English lit? So you're going to be a teacher? As I'm sure most of my fellow arts students can attest, this is one irritating inquiry. No, I do not want to be a teacher. Barring the occasional post-Dangerous Minds fit of romantic delusion, the thought of attempting to impart a love of poetry to a group of hormonally charged adolescents doesn't exactly whip me into a frenzy of enthusiasm. I do not, however, perceive the question as a subversive way of asking, "So, you're going to become a traitor to all womankind?" Now this link may seem strange to you, as it did to me scarcely a few scant days ago, but a friend now informs me that any woman who becomes a teacher, secretary, nurse or stay-at-home mom is a "sell-out" and a "traitor." Un-twist those panties ladies, I did the yelling for you.
Sick of hearing about feminism and its potential backlash? Am I ever with you on that one, but this particular psychotic rant is almost humorous. I'll try to explain my friend's reasoning. The vast majority of secretaries, nurses and, to a lesser extent, teachers, are women. In the past, these were some of the few career choices open to women, and therefore these fields do not require the same degree of struggle against the sexist norm as other previously male dominated areas of employ. And so, it is obviously the duty of every modern, self-respecting woman to sacrifice her personal passion or ambition in order to become a tireless warrior in the on-going fight against those nasty male oppressors by refusing to employ themselves in any of these occupations.
So women, are we individuals, or just separate lumps of girlishness in the mass of worldwide femininity? The ultimate implication of my friend's line of reasoning is that we are women first and people second. Sound familiar to anyone? Especially anyone over 50? Individual women do not owe some feminist collective anything. Rather, we own the right to self-definition and this right includes the choice of any career with personal appeal. Any claim that women must choose their careers based on gendered associations looks the same to me, and thus telling a woman she can't become a teacher sounds a lot like telling her she has to. Methinks we have a case of the same smelly substance in a different smelly pile here, and it looks like this particular pile has my friend's footprints all over it. Saying women can't become nurses, even if they are sincerely and passionately desirous of doing so, is essentially bending feminism over and disciplining it the old fashioned way.
But if I'm wrong, I have a confession to make. I love to bake. And it gets worse… I also love babies, having dinner ready for my boyfriend when he walks in the door and I've recently acquired a strangely compelling desire to learn to knit. Should I look at these stereotypically feminine traits as evidence of the taint of a patriarchal society, subtly forcing me to abandon my dreams of higher education and docilely take my god-given place in the home? I doubt it. I think it is more likely that I should look at these traits as evidence that I'll be a professor, lawyer or writer that likes baking and babies. If my friend is right, however, look for me as you proceed in whatever direction education is taking you. I'll be the one heading the opposite way, wearing high heels and a poodle skirt, with a grubby baby in a pram, probably holding a vacuum.
2008 Woodie Awards
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Mary Sparrow
posted 10/28/07 @ 3:58 PM EST
So you have one friend who is narrow minded or worse. Where is it said in any feminist writing that women should limit themselves to traditionally male careers or that they should not be teachers, nurses or secretariess?? The feminist message is women should NOT BE LIMITED TO TO THESE CAREERS. (Continued…)
Kat Gibson
posted 10/28/07 @ 5:00 PM EST
Wait...you just articulated the point of my article. How exactly are you disagreeing with me? Where did I put down feminism in general? I am explicitly talking about individuals who I think get feminism wrong, individuals who DO care that I like to bake and knit. (Continued…)
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