Do you feel that too many personal issues are mixed into what Gender Studies should be about?

Question

Of course we are all affected by our personal lives. But Gender Studies goes beyond our backyard. Why to insist in projecting just personal issues?

Answer 1

Well, that's women for ya.

But seriously. Gender is tied to a lot of hot button issues. Equal pay, inequalities in Health Care, abortion, abuse--spousal and child, messy divorces, Father's Rights, etc. You name it. There's something for everybody to get mad about. Not to mention the fact that men and women just seem naturally to not get along--an argument against "Intelligent Design" if there ever was one.

Which is why we need to fund Gender Studies better, so that maybe Acedemia can attract some more serious scholars and fewer axegrinders.

Answer 2

Good question.
People are encouraged in all sorts of ways to personalise issues, and discouraged from putting them into any sort of broader historical, socio-economic or political context. It's actually a brilliant social control strategy.
Modern feminism seems to have abandoned even the idea of a political solution to inequality. Most of its leading lights have retreated into academia where they concentrate on constructing micro-narratives and comparing discourses.
Grand narratives (social theories that might actually lead to meaningful political action) are no longer fashionable - or don't guarantee tenure, get research funding or attract publishers.
In essence, nothing much has changed as a result of 20th century feminism. Some women got to be equal (ish) with men of their own social class; things loosened up a bit sexually (a two-edged sword for women if I ever saw one), and we all learned to be PC (in public at least) but mostly it's the same old, same old.
The gap between rich and poor keeps on getting wider - the economy keeps getting narrower and weaker - we're losing rights we once took for granted - and, like bread and circuses kept the plebs diverted in ancient Rome, we all happily obsess about minutiae and worship obediently at the altars of celebrity and money.
The world's going to hell in a handcart - but you'd ever know it by the topics on this website. Most people are more concerned about whether Britney Spears is knickered or knickerless than they are about the global economy. Why? Because most people are actually happy being treated like mushrooms; they like the crap they eat, drink, read, watch because it's EASY. Big questions are hard - they make your brain ache; they force you to make decisions, take sides, get off your backside and participate.
Some people actually become resentful if you force them to face an uncomfortable reality - probably why some women are so hostile to feminism. It's often easier just to carry on pretending life's a cruise liner. The fact that its sinking and the water's full of sharks and drowning people - that's a reality they'll keep ignoring until they're actually in the water - and even then some will pretend they're in the bath tub.
Well you did ask.

Answer 3

It is the same in every catagorey. It just has to do with people fighting and arguming the issues they care about, getting insulted and then getting mad and then posting rants and other people insluting them again. They insult back and a new person comes in and sees their insult and calls them mean names. The cycle repeats over and over again.
It is also the mask of the internet and not having to face a person in real life.

Answer 4

I think a great deal of hostility has to do with the unresolved issues that certain individuals are dealing with (or more obviously dealing with maladaptive). There seems to be a great deal of displaced anger, projection, rationalization, and denial going on.
People are simply angry perhaps about their place in the world or where they feel they should be.
Some take it to extremes with cheating, cloning and maliciously attacking others.
They cannot simply be that ignorant but are simply trying to be vindictive.
An example of this is constantly accusing feminists of being: gay, satanists, baby killers, man haters, hairy, etc.
No matter how many times these are disproved the zealots insist on flinging these childish insults. One would think they could come up with something a little more original.

Answer 5

It is a common blunder humans make to assume that their experiences are just like everyone else's...through the study of psychology I have become more aware of the common biases people have...we all do this to some extent. We often mistakenly believe that our experiences are much more common, perhaps, than they truly are. It takes greater motivation to seek out and learn from the differing experiences of others than it does to call upon our own life experiences as a frame of reference for what other people experience themselves. We tend to project our own ideas, thoughts, and beliefs (that come from our own personal experiences) onto the rest of the world, esp. to people we perceive are "just like us." There is much room here for making errors then, in our judgments.

EDIT: Madpol: excellent observation....!

EDIT: And I agree, ego defense mechanisms keep us from becoming aware of our own inner reality when it is unpleasant and hard to deal with or express. They protect us from unpleasant emotions. However, they also keep us from being able to seek out reasonable, effective solutions to our problems...if we don't know we "have a problem", we can't fix it. Most people unconsciously do use ego defense mechanisms, but not excessively. Excessive operation of these defenses can indicate a mental disorder that can have maladaptive consequences. It can cause more subjective distress (and observer distress) than it masks or "covers up."

Answer 6

nicely in case you fairly trully love her then do no longer ruin up together with her. even regardless of the undeniable fact that she looks to get mad at you once you carry out with your pals wether they're women or boys!! do purely what's superb to do for you!!

Answer 7

Hello Ms. 'A' - hope you are doing well!

As to your question, I am reminded of the famous quote - a quote whose original author is a matter of dispute. In any event,

"The Personal is Political"

Answer 8

I'm gonna make it short and quick.I never like to stand in someones face and tell them something that someone else has already told them so I'm so gonna say that I do agree with
my girl *Deirdre O*.

Answer 9

Speaking with zero agenda, what if those who have studied gender also find their experiences are backed up by the readings?

For example, Dworkin was a severe whack-job... But, she was hailed as a wonderwoman by feminists of the day - her work is used in today's colleges.
We all know she is a man-hater...

Then, we also meet feminists in real life - and they happen to reflect, perhaps not as strongly but the misandry is still obvious, the same values as Dworkin?

In my case, it was the other way around. I'd met a few feminists and many seemed quite anti-male... I had only read very little feminist theory at that time. As time pushed on, I saw more & more misandry (though, I had no name for it back then). It was only when I began to read MRA sites that I made the connection.

I had thought these particular feminists had just had a bad time with guys... But as I read more & more feminist literature, as highlighted by MRA sites (and many unbias ones too), the penny dropped.

It took a lot of time... I tried to convince myself that feminism was still good. I contact sites and asked for opinions (and so did my wife) - all we got back, was "I haven't got time for your problems" or "we've passed this to someone else" (and then never hear from them again)... whereas the men's sites, actually responded with data & facts, directing me on where to look for further information and suchlike.

It was feminist site's lack of willing to share information that made me wary of them... Prior to their unwillingness to explain where their data was coming from (which the MRA sites WERE), it does make one wonder!

That's how it is from my eyes. It may not be right, it may not be 100% of feminist thinkers, but it *is* my reality and experiences with feminists & feminist sites.

Answer 10

for sure and some of the things dont make no sense lets face it women in america has it easy now women over in these other countries they have it terrible we have nothing to complain about