Bertina wrote: I think that was my point all along. If a teacher or
>professor cannot handle a class because she fears she would be >unable
to stop or discourage deference then maybe she should rethink >the whole
teaching as a professiongig.
Gosh,where does one start with a statement like this?
Deference to men is quite entrenched in Society, have you got a way to
stop it? If you have, please let me know.
How about starting at primary school (I won't even get into a discussion
of pre-primary school). Do you know there have been studies done that
show teachers favour boys over girls in class
(they spend more time with them) in co-ed schools and what about the
fact that often in senior classes, when boys are talking to the teachers
girls tend to stay quiet but when girls are speaking to the teacher,
boys often talk in the background (thus implying the boys questions are
more important). How is Mary Daly meant to stop an entrenched cultural
and sexist approach that is part of life by the time the students arrive
at her university classes. If her experience shows that women together
"soar" and find strengths and understanding that are not there when men
are present, why deprive them of this?
I have a feminist friend who attended some all women classes and she
said they were brilliant and she got more out of them than any other
classes because the women were able to discuss matters without
any males distracting from the issues involved. She said the comraderie
and understanding of issues in those classes was excellent and
recommended them to me. (And for anyone's information this is a
heterosexual feminist not a lesbian and she has 6 daughters) Anyone with
any understanding of male/female interaction would not expect the
lecturer to have to interfere and shepherd the issues away from
patriarchal influences as an ongoing part of teaching any class.
I cannot see that expecting Mary Daly to continually have to be
treating the symptoms of deference and protectiveness as well as
accepting the limitations of discussions on patriarchy with men in the
room, would be beneficial to the class at all.
GS
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
