hi, Jan okay, i'm one of the males, so I'll bite...
I think I understand what you mean when you refer to "...the almost 'competitive' tone of the various responses were all submitted by male sociologists," however, there are a couple of things that I wonder about. 1) is point, counter-point a competitive process? If so, then I would suggest that anyone engaging in it, regardless of gender, would be considered competitive. Is this not what we do when we make arugments in our classes, in papers, etc? 2) I gather that you see competition as a negative of some kind? I don't necessarily disagree, but I don't see how current intellectual debate can avoid it (if making arguments and attempting to adjust and/or refute those arguments is characterized as a competitive process). I also wonder about your further comment "...Interesting how those ingrained 'gender norms' are at work, even as we're examining and discussing the discipline of sociology." This seems to suggest that competition is a norm only engaged in by males, correct? I have to wonder about that, too. I wasn't raised with any sisters, but a friend of mine was just telling me last night about how she and her sister had to compete over shared clothing; her mother only bought one article of clothing for her and her sister when they were adolescents and they had to share it. She then told me some pretty funny stories about the process of "sharing" that clothing that she and her sister engaged in. I would characterize their behavior as competitive. She's not here, but I would hazard a guess that she wouldn't reject that characterization. john John E. Glass, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology Colin County Community College Preston Ridge Campus 9700 Wade Boulevard Frisco, TX 75035 +1-972-377-1622 [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Some bad karma is worth it" Me
