I am not sure such affect could be measured or parsed out; and I do not think that non-birth mothers love their children any less. Rather, this is about *world view* and *paradigms* - these might be unique for mothers.

Stretching, this might even begin to explain the other differneces that originate between men and women, as parents treat their offspring in different ways depending on their gender. In essence, mothers might raise girls and boys differently - in light of the mother's own experiences of child-rearing (re: wanting to prepare her daughter's for a similar experience). This would explain gender differnces in general between men and women, and not just between mothers and the rest of us.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I don't think I buy it - and it leads to some pretty uncomfortable conclusions that really bother me (like: it hinges on essentialism; and the whole issue of discounting fathers or denying the intimacy of adoptive parents). But It was just something I've been thinking about. I think, at best, we could say this is a *small aspect* of gender differneces - but certainly not the only one, and it DEFINITELY does not/should not lead to the endorsement of any kind of gender-biased legislation.

Anyone care to debunk this so I can feel better? [Ducks all the refuse sure to be tossed his way for making such a GOOFY ASS argument!] wink smile

I'm going to the bookstore - big sale. Have a good weekend all! biggrin
VIEW 12 of 12 COMMENTS
fridgemagnet:
Jason? Short blonde hair. Or the other guy with the shaggier blonde hair?
May 28, 2005
fridgemagnet:
Season 2 starts on Monday!!!!
May 28, 2005

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