We moved on to discuss other topics. We hopped on to the feminist train named Beauvoir, after not really wanting to rehash out where we get our meaning of life from. Here we had conflicting opinions. It is my opinion that men and women are different, and thank goodness for that. There are tasks that women tend to be better at and there are tasks that men are more suited for. It doesn't make those tasks gender defined. Like in leadership positions. Honest to goodness in high school I held a big one and a certain percentage of the male population would never ever listen to me because I was a female. Not all but a good percentage.I also believe that while in marriage, man and wife are equal, though the man is the head of the house. However, I have been raised by a strong single mother and she occupies the title of the head of the household. Likewise the mention of single fathers, who act as a nurturing mother would, are not restricted by their gender.
nice summary of our group's discussion! I don't disagree with anything here, per se, but I would like to raise the question of what if the mother has the leadership personality qualities and the father has the nurturing personality qualities? Would there be anything "not right" about a family with the mother as the head of the household?
ReplyDeleteNurturing personality qualities is a euphemism for submission. Good mothers are leaders. Period.
DeleteI really liked this post! I agree with you on that men and women are equal. Yes, there are some things that women can do better than men and men can do better than women. Does that mean we should treat each gender differently? No, of course not. If they are equal, they should have equal opportunities. I think America is coming to terms better with this now; however, I do not think we are all of the way there. The Army just allowed women into combat with men. This is just an example of the United States making a statement that we are trying to fix this problem! Great post!!
ReplyDelete"People call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that distinguish me from a doormat."
ReplyDelete(Rebecca West, age 20, 1913)
I love this discussion! Matt, to try and answer your question, no, I don't think there would be anything "not right" about a woman leading a household. There's a saying that, when it comes to most families, the husband wears the pants but the woman picks them out. ;) In my limited experience, I have seen this to be true on quite a few occasions. I also would like to point out that was has been often referred to (especially in the south) as "woman's work," is often looked down upon as inferior because she doesn't get a paycheck for cooking, cleaning, etc. I know that, personally, I wouldn't be half of the person I am today if I hadn't had a mother who is not only strong but present and compassionate. She's taught me how to take care of myself and that's the most valuable thing you can learn at a young age. So, no, I don't think it would be odd at for women to lead the household. I think we're just going to have to deal with a lot of chauvinistic bigots before it gets to the point where it becomes "normal."
DQ: Is Sisyphus happy? If so, how?
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rT8CunsWPY
"The man wears the pants but the woman picks them out" is still very patriarchal. It's time you realized that in the best marriages, the man drops his "headship" and honors the woman as an equal leader. And the woman accepts nothing less than affirmation as a leader in the marriage.
DeleteJust like a person who is not the best at a sport becomes a star player by practicing and devoting time and energy into enhancing his skill, a father should focus on strengthening his weaknesses. If some of those weaknesses are leadership skills, then he must, as the father, make every effort to develop them so he can lead his family. The wife, if she holds these leadership qualities, should support her husband and help him get to where he needs to be. That is what a spouse does: helps the other in their weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteThe mother, who is not as in tune with her nurturing qualities as the husband, must strive to improve them by relying on her husband's guidance just as he does hers in those other areas of his life. They must work as a team to fully function within their roles as parents so that their marriage and children can benefit the most.
I've elaborated more on Group 2's post regarding my thoughts on the roles of the husband and the wife, if you want to check it out. If you do, also read the Ephesians reference that Kailey brought up - it gives our view on the issue.
This is so male chauvinistic. A father's job is not to lead his family. His job is to co-lead his family and be a good nurturer. A father needs to do every he can to help his spouse develop her potential as a leader in society. If a man is not willing to be a full-time househusband, he should not get married.
DeleteI've really enjoyed this discussion, both in our group and in the few posts that I've read online.
ReplyDeleteFundamentally, this topic seems to boil down to two fundamental questions. Is there any difference between being a man or a woman? What is the role of the family?
When the answers to those two questions are dissimilar, you reach different conclusions and values. Perhaps it's a misconception, but I do believe women and men are different, and that the family has an important purpose.
Ultimately, I believe marriage is built upon submission. First and foremost to God, but then also to your spouse. Oppression comes from the selfish abuse of power, whereas marriages are built upon other-focused submission.
FQ: What historical event sparked the beginning of the Existentialist movement? World War II.
DQ: Do you think the existentialists correctly understood freedom?
Link: Just an interesting article I read recently on Tina Fey and Feminism (http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/film/what-tina-fey-has-done-women)
I like everyone's comments! In regards to the two questions Nate asked, I think there are emotional and physical differences between men and women. For example, there are two completely separate chemicals released in the brain of a man as to that of a woman during sex and childbirth. Women have hormonal inbalances that men don't have; so there are slight differences, but as to women and men on an intellectual scale, I would say that there is absolutely no difference between the two genders.
ReplyDeleteDQ: If one is living in terrible conditions, but doesn't know any better quality of life, is that true happiness? Or is it like the flame on the cave wall from the allegory of the cave?
FQ:Which Philosopher was always high on amphetamines?
Link: I thought this was interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism
Women do NOT have hormonal imbalances. Indeed, women are much more hormonally balanced than men and much less violent and emotional. Women's leadership in the family, the church and in society is an untapped resource. Men need to encourage that leadership in women.
DeleteAs for Nate's second question, what is the woman and man's role in a family, I don't think it matters. Both genders are capable of raising a child on their own and together, so the role that each parent assumes should be the one they are most comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a discussion question, but what do you think about gay couples? Their family roles? Do homosexual partners need to pick a mother and a father or is the game changing to where two of the same parental figures is acceptable?
This article was so male chauvinistic and offensive. Man and wife is a very male chauvinistic phrase. A marriage cannot be halfway decent unless the couple drops the view that the man is the head of the household. Men and women are different is often a euphemism for "men are superior and should rule the world." . Sad sad sad. Women and men share a common humanity and the sooner this author realizes it, the better off she will be.
ReplyDelete