our androcentric culture-第16部分

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Remember　that　the　essential　masculine　attitude　is　one　of　opposition；　of
combat；　his　desire　is　obtained　by　first　overcoming　a　competitor；　and
then　see　how　this　dominant　masculinity　stands　out　where　it　has　no
possible　use　or　benefitin　the　field　of　education。　　All　along　the　line；
man；　long　master　of　a　subject　sex；　fought　every　step　of　woman　toward
mental　equality。　　Nevertheless；　since　modern　man　has　become　human　enough
to　be　just；　he　has　at　last　let　her　have　a　share　in　the　advantages　of
education；　and　she　has　proven　her　full　power　to　appreciate　and　use　these
advantages。

Then　to…day　rises　a　new　cry　against　〃women　in　education。〃　　Here　is　Mr。
Barrett　Wendell；　of　Harvard；　solemnly　claiming　that　teaching　women
weakens　the　intellect　of　the　teacher；　and　every　now　and　then　bursts　out
a　frantic　sputter　of　alarm　over　the　〃feminization〃　of　our　schools。　　It
is　true　that　the　majority　of　teachers　are　now　women。　　It　is　true　that
they　do　have　an　influence　on　growing　children。　　It　would　even　seem　to　be
true　that　that　is　largely　what　women　are　for。

But　the　male　assumes　his　influence　to　be　normal；　human；　and　the　female
influence　as　wholly　a　matter　of　sex；　therefore；　where　women　teach　boys；
the　boys　become　〃effeminate〃a　grievous　fall。　　When　men　teach　girls；　do
the　girls　become　…？　　Here　again　we　lack　the　analogue。　　Never　has　it
occurred　to　the　androcentric　mind　to　conceive　of　such　a　thing　as　being
too　masculine。　　There　is　no　such　word！　　It　is　odd　to　notice　that　which
ever　way　the　woman　is　placed；　she　is　supposed　to　exert　this　degrading
influence；　if　the　teacher；　she　effeminizes　her　pupils；　if　the　pupil；　she
effeminizes　her　teachers。

Now　let　us　shake　ourselves　free；　if　only　for　a　moment；　from　the
androcentric　habit　of　mind。

As　a　matter　of　sex；　the　female　is　the　more　important。　　Her　share　of　the
processes　which　sex　distinction　serves　is　by　far　the　greater。　　To　be
feminineif　one　were　nothing　else；　is　a　far　more　extensive　and
dignified　office　than　to　be　masculineand　nothing　else。

But　as　a　matter　of　humanity　the　male　of　our　species　is　at　present　far
ahead　of　the　female。　　By　this　superior　humanness；　his　knowledge；　his
skill；　his　experience；　his　organization　and　specialization；　he　makes　and
manages　the　world。　　All　this　is　human；　not　male。　　All　this　is　as　open　to
the　woman　as　the　man　by　nature；　but　has　been　denied　her　during　our
androcentric　culture。

But　even　if；　in　a　purely　human　process；　such　as　education；　she　does
bring　her　special　feminine　characteristics　to　bear；　what　are　they；　and
what　are　the　results？

We　can　see　the　masculine　influence　everywhere　still　dominant　and
superior。　　There　is　the　first　spur；　Desire；　the　base　of　the　reward
system；　the　incentive　of　self…interest；　the　attitude　which　says；　〃Why
should　I　make　an　effort　unless　it　will　give　me　pleasure？〃　with　its
concomitant　laziness；　unwillingness　to　work　without　payment。　　There　is
the　second　spur；　Combat；　the　competitive　system；　which　sets　one　against
another；　and　finds　pleasure　not　in　learning；　not　exercising　the　mind；
but　in　getting　ahead　of　one's　fellows。　　Under　these　two　wholly　masculine
influences　we　have　made　the　educational　process　a　joy　to　the　few　who
successfully　attain；　and　a　weary　effort；　with　failure　and　contumely
attached；　to　all　the　others。　　This　may　be　a　good　method　in
sex…competition；　but　is　wholly　out　of　place　and　mischievous　in
education。　　Its　prevalence　shows　the　injurious　masculization　of　this
noble　social　process。

What　might　we　look　for　in　a　distinctly　feminine　influence？　　What　are
these　much…dreaded　feminine　characteristics？

The　maternal　ones；　of　course。　　The　sex　instincts　of　the　male　are　of　a
preliminary　nature；　leading　merely　to　the　union　preceding　parenthood。　
The　sex　instincts　of　the　female　cover　a　far　larger　field；　spending
themselves　most　fully　in　the　lasting　love；　the　ceaseless　service；　the
ingenuity　and　courage　of　efficient　motherhood。　　To　feminize　education
would　be　to　make　it　more　motherly。　　The　mother　does　not　rear　her
children　by　a　system　of　prizes　to　be　longed　for　and　pursued；　nor　does
she　set　them　to　compete　with　one　another；　giving　to　the　conquering　child
what　he　needs；　and　to　the　vanquished；　blame　and　deprivation。　　That　would
be　〃unfeminine。〃

Motherhood　does　all　it　knows　to　give　to　each　child　what　is　most　needed；
to　teach　all　to　their　fullest　capacity；　to　affectionately　and
efficiently　develop　the　whole　of　them。

But　this　is　not　what　is　meant　by　those　who　fear　so　much　the　influence　of
women。　　Accustomed　to　a　wholly　male　standard　of　living；　to　masculine
ideals；　virtues；　methods　and　conditions；　they　sayand　say　with　some
justicethat　feminine　methods　and　ideals　would　be　destructive　to　what
they　call　〃manliness。〃　　For　instance；　education　to…day　is　closely
interwoven　with　games　and　sports；　all　of　an　excessively　masculine
nature。　　〃The　education　of　a　boy　is　carried　on　largely　on　the
playground！〃　say　the　objectors　to　women　teachers。　　Women　cannot　join
them　there；　therefore；　they　cannot　educate　them。

What　games　are　these　in　which　women　cannot　join？　　There　are　forms　of
fighting；　of　course；　violent　and　fierce；　modern　modifications　of　the
instinct　of　sex…combat。　　It　is　quite　true　that　women　are　not　adapted；　or
inclined；　to　baseball　or　football　or　any　violent　game。　　They　are
perfectly　competent　to　take　part　in　all　normal　athletic　development；　the
human　range　of　agility　and　skill　is　open　to　them；　as　everyone　knows　who
has　been　to　the　circus；　but　they　are　not　built　for　physical　combat；　nor
do　they　find　ceaseless　pleasure　in　throwing；　hitting　or　kicking　things。

But　is　it　true　that　these　strenuous　games　have　the　educational　value
attributed　to　them？　　It　seems　like　blasphemy　to　question　it。　　The　whole
range　of　male　teachers；　male　pupils；　male　critics　and　spectators；　are
loud　in　their　admiration　for　the　〃manliness〃　developed　by　the　craft；
courage；　co…ordinative　power　and　general　〃sportsmanship〃　developed　by
the　game　of　football；　for　instance；　that　a　few　young　men　are　killed　and
many　maimed；　is　nothing　in　comparison　to　these　advantages。

Let　us　review　the　threefold　distinction　on　which　this　whole　study　rests；
between　masculine；　feminine　and　human。　　Grant　that　woman；　being
feminine；　cannot　emulate　man　in　being　masculineand　does　not　want　to。　
Grant　that　the　masculine　qualities　have　their　use　and　value；　as　well　as
feminine　ones。　　There　still　remain　the　human　qualities　shared　by　both；
owned　by　neither；　most　important　of　all。　　Education　is　a　human　process；
and　should　develop　human　qualitiesnot　sex　qualities。　　Surely　our　boys
are　sufficiently　masculine；　without　needing　a　special　education　to　make
them　more　so。

The　error　lies　here。　　A　strictly　masculine　world；　proud　of　its　own　sex
and　despising　the　other；　seeing　nothing　in　the　world　but　sex；　either
male　or　female；　has　〃viewed　with　alarm〃　the　steady　and　rapid　growth　of
humanness。　　Here；　for　instance；　is　a　boy　visibly　tending　to　be　an
artist；　a　musician；　a　scientific　discoverer。　　Here　is　another　boy　not
particularly　clever　in　any　line；　nor　ambitious　for　any　special　work；
though　he　means　in　a　general　way　to　〃succeed〃；　he　is；　however；　a　big；
husky　fellow；　a　good　fighter；　mischievous　as　a　monkey；　and　strong　in　the
virtues　covered　by　the　word　〃sportsmanship。〃　　This　boy　we　call　〃a　fine
manly　fellow。〃

We　are　quite　right。　　He　is。　　He　is　distinctly　and　excessively　male；　at
the　expense　of　his　humanness。　　He　may　make　a　more　prepotent　sire　than
the　other；　though　even　that　is　not　certain；　he　may；　and　probably　will；
appeal　more　strongly　to　the　excessively　feminine　girl；　who　has　even　less
humanness　than　he；　but　he　is　not　therefore　a　better　citizen。

The　advance　of　civilization　calls　for　human　qualities；　in　both　men　and
women。　　Our　educational　system　is　thwarted　and　hindered；　not　as　Prof。
Wendell　and　his　life　would　have　us　believe；　by　〃feminization；〃　but　by　an
overweening　masculization。

Their　position　is　a　simple　one。　　〃We　are　men。　　Men　are　human　beings。　
Women　are　only　women。　　This　is　a　man's　world。　　To　get　on　in　it　you　must
do　it　man…fashioni。e。；　fight；　and　overcome　the　others。　　Being
civilized；　in　part；　we　must　arrange　a　sort　of　〃civilized　warfare；〃　and
learn　to　play　the　game；　the　old　crude；　fierce　male　game　of　combat；　and
we　must　educate　our　boys　thereto。〃　　No　wonder　education　was　denied　to
women。　　No　wonder　their　influence　is　dreaded　by　an　ultra…masculine
culture。

It　will　change　the　system　in　time。　　It　will　gradually　establish　an　equal
place　in　life　for　the　feminine　characteristics；　so　long　belittled　and
derided；　and　give　pre…eminent　dignity　to　the　human　power。

Physical　culture；　for　both　boys　and　girls；　will　be　part　of　such　a
modified　system。　　All　things　that　both　can　do　together　will　be　accepted
as　human；　but　what　either　boys　or　girls　have　to　retire　apart　to　practice
will　be　frankly　called　masculine　and　feminine；　and　not　encouraged　in
children。

The　most　important　qualities　are　the　human　ones；　and　will　be　so　named
and　honored。　　Courage　is　a　human　quality；　not　a　sex…quality。　　What　is
commonly　called　courage　in　male　animals　is　mere　belligerence；　the
fighting　instinct。　　To　meet　an　adversary　of　his　own　sort　is　a　universal
masculine　trait；　two　father　cats　may　fight　fiercely　each　other；