"Humanity has been held to a limited and distorted view of itself--from its interpretation of the most intimate of personal emotions to its grandest vision of human possibilities--precisely by virtue of its subordination of women."
And thus is the crux of Dr. Miller's argument from the outset--that not only have women been demeaned and devalued by institutionalized and normalized oppression, but...
more "Humanity has been held to a limited and distorted view of itself--from its interpretation of the most intimate of personal emotions to its grandest vision of human possibilities--precisely by virtue of its subordination of women."
And thus is the crux of Dr. Miller's argument from the outset--that not only have women been demeaned and devalued by institutionalized and normalized oppression, but so too, has society as a whole. While the overarching message is applicable to entire cultures and societies, the specific focus within is on the psychological growth and development of women. What Miller suggests throughout is not that women have an inherently different psychological makeup, but rather, their position as subordinates has forced them into "nice, tidy" categories and roles that exist to serve the needs of the dominant ideology--patriarchy.
The traits that women have developed and honed over time, Miller suggests, are not natural at all but a reaction to their positions as second-class, and thus "lesser," citizens within society. For example, women are often seen as more "emotional" than men, and indeed, in many instances, this may appear to be so. However, Miller argues, and I wholeheartedly agree, that this is not "natural," but rather, a form of survival. As a subordinate, whether you are a woman or a member of a non-dominant class, you must be very privy to the vicissitudes of mood and mannerisms of the dominant group, for if you are not, your already liminal position faces annihilation. That many of us women are able to read emotions and respond accordingly is not a gift by nature--it is how we adapt and get by in our daily lives--it is how we survive.
And there are no easy solutions....But what Miller does suggest, for one, is a re-evaluation of "normalized" ideologies and even language within society. For instance, if women wish to be "independent," rather than basing this independence on the current societal definition, we might do best to rethink what being independent actually means to us as women. Does it, in fact, have to mean that we do not rely on others to survive and meet our goals, or, on the contrary, could "independence" mean that we, as human beings, are free to express our love and need for others to further develop and grow?
For all of the above reasons, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in women's issues in general, whether for scholarly or personal purposes, for within are many relevant discussions that, although more than 20 years old, are still important to society today.
hide
Yes (0) 
No (0) 
