Comments on: Blamer brain trust alert 2

By: Antoinette Niebieszczanski

Antoinette Niebieszczanski — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 20:09:18 +0000

Twisty, I’d follow you into Hell in my skivvies, but I loathe, nay, I abominate brussels sprouts. When I was 4 I bit into one containing a tiny, curled-up worm. Never been able to look another one in the eye.

By: arse poetica

arse poetica — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:37:38 +0000

M., while you're at it, don't forget to have your students Regender!

By: LouisaMayAlcott

LouisaMayAlcott — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:19:21 +0000

Have them write the article.

Here’s an outline:

1. The material basis of patriarchy is ownership, and all ownership is enforced by violence. All ownership is adversarial.

2. Heteronormativity is based on the Stockholm sysndrome, as discussed in detail on this page:

http://www.pinn.net/~sunshine/book-sum/stokholm.html

3. All access to resources on this planet requires that one either:

a.) live feral

b.) make a deal (legal or otherwise) with the patriarchy that gives it present or future claim on your being. That claim, of course, being enforced by violence or threats of violence, and/or denial of access to resources (enforced as above.)

4. Females were the first form of property, males individually and collectively being their owners. By extension, all offspring of a woman owned by the male individual or collective are the property of same.

5. The definition and enforcement of ownership of females by males originated in individual and collective male violence.

6. Ownership was extended through generations by violence conflict in the form of wars of various scales.

Lots of material there.

They can expand and detail at will.

By: Ms. T

Ms. T — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 17:13:01 +0000

I enjoyed parts of Laura Kipnis’ Against Love. She frequently makes the point that while “love” or “lust” can briefly upset capitalist production (ie all you do is concentrate on orgasms not working or otherwise being productive in sanitized capatalist sanctioned ways) but staying in a couple only reinforces capitalist production. In order to stay with your beloved, or to merely put up with them it is back to work for you and probably babies.

By: Pony

Pony — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:06:43 +0000

Not a book, but an assignment suggestion. Students might also refer to various related IBTP posts to round out their reading list.

Discuss:

Study Finds Utah Leads Nation in Antidepressant Use

By: FemiMom

FemiMom — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:55:06 +0000

I don’t have any “nuggets”. I can, however, suggest a book from which you might exerpt:
News Coverage of Violence Against Women, by Marian Meyers. The Meyers book does an especially good job of outlining oppression based on gender, race, SES, orientation, and even, addiction. It describes how market forces work with and for the patriarchy. What passes for news is what passes with the patriarchy(!) What sells is patriarchy(!) It explores the presumption of culpability that is leveled on non-male humans who are non-white, non-straight, non-middleclass, etc. The book describes particular cases, which I found especially useful in presenting these concepts to undergraduates. Also, although this book’s topic is “media”, it would be suitable for courses in English, sociology, communication, business (yep!), and philosophy.
Heck, assign the entire book. It’s only about 150 pages.

By: curiousgyrl

curiousgyrl — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:10:01 +0000

I would second or third the john d’Emilio and Stephanie coontz suggestions.

And since brussels sprouts have for some strange reason caught some fire, I must also speak out in thier defense. Sprouts are delicious.

By: metamanda

metamanda — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:33:16 +0000

Not an article-length piece, exactly, but The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz, is very much what you describe. (She also has a riveting history of marriage out.) There are two chapters that might fit your requirements nicely: "We always stood on our own two feet: self-reliance and the american family" and "bra-burners and family bashers: feminism, working women, consumerism and the family". Her work is very readable, and smart without being heavy on the academic jargon.

By: Jess

Jess — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 03:12:17 +0000

I realllly liked _Patriarchy and Accumulation On A World Scale_ by Maria Mies. Would need to pick the best piece of the book.

There’s also “It’s All In The Family” by the wonderful Patricia Hill Collins, _Hypatia_ 13:62.

For the place of heterosexually married women in upholding the class structure, a classic is _Women of the Upper Class_ by Susan Ostrander.

Good luck to the (fellow) pedagogue.

By: Carpenter

Carpenter — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:36:44 +0000

The history of us ladies shaving our armpits is a pretty good one. All stated in an add in Harpers cuz razor companies wanted to double their market. I dont have link right not but I think its easy to find.