Benighted
A few notes about the dark age feminism I so revere over at this blog.Although I am an honest working girl now, with a very practical masters degree in librarianship I was once a flightly undergrad. That girl was obsessed in refuting the Dark Age, which surprisingly is not hard to do. The medieval period so oft characterised as a closure of the shiny happy persons of Rome, a time not yet filled with the rich humanist light of the Renaissance... That period, hey, like Green Acres, it's the place for me!
The recent benighting declaration on me and my kind has me once again thinking about the persistence of fallacy and fakery about dark ages. About the tension between dreams held by both individuals, and movements, that their views represent a golden age. That their gilding, indeed their guilds, need be defended against the horrid, spotty, degredation by erratic unpredicable realities, identities and generations. I guess I have felt this week that my laisse-faire approach to my career in the face of motherhood has suddenly cast me -- and others -- as Dark Ages feminists.
I hear you asking, "What is she talking about?"
Well -- THIS! The latest from Linda Hirshman. Trust me I cannot do justice to deconstruction of this philosophy anywhere near as eloquently as L. has here and here.
If you have not got in on L. discusssion yet I encourage you to take a look. I feel her discourse on feminist choice is fascinating. And the questions this latest output from Ms. Hirshman raises on issues about:
1. Class and motherhood
2. Traditional employment
3. Mainstream VERSUS? blog media
and
4. Generations of Feminism
... well they all have me curious about the opinions of the diverse and intelligent readership of this, my, humble blog.
Do the liberties espoused by Ms. Hirshman ever read to you, as they do to me, more like a straightjacket than a release?
Come this way she beckons... "Over here where the Washington Post can analyse the New York Times to assess the real work of real women. See the best course through the lens of its failures and conform." She continues: "Put down your blogshares and hammer a better life from your offices."
oooops... better get back to work!
posted by mo-wo at 8:25 p.m.
8 Comments:
I recently added my voice to the long list of blogs commenting on the latest op-ed Hirshman wrote. Her definition of what she terms "flourishing" is way to narrow. She characterizes housework as beneath intelligent women, because it's not stimulating, but I'd like her to name a job that doesn't have some drudgery in it. We all make trade offs, no matter what life we choose.
I don't like the woman...I get tired of the one way or the other type of argument.
I also resent the idea that she seems to imply in that being at home is all about housework, servitude and drudgery....nothing about being there to raise your kids. She seems to forget that part.
I am tired of the mommywars thing....women seem to spend waaaay too much time comparing and bitching about how other women are leading their lives....too much judgement.
I am glad that we are in a world where we CAN (mostly) choose to stay at home or work.
I think she buys too much into the feminism = being more like a man.
What wants that?
I read my friend L's posts and say "why didn't I think of that"?
I may be her number one fan (unless that's you).
The woman makes my blood boil. I consider myself a feminist. Infact I work for a feminist organization but yet I'd be surely classified as a Dark Age Feminist right along with you. I could write on and on and on about every thing I take issue with but then I'd hijack your comments section.
But I do have to say you summed up my feelings beautifully when you asked : "Do the liberties espoused by Ms. Hirshman ever read to you, as they do to me, more like a straightjacket than a release?"
Yes yes yes
Your praise is touching, she says, blushing slightly and staring at her scuffed shoes.
The Internet angle is interesting, too. Did you know I used to work for an online news agency, and the Japanese government wouldn`t give me a press credentials?
ohh I missed this discussion. I so need to read a ton on my baby sleeping lunch break tomorrow!!!!
ohhhh
She is presenting a position as fact that is only an opinion that she has formed to justify the choice that she has made in her own life.
Oh - plus she's an asshole.
Oooh. DESPERATE to rant about this. But aching head, aching head.
Must. rant. must...
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