our androcentric culture-第17部分

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masculine　trait；　two　father　cats　may　fight　fiercely　each　other；　but　both
will　run　from　a　dog　as　quickly　as　a　mother　cat。　　She　has　courage　enough；
however；　in　defence　of　her　kittens。

What　this　world　most　needs　to…day　in　both　men　and　women；　is　the　power　to
recognize　our　public　conditions；　to　see　the　relative　importance　of
measures；　to　learn　the　processes　of　constructive　citizenship。　　We　need
an　education　which　shall　give　its　facts　in　the　order　of　their
importance；　morals　and　manners　based　on　these　facts；　and　train　our
personal　powers　with　careful　selection；　so　that　each　may　best　serve　the
community。

At　present；　in　the　larger　processes　of　extra…scholastic　education；　the
advantage　is　still　with　the　boy。　　From　infancy　we　make　the　gross　mistake
of　accentuating　sex　in　our　children；　by　dress　and　all　its　limitations；
by　special　teaching　of　what　is　〃ladylike〃　and　〃manly。〃　　The　boy　is
allowed　a　freedom　of　experience　far　beyond　the　girl。　　He　learns　more　of
his　town　and　city；　more　of　machinery；　more　of　life；　passing　on　from
father　to　son　the　truths　as　well　as　traditions　of　sex　superiority。

All　this　is　changing　before　our　eyes；　with　the　advancing　humanness　of
women。　　Not　yet；　however；　has　their　advance　affected；　to　any　large
extent；　the　base　of　all　education；　the　experience　of　a　child's　first
years。　　Here　is　where　the　limitations　of　women　have　checked　race
progress　most　thoroughly。　　Here　hereditary　influence　was　constantly
offset　by　the　advance　of　the　male。　　Social　selection　did　develop　higher
types　of　men；　though　sex…selection　reversed　still　insisted　on　primitive
types　of　women。　　But　the　educative　influence　of　these　primitive　women；
acting　most　exclusively　on　the　most　susceptible　years　of　life；　has　been
a　serious　deterrent　to　race　progress。

Here　is　the　dominant　male；　largely　humanized；　yet　still　measuring　life
from　male　standards。　　He　sees　women　only　as　a　sex。　　（Note　here　the
criticism　of　Europeans　on　American　women。　　〃Your　women　are　so　sexless！〃
they　say；　meaning　merely　that　our　women　have　human　qualities　as　well　as
feminine。）　　And　children　he　considers　as　part　and　parcel　of　the　same
domain；　both　inferior　classes；　〃women　and　children。〃

I　recall　in　Rimmer's　beautiful　red　chalk　studies；　certain　profiles　of
man；　woman　and　child；　and　careful　explanation　that　the　proportion　of　the
woman's　face　and　head　were　far　more　akin　to　the　child　than　to　the　man。　
What　Mr。　Rimmer　should　have　shown；　and　could　have；　by　profuse
illustration；　was　that　the　faces　of　boy　and　girl　differ　but　slightly；
and　the　faces　of　old　men　and　women　differ　as　little；　sometimes　not　at
all；　while　the　face　of　the　woman　approximates　the　human　more　closely
than　that　of　the　man；　while　the　child；　representing　race　more　than　sex；
is　naturally　more　akin　to　her　than　to　him。　　The　male　reserves　more
primitive　qualities；　the　hairiness；　the　more　pugnacious　jaw；　the　female
is　nearer　to　the　higher　human　types。

An　ultra…male　selection　has　chosen　women　for　their　femininity　first；　and
next　for　qualities　of　submissiveness　and　patient　service　bred　by　long
ages　of　servility。

This　servile　womanhood；　or　the　idler　and　more　excessively　feminine　type；
has　never　appreciated　the　real　power　and　place　of　the　mother；　and　has
never　been　able　to　grasp　or　to　carry　out　any　worthy　system　of　education
for　little　children。　　Any　experienced　teacher；　man　or　woman；　will　own
how　rare　it　is　to　find　a　mother　capable　of　a　dispassionate　appreciation
of　educative　values。　　Books　in　infant　education　and　child　culture
generally　are　read　by　teachers　more　than　mothers；　so　our　public
libraries　prove。　　The　mother…instinct；　quite　suitable　and　sufficient　in
animals；　is　by　no　means　equal　to　the　requirements　of　civilized　life。　
Animal　motherhood　furnishes　a　fresh　wave　of　devotion　for　each　new　birth；
primitive　human　motherhood　extends　that　passionate　tenderness　over　the
growing　family　for　a　longer　period；　but　neither　can　carry　education
beyond　its　rudiments。

So　accustomed　are　we　to　our　world…old　method　of　entrusting　the　first
years　of　the　child　to　the　action　of　untaught；　unbridled　mother…instinct；
that　suggestions　as　to　a　better　education　for　babies　are　received　with
the　frank　derision　of　massed　ignorance。

That　powerful　and　brilliant　writer；　Mrs。　Josephine　Daskam　Bacon；　among
others　has　lent　her　able　pen　to　ridicule　and　obstruct　the　gradual
awakening　of　human　intelligence　in　mothers；　the　recognition　that　babies
are　no　exception　to　the　rest　of　us　in　being　better　off　for　competent
care　and　service。　　It　seems　delightfully　absurd　to　these　reactionaries
that　ages　of　human　progress　should　be　of　any　benefit　to　babies；　save；
indeed；　as　their　more　human　fathers；　specialized　and　organized；　are　able
to　provide　them　with　better　homes　and　a　better　world　to　grow　up　in。　　The
idea　that　mothers；　more　human；　should　specialize　and　organize　as　well；
and　extend　to　their　babies　these　supreme　advantages；　is　made　a　laughing
stock。

It　is　easy　and　profitable　to　laugh　with　the　majority；　but　in　the
judgment　of　history；　those　who　do　so；　hold　unenviable　positions。　　The
time　is　coming　when　the　human　mother　will　recognize　the　educative
possibilities　of　early　childhood；　learn　that　the　ability　to　rightly
teach　little　children　is　rare　and　precious；　and　be　proud　and　glad　to
avail　themselves　of　it。

We　shall　then　see　a　development　of　the　most　valuable　human　qualities　in
our　children's　minds　such　as　would　now　seem　wildly　Utopian。　　We　shall
learn　from　wide　and　long　experience　to　anticipate　and　provide　for　the
steps　of　the　unfolding　mind；　and　train　it；　through　carefully　prearranged
experiences；　to　a　power　of　judgment；　of　self…control；　of　social
perception；　now　utterly　unthought　of。

Such　an　education　would　begin　at　birth；　yes；　far　before　it；　in　the
standards　of　a　conscious　human　motherhood。　　It　would　require　a　quite
different　status　of　wifehood；　womanhood；　girlhood。　　It　would　be　wholly
impossible　if　we　were　never　to　outgrow　our　androcentric　culture。



OUR　ANDROCENTRIC　CULTURE；　or；　THE　MAN…MADE　WORLD


IX。

〃SOCIETY〃　AND　〃FASHION〃


Among　our　many　naive　misbeliefs　is　the　current　fallacy　that　〃society〃　is
made　by　women；　and　that　women　are　responsible　for　that　peculiar　social
manifestation　called　〃fashion。〃

Men　and　women　alike　accept　this　notion；　the　serious　essayist　and
philosopher；　as　well　as　the　novelist　and　paragrapher；　reflect　it　in
their　pages。　　The　force　of　inertia　acts　in　the　domain　of　psychics　as
well　as　physics；　any　idea　pushed　into　the　popular　mind　with　considerable
force　will　keep　on　going　until　some　opposing　forceor　the　slow
resistance　of　frictionstops　it　at　last。

〃Society〃　consists　mostly　of　women。　　Women　carry　on　most　of　its
processes；　therefore　women　are　its　makers　and　masters；　they　are
responsible　for　it；　that　is　the　general　belief。

We　might　as　well　hold　women　responsible　for　haremsor　prisoners　for
jails。　　To　be　helplessly　confined　to　a　given　place　or　condition　does　not
prove　that　one　has　chosen　it；　much　less　made　it。

No；　in　an　androcentric　culture　〃society；〃　like　every　other　social
relation；　is　dominated　by　the　male　and　arranged　for　his　convenience。　
There　are；　of　course；　modifications　due　to　the　presence　of　the　other
sex；　where　there　are　more　women　than　men　there　are　inevitable　results　of
their　influence；　but　the　character　and　conditions　of　the　whole
performance　are　dictated　by　men。

Social　intercourse　is　the　prime　condition　of　human　life。　　To　meet；　to
mingle；　to　know　one　another；　to　exchange；　not　only　definite　ideas；
facts；　and　feelings；　but　to　experience　that　vague　general　stimulus　and
enlarged　power　that　comes　of　contactall　this　is　essential　to　our
happiness　as　well　as　to　our　progress。

This　grand　desideratum　has　always　been　monopolized　by　men　as　far　as
possible。　　What　intercourse　was　allowed　to　women　has　been　rigidly　hemmed
its　by　man…made　conventions。　　Women　accept　these　conventions；　repeat
them；　enforce　them　upon　their　daughters；　but　they　originate　with　men。

The　feet　of　the　little　Chinese　girl　are　bound　by　her　mother　and　her
nursebut　it　is　not　for　woman's　pleasure　that　this　crippling　torture
was　invented。　　The　Oriental　veil　is　worn　by　women；　but　it　is　not　for　any
need　of　theirs　that　veils　were　decreed　them。

When　we　look　at　society　in　its　earlier　form　we　find　that　the　public
house　has　always　been　with　us。　　It　is　as　old　almost　as　the　private
house；　the　need　for　association　is　as　human　as　the　need　for　privacy。　
But　the　public　house　wasand　isfor　men　only。　　The　woman　was　kept　as
far　as　possible　at　home。　　Her　female　nature　was　supposed　to　delimit　her
life　satisfactorily；　and　her　human　stature　was　completely　ignored。

Under　the　pressure　of　that　human　nature　she　has　always　rebelled　at　the
social　restrictions　which　surrounded　her；　and　from　the　women　of　older
lands　gathered　at　the　well；　or　in　the　market　place；　to　our　own　women　on
the　church　steps　or　in　the　sewing　circle；　they　have　ceaselessly
struggled　for　the　social　intercourse　which　was　as　much　a　law　of　their
being　as　of　man's。

When　we　come　to　the　modern　special　field　that　we　call　〃society；〃　we　find
it　to　consist　of　a　carefully　arranged　set　of　processes　and　places
wherein　women　may　meet　one　another　and　meet　men。　　These　vary；　of　course；