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From: NRILEY@BOOTES.UNM.EDU (Natalie Riley Osorio)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: On Womanhood......
Message-ID: <9105211741.AA02780@ariel.unm.edu>
Date: 21 May 91 18:28:12 GMT
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   I appreciate all the responses about my question, and since the
discussion have become a lot more comfortable (I've also become quite
sensitised to the tremendous amount of people who use the term "girl"
for a woman). I guess my discomfort was basically a reluctance to
lose my youth, but that issue is covered when I perceive myself as a
young woman. And all in all, if the choice is between being perceived
as someone who is immature/naive and someone who is competent/mature,
then I'd much rather take the latter.
  But now I have another question regarding the usage of "woman" and
"girl." At what point (or what age) does one regard a female a woman,
and not a girl? I've heard people say that puberty is the pivotal point.
But, I find that a weak argument since females go through puberty at
vastly different ages (I know one woman who first menstruated at age 9,
and another at age 16....) Furthermore, that isn't all that constitutes
maturity. So, what is the reference point?


Nat

NRILEY@BOOTES.UNM.EDU
(Natalie Riley Osorio)

"Many other women have kicked higher, balanced longer, or turned faster.
 These are poor substitutes for passion."   Agnes DeMille

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