Thirteen ways of looking at a feminist

The latest Carnival of Feminists is up at gendergeek (here) and is full of thoughtful goodness far exceeding the time I have to explore it all. A smattering of pieces jumped out at me, however:

1. Women who leave their chosen professions aren't always choosing to do so -- or at least, it's not always about the job or subject matter at hand...

   Life is not binary. Sexism may not be the only thing responsible for my exodus from physics, but neither can it be fully absolved of culpability.

2. A natural geek gets a taste of the the "dumb girl treatment" from the IT department, unmasking their gender stereotypes.

   So, there you go, if you want to be respected, you have to either knock their socks off by being twice as smart and techy as a guy or fly under the radar, letting them assume you are a man.

3. Amanda at Pandagon talks about framing, especially with regard to the abortion debate.

   While it’s accurate to call what we oppose "laws banning abortion", it’s also accurate to call it "forced childbirth" and "government mandated pregnancy". That’s framing in a nutshell–instead of invoking people’s mixed feelings about female sexuality and reproduction, invoke people’s fear of tyranny.

   The left needs to uses the metaphors that clarify its genuine motives/values.
   
   
4. Sometimes relationship equality means taking a second look at our own preconceptions and internalized assumptions.

   I do think women are repeatedly silenced, demeaned, and oppressed in subtle ways that are often difficult to pinpoint. I think it’s important to look at how institutions and socialization reinforce these tendencies. However, I think each woman needs to look at the ways in which she allows herself to be silenced. We need to look at the ways we take advantage of unequal gendered positions rather than demanding equality in all its beauty and difficulty.

   Whew! That should keep us all busy until the next assignment!

(Oh, and tip of the hat to Wallace Stevens...)