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    10 views5 pages

    Ferguson

    Uploaded by

    Nat
    WMST 124

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 5
    362 Beyond Rasim and Sexism how simple to fall back ‘upon rehearsed racial memory. 1 work to remember what I never deamed possible what my consciousness could never contrive, Whoever 1 am 1 must believe and will never be the only 3 Androgyny As an Ideal for Human Development Ann Ferguson* Androgyny: The Ideal Defined ‘The term “androgyny” has Greek roots: andros means man and gyné, woman. An androgynous person would combi ite toacknowlelge the help and encouragement ofthe socialist and feminist the University of Massichusts in Amber, patculaly th help of Sam rd Dennis Delap, who read and commented extensively on eater dra of thi so provided feedback and comments. Many students [election] were helfl and supportive. A fist version of thi ‘Androgyny As an Ideal for Human Development 363, for there are negative and distorted personality characteris- ‘our minds with these ideas.' Further ly under- Tson as one to whom these categor neither masculine nor feminine, but humz such a way as to be able to develop realized in an alienated fashion inthe current stereotypes. ‘The ideal androgynous being, because of his or her combi traits; skills, and interests, would have no internal blocks to attaining self-esteem, He or she would have the desire and ability to do socially meaningful productive activity (work), as well as the desire and abi fworth, and group contribution portantly on the way the society in which he/she lives is a classist society characterized by commodity prod outeast, or repress the androgynous person has the eve these goals if only the society is organized appropriately. An Ideal Love Relationship One argument forthe development of androgynous personal nnying destruction of the sexual division of labor in that without such a radical chang: ship betwee only concept of love that is historically compa f political and social eq) ship requites the vulnerability of each partner to the other. There is today, however, an unequal balance of power in male-female relationships. Contrary to the claims of the Natural Complement theory, itis not 364 Beyond Raciem and Seriom possible for men and women to be equal while playing the complementary sex and less free than the masculine role makes men. In fact, understanding of this lack of equality in love relat ly influences feminists to choose lesbian love relationships. the vulnerabilities of women in a heterosexual love relationship under the four classifications Juliet Mitchell gives i women’s roles" production, reproduction, socialization of children, 1: Women's le in produeton. Inthe United Stat [as of he late 1970s), 42 percent of women work, and about 33 percent of married women work in the wage- labor force. This is much higher than the 6 percent of women in the wage-labor jobs, women, whether single or married, are at an economic disadvantage in com- parison with men when it comes to supporting themselves. If they leave their husbands or lovers, they drop to a lower economic class, and many have to go on welfare. Second, women who have chi 1d who also work in the force have two jobs, not one: the respon and housework, as well as the outside jol secking outside jobs, and makes them economically dependent on their husbands, 10 do work outside the home expend twice as much energy as the man and sure. Many women who try to combine career and motherhood find that ids of both undermine their egos because they don't feel that they can do idequately.* of fice contraceptives, adequate health care, and free legal abortions. A man can enjoy sex without having to worry about the consequences the way a woman does if ‘a mistake occurs and she becomes pregnant, Women have some compensation in the fact that in the United States today they are favored legally over the father in their right to control of the children in case of separation or divorce. But advantage (a victory won by women in the early 20th century in the ongoing power ) does not adequately compensate for the disadvantages to which motherhood subjects one in this society 3. Women's role in socialization: as wife and vers, wives, and mothers. Unlike men, who is success in work, women are taught from thus have more The “old maid” is rather envied. the “ideal” sex o or by younger me ‘A woman's role as mother places her in a more vulnerable position than the man. Taking care of children and being attentive to their emotional needs is very demanding work, Many times it involves conflicts between the woman's own needs and children for her attention and emotional energy. harmonize this conflict, which she often does at the expense of herself, sacrificing her private time and interests in order to provide support for the projects of her Musband and children. No matter how devoted a parent a fathe children as play time, not as wor 1 tends to see his time with the ib interests and hobbies take prece- is more independent than the woman, who sees her job as making husband and children happy. Thisis the sor of job that is never completed, for there are always more ways to make people happy. Because a woman sees her job to be supporting her husband and mothering her ‘woman sees the family a h wn success, and she lives luc” is human beings, when the age brings an end to st has other problems, for she has had to support because she knows ‘competitive society. Women Successful women, especi put her interests last, to define herself in terms of husband and children, and therefore to be more dependent on them than they are on her. ‘A woman is also vulnerable in her role as mother because there ate limited alternatives if, for example, she wishes to break off her relationship with the father of er children. As a mother, her social role in bringing up children is defined as ‘more important, more essential for the we Therefore, she is expected to take the children in a nuclear-family-oriented society is lonely and hi either do two jobs without the companionship of another acl a society where 366 Beyond Racism and Sexism the must survive on welfare or alimony with a the altemative, is it any wonder jing a relationship—even when it jobs for women are inadequate, reduced standard of living. Wh mothers are more dependent on ma satisfying—than the man is? 2 ome st ity. A woman's sexual roe is on clevated by erotic romant of male sexual passions h other women. Because women play n as equal agents ora equally produ ‘mystifying her, making her al with her asa real individu individual. Androgyny as a Progressive Ideal Itis the sexual division of labor in the home and at work that perpetuates comple- ‘mentary sex roles for men and women. In underdeveloped societies ‘material resources such an arrangement may indeed be t allow for the mos efficent raising of children and production of goods. But this no longer true for developed societies. In this age of advanced technology, men's relative strength compared to women’s is no longer important, either the production of goods. The gun and and other advances in the technology of reproduction have power of women and men to control their bodies and to cloning would mean that men and ‘Androgyny As an Ideal for Human Development 367 ble If possible, would ther human pote society have to be restructus equal love elationships? ‘of equal love relationships? yw to develop? And how would ow for androgynous human beings and are bisexual, and only e ‘male or female identity by imitating and identifying with adult me dence comes from the discovery that all human beings posse hormones (androgen and estrogen respectively), and also f oped at length by Freud. Freud argued that heterosex Until the third stage of the child’ sexual development. Sex ident through the resolution of the Oedipus complex, in which the child has to give up a primary’attachment to the mother and leam either to identify with, or love, the father. But Shulamith Firestone suggests that this process is not an inevitable o Rathe ipulation of males. As a sexual identity, bisexuality er than the exce the primary mec! than androgynous sex roles are maintained is through heterosex through the soci of needs for love and sexi love partner of the oppos traits that one has repressed or not were not socially accepted. search for a t to complement one in the in-one’s own sex such traits The Androgynous Model | believe that only androgynous people can attain the full human potential possible siven our present level of material and social resources (and this on] 3 potential imals and develop through interaction and produc- ionships a c the human brain has two functions: one associated with analytic, logical, sequenti 368 Beyond Raciem and Sexism men, who on the contrary excel in the analytic, logical thought characteristic of the left side. The point is that men and women have the potential for using both these funetions, and yet our socialization at present tends to cut off from one or the other ‘of these parts of ourselves.® 7 ‘What would an androgynous personality be lke? My model forthe ideal an-

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