Quote:
Originally Posted by Orema
A central tenet of modern feminist thought has been the assertion that "all women are oppressed." This assertion implies that women share a common lot, that factors like class, race, religion, sexual preference, etc. do not create a diversity of experience that determines the extent to which sexism will be an oppressive force in the lives of individual women. Sexism as a system of domination is institutionalized, but it has never determined in an absolute way the fate of all women in this society. Being oppressed means the absence of choices. It is the primary point of contact between the oppressed and the oppressor. Many women in this society do have choices (as inadequate as they are); therefore exploitation and discrimination are words that more accurately describe the lot of women collectively in the United States. Many women do not join organized resistance against sexism precisely because sexism has not meant an absolute lack of choices. They may know they are discriminated against on the basis of sex, but they do not equate this with oppression. Under capitalism, patriarchy is structured so that sexism restricts women's behavior in some realms even as freedom from limitations is allowed in other spheres. The absence of extreme restrictions leads many women to ignore the areas in which they are exploited or discriminated against; it may even lead them to imagine that no women are oppressed.
—bell hooks, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center
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Regardless of the choices womyn have in education and work, there will continue to be oppression, especially where womyn interact with men
Most enlightened womyn actively work on their societal ingrained sexism in their relationships. It is a constant battle against societal repression. There are still many womyn who do not realize that they harbor inherit sexism learned through many generations of repression.
Cis-men practice overt and covert sexism without even being aware of their thoughts and behavior. Men are so accustomed to societal male privilege that the actions and views are often subconsciously generated. Now, enter in the straight, white cis-male, a situation which creates a trifecta of oppression. I believe that this group made up the majority of Trump's base and the bias against Clinton, but that is another discussion. That group of men would take much more energy to possibly get to the point of understanding womyn's oppression and their role in it than I'd be willing to invest.
My Partner and I choose to live out life in as much of a womyn only environment as possible within the constructs of a non-isolated womyn only rural community.
Cathexis