"And if this is so, then it may also suggest that those in the U.S. seeking to counter this trend may need to focus on not only on political action, but also on social movements such as the feminist movement to influence the values that may well be feeding the march to the right."
This can be interpreted as both a call to action and a call to stop activist work to placate the right. Can you clarify and, if you think action is important, what do you suggest? What about the backlash against feminists that enables people to blame the "erosion of values" on elusive women's rights? I'm concerned that feminism itself, however misunderstood, becomes the tool and fuel of the right under some circumstances.
One point about Lakoff is that he has a pretty homogeneous model of the family upon which to base his political ideas. You've got another binary of authoritarian/nurturing parenting styles that could bear a reality check. I personally think that social movements that advocate choices among the broad range of parenting/family structures that exist (absent, single, nuclear, extended, intentional, etc.) would be a place to motivate change in public consciousness and take us beyond that dichtomy into some real choices. I also think that valuing parenting as a fulltime job with salary and benefits would raise parenting style consciousness.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2004-10-17 02:40 pm (UTC)This can be interpreted as both a call to action and a call to stop activist work to placate the right. Can you clarify and, if you think action is important, what do you suggest? What about the backlash against feminists that enables people to blame the "erosion of values" on elusive women's rights? I'm concerned that feminism itself, however misunderstood, becomes the tool and fuel of the right under some circumstances.
One point about Lakoff is that he has a pretty homogeneous model of the family upon which to base his political ideas. You've got another binary of authoritarian/nurturing parenting styles that could bear a reality check. I personally think that social movements that advocate choices among the broad range of parenting/family structures that exist (absent, single, nuclear, extended, intentional, etc.) would be a place to motivate change in public consciousness and take us beyond that dichtomy into some real choices. I also think that valuing parenting as a fulltime job with salary and benefits would raise parenting style consciousness.