From: lafollet@astro.ocis.temple.edu (Paul Lafollette)
Newsgroups: soc.women
Subject: education
Date: 13 Sep 92 03:01:02 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Temple University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5


I had some interesting thoughts the other day, and wanted to share
them and solicit comment.  It all began with an ad on the radio
for a contest.  Open to children, those wishing to participate were
to pick up an entry form from a local drug store and fill it out.
Winners would be picked for each of the home games of the Philadelphia
Eagles (our football team).  Winners would spend the first half
of the game "on the field"... females as junior cheerleaders and
males "right on the sidelines where the action is" as ballboys.

I personally would not look forward to either of these 
"prizes", but it was clear that the boys were going to be
given a chance to be part of the action, and the girls part
of the scenery.  As I was considering this with some anger
and sadness, I heard the end of the commercial saying that
this contest was sponsord by Rite-Aid Pharmacy (i think) and
Kimberly-Clark (i am certain).  

Now, it seems to me that Kimberly Clark is the company which
makes Kotex products, and it struck me as curious that a company
which probably makes a substantial amount of money from
products which are aimed almost exclusively at women would
be so insensitive as to sponsor this contest. 

Well, I decided I would do a little informal research into how
the makers of Kotex and other similar products communicate with
their customers.  I found as many recent ads for menstrual products
as I could, and also got ahold of some materials published by
Kotex, Modess, and Tampax desigend to prepare girls for menstruation.
While the contents of this material is, I am sure, nothing new for
the women reading this newsgroup, I, who have never paid much
attention to either of these kinds of literature, was fascinated
and disturbed.

The educational materials provided lots of facts, but what seemed
to me to be distressingly little discussion of feelings.  Also,
some disturbing implicit messages were prevalent.  Much was made
about how this was a natural and normal process, and about how
it marked the transition from girl to woman.  At the same time,
there were often comments which made it clear that it was important
that no one should know that a woman was menstruating.  Nothing
was said about shame, but the implication was plain that this is
something to hide.  Now, it seems to me that the message here is
that menstruation is natural, is the defining event of womanhood,
and is embarassing if not shameful.  It does not take much imagination 
to conclude that there is something embarassing or shameful
about being a woman.

In addition, the issues of peri-menstrual discomforts were dealt with
in a sort of Pollyanna-ish way.  The message seemed to be that
you might not feel great all the time, but menstruation is normal,
it shouldn't hurt too much, if it does - it is probably your fault
(exercise is mentioned almost ad nauseum as THE solution to
dysmenorrhoea) and it is up to you to go about your business
as normal and "smile sister smile."  Even the medical profession
seems to have come to the understanding that dysmenorrhoea, for instance,
is a physical and sometimes incapacitating problem.  To send the
message that "you can cope if you just put your mind to it" seems
evil.  Now, to be fair, the literature that I have is several years
old, and perhaps things are better today.  Can anyone enlighten me
on that point?  Also, of course, I can only react to this as a man,
and I would appreciate hearing what kind of reactions the women
in this group have had to the same sorts of material.  Maybe I
am way off base in my interpretation.

What makes me suspect, however, that newer material may not be
much different is the content of the ads I have recently read.
Almost all of them concentrate on how their product can assure
one that no one will ever know one is having a period.  I am
sure this is a good marketing strategy, but it seems also to
perpetuate the idea that there is something wrong with menstruation,
something shameful, and thus (since menstruation marks the transition
from girl to woman, thus defining womanhood) there is something 
wrong with being a woman.

Incidentally (flame protection) in the last sentance above, *I* am not
saying that "menstruation marks the transition from girl to woman." I
am saying that this is what the educational materials seem to teach.

I assume that these thoughts are nothing new to anyone who has
ever bothered to read any of these things.  I would bet, in fact,
that they are discussed at length somewhere.  I suspect that I am 
belaboring the obvious, but it wasn't obvious to me until I started 
looking.  So, I would appreciate comment from women.  Oh, and about
that stupid contest... unless someone convinces me that I am wrong
in my assesment of it I plan to write to the sponsors and express
my misgivings.

Incidentally, to end on a more positive note, while I was poking
about in the library I did find one or two instructional books which
I felt (in my ignorance perhaps) were well written, sensitive, and
accurate.  The one that stands out in my mind was called "period."
I would not under any circumstances, however, suggest that my
opion on such matters means anything.

Paul