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From: jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: conformity/nonconformity
Message-ID: <416@rtech.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-May-85 04:19:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtech.416
Posted: Tue May 21 04:19:39 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 24-May-85 20:45:40 EDT
References: <716@drume.UUCP> <967@pyuxd.UUCP> <2479@randvax.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology, Alameda CA
Lines: 55

> > 1. True individualism is an unexploitable phenonemon in marketing.
> 
> >       ...  A true individualist wouldn't choose
> > 	to do things based on what one crowd did/didn't do.  He/she would pick
> >       and choose what he/she liked.
> 
> ``True individualism'' also does not exist.  No one is individual enough
> to speak their own language, or write all their own books and other
> media, or live their lives without having to conform at least partially
> to other people's expectations.
> 
> At least in some feminist circles this whole issue is regarded as an
> artifact of the extreme fragmentalism inherent in a patriarchal (i.e.
> male-centered) belief system, and even one of the means that patriarchy
> uses to maintain itself.  The theory is that this belief system allows
> individuals to subjugate groups by preventing the binding of group-
> members into a strongly-interconnected entity.

It seems more likely to me that the dominant group (not set of independently
acting individuals) imposes its beliefs on the less powerful groups.  This
can be true even to the extent of denying that the less powerful groups
exist or have legitimate concerns.  I don't think it is individuals that are
subjugating groups; it is the most powerful group that subjugates the less
powerful.

There are people who insist that they are totally individual in nature, with
no obligations or ties to any group.  Then there are those who say that
individuality is a lie, and that every person is entirely a product of
cultural influences.  Sometimes I wish people could be a little more moderate.
Every person is at once an individual and a member of many groups, for example:

			gender group
			nation
			state
			city or town
			family
			race (even if you don't believe in race, society does).
			political party
			religious denomination
			etc.

Part of being a human being is learning to balance your own individuality
against your membership in all of the groups you belong to.  Every person
does this in different degrees with his or her various groups; this in itself
is a part of a person's individuality.

> > 	Rich Rosen	ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr
> 
> 		-Ed Hall
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak

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