Yeah -- that is a good thought, I think. It is a learning curve like any other, and needs both positive and negative reaction involved.
I think I understand why guys get so defensive about a lot of this stuff -- back when I was starting my Phil. of Feminism course I had someone in the comments here be like "oh don't do that, it turns you into an evil mean lesbian with a shaved head" etc. Which I laughed at in the privacy of my own soul, but I think it illuminated some of the process: the thing about living with privilege is that your behaviour hasn't changed, but suddenly the people around you have changed their behaviour towards you, so clearly the variable is the problem? And it's not taken into account that the behaviour was always the problem, but the change is that the people around you are educated about it and have changed their opinion of it.
Which sucks. Which means, yes, having to treat grown men like students and I do get tired of that too and want to scream "your deficiencies aren't my problem!" very loud some days. But...yeah, I think that reaction would go down some if there were cookies handed out. Because then the perception would be less that nothing a guy can do is right, therefore the guy should actively do the same thing they always were out of spite, and more that the behaviour is the problem, as the reaction changes when the behaviour does.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-08-30 11:05 pm (UTC)I think I understand why guys get so defensive about a lot of this stuff -- back when I was starting my Phil. of Feminism course I had someone in the comments here be like "oh don't do that, it turns you into an evil mean lesbian with a shaved head" etc. Which I laughed at in the privacy of my own soul, but I think it illuminated some of the process: the thing about living with privilege is that your behaviour hasn't changed, but suddenly the people around you have changed their behaviour towards you, so clearly the variable is the problem? And it's not taken into account that the behaviour was always the problem, but the change is that the people around you are educated about it and have changed their opinion of it.
Which sucks. Which means, yes, having to treat grown men like students and I do get tired of that too and want to scream "your deficiencies aren't my problem!" very loud some days. But...yeah, I think that reaction would go down some if there were cookies handed out. Because then the perception would be less that nothing a guy can do is right, therefore the guy should actively do the same thing they always were out of spite, and more that the behaviour is the problem, as the reaction changes when the behaviour does.
Wow, that got rambly. Um. *g* I agree completely?