Dystopians On Estrogen (Carolyn Baker)

[Demeter]

http://www.worldnewstrust.com/wnt-original/commentary/dystopians-on-estrogen-carolyn-baker.html

Carolyn Baker -- Speaking Truth To Power

Jan. 25, 2009 -- This past week the New Yorker published "The Dystopians" by Ben McGrath, by whom I was interviewed back in October, and who allowed me to make an appearance in the article with a brief mention of my forthcoming book...Sitting with this piece for the past seven days has been unsettling, not because I personally wanted more air time, but because of the article's paucity of references to the female perspective regarding the collapse of civilization. Although I greatly admire Dmitry Orlov and James Howard Kunstler, and while I feel camaraderie in particular with my friends in the Vermont Independence movement, Rob Williams and Thomas Naylor, I found "The Dystopians" to be an appallingly white male extravaganza...

My complaint is not about some notion of "equal time" but rather the consequences of omitting a uniquely female perspective from the discourse about collapse and the construction of a new paradigm of life on the planet. Despite my caveat, I know I will be accused of proclaiming the superiority of the female gender, but that is absolutely not my intent. In fact, quite the opposite. The conversation requires the distinct characteristics of both genders, and without it, only half the landscape of collapse can be viewed.

First, the very word "dystopian" is inaccurate. The dictionary describes "dystopian" as "a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding." I do not limit the collapse of civilization to this particular scenario. "Dystopian" also suggests the opposite of "utopia" which is an ideal place or state that is a vision of social perfection. What McGrath fails to fulfill in his report is a thoughtful exploration of the very nature of collapse-its origins, its essence, and its possible outcomes. Instead, the focus is on an implied eccentric Orlov who lives on a boat and Kunstler's quirky ways with other human beings. "Dystopian" is indeed a characteristically male term, assuming an either/or, polarizing approach, rather than a more inclusive outlook...

From the female perspective, these concerns are in no way irrelevant or unimportant, but may motivate us to embrace an even larger perspective. By "larger" I do not mean more global but rather, a perspective that includes the body and emotions as well as the intellect. It isn't just about having a womb and the capacity to give birth. However, a woman's fundamental, bone-marrow connection to life and generativity is uniquely female. Perhaps this is the reason that in many indigenous societies, including the Iroquois Confederacy, the clan mothers' authority superseded that of the warriors who could not go to war without their permission... What this is about is the pivotal aspect of the female psyche that is relational rather than combative or problem-solving. The feminine principle in both women and men asks: How can we connect with each other in a manner that supports survival and enhances our lives as we navigate the destructive aspects of collapse? How can we build alliances, join with neighbors and villages to sustain our families and communities? From the feminine perspective, the egos of certain "key players" matter much less than the collective lessons that the unprecedented phenomenon of collapse may be inviting us to learn.

The feminine principle always compels us to go deeper and rather than asking "if" the world as we have known it is really ending, asking instead: What is the essence of the project of civilization?

[Lost in CT]

1. "Dystopian" is indeed a characteristically male term,

"Dystopian" is indeed a characteristically male term, assuming an either/or, polarizing approach, rather than a more inclusive outlook..."

Yeah cause the collapse of the healthcare suppliers and the food industry would be a good thing...

"From the feminine perspective, the egos of certain "key players" matter much less than the collective lessons that the unprecedented phenomenon of collapse may be inviting us to learn."

Has the author ever met a woman... no really... who wrote this some catholic priest????

[Demeter]

2. Tell Me, Is It the Man or the Woman

pulling the trigger in all those murder-suicides? Dystopian IS the male paradigm--either my way, or the highway!

Women cope, survive, raise their children. Men have temper tantrums and take it out on anybody nearby.

And had you eyes, you would see that a woman wrote this.

[Lost in CT]

3. I know a woman wrote this...

"Women cope, survive, raise their children. Men have temper tantrums and take it out on anybody nearby."

I can't think of a more sexist quote than the one you provided above.

The whole piece is sexist.

This isn't the 1950's anymore.

[SharonAnn]

4. How about these:

- Most people who have temper tantrums and take it out on anybody nearby - are men!

- Most people who kill others with firearms - are men!

- Most people who commit sexual offenses - are men!

- Most people who write computer viruses - are men!

These are all true.

- I'm not sure what one can derive from this, but it's worth looking at.