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第4章

our androcentric culture-第4章

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O the little; little; female; female monad!〃


This ultra littleness and ultra femaleness has been demanded and
produced by our Androcentric Culture。

Following this; and part of it; comes the effect on motherhood。  This
function was the original and legitimate base of family life; and its
ample sustaining power throughout the long early period of 〃the
mother…right;〃 or as we call it; the matriarchate; the father being her
assistant in the great work。  The patriarchate; with its proprietary
family; changed this altogether; the woman; as the property of the man
was considered first and foremost as a means of pleasure to him; and
while she was still valued as a mother; it was in a tributary capacity。 
Her children were now his; his property; as she was; the whole enginery
of the family was turned from its true use to this new one; hitherto
unknown; the service of the adult male。

To this day we are living under the influence of the proprietary family。
 The duty of the wife is held to involve man…service as well as
child…service; and indeed far more; as the duty of the wife to the
husband quite transcends the duty of the mother to the child。

See for instance the English wife staying with her husband in India and
sending the children home to be brought up; because India is bad for
children。  See our common law that the man decides the place of
residence; if the wife refuses to go with him to howsoever unfit a place
for her and for the little ones; such refusal on her part constitutes
〃desertion〃 and is ground for divorce。

See again the idea that the wife must remain with the husband though a
drunkard; or diseased; regardless of the sin against the child involved
in such a relation。  Public feeling on these matters is indeed changing;
but as a whole the ideals of the man…made family still obtain。

The effect of this on the woman has been inevitably to weaken and
overshadow her sense of the real purpose of the family; of the
relentless responsibilities of her duty as a mother。  She is first
taught duty to her parents; with heavy religious sanction; and then duty
to her husband; similarly buttressed; but her duty to her children has
been left to instinct。  She is not taught in girlhood as to her
preeminent power and duty as a mother; her young ideals are all of
devotion to the lover and husband: with only the vaguest sense of
results。

The young girl is reared in what we call 〃innocence;〃 poetically
described as 〃bloom;〃 and this condition is held one of her chief
〃charms。〃  The requisite is wholly androcentric。  This 〃innocence〃 does
not enable her to choose a husband wisely; she does not even know the
dangers that possibly confront her。  We vaguely imagine that her father
or brother; who do know; will protect her。  Unfortunately the father and
brother; under our current 〃double standard〃 of morality do not judge
the applicants as she would if she knew the nature of their offenses。

Furthermore; if her heart is set on one of them; no amount of general
advice and opposition serves to prevent her marrying him。  〃I love him!〃
she says; sublimely。  〃I do not care what he has done。  I will forgive
him。  I will save him!〃

This state of mind serves to forward the interests of the lover; but is
of no advantage to the children。  We have magnified the duties of the
wife; and minified the duties of the mother; and this is inevitable in a
family relation every law and custom of which is arranged from the
masculine viewpoint。

From this same viewpoint; equally essential to the proprietary family;
comes the requirement that the woman shall serve the man。  Her service
is not that of the associate and equal; as when she joins him in his
business。  It is not that of a beneficial combination; as when she
practices another business and they share the profits; it is not even
that of the specialist; as the service of a tailor or barber; it is
personal servicethe work of a servant。

In large generalization; the women of the world cook and wash; sweep and
dust; sew and mend; for the men。

We are so accustomed to this relation; have held it for so long to be
the 〃natural〃 relation; that it is difficult indeed to show that it is
distinctly unnatural and injurious。  The father expects to be served by
the daughter; a service quite different from what he expects of the son。
 This shows at once that such service is no integral part of motherhood;
or even of marriage; but is supposed to be the proper industrial
position of women; as such。

Why is this so?  Why; on the face of it; given a daughter and a son;
should a form of service be expected of the one; which would be
considered ignominious by the other?

The underlying reason is this。  Industry; at its base; is a feminine
function。  The surplus energy of the mother does not manifest itself in
noise; or combat; or display; but in productive industry。  Because of
her mother…power she became the first inventor and laborer; being in
truth the mother of all industry as well as all people。

Man's entrance upon industry is late and reluctant; as will be shown
later in treating his effect on economics。  In this field of family
life; his effect was as follows:

Establishing the proprietary family at an age when the industry was
primitive and domestic; and thereafter confining the woman solely to the
domestic area; he thereby confined her to primitive industry。  The
domestic industries; in the hands of women; constitute a survival of our
remotest past。  Such work was 〃woman's work〃 as was all the work then
known; such work is still considered woman's work because they have been
prevented from doing any other。

The term 〃domestic industry〃 does not define a certain kind of labor;
but a certain grade of labor。  Architecture was a domestic industry
oncewhen every savage mother set up her own tepee。  To be confined to
domestic industry is no proper distinction of womanhood; it is an
historic distinction; an economic distinction; it sets a date and limit
to woman's industrial progress。

In this respect the man…made family has resulted in arresting the
development of half the field。  We have a world wherein men;
industrially; live in the twentieth century; and women; industrially;
live in the firstand back of it。

To the same source we trace the social and educational limitations set
about women。  The dominant male; holding his women as property; and
fiercely jealous of them; considering them always as _his;_ not
belonging to themselves; their children; or the world; has hedged them
in with restrictions of a thousand sorts; physical; as in the crippled
Chinese lady or the imprisoned odalisque; moral; as in the oppressive
doctrines of submission taught by all our androcentric religions;
mental; as in the enforced ignorance from which women are now so swiftly
emerging。

This abnormal restriction of women has necessarily injured motherhood。 
The man; free; growing in the world's growth; has mounted with the
centuries; filling an ever wider range of world activities。  The woman;
bound; has not so grown; and the child is born to a progressive
fatherhood and a stationary motherhood。  Thus the man…made family reacts
unfavorably upon the child。  We rob our children of half their social
heredity by keeping the mother in an inferior position; however
legalized; hallowed; or ossified by time; the position of a domestic
servant is inferior。

It is for this reason that child culture is at so low a level; and for
the most part utterly unknown。  Today; when the forces of education are
steadily working nearer to the cradle; a new sense is wakening of the
importance of the period of infancy; and its wiser treatment; yet those
who know of such a movement are few; and of them some are content to
earn easy praiseand payby belittling right progress to gratify the
prejudices of the ignorant。

The whole position is simple and clear; and easily traceable to its
root。  Given a proprietary family; where the man holds the woman
primarily for his satisfaction and servicethen necessarily he shuts
her up and keeps her for these purposes。  Being so kept; she cannot
develop humanly; as he has; through social conta

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