Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!aero-c!nadel
From: jan@oas.olivetti.com (Jan Parcel)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Sexism vs. Men's Oppression
Message-ID: <49629@ricerca.UUCP>
Date: 14 May 91 04:50:50 GMT
References: <1991May13.194337.3494@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
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In article <1991May13.194337.3494@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> obermark@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Jon Obermark) writes:


>        This notesfile seems to see lots of contention about whether it is 
>possible to be sexist toward a man, and I am finding myself so confused at 
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>the moment that I am wondering what this has to do with feminism.
>        Most folks here seem to be of one of two opinions regarding this 
>issue, either they believe that men are not oppressed *as* men, or they 
                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Without getting into some of the excellent points you made, such as
the difference between being oppressed because of gender vs. independently
of gender, (and other points from the net, such as areas where men *are*
oppressed *as* men, at least according to any definition that doesn't try
to take the sum total of priviledge as priviledge was defined in 1950), 
I'd like to point out my discomfort with using sexism or other *ism as 
synonyms for oppression.

I see a big difference between *isms, stereotyping according to *, vs.
oppression.  For instance, I have met at least one African-American who
was at least mildly racist against whites, in that she believed  the
"blue-eyed-devil" theory that white people are inherently more *ist
_for_ _genetic_ _reasons_ than other people.  But oppression requires
a power structure, and, with the possible exception of a VERY small
town, or a household closed to the world, I do not believe that
white people can (yet) be oppressed by black people.

The confusing of these two issues seems to me to be a degradation of
the language, such as back when everyone started saying "I mean, he
*literally* killed me!!,"  or when people use "Christian" to mean
"educated" or "fair", and "educated" to mean "mannered," etc.  Such
strange uses of words cause much confusion, IMHO.

That *professors* are doing this upsets me a bit...could the poster
from X posts back, who started this thread, ask his/her prof what
she meant? (a little late, aren't I....)

~~~ jan@orc.olivetti.com   or    jan@oas.olivetti.com  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We must worship Universal Consciousness as each of the 5 genders in turn
if we wish to be fully open to Yr glory.
						-- St. Xyphlb of Alpha III