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From: booter@lll-crg.ARpA (Elaine Richards)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.women
Subject: Re: Why male dominance?
Message-ID: <1275@lll-crg.ARpA>
Date: Sat, 22-Feb-86 19:41:36 EST
Article-I.D.: lll-crg.1275
Posted: Sat Feb 22 19:41:36 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 24-Feb-86 08:10:21 EST
References: <1270@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Reply-To: booter@lll-crg.UUCP (Elaine Richards)
Organization: Cadillac Ranch, Oakland
Lines: 55
Xref: linus net.singles:9373 net.women:8834

In article <1270@decwrl.DEC.COM> jackson@curium.DEC (SETH JACKSON 297-4751) writes:
>Some questions for all you feminists out there (men and women alike):
>
[the canonical questions about equality and dominance]
>How do you account for the evolution of this male dominance? If the

Anything that has 66% more upper arm strength can whomp the weaker
person in the schoolyard. Happened to me until Mom told me about "a
good swift kick".:-)

>sexes are in fact equal, what motivation would men have for wanting
>to put women in a subservient role? Also, by what means have men

Some psychologists say men are making up for moms and female schoolteachers
bossing them as youths.:-) 

Anthropologists claim that the mystery of menstruation and pregnancy
made men feel a little out of place with the Powers of the
Universe and thus they assauged their fear and un-ease via bonding rituals.
If you believe bonding rituals don't exist, visit a men's club or
stand on Wall Street and look at the uniforms men wear. Women are learning
to blend in by following the rules of the club (grey suits and non-feminine
haircuts).Read Lionel Tiger on male bonding.

When we all lived on farms, sexism was not an issue. Men and women ate and
had shelter and some clothes. With the Industrial Revolution, a trend called
"The Cult of Domesticity" began to separate the roles of men and women in
production. A woman's place was in the home and Dad went to work. What we
see with ladies wearing sneakers and grey suits is the Female March Back into
productivity. Since technology is different, rules are different and that's
why everyone is upset and confused. No big deal. Eventually, companies will
lose a lot of their masculine flavor and get into "human mode" (daycare,
relaxed communication betwixt M and F, etc.). Do I sound optimistic. I am.

>managed throught history to "keep women in their place"? I don't see

Wanna see my old paychecks?

>much evidence that men are threatening women with guns or physical 

Except when they get thrashed in the schoolyard for being "smart".
Except when they get beaten by fathers and husbands (statistical answers
are irrelevant, women do hit men, but this is NOT AS COMMON!!!)

>violence, so why do the majority of women cooperated throughout history 
>and continue to cooperate with this male-dominated society?

Survival mechanism. If you are horny enough, you'll put up with anything.


E
*****

"They look cute in a bathing suit on a billboard in .....
....Tierra Del Fuego!"      -Malvina Reynolds