tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-342943002024-03-05T12:34:22.421-08:00Sense & SensualitySarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-48168722069253565012013-12-16T09:35:00.002-08:002013-12-16T11:20:46.949-08:00Are Indian Women Racy in Sex?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ9_yAsoSV4eSFo_3Dl2OkgmudayskkvN3_kIyu8e5shbRZUW4eU47qe6s_oIhm26wiUU89grSlLQMumU0269y0Mu743aEnkSQpbCiQnKTIcY68znyTOZ3RscJJiOS1caVI7Xrw/s1600/1386409777_i_t_2013_12_16_downmagaz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ9_yAsoSV4eSFo_3Dl2OkgmudayskkvN3_kIyu8e5shbRZUW4eU47qe6s_oIhm26wiUU89grSlLQMumU0269y0Mu743aEnkSQpbCiQnKTIcY68znyTOZ3RscJJiOS1caVI7Xrw/s640/1386409777_i_t_2013_12_16_downmagaz.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">In its
current issue, ‘India Today’ has published a survey report as usual on
male-female sexuality in urban places of India. Some of my friends
messaged me to know my response. Here, it is:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In comparison to Sex Survey by “India Today” in 2003, this
survey results of 2013 seem to indicate Indian women seem to be more in controlled
and expressing their needs in their sex lives.
But are the numbers really accurate?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s look at the results:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpIXPtm7oX03loQDxrht9fHcPZLmr33QfZ2LTuccV8-fzbTB4h9HL9aFne8HQuV_D0bUWHe81eiG9S-GR7NPAisuCLJSni28OjticsWnSTY3YGdTG7O5lxOWScPfJdpcsA934xQ/s1600/India+today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpIXPtm7oX03loQDxrht9fHcPZLmr33QfZ2LTuccV8-fzbTB4h9HL9aFne8HQuV_D0bUWHe81eiG9S-GR7NPAisuCLJSni28OjticsWnSTY3YGdTG7O5lxOWScPfJdpcsA934xQ/s640/India+today.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If these results
were true, it would be good enough to think that women’s body has been reached
under women’s right. But does the ground reality show such conclusion?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This survey seems to be based on totally prejudiced
sexist bias ideas inspired with the sex surveys of some
survey agencies earlier in the West.
Women have barely figured in it, the survey might be done with urban
ladies who performed roles generally reserved for men. In India, still arranged
marriages have a preferred social recognition.
Marital rapes in such arranged marriages are very common phenomena. Ironically, the survey remained silent about
the marital rapes occurred in India. They did not include any question on such
rapes in their survey. The survey did not open how many of its married
respondents are coming with love marriage or arranged marriage.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the motto of such surveys? I think, the
underlying motive is only to help the patriarchal conspiracy to subjugate
women. These are all money matters. Not ‘men’ but the ‘economy’ and
‘industries’ are now finding a new market among women to perceive their sexual
desire. The ‘consciousness about women’s
sexual desire’ began when Procter & Gamble tried to win FDA approval for
its female testosterone patch, which the company claimed could help women boost
their sexual desire. Ironically, it has been proven by scientists that no single
measurement of androgen hormones, like testosterone, can predict low desire.
Some women with low testosterone levels did not have low desire, while some
women with normal levels did.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even the media are used by the commercial houses to
subjugate women to make them pornified so that they could be utilised for
income. Channel 4, one of UK’s popular TV broadcaster, in its programme
“Embarrassing Bodies,” encourages the female viewers to soothe insecurity about
common bodily issues, refers a woman to a cosmetic surgeon to have her
perfectly healthy labia sliced off. Commercial cosmetics business houses try to
propagate that such cosmetic FGM is safe reporting 71 percent of women having
the procedures report an ‘improved sex life’ and 23 percent report they could
reach orgasm more easily after obtaining such operations. But these claims are
possibly advertising/marketing-based and cannot always be substantiated. Thus
BJOG, an international journal of obstetrics and gynecology has denied these
claims in a report published in its 1st issue of Volume 117. Experts (L. M. Liao,
L. Michala, and S.M. Creighton) write:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This review has identified almost 1,000 published cases
of cosmetic labial surgery. Because the majority of such procedures are
performed in the private sector, here audit and publication are not required,
and because advertisement, especially via the Internet, is widespread, these
figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg. No prospective studies
were found. Follow-up was not carried out for most studies and, where
available, it was of short duration with unspecified or suspect methodology.
There was no attempt to compare preoperative morphological measurements with
published criteria to assess the need for intervention. Surgery appeared to
have been offered on demand, justified by verbal reports of physical and
psychological difficulties.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sexual problems of women have not received adequate
attention from the researchers. Worldwide, female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a
highly prevalent problem for 38%-63% of women.
Very few researches have been made clinically on sexual frigidity of
women in India. And yet, according to a recent study by researchers at the Yale
School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, nearly half of all
women who participated in the studies suffer from some sexual problem; many
suffered from more than one. And it has now been proven that orgasm is not
experienced by most women either in the West or in the East. Curiously, very
few activists have come forward to proclaim that right for women. And it
appears most medical researchers and funders of this research are also not in
the mood to spend too much money trying to figure out why some women are
sexually unhappy. But the surveys by India Today shows only 2.3 % of female
respondents admit about their sexual unhappy lives. What a silly nonsense
result!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe women are still living in denial of their
sexual desire. Most women seldom discuss sex with their doctors. They even
think not being able to experience orgasm during sexual intimacy is a normal
occurrence. Indian society still has not been removed its taboo on sex and most
of the women are totally molded by
patriarchal conspiracy where male sexuality is termed as ‘active’ while female
sexuality is ‘passive.’ Here, I don’t think the situation in the West differs
much from that of the East. It seems throughout the world, the sexual instinct
of females is routinely suppressed. Those who find so much sexual positivism
among Indian women might have selected a fixed specialized domain and this
domain can’t be termed to represent Indian women any more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Source: <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story_image.jsp?img=/images/stories/2013december/maplarge_120713095758.jpg&caption=">India Today December 2013 Issue</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-5172939136926226782012-11-27T16:36:00.000-08:002012-11-28T23:18:17.478-08:00Feminism is Humanism. So Why the Debate?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfOaS9pyPl0pO4fPkx752k3Ei1VZRjbcHz31fUT07imqVoMNDAuXMpWX62moR4P7tmWfHA8wZO9mB_8Kl78mPdrc3lwvfsAMTZVmKvDA-DSg6sM_SvlHl3_fOCYe5sdxDdsHWRA/s1600/s320x240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfOaS9pyPl0pO4fPkx752k3Ei1VZRjbcHz31fUT07imqVoMNDAuXMpWX62moR4P7tmWfHA8wZO9mB_8Kl78mPdrc3lwvfsAMTZVmKvDA-DSg6sM_SvlHl3_fOCYe5sdxDdsHWRA/s320/s320x240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While speaking on the topic ‘Reclaiming Language, Space
and Body: Women Writing in Odia’ during the <a href="http://www.samanvayindianlanguagesfestival.org/2012/samanvay-2012-schedule/"><span style="color: blue;">Second Literary Festival arranged by Samanvay </span></a>at IHC, Delhi on November 4, 2012, I stumbled upon some strange
reactions from some of my colleagues. This predisposed me to think how poor our
ideas are in such areas. As the topic was related to ‘body’ and ‘women
writing,’ I marked many of the participants mingled the term ‘body’ (or exactly
to say ‘woman’s body’)with sexuality. And amusingly enough, they had very
limited ideas about female sexuality. As
a result, the total discussion roamed round the merits and demerits of
extramarital affairs. It could have been
so much more...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In my speech, I related, we have a very blunt idea
about sexuality. Common people in India can’t think more than a ‘passion’ or
‘lust’ or ‘erotica’ or ‘pornography’ while relating the term ‘female body.’ But
the term is more allied with social issues primarily affecting women in our
culture such as birth control, abortion, the family, sexual discrimination and
harassment, and rape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In one of my essays discussing ‘discrimination with the
female body,’ I have written, “In Asian and African countries, it's a regular
practice to breastfeed girls for a shorter time than boys so that women can try
to get pregnant again with a boy as soon as possible. In the case of adolescent
girls, they are provided with less food than their brothers by their own
mothers. As a result, girls miss out on life-giving nutrition during a crucial
time in their development, which stunts their growth and weakens their
resistance to disease.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sunita Kishor published a survey report in the
“American Sociological Review” (April 1993). In her article “May God Give Sons
to All: Gender and Child Mortality in India,” she writes, “despite the
increased ability to command essential food and medical resources associated
with development, female children [in India] do not improve their survival
chances relative to male children with gains in development. Relatively high
levels of agricultural development decrease the life chances of females while
leaving males' life chances unaffected; urbanization increases the life chances
of males more than females...Clearly, gender-based discrimination in the
allocation of resources persists and even increases, even when availability of
resources is not a constraint.” Is this not gender discrimination as related to
the body of a female?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(See: ‘Seeking a Voice for Open Questions About the
Sexual Rights of Women’ from
http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.in/2011/01/seeking-voice-for-open-questions-about.html)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reacting to my speech, one Kannad poetess <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamta_Sagar"><span style="color: blue;">Mamta G.Sagar</span> </a>commented, from the audience, she was opposing any feminist voice in
literature and stated a writer should not be a feminist but rather a humanist.
I clarified my position on how anyone could expect a discussion on the topic of
‘body’ wouldn’t reach the arena of feminism? And I also clarified my view that
I think it’s a vague statement to say a writer should not be a feminist but a
humanist. It sounds as if feminists are not humanists and the authors who
believe in patriarchal milieu are the real humanists. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But after that seminar, when I tried to know more about
Ms. Sagar, I came to know from Muse India that she likes to introduce herself
for her work on Women and Gender politics. In her Wikipedia page, she mentioned
she had acquired her Ph.D. degree in “Gender, Patriarchy and Resistance:
Contemporary Women’s Poetry in Kannada and Hindi (1980-2000).” This moved me to
write the following.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">___________________________<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Am I a feminist? I’m actually unco</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">mfortable calling
myself a feminist, but not because of my perceptions of what feminism is or
who’s eligible for the label. My regular readers know the reason why I find
myself uncomfortable as I possess very different views from Western second-wave
feminists regarding their beliefs on the feminists’ milieu. To me, femininity
(rather than feminism) has a wonderful power.
In our de-gendered times, a really feminine woman is truly a joy to
behold. She can unleash her own unique yet universal femininity by just being
who she is rather than what some want her to be. Isn’t that refreshing? We are here for gender sensitivity to proclaim
gender equality. Do not man and woman
compliment one another when one strips away the not-so-hidden agendas of those
committed to quests of power and control?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘Equality’ is a term which aims to rectify
institutional racism/sexism/ageism etc. through affirmative action and has long
been derided as being unequal treatment, in violation of the ‘one-rule-for-all’
principle. This equality is achieved when (and if) the law treats all
individuals the same, without reference to their sex, race or age. This kind of
equality leaves many ‘equalists’ happy, but still ignores the long history of
discrimination against certain groups in society which leaves them in a
disadvantaged position with no chance of carrying out their lives on an ‘equal
playing field.’ On this approach, historical grievances must be acknowledged
and rectified and a special effort must be made to bring these groups to an
acceptable position in society. This approach is often accused of being
‘unfair,’ ‘discriminatory,’ ‘racist,’ or ‘sexist’ by some ‘privileged’ groups
who began the controversy of feminism versus humanism largely for their own
purposes and maybe not for the common good. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The French philosopher and social anthropologist Michel
Foucault in his two books <i>Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality</i>,
Vol. 1 makes few references to women or to the issue of gender and he calls his
ideas of transformations in the nature and functioning of power as the theory
of genealogy, which challenges the commonly held assumption that power is an
essentially negative, repressive force which operates purely through the
mechanisms of law, taboo, and censorship. Foucault named this as
‘juridico-discursive’ conception of power and according to him the term has its origins in the practices of power
characteristics of pre-modern societies. In such societies, he claims power was
centralized and coordinated by a sovereign authority who exercised absolute
control over the population through the threat or open display of violence.
From the seventeenth century onwards, however, as the growth and care of
populations increasingly became the primary concerns of the state, new
mechanisms of power and control emerged which centered around the
administration and management of ‘life.’ In the complex story Foucault tells,
this new form of ‘bio-power’ revolved around two poles.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One pole was concerned with the efficient government of
the population as a whole and focuses on the management of the life processes
of the social body. It involved the regulation of phenomena such as birth,
death, sickness, disease, health, sexual relations, and so on. The other pole,
which Foucault labels ‘disciplinary power’, targeted the human body as an
object to be manipulated and trained. (See ‘Foucault and Feminism’by Aurelia
Armstrong. Link: http://www.iep.utm.edu/foucfem/)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like other social anthropologists, Foucault believed
the body and sexuality are cultural constructs rather than natural phenomena.
But ironically, of those feminists who possess the same belief on socialization
of gender as Foucault called out the philosopher for his misogynist theories.
Jana Sawicki, who was known as Foucault ‘s strongest supporter, criticized
Foucault’s theory of genealogy in her book Disciplining Foucaultas being
ambiguous and a source of conflict and agreed he did not go far enough in their
direction and address their concerns with the focus on women’s experiences on
which feminism insists. She questioned: How can he say so much about sex and so
little about women? Does his gender matter? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Judith Butler, another Foucauldian feminist, though
influenced by Foucault‘s thinking of socialization of gender and body through
Nietzschean genealogy, psychoanalysis, and Derridean discourse, overlooked the
concepts of technology and strategy which form a key part of Foucault‘s
thinking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Foucault’s humanism is a ‘strategic rejectionism.’
According to him, humanism is also the legitimizing force behind a liberal
democracy. It tells people that although they do not have power, they are still
the rulers. In short, humanism is everything in Western civilization, according
to Foucault, which restricts the desire for power; it prohibits the desire for
power and excludes the possibility of power being seized.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think critics who stand for humanism saying feminism
is against humanism certainly support Foucault’s ideas of the rejection of
humanism. Actually, the question of Humanism was first raised by the Italian
philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) when he announced that
"L'homme est né libre, et partout il est dans les fers" (“Man is born
free, and everywhere he is in chains."). By saying this, Rousseau
distinguishes between ‘abstract Man' and 'actual man' caught in their social
positions of conflict.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Paul Kurtz, the founder and chairman of the Committee
for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, has edited a book
titled <i>The Humanist Alternative, Some Definitions of Humanism </i>(Published by
Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY and Pemberton Books, London, 1973, 190 pages)
where we see different authors find different types of humanism, such as:
ethical humanism, religious humanism, atheistic humanism, heretical humanism,
scientific humanism, naturalistic humanism, and just humanism (without any
preceding adjective). Not all of these humanisms are different from each other
but on the other side, this list of humanism is far from complete.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Similarly Tony Davies, a senior lecturer in English at
the University of Birmingham mentions "seven distinct sub-definitions of
humanism" in the Oxford English Dictionary in his book <i>Humanism</i>,
(published by Routledge, 11 New Fetter Lane, London). </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And similarly, Thomas Paine’s <i>Rights of Man </i>(1792) or
Thomas Jefferson's the <i>Declaration of Independence</i> (1776) all appeal to the
abstract singularity and universality of Man.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Humanism, then, posits a ‘timeless and unlocalised’
condition, which is Frederich Nietzsche's radical insight in his book Human,
all too Human, where he writes, “all philosophers have the common failing of
starting out from man as he is now and thinking they can reach their goal
through an analysis of him. They involuntarily think of 'man' as an aeterna
veritas, as something that remains constant in the midst of all flux, as a sure
measure of things. Everything the philosopher has declared about man is, however,
at bottom no more than a testimony as to the man of a very limited period of
time. Lack of historical sense is the family failing of all philosophers.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">As a consequence, Foucault's humanism, or clearly ‘anti-humanism,’
must be seen as the developing part of Nietzsche’s idea of ‘historical philosophizing’
and with it, ‘the virtue of modesty’ by which Foucault meant ‘a healthy willingness to resist
temptation to confuse our own dispositions and values with some universal and
eternal human condition.’ According to Nancy Fraser an American critical theorist, Foucault
opposes humanism in the sense he does not support absolute government, or
torture, or the violation of rights. Rather, what he argues is that such causes
are not adequately supported or opposed by humanist liberal arguments. Humanism
is a discursive myth, and notions of autonomy and self-determination are
illusions of a liberal hegemony form of disciplinary government which fails to
recognise the historical constitution of </span>self hood<span style="font-size: small;"> Such a discourse, in my
view, is at odds with both reason and experience. (See: “Michel Foucault: A
"Young Conservative?,” in Michael Kelly’s (ed.), “<i>Critique and Power:
Recasting the Foucault/Habermas Debate</i>.” Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press, pp.
185-210)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those who are pointing to the notion feminism is an
anti-humanist activity somehow are frequently charged with a strong form of
epistemological relativism. It is important to establish the connections
precisely in order not to misrepresent feminism. Such a conception is not
metaphysical in that it does not claim to derive from a source exterior to
human beings in history. Feminism, on the other hand, should not be a war with
men but at war with history—a history defined by a patriarchy so tenacious and
entrenched, it feels almost dangerous to say the word aloud. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because feminism is basically a humanistic philosophy
and world view, it then must be understood in terms of humanistic ideals. From
feminism’s primary concerns of equal rights, authority, and the sexual roles of
men and women flow a significant number of social, political, moral, ethical,
religious, and economic issues of importance to individuals, families,
communities, and nations as a whole. Instead of the idea that man makes himself
God, which is a core attribute of organizational humanism, we should continue
our attempts to establish that ‘human’ (not man or woman only) makes
‘themselves’ God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wonder then how our so-called feminist authors could
announce at an intellectual gathering feminism is not based on humanistic
philosophy. Not only Mamta G.Sagar, but many of my colleague short story
writers and poets support the notion feminism is an attack against humanism.
Amazingly enough, these writers, from time to time, claim to be feminists and
where there is a chance to benefit from feminism, they pounce on the
opportunity to be part of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-23805461085119728292012-10-08T07:06:00.001-07:002012-10-08T23:06:22.453-07:00Vagina...Open for Business and Debate <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhBqgou8CPzAEKfwftTNv0nHUQikPMXTsV3GLTen3SfuvEE2fdVkB23-vPxy0Zef53nwUqGDdWRypHY-i1iwwz5N9VhvhAipWjFnJG1nIlPzapA2ehmGY1a7DQNbm973rIQef5w/s1600/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhBqgou8CPzAEKfwftTNv0nHUQikPMXTsV3GLTen3SfuvEE2fdVkB23-vPxy0Zef53nwUqGDdWRypHY-i1iwwz5N9VhvhAipWjFnJG1nIlPzapA2ehmGY1a7DQNbm973rIQef5w/s320/Untitled-1+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Naomi Wolf, who became famous for her
book <i>The Beauty Myth</i> (1991), argues
that "beauty," as a normative value, is entirely socially constructed
and that patriarchy determines the content of that construction with the goal
of reproducing its own hegemony. According to her, women are under assault by
the “beauty myth” in five areas: work, religion, sex, violence, and hunger.
Ultimately, Wolf argues for a relaxation of the normative standards of beauty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In 2012, Wolf writes in a new work, <i>Vagina: A New Biography,</i> where she says
that the “badness” to which women are attracted isn't a literal badness; it is
the sexual appeal of “otherness, wildness, and the dimensions of the unknown.” The
book is also about the role of the autonomic nervous system, which she explains
in the pages of the book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Promoting her book, Naomi writes in <i>The Guardian</i> (September 8, 2012 issue), “a
single system” works for female orgasm and that is dopamine. She further
writes, “Dopamine is what I call the ultimate feminist neurotransmitter: it
yields motivation and goal-orientedness, trust in one's own judgment and, most
notably of all, in my mind, confidence. (Cocaine, for instance, powerfully
stimulates release of dopamine – hence the crazy confidence and sociability of
coke users, at least under the influence, responding to that boost). Opioids
give the brain the sensation of ecstasy or transcendence; and finally, oxytocin
– which can be released both when a woman's nipples are being stimulated and
during the contractions of orgasm – creates a sense of bonding, caring, and
intimacy. Oxytocin has been shown in studies to give people with heightened
levels an advantage in reading the emotions of faces.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But is Naomi Wolf’s attempt to find a
brain-vagina connection or the role of dopamine in orgasm in any way helpful to
know or explore the real problems of female sexuality? I doubt it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">While reading Naomi Wolf’s <i>Vagina: A New Biography</i>, I tried to
search for that Naomi, the one who stands against the commercialization of
women’s bodies. You may remember her book <i><a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.in/2010_03_01_archive.html"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Beauty Myth</span></a> </i>started an uproar against the multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry.
According to her, these industries used the idea of beauty to exploit women for
their commercial benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have been asking questions about
where women stand in relation to the recent dopamine phenomenon declaration by
Naomi. Where are women’s voices on this topic? Where are the critical voices?
Isn’t it a fact that tomorrow, a pharmaceutical company will come forward to
market dopamine just as Pfizer has done with Viagra? Is the feminine mass going
to stand by and cheer being orgasmic with dopamine? Is all this so-called ‘brain-vagina
connection’ really in women’s best interests?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In Wolf’s latest book (<i>Vagina: A New Biography</i>),psychological,
social, political, economic, or relational factors regarding female orgasm are
rarely, if ever, discussed. I remembered in the case of <i>Beauty Myth</i>, she wrote in that book how women, held back by having
to work two shifts -- one of paid work for an employer and another unpaid at
home for the family compared with the single shift worked by men -- still made
strides; and how the addition of a third shift -- the beauty shift; all that
shaving, plucking, painting, curling, styling, toning and trimming -- serves
the purpose of keeping them down by keeping them tired and distracted -- too
tired and distracted to be successful at work and too tired and distracted to
become involved or even interested in unions or other political action that
might help change the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As a feminist gender studies scholar,
I wondered how Naomi forgot about the women who engage themselves in
three-shift days could think over this dopamine for conjugal orgasm. Because
sexual dysfunction is related not only to the brain-vagina connection but to
economical and social situations through which a woman has to pass as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In traditional texts, the word ‘vagina’
was considered with very confessional and contradictory statements. In Hindu
scripture, Manu Samhita, vagina is mentioned as ‘the gate of hell.’ Indian
Tantra practitioners called the vagina ‘the pathway to enlightenment.’ Chinese
Tao philosophy used the ‘golden lotus.’ Shakespeare wrote ‘blackness’ in
Othello or ‘boat’ in King Lear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But later after the Victorian age, the
gentlemen’s manner revealed a fear of the word ‘vagina’ in public discourse.
When I posted about Naomi’s recent book in a group on facebook, a female member
commented it is better not to use ‘taboo’ words (such as vagina) in public or
in a social networking venue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This happens in India as well. When
the feminist music group ‘Pussy Riot’ were sentenced to two years in prison by a
Russian court for performing a 40-second anti-Putin ‘punk prayer’ in a Russian
cathedral and when Eve Ensler’s <a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.in/search?q=Vagina+monologue"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>TheVagina Monologues</i> </span></a>had completed a
16-year run throughout the world, including India, the word ‘vagina’ still embarrassed
common females in India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This embarrassment happened not only
in India but in America as well. In June, Michigan Democrat Lisa Brown was
barred from addressing the House of Representatives after using the word ‘vagina’
in a debate on an anti-abortion bill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In Australia (Source: guardian.co.uk,
Friday 15 June 2012 18.32 BST) this year, a TV advertisement used the word
vagina for the first time to sell its products for menstruation. There was a
series of complaints and calls for the ad to be banned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But the word ‘vagina’ still remained
as a potential factor either in religion or in business. Supporting female
genital mutilation in Islam by some feminists in the name of cross-cultural feminism
or making protest on this crude brutal system have been the main topics the
last few years. Meanwhile, hymenoplasty did a million-dollar business by only
surgical beautification of vagina. All these efforts made the ‘vagina’ more of
a mystique while the real questions and problems of female sexuality remained
misspelled in the feminist discourse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">For centuries, the vagina was the
centre of attraction for many intellectuals, psychologists, scientists, and for
people of letters. From Vatsayan (who wrote the <i>Kamasutra</i>) to Leonard Shlain (who invented <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/GYNA-SAPIENS-Leonard-Shlain-believes-that-2574598.php"><span style="color: #0b5394;">GYNA SAPIENS</span></a> theories)
to Sigmund Freud (the premier person to support the vaginal orgasm) to Ernst
Grafenberg (who invented the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-Spot"><span style="color: #0b5394;">G-spot theory</span></a>) and many other scholars also did work
on this female organ and interestingly enough, if we will verify the gender of
such scholars, we will find most of them to be male. So one can conclude the vagina,
which is merely a female organ, is more significant to males than females.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The attempt to proclaim women have
autonomy over their own bodies is the real solution of solving the problems of
female sexuality. But is the female body only restricted to the vagina? In
India, female fetuses are routinely killed before their births. Before such
killings, nobody asks the pregnant mother whether she wants to abort or
doesn’t. The decision is not hers. She’s merely a vessel. In India, when a
mother serves food to her children, she serves more to her son than to her
daughter. Can this be labeled as persecution over a female body? In India, when
a bride is killed at home by her husband or the husband's family due to his
dissatisfaction over the dowry provided by her family, isn’t it an attack on a
female body?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Believe it or not, India has more than
40 million widows -- the highest amount in the world. A widow, regardless of
her age, has to get into a dreary garment and give up other ornamentations and
confine herself to a corner of the house. A widow even has to tonsure her head
in certain communities. She is not allowed to attend weddings or other
celebrations as her presence is considered a bad omen. Are these patriarchal
rituals not linked to a female’s body? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The concept of women’s bodies in the
West differs from that of the East. Vagina may be a main source of female sexuality
for Naomi but it is not at all for an Indian female like me. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Brides"><span style="color: #073763;">Burning Brides</span></a> may
be a name of hard rock band in America but here, it is very difficult for me to
even imagine b<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=34294300" name="_GoBack">r</a>ide burning being associated with any sort
of musical concert. This is the difference between Eastern feminism and Western
feminism. Before discussing South Asian Feminism, we have to realize this
bitter truth and carry on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"># #
# #<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-84807204955693451372012-01-08T21:03:00.000-08:002012-10-14T08:03:44.273-07:00Questions of Sexual Politics in Indian Literature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyet3a_eKIIWZ9InL1Q3Xmcj6nQNzap1ALKLjxrS7e8gQzWqOpZHxTqPi-52QGi0oQhqp5l2khn5ymJJ358vV1NOx26Luz5CpMjnsDP4fB4GbKE94-FibXoPN3q3B2XKmPufabQ/s1600/the+final+question.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyet3a_eKIIWZ9InL1Q3Xmcj6nQNzap1ALKLjxrS7e8gQzWqOpZHxTqPi-52QGi0oQhqp5l2khn5ymJJ358vV1NOx26Luz5CpMjnsDP4fB4GbKE94-FibXoPN3q3B2XKmPufabQ/s320/the+final+question.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Based on the middle-class milieu, Sarat Chandra Chottapadhay’s novel “Shesh Prashna” (later published by Penguin as <i><a href="http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Antim-Prashn-Sarat-Chandra-Chattopadhyay-review-rprulmnoln">Final Question</a></i> is a unique novel of its time because it reinforces the author’s enduring relevance on a female’s sexuality, questioning all patriarchal values. I have stated before in my various articles that unlike Western countries, feminism in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country> had been motivated and ignited mostly by males and never females. It is a very interesting fact that in the colonial period, we find none of the female authors came forward with any question over the patriarchal milieu except some Anglo-Indian writers like Bithia Mary Crocker (1849-1920), Maud Diver (1867-1945), Sara Duncan (1861-1921), F. E. Penny, Alice Perrin (1867-1934), and Flora Annie Steel (1847-1929). They all are now forgotten, but once they played a major role in molding conflicts and collusions between British feminist discourses at the turn of the nineteenth century and contemporary conservative discourses bolstering colonial patriarchy. Though they were related to India somehow by their birth; culturally, they were not associated with India. And as we can’t claim Rudyard Kipling as an Indian writer, it is logically dishonest to include these forgotten writers in the Indo-Anglican literary stream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> In the colonial period, we find the participation of women in literature aimed for rebelling against British rule. The body of work produced was often related to the freedom struggle and to reform as well as the nationalist movements. The trend of educating Indian women began in the late nineteenth century with the rise of the reformist movement in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">India</st1:country></st1:place> by male reformists like Ram Mohan Ray, Chandra Vidyasagar, and others, which caused more participation of women in actively rebelling against British rule. This led to a new stage in the development of women's literature in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country>. The body of work produced was often related to the freedom struggle and the reform and nationalist movements. Although there were still women such as Bhabani and Jogeswari whose writings in the early nineteenth century questioned the patriarchal dominance of their husbands, the majority concentrated on the freedom struggle. Another feminist activist Savitribai Phule, who along with her husband championed the cause of women's education, was the first woman teacher in modern Maharashtra and together with her husband; she started the first school for girls. Her writing carries the mark of an activist and scholar who wholeheartedly believed in the cause of the untouchables. Her follower, Pandita Ramabai Saraswati, was educated both in English and in Sanskrit. She stood herself against the patriarchal reading of the Hindu scriptures and early scholarly works of learned Brahmins which encouraged a repressive and demeaning interpretation favouring the suppression of women. Sarojini Naidu, dubbed as the nightingale of India, published her first set of poems at the age of sixteen and went to England where she was educated at King's College in London, and later at Cambridge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Towards the mid-nineteenth century, more and more women began to write in regional languages as well as in English. Some of them, such as Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, created a world of feminist ideologies. In “Sultana's Dream,” she talks about a world dominated by women; a world which has imprisoned men in the male equivalent of <i>zenanas</i> (women's quarters). She creates a world that is much better than the one men managed. In her woman's world, there are no wars and there is constant scientific progress and love for the environment. (See: Tharu, Susie and Lalita, K. (Eds), “Women Writing in India Volume 1, 600 BC to the Early Twentieth Century,” Oxford University Press, New Delhi, Feb. 1991)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There were also two Sarala Devis in the feminist activist world of the colonial India; one is Sarala Devi Chowdhury (1872-1945) of Bengal and another is Sarala Devi (1904-1986) of Orissa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The former one was a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Bethune</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place> student, BA with honours in English (1890), proficient in French, Sanskrit, and Persian and was also the niece of Ravindra Nath Tagore. Apart from writing, Sarala Devi also edited a number of journals. When her husband was in jail, she edited the <u>Hindustan, </u>and launched its English edition. For a long time she helped in editing the <u>Bharati,</u> another Bengali journal. Among her important publications were: <i>Nababarsher Swapna</i>, <i>Jibaner Jharapata</i>, <i>Banalir Pitrdhan</i> (1903), and <i>Bharat Stri Mahamandal</i> (1911). In Kolkata, Sarala Devi Chowdhury founded the Bharat-Stri-Shiksa-Sadan (a feminist organization) and introduced games with swords and batons among women. Her involvement in nationalist politics brought her in contact with Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Ray, Gopal Krishna Gokhle and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">On the other hand, Sarala Devi of Orissa studied up to class VI, was a freedom fighter, and a woman activist at the premier of feminism in Orissa. She writes many essays in Oriya such as: “Utkalaa Nari Samasya” (The Problems of the Women of Orissa) 1934, “Narira Dabi” (The Rights of Women) 1934, “Bharatiya Mahila Prasanga” (about the women of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">India</st1:country></st1:place>) 1935, “Rabindra Puja” (A Homage to Rabindranath), “Beera Ramani” (The Women of Valour) 1949, and “Bishwa Biplabani” (The Great Female Revolutionaries of the World) 1930. She was also writing in Bengali under the pen name ‘Debjani.’ She started her political career with 35th National Congress at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Nagpur</st1:city></st1:place>. She was one of the first women authors to show political awareness and a feminist outlook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If we compare both the Sarala Devis, no doubt the latter one was more a feminist in her thought than the former. She was more radical in her thought and refused to use a veil -- instead, covering her head with one’s own sari as a mark of modesty of a woman -- and reacted vehemently against many of the prevailing social taboos. She once wrote in an auto-biographical essay that God is a patriarchal product. In His world, man always remains untouched and a woman becomes fallen in committing sin. Describing her as one of premier of Indian feminism, Sachidananada Mohanty writes, “In her book, <i>Narira Dabi</i>, Sarala outlines a manifesto for women’s empowerment. Comparable to Mary Wollstonecraft’s <i>Vindication of the Rights of Women</i>, what impressed us was the breadth of her extraordinary knowledge of contemporary history, law, and social life both in India and abroad. In voicing her anger against the subordination of women and marital rape, Sarala distinctly emerged as a revolutionary woman. Far ahead of her times, her life and career deserve the attention of an all-India audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sarala begins her essay in a matter-of-fact manner: “There is much agitation in today’s world over the question of women’s independence. Both in the West as well as in the East, one hears, in one voice, the demand that women should become free. The campaign has made headway in the western countries. In the East, however, it is still at the stage of inception. Nevertheless, there is little doubt that the agitation would fructify in the near future.” (See “Gender and Cultural Identity in Colonial Orissa,” by Sachidananda Mohanty, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hyderabad</st1:city></st1:place>: Orient Longman, 2005, pages 90-99)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">What do we see in these writings of colonial days? Patriarchy was kept aside as a less harmful object than social reforms or nationalism. Most of these women writers wanted to reform society in the framework of patriarchy. Sarala Devi was the first woman to shed some light on the ‘detachment of the woman’ questioning from the formal need of development of woman under the patriarchy framework. Before Sarala Devi, the feminists of <st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place>, who were already inspired by the National Movement started by the Congress Party, especially by Mahatma Gandhi, were fighting for the issues surrounding limited rights to women based on the flawed perceptions that men held of women. She raised the question of why women should not claim her rights over own body? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Though Sarala Devi was not so educated on a formal academic scale, she was well-accomplished with English and Bengali. She was very fond of Rabindra Nath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, two eminent writers of Bengal. Among these two veteran authors, Sarat Chandra was the most popular Bengali novelist and short story writer of the early twentieth century in India. His novels are not only popular in Bengali but in almost in all Indian languages. His works represented rural Bengali society and he often wrote against social superstitions and oppression. He was particularly sensitive to the cause of women. Though he was always known to be an intrepid champion of the marginalised in his novels, but he was also criticised by the critics for the emotional aspects he was dealing with in his novels, especially the novels written in his earlier stage. Besides popular novels, he has written some worthy novels like <i>Palli Samaj</i> (1916), <i>Charitraheen</i> (1917), <i>Devdas</i> (1917), <i>Nishkriti (</i>1917), <i>Srikanta</i> in four parts (1917, 1918, 1927, and 1933), <i>Griha Daha</i> (1920), <i>Sesh Prasna</i> (1929) and <i>Sesher Parichay</i>, published posthumously in 1939.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In his novels, Sharat Chandra tried to establish questions related to women of the bourgeoisie met, from the very first, with stiff resistance from men. Though he was the lone author of his time to support the causes of women, we find only one story of his contemporary great writer Tagore has been credited to show him as a supporter of feminism. This is a short story title as “Strir Patra,” the dismal lifelessness of Bengali women after they are married off, hypocrisies plaguing the Indian middle class, and how the protagonist, a sensitive young woman, must — due to her sensitiveness and free spirit — sacrifice her life. In the last passage, Tagore directly attacks the Hindu custom of glorifying Sita's attempted self-immolation as a means of appeasing her husband Rama's doubts (as depicted in the epic “Ramayana”).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Though Tagore was considered as more serious and elite, Sarat Chandra also worked in parallel and remained at a safe distance away from Tagore’s style and concept, but this was not an easy matter for the authors of that time. According to Dr. Sukumar Sen, Sarat Chandra (arguably) did not much appreciate poetry and hence deprived his work a little of the vast wealth of the Tagore literary ocean which could well have enhanced the texture and depth of his masterpieces. However, the author made himself more committed to the issues than the elite poets of his contemporaries and even one of his novels “Pather Daabi” was banned for alleged preaching of sedition from 1927 to 1939 and again in 1940, under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code and under the Dramatic Performance Act respectively. He was not particularly liked either by the Imperial representatives or by Hindu fundamentalists. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The novel <i>Final Question</i> <i>(Shesh Prashna</i>) started with the cohabitation of the female protagonist Kamal with Shivnath. In the decades of the last century, the term ‘living together’ was not much more glorified rather than the very inferior term ‘concubine,’ used for the female who are engaged in such relationship, but no term was created for their male counter parts. Ashutosh Banerjee or Ashu Babu, an aged widower arrived Agra to live there with his unmarried daughter, Manorama. Ashu Babu wants Manorama to get married to Ajeet. However the dynamics of relationships take such twists and turns that Manorama comes close to Shivnath who is said to have ditched his first wife for Kamal and now ready to ditch Kamal also for the sake of her. However Kamal herself is no longer mentally attached to him. Ajeet, despite being the likely son-in-law of Ashu Babu, gets distanced from Manorama and comes close to Kamal. Another angle in the story is that Kamal has a place for the aged Ashu Babu in her heart who is still so much dedicated to his deceased wife that his heart refuses to even think of any other woman in her place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The total novel is not event-oriented as there are not many twists and turns in the plot. It is thought-oriented and the author seems to have created the characters to bring an overabundance of diverse thoughts to the front through them. The novel is studded with long and thoughtful dialogues, mainly regarding male-female relationships and the philosophy of life. Throughout the novel, Kamal challenges the traditional values imposed by the male-dominated society on the women every now and then. She does not shrink back in any argument just because the arguers are men and she is a woman. She speaks and puts up her thought with logic, courage and conviction. And quite naturally, that’s another reason for most of the males not to look upon her as a ‘good woman’ (as per their vision).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The novel raised the question: is love eternal or does it need a single-devotion towards a person of opposite sex? The novel has its consequences to show how love, like everything in this mortal world, is also not eternal or immortal and has to meet its death when its life is over. But the other aspects of the novel are the question raised by Kamal on basic beliefs of the so-called patriarchal society as she is not ready to take anything told at its face value and willing to test everything on the criterion of logic. These questions, no doubt, are sufficient to raise the eyebrows of the Hindu fanatics of a patriarchal society. Actually, the moderates of patriarchal society -- those who want to empower females under the patriarchal social milieu -- also couldn’t digest such questions which are somehow related to sexual rights of a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In the initial period of feminism, I have told these are men, not women at all, to come forward to establish empowering woman concept. Raja Rammohan Roy or Vidyasagar are the prime figures to set the root of feminism in India. But what they laid down is the empowering under the umbrella of patriarchy and it is Sharat Chandra, who first tried to eliminate this patriarchal umbrella and it is irony that being a man, he was the pioneer and none of our feminists of that time came forward to take this credit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But the questions raised by Kamal in Sarat Chandra Chottapadhay’s novel <i>Shesh Prashna</i> (<i>Final Question</i>) had a long-term effect on Indian literature and I think these questions could give birth of the poets like Amrita Pritam and Kamala Das.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We could hear the voice of Kamal, once uttered in Sarat Chandra’s novel, approximately 50 years after, when Kamala Das wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“- each time my husband,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">His mouth bitter with sleep,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Kisses mumbling to me of love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But if he is you and I am you,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Who is loving who<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Who is the husk who the kernel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where is the body where is the soul<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">……”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">(from “Only The Soul Knows How To Sing,” page 94.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thrashing out the beginning and development of feminism, till now, no one has admitted Sarat Chandra Chottapadhyay’s role in the making of original feminism in India, but actually, he is the person who was thinking an era ahead. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-66827319921008256762011-08-27T20:43:00.001-07:002011-08-29T09:33:17.194-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>
<br /></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800; line-height: 64px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:200%"><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;line-height: 200%;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Setting the Record Straight<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J5kLFHzYuAkkcKAB22b4Uj7wj86D97MRxNhcXqjhdaInmj3AXYMBc92ANNNms2_o9J2CY7w9CgURwEbBaIjm9HHFT75OcpF1SzE3UMXRNkwC7W_uru17WGJ32F69g0ljROIAxA/s1600/Untitled-.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2J5kLFHzYuAkkcKAB22b4Uj7wj86D97MRxNhcXqjhdaInmj3AXYMBc92ANNNms2_o9J2CY7w9CgURwEbBaIjm9HHFT75OcpF1SzE3UMXRNkwC7W_uru17WGJ32F69g0ljROIAxA/s400/Untitled-.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645747530924548578" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">A few days ago, Sonia Sarkar, a Special Correspondent of <u><a href="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110731/jsp/7days/story_14312038.jsp">The Telegraph</a></u> newspaper wrote me in a letter and questioned, “What exactly is Sense and Sensuality? <span> </span>The website gives me an impression that it is a common platform where women facing sexual harassment on streets can write about their experiences. <span> </span>But what after that? <span> </span>Is it only a platform of empathy or something more than that?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I was stunned at her questions. <span> </span>I have been blogging here for not less than five years and my bloggings have been awarded as best blog by organizations throughout the world. <span> </span>In 2009, the Red Room, a literary website based in America, declared my blogging as one of the best blogs of the week in September of 2011.<span> </span>I have been awarded the Ladli Media Award of India for gender sensitivity for one of my bloggings. <span> </span>Many of my bloggings have been reposted, translated and published in different languages of the sub-continent.<span> </span>Google statistics show I have readers and visitors from all over the world. <span> </span>Moreover, the articles of my blogs have been published in a book form by a reputed publisher from Delhi. <span> </span>Still a Special correspondent of an English newspaper could ask me such questions. <span> </span>From that day, I decided to write a brief description of my motto of blogging and my ideas of feminism here, which I could publish as a preface in my next forthcoming book.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-pagination: none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Who I Really Am<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I have been repeatedly told that I am never an activist and basically, I am a writer. <span> </span>I have also told many times that as a feminist I am more a writer and as a writer I am more a feminist. <span> </span>Actually I don’t know if I am a feminist in any way or not because in my idea, I have found the ideas of Second Wave feminists as stereotyped. <span> </span>I am just a thinker and I write about what I think gender study should be.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I have found in India, some critics compare me with Simone De Beauvoir, though I differ from her on theoretical grounds. <span> </span>Once, <u>The Tribune</u> from Chandigarh described me as the ‘Virginia Woolf and Judith Butler of India’ in its Sunday, June 13, 2010 issue.<span> </span>But my readers know how many similarities these two eminent personalities and I have.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">So, at last I have decided to list again some of my ideas on women in brief. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The Main Concept of My ‘Feminism’<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">For me, feminism is not a gender problem or any confrontational attack on male hegemony so it is quite different from that of Virginia Woolf or Judith Butler.<span> </span>I accept feminism as a total entity of female-hood, which is completely separate from the man’s world.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">To me, femininity (rather than feminism) has a wonderful power.<span> </span>In our de-gendered times, a really feminine woman is a joy to behold and you can love and unleash your own unique yet universal femininity.<span> </span>We are here for gender sensitivity to proclaim the differences between men and woman with a kind of pretence that we are all the same.<span> </span>Too many women have been de-feminized by society.<span> </span>To be feminine is to know how to pay attention to detail and people; to have people skills; and to know how to connect to and work well with others.<span> </span>There will be particular times and situations within which you'll want to be more in touch and in tune with your femininity than others.<span> </span>Being able to choose is a great privilege and skill.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I think 'femininity' is the proper word to replace 'feminism,' because the latter has lost its significance and identity due to its extensive involvement with radical politics. <span> </span>Femininity comes from the original Latin word femine which means ‘female’ or ‘women’ and certainly the word creates debatable identical characteristics. <span> </span>It separates the female mass from a masculine world with reference to gentleness, empathy, sensitivity, nurturance, deference, self-abasement, and succorance.<span> </span>And patriarchy also sets the group alien from them in their traditional milieu.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">There are many more differences in theories among scientists, anthropologists, and psychologist regarding the nature and behavior of the female mass. <span> </span>Biologists believe the role of our hormones, particularly sex hormones, and the structure of our chromosomes are responsible for such a dichotomy in gender, though some queer theorists and other postmodernists, however, have rejected the sex (biology)/gender (culture) dichotomy as a “dangerous simplification.”<span> </span>Psychology, often influenced by patriarchy, categorises women as different from the masculine world in certain behavioural, emotional and logical areas. Social anthropologists deny the concept of biology or psychology which keep women aside from the masculine world. <span> </span>Simone De Beauvoir’s saying “one is not born a woman, but becomes one” impressed social anthropologists so much that they create a different theory of feminine socialisation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Here in my bloggings, I have constantly tried to analyse the ‘truth,’ as related by biologists and anthropologists.<span> </span>What I think true to my sense and sensibility, I have expressed without any hesitation. <span> </span>But still I don’t consider myself as a conformist because I consider myself more a writer and as a writer, I think I am always a genderless entity. <span> </span>In my opinion, a writer should not have any gender. <span> </span>But still, patriarchal society has prevailed; is there any possibility to have a genderless society? <span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal;mso-pagination: none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">How I differ from Simone De Beauvoir on ideas of Feminism<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">This section is from Wikipedia<b>: </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">( There are some grammatical errors in the Wikipedian text, which I did not touch as I treated it as a quote)</span></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none">
<br /></p><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 19px; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_De_Beauvoir" title="Simone De Beauvoir">Simone De Beauvoir</a> changed the Hegelian notion of the Other, for use in her description of male-dominated culture. This treats woman as the Other in relation to man. The Other has thus become an important concept for studies of the sex-gender system. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Warner" title="Michael Warner">Michael Warner</a> argues that:</span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">the modern system of sex and gender would not be possible without a disposition to interpret the difference between genders as the difference between self and Other ... having a sexual object of the opposite gender is taken to be the normal and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm" title="Paradigm">paradigmatic</a> form of an interest in the Other or, more generally, others.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">Thus, according to Warner, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freud" title="Freud">Freudian</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacan" title="Lacan">Lacanian</a> psychoanalysis hold the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterosexist" title="Heterosexist">heterosexist</a> view that if one is attracted to people of the same gender as one's self, one fails to distinguish self and other, identification and desire. This is a "regressive" or an "arrested" function. He further argues that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronormativity" title="Heteronormativity">heteronormativity</a> covers its own <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism" title="Narcissism">narcissistic</a> investments by projecting or displacing them on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer" title="Queer">queerness</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">De Beauvoir calls the Other the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_(philosophy)" title="Minority (philosophy)">minority</a>, the least favored one and often a woman, when compared to a man, "for a man represents both the positive and the neutral, as indicated by the common use of man to designate human beings in general; whereas woman represents only the negative, defined by limiting criteria, without reciprocity" (McCann, 33). <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan" title="Betty Friedan">Betty Friedan</a> supported this thought when she interviewed women and the majority of them identified themselves in their role in the private sphere, rather than addressing their own personal achievements. They automatically identified as the Other without knowing. Although the Other may be influenced by a socially constructed society, one can argue that society has the power to change this creation (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haslanger&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Haslanger (page does not exist)"><span style="color:#BA0000">Haslanger</span></a>).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN">In an effort to dismantle the notion of the Other, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cheshire_Calhoun&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Cheshire Calhoun (page does not exist)"><span style="color:#BA0000">Cheshire Calhoun</span></a> proposed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction" title="Deconstruction">deconstruction</a> of the word "woman" from a subordinate association and to reconstruct it by proving women do not need to be rationalized by male dominance.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other#cite_note-10">[11]</a></sup> <span> </span>This would contribute to the idea of the Other and minimize the hierarchal connotation this word implies.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarojini_Sahoo" title="Sarojini Sahoo">Sarojini Sahoo</a>, an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India" title="India">Indian</a> feminist writer, agrees with De Beauvoir that women can only free themselves by “thinking, taking action, working, creating, on the same terms as men; instead of seeking to disparage them, she declares herself their equal." She disagrees, however, that though women have the same status to men as human beings, they have their own identity and they are different from men. They are "others" in real definition, but this is not in context with Hegelian definition of “others”. It is not always due to man’s "active" and "subjective" demands. They are the others, unknowingly accepting the subjugation as a part of "subjectivity".<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other#cite_note-11">[12]</a></sup> Sahoo, however contends that whilst the woman identity is certainly constitutionally different from that of man, men and women still share a basic human equality. Thus the harmful asymmetric sex/gender "Othering" arises accidentally and ‘passively’ from natural, unavoidable intersubjectivity.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other#cite_note-12">[13]</a><o:p></o:p></sup></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Why I differ from the Second Wave feminists or Western Feminists<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">For many feminist thinkers, after marriage a family breeds patriarchy.<span> </span>Happily-married women are considered false and double-crossing.<span> </span>The titles of popular feminist books from the early movement highlight the split between gender feminists and women who chose domesticity.<span> </span>Jill Johnston in her “Lesbian Nation” (1973) said married women who are heterosexual females 'traitors'; Kate Millett, in her “Sexual Politics” (1970), redefined heterosexual sex as a power struggle; whereas it was argued in Kathrin Perutz's “Marriage is Hell” (1972) and Ellen Peck's “The Baby Trap” (1971), that motherhood blocks the liberation of a woman.<span> </span>These feminists always try to paint marriage as legalized prostitution and heterosexual intercourse as rape.<span> </span>And they come to the decision men are the enemy and families are prisons.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">My Thoughts on Marriage and Parenting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer were against marriage in their earlier thoughts.<span> </span>But they tried to skip from their anti marriage ideas in later periods of their lives.<span> </span>Marriage is a three-sided arrangement between a husband, a wife and society.<span> </span>That is, society legally defines what a marriage is and how it can be dissolved.<span> </span>But marriage is, on the other hand, for partners of the marriage; it is more of an individual relationship than a social matter.<span> </span>This is the main reason of crisis.<span> </span>Individually, I think marriage must be taken out of the social realm and fully put back into the private one.<span> </span>Society should withdraw from marriage and allow the adults involved to work out their own definition of justice in the privacy of their own homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Our feminist thinkers always try to skip the idea that offspring-begging is a natural instinct of a woman and it is related to our ecological and environmental situation.<span> </span>Anything against it may result in disaster.<span> </span>We find a woman has to pass through a different stage in her lifespan and there is a phase where a woman feels an intense need of her own offspring.<span> </span>Feminists of second-wave feminism have always tried to pursue a woman against the natural law because it is seemed to them that motherhood is barricade for the freedom of a woman.<span> </span>But if the woman works and has a career, doesn’t that mean that her working assignments would demand more of her time, more of her sincerity, and of course, more of her freedom?<span> </span>Where is the freedom there?<span> </span>If a woman can adjust herself and can sacrifice her freedom for her own identity outside her home, then why then couldn’t she sacrifice some of that same freedom and identity inside her home for parenting, when parenting is also a part of her social identity?<span> </span>And then what are the costs in both freedom and identity for women who have two careers -- one outside the home and one inside the home?<span> </span>It becomes good food for thought and debate.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">And this double career of women could also be solved by rejecting the traditional patriarchal role of parenting.<span> </span>We have to insist on the idea of the equal division of labor in parenting.<span> </span>This equally shared parenting is now more common in the West where it has become an economic necessity to have two or more incomes just to survive.<span> </span>But still in South Asian countries as well as in many other parts of the world, we find shared parenting is a taboo factor because of the economic inequality between men and women, our crazy work culture, and the constrictions placed on us by traditional gender roles.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The conflict between American mother-daughter feminists Alice Walker and Rebecca Walker is a well-known chapter for Western feminism.<span> </span>Alice Walker, the mother, the second-wave feminist, obviously had an anti-motherhood idea as the other western feminists of her time.<span> </span>But Rebecca Walker, her daughter and a feminist of third wave discussed in her book “Baby Love” about how motherhood freed women like herself from their roles as daughters, and how this provided the much-needed perspective to heal themselves from damaged mother-daughter relationships and claim their full adulthood.<span> </span>What happened?<span> </span>This latest article is mired in unresolved childish hurt and anger (especially in the chapter “How my mother’s fanatical views tore us apart”), which would be all well and good except that she strikes out at her mother by striking out at feminism.<span> </span>I personally think the bitterness between her and her mother, as any woman who has ever fallen out with her mother knows, is a very painful experience and note to self, one that probably shouldn’t be written about too much in public.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In her book “Baby Love,” Rebecca Walker writes directly about unadulterated excitement and pride about becoming a mother.<span> </span>Rebecca argues that motherhood frees us from childhood.<span> </span>It is the most important step a woman can take because it creates another human being and because it makes a woman an adult.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I found this to be true for myself.<span> </span>In one of my stories in “AMRUTA PRATIKSHA RE” (Waiting for Manna )(1989), published many years before “Baby Love,” I discuss the queries of a woman after a lifetime of wondering whether to have children, wondering if the sacrifices are worth it, wondering if life is full enough already -- how does our generation of women decide to have children?<span> </span>How does any generation of women decide to have children?<span> </span>Or DO they decide to have children?<span> </span>Do they have the freedom to?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Why I Oppose Some Theories of Social Anthropologists: Natural Gender v. Learned Gender<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I began the first article in my book “Sensible Sensuality” with “Bicycle and Me,” where I wrote of my experiences of childhood.<span> </span>As my father had an obsession for a male child, he wanted to see me as a boy and therefore, I was dressed as a boy; my hair was cut like a boy’s; and I used to play boyish games with boys instead of girlish games with girls.<span> </span>In my second article, I mentioned my Portuguese friend’s query, where he asked whether this being raised as a male child had any impact in my sexuality in later life or not.<span> </span>It is clear to me that these cross-gender activities did not make any difference in my later life, and I grew up normally as a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">When I studied more about gender theories, especially in anthropology, I found that the anthropologists tried to confirm that gender is not innate but is based upon social and cultural conditions -- in other words, it is learnt.<span> </span>But my mind did not accept the theory so easily.<span> </span>Margaret Mead, in her anthropological study in 1935, concluded the differences in temperament between men and women were not a function of their biological differences, rather, they resulted from differences in socialisation and the cultural expectations held for each sex. (See: “Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies” by Margaret Mead; New York: Dell.).<span> </span>This is, I think, the earliest study that led to the conclusion that gender is more a social and cultural factor than a biological one.<span> </span>According to this study, it is the social environment of the child, such as parents and teachers, that shapes the gender identity of a child.<span> </span>A child learns what to wear (girls in frocks and boys in shirt-pants); how and what to play (dolls for girls and cars for boys); how to behave (passivity and dependence in girls and aggressiveness and independence in boys); and how to reciprocate (gender-wise thoughts, feelings, or behavior).<span> </span>As a result, according to their theories, these ‘learnings’ confirm an appropriate gender-wise appearance and behavior, which leads to gender identity.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The sex/gender distinction, seen as a set and unchangeable dichotomy, does not help social scientists.<span> </span>They might have feared that “the set of sex/gender distinction serve to ‘ground’ a society's system of gender differences, [but] the ground seems in some ways to be less firm than what it is supporting.” (See the essay: “Transsexualism: Reflections on the Persistence of Gender and the Mutability of Sex in Body Guards” by Judith Shapiro in the book ‘The Cultural Politics of Gender Ambiguity’ (eds) J. Epstein and K. Straub, 1991).<span> </span>Other social anthropologists like Moira Gatens , Henrietta Moore, Pat Caplan dismiss the idea of a biological domain separated from the social.<span> </span>Even Pat Caplan declared that “...sexuality, like gender, is socially constructed.”<span> </span>From the preceding sentences, one can see that gender identities are grounded in ideas about sex and cultural mechanisms and create men and women from them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But we also have to remember that biological sex is related to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role which are rooted deeply in science and somehow proved rather than hypothetically assumed.<span> </span>Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes within each cell; 22 of these are alike in both males and females.<span> </span>But when we come to the 23<sup>rd</sup> pair, the sexes are not the same.<span> </span>Every woman has in her cells two of what we call the ‘X’ chromosome.<span> </span>But a man has just one X and another Y chromosome.<span> </span>These sets of chromosomes are what make males and females different biologically.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Also, the sex hormones, primarily estrogen and testosterone, have a significant impact on the behavior of males and females.<span> </span>For example, why do boys typically like to play with cars and girls like to typically play with dolls?<span> </span>Social anthropologists think it is the impact of socialization while biological science thinks it is the role of these sex hormones which differentiate the choice children make gender-wise.<span> </span>Biology says the sex-specific differences in the brain are located both in the primitive regions, and in the neocortex, the higher brain region which contains 70 percent of the neurons in the central nervous system.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The neocortex is divided into two hemispheres joined by a 200-million fiber network called the corpus callosum. <span> </span>The left hemisphere controls language analysis and expression and body movements while the right hemisphere is responsible for spatial relationships, facial expressions, emotional stimuli, and vocal intonations. <span> </span>Females use both their right and left hemisphere to process language in certain circumstances while males just use one hemisphere. <span> </span>Females also reach puberty two years earlier than boys, as per biological science, and this changes the way they process social and sexual information.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">There are still some characteristics and feelings that I think social anthropologists rule out for the sake of their theories. <span> </span>What about the voice pitch? <span> </span>Males have harsh voices and females have soft voices. <span> </span>This is a biological characteristic and it is related to gender. <span> </span>The crisis of infertility may create a serious trauma to a female, which a male cannot feel. <span> </span>This is a feeling innate with specific feminine gender and it is more a psychological and biological than a social problem. <span> </span>The menopausal psycho syndromes are totally biological and not categorised with this social gender theory. <span> </span>Social anthropologists emphasise that we are all trying to pass as a gender which is decided by cultural systems, not our biological sex.<span> </span>But that is only in a black and white world.<span> </span>But how about when it turns gray?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What happens in the cases of transsexuals who do not pass it? <span> </span>The operation does not make their bodies fully male or fully female. <span> </span>The genitals will not function as genuine genitals and their chromosomes cannot be changed. <span> </span>Voice pitch and other physical characteristics might reveal their transsexualism.<span> </span>Actually, the high level of testosterone in men drives them toward some specific masculine characteristics while the lack of high levels of estrogen in women creates a natural, biological push in the direction of feminine characteristics.<span> </span>So is this biological or is it social?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;mso-pagination:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">A Closing Thought<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Each gender has different strengths and weaknesses. <span> </span><b>This does not mean that one sex is superior OR inferior to another</b>. <span> </span>Being feminine is a woman's birthright! <span> </span>It is always hard for me to understand why any woman would want to give up this cherished possession. <span> </span>I feel proud and adore my feminine dress, grooming, carriage, posture, voice, and language.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I want to use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that BOTH men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions. <span> </span>I am against the patriarchy role model of society but it does not mean that I want to replace a matriarchal role model of society in place of the existing patriarchal one.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What I want is to develop equal mutual relationships of caring and support between all genders and I want to focus on strengthening women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, relationships, and self esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: 0in;text-indent:.5in;mso-pagination:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I am here to stand against patriarchy and stand for all that it is not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>
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<br /></span></p><p></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-50830898527283424692011-05-24T22:58:00.000-07:002011-05-24T23:08:40.185-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">Banning the Burqa: What’s Really Being Hid?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn1DeHbCHlRDMqMsxNEOSUjfh7wxIGCAFhl5pNYxBCGB-ktQU5oNQs-yamJuvhPvSz15h2EidPSwvK9fdiensuBodnWxcq-CvurizWejyBbAuKCvglqkkuE9fjIuSs3w1mhtUFQ/s1600/burqa+blog.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn1DeHbCHlRDMqMsxNEOSUjfh7wxIGCAFhl5pNYxBCGB-ktQU5oNQs-yamJuvhPvSz15h2EidPSwvK9fdiensuBodnWxcq-CvurizWejyBbAuKCvglqkkuE9fjIuSs3w1mhtUFQ/s400/burqa+blog.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610529277085086914" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">“After a hard day at work, an Afghan working woman<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>usually changes out of her uniform, applies her lipstick, a dab of mascara, and a dusting of eye shadow and then she puts on her powder blue burqa and commutes home,” writes Kiko Itasaka, an NBC News producer in her blogging at NBC’ Blog. (</span><a href="http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/05/14/4376895-under-that-burqa-lipstick-and-high-heels"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/05/14/4376895-under-that-burqa-lipstick-and-high-heels</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Burqa, a full-body covered black gown and hijab (‘niqab’) a head/ face-covered scarf are modest Muslim styles of dress in general which were introduced into Arabia long before Muhammad, primarily through Arab contacts with Syria and Iran, where the veil was a sign of social status. [See: Ahmed, Leyla (1992). Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300055838.]<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Wearing a ‘burqa,’ for a woman, is also not a pleasant experience</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">When she moved to Saudi Arabia, Nesrine Malik, a girl originally from Sudan but living in London, had to wear a burqa and she tells of her experiences with that full-length cloak in her blog (</span><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/7896536/Burka-ban-Why-must-I-cast-off-the-veil.html"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/7896536/Burka-ban-Why-must-I-cast-off-the-veil.html</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She commented, “On a practical level, it was cumbersome, hot, and uncomfortable. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Eating or drinking in public became a chore, as food has to be maneuvered gingerly under the veil or taken abruptly in small bites.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In Saudi’s overwhelming heat, temperatures regularly reach 45C and any physical outdoor activity, even walking, is out of the question. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I became anti-social, hardly able to wait until I got home before tearing off the ghastly garb.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In Kabul, more than half of the women wear burqas, while outside of Kabul, virtually all women are clad in head-to-toe covering.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was an astonishing fact for me that during my Bangladesh visit a few years ago, I found none of the women wearing burqas and very few in ‘niqab’ or ‘hijab’ on the streets of Dhaka and Chattogram or even in Cox Bazar. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But during my visit to Kerala, I saw the majority of Muslim women walking on the street wearing that black long gown, covering their total body. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of my writer friends told me that these types of scenes were not common in Calicut at least fifteen years ago and the tendency <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>to wear has been growing after the demolition of Babri mosque.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After that evil incident, Indian Muslims suffered from an identity crisis and started to accept all religious conservatism as their mark of religious identity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I haven’t visited Pakistan, so it is difficult for me to say what is the status of Burqa there, but I encountered a question asked by an internet user at ‘Yahoo Answers’ site. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The user has asked, “I went to India and Pakistan respectively for vacation and surprisingly to my knowledge, I expected Pakistani women to be dressed very ‘Islam-like,’ but from what I've seen, they were all mixing in with men with no head-scarfs on their heads, let alone burqas. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Isn't Pakistan an Islamic state?” (See: </span><a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110417132757AAxwwfo"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110417132757AAxwwfo</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I have an idea that the ‘burqa’ was imposed on women when the Taliban took over the country in 1996, but Kiko Itasaka says it was accepted by Afghanistan women before the Taliban when the Northern Alliance took control of Kabul in 1992. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was accepted as a tool to protect them from unwanted male attention as that was the time of violent crimes, many of them committed against women. (See: </span><a href="http://salaamafghanistan.blogspot.com/2004_07_04_salaamafghanistan_archive.html"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://salaamafghanistan.blogspot.com/2004_07_04_salaamafghanistan_archive.html</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">) I don’t know whether it is American propaganda or not but in India we are reading in news that the fundamentalist Muslim militants in Kashmir issue ‘fatwa’ from time to time that wearing ‘burqa’ for women is an essential of the female dress code. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Recently in this year, Sesto San Giovanni, a small town in Italy, made national headlines after it decided to ban women from wearing burqas and to which Muslim women of Italy, who generally do not prefer ‘burqa’ came on the street to protest the authority’s decision stating that it is an unfair and unnecessary attack on their freedom of expression.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Recently in several European countries, a tendency to ban this full-body covering burqa or the face-covering ‘hijab’ has been seen and as governments there are trying to outlaw this dress code, which is pushing many countries toward a debate. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At the end of April, the Belgian Parliament agreed unanimously on a law that would forbid full veiling in public. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the law must still be approved by the Belgian senate. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>France is set to be the second European country, after Belgium, to declare the full veil illegal in public places. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The French cabinet introduced a bill that would also ban face-covering in public. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If parliament agrees on the measure, wearing a burqa or a hijab could carry a fine of 150 euro (about US$188). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Besides these two countries, other states like the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland and Great Britain also intend to introduce a bills in their respective law-making bodies calling for bans on burqas. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the European Council has voiced opposition to the burqa-ban ambitions of these countries and the European Council's Human Rights Commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, has warned that a burqa ban would only increase the tension between religious communities. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>According to him, “two rights in the convention are particularly relevant. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One is the right to respect for one's private life and personal identity (Article 8). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The other is the freedom to manifest one's religion or belief ‘in worship, teaching, practice and observance’ (Article 9). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Both articles specify that these human rights can only be subject to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are notably necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” (See </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/08/europe-ban-burqa-veil"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/08/europe-ban-burqa-veil</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Interestingly enough the burqa was abolished from Egypt after the eminent Egyptian feminist Hoda Shaarawi started a movement against wearing veil for women in 1923. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The movement was so successful that in 1958, an article published in the <u>United Press Service</u> stated that “the veil is unknown here.” [See: United Press Service (UP) (26 January 1958). "Egypt's Women Foil Attempt to Restrict". Sarasota Herald-Tribune (114): p. 28].<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the veil returned back to Egypt again and in 2007, Michael Slackman, a correspondent for the <u>New York Times</u>, wrote in its 28 January 2007 issue ("In Egypt, a New Battle Begins Over the Veil") that 90 percent of Egyptian women wore a headscarf or a hijab.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, any type of veil for women was not in tradition.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In 1994, the Malayasian Supreme Court<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>said in a historic ruling that any type of veil or purdah, “has nothing to do with (a woman's) constitutional right to profess and practice her Muslim religion, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>because Islam does not make it obligatory to cover the face”. But later, during the rise of Muslim conservatism, the religious fundamentalists introduced ‘burqa’ and ‘hijab.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Interesting to note, Tunisia, Turkey, and Syria are some Muslim countries which have imposed ban on wearing burqa for school and university students. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Recently, Syria has lifted its ban after the 2011 Syrian Protests. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So it is also a fact to remember that all Muslims are not standing in unity with such veils but if anyone forcefully tries to impose a ban, it may gather an emotional attachment with these religious dress codes and people may return to the uncharacteristic cloak as happened in Egypt in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But the question is why are these European countries really showing such interests in banning a burqa and other clothing identified with the Muslim faith?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do most of women show their obligations to these religious dress codes? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Many Muslim women born and brought up in European countries do not show any fascination toward these veils.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But enforcing any law to prevent these veils may create a crisis in their identity and they can feel themselves to be eliminated from mainstream.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I think it is totally undemocratic to dictate any code of living to anyone. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Democracy means freedom of choice!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If anyone has freedom to wear jeans, they should also have the freedom to wear ‘burqa.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Leave women to wear what they want.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">If we look at the history of the initiative in France, it was started with a secular view not against only burqa and hijab but also to prohibited all religious garb, including large Christian crosses, Jewish yarmulkes, and Sikh turbans. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the law was enacted with the specific intent to eliminate the Muslim hijab, or headscarf, from French public school classrooms.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In March 2004, the French Parliament passed a new law that makes it illegal for students to wear any clothing or symbols that “exhibit conspicuously a religious affiliation” in public schools. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On June 22, 2009, during his address to both houses at the Chateau of Versailles, French President Nicolas Sarkozy sparked controversy by saying the burqa is unwelcome on French soil and a violation of “the French Republic's idea of women's dignity.” <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>President Sarkozy's remarks arrived on the heels of a call by cross-party members of Parliament, led by Communist Andre Gerin. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The Parliament demanded a parliamentary commission be established to investigate an increasing trend of Muslim women in France wearing the burqa and to determine whether the burqa was compatible with “French secularism.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a result, a parliamentary commission was created by the French National Assembly, which included 32 members of Parliament from various political parties.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After a five-month study, the commission submitted a report stating that “the wearing of the full veil is a challenge to our Republic. . . . We must condemn this excess.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The commission did not call for legislation to outlaw the burqa in public spaces out of constitutional concerns, but did request that Parliament adopt a resolution calling the burqa “contrary to the values of the Republic.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">France’s attitude towards banning burqa or hijab made some fundamentalist intellectuals <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>in Britain (there are a few judiciary people are also attached to the organization) started to celebrate Interantional Hijab Day on September <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>4 every year [Please see: </span><a href="http://www.mcb.org.uk/features/features.php?ann_id=386"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://www.mcb.org.uk/features/features.php?ann_id=386</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""> ]<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though Bangladeshi women were not fond of these type of veils, extremist intellectuals were trying to make a global protest for protecting their Muslim culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I never think these types of laws are motivated with the idea of feminism but rather, are more Islamophobia and resurgent nationalist sentiment which contribute to outlaw this religious dress code.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is no doubt that Islamic radicalism is a deeply disturbing danger developing in Europe. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is every chance that the of using this cloak may disguise any terrorist and it should be harmful.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But we have to remember that accessing one’s face and banning ‘burqa’ are not standing at the same point. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>State authorities should have the right to check and verify the person disguised under that cloak. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But no state should have the full authority to interfere in an individual’s choice and cultural beliefs of any citizen. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To legislate against the extremes would be a highly intrusive extension of authority.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But to mobilise the mechanism of the state to tackle Islamic fundamentalism via cracking down on the face veil is not the answer, in my opinion. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To force a female to remove her veil is just as subjugating as forcing her to wear it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It then becomes a question of numbers: should the behavior of five percent create prejudice or discrimination for the other 95 percent?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In French there is a term ‘Laicite’ which sometimes used in English as "laicity" and dictionaries ordinarily translate laïcité as secularity or secularism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the term is not exact to ‘secularism.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To solve the church-state conflicts in Europe, Pope Gelasius I established the doctrine called “Gelasian Dualism,” which denotes with regard to temporal issues, the priest must obey the emperor and in spiritual matters, the emperor must obey the priest. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This theory would later develop into the theory of laicism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If we replace the term ‘church’ with the term ‘religious belief’ in this doctrine, then the state should be obliged to allow ‘burqa’ and the ‘burqa-dressed individual should be obliged to obey the state. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The state authority should then have a right to access the face or search the ‘burqa’ whenever the cloak poses a safety risk to the person wearing it and those around them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I think each culture has things that make it special.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why should that right be taken away because a small fraction of the members of that culture ruin it for that culture?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What I find more a gender bias in this law is that this ban, in fact, would reduce the equality between men and women — whereas men are allowed to wear whatever they want, women again have their rights restrained.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is foolishness to think that by making any law or dress code, the institution making its rules can make people obey and follow as dictated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Rather, it usually serves to ignite emotions and increase the impulsive alienated attitude among some communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">If Toronto can witness ‘slut walk’ for high heels or mini skirts, why couldn’t Europe encounter a march for the veil or ‘veil walk’ in the coming days?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It DOES raise interesting questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">(While blogging on this topic, I asked my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1776726693422&set=a.1093724578796.2014902.1097002010&type=1&theater">Facebook</a> friends whether ‘burqa’ should be banned or not and what they shared with me as their comments and opinions are being posted with <a href="http://feminine-fragrance.blogspot.com/2011/05/burqa-battle-recently-in-several.html">FEMININE-FRAGRANCE</a>. It’s needn’t to say that the comments are neither edited nor moderated.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-8558978324462342402011-04-26T01:31:00.000-07:002011-04-27T00:05:42.239-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:26.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">More Change Often Means More of the Same<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NU0bBGJ9DC9ouXkTLbKypZBpeEW95WAiTc-dWJJP64zdE5FUjs5XvQNBZw1OMrPq9czALI-nafkGr2E3g99Z3-wTNJXxXJQRwbjz7Ey1_gPgehwomWdMJzsay4fHOkszbTfBhQ/s1600/Cupola_Duomo_Parma_Correggio.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0NU0bBGJ9DC9ouXkTLbKypZBpeEW95WAiTc-dWJJP64zdE5FUjs5XvQNBZw1OMrPq9czALI-nafkGr2E3g99Z3-wTNJXxXJQRwbjz7Ey1_gPgehwomWdMJzsay4fHOkszbTfBhQ/s400/Cupola_Duomo_Parma_Correggio.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599807493811267874" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>The Assumption of the Virgin, </b> a fresco at the dome of the Cathedral of Parma, Italy by the Italian Late Renaissance artist Antonio Allegri da Correggio ( 1489 – 1534 )</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif""><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Who really benefits from chastity and virginity?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Will women always remain a hot commodity in a misogynist market?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Will the revolution in Tahrir Square in Cairo show a new light to Egypt or the Middle East or will it be business as usual there and around the world?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Egypt’s Supreme Military Council has been assigned the power to lead Egypt for a while after Hosni Mubarak’s resignation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But on just after one month after Mubarak’s departure, “at least 17 female demonstrators were also detained March 9, along with scores of men.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>women<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>protesters were beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to 'virginity checks' and threatened with prostitution charges,” as reported by Amnesty International. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Prior to these activities, the Mubarak Hosni’s Government had passed a bill with the aim to ban the “conflict with the productivity of the country.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The law stated girls who failed virginity tests will be jailed and fined a minimum of 500,000 Egyptian pounds. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This news made me to write this month’s blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">##########################################################<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Jagadish and I both had been in love for eleven years before our marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>From my teenage years, I had been in love with him but my parents did not like or accept him.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We married legally, with consent of both of our parents, after struggling eleven years in love. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>During our pre-marital love, we vowed to each other that we wouldn’t involve sex with our relationship and we wouldn’t marry against the will of our parents.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And it was true that Shakespeare was only inspiration for us to make such a vow.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In his play “The Midsummer Night’s Dream” Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, not the one she truly loves. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hermia was in love with Lysander. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So she and Lysander try to escape and go to Athens where they could freely profess their love for each other. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While in the woods, Lysander tried to make love to her but she protested. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At that time, the idea seemed to me that though women were trying to escape from the dictates of patriarchy, but having a mind of their own, they choose what they thought best for them – to remain pure before marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thus the idea of virginity was in my mind in my early days. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Later, when I realised virginity was a word only connecting a theme among cultures as the purity associated with women who have not been marred by the corruption of sexual behavior and there is no such masculine form of virginity, I presumed it was a word created by patriarchy to subjugate women in the name of morality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here I want to put my ideas about virginity in an Indian perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">On Virginity<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In Hinduism, like Christianity, virginity is also considered as the highest form of spiritual purity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though through Brahmacharya, monasticism served as an avenue for a life spent in purity and chastity, as compared to a worldly life of sin and sexual pleasures, but Brahmanical Society always escaped masculine world from such monasticism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In mythology, we have found many male icons are polygamist, whereas females are punished for promiscuity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But is promiscuity a feminine matter in which the male has no role? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When Ahalya was punished for her unknown relation with God Indra, (unknown, because Indra came in disguise of her husband to have sexual relations with her) why was no action taken against Indra? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The presence of the hymen in the genital part (introitus) of woman is considered as a proof of virginity, but is not a sure sign of virginity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A woman’s hymen can be ruptured by non-sexual activities like intense sports, dancing, sitting astride on two wheelers, etc. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is not necessary for a virgin to bleed the first time she has sex. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In fact, according to statistics, only 43 percent of women do so [Please see: Jean S. Emans’ essay <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>"Physical Examination of the Child and Adolescent" (2000) in <u>Evaluation of the Sexually Abused Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas</u>, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 61-65] . <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With the current advances in medical technology, a plastic surgeon can quite easily reconstruct a layer of tissue to resemble the hymen (called hymenoplasty).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Though a virginity test has been banned in many countries, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s brought about very different attitudes. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In 2004, a Zimbabwean village chief, Naboth Makoni, stated that he would adopt a plan to enforce virginity tests as a way of protecting his people against HIV. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He explained that he focuses on girls because he believes they are easier to control than boys. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But virginity tests for girls are no way helpful to check HIV/AIDs, as sexual activities like anal sex may also cause the disease without losing rupture in hymen and in the case of married women, this testing is totally fruitless.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most Western countries have banned virginity testing claiming it violates the Human Rights of women, but at the same time, they conduct virginity tests on Asian women entering in their countries. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Margaret Thatcher’s Government once passed a bill and it was enforced as an immigration law to permit a virginity test for all Indian and black African women upon their entry to the country at Heathrow International Airport. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The law was implemented for full three years from 1979-1982. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Home Secretary, Merlyn Rees, forced Hindu fiancées to undergo medical examinations to see if each was a “bona fide virgin.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Male doctors performed virginity tests on women entering Britain from India to marry Asian British nationals or residents. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If a woman was not “virgo intact,” immigration officers assumed she was not a “bona fide” fiancée. (See: The Guardian 1/02/1979) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">For centuries, the concept of virginity in many cultures throughout history has honored or elevated virgins as icons of innocence. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth, possessed a similar quality and position as that of God Agni (Fire) in the Hindu religion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But unlike Agni, Vesta was a goddess and was considered as a virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family and had temples staffed by women who were bound by 30-year vows of chastity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The term "Vestal livery" was created after her name. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This term may not be familiar to our readers or to common man; its better-known name is the chastity belt<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is needless to say that virginity and chastity, though they are two different terms literally, are often coined with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In Literature, as far I know, Shakespeare was one of the first to use it. Readers can remember Act II, Scene I of Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo showed his hatred towards Juliet’s chastity belt (vestal livery) by saying, “None but fools do wear it,” and asked Juliet to “cast it off.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here Shakespeare mingled chastity with virginity. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">On Chastity<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Though the terms ‘virginity’ and ‘chastity’ have different meanings in the dictionary, they both behave like two sides of a coin and these two terms are often associated negatively to the sexual relationship. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did Juliet wear any chastity belt or did Shakespeare want virginity to mean a chastity belt itself? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Was it a custom to wear such belts during the Renaissance period?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In 1400, A. Konrad Kyeserb, a military engineer, first described it in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Bellifortis. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></i>Though there are not sufficient examples of the use of such belts, strangely enough, the belt has been used throughout the whole world while being overlooked by the eyes of our feminist leaders.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Following, I refer to a chapter from Wikipedia, mentioning about use of Chastity belt in modern world [</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chastity_belt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chastity_belt</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">]:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In 1998, racial riots against the ethnic Chinese in West Java prompted the production and sale of ‘anti-rape corsets.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These were Florentine-type belts of imitation leather-covered plastic fastened with a combination lock.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The belts had a solid crotch strap without holes, and were intended only for brief outings. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In April, 2002, the Uwe Koetter Jewelers Company of Cape Town, South Africa completed and delivered a spectacular diamond and pearl-encrusted chastity belt made of gold to a British customer. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The belt reportedly cost R160,000 and was a wedding gift from a husband-to-be for his bride to wear at their wedding. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">On February 6, 2004, <u>USA Today</u> reported that at Athens (Greece), a woman's steel chastity belt had triggered a security alarm at the metal detector.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The woman explained that her husband had forced her to wear the device to prevent an extramarital affair while she was on vacation in Greece.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She was allowed to continue her flight to London on the pilot's authority. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The incident was said to have happened just before Christmas in 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The incident was also reported by <u>Weekly World News</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In November 2006, photographs of Lucio Gubbio's hand-wrought iron chastity belts were published in newspapers including the <u>Seoul Times</u>, and CRI Online.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Although Gubbio's company, MedioEvo, claimed designs of their chastity belts were from the Middle Ages on their website, a company spokesperson acknowledged there was no proof that devices such as these were ever actually used.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In 2007, the Asian Human Rights Commission reported that women were being forced to wear chastity belts in the Indian state of Rajasthan.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In 2008, masseuses in Batu, Indonesia were required to wear belts with a lock and key during working hours, to prevent prostitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">What Has Really Changed? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">All over the world today, women have been repeatedly criticized and repudiated for their sexuality by a male-dominated society. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The social gurus always have treated the question of women's liberation and sexual freedom only from a negative point of view. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They have never tried to compare the question with the status of the male. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sex-positive women were not simply misinformed, or priggish, or neurotic. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Rather, they were often rationally responding to their material reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">‘Virginity’ and ‘chastity’ are both terms aimed to oppress and exercise control over female sexuality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Still, a woman is considered less a human being and more an asset and pride for every male member of a family. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Honour killings in some part of South Asia still prevail though the activity is declared illegal in a court of law.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sex outside of marriage is considered ‘adultery’ only for females who are often punished whilst traditionally, males are not punished when committing adultery as it considered part of their normal instincts. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the case of an unmarried woman, her father and brother feel their pride and prestige have been lost and in the case of married woman, her husband thinks his pride and prestige have been lost.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These losses exact a high price and in some cases, it causes the hurt males to murder their ‘assets.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Almost every day, a woman is beaten, clubbed or shot to death for what is euphemistically termed "adultery" or sex outside a marriage. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And in most cases, the killer is a father, brother, uncle, or husband.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">Circumcision of Females <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Female circumcision is another attempt to control female sexuality by male-dominated societies in some Muslim communities in Northeast Africa, in parts of the Near East, and in Southeast Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It has been reported to occur in individual tribes in South America and Australia as well. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are different forms of female circumcision.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A form of female circumcision called ‘excision’ involves the removal of all or part of the clitoris, and in some cases, other external genitalia as well. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the most extreme form of circumcision, called ‘infibulation,’ the clitoris and both labia are removed and the two sides of the vulva are sewn together- except for a small opening for urine and menstrual blood to go through. Another, less severe form of circumcision involves small incisions in the skin covering the clitoris.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Eighty-five percent of worldwide female circumcision involves this less severe form or excision, and 15 percent includes infibulations </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; " >[Please see: Lori Heise’s essay “Reproductive Freedom and Violence Against Women: Where are the Intersections?" in Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics; 1993, 21, 2, summer 206-216.]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b><span><span class="Apple-style-span">Conclusion</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">And so our concept of ‘chastity’ or ‘virginity’ remains misogynist in nature and the masculine world possess a double-standard criterion for these purity scales.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I feel our sexual themes and taboos are designed to relegate women to a subordinate role in society, assigning them a status somewhere between men and slaves. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Female genital mutilation, the excision of the clitoris to dampen female libido, forcing women to wear chastity belts, or subjecting them to a virginity test are still a socially-sanctioned custom in many parts of the world today.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Many of my critics write me from time to time pointing out that now, more women are working than ever before all around the world and are enjoying all rights similar to men and moreover, there are some special laws to protect them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then they ask, what, then, is the necessity to advocate for sex?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am not in favour of making a sexist society, either female-dominated or male-dominated.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But still, there remain many gaps where we find much discrimination and bias against women, and sexuality remains one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">My pen runs and will continue to run for these.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-75306886401580906132011-03-24T17:29:00.000-07:002011-03-24T18:56:58.820-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family: "Bookman Old Style","serif"">Who Benefits Most From Arranged Marriages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></b></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLXnjyYtj_IJf7cLCB-bOvG_rID2GtCcZB35MVKTXUzs-tZ-SblDm9o3UENJT37SGqTfDmaAAoAlyOVljHLtUobRTmiISS3SIr7GaQHc6XJdygZ1YriDHEHDCtJ0UJoox2UxIvg/s1600/Untitled-+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 357px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLXnjyYtj_IJf7cLCB-bOvG_rID2GtCcZB35MVKTXUzs-tZ-SblDm9o3UENJT37SGqTfDmaAAoAlyOVljHLtUobRTmiISS3SIr7GaQHc6XJdygZ1YriDHEHDCtJ0UJoox2UxIvg/s400/Untitled-+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587808356504530402" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Recently, I had to accompany my sister, who was in search of a suitable groom for her daughter. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My niece is educated software professional, an engineer by qualification, and is earning a good sum of money.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My sister had arranged an address for negotiation from a marriage bureau and she got an appointment with the prospective groom’s parents. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The mother of the prospective groom is a teacher in a Government-aided college in Bhubaneswar and his father is a retired doctor. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The prospective groom is also working as a software professional in a Metro city.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Though the proposal was selected from a marriage bureau’s matchmaking website, the prospective groom’s family has shown a dominant role by saying that as they are from the prospective groom’s family, they want to interview the parents of the prospective bride first. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As my brother-in-law is a busy executive in an oil corporation, it was not possible in his part to attend and my sister requested me to accompany her to the interview. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">We agreed to meet at the lady and her husband at the college workplace of the proposed groom’s mother.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The lady, who appeared before us an hour late for the interview, came with her husband who, true to my feelings functioned more as a pet than a husband. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Seeing me, the lady first declared that she doesn’t like feminists at all as they are the real enemy of Indian culture as well as the real enemy of a happy family life. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She claimed that a bride should be sober and should be consumed by modesty so that she could pay regards to her husband and her in-law’s family. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is interesting to note that during the total time period of interview, her husband was very quiet and at last, he had to open his mouth in support of his wife but only after the lady rebuked him for remaining silent over our hot arguments!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The lady, who claims that she had been to America once and could drive a car there, very rudely asked us why my sister had posted her daughter’s photo in the marriage bureau’s website with jeans and a shirt. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She again asked my sister, why she mentioned that the girl belongs to a nuclear family.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I asked her what is wrong with a jeans and shirt and is there any relation of personal behavior to what a person wears.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are the girls wearing sarees not garish in nature? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Secondly, I asked her what is the wrong with a nuclear family when in most of the metro cities, people are living with that family? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The joint-family concept has all but totally been abolished in urban areas and when the lady herself admitted she belongs to a nuclear family, why she has such exasperation for a nuclear family?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was kind of confusing to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Arranged Marriages 2011</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">She told us that they are searching for an ideal bride. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So what are the criteria for an ideal bride? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In their opinion, the ideal bride is a girl who is highly-educated, could adjust herself to metro city life, and also would be orthodox in mind and mentality, but one who could also put a veil on her head and would manage a large family if required.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The expectations of that lady made me more confused.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For what was she actually searching?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Does she know herself?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Was she looking for a domestic servant who was born and brought up in metro city and who got herself highly educated and employed in a multi national company, and who could behave like an urban girl and could prepare herself as a domestic servant to take care of a large family?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How much of a role did the earning capacity of the prospective bride play in the deliberation?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Was she expected to bring in a large income yet also take on the full-time task of managing a household as well?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Was this a business deal where projected profit and loss was a key component rather than considering the feeling of the two human beings central to the outcome?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I have attended many negotiations of marriage where I find the expectations of the groom’s parents are absurd and contradictory. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They need a highly educated girl, preferably a technically-qualified girl, who would be willing to also perform the role of housewife. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A large percentage of parents of prospective grooms also want their would-be daughter-in-law to be a fair-complexioned, even if their son is darker skinned.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They say they don’t need any dowry, but at the same time, they expect the girl’s parents to give essential assets and jewelries to make proper respect to their prestige.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">These dramas are very common in India and whenever an arranged marriage is going to initiate, these dramas are often staged even at the first date of negotiations. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thus the parents of the prospective bride have to bear such humiliation from the prospective groom’s family and relatives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Still, arranged marriages are preferred in India.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And that is an irony for me that how it could be still prospering?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Arranged Marriage v. Love Marriage</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Many Indians contend that arranged marriages are more successful than marriages in the West, particularly given the staggering divorce rates of the latter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But what are the circumstances driving those staggering numbers? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In India, it is believed that romantic love does not necessarily lead to a good marriage and often fails once the passion dissipates while real love flows from a properly-arranged union between two individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Besides India, arranged marriages commonly occur in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In arranged marriages, families choose partners based on compatibility, culture, and upbringing. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They focus on issues that will foster a loving and fruitful relationship that will last a long time. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So when a man or woman comes of marriage age, people around the community act as headhunters getting a man and a woman together if they see a fit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Arranged Marriages: Then and Now…East and West</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">During ancient times of Ramayana and Mahabharata, there were many ways through which marriages could be arranged.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Svayamwar was one of them. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When a king decided to marry off his daughter, he sent out invitations to all the princes and noblemen that he thought were well-suited for his daughter. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They would come to the palace where the princess would then choose her husband by putting a garland around the man's neck, after which, the two would be married.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In Western countries, arranged marriages were happening even in Victorian Europe. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With the Industrial Revolution and the end of the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>second world wars, people's attitudes and perceptions started changing as women started to join the workforce and started to make demands for their rights. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In England, for example, most of the kings and queens had arranged marriages up until King George V.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The present Queen Elizabeth's father broke tradition by marrying a commoner.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What is different between the two global sides regarding marriage is lying with the basic concept of marriage itself.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the West, it is considered as more independence and freedom; in the East, it is considered more of a responsibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In Western countries, the emphasis is more on practicality in their mates. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The couple looks for aspects such as sex, love, beauty, integrity, diligence, ambition, humility and generosity, which are the center of the relationships among a couple. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But in Eastern countries, an arranged marriage seems to be a business deal among parents, who tend to look for material gain, dowry, security, safety, and also for social prestige. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The question of compatibility, love and understandings among partners are left far behind.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But there are many situations in the West, particularly among the wealthy and privileged and politically active, which very much mimic the arranged marriages in the East as described in the last sentence.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So the common denominators in either area become money and status. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The Rules of the Game:<span> </span>The Anatomy of an Arranged Marriage</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">There are certain rules that apply to arranged marriages in India. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For one, you have to be the same nationality, caste, religion and of the same social status.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Horoscope matching of both bride and groom has also played an important role in settling a negotiation of such arranged marriages. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The post-wedding stability in an arranged marital relationship more than that of love marriages is due to parents dishonouring divorces, which sometimes resulted in bride burning or suicides by the female folks to get rid of a strained relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Social Conservatives always measure benefits of an arranged marriage over a love marriage particularly by giving the latter's staggering divorce rates. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is true that the countries where arranged marriage is an approved social system, the divorce rates are reduced to very few.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But do the numbers really tell the actual story? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In India, it is 1.1 percent (see bride-burning and suicide statistics below), whereas it is 1.5 percent in Sri Lanka, and 1.9 percent in Japan.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Meanwhile in the USA, it is 54.8 percent, 42.6% in the UK, and 38.3% in France. ( source: </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; "><a href="http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2004/Table25.pdf"><span>Divorces and crude divorce rates by urban/rural residence: 2000 - 2004</span></a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; "> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; ">published by</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; "> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Statistics_Division"><span style="text-decoration: none; ">United Nations Statistics Division</span></a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif";mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">)</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Among the divorce rates in India, 89 percent of love marriages failed and applied for divorce, and interestingly, 11 percent of arranged marriages end in divorce largely due to issues with the elders and not the couple themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But these are just numbers and are normally as good as the opinions of those paying for the studies.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It does not play a sufficient role to prove that arranged marriages have less of a divorce rate as the numbers fail to take into account other factors such as bride burnings and suicides. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If we believe Ms. Avnita Lakhani, there are 17 bride burning death cases per day or more than 6,200 a year in India, which can be considered as a tremendous setback for arranged marriages. (See: “Bride-Burning: The ‘Elephant in the Room’ is Out of Control” by Avnita Lakhani) (http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~rcrlj/articlespdf/lakhani.pdf)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In India, as love marriages are generally not accepted by parents, these wedded couples usually tackle all their crises on their own, because they might have been separated from their family for cultural reasons or for pride.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Conversely, in cases of arranged marriages, the married couple can often resort to their parents or acquaintances in times of financial crises or other problems.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In addition, if the marriage proves to be a failure, they have a number of people around them from whom to seek support or on whom to put the blame. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In addition, their parents would come forward to solve the problems between the couple, if they have married with the elder's consent. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is the reason why arranged marriages are considered secure for the people in India as many in the family have a continuing role.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The caste system also plays a major role in arranged marriages, though in some matrimonial advertisements, we see there are parents who claim their search contend for ‘caste no bar.’ <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But still, a major portion of arranged marriages in India are settling between the same caste and many times horoscope matching is also a prominent factor for such marriages. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These types of marriages are still being performing with an orthodox mentality, pulling back society to centuries-old backward types of thought and process.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The Role of Pre-Marital Sex in the Arranged Marriage Process</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Conservatives in Indian society always discourage teen sexuality, though it is a normal phenomenon but not socially granted.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Realism can blur into cynicism, and a jaded attitude can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Social conservatives look at the contemporary sexual landscape and remember that it wasn’t always thus, and they look at current trends and hope that it doesn’t have to be this way forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">To protect and glorify virginity is also a hidden social agenda behind the arranged marriage, as ‘virginity’ is a word always termed with female sexuality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, it is interesting to note that no term has been found in the dictionary for ‘sexually inexperienced man.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So it is a term derived and used by a patriarchal society. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>During an arranged marriage negotiation, though it has not been asked directly, it has been always expected that the proposed bride should be a virgin. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But nobody dares to expect that the boy should be sexually untouchable and pure. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t think how and why our society is so sensitive about sex, or categorically and more correct to say, is sensitive to only FEMALE sexuality, skipping the purity of male premarital sexual status.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Indian society is going through a dilemma and confusion in this regard. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Parents hope their children keep themselves from teen sexuality, but when times come to arrange a suitable life partner, they prefer their youngsters should love and choose their partner. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though they are not in favour of premarital sex, at the time of marriage, they prepare to accept pre-marital sex, in the sense that it involves monogamous couples on a path that might lead to matrimony one day. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then there’s sex that’s casual and promiscuous, or just premature and ill considered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">This contradiction prevails in most of the educated middle-class urban parents. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And for their youngsters, it is impossible to make them liberal so that they could repudiate the virginity matters from their concepts. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They have been taught to give importance to virginity and chastity throughout a quarter of their lives and when they have been expected to remove this idea from their mind, they find themselves incapable in doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That’s why most of the young people depend on their parents to choose a life partner for them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Tradition and society have seemed to have confused them greatly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The Dowry: the Key Negotiating Point…and How It Has Changed</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The dowry is another evil open agenda of an arranged marriage, where during the negotiation, it is openly discussed among two parties.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The dowry has come a long way since olden times!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Today, the groom’s parents demand dowries in the form of lots of money, furniture, jewelry, and expensive household items and now, even homes and expensive foreign holidays to the bridegroom.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is argued that these dowries will help the newly wedded couple to start their ‘new house.’ <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But the question which is always skipped is why a bride’s parents have to pay these sorts of materials and money and not the groom’s family?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Actually, the dowry is considered as a ‘bride’s price,’ though nobody identifies it in that way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But have the feminists weighed in on the subject?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As there is an absence of feminist discourse in India, nobody, not even a single feminist has raised any question on these arranged marriages.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In fact, I haven’t read a single essay in support or against a love marriage or in support or against the arranged marriage system.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span">The Role of the Boy and Girl in Arranged Marriages</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Social conservatives never admit that arranged marriages are a forced marriage but really, is it? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They argue that in an arranged marriage, the marriage could not be preceded without the consent of the wedded couple, but is that ‘consent’ by choice or by obedience? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But in most cases, we see the parents impose their choice on their sons and daughters and as it is not a matter of heart, either the boy or the girl has to consent on the parent’s will, most times out of respect.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So we can say arranged marriage is a polite and developed way of forced marriage. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though today, during the negotiation periods, the boy and girl are often permitted to see each other, are allowed to talk for few minutes and in some cases, parents allowed them to talk over phone or to date socially.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But still, there is much more stress and emotional tension on both girl and boy to give consent to their parent’s choice because of family pride, the wishes of the parents, or social obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The boys and girls have been taught by their parents that ‘adjustment’ is the other name of an arranged marriage and that true love will come AFTER marriage from that adjustment. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They have to adjust and have to sacrifice, and this sacrifice would bring actual feelings of love among them -- at least that is the concept.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">It is a general idea in India that love in a love marriage starts out very high and then over time, it decreases.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And in arranged marriages, love starts out relatively low and then it increases gradually and surpasses the love in love marriages at about five years.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And after ten years, it’s twice as strong -- or so the proponents say.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In some cases, the bride’s family allows and encourages their daughter to date and make a love relation so that they have to pay fewer dowries and if the daughter couldn’t pursue the boy to convince his parents in dowry matter, the bride’s parents don’t hesitate to cancel the marriage negotiations and even if the engagements would be performed. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Arranged marriage, then, seems to be a lot of business dealings between the two sets of parents and as a result the boy and girl have to work accordingly to the wish of their parents; they are almost like pawns and not human beings with feelings. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These are just some of the strange factors which make an arranged marriage a forced marriage of sorts and we should have to take them in account.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But will we?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">This is not a debate on which marriage is better -- the arranged marriage or the love marriage. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They BOTH have merits and demerits.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is also wrong to say that arranged marriages or love marriages are social forms related to the cultures from which they are practiced.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In 2002, the study reported, 22 percent of Americans aged 15 to 24 were still inexperienced with sexual intimacy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>By 2008, that number was up to 28 percent. (Source: National health Statistics Report. Link: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr036.pdf">http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr036.pdf</a>). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But Ross Douthat suggests that this trend may date back decades, and that young Americans have been growing more sexually conservative since the late 1980s due to a concerted effort among health education professionals at schools and beyond. (See: Ross Douthat’s column in The New York Times, published on March 6, 2011) The proliferation of AIDS has also had a dramatic effect on the sexual habits of youth in America.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">My goal here is not to certify one kind of marriage over the other. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What I want to illustrate is that there are many discrepancies which still remain in marriage rituals and kinds of marriages, and these obsolete ideas can be and should be removed from the minds of the masses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But either way, one has to question who is the real beneficiary in an arranged marriage?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-9123531737356802312011-01-17T16:47:00.000-08:002011-01-17T19:02:44.392-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt53mKx9YAluaA3qPvvxcdWkYDIXJ7ghM0eD6M1_6NJwmufjYI3l9I6Fig_2qZovH-3CRQqgS14JPA40Vzcu4odLFh1cBIovYNrD7Nn3Y_1qJ_au23-fvvLZnuvQzPJQX2ZGlcg/s1600/tantra_pujarin1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 337px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt53mKx9YAluaA3qPvvxcdWkYDIXJ7ghM0eD6M1_6NJwmufjYI3l9I6Fig_2qZovH-3CRQqgS14JPA40Vzcu4odLFh1cBIovYNrD7Nn3Y_1qJ_au23-fvvLZnuvQzPJQX2ZGlcg/s400/tantra_pujarin1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563325168381377586" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 12pt; line-height: normal; "><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;margin-bottom: 12pt; line-height: normal; "><b></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="display: inline !important; "><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; ">Seeking a Voice for Open Questions About the Sexual Rights of Women</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; "><b><span></span></b></span>A false belief prevails everywhere that a feminist who believes in the sexual rights of women (I hate to say ‘sex-positive’ in any context) is a ‘porn supporter feminist.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Porn, I think, is a misogynist attitude which promotes the idea that women are always born to free their body for the pleasures of men and that women are shown in a subordinate role.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Pornography contributes to sexism, violence against women, is a cause of rape, and also eroticizes the domination, humiliation, and coercion of women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The so-called sex war among feminists of the late seventies and early eighties had divided feminists in two distinct groups: anti-porn feminist and sex-positive feminists.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The anti-porn feminists like Andrea Dworkin, Catharine MacKinnon, Robin Morgan, Diana Russell, Alice Schwarzer, and Robert Jensen—argue that pornography is harmful to women, and constitutes a strong causality or facilitation of violence against women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On the other side, sex-positive feminists like Camille Paglia, Ellen Willis, Susie Bright, Patrick Califia, Gayle Rubin, Carol Queen, Annie Sprinkle, Avedon Carol, Tristan Taormino, and Betty Dodson argue that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They see sexual orientation and gender as social constructs that are heavily influenced by society and that patriarchy limits sexual expression.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are in favor of giving people of all genders more sexual opportunities, rather than restricting pornography.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sex-positive feminists generally reject sexual essentialism as they believe sex is a natural force that exists prior to social life and shapes institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What is wrong with anti-porn feminists is they reduced the sexual needs of women and many of them were against heterosexuality as the normal fashion prevailing at that time by second-wave feminists.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To deny male supremacy in the sexual act (which I think a very odd idea to admit), they argued and showed their fascination towards same-sex alliances or lesbianism.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If we look at the biographies of such feminists, we can find a lot of instances where (and readers please mark that anti-porn or sex-negative or radical feminists are in some ways similar to the sex-positive feminists) they admit lesbianism and other sexualities that deviate from societal norms.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The sex-positive movement does not, in general, make moral or ethical distinctions between heterosexual or homosexual sex or indeed masturbation for people who are otherwise celibate, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On the other hand, in the name of rebellion against male dominancy, the radical and anti-porn feminists do not support heterosexual relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They believe that sexual disparities between the sexes make it impossible to resolve the main issues in society.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They believe marriage is a defining feature of women's oppression.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are against motherhood and childbearing because patriarchy recognizes maternity as the key element for a relationship of dominance and exploits others for its own benefit.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These male hatred attitudes bring the second-wave feminists to a place where they and the sex-positive feminists find space under the same umbrella from a sexuality perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The real question, sexual rights of women or women’s right over their own bodies remains neglected in the war of these two radical groups of feminists.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When sex-positive feminists argue that the sexual freedom of women is essential to the overall freedom of women and thus, there should not be limitations such as social policy or societal stigma placing restrictions on sex trade workers (McElroy), they often forget that sex trade is not a freedom and no woman can choose this profession by their own motive of heart.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are bound to choose such a profession and it is patriarchy which makes them to be oppressed by this pathetic profession. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Prostitution is a tool for the oppression, domination and humiliation of women, which reinforces the cultural toleration of physical, verbal and sexual violence against women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>By assimilating sexual freedom with sex trade, we are diminishing the importance of women’s rights over their own bodies and we are forcing them to be oppressed by patriarchy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In total, we can see the term ‘sex’ and ‘female sexuality’ has been totally misinterpreted in the discourse of Western feminism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sexuality is not only a bodily matter and it does not limit itself to only sexual behavior and sexual activities, though they are a major factor.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And most of the real meaning of female sexuality relatively termed with her body as well mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Let us discuss how the ‘body’ of a female acquired its place in the total Western discourse.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the nineteenth century, when the Contagious Diseases Act was enforced in Britain and women were forcibly examined for venereal disease, the ‘body’ also came into prominence.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Josephine Butler was the prominent figure to raise her voice through the campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In feminists history, we find the Seneca Falls Convention (July 19-20, 1848) (<a href="http://www.npg.si.edu/col/seneca/senfalls1.htm">http://www.npg.si.edu/col/seneca/senfalls1.htm</a>) does not mention the body, it was first mentioned as a marker of race and class differences within the feminist movement by Sojourner Truth in her<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>famous speech, “Ain't I a Woman?” (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain't_I_a_Woman%3F">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain't_I_a_Woman%3F</a>)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Truth told in her speech, “I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And ain't I a woman?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I could work as much and eat as much as a man—when I could get it—and bear de lash a well! <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And ain't I a woman?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">However, credit goes to Simone De Beauvoir, who embodied the ‘female body’ with a philosophical strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the first chapter of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Second Sex,</i> Beauvoir reviews the data of biology and later she provides an account of the phenomenology of the body as lived throughout the different stages of a woman's life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here she is explicitly offering her narrative as an account of lived experience, the body in situations and not as part of the data of biology.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She discusses social issues primarily affecting women in our culture, such as birth control, abortion, the family, sexual discrimination and harassment, and rape.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though Beauvoir begins her book with women’s bodies, she later she states that ‘connoisseurs’ do not declare every human with a uterus as a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“It would appear then," she writes, “that every female human being is not necessarily a woman; to be so considered she must share in that mysterious and threatened reality known as femininity.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Beauvoir thus rejects the female body and from that time onward, feminist philosophy has been denying the need of a female body or female sexuality, and their only aim was in liberating women from reproductive tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Women were barred from beauty consciousness and from using cosmetics or fashionable dress and ‘femininity’ of a female was considered as the ‘negative’ aspects of her nature.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Luce Irigaray, a<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Belgian feminist, philosopher, linguist, psychoanalyst, sociologist and cultural theorist<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>identified this ‘masculinism’ of feminists in her well-known book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Speculum of the Other Woman </i>(1974) (translated by<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>G. C. Gill, and published by<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Cornell University Press, Ithaca).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She pointed out that in the thoughts of these feminists, man was presented as the universal norm, and sexual difference was not recognised or recognised in such a way that woman was conceptualised as the ‘maternal-feminine,’ which had been left behind in the move to abstract thought.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I don’t know the actual facts and happenings with an infant girl-child, but in Asian and African countries, it's a regular practice to breastfeed girls for a shorter time than boys so that women can try to get pregnant again with a boy as soon as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the case of adolescent girls, they are provided with less food than their brothers by their own mothers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a result, girls miss out on life-giving nutrition during a crucial time in their development, which stunts their growth and weakens their resistance to disease.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sunita Kishor published a survey report in American Sociological Review (April 1993). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In her article “May God Give Sons to All': Gender and Child Mortality in India,” she writes “despite the increased ability to command essential food and medical resources associated with development, female children [in India] do not improve their survival chances relative to male children with gains in development.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Relatively high levels of agricultural development decrease the life chances of females while leaving males' life chances unaffected; urbanization increases the life chances of males more than females...Clearly, gender-based discrimination in the allocation of resources persists and even increases, even when availability of resources is not a constraint.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is this not gender discrimination as related to the body of a female? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">It may be possible that the girl-child in Western countries would not have to suffer like those of Asian and African countries.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am saying this because the sex ratio of different countries alongside the globe is very much striking to note that in Western countries, the female population in comparison to 1,000 males is, in the Russian Federation: 1,140; in Japan: 1,040; in USA: 1,029; and in Brazil: 1,025. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But this ratio is different when we turn towards Asian countries.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is 1,004 in Indonesia, 983 in Bangladesh, 934 in China, 933in India and 944 in China. (Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations 1998-2000).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The population of females in India is still diminishing and in comparison to 1,000 males the female population is 1901 972; in 1901, 962; in 1902, 955; in 1921, 955; in 1921, 950; in 1931, 945; in 1941, 946; in 195, 941; in 1961, 930; in 1971, 934; in 1981, 927; in 1991; and 933 in 2001 (Source: Census of India, 2001) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">These facts confirm that sex-selective abortions are even more common than infanticides in India in particular and in all Asian countries in general.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On February 28, 1994, John-Thor Dahlburg published an article entitled “Where Killing Baby Girls 'Is No Big Sin'” in <u>The Los Angeles Times</u>, where the author notes that in Jaipur, capital of the western state of Rajasthan, prenatal sex determination tests result in an estimated 3,500 abortions of female fetuses annually. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Most strikingly, according to UNICEF, “A report from Bombay in 1984 on abortions after prenatal sex determination stated that 7,999 out of 8,000 of the aborted fetuses were females.” Sex determination has become a lucrative business.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The same tradition of infanticide and abandonment, especially of females, existed in China before the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949 and now it has been increased as the government there enforced its ‘one-child policy’ since 1979 to control spiraling population growth.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Each and every parent wants to see a male child.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And besides female body conception, if we take a look at the sexual status of women, the facts appear to be more alarming. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nobody asks a bride about her desire and wishes before marriage as arranged marriages are still considering shameful activities over chaste as pre marital sex and love are still shameful actions for a parent in India<span style="color:#1F497D">. </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though the Supreme Court of India has supported individual rights and made it very clear that premarital sex and live-in relationships are not criminal offences, still these are confined as rare cases in metro cities in India and are not looked upon favourably.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I am unable to understand if two adult males or two adult females want to live together, what is the offense?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Without talking about morals, God, culture, custom, religion and traditions, can someone explain exactly why do we disapprove of such relationships? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What more you add to the lives of two people, to whom we would force to adjust, adopt, and accommodate for the rest of their marital relationship?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is it not better in the long run to ‘try before you buy’ instead of two married adults living in constant pain, stress, and suffering?<span style="color:#92D050"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And divorce is also not recognised as a prestigious and general social norm in the case of Hindus or Catholic Christians, yet society accepts plural marriages (though illegal in the eyes of law in case of Hindus and Christians and legal in the case of Muslims) for males while plural marriage of a woman is still a reverie in any society.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In marital life in India and many other countries around the world, a woman has no sexual rights. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She cannot express her desires and even she is not supposed to enjoy sex as it is told in the Hindu code that a wife is needed only for giving birth to a ‘male child.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Expressing her own desire for sex or talking freely about orgasm to even one’s own husband may also be termed as a chasteless and debasing activity for a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Though the Women and Child Development Ministry (WCD) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have advised the government to amend the 1973 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the 1872 Indian Evidence Act to recognise new categories of sexual assault by redefining rape to include sexual assault (including domestic sexual assault) of any form in its definition, still, most married woman are facing such marital rapes in their daily lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But talk about these ‘dicey’ topics by a woman is considered vulgar.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Also, nobody thinks it proper to ask a woman before subjecting her to the killing of her fetus yet now, in some parts of India, ‘honor killings’ are granted if a woman steps out of bounds—by choosing her own husband, by flirting in public, or by seeking divorce from an abusive partner—she has brought dishonor to her family.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yet all these matters are related to a woman’s body and still, that woman has no right to make any of her own decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In summary, perspectives of sexuality in Asian and African countries are totally different than those of Western countries. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The question of either supporting pornography or denying it remains baseless in those countries and the main question still remains unsolved as to whether a woman can be empowered to make her own decision about marriage, motherhood, parenthood, abortion, use of contraceptives, and expressing her will and rights for a sexual relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">What do you think?<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-23448007125391834362010-11-24T17:30:00.000-08:002010-11-26T09:05:34.422-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/2010/11/waiving-off-second-wave-was-second.html">Waiving Off the Second Wave</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFKHkNvHRmFVN91VXci6ccLvSo3OX7s5cgamzn_2L7KzJZOLDNhtox4T3X5fpFjc4Ce5BpicnaC_0LSAfOP5_yga7d5srfFNxWH8IQdC3hAwmt55BktjNAWqzeocInXnW-lHJBQ/s1600/slave-chains.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFKHkNvHRmFVN91VXci6ccLvSo3OX7s5cgamzn_2L7KzJZOLDNhtox4T3X5fpFjc4Ce5BpicnaC_0LSAfOP5_yga7d5srfFNxWH8IQdC3hAwmt55BktjNAWqzeocInXnW-lHJBQ/s400/slave-chains.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543294053137270898" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Was the second wave of feminists who ran rampant in the sixties and seventies all washed up before they got going?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What did they actually accomplish other than try to change the balance of power in the name of women’s rights?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Does the current Minister of Family in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> pay them homage or does she have her own view on why women can do what they do today without their help?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">When in an interview published in 2009, I expressed my differences in ideas with Simone De Beauvoir, I found not only Indian feminists, but some western feminists came forward to protest my comments.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of known second-wave western feminists also asked me what I have done in my lifetime before protesting such eminent feminist like Beauvoir.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But recently an interview with German Family Minister Kristina Schroder, which made a wave of controversy in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>, made me more enthusiastic that a whole new kind of struggle is emerging throughout the world.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What attracts me first from the interview of Schroder is that she hints at this new struggle with the following words: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">“I don't agree with a core statement by most feminists, the statement by Simone de Beauvoir: ‘One is not born a woman, one becomes one.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even as a schoolgirl I wasn't convinced by the claim that gender has nothing to do with biology and is only shaped by one's environment.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In my book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Sensible Sensuality</i>, I have described in my essay “Bicycle & Me” that from my childhood, I could feel how the upbringing as a male child did not make any effect in my life and the legendary quotation of Beauvoir “one is not born but rather, becomes a woman” did not imply to my gender, ideas and feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In another one of my essays, “Beauty Dilemma,” I wrote: “Many times western feminists, especially the second-wave feminists, adopted these fanatics, falsified, or wrong determinations to challenge the patriarchal hegemony of the ‘sex/gender system.’ <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Simone’s ideas made the feminists of the second wave keep themselves away from the masculine world.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They refused to make themselves instruments (objects) towards masculine sexual pleasure and even kept themselves away from heterosexuality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a result, we may assume the feminists of that time were either bisexual or lesbians.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The result was that many women who generally supported feminism were not prepared to fully accept the ideological underpinnings proposed by these radicals and socialist feminists.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Linda Scott, a pop singer feminist, admits in her book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism</i> that feminism had suffered a lot because of its views on beauty and fashion.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Describing her opinion about the current dress code, Schroder reported, “I never wanted independence by mean expressing that I am very masculine or very casual dresses occur…..I never wanted to express my independence by dressing in a particularly masculine way or appear particularly boyish. For me, emancipation will only be truly reached when women wear skirts and makeup and as can be, without doubt, the reason of competence.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The criticism Schroder faced from other feminists, especially from second-wave feminists, was that being a minister, she argued against feminism, which has played a vital role in her making political decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In my opinion, she never uttered a word against feminism and when the last but serious question was asked of her as, “Would a career like the one you've had be possible in Germany if it weren't for feminism?” she replied with a ‘no’ and admitted that had it not been for the feminist movement, that would have been impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What she has expressed is that the ideas<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>to meet<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>challenge for feminism in the present relate to how they respond, ethically and politically, to a global context that is at once geared toward total control and fragmentation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">In the Western world, feminism became an organized movement in the eighteenth century as people increasingly came to believe women were being treated unfairly.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">The feminist movement was rooted in the progressive movement and especially in the reform movements of the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" >nineteenth</span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;"> century. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">Mary Wollstonecraft had already argued against the injustices suffered by women and had published one of the first feminist treatises</span></span><i style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; ">, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman</i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;"> (1792), in which she advocated the social and moral equality of the sexes, extending the work of her 1790 pamphlet, </span></span><i style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; ">A Vindication of the Rights of Man</i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">Her later unfinished work "</span></span><i style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; ">Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman</i><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt;">" earned her considerable criticism as she discussed women's sexual desires.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The feminist movement has successfully effected change in Western society including women's right to vote; in education; in gender neutrality in language; equality in payments for same job without any gender bias; the right to initiate divorce proceedings; the reproductive rights of women to make individual decisions on pregnancy (including access to contraceptives and abortion); and the right to enter into contracts and own property.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The attempts and struggles made by these early activists largely responded to specific injustices they had themselves experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In addition, they have successfully achieved the scope of higher education for women; reform of the girls' secondary-school system, including participation in formal national examinations: the widening of access to the professions, especially medicine; married women's property rights, recognised in the Married Women's Property Act of 1870; and some improvement in divorced and separated women's child custody rights in the United States. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Active until the First World War, first-wave feminists failed, however, to secure the right to vote for women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Women had won voting rights in New Zealand (1893), Australia (1902), Finland (1906), Norway (1913), the Soviet Union (1917), Poland (1918), Britain (1918), USA , Sweden and Germany (all are in 1919), and Ireland (1922).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After World War II woman-suffrage laws were adopted in many countries, including <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region>, and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">First-wave feminism stretched up into the sixties, when Simone De Beauvoir’s well-known book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Second Sex</i> inspired some of the feminist think tanks. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Although it was published in 1949, it took almost 20 years to find its place in the minds of feminist think tanks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then, feminism transferred to a more theoretical approach and was based on basic assumptions about gender, gender difference, and sexuality, including the category of "woman" itself as a holistic concept.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Further, some were interested in questioning the male/female binary completely (offering instead, a multiplicity of genders).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Beauvoir raised some questions on patriarchal behaviour with women and argued that men had made women the "other" in society by putting a false aura of "mystery" around them. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She argued that men used this as an excuse not to understand women or their problems and not to help them, and that this stereotyping was always done in societies by the group higher in the hierarchy to the group lower in the hierarchy. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In the sixties, two women’s groups, Women’s Consciousness-Raising (known as CR) and the National Organization for Women (known as NOW) became active and public in the United States by stopping traffic and by breaking existing laws to provide a platform for safe and accessible abortions thus contradicting the older generation. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Meanwhile, President John F. Kennedy had established the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women in 1960. The Commission was constituted in 1960 and in October 1963, the Commission issued their final report documenting the status of American women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The report criticized inequalities facing the American woman in a "free" society while paradoxically praising traditional gender roles as themselves being anti-communist.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">This Commission’s report helped win various legal victories in the United States such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX and the Women's Educational Equity Act (1972 and 1975, educational equality), Title X (1970, health and family planning), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In Western countries, the slogan 'The Personal is Political' summed up the way in which second-wave feminism did not just strive to extend the range of social opportunities open to women but also strived to change the domestic and private lives of women through intervention within the spheres of reproduction, sexuality and cultural representation. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Along with the victory over patriarchal injustice and providing freedom from the second-class status of women, second-wave feminists emphasised their theoretical base to different angles and very soon, the movement was no longer a unified one.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Differences of opinion and philosophy caused splits between black feminism, lesbian feminism, liberal feminism, and social feminism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Though there were many successes during the effective life of the second-wave feminist movement, there was an undeniable idea also that it had failed. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Motherhood, parenting, and heterosexual affinity were blamed by the feminist think tanks of this time as the reason for the demise of the second-wave movement. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They argued that throughout human history, maternal experience has been defined and written by a patriarchal culture. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They further argued that not only motherhood but other myths such as marriage, heterosexual relationships, and family bonding had patriarchal roots and were the foundation for social practices that historically restricted women.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Jill Johnston in her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Lesbian Nation</i> (1973), called married women who were heterosexual females 'traitors.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Kate Millett in her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Sexual Politics</i> (1970), redefined heterosexual sex as a power struggle, whereas in Kathrin Perutz's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Marriage is Hell</i> (1972) and Ellen Peck's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Baby Trap</i> (1971), argued that motherhood blocks the liberation of a woman. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These feminists always tried to paint marriage as legalized prostitution and heterosexual intercourse as rape.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They came to the decision that men are the enemy and that families are prisons.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In my opinion, second-wave feminism, though it achieved some of its goals to make women more visible and successful in society also lost its direction as it traveled through its existence. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The movement which was once started to protest sexism transferred itself to heterosexism and the solution was to dismantle the family -- not just the patriarchal family but the heterosexual family as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Later, after the nineties, many feminists found these ideas of heterosexism a hard pill to swallow and the feminist doctrine of women's victimhood was the major cause for the overwhelming public interest in women's issues. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Here, I am reminded of the arguments between second-wave feminist Alice Walker and her daughter, third-wave feminist Rebecca Walker.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I will not repeat those sequences here, as they have been repeatedly discussed in my <a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html">different articles</a> from time to time. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Why were our earlier feminists so critical against heterosexual relationships?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Because, they argued, such relationships need submission during sex.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Schröder responded to this argument that “it is absurd if something that is fundamental for humanity and for its survival should in itself be defined as submission. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That would mean that society can't carry on without the submission of women.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">When she was asked whether feminists fundamentally oppose relationships between men and women, Schroder responded, “There was indeed a radical movement that argued in this way and saw being lesbian as a solution. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I didn't find it very convincing that homosexuality should be the solution to the problem of women being disadvantaged.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">When asked whether she thinks feminism made women happier, Schröder replied, “The early feminism at least overlooked the fact that partnership and children can provide happiness. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It isn't the only way but for very many people, it is the most important way.” <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Throughout the interview, she seemed to emphasise that there are differences between men and women and we have to accept the truth, not with an inferiority outlook, but to glorify the truth with all its potentiality.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Schröder might face strong controversy for her clear and loud statements, but I am sure she could raise a voice to let people know that feminism is not all what the second-wave feminists would have you believe it is.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It would help people to re-identify and redefine feminism.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">(The full interview with Schröder can be found at: <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,728175,00.html">http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,728175,00.html</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Feminism has often been misunderstood as a bunch of stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics who seek power and control rather than true equality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It has further been characterized as anti-male, when in fact, it seeks to liberate men from the macho stereotypic roles men often have to endure such as the need to suppress feelings, act aggressively, and be deprived of contact with children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But ‘feminism’ is not just a movement for the liberation of women; it is a broad social movement which strives for the equality of each individual worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Feminism should emphasise the importance of such values as cooperation, tolerance, nurturance, and the freedom for each person to achieve her or his full potential.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Feminism should not act in opposition to men as individuals. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Feminism should be against oppressive and outdated social structures which force both men and women into positions which are false and antagonistic. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thus, everyone has an important role to play in the feminist movement.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let us emphasise our femininity rather than impose the so-called stereotyped feministic attitude of the second wave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-23661102247947957402010-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:002011-11-16T16:22:37.551-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/2010/10/questioning-femininity-exchange-of.html">Questioning Femininity: An Exchange of Ideas</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYxD3ZfQke4MdkvyksGye6Kywt76mN5og4aJWQjjW72MSHTnd4yD2e0cff3SmBwfvGGZvq0yDwan5cBlDSRqVa2HnhkAt1i0PQw6sgKz76VcvDFvzBX5glnfiux6sziSColqIwA/s1600/252958.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYxD3ZfQke4MdkvyksGye6Kywt76mN5og4aJWQjjW72MSHTnd4yD2e0cff3SmBwfvGGZvq0yDwan5cBlDSRqVa2HnhkAt1i0PQw6sgKz76VcvDFvzBX5glnfiux6sziSColqIwA/s400/252958.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526947126663874514" /></a>(<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://english.cri.cn/4406/2008/08/28/1701s399812.htm">Tai Lihua</a>, the disabled lead Chinese dancer of "The Thousand-handed Goddess of Mercy", impressed the audience by her refined performance but more by her spirit.</span>)<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonia_Pressman_Fuentes">Sonia Pressman Fuentes</a></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""> is an American feminist (although she was born in Berlin, Germany, of Polish parents) and a founder of the second wave of the women’s movement in the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She has been involved in women’s rights since 1963.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She was a founder of NOW (National Organization for Women) and FEW (Federally Employed Women) and the first woman attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She spent thirty-six years working for several agencies of the federal government and with two national corporations as a lawyer and executive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Since she retired as an attorney with the US government in 1993, she has remained a feminist activist, writer, and public speaker.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">She opposed my ideas of femininity at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarojini-Sahoo/106035073915">Facebook</a> and we had a wonderful conversation about the subject. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think my readers should have access to the ideas of femininity from two different sides of perspectives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Follows are our exchanges.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am thankful and appreciative to Sonia for giving me permission to publish these conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">13 September at 08:56<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini Sahoo writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Madam,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks for writing me in my personal id. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am sorry that I couldn't write earlier as I am still worried for my daughter's health who is suffering from appendicitis. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have now replied you from my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarojini-Sahoo/106035073915">Facebook</a> message box. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I feel myself lucky to receive a letter from the personality like you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I also have been fortunate enough to be once recognized by NAWO (Orissa Chapter) for my ideas on feminism. For me feminism is not a gender problem or any confrontational attack on male hegemony.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, it is quite different from that of Virginia Woolf or Judith Butler.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I accept feminism as a total entity of female hood which is completely separate from the man’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me, femininity has a wonderful power.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In our de-gendered times a really feminine woman is a joy to behold and you can love and unleash your own unique yet universal femininity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We are here for gender sensitivity to proclaim the differences between men and woman with a kind of pretence that we all the same.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Too many women have been de-feminized by society.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To be feminine is to know how to pay attention to detail and people, to have people skills and to know how to connect to and work well with others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There will be particular times and situations within which you'll want to be more in touch and in tune with your femininity than others - being able to choose is a great skill.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I have discussed these topics in one of my recently published book <a href="http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?id=42157"><i>Sensible Sensuality</i>.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">It will be my pleasure to find my self associated with you in any means of creative aspects.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Want to hear more from you. Please keep in touch.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Take care,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">13 September at 17:04 <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia Pressman Fuentes writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Hi: Lovely to hear from you and thanks for your kind words. I hope your daughter will be fine.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">As for your philosophy, I can only say that I do not agree with a word of it. :) I do not like using the word "feminine" or "femininity."<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Those are words to which some men have attached meanings of what they believe women should be or what they would like women to be --rather than what women actually are.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I believe "feminine" is whatever women are.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">13 September at 23:19<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini Sahoo writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Madam,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I adore your ideas, but I think 'femininity' is the proper word to replace 'feminism,' because the later has lost its significance identity due to its extensive involvement with radical politics.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In one of my recently-published interviews in <a href="http://www.museindia.com/viewarticle.asp?myr=2009&issid=28&id=1768">Muse India</a>, I stated that I differed from Simon de Beauvoir in her 'Other' theory where she says “one is not born but rather, becomes a woman.” <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I further stated that I think a woman is born as a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">There are inherent physical, behavioral, emotional, and psychological differences between men and women and we affirm and celebrate these differences as wonderful and complementary.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These differences do not evidence the superiority of one sex over the other but rather, serve to show that each sex is complemented and made stronger by the presence of the other.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a different unit, similar to man, the female mass has their right for equity as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Such a statement by me surprised some of my scholar friends in that how could I state this when it is known to me that according to social anthropology, gender is more a societal than a biological phenomenon?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This following article aims to clarify my stand:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">I started my first article of my book <i><a href="http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?AuthorID=71619">Sensible Sensuality</a></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i>with “Bicycle and Me,” where I wrote of my experiences of childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As my father had an obsession for a male child, he wanted to see me as a boy and therefore, I was dressed as a boy; my hair was cut like a boy’s; and I used to play boyish games with boys instead of girlish games with girls.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In my second blogging, I mentioned my Portuguese friend’s query, where he asked whether this had any impact in my sexuality in later life or not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is clear that these cross-gender activities did not make any difference in my later life and I grew up normally as a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">When I studied more about gender theories, specially in Anthropology, I found that the anthropologists tried to confirm that gender is not innate but is based upon social and cultural conditions; my mind did not accept the theory so easily. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Margaret Mead, in her anthropological study in 1935, concluded that the differences in temperament between men and women were not a function of their biological differences, rather, they resulted from differences in socialisation and the cultural expectations held for each sex. (See: <i>Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies </i>by Margaret Mead; New York: Dell.). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is, I think, the earliest study that led to the conclusion that gender is more a social and cultural factor than a biological one. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>According to this study, it is the social environment of the child, such as parents and teachers, that shapes the gender identity of a child. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A child learns what to wear (girls in frocks and boys in shirt-pants); how and what to play (dolls for girls and cars for boys); how to behave (passivity and dependence in girls and aggressiveness and independence in boys); and how to reciprocate (gender-wise thoughts, feelings, or behavior).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And these learnings confirm an appropriate gender-wise appearance and behavior, which leads to gender identity.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The sex/gender distinction seen as a set and unchangeable dichotomy does not help social scientists.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They might have feared that “the set of sex/gender distinction serve to ‘ground’ a society's system of gender differences, but the ground seems in some ways to be less firm than what it is supporting.” (See the essay: “Transsexualism: Reflections on the Persistence of Gender and the Mutability of Sex in Body Guards” by Judith Shapiro in the book <i>The Cultural Politics of Gender Ambiguity </i> (eds) J. Epstein and K. Straub, 1991).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Other social anthropologists like Moira Gatens , Henrietta Moore, Pat Caplan dismiss the idea of a biological domain separated from the social.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even Pat Caplan declared that “...sexuality, like gender, is socially constructed.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">From the discussion above, one can see that gender identities are grounded in ideas about sex and cultural mechanisms [and] create men and women. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But we also have to remember that the biological sex is related to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role which are rooted deeply in science and somehow proved rather than hypothetically assumed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes within each cell; twenty-two of these are alike in both males and females.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But when we come to the twenty-third pair, the sexes are not the same.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Every woman has in her cells two of what we call the ‘X’ chromosome.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But a man has just one X and another Y chromosome.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These sets of chromosomes are what make males and females different.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The sex hormones, primarily estrogen and testosterone, have a significant impact on the behavior of males and females.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For example, why do boys typically like to play with cars and girls like to typically play with dolls?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Social anthropologists think it is the impact of socialization while Biological science thinks it is the role of these sex hormones which differentiate the choice children make gender-wise.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Biology says the sex-specific differences in the brain are located both in the primitive regions, and in the neocortex--the higher brain region that contains 70 percent of the neurons in the central nervous system.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The neocortex is divided into two hemispheres joined by a 200-million fiber network called the corpus callosum. The left hemisphere controls language analysis and expression and body movements while the right hemisphere is responsible for spatial relationships, facial expressions, emotional stimuli, and vocal intonations. Females use both their right and left hemisphere to process language in certain circumstances while males just use one hemisphere. Females also reach puberty two years earlier than boys, as per biological science, and this changes the way they process social and sexual information.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">There are still some characteristics and feelings that I think social anthropologists rule out for the sake of their theory. What about the voice pitch? Males have harsh voices and females have soft voices. This is a biological characteristic and it is related to gender. The crisis of infertility may create a serious trauma to a female, which a male cannot feel. This is a feeling innate with specific feminine gender and it is more a psychological and biological than a social problem. The menopausal psycho syndromes are totally biological and not categorised with this social gender theory. Social anthropologists emphasise that we are all trying to pass as a gender which is decided by cultural systems, not our biological sex. But what happens in the cases of transsexuals who do not pass it? The operation does not make their bodies fully male or fully female. The genitals will not function as genuine genitals and their chromosomes cannot be changed. Voice pitch and other physical characteristics might reveal their transsexualism.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Actually, the high level of testosterone in males drives them toward some specific masculine characteristics, while the lack of high levels of estrogen in women creates a natural, biological push in the direction of feminine characteristics. Each gender has different strengths and weaknesses; this does not mean that one sex is superior or inferior to another. Being feminine is a woman's birthright! It is always hard for me to understand why any woman would want to give up this cherished possession. I feel proud and adore my feminine dress, grooming, carriage, posture, voice, and language.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">I want to use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that both men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions. I am against the patriarchy role model of society but it does not mean that I want to replace a matriarchal form of society in place of the existing patriarchal one. What I want is to develop equal mutual relationships of caring and support between all genders and I want to focus on strengthening women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, relationships, and self esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Above all, I feel myself more a writer than a feminist. As a writer, I feel more sensible and sincere to my feelings and as a feminist, I am more inclined towards my femininity.I just don't understand how people can be feminists and not realise that to be feminist, you must also not be racist, ableist, homophobic, etc. If you are feeling oppressed by a masculine world, then you should not be prejudiced and bigoted towards other oppressed groups either, whether they are a result of patriarchy or not.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I hope my stand has been further clarified.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If it hasn’t, I’m sure you’ll let me know!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Take care,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">13 September at 23:46 <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia Pressman Fuentes writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Sarojini:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I love your last sentence, and, of course, you are right.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks for clarifying your thoughts. That helped me to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">We probably want the same things but are coming at it from different directions. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You identify yourself primarily as a writer first and a feminist second. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I see you also as a scholar and perhaps a philosopher.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am a feminist activist first, a writer second and also a lawyer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I am not much interested in the differences between the sexes -- I am interested in their similarities. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Both sexes should be able to develop to their utmost potential -- which I see as the same for men and women.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">To get the changes we need, I believe in using laws, education, picketing, protests, demands, whatever works.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I am not as much interested in theories as I am in results. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want the US and the world to be a better, kindlier, more equal place for women. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want women to receive equality in their work environment (pay, promotions, benefits, maternity leave -- and also paternity leave for men -- retirement), etc. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want them to be equal in their homes and for their significant others to play an equal role in the homes. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want equality in political life, religious life, in health care, including maternal health care, in all segments of our society. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don't want women to be battered and want them to have access to safe houses when they are. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Issues such as hunger, poverty, lack of water, disease, rape and rape as a weapon of war, violence against women, the treatment of women in prison, forced marriages, child brides, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment, HIV and AIDS -- all these concern me and I want to do what I can in all these areas.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Laws and practices like the stoning of women in Iran and their convictions for adultery are abhorrent to me as is their treatment as second-class citizens in many developing countries.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 00:05<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini Sahoo writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Madam,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I agree with you when you say we probably want the same things but are coming at it from different directions. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Quoting your words, I can say I also want "the world to be a better, kindlier, more equal place for women. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want women to receive equality in their work environment (pay, promotions, benefits, maternity leave -- and also paternity leave for men -- retirement), etc. I want them to be equal in their homes and for their significant others to play an equal role in the homes. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want equality in political life, religious life, in health care, including maternal health care, in all segments of our society. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don't want women to be battered and want them to have access to safe houses when they are.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Issues such as hunger, poverty, lack of water, disease, rape and rape as a weapon of war, violence against women, the treatment of women in prison, forced marriages, child brides, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment, HIV and AIDS -- all these concern me and I want to do what I can in all these areas. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Laws and practices like the stoning of women in Iran and their convictions for adultery are abhorrent to me as is their treatment as second-class citizens in many developing countries."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But I never think these wishes come from a bunch of stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics who seek power and control rather than true equality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For me, ‘feminism’ is not just a movement for the liberation of women, but rather a broad social movement striving for the equality of each individual worldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Feminism should emphasise the importance of such values as cooperation, tolerance, nurturance, and the freedom for each person to achieve her or his full potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I think feminism should not act in opposition to men as individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me, feminism is against oppressive and outdated social structures which forces both men and women into positions which are false and antagonistic.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thus, everyone has an important role to play in the feminist movement.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It seems ironic that feminism has been characterized as anti-male, when in fact, it seeks to liberate men from the macho stereotypic roles men often have to endure such as the need to suppress feelings, act aggressively, and be deprived of contact with children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think we should emphasize our femininity rather to impose the so-called stereotyped feministic attitude of the second wave.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Perhaps we are working for a same goal, but our ideas and paths are different.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>However, I feel happy to share these with you.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Take care,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 00:14 <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia Pressman Fuentes writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Sarojini:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">You wrote: "But I never think these wishes come from a bunch of stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics who seek power and control rather than true equality." <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Who are these stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics who seek power and control rather than true equality?"<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have been fighting for women's rights in the US and various countries around the world since 1963 -- and haven't run across such creatures yet.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">You also wrote: "I think feminism should not act in opposition to men as individuals." <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did you read anything I wrote that has to do with opposition to men? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I've been working with feminist men and women since 1963 and have heard no one oppose men or their rights. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Of course, equality would make the world a better place for men, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">It seems to me you set up straw men and women, which you can then knock down.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">####### <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 00:20 <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia Pressman Fuentes writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I see you also wrote the following: "I think we should emphasize our femininity rather to impose the so-called stereotyped feministic attitude of the second wave."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I've already written you what I think of the word "femininity" so I don't have to repeat that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a founder of the second wave of the women's movement, I certainly don't appreciate your describing it as a "so-called stereotyped feministic attitude" nor do I have any idea what you mean by each of those words. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The second wave fought for equality in the workplace and in academia and in other aspects of American society for women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What is "so-called" about that? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What is "stereotyped feministic," whatever that means, about that? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Have you been fighting for better rights for women in India since 1963? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If so, what have you achieved? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We've secured a legal revolution in women's rights in the US; we have much more to do but the changes we've wrought are mind-blowing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 00:33<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini Sahoo writes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Dear Madam,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">For many feminist thinkers, after marriage a family breeds patriarchy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Happily married women are considered false and double-crossing. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The titles of popular feminist books from the early movement highlight the split between gender feminists and women who chose domesticity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Jill Johnston in her <i>Lesbian Nation</i> (1973), called the married women are heterosexual females 'traitors'; Kate Millett in her <i>Sexual Politics </i>(1970), redefined heterosexual sex as a power struggle; whereas in Kathrin Perutz's <i>Marriage is Hell</i> (1972); and Ellen Peck's <i>The Baby Trap</i> (1971), argued that motherhood blocks liberation of a woman. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These feminists always try to paint the marriage as legalized prostitution; heterosexual intercourse as rape; and they come to the decision that men are the enemy; families are prisons.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Betty Friedan and Germaine Greer were against marriage in their earlier thoughts. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But they tried to skip from their anti marriage ideas in later period. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Marriage is a three-sided arrangement between a husband, a wife and the society. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is, the society legally defines what a marriage is and how it can be dissolved. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But marriage is, on the other hand, for partners of marriage; it is more of an individual relationship than a social matter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is the main reason of crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Individually, I think marriage must be taken out of the social realm and fully back into the private one. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The society should withdraw from marriage and allow the adults involved to work out their own definition of justice in the privacy of their own homes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Our feminist thinker always tries to skip the idea that offspring begging is a natural instinct of a woman and it is related to our ecological and environmental situation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Anything against it may resulted to disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We find a woman has to pass through a different stage in her life span and there is a phase where a woman feels an intense need of her own offspring.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Feminists of second wave feminism have always tried to pursue a woman against the natural law because it is seemed to them that motherhood is barricade for the freedom of a woman. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But if the woman has her own working field, doesn’t have it mean that her working assignments would demand more of her time, of her sincerity and of course of her freedom?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If a woman can adjust herself and can sacrifice her freedom for her own identity at outside her home, then why she shouldn’t sacrifice some of her freedom for parenting when parenting is also a part of one of her social identity?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And it could also be solved by rejecting the patriarchal role of parenting.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We have to insist the idea of the division of labor in parenting.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This equally shared parenting is now common in Western, but still in South Asian countries we find it as a taboo factor rather because of economic inequality between men and women, our crazy work culture, and the constrictions that are placed on us by traditional gender roles.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The conflict between American mother-daughter feminists Alice Walker and Rebecca Walker is well-known chapter for Western feminism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Alice Walker, the mother, the second-wave feminist, obviously had an anti-motherhood ideas as the other western feminists of her time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But Rebecca Walker, her daughter and a feminist of third wave discussed in her book <i>Baby Love</i> about how motherhood freed women like herself from their roles as daughters, and how this provided the much-needed perspective to heal themselves from damaged mother-daughter relationships and claim their full adulthood.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What happened?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This latest article is mired in unresolved childish hurt and anger (especially in the chapter “How my mother’s fanatical views tore us apart”), which would be all well and good except that she strikes out at her mother by striking out at feminism. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I personally think the bitterness between her and her mother, as any woman who has ever fallen out with her mother knows, is a very painful experience and note to self, one that probably shouldn’t be written about too much in public.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">In her book <i>Baby Love</i>, Rebecca Walker writes directly about unadulterated excitement and pride about becoming a mother.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Rebecca argues that motherhood frees us from childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is the most important step a woman can take because it creates another human being and because it makes a woman an adult. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I found this to be true for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In one of my story “AMRUTA PRATIKSHA RE” (Waiting for Manna )(1989), published much more before <i>Baby Love</i>, where I want to discuss the queries after a lifetime of wondering whether to have children, wondering if the sacrifices are worth it, wondering if life is full to bursting enough already -- how does our generation of women decide to have children?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">I can give hundreds of examples where many second-wave feminists tried to enhance stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks for asking me to prove.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Take care,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">You may continue this discourse. But as it is midnight (12:30) here, I beg your permission. Please write. I will try to clarify my stands tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 02:08 <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia Pressman Fuentes writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks for asking me to continue writing -- but you haven't answered the question in my last e-mail. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What have you accomplished for women in India since 1963? <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You are critical of the second wave in the US -- but we've created a legal revolution in women's rights, with effects in the rest of the world. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What have you achieved?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">But, more importantly, I do not plan to continue this discourse because I like to spend my time working with men and women of like minds on common goals to achieve change.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sonia<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">#######<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">14 September at 07:21<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini Sahoo writes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks for writing. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am concluding with one of my quotations that I feel myself more a writer than a feminist. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a writer, I feel more sensible and sincere to my feelings and as a feminist, I am more inclined towards my femininity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am not an activist at all.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What I achieved from this 'travel' is my realisation. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, there is no question for me what I could achieve and what you could achieve. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, to realise a truth is more important for me. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">However, there may be every chance for you to differ and I adore and have respect for your ideas and feelings.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Let us say bye and conclude this discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Thanks again.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">Sarojini<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style","serif"">The important thing to realise is true progress never happens unless there are free exchanges of ideas and dialog, and that there are forums in which these ideas can be exchanged freely.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is there a wrong?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is there a right?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Our words speak for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-44693403542545077742010-08-27T08:09:00.000-07:002010-08-29T18:48:54.111-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">The Irresponsible Use of Words by Those in Responsible Positions</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBKY1EAnayIuwfyFp71SHGe3B8DWAFgdZwVf0fXRZaIAYr3o3sbO3NuiaEJB_IdXGwMfbA1-jSe2NRi4necKm8h4O9XcVGNp-wUhtcjU-bvsvhEdKpH9sPEQKovozD5ll-fFrgA/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBKY1EAnayIuwfyFp71SHGe3B8DWAFgdZwVf0fXRZaIAYr3o3sbO3NuiaEJB_IdXGwMfbA1-jSe2NRi4necKm8h4O9XcVGNp-wUhtcjU-bvsvhEdKpH9sPEQKovozD5ll-fFrgA/s400/8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510107141011900882" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">The entire feminine discourse has been reduced to a grand celebration of infidelity and contemporary Hindi women writers are like prostitutes because they dare to promote female sexuality in their works.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">So says Vibhuti Narain Rai, a vice chancellor at the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in recently published articles in the <u>Naya Gyanodov</u> Journal and in the <u>Indian Express</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">The <u>Naya Gyanoday</u> is a journal of the Jnanpith Trust, which confers the most prestigious Jnanpith awards.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sri Rai is also a member of the panel that chooses the prestigious Jnanpith awards.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In this interview, Mr. Rai criticised that women writers of today are competing to prove themselves to become ‘sabse badi chhinal' and one can find the references of 'kitne bistaron men kitani baar' in their work.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>‘Naya Gyanoday’ means ‘New Realisation of Knowledge.’<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Mr. Rai, and also somehow Mr. Ravindra Kalia, the editor of the journal, prove that for them, their ‘new realisation’ is that repression of female sexuality is more acceptable for men to become themselves more sexually promiscuous. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This modern-day double standard may have rather practical roots in their minds where they can use such ‘vulgar’ words to represent their reprehensible behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The honourable VC Rai acts in the way the fundamentalists often act.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Readers can certainly mark how the socio-political fundamentalist groups often act to save their great cultures.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Recently, the TV channel Zee Chhatisgarh broadcast some undemocratic nuisance acts of the Dharm Sena, a state-based fundamentalist group.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Members of the group forcefully tried to stop the celebration of Friends’ day in Raipur, the Capital of Chhatisgarh.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The volunteers not only physically threatened the girls, but used vulgar language that could not even be broadcast by the TV channel when airing the report.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">How can the decorum of culture be saved when fundamentalist groups and even a VC of a central university can’t control their vulgar language? <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I forwarded a message on Facebook to my intellectual male and female friends separately regarding the culpable comments of vice chancellor Rai.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I found it strange that all the female intellectuals and writers responded with their remonstrations but that none the male intellectuals and writers, responded -- for or against; except C.P. Aboobacker, the poet, critic and editor of Malayalam literature.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Instead, the other males seemed to avoid the matter entirely, possibly thinking silence to be the best policy in this circumstance.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But why?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style=" Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">What Feminism Is And Is Not<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Feminism, to me, has often been misunderstood as a bunch of stereotyped hysterical man-hating fanatics who seek power and control rather than true equality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But to me, ‘feminism’ is not just a movement for the liberation of women, but rather a broad social movement striving for the equality of each individual worldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Feminism should emphasise the importance of such values as cooperation, tolerance, nurturance, and the freedom for each person to achieve her or his full potential.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I think feminism should not act in opposition to men as individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me, feminism is against oppressive and outdated social structures which forces both men and women into positions which are false and antagonistic.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thus, everyone has an important role to play in the feminist movement.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It seems ironic that feminism has been characterized as anti-male, when in fact, it seeks to liberate men from the macho stereotypic roles men often have to endure such as the need to suppress feelings, act aggressively, and be deprived of contact with children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think we should emphasize our femininity rather to impose the so-called stereotyped feministic attitude of the second wave.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style=" Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">What Prostitution Is and Is Not<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">The honourable vice chancellor has uttered the word ‘prostitute’ for the Hindi women writers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Once, a poetess of Oriya litearture also asked me why I am promoting the idea of sexual rights for women.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She asked me whether I wanted to promote prostitution in society or not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These are, I think, very superficial ideas that the VC or the poetess possess.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">For instance, has a prostitute ever enjoyed sex any day from her profession?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is there any meaning of sexual rights for her or is she possessed so?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Prostitution is a product of ‘patriarchy’ and patriarchal culture rests on the principle that the unique duty of women is to satisfy men sexually in marriage or by prostitution.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A woman as a wife is regarded with honour while a woman as a prostitute is kept away from society while her customers are not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Never does a prostitute do this by ‘choice’ or even by ‘taste.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The beneficiaries of prostitution are not the prostitute but the pimps, dealers, customers, and all those who view sexuality as a mechanical act, deprived of reciprocity and any responsibility making those who receive the services of prostitutes agents of patriarchy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">As the original dictum of demanding sexual rights for women aims with ending sexual slavery, how can Hindi women writers be called prostitutes?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">In 1998, the United Nations Organization (UNO) has declared the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is known as ‘The Rome Statute.'<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In its Article 7(2)(c), sexual slavery is defined by the situations where persons are forced into domestic servitude, marriage, or any other forced labour involving sexual activity, as well as the trafficking of persons, in particular women and children.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, human trafficking for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation is a major cause of contemporary sexual slavery.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">To demand sexual rights and to support sexual slavery are opposite to each other.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), in 1994 defined the sexual right for women as the right of women to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal"><b><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">In Conclusion</span></b><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Seemingly unaware of this definition, our intellectuals and those in responsible positions are acting like fundamentalist social pundits. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: .5in;line-height:normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">But I am always optimistic.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In our considered opinions, it is necessary that esteemed readers are made aware of all the implications of even any rudimentary assimilation on the part of our impressionable young people of the novel ideas from the West, including some with innocuous labels such as ‘freedom’ and ‘equality.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is because we must know in which direction we are applying our minds, to what purpose, and towards what end.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If whatever we think and do is believed to be correct without verification, does it necessarily enable mankind to continue progressing?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What do you think?<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-55834443960456461802010-06-11T11:06:00.000-07:002010-06-18T00:27:24.735-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style=" ;font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Beyond the Mars and Venus Dilemma</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcdzPlOLWRk3myPYnXktKwwrCKUjlQ9WYwImCug_L2aVczazWJydnEP_aeuP_JTq3b-rQf56-n1jlHSgFPZyLyawkojP7DeL9sOJ9thuAVVcEJlO_HP2wsYtE09dSrQN0Ml1MIQ/s1600/Jean_leon_gerome_combat_de_coqs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcdzPlOLWRk3myPYnXktKwwrCKUjlQ9WYwImCug_L2aVczazWJydnEP_aeuP_JTq3b-rQf56-n1jlHSgFPZyLyawkojP7DeL9sOJ9thuAVVcEJlO_HP2wsYtE09dSrQN0Ml1MIQ/s400/Jean_leon_gerome_combat_de_coqs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481580128785161666" /></a><p class="MsoNormal">'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">The Cockfight' (1846) is a painting of Jean-Léon Gérôme (May 11, 1824 – January 10, 1904), a French painter, kept in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.( Source: Wikipedia)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 12pt; text-indent: 0.3in; line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 96px; font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family:'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"></span></span></p><p style=" ;font-size:1.05em;">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">n my speech at Nandini Satpathhy’s 79th Birth Anniversary at Jaydev Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, India, on last 9th June, my claim that sexual rights for women are mandatory, raised the eye brows of our social gurus and some intellectuals. I think it is time for a new feminist perception without any misandrist ideas. If men and women would be aware that the other has a problem, then they should tend to treat the other in exactly the way they want to be treated (a.k.a. ‘do unto others’). And if this were done, I think we could solve a major sexual crisis without having to do any more lengthy and costly research studies. To me, the answer seems clear. We are all first and foremost human beings and are basically against any type of chauvinism, be it in the form of misandry or be it in the form of misogyny.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In my previous article, I have discussed about Prakruti and Purusha concept in Sankhya Darshan, a well-known Hindu philosophy which denoted co-eternal binary opposition. The concept of such dualism is not only seen in India.<br /><span id="more-10431"></span><br />The concept of Yin and Yang in Chinese philosophy was also originated in the Confucian school (most notably Dong Zhongshu) around the second century BCE. It is the most scientific Chinese description of how things work. Yin and yang are symbolised as two spots, one in black in the white space and another is white in the black space, and moving within a greater whole. Yin moves downward and Yang moves upward. They are both, though, opposite; Yin is usually characterized as dark, passive, and downward, cold, contracting, and weak while Yang, by contrast, is characterized as bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong. They are associated with two forms of energies, negative and positive, and also as femininity and masculinity respectively. Though these two energies are opposite to each other, they are complimentary to each other as well.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Though Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) was a trendsetter personality in human psychology, much of his life’s work was spent exploring other areas, including Eastern and Western philosophy. Jung claims that ‘anima’ and ‘animus’ are the two primary anthropomorphic archetypes of the unconscious mind, opposite but complimentary to each other. The animus is an archetype of the male personality whereas anima is the archetype for the female personality. According to Jung, all relations with the opposite sex, including parents, are strongly affected by the projection of anima or animus fantasies. The more astonishing postulate of Jung is that every man carries within him the anima, and a female bears an animus within her.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The eternal image of woman residing inside a man is not the image of any particular woman, but a definitive feminine image. This image is … all imprint or “archetype” of all the ancestral experiences of the female, a deposit, as it were, of all the impressions ever made by woman. Since this image is unconscious, it is always unconsciously projected upon the person of the beloved and is one of the chief reasons for passionate attraction or aversion. Jung believed that every woman has an analogous anima within her psyche, this being a set of unconscious masculine attributes and potentials.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How is the animus formed in a woman? How is the anima formed in a man? They are shaped by relating to and being in the presence of the parent of the opposite sex. The man’s anima takes form through relating with the mother. The woman’s animus takes form through influence by the father. But Jung focused more on the male’s anima and wrote less about the female’s animus. According to Jung, anima in man developed in four distinctive levels, Eve, Helen, Mary, and Sophia.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The first one is Eve, and deals with the emergence of a male’s object of desire. The second one is Helen, and is named after Helen of Troy in Greek mythology. In this phase, anima shows a strong schism in external talents (cultivated business and conventional skills) with lacking internal qualities (inability for virtue, lacking faith or imagination). The third phase is Mary, and is named for Jesus’ mother Virgin Mary, and in this stage, females can now seem to possess virtue by the perceiving male (even if it is in an esoteric and dogmatic way). And in the final phase, Sophia is named for the Greek word for wisdom and is where anima allows females to be seen and related to as particular individuals who possess both positive and negative qualities.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Later Jung had been criticised for his dichotomy of masculine and feminine concept which is considered as sexist theory similar to patriarchal milieu. Feminists, mostly the feminists of the second wave, criticised that Jung’s archetypes are actually socio?cultural constructions, not timeless psychological truths. But I think, Jungian theory at least tries to alter the conventional concept of masculinity, where images of masculinity are somehow outdated insofar as they placed tremendous emphasis upon the dominance of the male: the male as the breadwinner, the male as the unquestioned authority, and the male as the heterosexual. Jung tried to redefine that the male is no longer the primary breadwinner, is not necessarily heterosexual, is hardly the unquestioned authority and power-holder and is, within the context of Western societies, not necessarily dominant.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But the social scientists always claim that gender differences in behavior and personality characteristics are, at least in part, socially constructed, and therefore, the product of socialization experiences. Most of the feminists believe that gender role in our society often politicised and manipulated patriarchal society, which then resulted in the oppression of people. Social scientists always try to differentiate biological sex and gender, and though to some extent, they seem to be correct but their extremist outlook suggests an androgynous gender stereotype, which approaches cross-cultural sexual archetypes.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Masculinity and femininity culture thus painted with a gender bias outlook makes both the sexes opposite and rival to one another along with their original characteristics of being complimentary to one another as believed by ancient Greek, Indian and Chinese culture, or even modern Carl Jung’s perception.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Gerda Lerner, a historian and a Professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a visiting scholar at Duke University, wrote a book in 1986 entitled The Creation of Patriarchy. In that book, she claimed that “patriarchy” was something created by Judaism and Christianity. Patriarchy always tries to place masculinity at the centre, never at the margin; always dominant, never subordinated. But actually, if we would omit the patriarchal outlook for masculinity, we find each and every man does not possess hegemonic masculinity and a culturally idealized form of masculine character is totally different from that of hegemonic model of masculinity.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here, I can’t resist my instinct to share a novela by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932), one of the premier Islamic feminists on the Indian subcontinent who is very much discussed in Bangladesh while very little is discussed in West Bengal. And I don’t really know the reason for this! In her English novela Sultana’s Dream (1905), she depicts a fantasy, where a Muslim girl dreamt about a Ladyland, where women were roaming freely on the roads and she met more than hundred women, but not a single man. She felt herself more curious to know where the men had gone and she asked a lady. The lady replied they were in their right place where they ought to be; they were shut indoors. Sultana (the Muslim girl) then asked the lady how it could this be possible when men are mighter than women? To her query, the lady answered that a lion is stronger than a man but it cannot dominate the human race. So the masculine world is kept indoors in a place called ‘mardana,’ where they have to mind babies, cook, and to do all sorts of domestic work, while the outer world is controlled by the feminine masses.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Rokeya’s feminist utopia may be considered as a gender role reversal to highlight the absurdity of the position of women in society. But the main point of discussion here is that all our studies about male hegemony are from a patriarchal viewpoint and not from the individual man’s perspective. Whenever men are studied, they are generally studied from an essentialist perspective, as if their biology predetermined their behavior; as if all men were the same.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But there are men actively supporting female issues. In India, for example, the issue of women’s suffrage and other issues are always initiated and ignited by men. In India, I have discussed in my earlier essays, how the feminist movements are also begun by males [please see: Beyond Mysogyny]. In such cases, how is it practical and accurate to blame masculinity for male hegemony?</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Rokeya ‘s novela was originally published in Madras-based The Indian Ladies’ Magazine in 1905. Rokeya also represented the Muslim female mass, who were opressed by the patriarchal religious and social gurus and she fought for their proper education and employment for the female masses within the Shariyat law. Though the condition of the Hindu female mass was not satisfactory, it was better than that of the Muslim mass.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A lot of important social and economic changes have been taking place in India since then as a result of modernization and industrialization. As demands of the times and altered situations, women entered the workforce into fields that previously had been male-dominated. Some examples of these fields are: politics, art, and industrial careers. In the middle classes, there have also been important changes in social norms, largely influenced by international tendencies. These changes affected most of all the identities of gender and the hierarchical relations in marriage and the family. Individualism was increasingly the norm among these social classes and new forms of experiencing gender relations came into the foreground with the questioning of patriarchy. Questions were raised on piety, purity, submissiveness, and the definition of true womanhood. This comes to the front in the discussions about free love, the end of marriage, and the feminization of men.</span></span></p><p></p><p></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-85766391819299220862010-04-25T08:50:00.000-07:002010-04-28T18:32:27.538-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Femininity and the Feminine Mystique</span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSxc0NkjTGLRTYt1HFhfspK87Q8jE1PpD1Ku_pToBn2PqwiqQ1TQ6qGUukS4GVhFOoy6JXIK3oq6zbFuAt5EYeLXzc7zDap3JMhm_PCJhV3Yec1-XsXDZ0yIDcBk3ciY_m7Q8kw/s1600/Botticelli_Venus+(1).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSxc0NkjTGLRTYt1HFhfspK87Q8jE1PpD1Ku_pToBn2PqwiqQ1TQ6qGUukS4GVhFOoy6JXIK3oq6zbFuAt5EYeLXzc7zDap3JMhm_PCJhV3Yec1-XsXDZ0yIDcBk3ciY_m7Q8kw/s400/Botticelli_Venus+(1).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464103680837227522" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">( The Birth of Venus (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botticelli">Botticelli</a>) is a classic representation of femininity. Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botticelli_Venus.jpg">Wikipedia</a>.)</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I want to dedicate this blog to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarojini-Sahoo/106035073915#!/profile.php?id=548601139&ref=ts">Julie Bodhi Deepika</a> from Belgium whose mails inspired me to write this essay.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">While surfing through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve">Wikipedia</a> </span><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">, I came upon an old story from the Bible, as told by Rabbi Joshua:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">"God deliberated from what member He would create woman, and He reasoned with Himself thus: I must not create her from Adam's head, for she would be a proud person, and hold her head high. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If I create her from the eye, then she will wish to pry into all things; if from the ear, she will wish to hear all things; if from the mouth, she will talk much; if from the heart, she will envy people; if from the hand, she will desire to take all things; if from the feet, she will be a gadabout. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Therefore I will create her from the member which is hid, that is the rib, which is not even seen when man is naked."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">This article, I think represents a patriarchal view of what a woman should be in their eye. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A woman should not hold her head high; should not wish to pry into all things; would not wish to hear all things that man could hear; should keep her mouth shut against all the mischievous acts of a masculine world; and should talk less and leave desire to take anything, and even will not envy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It sums up that femininity, then, simply means frilly, flouncy, flippant, frivolous, and fluff-brained.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">There are significant gender differences in how women and men socially construct the meaning of femininity in their lives, particularly concerning the intersection of gender, sexuality, and power. Freudian psychoanalyst theory says as women lack the visible genitals of the male, they feel they are "missing" the most thing central necessary for gaining narcissistic value and therefore, they develop a sense of gender inequality and penis envy, which in later periods, has related to power relation between gender. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Freud said a little girl when observing the difference between the genital organ of her father or brother and the similarity with her mother, can notice her status of being the second sex, the less dominant sex. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>From this time of noticing, a girl possesses envy towards the male role model and tries to compare and identify herself with the male role model as the power holder.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">According to Freud, sex is the most powerful instinct in humans.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This tendency later develops into an Oedipus Complex and an Electra Complex. <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:16px;"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Being a woman, I can say that this ‘penis envy’ is not at all a significant point for femininity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is not a proper place to discuss this topic in detail, but I referred to this Freudian psychoanalysis theory, as I have an idea that the formation of genital organs in male and female might have a link with their masculinity and femininity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The male genital is projected outward whereas that of a female remains inward. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These structures may create the different characteristics among both genders. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Femininity, so an introvert in nature to which some psychosnalysis termed as ‘passive’ while the extrovert masculinity for its outward projection of genital organ as ‘active’. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Gerard Hendrik Hofstede, the Dutch scholar (I have discussed and compared his theory with that of Ashish Nandy in one of my <a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/2010/04/feminine-india-masculine-britain-taking.html">earlier essays</a> </span><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">) described these differences as ‘Quantity of Life’ and ‘Quality of Life’ repectively.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I solely believe that both masculinity and femininity are different but they are always complimentary to each other. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We can’t say which one is superior and which one is inferior.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In Samkhya Upanishad, the philosophers of the Vedic period named these as Prakruti and Purusha. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But in their concept, Purusha (masculinity) is passive and Prakruti (femininity) is ‘active.’<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">‘Samkhya philosophy’ also described the creation of life with this Prakruti-Purusha concept. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>According to this philosophy, this Prakruti is an all pervasive but complex primal substance which is transformed into multifarious nature. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The original entity is not found in its original form but remains in a state of equilibrium, and in a non-modified condition. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This eternal and infinite principle is lifeless and consists of three inter-reliant and interchangeable elements called the ‘gunas,’ which consists of three parts:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>sattva, rajas, and tamas. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These gunas are not the qualities but rather the constituent parts of Prakruti. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They give complexity to Mula (original) Prakruti.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">But Purusha is inactive and passive, but also alert and infinite and eternal. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Under the inscrutable influence of Purusha, the equilibrium in Prakruti is disturbed and the whole universe of unlimited permutations and combinations comes into existence. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The first modification of Prakruti, primordial nature, is called Mahat or Cosmic Intelligence. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It further involutes into two forces, 1) Akasha, the primal matter, and 2) Prana, the primal energy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Akasha forms the material basis and Prana the energy basis of creation. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>From the interaction between Akasha and Prana are formed five delicate elements, crudely translated as Ether, Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In various proportions, these are the constituents of all the material existing in the universe. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As can be seen, even Mahat or Intelligence is matter consisting of three gunas and five elements.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I believe the role of femininity can be explained in no other way. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Femininity is thus considered as Shakti or a source of energy in ancient Indian Philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is a regrettable and astonishing fact that while discussing ‘femininity,’ we discuss Christian ideology or psychoanalysts’ point of view but never any day has anyone discussed the idea of this Indian philosophy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">It is correct that the word femininity has not been heard very often as compared to the word ‘feminist.’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have observed that in the West, only the Christian religious scholars discuss more about ‘femininity’ while the feminist scholars did not like to utter this word ‘femininty’ partly because of stereotypes as opposed to archetypes. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They were dedicated to the proposition that the difference between men and women is a matter of mere biology and some of these feminists tried to avoid the word altogether or whenever possible, denying femininity a reality of Nature’s design and making. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">On the other hand, throughout the millennia of human history up until the past two decades or so, people took for granted that the differences between men and women were so obvious as to need no comment. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They accepted the way things were.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Patriarchal society also used this hypothesis as an issue of the gender power battle with male hegemony and adherence to traditional male and female roles. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For centuries, the concept of ‘femininity’ has been used for transforming patriarchy, making females to be subordinate in a masculine world. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Femininity has always been used with a double standard by patriarchy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">While a nude art or its artist receive appreciation for the aesthetism from society, at the same time, the model has also been criticised for lacking the modesty of femininity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the name of sexual objectification, both patriarchy and feminism have never adored femininity in any real sense. They impose many taboos and regulation on femininity in the name of keeping it safe and secure. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">It is no doubt that due to feminist movement and discourse, we now have the opportunity to express ourselves; to make ourselves more visible in social perspectives; and to embrace our sexuality and sensuality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As Julie relates: “But still, women also have issues.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For instance, many girls and women in Western don't totally accept themselves as they are because of the beauty standards the media and society imposes on us. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The focus is so much on outward appearance rather than inner beauty.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">And she goes on: “Women also experience so much pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They want a career, be independent, have a household, kids, etc., etc....And manage that,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ALL at the same time. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Still, every woman wants to be feminine and beautiful with her dresses, jewelry, and modest attitudes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They want to be very beautiful and soft, but at the same time, strong.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And that kind of women I see as my inspiration -- a humble, kind, loving woman, but at the same time, strong and intelligent.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">In earlier articles, I have discussed these matters in detail to show not only how both patriarchal society and the feminists make the rules and regulations and create the new taboos to make women more controlled in the name of ‘freedom.’ <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">But still, women are subjugated and controlled in the name of ‘modesty’ and are also ignored in the social perspective. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Their term of femininity is misunderstood and misused either by patriarchy or by the apostles of the so-called radical feminism.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">Personally, I never find any difference between modern femininity and feminism if we consider feminism as a goal to make females strong enough to mark their identity against becoming invisible by those who want them to be.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We should be thankful to our predecessor feminists who have made patriarchal man turn into a new masculine entity who believes in gender equality.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">I<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>believe femininity is related to ‘shakti’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and being ‘shaktified’ (I borrowed this word from my friend Wahkeena Sitka’s article ‘<a href="http://embodiedbeing.com/blog/?p=1016">What Is Shakti</a>?’). </span><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We could include power of intelligence (buddhi), compassion (daya), and divine love (bhakti) in our femininity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I also believe that this femininity has a wonderful power.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">In our de-gendered times, a really feminine woman is a joy to behold and you can love and unleash your own unique yet universal femininity. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We are here for gender sensitivity to proclaim the differences between men and women with a kind of pretence that we are all the same.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Too many women have been de-feminized by society.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="Bookman Old Style","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;">To be feminine today is to know how to pay attention to detail and people, to have people skills, and to know how to connect to and work well with others. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There will be particular times and situations in which you'll want to be more in touch and in tune with your femininity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Being able to choose is a great privilege and a great skill.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><br /></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-73836237262982249112010-04-06T22:27:00.000-07:002010-04-07T01:39:33.243-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><br /></u></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Feminine India? Masculine Britain? </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Taking Ashish Nandy to Task</span></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJklQEydeRVRBgJf_s09njQ5Y5jWcARUfPyhyvGbWPiDhE7juoC9NhrUv0PzxjykaSaesXy7ywtBg5mCPe9z8hUvW5QBxXxMhUliM4hyphenhyphen8lugrMyBMSwXHGMPNdJZxH8Afa8zFBQ/s1600/india.GIF"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJklQEydeRVRBgJf_s09njQ5Y5jWcARUfPyhyvGbWPiDhE7juoC9NhrUv0PzxjykaSaesXy7ywtBg5mCPe9z8hUvW5QBxXxMhUliM4hyphenhyphen8lugrMyBMSwXHGMPNdJZxH8Afa8zFBQ/s400/india.GIF" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457263562766027058" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It is my friend Malavika Velayanikal, the Principal Correspondent of </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">DNA, Bangalore</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, who persuaded me to read Ashish Nandy and to share my views on his perception of “Feminine India, masculine Britain.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ashish Nandy, who is lesser-known to the Indian public than his brother Pritish Nandy, is an Indian political psychologist, a social theorist, and a contemporary cultural and political critic. He is a recipient of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize in 2007 and is also listed among the 100 top intellectuals by “Prospect Magazine” (UK) and “Foreign Policy” (US).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In his book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Intimate Enemy </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(1983)</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nandy discusses how the British occupied India without any blood shedding and hardly any sustained violent response to the colonizers, as opposed to the colonization of Africa and of Latin America. Nandy discusses, in depth, the psychology that the British were masculine in character and that India was feminine in character. Using these metaphors of masculinity and femininity, the British believed in the superiority of the masculine traits over the feminine. I believe there would probably be numerous misconceptions about Nandy’s conception of masculinity/femininity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In 1998, similar to Nandy, Geert Hofstede, an organizational sociologist who studied the interactions between national cultures and organizational cultures, wrote a book entitled </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimension of National Cultures</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">. In it, he pointed out that masculine nations believe one should "live in order to work," and that feminine nations feel one should "work in order to live." What is the specific evidence that masculine nations feel that a "performance society is ideal" whereas feminine nations feel a "welfare society is ideal?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hofstede created his ideas from the results of a survey conducted by IBM, the well-known computer company. In1970, this multi-national organization sent a questionnaire to its employees across all its branches in 40 nations to find out the results of factor analysis of work goals. From the survey results, Hofstede described his idea of the masculinity/femininity dimension. (See </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Masculinity and Femininity: The Taboo Dimension of National Cultures</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, edited by Geert Hofstede, Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, 1998, 238 pages). Though the goal of IBM’s survey was to find out the work habits of a hypothetical worker from a feminine nation with those of a hypothetical worker from a masculine nation, Hofstede prepared a list of differences in the notion of masculinity and femininity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Nandy and Hofstede never say, but it is obvious from their books, their idea of femininity is not the same as an ideology of feminism.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Unlike to these two thinkers, Sandra Ruth Lipsitz Bem or popularly known as Sandra Bem, with her book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Lenses of Gender,</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> argues how vague the idea of androcentrism (male-centeredness) is, an idea which defines males and male experience as a standard or norm and females and female experience as a deviation from that norm. Nandy and Hofstede, interestingly enough, both are male and both possess a similar attitude that men are inherently the dominant or superior sex, and that both male-female differences and male dominance are natural. These ideas shape not only perceptions of social reality but also the more material things—like unequal pay and inadequate daycare—that constitute social reality itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ideologically, I believe that women are clearly different from men in some ways, and these differences should be considered but not devalued. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As Ashish Nandy has written, “The ultimate authority in the Indian mind has always been feminine.” And he very cleverly has tried to link Gandhi’s non-violent </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Satyagraha</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> with a feminine approach. Let us study how sexist Nandy’s idea is when he compares everything in our tradition and politics with a gender bias outlook. It is no doubt that sexism is bias. Bias is when you have particular opinions about some group of people, and you then apply them to the individual. Unlike India in Britain, myths are also created to glorify femininity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Is everything which related to harsh, crude, power and potentiality related to masculine characteristics and those related to soft, submissive or cooperative mutual understandings related to femininity? What about the men who are gender-liberated, anti-homophobic and sex-positive pro-feminists? Are they called feminine?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><i><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">An Unconventional Family </span></span></i><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is the second book of Sandra Bem and is an autobiographical account of the Bems’ nearly 30-year marriage. It is both a personal history of the Bems’ past and a social history of a key period in feminism’s past. In1965, when psychologists Sandra Lipsitz and Daryl Bem met and married, they were determined to function as truly egalitarian partners. During the next ten years, they exuberantly shared the details of their daily lives in both public lectures and the mass media in order to provide at least one concrete example of an alternative to the traditional heterosexual family. What would Nandy say about Daryl Bem? Would Bem be feminine? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Another question that may be asked to Ashish Nandy is, what is the criteria he used to measure femininity?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Judy Giles, the first woman in the UK to gain a doctorate in Women's Studies writes in her book </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Parlour and the Suburb: Domestic Identities, Class, Femininity and Modernity </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">how women experienced modernization. She argues that the working-class women of Britain did not feel the same need as their bourgeois counterparts for a private life apart from their families. They also did not value formal education, which Giles states is based on patriarchal western thought and not as empowering as the second wave feminists have argued. Further, Giles shows that homemakers were not as passive or unsatisfied as these feminists often portrayed them. Not only did they frequently ignore the messages of mass advertising, but they also participated in local, regional, and national social and political organizations. So if we agree with Gill, feminine characteristics have to be divided as per their class statistics and hence Nandy could be asked which class he would secure for India to retain its feminine character?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In Britain, and all over the world, many men are getting more involved with the feminism movement to support their cause. In 2008, Jon Waters set up the London Pro-feminist Men’s Group. Hannah Cann published her </span><span style="color:red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">interview with Jon Waters in York </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Uni Women's Society</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> magazine. Why Pro-Feminist? Jon Waters replied to the question:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“Well, we discuss it now and again... Not everyone agrees with the name. Some think that we should be called an ‘anti-sexist men’s group.’ There’s the idea that we don’t want to colonize a term for a movement set up by women for the liberation of women, and that calling ourselves male feminists or something similar would suggest we don’t understand and aren’t sensitive to the issues. However, plenty of feminists argue that feminism is for all people who want equality, and that men ought to call themselves feminists as they are fighting the same fight as female feminists. I think we’re happy calling ourselves pro-feminists and helping to define what exactly that term means by simply existing under that title!” (See: </span></span><a href="http://londonprofeministmensgroup.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://londonprofeministmensgroup.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Hence the old pattern of a patriarchal society has also been changing and now in the post-modern period, radical feminism has lost its importance and it is now time to think about the new dimension of feminism. But Nandy, away from this modernity, always places himself ideologically as having a conservative and orthodox outlook, which I will say is more radical and fundamentalist in thought. In his various other articles, Nandy has supported the ‘sati system,’ which is the custom of widow-burning on a deceased husband's pyre, a controversial topic in contemporary India. Nandy argues the ‘sati system’ is also necessary to maintain respect towards women committed to this custom. I failed to understand what he meant when he writes ‘respect’ in connection with women? Does he want to say that ‘chastity’ is the only respect of woman? I don’t find any difference between any fundamentalist religious guru (either from Hinduism or from Islam) and Mr. Nandy, who deliberately denies a women’s right over their body. Does Nandy think that woman are such helpless creatures that they would not protect themselves and a masculine bodyguard is always required to safeguard their genital parts, when most of the religious gurus consider the genital part of a woman is the most significant asset to protect her prestige. So, being assaulted physically for a woman is a normal phenomena for these intellectuals than the so-called adultery of a woman.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The irony of the present day’s growth of post-modern fundamentalism, whether religious or political, is that it tries to raise women's consciousness and not only encourages the emergence of a vocal faction of middle-class women’s determination to reinterpret fundamentalism. These activities, though, overtly show their aim as empowering the strength of women while the hidden agenda is to make the consciousness silent under a false aroma. Slowly but surely in the process, women surrender the course of their own destiny and that of their collective history to fundamentalist ideas. This is a new form of post-modern patriarchy which works under the banner of ‘progressive intellectualism.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I can’t remember now the name of the author whose few sentences impressed me while reading her works. Her words go something like this: feminists have to be pragmatic about the choice of their strategies, overtly and covertly; anonymous and public; gradual and confronting; and incidental and continuously.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-indent:.3in;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The fight against fundamentalism can also mean simply to continue living your own life as a woman.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-16428363198035361492010-03-04T17:45:00.000-08:002010-03-05T17:12:55.977-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><br /></span></span></p></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The Beauty Dilemma</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18HXPV4tJyQbV9xftvFJ78GywTzIoJjo29tbNnqK5sxBEi_IgVqlhGKs7aRmqHGbQewuAfOcs_mo3V9wy1grRqTnf4dxu9xOAr3t3_NTc_V0q_-4-zjk2O99D-wTTQ-BfgBIgxw/s1600-h/26oct+(10).jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18HXPV4tJyQbV9xftvFJ78GywTzIoJjo29tbNnqK5sxBEi_IgVqlhGKs7aRmqHGbQewuAfOcs_mo3V9wy1grRqTnf4dxu9xOAr3t3_NTc_V0q_-4-zjk2O99D-wTTQ-BfgBIgxw/s400/26oct+(10).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444960210260255234" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">That day, one of my younger colleagues wore a pair of earrings, which made her face bright and beautiful, and she looked quite pretty and we, that is, all the female teachers, appreciated this. Meanwhile, one of our senior male colleagues made comments about her ‘so provocative’ get up. “What is the difference between ‘beautiful’ and ‘provocative?’ ” I asked that older teacher. And he replied, “Whatever it may be argued, but a teacher should keep herself away from any fashion.” I laughed and told him that “I wish if Betty Friedan were here, she could see how similar her ideas are with yours.” Certainly my old colleague doesn’t know who Betty Friedan is, so he considered it as a complement to him!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Betty Friedan (1921) was a leading figure in the "second wave" of the U.S. Women's Movement and is mostly known for her book <i>The Feminine Mystique</i>, which is considered as a succeeding effort of Simone De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. Simone’s great comment “One is not born, but rather, becomes a woman” made her successor feminists so much influenced that the total attitude of second wave feminists changed. Simone wrote <i>The Second Sex </i>in 1949. In French,<i> Le Deuxième Sexe.</i> Jonathan Cape first translated it into English and it came to America in 1953. In that book, Simone wrote that patriarchy always attempts to trap a woman into an impossible ideal by denying the individuality and situation of all different kinds of women. Patriarchy tries to impose an authentic false aura of ‘womanhood’ in them.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />In 1963, ten years after The Second Sex was published in America, Betty Friedan’s <i>The Feminine Mystique</i> was published. In this book, the author described the social pressures on women to be ‘beautiful’ as an example of a patriarchal society's conspiracy against them. She explained that to serve women as good consumers of the thousands of products and services, the fashion industry consciously manipulates its portrayal of women. Although Friedan's book focused primarily on advertising's images of women as housewives, in later periods, radical feminists focused on advertising’s use of sexual implication and feminine attraction to sell products, and the term ‘sex object’ was coined and became part of the English-speaking vocabulary.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The advertising industry was blamed, and there were protests against the cosmetic and fashion industries. Women were asked by these feminists to give up cosmetics and fashions. In 1968, a group of women picketing the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City tossed their bras in the garbage getting instant media coverage and hence, the term "bra-burners" entered the media vocabulary as a pejorative for feminists.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Then came Naomi Wolf and Ariel Levy with their books <i>The Beauty Myth</i> (1991) and <i>Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture</i> (2005) respectively. Both the books are considered to be successors to <i>The Feminine Mystique</i>, where like Friedan, the writers argue that to make a woman interested in fashion and beauty culture is purely political and also a part of the process to maintain the patriarchal system. Naomi Wolf argues, in <i>The Beauty Myth</i> that American culture’s images of beauty -- found on television, in advertisements, women's magazines, and pornography -- are detrimental to women and are a weapon used to make women feel badly about themselves. In Ariel Levy’s book, <i>Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture</i>, she states that there are two types of feminists: ‘lipstick feminists’ and ‘loophole women.’ According to Levy, lipstick feminists believe, for example, that stripping is empowering and that putting on a show to attract men (be it through makeup, clothing, or girl-on-girl gyration) is not contrary to the goals and ideals of feminism. These feminists sometimes exaggerated in their essays by adding overstated and false facts. These can be observed from few excerpts of Wolf’s book:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />“A century ago, normal female activity, especially the kind that would lead women into power, was classified as ugly and sick. If a woman read too much, her uterus would 'atrophy.' If she kept on reading, her reproductive system would collapse and, according to the medical commentary of the day, 'we should have before us a repulsive and useless hybrid'...Participation in modernity, education and employment was portrayed as making Victorian women ill...Victorians protested women's higher education by fervidly imagining the damage it would do to their reproductive organs...and it was taken for granted that 'the education of women would sterilize them' and make them sexually unattractive: 'When a women displays scientific interest, then there is something out of order in her sexuality.”</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Wolf was against the feminine idea of getting slim by just going on a diet to lose weight in order to make one’s fitness in beauty competitions. She claimed this tendency may create diseases like Anorexia and Bulimia. These are eating disorders. Wolf falsified facts in her said book, quoting “The American Anorexia and Bulimia Association” [reports] that “anorexia and bulimia strike one million American women every year...Each year 150,000 American women die of anorexia.” Later, Gloria Marie Steinem, a feminist journalist quoted the same facts in her book Revolution from Within (1992) which supported these facts. But after publication of The Beauty Myth, the president of the American Anorexia and Bulimia Association denied the fact. In a 1985 newsletter, the association hadn't referred to deaths at all, but rather to anorexia sufferers, a state prone to subjective assessment. In 1988, the National Center for Health Statistics reported 67 deaths from anorexia, and its Division of Vital Statistics reported 54 deaths in 1991. The figures used by these feminists for anorexia deaths are 2,238 and 2,777 percent greater than that found by any serious scientific source!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Many times western feminists, especially the second wave feminists, adopted these fanatics, falsified, or wrong determinations to challenge the patriarchal hegemony of the “sex/gender system.” Simone’s ideas made the feminists of the second wave keep themselves away from the masculine world. They refused to make themselves instruments (objects) towards masculine sexual pleasure and even kept themselves away from heterosexuality. We find the feminists of that time were either bisexual or lesbians. The result was that many women who generally supported feminism were not prepared to fully accept the ideological underpinnings proposed by these radicals and socialist feminists. Linda Scott, a pop singer feminist admits in her book Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism that feminism had suffered a lot because of its views on beauty and fashion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Fashion is a barometer of cultural changes. It not only embraces clothing, but also accessories, jewelry, hairstyles, beauty, and body art. What we wear and how and when we wear it provides others with a shorthand to subtly read the surface of a social situation. Fashion is a form of non-verbal communication to indicate occupation, rank, gender, sexual availability, locality, class, wealth, and group affiliation. Fashion is a form of free speech. It is the best form of iconography we have to express individual identity. Popular personalities are known to us by their fashion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />For example, Mahatma Gandhi’s short ‘dhoti,’ bare body, round spectacles, and long stick is sufficient to make his iconography. Further, we can easily associate icons with Karl Marx for his thick beard, Abraham Lincoln for his attire, and Indira Gandhi for her short hair. In fact, cartoonists routinely use the individual fashion of a personality as a part of their iconography.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />For centuries, the authority (state, society, or religion) tended to grip its control over individuals on the use of fashion. Emperor Napoleon stopped the import of English textiles and he revived the local fabric industry so that fine fabrics like tulle and batiste could be made there. To make women buy more material, he forbade them to wear the same dress more than once to court. During the Emergency in 1970, Indira Gandhi imposed a ban against the wearing of ‘bell bottom pants’ by girls and the keeping long ‘hippie hair’ by boys. Police were authorized to cut the pants and hairs of the students. I remember my father bought two ‘saris’ for me, though I was not comfortable with this long-wear style. The orthodox semi socio-political parties now run their schools in India, where they impose a dress code not only for students but also for teachers as well. In my state of Orissa and in other states also, the government has imposed dress codes for students. In Judaism and Islam, they have a written dress code in their Holy books. In many religions, though there are no written codes, a magnificent nonverbal practice has been traditionally continuing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The authorities always show a reluctant attitude for any change in the system of fashion. Socially, there is a great difference between taboo and fashion. Every society prescribed fashions for different genders and the modification in these items are considered as fashion, but the use of the other gender’s item is called ‘taboo.’ Hence society considers cross-dressing as a taboo, not as a fashion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Indian readers will remember that once, the orthodox Muslim Mullahs raised their objection on the wearing of short pants to Sania Mirza, an international tennis player. Ironically, she was asked to wear traditional Muslim dresses while playing tennis.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />But history shows us that with the change of time, these taboos are sometimes also changed to fashion. In the last few decades of the nineteenth century, when trousers were first introduced for women instead of traditional skirts, The New York Times pointed out the trend as “A Curious Disease” in its editorial and wrote: women in trousers needed treatment in “the best conducted hospitals for the insane” ( see: <i>The NY Times</i> May 27, 1876 p.6 ).But after Second World War, trousers became the mass uniform for ladies. Trousers may have been begun to be worn during WW II as many women went to work in ammunitions and other factories there to help the war effort and due to the unavailability of men.<br />In the early 1980s, fashion designers tried to create a groundswell of skirt-wearing men in the previously skirt-phobic regions of the West, but the fashion never caught on with the public. So, we can’t say that the ‘market’ (which includes advertising) does not decide the trend of fashions but it is the consumer who decides what to adopt or what not to adopt.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Sometimes institutions or authorities introduce this cross-dressing as a new fashion to society. The woman empowerment policy of government in India made trouser and shirt as a mass uniform for the women members in the police and home guards. The leftist Maoist-Leninist Political Party, popularly known as Naxal in India, prepared their own comrades for guerilla warfare and they introduced trousers and shirts for its women fighters. Nobody asked the authenticity or peculiarity of these fashions or are these not counted as the cross-dressing?<br />In the third wave or post-modern era of feminism, some feminists came forward with their Avant-garde idea to save feminism in America. The long tradition of denying feminine mystique was again put on trial and the issue of personal appearance has been used repeatedly as an instrument of power and control within the women’s movement, reinforcing biases of class, education, and ethnicity. These Avant-garde feminists pointed out that people in every culture and throughout history have groomed and decorated themselves, and for a complex variety of reasons, not just sexual attraction.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />The eighties saw a group of “American feminists” come forward to counter the ideas of <i>The Beauty Myth</i> and its followers. Lois Banner's <i>American Beauty</i> (1983), Rita Freedman's <i>Beauty Bound</i> (1985), and Valerie Steele's <i>Fashion and Eroticism </i>(1985) were some landmarks, which opposed the radical and social feminist’s idea that beauty and fashion subjugate over the power of women. They argued that the use of fashion and beauty products evolved as a rejection of the Victorian prohibition on sensual expression and that it is absurd to blame fashion, as such, for turning women into sexual objects as men and women look differently and do different things. Rather than considering beauty products as symbols of oppression, these new feminists urged the pragmatic recognition that beauty is one of the few paths to power that women have whether they be producing or consuming. For example, nearly all the founders of major cosmetics companies in America were women: Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubenstein, Estée Lauder, Dorothy Gray, and others.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />In India, feminism does not have such variances in dimension as in America. Here, still feminists show their neutral attitude for fashion and beauty. Rather the anti-feminists or misogyny attitudes try to get a control over feminine fashion and beauty culture. But there is a strange similarity in the attitude of Western social and radical feminists of the second wave and the patriarchal society of India as far as the sexual objectification of women is concerned. Both of them believe women have often been valued mainly for their physical attributes. Here in our country, the ‘izzat’ (prestige or pride) of a family means a lot and it is always associated with the ‘chastity’ of female members of the family. If a boy falls in love with a girl, the boy’s family does not have to care for the loss of their ‘izzat,’ but on the other hand the girl’s family feels they have lost their ‘izzat,’ when a daughter falls in love with a boy. So the ‘authority’ of a family often shows too much concern about the fashion, get up, and behavior of the female members of their family. The restrictions are enforced and different behaviourial codes are created. Though the ‘head of the family’ requires the female members of the family to obey that behavioural code, the male members of that same family may show excess affiliation towards the female of other families who are prone to fashion or beauty make ups.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />But the contradictory fact is, still ‘beauty parlours’ are brooding up in small to smaller urban areas and even if in semi-urban villages. The tribal girls, who were supposed to adopt ‘natural’ get up, are also showing their fascination for stylish haircuts or in using cosmetics. The ‘fashion’ is not restricted to any age group and we can see all age groups (16-60) show their interest in beauty culture. Today, beauty parlours are not limited to just female customers; they have added male customers as well. Still reluctant attitudes have prevailed in society regarding feminine fashion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Actually in our subcontinent, we are living with a great paradoxical confusion. The patriarchal restrictions differ with variance of caste, class, and even vary from region to region. In rural areas, the restrictions are more than in urban areas. In comparison to urban areas, those in the Metro (big cities) areas are more liberal. The liberal attitudes again depend on literacy also. So, in such a mixed and confused state, it is difficult to generalize any statement. But above all, it is true that still in India, the grip of patriarchy is very much present and most masculine groups, irrespective of caste, creed, class, region, or language, would not prefer to see that their ‘izzats’ (women in their families) are enjoying complete freedom like them.</span></span></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-18059670583538552010-02-04T07:53:00.000-08:002010-02-05T05:44:28.654-08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">A Voyage to Women's Inner Co</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">re</span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><b><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></b><p></p></u></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69xkBFSllwZb6a_mXDvl0fge29euXSxnHEArfdqX53aQSXZKfc57dnxovS2te_BqNOcGq-of1p_dUIRKIPIaWLj5J0_ih4QbRref9iH_kqlxqXFKCPn5zr8r8y9h5GkHP_wxZjA/s1600-h/zebrowska2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69xkBFSllwZb6a_mXDvl0fge29euXSxnHEArfdqX53aQSXZKfc57dnxovS2te_BqNOcGq-of1p_dUIRKIPIaWLj5J0_ih4QbRref9iH_kqlxqXFKCPn5zr8r8y9h5GkHP_wxZjA/s400/zebrowska2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434417796281284706" /></a><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(A still picture from the video ‘Original Sin’ (1993/94) by Polish female artist Alicja Zebrowska, who critically explores sex and sexuality. Setting the female body alongside religious symbolism has been a recurrent motif of avant-garde female Polish artists since the 1990s. )</span><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebati">Rebati</a>, a country girl of Orissa in India in the end of nineteenth century, had intended to read and learn more though she could manage to learn many devotional songs, the bhajanas and could memorise the verses of Holy <i>Bhagwat</i>. Her father Shyambandhu Mohanty, a village tax collector for the local landlord Zamindars arranged for a private tutor named Basudev Mohapatra. This teacher, popularly known as Basu Master, was the only teacher of the village upper primary school and was graduated from Cuttack Normal School. Rebati’s grandma was against such a type of liberation to Rebati as she thought reading and writing were not the job for a girl. Instead, she should learn cooking, housekeeping, sewing or other skills which were meant for a girl. But Shyambandhu did not pay attention to his mother’s complaints. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">During their tuition, a silent love affair was developed between that teacher and the student, although they did not express their feelings in a verbal manner. The story turned tragic mode when Shyambandhu and his wife died of Cholera, one after the other. The Zamindar overthrew the facilities given to Shyambandhu and the family was in distress. As Basudev was the only male person closer to that family, he came forward to take the responsibility of these two dismayed women. But perhaps God was more cruel than we thought and Basudev, while he was on a short tour to another examination, also died of Cholera, leaving Rebati and her grandma totally alone and without any support or shelter. Adding to these serial deaths and other consequences, Rebati’s grandma began to believe that these misfortunes were the result of a curse for Rebati’s education. She blamed and began to rebuke Rebati for her unusual role of showing interest in male chores. Rebati was harassed, mentally broken after the death of her parents and of her lover mentor Basudev and she felt herself sick and at last died, leaving the grandma lonely. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“Rebati,” written by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakir_Mohan_Senapati">Fakir Mohan Senapati</a> in Oriya in 1898, is a landmark story of Indian fiction with many extraordinary and advanced qualities in comparison with other stories written at that time in Indian literature. It is the first story, written about middle class life. The stories of that time were mostly based on the royal family. It is also the premier story which dealt with feminism and especially with women’s right for education.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some queries and doubts have been expressed by my students from time to time of how it could be possible for a ten-year-old girl to find herself mentally involved with a grown up man and why Shyambandhu did not send her to school when there was an upper primary school in the village. In the story, all the supporters of women’s education had died while the grandma, who differed with them and opposed female education remained alive until the end of the story. Did Fakirmohan want to send a message that education of females was a fatal decision for society? </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Rebati was only a ten-year-old girl. Assuming the present day’s situation, a ten year old girl was a mere child for either marriage or for love. But if we consider the nineteenth century Indian culture, a ten-year-old girl is quite old enough for starting her young-age activities. In 1806, the age of marriage for a girl had been set at ten years old. The Special Marriage Bill raised it to 14 years old for Brahmos in 1872. And in 1891, the age was raised to 12 years old for all girls. But reformers considered this to be barbarically low and their attempts to raise the age of consent still further were seen by conservatives as an attack on Hindu culture.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The story was a unique presentation of social conditions in the countrysides in India. When contemporary readers try to imagine these conditions in comparison with those of today, it seems to them somehow unbelievable, impractical, and impossible, though these conditions were prevailing at that time. These consequences and change in scenario prove the tremendous social changes in our social life in the last century only.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the eighteenth century, there was no standardised institutional education facilities for young children in India. They were taught reading, writing of Vernacular language, specially aimed with reading skill for all Puranas and Shastras, and perhaps a little arithmetic and Sanskrit. Reading and writing were not so mandatory for girls; they were taught cooking, sewing, and household management. Above all, education was a family responsibility, not a social obligation. The administration or the King’s court had nothing to do with this education system.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Perhaps the best known educational arrangement in pre-colonial India was lying with the hand of private tutors who opened the ‘village schools’ (known as ‘chahali’, ‘chatsala’ or ‘pathashala’) and it was a traditional ancestral occupation for such teachers. A legal entitlement to standardised instruction for all children was first implemented by the British in the eighteenth century and schools and colleges for vernacular and English education and even Madrassas for Arabic or Persian educations were established. But the education of females still remained in miserable condition as middle-class parents still did not like the idea of educating their girls with language or arithmetic.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">At the beginning of nineteenth century, a British company started to educate Indians and opened schools for the children. In 1821, the Church Missionary Society of India decided to establish 30 schools for Hindu girls and Miss Mary Anne Cooke was asked to manage them. The first boarding school for girls was founded in Thirunelveli in that year. By 1840, six schools with a total enrollment of 200 Hindu girls were constructed. Until the mid nineteenth century, the Church Missionary Society had an enrollment of 8,000 girls under its banner. In 1871, for the first time, a school for Hindu girls was set-up at Cuttack and even after the school ran for ten years, the number of girls had only increased to a mere 25 (Source: Utkal Deepika, Vol 16, No 44, Nov 5, 1881).</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“Rebati” was written in 1898, where the protagonist’s father employed a village master for her daughter’s tuition at home. The story was not merely a love story as Rebati never asked for love from her mentor Basu Master. In the story, except a ‘smile,’ the readers could not access any picturisation of love ideas. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Fakir Mohan was associated with the first girls’ school of Orissa and after ten years of the school was established, only four Hindu girls were enrolled. Senapati was one of the persons who got the attention of parents and urged them to send their girls to the school in larger numbers. But in his story, the family of Rebati has been ruined and her grandmother believed that this disaster was a result of enforcing girls’ education against tradition. Fakir Mohan was not an idealistic propagandist unlike other writers of his time. He didn’t want to glamourise girls’ education but tried to portray the idea of his contemporary society regarding this education. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some critics try to project the central theme of the story of being confined to women’s education. But really, it is the first Indian short story which deals with the identity and sexuality of women. Female sexuality in the nineteenth century was oppressed by a patriarchal society. Though girls were married-off between the ages of 8-10 years old, the age limit of their grooms was not confined by the society of that time and it was normal to find a middle-aged man getting married to a girl his daughter’s age. Remarriage for a man was not banned while remarriage of a widow was not allowed.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Widows were supposed to live pious life and were not allowed entry in any celebration. Their presence in any good work was considered to be a bad sign. Sometimes the heads of widows were also shaved.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Also, as a result of these child marriages, there were more problems such as increased birth rate, poor health of women due to repeated child bearing, and a high mortality rate among women and children.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The use of veil or the ‘purdah’ system in North India was also widely prevalent in nineteenth century. It was used to protect the women folk from the eyes of foreign rulers who invaded India in the medieval period. But this system also curtailed the freedom of women. Indian patriarchy at that time wanted to control a woman’s sexuality by subjecting different ethical moral rules on them.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">It is no doubt a trauma for a girl to be married before she reaches puberty and to subject herself to ‘sex’ when she is not mentally or physically prepared for a ‘sexual relationship.’ Normal marital sexual relations for women [and girls] at that time often resulted in feelings of being raped. And they were supposed to live under these inhuman conditions for the sake of some implicit false moral code.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> ‘Gender’ was a central issue for the nationalists and reformists in colonial nineteenth century India. In middle of the twentieth century, when India gained independence, these issues were a central theme in democratic constitutions. The constitution laid the term and idea of ‘woman’ disuniting from the idea of ‘woman’ lying with colonial concept in the minds of people. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The 86th constitutional amendment has also made elementary education a fundamental right for children between the ages of 6 and 14 years old. According to the 2001 census, the total literacy rate in India is 65.38 percent while the female literacy rate is only 54.16 percent. The gap between rural and urban literacy rate is also very significant in India. This is evident from the fact that only 59.4 percent of rural population is literate as compared to 80.3 percent of the urban population, according to the 2001 census.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In 1971, only 22 percent of Indian women were literate but by the end of 2001, 54.16 percent had achieved literacy. This represents an increase of around 33 percent. The growth of the female literacy rate is 14.87 percent as compared to 11.72 percent for males. These results would seem to indicate that there were now many ‘Rebatis’ emerging in Indian social life to greatly contribute to the needs of women for a free life away from and outside the control of patriarchal values.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Soon after, these ‘Rebatis’ found themselves in ‘bread-earner’ status, unlike their previous status of being solely dependent on ‘patriarchy’ for their own existence. They also have benefited from the results of self-determination, statehood, democracy, progress, modernity, and development. Thus, the total outlook on their new status lead to confirm their identity and right over their own sexuality. It was not like that in colonial times; nobody raised her voice about feminine identity. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There were some writers like Toru Dutt (born: 1856) who signified the binary gender theory with egalitarian outlook. In her </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Sonnet—The Lotus</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, both Cupid and Flora engage in a deliberative process—carefully weighing the merits and claims of each flower—but, ultimately, the poetess stresses upon us that it is Flora, not Cupid, who decides the question. The proclamation of women’s sexuality within the Indian tradition incorporates Eastern as well as Western allusions. In her poem “Savitri,” included in her </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> (1882), she portrays Savitri as a free woman. It is true that Toru Dutt was not a suitable person to represent an Indian poetess of that time as most of her time she lived in Europe. Her parents moved to Europe when she was a mere child of 13 years. Her parents were more inclined to Western culture and Toru Dutt continued her writings in both French and English.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In later periods, many such ‘Rebatis’ emerged in Indian literature and contributed greatly to women’s rights over their sexuality away from an outside control of patriarchal values. Ismat Chugtai (born: 1911), Amrita Pritam (born: 1919) and Kamla Das (born: 1934) were three prominent personalities in Indian Literature, who were born in colonial India and used to write in post-colonial days, and put the status of women relating to their sexuality in their writing. Their creative output added a philosophical base to claim that sexuality is not a hidden subject, and they tried to write on the topics which the patriarchal society often considered very scary, unspeakable, and shameful to contemplate. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Chughtai's most famous Urdu story is “Lihaf” (The Quilt) included in her short stories collection </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Quilt and Other Stories </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">is a pioneering achievement. When it was first published, Chughtai had to defend herself before the Imperial Crown Court of India. The story deals with a lesbian encounter in a Zenana (an all-women setting) in a traditional Muslim household. The protagonist in the story, a housewife, is so lonely in her husband's house that she takes a female servant as her lover. In another story “The Veil,” the beautiful young bride is forbidden by Hindu tradition to remove her own veil, and thus, is forced to disobey her husband. Indeed, Chughtai's stories offer insightful glances into the rebellious character of the female mind over a patriarchal system. She began writing in Urdu at a time when South Asian women were still sequestered and their voice suppressed.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Chugtai was born in a not-so-orthodox Muslim family where her father was a civil servant. She was the ninth of ten children (six brothers, four sisters), and since her older sisters got married while she was very young, most of her childhood was spent in the company of her brothers and according to her, this contributed greatly to the frankness in her nature and writing. Ismat Chugtai was at her best when she wrote about ordinary people, especially women. The better part of her writing shows a deep and abiding preoccupation with women’s issues, particularly their cultural status and their myriad roles in Indian society. By underscoring women’s struggles against the oppressive institutions of her time, she brings to her fiction an understanding of the female psyche that is unique.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Another frank-speaking writer, Amrita Pritam, also deals with the politics of female sexuality and questions of gender identity in her writing with an immediate political context. Born in a school teacher’s family in Gujranwala, Punjab, now in Pakistan, she got married at the age of sixteen and later she found it was difficult to stay with a man to whom she never ever loved. She was in love with Sahir Ludhianvi, a Urdu poet and left her husband but Sahir then had a new woman in his life and did not marry Amrita. Later, she lived the last forty years of her life with the renowned artist and writer, Imroz. Amrita’s life was like an open book (so to speak) and she neither wanted to hide anything nor did she deny anything in her writings. Her own life made her beliefs strong and she used her poems and fiction to depict the sexual politics played against woman by society of that time. Whatever she experienced, she recorded in her poems and novels. Her legendary love for Sahir Ludhianv or for Imroz was the subject of so many of her anecdotes which revolved around her love for these two men. Once her son asked her, “People say that I am Sahir Uncle's son.” Imagine the inner courage and conviction of a woman who could reply, “I wish you were Sahir Uncle's son.” Though writing in Punjabi, Amrita Pritam could represent the south Asian women’s voices regarding love and sexual politics.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Another bilingual writer who could make her voice prominent to protest patriarchal values and established her will to proclaim sexual politics over female body was Kamala Das. She had a natural flair for both Malayalam and English. She was born in a conservative Hindu Nair (Nallappattu) family having Royal ancestry. Her father was a former managing editor of the widely-circulated Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, and her mother, Nalappatt Balamani Amma, was a renowned Malayali poetess. Her formal education stopped at the age of 15 when she was married to K. Madhava Das. She was 16 when her first son was born and she said once, “I was mature enough to be a mother only when my third child was born.” Because of the great age difference between Kamala and her husband, Mr. Das often played a fatherly role for both Kamala and her sons. Her husband often encouraged her to associate with people of her own age. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My Story</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is considered as her outspoken autobiography and is also a source of controversy. It contains the clear picture of her multiple affairs, her strained relationship with her husband and so many hidden facts of her life.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> In an interview, she admits that her husband was the greatest supporter of her writing career and even when controversy swirled around Das' sexually-charged poetry and her unabashed autobiography, My Story, Das' husband was “very proud” of her (Warrior interview). After the death of her husband, in 1999, Das converted herself to Islam and married a young chap. The poetess who always wrote about Lord Krishna and imagined to be his Radha suddenly started to address Allah. Her statement, “I converted my Krishna to Islam” evoked much opposition from conservative Hindus in Kerala. However, she was bold in her decisions and continues her life according to Muslim beliefs.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The sexuality of women, which was depicted in Chugtai’s fiction in generalised form, became more personified with Amrita and Kamala Das’ writings. In comparison with Amrita, Das more honestly extends her exploration of womanhood and love, but her poetess self can think while sleeping in her lover’s arm, ‘What is it to the corpse if the maggots nip?’ (See Das’s poem In “The Maggots” from the collection, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Descendants</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) Indian women, however, do not discuss these experiences in reverence to social customs. Das consistently refuses to accept their silence. Feelings of longing and loss are not confined to a private misery. They are invited into the public sphere and acknowledged. Das was so daring to describe her idea in total frankness that she could tell: “(the) musk of sweat between breasts/ The warm shock of menstrual blood" should not be hidden from one's beloved. (See Das’ poetry collection: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Descendants</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">). The poetess argues, “A woman should stand nude before the glass with him” and “allow her lover to see her exactly as she is.” (See the poem ‘The Looking Glass’ from </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Descendants </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">). </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What would be the differences of time between old Rebati and these new Rebatis? Say merely fifty years? But the time, the tone, the outlook, and the surroundings were totally changed and created a gap between colonial and post-colonial milieus. The Rebati of Fakir Mohan did not speak a word to her lover Basudev, but only smiled once during the tuition. But the Rebati of Kamala Das could say:’ </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“(They) Ask me, everybody, ask me </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">What he sees in me, ask me why he is called a lion, </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A libertine, ask me why his hand sways like a hooded snake </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Before it clasps my pubis. Ask me why like </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">A great tree, felled, he slumps against my breasts, </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And sleeps. Ask me why life is short and love is </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Shorter still, ask me what is bliss and what its price....</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(‘The Stone Age’ from Kamala Das’ </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Old Playhouse and Other Poems</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">(<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Readers can read and download the English translation of "Rebati" from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://grassrootsbooksindia.com/frontend/book.php?autcode=1&codetype=U"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://grassrootsbooksindia.com/frontend/book.php?autcode=1&codetype=U</span></span></a>)</span></span></span></p></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-10099909723927508042010-01-03T06:27:00.001-08:002010-01-24T18:00:17.342-08:00<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline"><br /></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Being Feminine: A Matter of Socialisation or Biology?</span><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sNXleJb39B8II9IB_5_xarQAy3JJNC4e_mmWOJKq9bmxY1rRrCBKEB1hdn1g2YaVq63u1FiDrbHuZa6ubEala5Oe1PQ0T40Ww3lkutJ4vjHNJjv9s7bUUp0G4VPgUQHeWA_VNQ/s1600-h/feminism.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422520161517361986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 325px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sNXleJb39B8II9IB_5_xarQAy3JJNC4e_mmWOJKq9bmxY1rRrCBKEB1hdn1g2YaVq63u1FiDrbHuZa6ubEala5Oe1PQ0T40Ww3lkutJ4vjHNJjv9s7bUUp0G4VPgUQHeWA_VNQ/s400/feminism.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">In one of my recently published interviews in <a href="http://www.museindia.com/showcurrent17.asp?id=1477">Muse India</a>, I stated that I differed from Simon de Beauvoir in her 'Other' theory where she says “one is not born but rather, becomes a woman.” I further stated that I think a woman is born as a woman. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">There are inherent physical, behavioral, emotional, and psychological differences between men and women and we affirm and celebrate these differences as wonderful and complementary. These differences do not evidence the superiority of one sex over the other but rather, serve to show that each sex is complemented and made stronger by the presence of the other. As a different unit, similar to man, the female mass has their right for equity as well.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Such a statement by me surprised some of my scholar friends in that how could I state this when it is known to me that according to social anthropology, gender is more a societal than a biological phenomenon. This article aims to clarify my stand.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I started my blogging at this blog with “<a href="http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html">Bicycle and Me</a>,” where I wrote of my experiences of childhood. As my father had an obsession for a male child, he wanted to see me as a boy and therefore, I was dressed as a boy; my hair was cut like a boy’s; and I used to play boyish games with boys instead of girlish games with girls. In my second blogging, I mentioned my Portuguese friend’s query, where he asked whether this had any impact in my sexuality in later life or not. It is clear that these cross-gender activities did not make any difference in my later life and I grew up normally as a woman.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">When I studied more about gender theories, specially in Anthropology, I found that the anthropologists tried to confirm that gender is not innate but is based upon social and cultural conditions; my mind did not accept the theory so easily. Margaret Mead, in her anthropological study in 1935, concluded that the differences in temperament between men and women were not a function of their biological differences, rather, they resulted from differences in socialisation and the cultural expectations held for each sex. (See: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> .by Margaret Mead; New York: Dell.). This is, I think, the earliest study that led to the conclusion that gender is more a social and cultural factor than a biological one. According to this study, it is the social environment of the child, such as parents and teachers, that shapes the gender identity of a child. A child learns what to wear (girls in frocks and boys in shirt-pants); how and what to play (dolls for girls and cars for boys); how to behave (passivity and dependence in girls and aggressiveness and independence in boys); and how to reciprocate (gender-wise thoughts, feelings, or behavior). And these learnings confirm an appropriate gender-wise appearance and behavior, which leads to gender identity.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The sex/gender distinction seen as a set and unchangeable dichotomy does not help social scientists. They might have feared that “the set of sex/gender distinction serve to ‘ground’ a society's system of gender differences, [but] the ground seems in some ways to be less firm than what it is supporting.” (See: the essay “Transsexualism: Reflections on the Persistence of Gender and the Mutability of Sex in Body Guards” by Judith Shapiro in the book </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Cultural Politics of Gender Ambiguity</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> (eds) J. Epstein and K. Straub, 1991). Other social anthropologists like Moira Gatens , Henrietta Moore, Pat Caplan dismiss the idea of a biological domain separated from the social. Even Pat Caplan declared that “...sexuality, like gender, is socially constructed.”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">From the discussion above, one can see that gender identities are grounded in ideas about sex and cultural mechanisms create men and women. But we also have to remember that the biological sex is related to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role which are rooted deeply in science and somehow proved rather than hypothetically assumed. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes within each cell; twenty-two of these are alike in both males and females. But when we come to the twenty-third pair, the sexes are not the same. Every woman has in her cells two of what we call the ‘X’ chromosome. But a man has just one X and another Y chromosome. These sets of chromosomes are what make males and females different.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The sex hormones--primarily estrogen and testosterone--have a significant impact on the behavior of males and females. For example, why do boys typically like to play with cars and girls like to typically play with dolls? Social anthropologists think it is the impact of socialization while Biological science thinks it is the role of these sex hormones which differentiate the choice children make gender-wise. Biology says the sex-specific differences in the brain are located both in the primitive regions, and in the neocortex--the higher brain region that contains 70 percent of the neurons in the central nervous system.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The neocortex is divided into two hemispheres joined by a 200-million fiber network called the corpus callosum. The left hemisphere controls language analysis and expression and body movements while the right hemisphere is responsible for spatial relationships, facial expressions, emotional stimuli, and vocal intonations. Females use both their right and left hemisphere to process language in certain circumstances while males just use one hemisphere. Females also reach puberty two years earlier than boys, as per biological science, and this changes the way they process social and sexual information. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">There are still some characteristics and feelings that I think social anthropologists rule out for the sake of their theory. What about the voice pitch? Males have harsh voices and females have soft voices. This is a biological characteristic and it is related to gender. The crisis of infertility may create a serious trauma to a female, which a male cannot feel. This is a feeling innate with specific feminine gender and it is more a psychological and biological than a social problem. The menopausal psycho syndromes are totally biological and not categorised with this social gender theory. Social anthropologists emphasise that we are all trying to pass as a gender which is decided by cultural systems, not our biological sex. But what happens in the cases of transsexuals who do not pass it? The operation does not make their bodies fully male or fully female. The genitals will not function as genuine genitals and their chromosomes cannot be changed. Voice pitch and other physical characteristics might reveal their transsexualism.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Actually, the high level of testosterone in males drives them toward some specific masculine characteristics, while the lack of high levels of estrogen in women creates a natural, biological push in the direction of feminine characteristics. Each gender has different strengths and weaknesses; this does not mean that one sex is superior or inferior to another. Being feminine is a woman's birthright! It is always hard for me to understand why any woman would want to give up this cherished possession. I feel proud and adore my feminine dress, grooming, carriage, posture, voice, and language.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I want to use an integrated analysis of oppression which means that both men and women are subjected to oppression and stereotypes and that these oppressive experiences have a profound affect on beliefs and perceptions. I am against the patriarchy role model of society but it does not mean that I want to replace a matriarchal form of society in place of the existing patriarchal one. What I want is to develop equal mutual relationships of caring and support between all genders and I want to focus on strengthening women in areas such as assertiveness, communication, relationships, and self esteem.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Above all, I feel myself more a writer than a feminist. As a writer, I feel more sensible and sincere to my feelings and as a feminist, I am more inclined towards my femininity.I just don't understand how people can be feminists and not realise that to be feminist, you must also not be racist, ableist, homophobic, etc. If you are feeling oppressed by a masculine world, then you should not be prejudiced and bigoted towards other oppressed groups either, whether they are a result of patriarchy or not.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">I hope my stand has been further clarified. If it hasn’t, I’m sure you’ll let me know!</span><span style="Times: ;font-size:12;color:#333333;" ><o:p></o:p></span> <p></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-12692118721154188972009-11-25T08:48:00.000-08:002009-11-25T23:53:02.924-08:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><b>Forwarding </b></span><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><b>New Hope</b></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><b> or Running </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;"><b>After a Mirage?</b></span><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBwnm5edN__MzsqHTHf4_BAHdYT5m6jyJaDt_0chjRy2qHO7Fz0a6IWNcUey7O5nC5kdXinDRi3_fA7G8wQ6iaIXOODKXmD4Are57DDqlJYWJVfiVSmqCUmMbTXqxggSVkAg6oA/s1600/2009_0116_wikipedia_christinas_world.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408084587055440786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBwnm5edN__MzsqHTHf4_BAHdYT5m6jyJaDt_0chjRy2qHO7Fz0a6IWNcUey7O5nC5kdXinDRi3_fA7G8wQ6iaIXOODKXmD4Are57DDqlJYWJVfiVSmqCUmMbTXqxggSVkAg6oA/s400/2009_0116_wikipedia_christinas_world.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">‘<i>Christina's World</i>’, the painting above( source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina">Wikipedia</a>), a mid 20</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> century master piece of U.S. painter Andrew Wyeth, depicts the theme of my this essay and I think, readers could find a compatibility of this painting with my view on this rare discussed topic.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">P</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">eople often mix up ‘gender’ with ‘sex.’ That is why we put the term LGBT together. Lesbians, Gays or Bisexuals have a fixed sexual orientations while transgenders are a different community related to ‘gender identity.’ Gays or bisexuals never think to change their ‘gender’ any day but transgendered people feel their gender expression and identity do not conform to society's expectations.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">They identify and present themselves in many different ways. In doing so, transgendered people push the boundaries of both sex </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">and</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> gender. The dilemma is most of the people don’t know the proper difference between sex and gender and that misconception in people’s mind makes the transgendered feel alien from the mainstream. The common attitudes of people towards transgendered push them to lead a life of hatred, disgust, transphobia, and discrimination.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">We have to make it clear that gender is a social creation, not a natural function of sex. Sex is related to our biological sexual make up (such as our chromosomal arrangements) and uses certain biological markers (like our genitals and other reproductive sex organs). Society pronounced us with the help of those markers, a newborn is a girl or a boy. What is really discovered about each of us at that point is not our gender, per se, but simply our sex.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">‘Gender’ is a common social expectation which puts borderlines for each sex and expects that men, for instance, should be more active and dominant than women, and are seen to be rational, objective individuals. Men are more often associated with the public sphere of life, and are expected to be dependable income earners. Men are expected to love and marry a woman and to become fathers. Society has fixed a different set of expectations for ‘ men’ about how to act, what to do, and who to love. On the other hand, ‘women’ are generally expected in mainstream society to be more passive, submissive and dependent than men. There are certain expectations of society from them about how to act, what to do, who to love, and so on. Women are often seen to be subjective, emotional beings; are usually associated with the private sphere of life; and tend to be the caregivers. Women are expected to love and marry a man and become mothers. Often from our childhood, we are taught how to be a ‘good girls’ or how to be a ‘good boys,’ which satisfies the expectations of our respective societies in which we live. From the beginning of the life of a child, society assumed that gender characteristics as natural with the idea that ‘boys will be boys’ and ‘girls will be girls’ suggests that particular behaviours referred to are to be expected from male children and particular behaviours referred to are to be expected from girls. Another meaning of these preoccupied norms is whether behavours will be tolerated in a boy but would likely not be tolerated in girls and vice versa.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But in a changing society, these descriptions have also been becoming worthless. More and more women are recognized as active, participating members of the public sphere while men are increasingly assuming care-giving roles. It does not mean that there is no rigid division between the two categories. In behaviourial characteristics, these gender differences are still prevailing. What I find myself thinking nowadays is that it is usually assumed there are no more differences between ‘women’ and ‘men.’ The two gender categories are, in other words, also interdependent: the idea of ‘feminine’ behaviour says as much about how men </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">are not</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> supposed to act as it does about how women </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">are</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> supposed to act.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Transgenders in Literature </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><i><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Well of Loneliness</span></span></i><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is a 1928 controversial novel by the English author Radclyffe Hall. The protagonist Stephen Gordon finds herself in a wrong body and tries to cross dress. Later, she falls in the love with Mary Llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I. For decades, it was the best-known lesbian novel in English and a British court even judged it obscene because it defended “unnatural practices between women.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Virginia Woolf’s novel </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Orlando</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, also published in 1928, is also a much-acclaimed novel which tells the story of a man named Orlando, born in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, who falls asleep for a lengthy period of time, resisting all efforts to rouse him. Upon awakening, he finds that he has metamorphosed into a woman—the same person, with the same personality and intellect, but in a woman's body. Neither Radclyffe Hall nor Virginia Woolf used the word ‘transgender’ in their novels. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The term ‘transgender’ was first used in 1960 by Prince Virginia (original name: Arnold Lowman), an American transgender activist, who published a magazine </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Transvestia</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and started the Society for the Second Self for male heterosexual cross-dressers, where transsexuals and homosexuals were not admitted. Later, Judith Butler made clearer the differences between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ but did not use the term ‘transgender’ in her research. Before Virginia Prince and Judith Butler, the term was not publicly accepted. Even the great pianist Billy Tipton (1914-1989) who passed his whole life as a ‘man’ socially, got married and adopted three sons, was discovered to have been female-bodied after his death. By 1990, the term received wide acceptance and legal support. But, though the meaning of gender variance may vary from culture-to-culture or time-to-time, transgender persons have been documented in myths and in the history of different cultures in both East and West.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Misconceptions About the Transgender Community</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Who is a transgender person? There are different sub-groups among transgenders prevailing among this main group. There are intersexual, androgens, transvestites, drag kings and queens, cross-dressers, gender-benders, women who pass as men, and men who pass as women, “masculine-looking” women, “feminine-looking” men, bearded women, and women bodybuilders (that is, women who have crossed the line of what is considered socially acceptable for a female body). To put all of them in a single group is the first fallacy I think, as all of them are different and totally opposite to each other. In fact, this gender problem is also the personal creation of each and every one of us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Among them, intersexuals are totally different from other transgenders as they have a separate biological make-up at birth, which is not exclusively male or female. They exist on the biological continuum between the poles of male and female and they struggle against our rigid two-sex system for the right to physical ambiguity and the acknowledgement that there are more than two sexes. Intersexed babies have a right to grow up and make their own decisions about the body they will live in for the rest of their lives. Other transgenders have totally different problems but still, we put both transsexuals and other transgenders into a single group.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Misleading Ideas</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Transgenders often used to think that they have the right soul in the wrong body. Now there are some pop-culture clichés to express these feelings like “man trapped in a woman's body” or “woman trapped in a man's body.” A transgender is created when he/she chooses the means of gender expression from a pre-determined set of ‘rules’ provided by society. Transgendered people identify in ways that do not correspond to some or all of the acceptable behaviours encouraged in them since birth. In this way, gender can be seen as the product of the complex interaction between the individual and society. But a lot of confusion still remains while we are talking about them as it is an umbrella-termed group and still the actual position and problems have been kept hidden from the public.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The problems of transsexuals and cross-dressers are not the same. There is also no awareness in the mind of the general public who are habituated with a binary gender system. The social acceptance to them is very negative and recently, some activists are trying to make it generalized so that the group should not feel so alien from the mainstream of society. But among them, there are also so many contradictions and confusions which have lead the movement into a mess. The obscene websites make vulgar and porno pictures of some transgenders and try to attract the young people and sometimes create ‘transgender euphoria’ (i.e., the ‘subject’ feels there's something really great about being perceived as the opposite sex) in them. This is the first and foremost obstacle to detect actual ‘gender dysphoria’ (i.e., the ‘subject’ feels there's something really bad about being perceived as one’s biological sex) cases. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">There are also some activists who are making emotional mistakes to increase the numerical statistics of their community. Some private TV channels are also pursuing talk shows or chat shows in their programming. Recently for my study on this topic, I have surfed for different blogs on transgenders and I found a very critical blog (</span><a href="http://gazalhopes.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">http://gazalhopes.blogspot.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">) owned by Ghazal Bhaliwal, a transgender activist, film writer and lyricist, who avidly supports surgical transition for the people who think they are trapped in a wrong body.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">To deal with the issues of transgenders, our main goal will be to provide a beautiful happy life to those people who could remain in the mainstream. First of all, we have to focus on the need for suitable parameters in which to classify the sub-culture groups of transgenders and would have to eliminate intersexuals or transsexuals (i.e., the ‘subject’ finds and feels something deformed in one’s biological sex) and homosexuals ( gays and lesbians ) from the transgender group. In the case of other transgenders, we should have to keep in mind that the problem is not genetic but a problem related with gender identity. It is strange that we often suggest sex transformation for people who suffer from a gender crisis. Sex transition is not always a solution for these people. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In my homeland Orissa, opera is a popular folk art form and till now, this folk theatre form is prevailing with a boost from commercial support. Up until the 1970s, male performers had been playing female roles by growing their hair long, wearing only ‘lungi’ and ‘banyan’ to make themselves comfortable as woman, and they make their voice and speech style more feminine to better capture the roles they play. But I have seen that these artists also have their own families. They have been married and have offspring. I have also seen many of the intellectuals in India who have hidden feminine characteristics in their personality as well and who are playing leading roles in the mainstream.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The Price of Transition </span></span></b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Transition is also a critical and expensive process. Prince Virginia, the creator of this term </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">transgender</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, was also against any type of surgical transition. Transition surgery makes the person a patient for his/her whole lfe. He/she has to take hormone therapy for a long time which also can have adverse reactions over the body and mind. He/she has to have electrolyte therapy, which is also very painful, and costly. The transition process also needs the help of a psychologist. This type of emotional urge to change gender may also have negative results, resulting in the patient experiencing ‘transgender euphoria’ instead of ‘gender dysphoria.’</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Accessibility of finances plays a key role for those wishing to change genders. Most of those who have adopted transition are from elite classes or higher income groups and most live in ‘Metro’ cities (in India, big cities are popularly known by this name). What will be the fate, then, for a middle-class transgender who lives in smaller cities like Patna, Lucknow, Kochi or Bhopal?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As a result of the gender change, transgender people in most cities and states can be denied housing or employment, lose custody of their children, or have difficulty achieving legal recognition of their marriages, solely because they are transgender. Many transgender people are the targets of hate crimes. The widespread nature of discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression can cause transgender people to feel unsafe or ashamed, even when they are not directly victimized.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Transgender people experience the same kinds of mental health problems that non-transgender people do. However, the stigma, discrimination, and internal conflict that many transgender people experience may place them at increased risk for certain mental health problems. Discrimination, lack of social support, and inadequate access to care can exacerbate mental health problems in transgender people while support from peers, family, and helping professionals may counteract these problems.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here I want to quote some advice of transgender scientist Madeline Wyndzen from her article “<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.genderpsychology.org/transsexual/question.html">Questions to Help Thinking about Your Gender Identity</a>.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Wyndzen, though she has had surgery for her transition, makes it clear that surgical transition is not at all a solution for transgender problems. She writes, “Everybody who transitions is not happy with their decision! I even know several post-op transsexuals who, though they say they're happier, that's not so easy to tell. I have met several post-op transsexuals who are filled with anger and hate and have never move passed it. I have met several transsexuals who live in a ‘transgender’ sub-culture rather than being a part of the larger world. I've seen people who once had families and careers that give up everything and ‘fortunately’ have a huge divorce settlement. I've seen people who quit their jobs (with some rationalization about why they couldn't possibly transition while there) and move into a small apartment. Others are fired. I've seen people use their life savings to stay hidden in the ‘transgender’ sub-culture for years but be able to transition because they would spend their life savings. I've asked a transsexual who had plenty of money but hid why she didn't get a job so she could explore what it's like to live as a woman. Why not get a job as a waitress to interact with other people who aren't transsexuals? I was worried about her because she became reclusive and she didn't act anything like what most women act like. But being a waitress was ‘beneath her’ and getting a job in her field was ‘obviously’ not possible because no women could have her resume. I've seen people who say I just ‘had’ to transition. They're ‘happier’ now but all they ever talk about is their past. They never seem to have hopes and dreams for their future. They dwell in anger towards religious institutions, or ex-spouses, or family members, or somebody else who's to blame. I've even had to stop talking to some transsexuals because it was just too much for me to hear their same angry stories over and over again. They couldn't stop and they couldn't change their stories because their stories were all about the past. Though how could they change? They had no life except their past as their biological sex.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">She again writes, “I'm not the only one who notices this. When I mentioned it to my therapist, she said she saw the same thing. She said there are transsexuals who ‘rather than coming out of the closet, merely come out into a bigger closet.’ I don't mean to suggest that this is inherently bad. You might really love a life as part of a ‘transgender’ subculture. But that's very different from a life as a man or woman. Please be clear about what you're trying to achieve when you transition. Some people really are transgenderists. Overall, I feel they're pretty cool even though I don't personally identify with them. Transgenderists really are happy and self-confident with their choice to challenge a binary gender system. But there are also other people who live outside of their real culture because they're too scared or angry or lack the confidence to join the world. Throwing out powerful rhetoric of ‘thwarting the binary gender system’ means nothing if it comes from somebody who hates the world, loses his or her confidence to face life, and doesn't like himself or herself as a person. Sometimes ‘transgenderism’ is just big fancy words for hiding a big mistake.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><b><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Conclusion</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am not against transgendered individuals. People often show their sympathy for trees, animals and other inferior species but are often rude in their behaviour towards transgenders while the transgender community, on the other hand, generally do not make any harm to anybody. I can understand the positions of intersexuals or transsexuals who are born with differed biological bodies. There should be rational steps to make all feel comfortable and to mix up everyone into the mainstream.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">In the comments area of Ghazal’s blog, I found an anonymous reader asked her, “You say that you were born in a wrong body...well, bending nature according to wishes of mind is not so good, Ghazal. Our mind concocts a hell of a lot of wishes, but you can't fulfill all of them... it's impossible. Let’s say after five years from now, you may wish to become a man.. then .. what will you do?” I think that question has potentiality and we should reconsider it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Finally, I want to quote again Madeline Wyndzen’s few last lines from her essay as my conclusion:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">She writes, “It's doesn't really matter if you are or aren't a transsexual. You are you! And people can redefine transsexual, so it means just about anything! There are even many psychologists who define a transsexual solely as somebody who transitions. That's it. And it's possible for people to get caught up in debates about if they ‘really are a transsexual.’”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.3in; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="font-family:'Bookman Old Style', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">But the real question and the only question you need to answer is this: What path for your life will let you be happy?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-35006422991745764272009-10-25T18:38:00.000-07:002009-10-25T19:05:57.965-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AcKtOtvNum0kguGYdW4k2lrVpCrcqD0d_989hh2JXIoaG5kdLP2pH5hypZRwL9Ud0SUyPBOkBAR6r4q2S_f0Jifuq-CopYBD2KKctPqO-y32mwdTyfR6Ty3QB5o-7BvRgEkLCQ/s1600-h/Blog+copy.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:180%;">All For One But Maybe Not One For All</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvPg7sB6rS11gq4q5KA0nqC76Cy4hnUEsMDp9rmMX0UdYEnKtHHD8pD7G8IVzd8FmYVVtHA6BxTZNXhmdgC19T0XVNlJofO9IgEA1R45-jBxGrrrKMdcJ4kPyPluT15dpkJXLzw/s1600-h/Blog+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396718679547509426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvPg7sB6rS11gq4q5KA0nqC76Cy4hnUEsMDp9rmMX0UdYEnKtHHD8pD7G8IVzd8FmYVVtHA6BxTZNXhmdgC19T0XVNlJofO9IgEA1R45-jBxGrrrKMdcJ4kPyPluT15dpkJXLzw/s400/Blog+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">‘Manuvad’ has become a hot topic in Indian politics today. The orthodox RSS and its feeding political party like BJP are more likely advocating for the ‘ism,’ whereas the ‘dalit political parties’ like BSP have raised their voices against that inhuman religious code. Manuvad, based on “Manu Samhita” or “Manu Smriti” as the ‘social code,’ presents itself as a discourse given by the sage Manu to a group of seers, or rishis, who beseeched him to tell them the “law of all the social classes (1.2).” Manu became the standard point of reference for all future Dharmaśāstras that followed it.<br />However, there are still some fallacies in the Hindu mind regarding Manu Smriti or Manu Samhita. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><strong>Fallacies and Facts</strong>:<br /><br />Fallacy: <strong>Manu Samhita is a part of Vedic Scriptures</strong>.<br /><br />Fact: The Vedic period stretched from the second and first millennia BCE continuing up to the sixth century BCE based on literary evidence. Mahavira and Buddha arrived in around sixth century BCE and they both counterattacked Vedic concepts on social and spiritual grounds. These two preachers never claimed themselves as God and they are also considered as the path finders of Hinduism. Buddhism became a separate religion when it came to China. The dominance of Buddha and Mahavira over Hinduism continued up to Maurya Empire (from ca. 320 BCE). And this period also was treated as the golden age, the classical age of Sanskrit literature, and the Middle kingdoms of India. After the breakdown of the Maurya and Shunga empires, there was a period of uncertainty that led to renewed interest in traditional social norms and the Brahmanical religion, which suffered during Buddhist and Jainist rule, tried to revive it again. Manu Smriti or Manu Samhita was written at that time and critics find contradictions in concept, especially when the scriptures try to state the position of women in society.<br /><br />Certain verses of Manu Samhita (e.g. III - 55, 56, 57, 59, 62) glorify the position of women, while other verses (e.g. IX - 3, 17) seem to attack the position and freedom women have. Certain interpretations of verses IX - 18 claim that it discourages women from reading Vedic scriptures. But verse II - 240, however, allows women to read Vedic scriptures. Similar contradictory phrases are encountered in relation to child marriage in verses IX - 94 and IX - 90.<br /><br />It is also doubtful that the scriptures were written by a single person but were probably written by many. Some scriptures in that Samhita are so contradictory that the founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, a noteworthy nineteenth century campaigner for women's rights, cites Manu's laws hundreds of times in his writings. In his opinion, verses highly critical of women and the lower classes (sudras) are not Vedic at all but interpolations introduced later by the corrupted Brahminical class. Another scholar, Dr. Surendra Kumar, claims that out of a total of 2,685 verses in the current Manusmriti, only 1,214 are authentic or can be confirmed by the Vedas; the other 1,471 are purported to be interpolations.<br /><br />Fallacy: It is believed that <strong>the text is the earliest and foremost and only Law created by Manu, whose status is like Moses in Greco-Semitic religions</strong>.<br /><br />Fact: Manu’s time period is 200 B.C.E to 200 A.C.E , while Moses died in about Feb-Mar 1271 BCE ( Access: Death of Moses at </span><a href="http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=830&letter=M&search=moses#2846"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=830&letter=M&search=moses#2846</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> } The Greco-Semitic religion started with Moses, but Manu is much more younger to the History of Hinduism. Secondly, Manu Samhita is not the only source of Hindu laws as it is claimed. There is also Laws of Yājñavalkya in the Hindu religion. Besides these two authors, Āpastamba, Gautama, Baudhāyana, and Vasistha are some writers who authored in Dharmashashtra, a primarily Hindu text which refers to religious and legal duty. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Fallacy: The text claims that <strong>Bhrigu was a student of Manu, to whom he (Manu) taught these lessons. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><br /></strong>Fact: Actually Bhrigu was a saint of the Vedic period in around 3000 B.C.E (See: “Bhrigu-Samhita: An ancient manuscript with medical matters of interest” by Ashok D. B. Vaidya published in CURRENT SCIENCE , VOL. 81, NO. 7, 10 OCTOBER 2001. This article may be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct102001/735.pdf"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/oct102001/735.pdf</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> ). Hence it is mere or virtual imagination or a deliberately wrong quoted misrepresentation that Manu taught his Samhita to Bhrigu. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Fallacy: The British colonial rulers and contemporary conservative Hindu radicals claim that <strong>Manu Samhita is followed universally by Hindus and is a common code for Hindu religion</strong>.<br /><br />Fact: Manu Samhita was never followed by Hindus unanimously. In earlier days, the Vaishnavaites, the Shaivas and the Smartas never followed this text. In modern times, modern liberals, Hindu reformists, Dalit advocates, feminists, Marxists are the firebrand critics of this Samhita. It is only the British ruler, who paid importance to Manu Samhita to prepare codes of law for the natives. In 1794, Sir William Jones published the English translation of the Samhita to help the British ruler and it was propagated as the only Hindu code by the British administration.<br /><br /><strong>What Manu Samhita Advised</strong>:<br /><br />Laws of Manu has 2,694 stanzas in 12 chapters. The inhuman code of Manu divides Hindus into four varnas: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. According to Manu, the supreme creator Brahma, gave birth to the Brahmins from his mouth; the Kshatriyas from his shoulders; the Vaishyas from his thighs; and Shudras from his feet (Manu's code I-31.)<br /><br />Let the first part of a Brahman’s name denote something auspicious; a Kshatriya’s be connected with power; and a Vaishya’s with wealth; but a Shudra’s express something contemptible (Manu II. 31.)<br /><br />Let the second part of a Brahmin’s name be a word implying happiness; of a Kshatriya’s, a word implying protection; a Vaishya’s, a term expressive of thriving; a Shudra’s, an expression denoting service (Manu II. 32).<br />A Shudra is unfit of receive education. The upper varnas should not impart education or give advice to a Shudra. It is not necessary that the Shudra should know the laws and codes and hence need not be taught. Violators will go to as amrita hell (Manu IV-78 to 81). One must never read the Vedas in the presence of the Shudras (Manu IV. 99). He who instructs Shudra pupils and he whose teacher is a Shudra shall become disqualified from being invited to a shradha (Manu III. 156).<br /><br />A Brahmin who is only a Brahmin by decent, i.e., one who has neither studied nor performed any other act required by the Vedas may, at the king’s pleasure, interpret the law to him i.e., act as the judge, but never a Shudra, however learned he may be (Manu VIII. 20). Any Brahmin, who enslaves or tries to enslave a Brahmin, is liable for a penalty of no less than 600 PANAS. A Brahmin can order a Shudra to serve him without any remuneration because the Shudra is created by Brahma to serve the Brahmins. Even if a Brahmin frees a Shudra from slavery, the Shudra continues to be a slave as he is created for slavery. Nobody has the right to free him (Manu VIII-50,56 and 59). A Shudra who insults a twice- born man ( i.e. a Brahmin) with gross invectives shall have his tongue cut out for he is of low origin (Manu VIII. 270). If he mentions the names and castes of the (twice-born) wit contumely, an iron nail, ten fingers long, shall be thrust red hot into his mouth (Manu VIII. 271). If a Shudra arrogantly presumes to preach religion to Brahmins, the king shall order burning oil to be poured in his (Shudra’s) mouth and ears ( Manu VIII. 272). No Shudra should have property of his own; he should have nothing of his own. The existence of a wealthy Shudra is bad for the Brahmins. A Brahman may take possession of the goods of a Shudra (ManuVIII-417 & X129). No superfluous collection of wealth must be made by a Shudra, even though he has power to make it, since a servile man, who has amassed riches, becomes proud, and, by his insolence or neglect, gives pain to Brahmins (Manu X. 129).<br /><br />Manu’s attitude was not only wild and inhuman for the Shudras. He possessed more furious ideas about women. His code describes:<br /><br />"In childhood, a female must be subject to her father; in youth to her husband; then to her sons. A woman must never be independent. There is no God on earth for a woman than her husband.....She must on the death of her husband allow herself to be burnt alive on the same funeral pyre, that everyone will praise her virtue."<br />According to Manu, “all women are liars, corrupt, greedy, and unvirtuous (Manu II 1). It is the nature of women to seduce men in this (world); the wise are never unguarded in the company of males (Manu II. 213). Killing of a woman, a Shudra, or an atheist is not sinful. Women are an embodiment of the worst desires, hatred, deceit, jealousy and bad character. Women should never be given freedom (Manu IX. 17 and V. 47, 147). One should not sit in a lonely place with one's mother, sister, or daughter, for the senses are powerful and master even a learned man" (Manu II. 215). A Brahmin male by virtue of his birth becomes the first husband of all women in the universe (Manu III. 14). Though destitute or virtuous, or seeking pleasure elsewhere, or devoid of good qualities, yet a husband must be constantly worshipped as a god by a faithful wife (Manu V. 154). At her pleasure, let her (i.e. widow) enunciate her body by living voluntarily on pure flowers, roots, and fruits, but let her not when her lord is deceased, even pronounce the name of another man (Manu V. 157). A woman must always maintain her virtue and surrender her body to her husband only, even if she is married off to an ugly person or even a leper (Manu IX. 14). Women have no right to study the Vedas. That is why their Sanskars are performed without Veda Mantras. Women have no knowledge of religion because they have no right to know the Vedas. [?] The uttering of Veda Mantras, they are as unclean as untruth is" (Manu IX. 18). None of the acts of women can be taken as good and reasonable (Manu X.4). A woman shall not perform the daily sacrifices prescribed by the Vedas. If she does it, she will go to hell (Manu XI. 36/37).<br /><br /><br /><strong>Manu Samhita’s Utility in Recent Days </strong><br /><p><strong></strong> </p><p><strong> </p><br /></strong>Actually Manu Samhita lost its significance in a later period. The code was not accepted by Hindus, and Shaivas, Smartas and Vaishnavaites created their own codes of law. During colonial rule, Robert Clive and Lord Macaulay, gave another incarnation of Manu, finding this code as a useful tool to divide and rule over the Hindus. They argued that the caste system, as prescribed by the Manu Samhita, developed a de-facto apartheid social system that was very easy to subjugate and rule.<br />Hinduism is a different and a broad ‘platform’ for all, which the colonial rulers could not understand. It is different from other religions. Buddhism, Jainism and Skhism are also considered as a part of Hinduism. It is the political scenario, which barred Christianity or Islam to emerge with Hinduism. Otherwise, these religions might be considered as a part of Hinduism. The “Dharma” of Hinduism or “Dhamma” of Buddhism is different from the term ‘religion.’ It may be a fact of history that the politics of a ruler is always to try to hide this truth from the people and to try to misguide them. But, it is 100 percent true that this was not the original intention of the rishis and sages who actually produced the scriptures. In fact, there is constant reference in the Vedas to ‘BAHUJANA HITAY’ meaning the welfare of all people. Only in the medieval centuries, there was a lot of perversion, and the so-called lower castes were oppressed and feminine freedom was denied.<br /><br />Never has Manu Samhita been found acceptable in the Hindu mind. Even the modern Hindu mind practically does not want to follow this rule. It is also very notorious to say that all upper-caste Hindus are Manuvaadi, as some dalit leaders often used to say in their public statements. They are the political parties who try to cash-in votes using the Manu Samhita as their currency. And perhaps this is where the Indian people are at the highest risk.<br /></span><br /><br /><br />Readers can read the English translation of Manu Samhita from <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm">http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu.htm</a>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-37250674673487082622009-09-21T10:24:00.000-07:002009-09-22T23:03:26.510-07:00<p align="justify"></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90yZWeZf4Ne2ZmTpUljphJc9CWDi0cFfLpJtuN5dvcny9aCyIMqN9JXDW1pHuftXRr8NqzCR8meMFubxwCo1fwLCqJCHKJY9LXmdJAOmJPrISdMOsNfHWae2BoVVyuNSVoTy0dw/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Skin Colour Among Indians</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">- Is it Really a Question of Fairness?</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lSeEd3iSjY5CbbeURDsuUG0hkCcWcKOtG5PSk16l6mwWVarjbxOqzBGHV5dyjaa-hgpMe8nXK4WC-eEDi2tw-2kju1Cs7uHwr8GLwIxM5mjdpP5QTpA-Oy7ePCb5-_iuiZ16FQ/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383973307199788066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 356px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lSeEd3iSjY5CbbeURDsuUG0hkCcWcKOtG5PSk16l6mwWVarjbxOqzBGHV5dyjaa-hgpMe8nXK4WC-eEDi2tw-2kju1Cs7uHwr8GLwIxM5mjdpP5QTpA-Oy7ePCb5-_iuiZ16FQ/s400/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Recently, Liz, one of my American readers, shared her feelings with me about India. She told me that some conversations with her friends baffled her and she would like to hear my answer. Liz’s letter inspired me to write this article.<br /><br />In her letter, she writes, “I was speaking with a girl from New Delhi about India and the conversation turned to me complimenting Indians' many skin tones and undertones like, ginger snap, chocolate, cinnamon, gold or caramel when she ruined the moment by saying, ‘Well, most Indians aren't that dark...most are wheatish. Darker skin tones are mainly in the South.’ Really??? Then she said more or less, that if North Indians are darker than wheatish they usually have a sun tan. The complexions that I described I've seen on Travel shows that went to various parts of India. Mainly the North, like Rajasthan. So all this time most Indians aren't dark-skinned like I thought?"<br /><br />Another girl, also a friend of the above, always attributed dark skin to “the climate.” Like, ‘They're dark because of the climate.’ I mentioned to her of how some Africans have black skin and she seriously asked ‘because of the climate?’ I've read of other Indians on <a href="http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/005921.html#more">Sepia Mutiny </a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">attribute India's colorism to caste and that caste was based on skin color. That dark skin was from working outdoors and the upper caste ‘stayed’ light-skinned indoors.” She then asked me, “Are Indians in denial that they're a dark-skinned race of people?”<br /><br />In response, I told Liz that I am not at all interested in determining what skin colours Indians have. I always believed that racism is bad wherever and in whatever form it takes. But it is also not a fact of any pride to show one’s self superior on the basis of one’s body colour. It is also not justified to use body colour as the basis of any creed or caste.<br /><br /><strong>Racial Diversity in India<br /></strong><br />India has vast diverse racial and cultural origins. The exact origins of most Indian people are almost impossible to determine because of the large variety of races and cultures that have invaded and have been assimilated into the subcontinent. There are elements of three major racial groups: the Caucasoid, the Australoid, and the Mongoloid. All may be found in present-day India. But it is also debatable whether the people from southern India (the so-called Dravidians) belong to the Caucasoid group or not.<br /><br />The languages related to these races are also different in origin. Assamese and Oriya are nearer to each other in dialect but differ in their racial origin; Oriyas are nearer to Caucasoid while Assamese are nearer to Mongoloid.<br /><br />All tribal people do not belong to the Australoid groups and in some parts of Eastern India, we find a mixed race of these groups which we may call as Sankara or mixed group (Sankara in Sanskrit means mixed varieties).<br /><br /><strong>Common Myths About the Colour of Our Skin<br /></strong><br />The melanocytes in the epidermis are responsible for the intensity of skin colour. The number of melanocytes is the same in both fair- and dark-skinned people. The amount of melanin produced by the melanocytes is partly determined by genetics and partly determined by the environment. People living near the tropics have more melanin to protect them from the harsher rays of the sun. There are some myths with dark skin in the Indian mind, which have no scientific basis.<br /><br />The first myth is that ‘white skin’ is linked with the Aryan race while ‘black’ skin is Dravidian and tribal. So people of the ‘north’ in India are white and people of the ‘south’ are black. The ‘brown-coloured’ people are from the mixed races (‘shankar’) of Aryan with both Dravidain and Tribal. This is totally wrong. The theory of ‘Aryan invasion’ is still a debatable controversy and if so-called ‘Dravidians,’ people from south, are ‘dark coloured,’ how then do we find most of the Bollywood south Indian film actresses with ‘very fair skin?’ How do people from Rajasthan and Mahrashtra, Gujarat don’t appear to be so ‘fair?’<br /><br />The second myth is ‘white’ people are from aristocratic and rich families where ‘dark’ people are from the labour class or are ‘tribal.’ This is also wrong. The tribal people of North-East India have ‘pale’ and ‘fair’ skin. I have encountered many ‘dalit’ girls in my surroundings with fair skin as well.<br /><br />In South Asia, pale skin is considered as a social marker of aristocratic class allegiance. A peculiar idea in the Desi mind still prevails that dark skin is associated with labour class people as some of Liz’s friends told her. I think this notion has been a result of colonialism, as India was under British colonial rule for more than 200 years and the British people kept themselves alien from Desi people on this racial ground. In post-colonial India, the word “Saheb” (which was meant to call the “white” people) has been used for the upper-class people or bureaucrats to pay honour to them. I think, this racial skin preference has its roots in an historic background.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><strong>From Myth to Reality</strong> </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I recently recollected a conversation in the staff common room of my college where I have been employed. This issue of skin colour came into sharp focus as I silently listened. There once a new chap joined with us as a laboratory assistant in physics. Finding him a bachelor, one of my colleagues, a lecturer in zoology asked him what type of bride he would like. The new chap replied, “Surely a fair skinned girl.” The zoology lecturer again asked, “What if the girl has only fair skin and hasn’t any sharp body features?” The newcomer replied, “I could manage. The fair skin has its own charm.”<br /><br />I was a silent listener there, as I didn’t want to impose my feminist ideas there to continue a confronting argument. But the answers of that newcomer had embarrassed me for a while. In our ‘matrimonial ads,’ we often find ‘looking for a fair beautiful girl’ is a common phrase from the prospective groom’s side. I haven’t read any ad, asking for a ‘fair skinned groom.’<br /><br />To write this article, I searched for the ‘business survey’ of fairness cosmetics products and found that there are at least 12 creams on the market from different companies claiming to make your skin fairer within seven days. The report indicated that their business leapfrogged from 384 crore in 1997-1998 to 558 crore in 1999-2000. And in six months between 2000-2001, sales reached up to 480 crore.<br /><br />Besides these fairness-out-of-a tube brands, there are also soaps and talc claiming to remove blemishes to give the users a smooth and glowing complexion. Their business turnover is not included here. These business houses have tried to trap their ‘male consumers’ by creating a ‘fair-skinned consciousness’ among boys. Recently, Bollywood mega-star Shahrukh Khan appeared in a television commercial offering a tin of skin-whitener to darker-complected young boys who are unlucky with the ladies. The darker complected boy then suddenly attains popularity with women because apparently, the skin-whitener has lightened his complexion. It may seem amazing to Indian readers that in North America and other part of Europe, tanning has become an profitable industry, while in South Asia, people spend millions of dollars trying to make their skin darker.<br /><br />There are numerous Hindu Gods and Goddesses who are dark or blue or dusky in appearance. Draupadi, a prominent character of mythical epic <em>The Mahabharat</em>, was dark in appearance. She captivated and enamored all the men of her era. Kings and princess were even ready to go into war for her. She had arranged for a Swayamvara to choose her husband.<br /><br />But today, Hindu parents of dark-complected sons always prefer fair bride. But the same parents lament that their dark-complected daughter is not getting a good husband due to her skin color. What is most baffling is that we are ready to worship the dark-skinned gods and take their blessings but are not ready to accept a dark-skinned person as a life partner.<br /><br /><strong>The Effects of Bollywood and Hollywood</strong><br /><br />The coloured mania has also affected Bollywood filmmakers and there, we find they always make it a point to get a dark man to play the villain, the rapist, the goonda, and mafia man, only to be beaten up by fair-skinned heroes. The Bollywood movies and TV serials are also responsible of giving the idea among the masses that that dark-skinned girls don’t have a chance of finding love. It is also a literary device –common in books,plays, and opera as well.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, we see a black model Naomi Campbell establish herself as a supermodel. While in the United States, Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard, Diahann Carroll, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington, Thandi Newton, Jennifer Hudson, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thomas, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina King, Sharon Warren, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Macy Gray, Lackawanna Blues and countless other black actresses from different generations have shined in the spotlight and have illuminated the silver screen and television sets.<br /><br />How many black-skinned actresses have we seen on our Desi movies and TVs here in India? If there are few, the directors ask their make-up staff to make these dark-skinned women fairer for the camera.<br /><br /><strong>The Many Forms of Racism in India Today </strong><strong><br /></strong><br />We Indians are living with a strange dilemma and we seem to use different terminologies for the same 'racism.' On one side, we oppose racism, particularly western racism. On the other side, we don’t want to recognise unexpressed internal hatred or discrimination of each other (e.g., between North Indians and South Indians) based on race. When our children are attacked either in Britain or Canada or in Australia, we shout against racial discrimination in these countries. We seem to see clearer when the subject is far away and seem less in focus when it is closer.<br /><br />On one hand, we protest racism abroad; on the other hand, we seem to patronize and support it in our own countries. When a political leader, either from the south or from Maharashtra shouts 'why do these boys come from other states to our state and steal our jobs,' we don’t find any racism there. But when a Westerner tells why Asians are stealing our jobs away, we say they are racists and we are suffering from racial discrimination. The Desi Indians abroad feel less Indian feelings and love to think themselves as more Asian-Americans or Asian-Europeans than Asians or particularly as south Asians. I have met some young Indians working abroad and they feel their co-Indian colleagues (also known as ‘Desi’) neighbours never show any affinity towards them yet they get all types of cooperation from those western colleagues with whom they work. It seems to be a fabrication of Bollywood movies or some popular fictions that [Indian] people abroad are always missing their motherland.<br /><br />Misogyny is also a part of racism. Celia R. Daileader, a Professor of English at Florida State University (United States) and a famous feminist scholar, has identified a relationship between racism and misogyny by creating the new term “Othello Myth” or “Othellophilia” in her book <em>Racism, Misogyny, and the "Othello" Myth: Inter-racial Couples from Shakespeare to Spike Lee</em> (published by Cambridge University Press, 2005, ISBN-10: 0521848784,ISBN-13: 978-0521848787 ). She describes that Anglo-American culture's obsession with sex between black men and white women, a formula that inverts the sad realities of imperialism and slave culture, has less to do with race, per se, than with an imaginative appropriation of black men to control women, both black and white. She writes, “Othellophilia as a cultural construct is first and foremost about women--white women explicitly, as the 'subjects' of representation; black women implicitly, as the abjected and/or marginalized subjects of the suppressed counter-narrative (page 10).” Daileader argues that a “fear of female sexual autonomy regularly shades into fear of miscegenation (page 46).” Proving her point, Daileader asks, “Is the man who beats his daughter for sleeping with a black man (as in Jungle Fever) a sexist or a racist? (page 218)” She concludes, “Racism will turn to misogyny on a dime; misogyny often obscures racism (page 218)."<br /><br /><strong>Is It A Question of Fairness?</strong><br /><br />For me, racism is bad wherever or in whatever form it takes. I am always against racism, be it in the form of attacks on Indians in Australia, or in the form of misogynic control over female sexuality through the ‘Othello Myth,’ or in the form of interracial feelings throughout the Indian subcontinent. What do you think?</span></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-43304949823186675102009-08-26T03:22:00.000-07:002009-08-27T09:28:33.568-07:00<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVe5BmAaC81vupd-uUZRBJgiRklrKX4WXxaOvdw1KfiBtOC9J7wUVc1iS1o329Q_129REG4ccWbU6-YU-10R2vGP1dwLCqmsgzGwdcoZx3Kf8POzKZD6GP3QO1VIadJxaMDb7WA/s1600-h/GrammarImage1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374216417815031570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVe5BmAaC81vupd-uUZRBJgiRklrKX4WXxaOvdw1KfiBtOC9J7wUVc1iS1o329Q_129REG4ccWbU6-YU-10R2vGP1dwLCqmsgzGwdcoZx3Kf8POzKZD6GP3QO1VIadJxaMDb7WA/s400/GrammarImage1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> At Louvre Art Gallery in Paris, this is an art of Botticelli . According to <a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=312">Heidi Harley</a>, an Associate professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona, one of these lovely young ladies in the art would represent Grammar.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 180%;">The Historic Role of Gender in Language</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">In her book <em>The Myth of Mars and Venus</em>, Deborah Cameron, a professor of Language and Communication at Worcester College of the University of Oxford and a leading expert in the field of language and gender studies, describes the ‘men are from Mars, women are from Venus’ position.<br />
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Every language reflects the prejudices of the society in which it evolved and as the patriarchal control over the society prevailed for a long time, the language has also been organized with male-centric views. So, in many languages, we find there are multi-gender systems similar to biological differences of nature. In most of the languages (except Japanese), the nouns and pronouns either have ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ gender. In English, there is also a third gender known as ‘neuter.’ But in Hebrew, Greek, German, Spanish, French, and Portuguese and in Indian languages like Hindi, there are only two genders and the prepositions or verbs have been modified according to the gender of the subject.<br />
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In comparison to these languages, my own language, Oriya, has gender-neutral characteristics. Though like English, in my language, there are three genders, but the variation is that our pronouns have no gender and unlike Hindi, our verbs and prepositions are not modified according to the subject. Many Indian languages besides Oriya like Tamil, Assamese and Bengali have also gender-free pronouns.<br />
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This type of characteristic can also be seen in Persian, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Basque, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Quechuan, Filipino, and Tagalog. In some way, Chinese language can be marked as gender-neutral unless it contains a root for "man" or "woman."<br />
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For example, the word for ‘doctor’ is ‘yīshēng’ and can only be made gender-specific by adding the root for "male" or "female" to the front of it. Thus, to specify a male doctor, one would need to say nányīshēng. Under normal circumstances both male and female doctors would simply be referred to as yīshēng.<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>The Pronoun Problem<br />
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In English, if the gender of a subject is not known, then often, the ‘masculine gender’ is used. For example: <em>When a student comes into the room, he should pick up a handout</em>. Here ‘student is a gender-neutral subject but a masculine gender ‘he’ is used for the pronouns. Like in Hindi, if anyone is coming, they say: <em>Koi ata hai</em>. Here the verb ‘ata hai’ is modified according to masculine gender whereas the gender of the subject (Koi: Anyone) is not known. In Oriya, we have no such baffle situation. Here <em>Kehi asuchhi</em> does not cite the gender of the subject. But in most of language, this gives feminist a good reason to think that this ‘male dominance’ contributes to making women invisible from grammar. The generic use of masculine pronouns, in referring to persons of unspecified gender is also termed by the feminist thinkers as ‘sexist’ norm of language.<br />
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In English the pronouns are highly gender-concerned. But how will they be treated when the gender of the pronoun is not known? Feminists have advised us to use singular ‘they’ instead of using ‘he’ or ‘she.’ For example , we can say , <em>When a student comes into the room, they should pick up a handout</em>. The <em>Chicago Manual of Style</em> (abbreviated in writing as CMS or CMOS, or verbally as Chicago) is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. The CMS, in its 13th edition, strongly reviewed this attempt of using singular ‘they’ and wrote: “Nontraditional gimmicks to avoid the generic masculine (by using he/she or s/he, for example) or to use they as a kind of singular pronoun. Either way, credibility is lost with some readers.” But later in its 14th edition, the manual revised its stance and recommended: "The 'revival' of the singular use of ‘they’ and ‘their,’ citing...its venerable use by such writers as Addison, Austin, Chesterfield, Fielding, Ruskin, Scott, and Shakespeare." 15th Edition §5.204 deals specifically with gender bias and nowhere does it mention the writers stuff. So they changed it again -- proves it’s a hot topic!<br />
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<strong>The Gendered Nouns Problem</strong><br />
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Some feminists also find the use of some terms like Chairman, Fireman, Policeman, Mailman, Fisherman, Businessman, Milkman, Spokesman, Gunman, Mankind, and Brotherhood objectionable as the words reinforce the idea that men are more powerful and have higher priority over women. A women's femininity becomes invisible when they accept being categorized in male gender-biased terms. It also means that women are only being recognized when classified in a masculine group. During the 19th century, attempts were made to make a feminine term for these masculine job-specific terms. This produced words like ‘doctress’ and ‘professoress,’ and even ‘lawyeress,’ all of which have fallen out of use; though waitress, stewardess, and actress are in contemporary use for some speakers.<br />
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Janice Moulton first marked her objection on the use of ‘Lady Doctor’, ‘Lady Typist’, ‘Lady Supervisor’ as these jobs are meant for men, whose use has been extended to cover both men and women. She thinks that these norms are highly insulting for a woman and a number of new words are also recommended such as: chairperson, spokesperson, firefighter, mailcarrier, etc., as substitutes for the "sexist" words in common use. [See: Moulton, J., 1981, “The Myth of the Neutral ‘Man’”, in Sexist Language, M. Vetterling-Braggin (ed.), Totowa. NJ: Littlefield and Adams: 100–115].<br />
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Another common gendered expression, found particularly in informal speech and writing, is "you guys." This expression is used to refer to groups of men, groups of women, and groups that include both men and women. But "a guy" (singular) is definitely a man, not a woman, and that most men would not feel included in the expression "you gals" or "you girls." Similarly, the way the words Mr., Miss, and Mrs. are used also make the feminists annoyed because "Mr." can refer to any man, regardless of his marital status while women are defined by their relationship to men (by whether they are married or not). A feminists solution to this problem is to use "Ms." (which doesn't indicate marital status) to refer to women.<br />
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Feminists hope that by means of such reforms in the universities, the language of all society might gradually will be reformed, and that by means of such a reform in the language, the consciousness of people would be rendered more favorable to feminist ideas. But they oppose the job-specific terms when used to define the gender-specific status of the job holder. In India, nobody would ever call Mrs. Indira Gandhi as “Lady Prime Minister” or Ms. Pratibha Patil as “Lady President.” But these words in Hindi or other languages have been treated as ‘masculine.’ Still now in India, these maleness of norms are not being identified by neither any feminists nor any intellectual.<br />
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But in Western linguistics, the scholars and feminists are more concerned about these ‘maleness’ of language. Increasing numbers of women are calling themselves actors rather than actresses, especially in the live theatre. The Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG) annually gives out awards for "Best Male Actor" and "Best Female Actor."<br />
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When my first novel was translated into Bengali and was published from Bangladesh, the <em>Pratham Alo</em>, a leading daily of that country, reviewed that novel. The reviewer of that book cited me as a ‘Lekhika’ (woman writer) in his review and to that, the translator of that book, Morshed Shafiul Hassan, got irritated with the use of such a gender -biased term for me.<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>The Patriarchal Problem in the Bible<br />
</strong><br />
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Though Semitic religions are more male-centric (here God is always masculine), it is in the liberal Christian mind that attempts have been made by the churches to make a non-sexist, generic, and gender-neutral version of the Bible. The earliest example of such an effort was the <em>Inclusive Language Lectionary</em> published by the National Council of Churches in 1983. This new Bible excluded 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18, 1 Timothy 2:11-15, and 1 Peter 3:1-6. In 1990, the excluded portions were also adapted into the new version of that Bible. It did not, however, substitute gender-neutral language in reference to God, and it did not incorporate many of the misinterpretations proposed by feminists. And in doing so, it did not satisfy many liberals.<br />
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The American Bible Society published an abridged version of the New Testament in 1991 and then a complete version of the Bible in 1995. In that edition, while they did not use gender-neutral language for God, in Genesis 2:18, Eve is called not a "helper" but a "partner" of Adam.<br />
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In another example, the Greek text of Matthew 16:24 is literally, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” The <em>Contemporary English Version</em> shifts to a form which is still accurate and at the same time, more effective in English: “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.”<br />
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Later in 1994, a group of liberal Roman Catholics published <em>The</em> <em>Inclusive New Testament </em>and the next year liberal Protestants published a similar version of <em>The New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version</em>. Both these versions featured gender-neutral language for God along with many other politically-correct alterations designed to combat racism, homophobia, and ageism, etc. The liberties taken with the text of Scripture in these versions were however so blatant, that they were met with resistance in the popular press.<br />
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Up until 2004, 18 versions of the Bible had been published in non-sexist, gender-neutral generic language. [See: The Gender-Neutral Language Controversy by Michael D. Marl owe, 2001, (revised January 2005)]<br />
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</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong>Solving the Problem<br />
</strong><br />
In 1999, The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued guidelines for eliminating sexist stereotypes and language in common writing. This can be downloaded from <a href="http://portal.unesco.org/es/ev.php-URL_ID=11489&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">HERE</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 130%;"><br />
Gender-neutral language has gained support from most major textbook publishers and from professional and academic groups such as the American Psychological Association and the Associated Press. Today, many law journals, psychology journals, and literature journals do not print articles or papers that use gender-inclusive language.<br />
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But in India, there is no debate so far insisting on gender-neutral language. This is due to lack of gender discrimination consciousness and awareness. So while some progress has been made, there remains much room for improvement and development.</span></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-68581896829105299162009-07-24T03:51:00.000-07:002009-12-20T09:32:46.943-08:00<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsYDlNUq33R_ay7w6NYguYK1AOvRhe5HVn0yLCUZdGea-m7vtJzhh8WNyH407XPNViaw_00s9gdGoXbTmgDgkzJlAXCjXe3umWCbTGW-W887DrtbmNouuejv0RROQMKG2OqatPw/s1600-h/two_women_one_nude_by_gustav_klimt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361978184143218626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 396px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsYDlNUq33R_ay7w6NYguYK1AOvRhe5HVn0yLCUZdGea-m7vtJzhh8WNyH407XPNViaw_00s9gdGoXbTmgDgkzJlAXCjXe3umWCbTGW-W887DrtbmNouuejv0RROQMKG2OqatPw/s400/two_women_one_nude_by_gustav_klimt.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p>{Two women, side by side, one nude, the other in a red gown, by Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 – February 6, 1918). The art was drawn in 1916. Gustav was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Art Nouveau (Vienna Secession) movement.}</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:180%;">Indian Feminism and Sexual Discourse</span></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">1901</span> </strong><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">She was born into a Christian family in Bastar (now Chhatisgarh) in 1901 when her father, a doctor by profession, stayed away in Burma (now Myanmar). Later she studied medicine at Cuttack Medical School where she earned her LMP (the degree for Medical Practitioner during British Colonial times) in 1921 and started her career as the superintendent of the Cuttack Red Cross. During this time, she got involved with a fatherly person and was caught red handed by his wife. They had physical relations, but her lover cum mentor wholeheartedly wished her marriage with a suitable person.</span></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The period between 1921 and 1927 was also a productive phase of her literary life. She wrote several volumes of poems like </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Anjali</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Archana</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, and novels on social issues like </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Bharati</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Parasmani</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in Oriya. Through her writing, she protested against purdah, child marriage, caste system, untouchability, discrimination against women. And she advocated women's rights, steps towards their empowerment, and widow remarriage. </span></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />While working with Red Cross and also while in a relationship with her mentor lover, she got herself involved with a barefoot doctor and imposter who settled in Delhi. Her mentor was against her marriage with that unknown person, but she resigned from her service and became an Aryasamajis. She got married to that stranger and left for Delhi and opened a clinic in Chandinichowk.</span></span></p><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />She began to write in Hindi while continuing her writing in Oriya. She came out with a volume of Hindi poems entitled </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Baramala</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. She also became an influential editor of several Hindi periodicals such as</span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Mahabir</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jeevan</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Nari Bharati</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Kuntala Kumari was invited to deliver the convocation addresses at Allahabad University and at Benaras Hindu University. That was a mark of rare recognition accorded to a woman of those days.</span></span></p><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />But her marital life was not happy and her husband exploited her as a source of income to which she wanted to resist. She died at only her 37 years of age with illness and mental trauma. Eminent Hindi novelist Jainendra Kumar’s novel </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kalyani</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was based on her struggle and her pathetic life.</span></span></p><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />She was Kuntala Kumari Sabat, the veteran feminist poetess and writer of Oriya Literature. Though her pre- and post-marital life were not so peaceful and her life was dangling between love, sex, oppression, and harassment by the male-dominated mentality of feudal India, we never find any sexual agony or find any of her own saga of life in her poems, rather than she always tried to hide her sexual expression with a coated version of mysticism in the form of Sufi ideology. This trend was prevailed for many years and even after few decades in the beginning of post colonial. where era we can see the poetess expressed their love feelings as a form of Bhakti poems. </span></span></p><span><p align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><strong><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1914</span></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In 1930, a Romanian young boy met a 16-year-old Indian girl and both fell in love. The boy had come to India to study Indian Philosophy and the girl was his teacher’s daughter. They couldn’t hide this affair and were soon caught by the mentor. The boy was asked to leave the mentor’s residence and never to contact the girl again. </span></span></span><p><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Later, the boy became a world famous philosopher and wrote a semi-autobiographical novel first published in Romania in 1933. It was written specifically for a literary prize and sold very well in Romania, garnering both fame and money. The novel was translated into Italian in 1945, into German in 1948, into French in 1950, and into Spanish in 1952.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />The girl was married at the age of twenty and had two children. She engaged herself in writing and published volumes of poetry and prose, wrote many books on Tagore, but was not famous until 1974.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />However, the girl was not aware of that Romanian novel until she heard about it from her father who had visited Europe in 1938 or 1939. She also came to know that the book was also dedicated to her. But it was not until 1972, when a close Romanian friend of the author came to Kolkata, and she finally understood that the author had described a sexual relationship between them in his book. She subsequently had a friend who translated the novel for her from the French and she was shaken by his depictions. In 1973, when she went to America to attend a seminar on Tagore. She met the author again after 43 years and talked personally to him. She also warned the him that she would sue if his book ever came out in English. The author assured her that he wouldn’t publish the English version of his novel. But perhaps she didn’t believe the author and she herself couldn’t check her agony -- the agony of her love being misrepresented. So she wrote a novel.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Later after her death, in 1974, the University of Chicago Press published the English translation of both the Romanian and Indian novels both as companion volumes depicting two sides of a romance. In her novel, she wanted to paint how an Indian girl fell in love with a western boy, depicting the whole thing as being more concerned with emotion rather than to physical co adherence. </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />The Romanian author was Mircea Eliade and the Indian girl was Maitreyi Devi. The English translation of the Romanian novel is entitled </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Bengal Nights</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> while the English translation of the Indian novel is entitled </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It Does Not Die.</span></span></em></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1919</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />After six years of dating incidents of Maiytreyi, a young poetess of Punjab married an editor of a literary magazine to whom she was engaged in early childhood and changed her name. Later she became the author of 70 works, which included novels, short stories, and poems. She was elected a fellow of the Sahitya Akadmi, in India, as one of the 21 immortals of literature. She was honored with the Padma Vibhushan, the Jnanpith Award and the Padma Shree. She also received three D Lit degrees from Delhi, Jabalpur, and Vishva Bharti Universities.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />She was born in 1919 in Gujranwala, now in Pakistan, the only child of a school teacher, a poet and an editor of a literary journal. When she was 40 years old, she got herself involved with an Urdu poet and left her husband, but that Urdu poet did not prepare to marry her as he had a new woman in his life. Later, she became involved with another painter and lived the last 40 years of her life with that artist, who also designed most of her book covers. For the rest of her life, she maintained her two lovers with equal potency of love and without any confrontation.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />The author was </span></span><a href="http://feminine-fragrance.blogspot.com/2006/05/amrita-ever-virgin.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Amrita Pritam</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, who died on October 31, 2005 and her two lovers were Imroz and Sahir Ludhianvi. Penguin India has published a book entitled </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Amrita-Imroz: A Love Story</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> (ISBN: 0143100440) by Uma Trilok.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">1934 </span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />In 1934, after four years of romance of Maitreyi-Eliade, a Keralite girl was born and spent her childhood in that city. She began writing at the age of 17 in both Malayalam and English. At the age of 15, she got married to a man 15 years elder to her and their first son was born after only one year of their marriage.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />In her writing, she soon got involved in controversy as her writings were a type of confession where she did not hide her sufferings and her traumas that started from her teenage years and then went on and on. She was the first woman writer to write and discuss about her sexual desires in her writings. She did not hide in her writings either her lesbian relationships or her husband’s homosexual tendencies, nor did she hide her extra-marital relationships. But strangely enough, her husband always supported her writings.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />In Chapter 27 of her most discussed and controversial autobiographical book </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Story </span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, she writes, “During my nervous breakdown, there developed between myself and my husband an intimacy which was purely physical … after bathing me in warm water and dressing me in men’s clothes, my husband bade me sit on his lap, fondling me and calling me his little darling boy….I was by nature shy… but during my illness, I shed my shyness and for the first time in my life learned to surrender totally in bed with my pride intact and blazing.”</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Though in numerous interviews, she praised her husband for showing his support for her writings, in her book </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">My Story</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, she told that her husband supported her writings because her writings were a source of income for him. However, her husband died after a long illness. She later tried her luck in politics and failed.</span></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">At the age of 65, she converted herself to Muslim to marry a young man. After converting herself to Islam, she argued that Purdah in Islam is the most wonderful dress for women in the world. And she had always loved to wear the purdah as it gives women a sense of security. Only Islam gives protection to women. About her conversion to Islam, she told that she had been lonely all through her life. At night, she used to sleep by embracing a pillow. But she was no longer a loner. Islam was her company. According to her, Islam is the only religion in the world that gives love and protection to women. But in 2006, she issued a statement at a book release ceremony organized by Kairali Books in Kochi that she deeply regretted converting to Islam and was disillusioned with the treacherous behavior of her Muslim friends. She claimed that all her wealth amounting to several lakhs, gold ornaments, books and other valuables had been looted by Muslims.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />She was </span></span><a href="http://feminine-fragrance.blogspot.com/2008/01/kamala-in-search-of-love.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Kamala Das</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> or Madhavikutty or Kamala Surraiyah. She had been shortlisted for the Nobel Prize for literature in 1984 along with Marguerite Yourcenar, Doris Lessing, and Nadine Gordimer. Apart from that, she received many awards for her literary contributions like the Asian Poetry Prize, Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries, Asian World Prize, Sahitya Academy Award and Kerala Sahitya Academy Award etc. She passed away on 31 May 2009 in Pune at the age of 75. </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Role of Sexuality From a Colonial Perspective</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />These four feminist writers of the last century, opposite to each other’s character, tried to raise women’s voices, which apparently may seem very contradictory, confusing and even delineating different values for feminine aspects. Following the work these feminists, anyone can argue that womanhood is, as a whole, a paradigmatic myth, which incorporates multiple myths of the woman in a mystic form. We have no way to oppose this parenthesis. But as a female (please note that I am not saying the word ‘feminist’), I can feel every situation was true for me if any day I would be either Maitreyi or Kamala or Amrita or Kuntala. It is a very vague argument why Maitreyi was not like Kamala or Amrita was not like Kuntala. Maitryi could admit her relationship with Eliade as Kamala did. Why didn’t Amrita bore all her pathos as Kuntala did? These are vague arguments. </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />I think the transformation of a woman’s heart from Kuntala to Kamala must be possible due to the development of feminism in India. The reason and development of feminism in India is different from that of the Western world. The pre-colonial social structure and the role of women reveal in them was theorised into feminism. It was more a social than any individual matter. Female mass was considered equal to male mass but the status of the individual female body remained as puritan as it was in feudalistic patriarchal society. In pre-colonial India, we see that plural marriage was allowed for males and even we find our male intellectuals, writers, politicians were able to get married to another woman in the case of the death of their first wife.<br />It is also ironically true that the female mortality rate was considerably higher in comparison with males due to lack of proper nutrition. But we never find a single instance of any woman remarrying after became a widow in those days, though the marriage of widows was legalized from the early days of British rule.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Women were taught to act as a goddess of sacrifice and as Simone told us in her </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Second Sex</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, the women were trapped into an impossible ideal (the myth of the mother, the virgin, the motherland, nature, etc) by denying the individuality and situation of all different kinds of women. So we find when our pre-colonial feminists used to write essays, they often chose the titles like “Women’s Duty for Household” or “The Legendary Female Figures in Indian Myths,” where the patriarchal tone was still there. So an attempt to reconstruct Indian womanhood as the essence of Indian Culture through the Nationalist movement could be seen where the individual feminism was deliberately denied. Kuntala and Maitreyi were products of these pre-colonial societies. </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />The largest and the most mainstream women's organisation in India at this time was the All-India Women's Conference. A wing of Indian National Congress, it was founded in 1927, was many-layered, and always attempted to reflect the regional diversity of the movement. Within one year of Maitreyi- Elliad’s meeting at Kolkata, the Indian National Congress passed the Karachi Resolution in 1931 where 'swaraj' or 'self rule' in free India was declared, but the gender issue was still marginalised as evidenced by the fact that only one of the resolutions expressly mentions protecting women's rights (as part of workers' rights). </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />Undoubtedly, post-colonial India was different from that of pre-colonial India and women’s education was flourishing. And the age-old binaries that had characterised dominant philosophical and political thinking on gender were reconstructed with an array of oppressive patriarchal family structures: age, ordinal status, relationship to men through family of origin, marriage, and procreation, as well as patriarchal attributes: dowry, siring sons, etc., kinship, caste, community, village, market, and the state were put into questionable range. Along with these questions, ‘rights of women’s bodies’ are also seen as antithetical to these patriarchal milieus.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />I have to write this article in support of Kamala Das or Amrita Pritam because some of our scholars always try to carve a separate identity for sexuality other than feminism. They define feminism in order to avoid the uncritically following as the protest for male hegemony and in their conception; sexuality has no role to protest such hegemony. If feminist writing during twentieth century colonial India was characterised by societal hierarchies and a need to demarcate an Indian identity, feminist debates in post-colonial India dealt with ways in which feminist sexualities were practiced. This is why the whole country mourns the demise of Amrita and Kamala.<br /></span></span><br /></p></span></span></span></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-35383855920430859152009-06-26T07:27:00.000-07:002009-07-28T09:35:43.512-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLXMM-_M3de7iBZyX7cDNOO8nIwkQFiKo8X9qkGI02Rk55kxNFz5zsVYcfplxj_CUJ7m8LvLVFk3gYrjPUvaaAdEtJkkC53rrkI-IrTOoe72yIo0DAFSB6CcZ2JRyGKR80WGZMg/s1600-h/saints_of_india__sri_chaitanya_mahaprabhu_wd63.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351642905637359298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLXMM-_M3de7iBZyX7cDNOO8nIwkQFiKo8X9qkGI02Rk55kxNFz5zsVYcfplxj_CUJ7m8LvLVFk3gYrjPUvaaAdEtJkkC53rrkI-IrTOoe72yIo0DAFSB6CcZ2JRyGKR80WGZMg/s400/saints_of_india__sri_chaitanya_mahaprabhu_wd63.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (A </span><a href="http://www.craftsinindia.com/indian-art-culture/Patachitra-paintings.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">Pattachitra</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> painting of Sri Chaitanya Dev)</span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;"><strong>Lonely in the crowd</strong></span></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bhakti movement in Indian literature focused on singular devotion, mystical love for God, and had a particular focus on a personal relationship with the Divine. Given their belief in the centrality of personal devotion, poet-saints were highly critical of ritual observances as maintained and fostered by the Brahmin priesthood. Though the Bhakti movement had its genesis in southern India in the 6th century AD, it didn’t gain momentum until the 12th century in the central western regions of India. It then moved northward, coming to an end roughly in the 17th century. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;">But strangely enough, if we compare the gender basis participation ratio of saint-poets, we find the inclusion of women in this movement was tempered. It is also true that there is little evidence to support any type of revolt against the patriarchal norms of the time. Women bhaktas (disciples) were simply staying largely within the patriarchal ideology that upheld the chaste and dutiful wife as ideal. These women transferred the object of their devotion and their duties as the “lovers” or “wives” to their Divine Lover or Husband. Nonetheless, that their poetry became an integral aspect of the Bhakti movement at large is highly significant and inspirational for many who look to these extraordinary women as ideal examples of lives intoxicated by love for the Divine. </span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><p align="justify">Andal Thiruppavai (a 10th century Tamil poetess), Akka Mahadevi (a 12th century Kannad poetess), Janabai (a 13th century Marathi poetess), Meera Bai of 16th century in Hindi and Madhavi Dasi in that century in Oriya literature were some poetesses who wrote exquisite poetry that has been passed on through bards and singers throughout India. But strangely enough, they had to face the challenge from the patriarchal society, whereas no male poets of their time had to encounter such bitter experiences. These female poets were often blamed by their husbands for acting opposite to marital practices while no evidence was found that the wives of the male poet-saints raised voices against the divine love affairs of their husbands. </p><p align="justify">Akka Mahadevi accepted her God as her husband as well as Meera. There were some poet-saints who were devotees to the Goddess ‘Shakti; or Kali, but for these saints, the Goddess appeared to them as a mother rather than a wife. The ‘Kali- Sadhaka-Poets’ of Eastern India always painted Goddess Kali as their mother but not as their wives. </p><p align="justify">But Sri Chaitanya Dev, in 15th century, started a ‘Raganuga bhakti marga’ in which the God -- Krishna-- remained male and the disciples loved him with a ‘sakhi bhava.’ In Sanskrit, ‘sakhi’ means ‘girl friend.’ As most of the disciples of Sri Chaitanya Dev were males, the male disciples had to assume themselves as a ‘female’ one and as a ‘sweetheart of the God, and strangly enough to mark that this identity, crossing and trouping of the sexual self did not touch gendering. And out of 191 devotees listed in the <em>Chaitanya Charitamrita</em>, a biographical reference book of Chaitanya cult, only 17 were women; five of them were members of Chaitanya's direct family. </p><p align="justify">Abhimanyu Samanta Singhar, a remarkable Oriya poet and follower of Sri Chaitanya, wrote in his poems that “whenever Goddess Radha call me, I will respond to her call as a sincere maid.” But they had patriarchal misogynist values in spite of the exalted place that it gives to a female deity, Radha, and to the feminine virtues and in spite of the fact that these disciples were highly inclined towards the feminine soul lying within them to feel themselves as “Radha’, the lover of Lord Krishna. </p><p align="justify">The <em>Chaitanya Charitamrita</em>, the highly Holy book of the Chaitanya Cult, which stresses the universality of devotion and deny any disqualifications based on birth, sex, or caste, seemed not to have had any influence on the status of women. The book depicts a strong belief that the role of women continues to be a supporting one and subordinate to that of men. In case of sexuality, though it denied any active association of a feminine world, it created a cultural set back in 16th century of Orissa, as the this state was the centre for such movement with Royal support. Vaishnavism started Mundane sex among the disciples of Sri Chaitanya Dev in form of both heterosexuality and homosexuality. </p><p align="justify">Madhavi Dasi was one of few woman disciples of Sri Chaitanyya Dev and remained in direct contact with the saint. She was an Oriya poet who used to write her poems both in Oriya and Braja-boli. The author Haridas Das has mentioned in his book <em>Gaudiya Vaishnava Abhidhana</em> (published in 1964, from Haribol Kutir, Nabadwip) that Madhavi Dasi composed a Sanskrit play about Lord Jagannath, <em>PuruSottama-deva-Natakam</em>. If this is true, she is a single exception as the first female playwright of India and also only female author of a Sanskrit text in the Bhakti movement tradition. Madhavi Dasi was the sister of Sikhi Mohanty, a close associate of Sri Chaitanya Dev, and was a member of Chaitanya's most exclusive inner circle. According to <em>Chaitanya Charitamrita</em>, as described by Krishna Das Kaviraj, Madhavi was in love with another disciple by name of Junior Haridas and they both were punished by Sri Chaitanya Dev for their activities. </p><p align="justify">Though the Chaitanya cult possessed misogynist ideas, the life of Chaitanya was far from misogynic. Sri Chaitanya was twice married and had a good relationship with the wives of his disciples. These females were devotees of Sri Chaitanya rather than Krishna and their high status in the hierarchy of Chaitanya's associates is due primarily to the relation which they had to him. They are considered to be eternal associates who descended with him to participate in his ‘lila’, the so-called divine play by the mentor. </p><p align="justify"><em>Chaitanya Charitamrita</em>, the biography of the Vaishnavite saint, described how the Mahaprabhu (as the saint was called by his disciples) overwhelmed emotionally upon hearing verses from the <em>Gita Govinda</em> being sung by a woman. He rushed to embrace the singer, oblivious to her sex. Only when he was tackled by his servant Govinda Das he came to his senses and realised the magnitude of what he had been about to do. </p><p align="justify">I am sure that if Madhavi Dasi have had any relationship with Sri Chaitanya, then we would find the tone of <em>Chaitanya Charitamrita</em> would have been changed and despite of being described Madhavi as an infidel woman, she has been described as a glorious holy woman. </p><p align="justify">Religious morality often becomes a patriarchal misogyny, where society wants to see a woman as a passive sex receptacle rather than an equal sex partner and always demands that she should not use her body for her own pleasure instead of preserving it for her husband, mentor or master. There’s a reason they use the word ‘purity’ to describe women’s virginity. What about the mentor or social guru, when he doesn’t control his own sexuality? Often, his activities are glamourised with a divine description rather than being condemned as they would be with a woman. </p><p align="justify">I think misogyny is a critical part of sexism and is always used with religion, culture, and morality, having a double standard, where the same rules have never been applied for masculine subjects.</p><p align="justify">Madhavi Dasi was a victim of patriarchal Vaishnavism. She was a victim of Sri Chaitanya Dev’s misogyny. She was also victim of her time. But very few lines have been written in support of Madhavi Dasi after hundreds of years of those events. And no feminist critic has come in support of that great writer except the one-line citation about Madhavi Dasi in Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s essay <em>Moving Devi</em>. </p><p align="justify">In this article I want to attribute my support for the struggle Madhavi Dasi had to face a few centuries ago to prove her right over her own body. She was truly...lonely in the crowd. </span></p>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34294300.post-35854792894373411752009-05-25T13:57:00.000-07:002009-07-28T09:42:13.748-07:00<div align="justify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Spinning_Dancer.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339868918608907506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzGnceLptOF2izRS2wO4i6usCne5sf3_E5Wu4HBlgERRsKGNi8y2ogDJ1A0PIhxmOdjhtW-ZmYo_wGQSqeXr8JQDgb6pFgDd8x7r6hqr54xh1s19ydKN9OZQal5LVBZUXANgUZA/s400/Spinning_Dancer.gif" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> (<strong>CLICK THE PICTURE TO SEE THE SPINNING DANCER</strong>. The Ambiguities of Feminine Identity can be symbolized from the image. It is a kinetic, bi-stable optical illusion resembling a pirouetting female dancer. Some observers initially see the figure as spinning clockwise and some counterclockwise. If the foot touching the ground is perceived to be the left foot, the dancer appears to be spinning clockwise (if seen from above); if it is taken to be the right foot, then she appears to be spinning counterclockwise. Additionally, some may see the figure suddenly spin in the opposite direction. The illusion derives from an inherent ambiguity from the lack of visual cues for depth. There are other optical illusions that originate from the same or similar kind of visual ambiguity, such as the Necker cube.)<br />(Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spinning_Dancer">Wikipedia</a>)</span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;">The Ambiguities of Feminine Identity</span> </p></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">A love affair between two poets belonging to two different languages in the early twentieth century in India is very little known. Even I found many Bengali readers and writers to also be unaware about this fact. The true love story was discovered with major Oriya poet Kabibara Radhanath Roy and Bengali poetess Nagendra Bala Ray.<br />This depicts the sexual politics of the nineteenth century’s patriarchal milieu. </span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><div align="justify"><br />Kabibar Radhanath Ray, the prime figure of Oriya Literature, who freed the poetry from medieval clasp and with the influence of Romantic English poets like Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats, he designed Oriya poetry by introducing new forms, new topics, a new approach and greater freedom. Among the many new things which he brought into Oriya poetry, there were blank-verse, pictorial, musical but direct and unambiguous language following Scott and Wordsworth, satire in the manner of Dryden and Pope, denunciation of despots, tyrants and oppressors, concern with social problems, a spirit of protest against conventional morality, a disbelief in the power of gods and goddesses, and patriotic sentiments, which last brought him trouble from his employers. He was viewed as a national poet of the first order in Orissa. </div><div align="justify"><br />Radhanath was born on 28 September 1848, at Kedarpur village in Balasore district and in his early life, he composed in both Bengali and Oriya languages but later he shifted his writings in Oriya only. He started his carrier as a teacher in Balasore Zilla School and later was promoted to Inspector of Schools. In January 1900, he was transferred to Burdwan , a semi-urban town of Bengal and there he met Nagendra Bala. </div><div align="justify"><br />Nagendra Bala was married to a Sub Registrar of Jamalpur and besides her two poetry books <em>Marma Gatha</em> and <em>Prem Gatha</em>, she authored a prose book on taboos for females, where she wrote about the do’s and don’ts for the fairer sex. When she met Radhanath , he was 53 and she was 25; they both fell in love. Bala was so impressed by Radhanath’s poetry and she learnt Oriya to read his poems in original form. Dhabaleswar, one of her poetry books, was even dedicated to ‘motherly Ms.Parashmani Devi, the wife of veteran Oriya poet Radhanath Roy.’ </div><div align="justify"><br />Nagendra Bala became impressed with one of Radhanath’s poems, which was written much before of her birth and in which the he wrote “I want to bow my head to the feet of Nagendra Bala.” Actually the word ‘Nagendra Bala’ is a synonym for ‘mountain,’ but it impressed Nagendra Bala, the poet, more and she romantically began to think that Radhanath had been waiting for her since before her birth. </div><div align="justify"><br />Bala died at the age of 28 in 1906. After her death, Radhanath suffered mental trauma and he wanted to confess his sin for involving himself with his extramarital affairs. He wrote a confessional letter, printed it, and circulated it among all the editors, writers, poets, and readers of Oriya and Bengali literature with a request to make the copies of this mail and to forward to as many people as possible.</div><div align="justify"><br />In his personal social prejudices, Radhanath was as misogynistic as any man of his time and held traditional , stereotypical, and patriarchal views of women, which he sometimes explicitly committed to writing in letters and notebooks. But his writings often portrayed female characters in his long poems (in Oriya they are called ‘Kavyas’) as pro-female and during his time he was criticised by the critics for dealing with sexuality in his poems such as in <em>Jajati,Nandikeswari</em> and <em>Parvati</em> </div><div align="justify"><br />These contradictions were prevailing in society of that time and we found many of our writers and intellectuals of that time had more than one wife during their life span. But it was hoped that after the death of a husband, that a female should maintain her life without marrying others. </div><div align="justify"><br />There was another very reputed personality of Orissa, Esteemed Gopal Chandra Praharaj. He authored the first and largest ever Oriya dictionary cum linguistic encyclopedia which was a magnum opus. Keeping his wife in a remote village, he used to live with his sister-in-law Pitambari Devi at his residence in Cuttack. He was in love with his sister-in-law but to prove himself socially monogamous, he did not marry her. When one day he found out that his wife was involved with a love affair with one of their servants in the village, he rushed there and called his son and wife and confronted them for social justice. When I read these events from the biography of Pitambari Devi, I couldn’t help but shiver at the thought that these social milieus in my beloved country was passed its glorious days. </div><div align="justify"><br />I have no less respect for these two authors now. In fact, I bow my head to them and feel intensely grateful to them because if they had not been there, I would not have found my language and literature in as such a prestigious spot as it currently is in the Indian subcontinent. </div><div align="justify"><br />What irritates me, though, is the social system of that time. Either consciously or unconsciously, that social system had oppressed women, allowing them little or no voice in the political, social, or economic issues of that time. And now I think we are miles away from these milieus and I am thankful for my predecessor feminists who fought their best to change the destiny of women. </div><div align="justify"><br />I don’t find anything wrong with Nagendra Bala and with the legal wife of Esteemed G.C.Praharaj. Rather, I consider their male partners as pseudo and virtual. In my country, I have noted that the eminent personalities here have a tendency to create a self-image of sainthood to the public as the masses also search for sainthood among public figures. This is the main difference between India and the West. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Here, Italian Sonia Gandhi has to veil her head to prove that she has turned herself into the typical ideal Indian woman, whereas in America, nobody cares about the sexy dresses of Michelle Obama. It doesn’t mean that the American society is totally getting rid of patriarchal attitudes. In some ways in fact, the United States is more patriarchal than puritanical. But in India, the attitude of the masculine world for a state of sexual promiscuity in a particular order remains for the moment, while opposing that status for female world remains without a satisfactory answer. </div><div align="justify"><br />Once the writer George Elliot (1819-1880 ) wrote in her novel <em>Felix Hold</em> that a woman can hardly ever choose… she is dependent on what happens to her. She must take meaner things, because only meaner things are within her reach. George Elliot was somehow a contemporary to Radhanath but lived in the other part of the Globe. But her assumption on female destiny was not more different from that of Indian women of the time. When we think about the destiny of Nagendra Bala or Praharaj’s wife, a question may arise:<br />Why have these complaints appeared just two or three centuries ago? And why don’t more echoes of the feminine revolt and oppressive situation exist? </div><div align="justify"><br />In both parts of the globe, women were criticized and repudiated for their sexuality by a male-dominated society. The social gurus always have treated the question of women's liberation and sexual freedom only from the negative point of view. They have never tried to compare the question with the status of the male. Sex-positive women were not simply misinformed, or priggish or neurotic. Rather, they were often rationally responding to their material reality. Their orgasm was denied and only two choices had been left for them: 1) passive and usually pleasure-less submission, with the high risk of undesirable consequences or 2) rebellious refusal. </div><div align="justify"><br />This is what happened with Nagendra bala and Mrs. Praharaj. After his confession regarding his ‘sinful affair’ with a married lady, the image of Radhanath was enhanced in the society of that time. He was regarded as a ‘saint of saints’ for the courage to confess his sins. Nagendra Bala, on the other hand, was painted as a sexist woman who was responsible for the said affair and some critics have also found out the evil intention of that lady may have been to trap a ‘saintly’ personality. </div><div align="justify"><br />One thing more, though it will pronounce vaguer, nobody has ever asked how Nagendra Bala was crossed if Radhanath had no willingness to cross her.<br />I am interested in searching for other aspects of the affair with a view to male sexual politics, and in particular, to discover if there is another tradition running alongside moral conservation and social purity in which men tried to assert the possibilities of a different kind of sexual life for them; one that didn't involve their systematic subordination. </div><div align="justify"><br />If there is such an aspect of our history, a collective effort on the part of women worldwide to develop a language and politics of sexual pleasure as well as sexual protection is greatly needed to adhere with our feminist thoughts. Who wants to join me in this effort?</span></div>Sarojini Sahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06356168164108611237noreply@blogger.com5