Looking through the eyes of another and trying to understand their point of view is an important skill to foster in one’s intellectual development. Understanding that your experiences are not necessarily the experiences of others and then learning from them can really enhance your critical thinking skills and ability to argue effectively.
This ‘what if’ touches on many of the contentious topics that women in today’s society face. The mystification and commodification of the female body comes to mind as well as the dark history of patriarchal medical science and science in general. Has it gotten better? Ish? There still remains much work to be done in getting the misogyny out of science and medicine.
Indulge for a moment though the thought as a male of being on the short end of the stick and that disadvantage was dictated to you systematically in society. Imagine how much it would suck.
7 comments
January 4, 2018 at 6:08 am
Carmen
Imagine that you got captured in Afghanistan, endured a forced abortion and then raped by your captors, had to bear children silently after concealing your pregnancy, yet your partner is the one who is being presented as having an excuse for assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement, etc. because of said five-year confinement. .. boggling, truly mind-boggling. .
And what a can of worms.
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January 4, 2018 at 7:37 am
The Arbourist
@ Carmen
Pretty terrible stuff I agree. :(
I don’t think enough men bother to imagine what it is like on the other side of the gender divide.
Men don’t have to care and that is part of the problem. Understanding and empathizing takes conscious effort and there is no social reward for taking a feminist perspective in society. :/
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January 4, 2018 at 7:40 am
Carmen
“. . . there is no social reward for taking a feminist perspective in society.” Other than being thought of as a cyber-hero to some of us. Carry on, Arb!
:)
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January 4, 2018 at 8:15 am
The Arbourist
@ Carmen
:) Thanks.
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January 6, 2018 at 4:57 am
aljammer
Reblogged this on aljammer and commented:
This is brilliant. Reposted.
Thank you
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January 7, 2018 at 10:41 am
Hanashigawa
There is no “female body”. There are only female bodies.
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January 14, 2018 at 6:57 pm
Vivienne
Remember when gst was introduced for women’s hygiene products and when women protested the government ignored those voices!
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