One controversy running through both traditional and egalitarian advice books is whether to use feminine wiles; authors on both sides feel obliged to take a position on the question. In nineteenth-century America, “feminine wiles” were an acknowledged if not much admired way in which a woman might get what she wanted indirectly when direct access […]
Месяц: Сентябрь 2015
Differentiated identities and hierarchies of taste
During the 1980s, feminism was criticized for privileging white, heterosexual, middle — class women as the subjects of its discourse, while assuming a universal relevance. The ‘shared experience’ of women or its use as a category of political identity is, in these terms, made more problematic by its articulation with other formative identifications — especially […]
Losing a Loved One
Death unearths deep feelings about family. The death of a parent, in particular, calls attention to both the importance and the fragility of family, often compelling women to put family first in their own lives. They become proactive as part of the grieving process, mourning the loss and healing by creating their own families. Usually, […]
THE PRINCIPLE OF BALANCING
Not only do advice books mix codes, adding in other elements of culture; some advice books tell readers how to balance “masculine” with “feminine” demeanor and feeling rules. Some advice books urge women to adopt “masculine” manners. In The Right Moves Charlene Mitchell urges women to remain detached, cool, businesslike, and for purposes of making […]
THE PRINCIPLE OF BALANCING
Not only do advice books mix codes, adding in other elements of culture; some advice books tell readers how to balance “masculine” with “feminine” demeanor and feeling rules. Some advice books urge women to adopt “masculine” manners. In The Right Moves Charlene Mitchell urges women to remain detached, cool, businesslike, and for purposes of making […]
HIERARCHY AND HYPOCRISY
An equally striking effect of the campaign for reformation was that even the prosecution of common whores and brothel-keepers became controversial. In 1700 no one thought that such criminals were beyond punishment, and the reform societies were able to proceed vigorously against them. Yet though in the short term their tactics were remarkably successful, they […]
The Role of Stress
You know what it feels like to be stressed. Whether it’s from the upcoming exam in this course, the traffic jam you sat in on your way home yesterday, or the demands your children place on you, stress Longevity, Health, and Functioning 119 seems to be everywhere. There is plenty of scientific evidence that over […]
Wasn’t polygyny an example of women as men’s property?
In no country at no period of time, were women safe from… the insistence that their bodies existed only in relation to man, for his pleasure and progeny The Women’s History of the World46 Academic feminism often equates mistresses, concubines, and polygyny* (a man having more than one wife) with male dominance. Once we understand […]
Why premarital sex, sexual freedom, and homosexuality were condemned
Premarital sex and sexual freedom were condemned because the children they led to had no way of being protected. Masturbation, homosexuality, and sodomy (as in anal sex, oral sex, or sex with animals) were also condemned because none of them even led to children. •Scholars who contend the daughters were hopeless sinners do so on […]
Interruptions
On occasion women have the opportunity to leave their daily lives for a time. These interruptions in routines are bracketed, and provide women the freedom and opportunity to reflect upon, evaluate, and redirect their lives. For many, interruptions serve as a refresher course or an exercise in remembering and focusing on one’s own life goals. […]