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Frederick Noronha wrote: Just a few queries: (i) Is Cecil suggesting that male chauvinism is acceptable because it is prevalent "worldwide"?
Cecil:
I said no such thing!
I am questioning how any perfectly normal gender-specific behavior is being reduced by Fred to "Goan male chauvinism", a phrase that makes it appear that male chauvinism in Goa is 'different' from elsewhere.
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Fred:
(ii) Or that it is a global phenomenon and is something we all have to live with. Just as Mrs
Gandhi, if one recalls right, had once said that corruption is a global
phenomenon?
Cecil:
Gender chauvinism exists globally. And yes we have to accept it. And deal with it. By pretending it will just go away by being politically correct is ostrich-like.
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Fred: (iii) What are we to read in the comparison of Goa with Bihar, a state currently not known for its enlightened approaches unlike in the past?
Cecil:
Beware Fred. Somewhere in Bihar there's some politically correct guy like you who will say you're being prejudiced! So you think Biharis are unenlightened? Why? Isn't that bigoted too?
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Fred: If Cecil says that this writer can't cook or lacks a dress sense (both of which are incidentally true), it may be a little rude and insensitive to a single person.
Cecil:
Why on earth is Fred saying I was referring to him? I am referring to most men, including myself.
Try asking a male what exactly is mauve, turquoise, magenta, beige, cerise, scarlet or sienna - and you will most probably get a "Duh?". A female will know. We males are colour-challenged and also wouldn't care less if our socks match our ties. We have no problem admitting it, as Fred just has. So why is it then that females have a problem with admitting that men are better drivers as a rule? And have a better mechanical aptitude? There are proven gender differences that effect our abilities and aptitudes. Simple. But the politically correct thing seems to be to pretend that males and females are equal in all abilities. Ha!
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Fred: When Cecil says an entire gender (or "most women", as he puts it above) have only challenged driving abilities, it's a bit too difficult to accept. Statistically women drivers have shown themselves to be less accident prone than men. How?
Cecil:
The statistics you quote only take into account reported accidents. A proper survey of minor accidents, where a compromise is reached, will show a different picture. Also look at the percentage of females driving bikes before drawing any conclusions.
How many women won the Grand Prix? How many women mechanics do we have worldwide?
One Goan woman rides a geared motorbike everyday to work and it is news. Ten thousand Goan men ride geared bikes to work everyday and nobody blinks an eyelid.
Fatima De Sa is feted for being an expert automobile mechanic. Thousands of male mechanics all over Goa are not noteworthy.
Proves something doesn't it?
The point being that when the odd woman does something, in what is obviously a field that a man has an inherent gender advantage in, we celebrate it. So what's wrong in just admitting it is a gender advantage?
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Fred: The problem with Goa is that women have done a lot for themselves in the past generation. They've overcome many a handicap. Not primarily because men here are more liberal and tolerant, but simply because of the additional responsiblities brought on by migrating menfolk, by women being absorbed in the workforce, and similar factors. But, at the same time, they're stuck with an extremely conservative and backward-looking attitudes coming from society in general, and menfolk in particular. Perhaps an analysis of the attitudes projected in Konkani song towards women could be an interesting case-study for any researcher.
Cecil:
And perhaps overly politically correct pundits like Fred are the biggest danger to the emancipation process. Instead of trying to hide our differences we should revel in them and compliment each others strengths and weaknesses and learn from each other.
Baby you can drive my car. But can I choose the curtains this time? ---------
