Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!orion.oac.uci.edu!ucivax!gateway
From: Julianne.Coleman@ebay.sun.COM (Julianne Coleman)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: opportunities
Message-ID: <6698@male.EBay.Sun.COM>
Date: 7 May 91 17:35:35 GMT
References: <1991May1.175906.5106@isc.rit.edu>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
Lines: 58
Approved: tittle@ics.uci.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: blanche.ics.uci.edu

In article <1991May1.175906.5106@isc.rit.edu> pad6516@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>
>	Before I make any of the comments that I am about to make just
>let me say Please do not flame the shit out of me. These are just thoughts
>that I am looking for answers to. I do not want an attack, Ideas!
>
>	GENERALLY SPEAKING The way I see society is that it is based
>on the discoveries, inventions, and ideas of the male species. The
>freedom that we as Americans have is basically the result of the men.
               {...}
>
>	I think male domination is the result of the old physical labor
>based society. It started out like that and only in the last, lets say,
>50 years has society began to change to a more intellectual based society.


One flaw in your "ideas" is the statement that the basis
for male dominination was the physical work done by men
up until the last 50 years.

If you go far far back, you will find, in many cultures
that women did all the planting and cultivating which
provided 80% of the sustenance for the family.  Women
built the huts and did all the housework.  Men more
likely hunted and had time for religion and the like.

Taking this track, society became male dominated because
men were only in the social arena and didn't do work,
real physical work.

Granted, I am talking only about several ancient tribes,
but even in the pioneering west women HAD to work in
the fields and tending to a home was not simple.

The argument that women are weaker doesn't hold much
water with me.  I understand that on average women
do not have as much arm strength as men, but absolutes
mean just about nothing.

What you need to look at is what people are capable of doing.
In many situations women HAVE to acheive some level
of strength, they have no choice and they accomplish
it.  Have the same situation with a "stronger" man, and
the man takes the task/is asked to take the task and
he accomplishes it.

You are very right that society today is different because
strength is not as important.  Also, maintaining a home has
become less physically demanding, we dont make soap we buy
it, we dont hand wring clothes the washer does.  In this
way what women have traditionally done has been changed
and women are "free" to do other things.

What hasn't happened, and needs to, is that men have to
have the same types of changes and opportunities.

Julianne Coleman
julianne.coleman@ebay.sun.com