Taking a stab at Sexism?
Published February 23, 2005
I laughed pretty long and loud at this quote from this story on nurses and teacher protesting recent comments by Governor Schwarzenegger:
"He behaves like an arrogant patriarch with respect to women's occupations," said Rose Ann De Moro, executive director of the California Nurses Association.
Women's occupations of teaching and nursing, huh? Maybe I'm the only one who finds this stand for "equality" quite funny, but that's too much for me to handle with a straight face.
While groups have driven themselves into a tizzy over Harvard President Lawrence Summers' comments, I'm sure this quote will garner little, if any attention. In my opinion, this comment is far and away more sexist and stereotypical than anything mentioned in Summers' speech. Granted, Summers is a guy, Rose is (I would assume) a woman, and Summers evidently is a bigger face in American society, but I think a thought like this that goes unnoticed goes to show how Summers' remarks were terribly blown out of proportion.
- Taking a stab at Sexism?
- Published: February 23, 2005
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- Section: Culture
- Writer: CJ Baker
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Living in Metro Boston, I've been hearing a lot about Larry Summer's comments. I really don't have any problem with what he said because I have always believed that academia is supposed to posit the most difficult of issues for students and the community to debate. The exchange of ideas or debate on social issues should not be subject to political correctness filters. That is not what free speech is all about.
Going back and reading the original story to which this entry links, she seems to be referring to professions which are disproportionately occupied by women. I don't know about teaching - I know an awful lot of male teachers - but nursing certainly qualifies.
okay, then CJ's right
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CJ, I agree entirely if she meant it the way you interpret it. But could she have meant "the occupations of women" in general as opposed to characterizing specific occupations as belonging to women? I have no idea, just asking.