I'm an athropologist (and a female), and it really bothers me. It's clear that when people said "man" historically, they weren't including women as equals. Today, people say that "man" includes both males and females. But "human" is an equally simple term, and it's not sexist ...
Studies have shown that when people think of a "caveman," they don't think of a woman. Women aren't depicted in artistic renderings of hominids, unless they're following behind dangling a boobie and a baby. The stereotype is "man the hunter," not "woman the gatherer." When it's said that "man invented fire," does anyone really visualize a female form??? "Man" is a tool user and a hunter; no one thinks of a female "man" on those terms.
2007-01-21
14:27:55
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20 answers
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asked by
stormsinger1
5
in
Anthropology