--- Natasa Tucev tucev@tesla.rcub.bg.ac.yu wrote: >
Helen wrote:
Many people who feel technology without philosphy is
ruining the planet like to embrace goddess-worship
as part of their
world view, which suggests even most rebels against
society are buying
into the technical/man-- emotional/woman dichotomy
of the mainstream
culture. (This ties in with the thread about how
even rebelling from the
culture, we a shaped by it).
I don't agree. I don't think there's anything sexist, or culturally prejudiced, in seeing Earth as feminine. Ask Ellynne or Fiona and I think they will agree that numerous mythologies throughout the world which haven't had any interaction with each other view the Earth as such. Earth is mother.
You're quite right here; offhand I can't think of a single society in which the Earth *isn't* seen as feminine (although interestingly the sea is seen as male by the ancient Greeks, IIRC). And I should also add that to believe in an earth goddess is not necessarily to be a new-age eco-rebel (e.g., as you point out, the Chinese have one).
On the other hand, I feel that very often feminists are missing the point, fighting for women's right to fill the positions which were previously filled by men, within the structures which still remain essentially governed by the masculine principle.
I agree with you completely here (even as I compete for a job in a still-mostly-male profession... sigh). However, I have hope that we may someday achieve gender equality-- it *is* getting easier for men to do traditionally "feminine" activities, which is my personal benchmark.
Fiona
The Posthumous Memoirs of Secretary Rontane Available for public perusal at http://nyder.r67.net
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Fiona Moore