Saturday, March 7, 2009

Deconstructing Social Gender Constructs.....

*Or, as was pointed out to me, I was just being oversensitive due to issues that are entirely unrelated to the thread mentioned below. Not the time-out needed part - the anti-feminist accusations I was reading into some of the comments, that do not in fact exist. Because I do believe in owning my stupidity, I am not going to remove that bit. The rest of the post is valid and topical to ongoing discussions.

See the inspiration for this post here - be warned, this link is to scientists and other very bright people acting like bloody obnoxious little children who need a time-out. Included in the attached thread are people who are attacking the totally hot Dr. Isis, for actually being a shoe-loving domestic and laboratory goddess. This is, supposedly, anti-feminist

Give me a break.

See this post (if you haven't) and come back - this current discussion will still be here.

We are who we are and there is nothing wrong with that. It is not in any way counterintuitive to actually fall into certain archetypal social gender stereotypes, while trying at the same time, to deconstruct those stereotypes as actual social gender constructs. Indeed, what is counterintuitive is denying ourselves and who we are, in the name of said deconstructions. Who the hell is going to want to actually accept such deconstructions if it means pretending to be something or someone we're not?

Deconstructing archetypal social gender constructs is all about the meaning we put into who we are and what we do. My love for hunting, power tools and such doesn't define my gender, any more than my love of skirts and tendency to be very sensitive to feelings, mine and others, defines my gender. Deconstructing social gender constructs does not mean we need to defy those constructs, it means we need to deny their ability to define gender. It really is that simple.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Included in the attached thread are people who are attacking the totally hot Dr. Isis, for actually being a shoe-loving domestic and laboratory goddess. This is, supposedly, anti-feminist.

Ah... nope. There is not one iota of this on that thread. Re read. Report back.

Being sloppy in comments is quite normal. Misreading leading to official blog posts that accuse and judge others is going to get your ass kicked! And quite justifiably. (Or are you going to make up a rule that if someone does that they are immature?)

Seriously, get back to me on that, or just start blogging about something important or interesting rather than this shit.

DuWayne Brayton said...

Well, I congratulate you for releasing your well shod inner Egyptian Goddess chick. It is creepy as hell (to think that this is not a parody), but not everyone can put their disturbing Jungian innards on the table like that. You go, girl! I mean, goddess?

misrepresenting womens empowerment at the expense of 1) their actual audience, which is purportedly women 2) men and others who are stuck negotiating the moral morass these fakes leave behind

Were rather misunderstood. My apologies Greg.

Anonymous said...

Cheers. I think we're pretty much on the same page.

Isis the Scientist said...

I don't think you were being overly sensitive at all. This is entirely about gender issues and the fact that one person believes that, because I express my gender identity in a particular way, I must be acting.

Did Greg Laden threaten to kick your ass? HA HA HA! I've got your back. LOLZ!!!!

DuWayne Brayton said...

Whether what I was reading into it was actually there or not, I take people at their word when they say it isn't. It's something that bugs the shit out of me when people do it to me, so I really hate it when I do it myself.

Did Greg Laden threaten to kick your ass?

Worse. He threatened to put on a skirt and kick my ass in front of my friends!!!

Oh wait...

No, I took it more as a semi-friendly warning about what such behavior brings. And considering the spankings I've doled out on people who have read more than I was saying into what I was saying, I was inclined to listen.