Like Michele, I too struggle with what we can do to solve the seemingly endless problems in our society. We, as a collective group, seem to always complain or claim something or another needs changing. Many societal problems are labeled as such because they indeed include everyone that “participates” in society. In other words, the problem of inequality for women cannot be viewed simply as a women’s issue. Instead, it is an issue deeply ingrained in the “system” that is our society. According to Allan Johnson, however, we have no concrete definition of this so called system and therefore, identify it as the source of all of our problems while simultaneously recognizing it as something we cannot change.
Johnson argues, however, that we cannot even pretend to improve upon these problems unless we define “the system” and realize that we all in fact participate in perpetuating this system. In Johnson’s words, to participate is to simply “have a part in what goes on, to do something (or not) and to have the choice affect the consequences, regardless of whether it is conscious or unconscious, coerced or not,” (Johnson, 30). Whether or not we comprehend the results of our actions, that which we accept or reject, on a day-to-day basis, serves to either perpetuate or reshape the system. It is also important to note that this system known as society, in turn, shapes each of us-often without us even realizing.
I was particularly struck by Marilyn Frye’s example of the man opening the door for the woman. She claims that this action suggests that women are “incapable“ beings, dependent on the help of their more able male counterparts. I do think that scrutinizing certain male gestures is certainly illuminating as it focuses on behavior that we some how accept without necessarily challenging or considering the greater forces behind it.
I believe, however, that Frye took her argument too far when she suggested men are mocking women in the act of opening the door. Frye argues that in opening the door for women, men imitate the acts of a servant for his master. While servants may in fact open doors for their masters, this commonality in behavior does not suggest direct relation between the two independent events. I personally do not think that a man, when opening the door for a woman, laughs to himself at the irony that he is doing something for a woman since she is normally the one that is subservient to him. Instead, I believe, that men open the door in order to display their respect and desire to please a woman. Perhaps this is wishful and naïve thinking, however I stand by this belief.
Although I found some of Frye’s argument extremely ridiculous and dramatic, I do believe that both she, and Johnson, have a point when they suggest we must focus on the greater message behind the individual examples we see every day. I too think that we often look at terrible crimes such as rape cases or homicides and blame the individual who carried out the violent act. While this person is certainly to blame, we must look for patterns and reoccurring circumstances in order to understand the roots of our problem and truly transform society.
I think that Frye’s example of the birdcage wire really said it well: if we get up very close to a bird cage, so close we can only see one wire, we will not understand why the bird does not fly around the single wire. Upon taking a “macroscopic view,” however, we are able to see that there are forces surrounding the bird keeping it from moving. Frye (and Johson) suggests that we must stop looking at individual examples or pressures, but instead see how all the pressures fit together resulting in a systematic process. Only this way, can we move forward and make changes in our society. Even if we do understand society, however, I still am skeptical as to how we will fundamentally change a system that involves everyone in our society? If full participation exists in “the system” and we need full participation to change “the system,” is it indeed possible to truly bring about a meaningful transformation?
No comments:
Post a Comment