I liked the "Soft bigotry of male expectations" and I recently heard a woman coin something similar. Many ordinary women have expressed frustration about this obvious bias for years, but they don't have or aspire to a social media presence. I'd like to share an observation from one of the biology textbooks I had to read in university. The author makes a comment about how men in all cultures will idealize their cultural role over that of women. He cites an example: in one village men hunt rabbits which is considered the tribe's most important sustenance, and the women are considered only fit to scrabble in the earth to harvest sweet potatoes. Some distance away, sweet potatoes are considered the main sustenance therefore the men have that responsibility and the women are tasked with the lowly job of trapping rabbits. I kind of feel that that same dynamic still exists wherein "women's work" is never as important.
Hi Anne - yep, the "soft bigotry of male expectations" is a great phrase. Wish I'd come up with it! The rabbit/sweet potato thing is fascinating - and very telling.
I liked the "Soft bigotry of male expectations" and I recently heard a woman coin something similar. Many ordinary women have expressed frustration about this obvious bias for years, but they don't have or aspire to a social media presence. I'd like to share an observation from one of the biology textbooks I had to read in university. The author makes a comment about how men in all cultures will idealize their cultural role over that of women. He cites an example: in one village men hunt rabbits which is considered the tribe's most important sustenance, and the women are considered only fit to scrabble in the earth to harvest sweet potatoes. Some distance away, sweet potatoes are considered the main sustenance therefore the men have that responsibility and the women are tasked with the lowly job of trapping rabbits. I kind of feel that that same dynamic still exists wherein "women's work" is never as important.
Hi Anne - yep, the "soft bigotry of male expectations" is a great phrase. Wish I'd come up with it! The rabbit/sweet potato thing is fascinating - and very telling.