The three readings for the upcoming class all made interesting points and hade a unique tone, but all differed slightly. Johnson seemed to take a more macro approach to looking at patriarchy and blamed society. He called society a “system” and wrote, “We can all understand a system, then, just by looking at the people in it, for it is something larger and has to be understood as such”. Frye discussed women as victims and described some of the double standards and societal “cages” they are trapped in. And finally, Gokova discussed men’s duty and impact on gender stereotypes. I found Gokova’s article to be quite sexist because while his ideas were meant to help fix the gender issue, he still had a very male dominated perception.
I do not know if my opinion is due to a cultural difference, but I found Gokova’s article to be sexist because he kept emphasizing how important it was for men to take action. Govoka states, “Men must consciously take the decisions to think and behave differently” (p. 421). His writing seemed to exclude women entirely from their own fight. He writes, “Nevertheless, gender issues demand men’s participation since men need to change to realize overall change” (p. 421). I do agree that men need to participate in the gender issues, but I do not think it is just men who need to be changed. I think that it is important for men to be aware and included in the gender issues, but a change will only come if both genders work together. He talks about how ending domestic violence “must become a man’s responsibility”, once again excluding women from the solution (p. 421). Govoka goes on to write,
“Our vision for the creation of a society established on gender justice requires the involvement of every man and woman. We recognize, however, that men have a particular responsibility in this effort. Men need to be challenged continually to seek change” (p. 423).
Men are necessary in order change societies stereotypes about gender, but they are not the only factor. Govoka does not consider women’s power in the gender issues. It would not help our society if all the men changed and the women still acted within the gender stereotypes. Because Govoka does not include women in the necessary actions needed to deal with gender issues, I find him to be somewhat sexist. He still believes that in order for there to be a change, men must take action, implying women are inferior. Govoka presents good ideas and important actions to create a change, yet still seems to be caught in the past.
I agree that Gokova's article was male-dominated but I also feel that Gokova is addressing men in this piece because the women's movement has been composed of mainly women and men are not typically addressed directly, except when men are blamed for the current status of women.
ReplyDeleteHis speech is somewhat of a call for men to be aware of the privilege they possess, to take responsibility for their actions, and to be conscious of unintentional ways they may be limiting women. Gokova isn't attacking or blaming men; he is calling on them to rise to the occasion and to work to end oppression against females. In this regard, I think his focus on men is appropriate and necessary because many in the women's movement focus on women and feel that women need to solve their own problems. Men can and should be active participants in these efforts.