File spoon-archives/french-feminism.archive/french-feminism_1996/96-10-07.165, message 8


Date: Sun, 7 Jul 1996 14:28:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: Patrice McDermott <patricem-AT-capaccess.org>
Subject: Re: Cyberpunk, men who want to learn, etc.


I am really outraged at the tone of the postings from chloe. Would you, 
chloe, take such a condescending (one might say paternalistic!!) tone 
toward a woman who dared to post to the list and to engage in its 
conversations without being an expert on F-F.  This sort of whatever the 
female equivalent of dick-waving is why I have left lists dominated by 
male academics (their dick-waving, obviously, not the female equivalent). 
I agree that one should have a more than glancing familiarity with a list 
topic before getting too active--but Don is only apparently so active 
because so few women are posting (myself included--and I do know 
something about the topics, I just don't have the summer break to engage 
in them).

I am glad to see others are also responding. I would hate to see some 
really intriguing discussions derailed by petty invective.

On Fri, 5 Jul 1996, chloe sekouri wrote:

> Sorry- one more remark to add-- I replied rather too hastily to Nancy (
> before I actually read Don's reply, in fact.) 
> 
> Don, if you're on this list to learn, I have a couple of suggestions:
> 
> *read, don't post*. Most of the women on this list post intelligently and
> thoughtfully (tho' I'm not one of them); by following their discussion, you
> may understand things from (one or more of the many and various) feminist
> positions. You may not agree, of course, but you will know *why* we think
> what we think.
> 
> *go to the library and check out books*. No need to ask me or other women
> here for a reading list. Simply perform a Bolean search of your university
> library's catalog using "feminism, france" or some such as your key phrase.
> if you don't know how to do a Bolean search, I'm willing to bet the farm the
> university library employs someone who would be willing to show you how. 
> 
> *actually read the books you check out* If you try reading primary sources
> and they seem really obscure or difficult, try reading some secondary
> sources.  One very accessible secondary source you might want to try is
> Toril Moi's _Sexual/Textual Politics_. It will help you get a foot in the
> door, so to speak. If you're really and truly lost while reading FF primary
> and secondary sources, any good dictionary of philosophy that gives you
> bite-size definitions of philosophical concepts, movements, etc. may be
> helpful.  I understand there are similar dictionaries of feminist thought
> out there, too.  
> 
> If you still don't feel you know enough about this subject, I suggest you go
> back to the beginning of the list above, and start over again. 
> 
> Oh and BTW-- when you mention how you're too old to actually beleive that
> feminists will control men in general and you in particualr ( at least
> within your lifetime),  I suddenly flashed on a Foucault quote (french, but
> not feminist):
> 
> "When the proletariat takes power, it may be quite possible that the
> proletariat will exert toward the classes over which it has triumphed a
> violent, dictatorial, and even bloody power. I can't see what objection one
> could make to this"  (Foucault, cited in Miller, _The Passion of Michel
> Foucalt_, p. 203).
> 
> Thanks, and have a nice day.
> 
> :-)
> 
> chloe
> 

Patrice McDermott
patricem-AT-CapAccess.org





   

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