Dr. Barbara J. Love on Sexism and Equality

Dear friends,

Just the other day, I emailed a dear friend,  Dr. Barbara J. Love, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Social Justice (U-Mass, Amherst), about some ideas from Facebook posts that I had shared recently on my Timeline. The two-parts question was

Djatajabs.org: Barbara, what do you think about my assertion that equality and sameness are NOT the same thing!...That is, all men are not the same, yet, far too many men brag about what women can't do (for example, jump as high as men or run as fast or think as smart), as if the aforementioned men's sorry butts can do anything themselves other than hide among the herd of other men and talk trash...Moreover, does any of that have anything to do with men and boys insulting other males by asking, "Come on man, why are you acting like a bitch?"

Her response appears below.
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Dear Djata:

Not sure what you are asking me to comment on.

As you have noted, sexism and male domination serves purposes of oppression, domination and subordination, all of which are rooted in greed, the desire for power and control of resources.

Equality is not the same as equity. Most liberation workers are seeking equity, not equality. (if we both get a size 10 shoe, that would serve the purposes of equality, but might not serve our individual needs very well. The purposes of equity would be served if someone found out what size shoe would work best for each of us, and then provided that size shoe that fits each of us.)

While the biology of men and women is different, there is nothing about the current construction of gender roles that is actually justified by that difference in biology. Biology has been used as an excuse to legitimize oppression and systems of domination and subordination, power and control.

Both men and women are hurt by sexism and male domination. Violence and the threat of violence is used to maintain systems of oppression.

Your statement: " Come on man, why are you acting like a bitch?" is a very good example of the psychological violence enacted toward men to keep them "in their place", that is to keep them playing the roles of domination required of men to maintain the patriarchal society.

That statement represents the devaluing of women, clarifying that the status of women is pretty much equal to that of a dog, and sends a clear signal that a man would not want to be identified with that lower status.

All the Best,

Barbara

http://www.barbarajlove.com/#%21about-us/cjg9