Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!aero-c!nadel From: pedersen@cartan.berkeley.edu (Sharon L. Pedersen) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: Communication and Anger Message-ID: <1991May5.184723.29313@agate.berkeley.edu> Date: 5 May 91 18:47:23 GMT References: Sender: root@agate.berkeley.edu (Charlie Root) Distribution: soc Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 34 Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org [I removed the e-mail name of the original poster because the article had originated from a private mailing list and the poster should have been anonymous. I hope leaving a first name is not out of bounds. - MHN] In article under the subject heading "Book Review: Don't Bet on the Prince" muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu (Muffy Barkocy) writes, referring to some feminist literary criticism essays: >I didn't always agree with the >writers, but their ideas were presented very clearly, and not angrily or >vehemently, which I would find hard to read and take seriously. I had just read Joan's article asking for "an approach to harassment" for her student being harassed by her (the student's) boss [** see note at end]. Joan writes: >If she gets angry and tells him to stop, he just laughs and thinks it is cute. Many of us reading soc.feminism are familiar with the "Oh isn't she cute when she's angry" response. Or, the "This person is angry, therefore their arguments are not valid" response. It's infuriating, and unjustified to dismiss someone's ideas because that person has reason to feel strongly about them. Unfortunately the best way to deal with it is as was suggested by another reader: calmness, if not indifference. If the boss can be made to feel tiresome rather than bold for his harassment, then there will be no payoff for him. If literary critics can assume a stance of cool academic studiousness, then they can creep in under readers' hotspots and get a hearing for their ideas. ** [sarcasm on] Gosh, wouldn't English be a much better language if we had separate pronouns for professors and students? Then I wouldn't have to add that clarifying "the student's". [sarcasm off] --Sharon Pedersen pedersen@cartan.berkeley.edu OR ucbvax!cartan!pedersen