The Male Dominant Paradigm

[omega minimo]

There are conversations we are not allowed to have, no matter how reasonable, conciliatory, disputed-but-non-flamed...... another one with real potential for improving communication was just deleted.

There was a call in that thread for education. About language. About respect.

And about the Male Dominant Paradigm as a global societal force. This is fact, not opinion. Why are so many people completely unaware of this force and its impacts on all of us-- female and male? Is there any education anywhere on this, outside of Women's Studies or Psychology classes? Is it possible to educate about that force here... to break through the ignorance and denial... to help people recognize the distinction between societal forces and individual behavior? (And help them quit being stubbornly defensive when discussing the big picture ruffles their ego?)

We have to be able to face and discuss these forces of dominion and violence, in order to face and address the problems affecting all of us.

These problems include the misguided dominion and violence of warring religions in the name of god;
as well as the genocidal dominion and violence upon our shared life support system, the planet Earth.

We need to heal this suicidal split within ourselves, within our families and within societies.


And first we must admit that it exists.

[sweetheart]

1. "this suicidal split within ourselves"

I very much like this phrase, and the male dominant paradigm is each of us, a voice
in our heads that is this dominant dictator, and every honest person will admit
they have such a demon, and as well, a benign sacred observer consciousness that
is not there to drive the car, a very feminine awareness. And both these awearenesses
share our every waking, the male dominant paradigm not effective if there is no fear.

[Annces]

3. Right

I agree.

[omega minimo]

9. wow

thank you

[LostinVA]

2. I personally thought that was an interesting thread with great potential

And, it wasn't a complete flamefest. If anything happened to it, I wish it had only been locked. There were some interesting comments from all sides there.

And, I agree with you that certain things are rather verboten to discuss -- both society and sometimes on here.

[omega minimo]

5. Yep there were some civilized disagreements worth reaching out,

now lost

[Jcrowley]

4. Worthy of discussion it seems

Here is what Susan Griffin says: “Long ago we gave up ourselves.. .we have traded our real existence, our real feelings for a delusion. Instead of fighting for our lives, we bend all our efforts to defend delusion. We deny all evidence at hand that the civilization which has shaped our minds, is also destroying the earth.”

For western civilization, the world consists of a pyramid, with God and angels on the top, and earth and everything in it, underneath. And on the earth, nature is at the bottom, while white human males are at the top of this hierarchy. And the most privileged occupation is the objective, scientific investigation and manipulation of nature—bereft of emotions. Religion and science have combined to deepen our alienation from this earth. “If the church once offered the denigration of incarnate life as a solution to the human condition, now science offers us the Control of Matter as our rescue.” (Susan Griffin, Eco-Feminism).

The thought process that allows us to believe that we are above the earth is our intellectual response to our deep- seated fear of being overcome by nature. We have learned to think that we must take control of our environ-  ment in order to survive. As early as the 14th Century, witch burning bears evidence of man’s fears, which was utilizing the (then) recent scientific discovery about the cosmic order as a justification. In the 16th Century, the slave trade is a demonstration of the white man’s condescension, viewing the black people of Africa as primitive and inferior, and manifested by their close connection to nature.

We have denied our essence and forgotten who we are. Unfortunately, we are still engaged in breaking the heart and spirit of nature, which is actually our very own heart and spirit. I sincerely believe that in our own secret knowledge, and our collective unconscious mind, we remember that nature is an essential part of us, our society, and our culture. Our memory of this natural attachment to life still exists. Maybe even our own breath reminds us of a time when we were curious - and when nature felt like an integral part of who we are.

Our insecurity does not need to be encouraged as it creates the need to control our surroundings instead of cohabitate with it. We so dearly need peace for people, animals and this earth, that we must become active participants in saving our Earth, thus saving ourselves.

[raccoon]

6. K&R. Come on, yall, we need 1 more! nt

[Der Blaue Engel]

7. I would like to reiterate my support for discourse on this topic

Discussing the power dynamics within society and within language itself should not be seen as some kind of a threat or accusation. (Someone actually suggested I was calling them a terrorist for pointing out the sexist language in a post. Why the need to be so defensive?)

Speaking truth to power isn't just a radio talk slogan. It's what DU should be about.

[bryant69]

8. Its worth discussing

But it's also a hot issue at times, on both sides.

I sometimes wonder whether if you could remove the guilt and talk about it flatly if you would get further or not as far.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[H2O Man]

10. It's an important topic

but it can create tension when discussed. I think that it helps to place the discussion in the context of the larger, more inclusive issue of violence in society. It may help to begin with any individual's aggressive violence towards another individual is a problem. A discussion of domestic violence, for example, is of more value when one considers all the various types, rather than limit it to one type. Does that seem right?

[bryant69]

11. I suppose it would depend on what the goal of such a discussion

is. If it is personal transformation, than I would agree - because it brings the problem home. Not all of us (hopefully very few of us) have committed domestic violence - but how many of us have violence of one kind or another in us? Probably all of us.

On the other hand if the goal is to understand what causes a certain phenomenon, it is less useful - generalizing can strip a problem of its specificity.

I don't know - everything is the same thing and everything is its own thing at more or less the same time.

I wish I had read the original post - but it must have popped when I was at lunch. Might know more specifically what is the real question (which I guess we can't ask now because it would recreate the former tension).

Bryant

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Marnieworld]

13. I almost highlighted the same thing!

Dictator vs. sacred and they wonder why it gets locked?

Hi Mongo!
:hi:

[rman]

14. The point is that there's a bit of both in everyone,

not to make a black-and-white gender characterization.

[rudy23]

15. Or you could call it the ego vs superego

Ego being concerned with the "self"
Superego being concerned with "morality"

The OP may have inadvertantly projected her own stereotypes onto each of the voices. You don't think there are some dominant women out there who lead with their egos? I do agree that it tends to shake out that each trait corresponds to each sex.

I agree, it's a suicidal split that is within each one of us, and if you look at our country, that split is manifested nationally as well.

Some people are primarily concerned with survival, dominance, aquiring physical means that will facilitate these ends. These tend to be quantitative thinkers.

Others are concerned with morality, the future of mankind, how to be good stewards of the planet. These tend to be qualitative thinkers.

Of course the first group trends to the right, and the second to the left. Though that's a stereotype in and of itself, and could be debunked with a quick tour of this board, but it does seem to have some consistently. That's why I think this is the split in humanity that really matters. It seperates us from each other, and confuses us withing ourselves. We really need to study this much, much more than we have been.

[Annces]

16. This is the subject that got me registered to DU - I found the old post

It was by SoCalDem July 2005.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4067158


""It's really all about the women.
Radical Islam, The Taliban, The Religious Right, The African "Troubles".

The (mis)treatmment of women by any society is the measure OF that society.

In days gone by, societies were closed off and people didn't know what was happening a village away. Modern life has brought the whole world into their living rooms. Cloistered women in locked-down societies can now see that other women are treated better than they are, and they don't like it.

Even in western society, women have only been "equal" for under 100 years. Some would say that even now, in America, women are not equal...and they would be right, BUT women have it much better here (as a group) than anywhere else.

This is what is scaring the militant males of the world. Whether they are Taliban, Islamic, African..whatever.. they fear the rise of women, because it means they will lose power.

For centuries, males have been able to use females, and discard them at will.

Western culture frowns on this, and in order for non-westerners to be accepted, they must stop mistreating women.. They are not willing to do this. They want nothing to do with modernity if it means their women will stop obeying them.Nothing we say or do to them will change their minds...and they ARE willing to kill to preserve THEIR way of life.

In the US, we may not have honor killings" and arranged marriages, but women are still kept under the thumbs of men...and if the religious right has their way here, women will retreat to the sanctity of the kitchen and the car pool.

Women are the majority, but we have yet to act like it...""

[Moderator]

17. Locking

When posting, please don't call out moderator actions.