Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Date:         Fri, 20 Nov 1992 16:25:19 EST
From:         "Brian Tillman, Smiths Industries, VAX Support,
              x8425" <tillman@SWDEV.SI.COM>
Subject:      Stereotyping human beings (was Re: Jesus and opinion polls)

Steve says:

> In my view,
>the dangerous error involved in our current dispute, is the
>view that outside of very narrow biological functions (childbearing,
>and nursing--- though there is bottle feeding, so really just
>chidbearing) the sexes are fungible. That is, there is no deeper
>meaning to the sexual difference. Some corollaries that follow
>from this view are (a) that it is a matter of indifference whether
>a child has a male and a female parent, or two parents of the same sex
>as in homosexual relationships, (b) that it is a matter of indif-
>whether small children are cared for by mother or father, (c) that
>roles of mother and father or husband and wife must be completely
>symmetrical, (d) that in interpersonal relationships no account
>should be taken of gender, (e) that boys and girls must be treated
>exactly alike, (f) that statistical disparities in the interests,
>predelictions, activities, careers, etc. of males and females
>are necessarily an undesirable thing, (g) that girls must be allowed
>on boys softball teams, boys must be equally encouraged to play
>with dolls, (h) ideas of femininity and masculinity are bad,
>(i) men should cry more and women less......

To address, specifically, (a) I know children who are stable and self-assured
who come from homes having one parent, whether male or female.  Why should this
change based on the number of parents? (b): yes, it is a matter of indifference
whether small children are cared for by the mother or father. (c) the word
"must" is certainly not a corollary.  "can be" is.  The roles of the mother and
father can be symmetrical, but are not required to be so. (d) one should be
equally respectful of males as of females. (e) every person should be treated as
an individual.  Why would anyone want to treat another person better or worse
because of gender? (f) disparities exist because people are different in
personality.  Yes, personality is, in part, influenced by gender (chemistry has
a *lot* to do with personality), but the men I meet are no more the same in
personality as the women I meet and are as different from each other as they are
from women. (g) yes, indeed, girls should be allowed to play on softball teams
and boys with dolls, if that is what they want.  Anything else is brainwashing.
(h) those traits that some people asscoiate with masculinity and femininity are,
I contend, merely human traits that we all possess to a greater or lesser
extent.  I defy you to list "masculine" traits not possessed by women and
"feminine" traits not possessed by men. (i) you are implying either that you
think men do not cry enough and that women cry too much, or that you think it's
absurd that someone could think that men cry too little and women too much.  In
either case, it seems to be stereotyping.

-----------------------------+--------------------------------
 Brian Tillman               | Internet: tillman@swdev.si.com
 Smiths Industries, Inc.     |           tillman_brian@si.com
 4141 Eastern Ave., MS129    | Hey, I said this stuff myself.
 Grand Rapids, MI 49518-8727 | My company has no part in it.
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