Gender Stereotypes

Via Feministing, some comment on gender stereotypes from Dave Hill in the Guardian. Hill's point is basically that gender stereotypes hurt men as well as women. Pretty self-evident point and quite frankly, there's nothing super-special about the article. I think that's reflective of my own personal frustration with the issue when it comes to feminism.

Do gender stereotypes cut both ways? Sure- but that's due to the social construction of gender. Men are supposed to be tough, never cry, blah de blah de blah- you know the litany as well as everyone can, but a mere recognition of that fact, while important, obscures, to me, the real issue: what are men supposed to do?

In one very real sense, feminism shouldn't care what men think or what men do. There's a large part of the theory and praxis of feminism that's concerned with the struggle for definition and what it means to be a woman, woman's sexuality- things that, if you are lacking a vagina, you're really not qualified to talk about. I can offer opinions on such things, as a man, but I can't really get the full comprehension on what they mean.

But I don't appreciate gross oppression either. And there's not exactly a wealth of readily available pointers on what men can do about it. I know, I know, there's Jackson Katz and all his merry men. I've been to the website, I've seen it. !0 Things I can Do To Prevent Gender Violence. A list. Wonderful- but as a guy who's taken Women's Studies classes, I'm the exception, not the rule. Stop ten people on the street, regardless of gender and ask them who Gloria Steinem is and most people would probably know. Ask them who Jackson Katz is... eh, not so known, I'm willing to bet. And therein lies the problem. Feminism is incredibly empowering (probably the epitomy of empowerment) for women. That idea has embedded itself in our culture and society. Until the corollary is equally as embedded, feminism and feminists will find themselves frustrated and all too willing to dismiss the 'nice guys' and rail against patriarchy in general.

Hmmm... I'll wrestle with this for ages. Maybe I'll try and put something more complex together at some point.