I agree with you that too many women are socialized to defer to men. I, personally, prefer to associate with women who are not so socialized, in part because I am very aware of the flip-side of this "deference" -- which is manipulativeness. I prefer women who are strong and honest.
And yes, basically every woman in the West is socialized in those ways ...
Why do you confine your statement to "in the West," when it is precisely the women "in the West" about whom this statement would least be true (though still true to some extent)? The limitation is interesting, because it suggests that you imagine that women are more oppressed in the West than they are in (say) East Asian, Muslim or African nations -- and the reality is the opposite, namely they are far more oppressed outside than inside the modern West.
The fact that some women manage to overcome it is heroic, but it's not something they should have to do. The responsibility for ending this state of affairs does not lie with the women, but with the men, because it's the men who created it and the men who benefit from it.
Then the state of affairs will never end, for polite as you or I may be to women, some men will always be jerks (just as some women will always be jerks) and hence the women who have not overcome it will feel intimidated by the obnoxious men.
Your statement is, in short, logically equivalent to "we should end war by all becoming pacifists," which never works because some will always choose to remain warlike.
Whereas if women themselves learn not to let themselves be intimidated by "male privilege," then this privilege becomes meaningless because the "privileged" man is reduced to just hopping up and down and throwing a tantrum. Which looks pretty silly.
Oh, and I didn't say that the woman should ignore the sexist insults. Oh, no. She should call attention to them, and point and laugh at the silly person who is arguing illogically. And I will heartily join in this laughter.
But treating these insults as a display of real "privilege?" That's giving them more respect than they deserve.
Would you like me to get some women I know to comment on this thread? They're even women "of color," if that matters to you. Heck, some of them might agree with you
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And yes, basically every woman in the West is socialized in those ways ...
Why do you confine your statement to "in the West," when it is precisely the women "in the West" about whom this statement would least be true (though still true to some extent)? The limitation is interesting, because it suggests that you imagine that women are more oppressed in the West than they are in (say) East Asian, Muslim or African nations -- and the reality is the opposite, namely they are far more oppressed outside than inside the modern West.
The fact that some women manage to overcome it is heroic, but it's not something they should have to do. The responsibility for ending this state of affairs does not lie with the women, but with the men, because it's the men who created it and the men who benefit from it.
Then the state of affairs will never end, for polite as you or I may be to women, some men will always be jerks (just as some women will always be jerks) and hence the women who have not overcome it will feel intimidated by the obnoxious men.
Your statement is, in short, logically equivalent to "we should end war by all becoming pacifists," which never works because some will always choose to remain warlike.
Whereas if women themselves learn not to let themselves be intimidated by "male privilege," then this privilege becomes meaningless because the "privileged" man is reduced to just hopping up and down and throwing a tantrum. Which looks pretty silly.
Oh, and I didn't say that the woman should ignore the sexist insults. Oh, no. She should call attention to them, and point and laugh at the silly person who is arguing illogically. And I will heartily join in this laughter.
But treating these insults as a display of real "privilege?" That's giving them more respect than they deserve.
Would you like me to get some women I know to comment on this thread? They're even women "of color," if that matters to you. Heck, some of them might agree with you