DISCUSSION FORUM:
feminism and its influence on the portrayal of sexual power



This is an archive page for January 2001.

Where reader comments are of interest or raise significant points I will publish my response in dialogue pages such as this one. (Private comments are not published.) Reader comment excerpts are in black text and my replies in red text.
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From: A B   doctor_doom_is_here@yahoo.com
Subject: a theory of sexual power
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001

The following theory I picked up gives a different look at the whole Feminist bit.

Introduction
The Theory of Gender Dynamics is an attempt to understand the fundamentals of power relations between genders in a society. It operates by analyzing howindividual actions add up to create social changes.

Gender Statics
To understand how gender relations change, we must first look at how they could stay the same, i.e. what are the possible stable states of a system? There aretwo blatantly obvious candidates: Matriarchy and Patriarchy.

Patriarchal systems are extremely well documented and understood. Matriarchal ones are not understood, but certain extrapolations can be made, and will bejustified with later developments in the Theory.

In a Patriarchal system, women take the role of Object Sex. Their purpose is to please and serve men. Women are socialized to think they can gain happiness bypleasing men. Furthermore, in a Patriarchal system we observe several social aspects. First, the systems historically have been very rigid and ordered societies,ones (such as Feudal or Slave systems) where every individual has a fixed place in society and is expected to fill a fixed role. Furthermore, in these societiessexuality is all but forbidden but romance is highly idealized. This observation will have tremendous importance later.

In a Theoretical Matriarchal, we expect (based on observations that will be made later) that men will become the Object Sex, serving women. Furthermore, weexpect such a society to be ever-changing and chaotic, with no fixed roles or places in society (i.e. a truly frictionless democratic capitalist society) and no fixednorms or mores to fie people down. We also will expect, based on these soon-to-come observations, that these societies will have deep disdain for romance butwill be highly oversexed.

How do such systems remain stable? Simple: incentives are given to ensure the Object Sex is happy where it is, and furthermore stereotypes must be producedto enforce the order. In a Patriarchal society, the government will hand down laws stating, based on these prejudices, that women cannot rule. Likewise, weexpect internal social pressures in a Matriarchal society to keep men out of power. How will these stereotypes come out? Here's how:

In a Patriarchal society, romance is highly emphasized and sex forbidden. Thus, more interactions on average are romantic than sexual between the sexes. Romantic acts tend to befuddle women more than they do men. Thus, women will on average be seen as less competent then men because they are befuddledmore often. Thus, stereotypes such as 'women are ruled by their emotions' will gain credence and become the basis of law. We expect, then, in a Matriarchalsociety that the increased sexual interactions will cause men to be more befuddled than women, thus giving rise to stereotypes such as 'men are ruled by theirpenises' and these become the basis of internal taboos and social pressures that keep men out of power. Furthermore, the befuddled object sex will obviouslyhave less intellectual ability on hand to break free of their chains, ensuring their defeat. And of course, the befuddled sex will actually be happy because the actof their befuddlement (romance for women, sex for men) pleases them.

Dynamic Shifts
How does a society move from one equilibrium to the other? To move from Matriarchy to Patriarchy, a crisis must befall society. Society then falls into what is known as an Attack/Defend mentality, where in which peoplestart thinking in terms of survival and necessity, "How does this help ensure our survival?" In crisis, societies become more static and rigid in order for people toretain their sanity in an unstable world. Furthermore, sexual activities all but cease because, in crisis, no one thinks about it. Instead, romance becomesimportant, because the idyllic nature of romance appeals to someone looking for sanity in an increasingly insane and dying world. And thus the abovestereotyping mechanism takes hold.

To move from Patriarchy to Matriarch, a time of prosperity must come. Increased communication and prosperity leads society into a Justice/Contentmentmentality, where in which people start thinking in terms of contentment and fairness, "How does this help ensure our happiness?" In prosperity, societies becomemore open, experimental, shirk off authority and so forth because people get bored of the same old, same old when nothing bad is happening. Furthermore,sexual activities rise and romance is abandoned because it's too cheesy. Thus, sexual interactions dominate and thus stereotypes evolve that lead to men beingstereotyped as the Object Sex. Thus, Matriarchy follows.

Equality
What about gender equality? Based on the above observations, we note that either sexual or romantic interactions dominate, depending on whether we are in a state of long-term crisis orlong-term prosperity. Whichever one dominates causes stereotypes to evolve that become the basis of laws and taboos that reduce one sex to the Object Sexrole. Thus, equality is impossible.

Arguments for Patriarchy and Matriarchy
Which is better? It depends. In prosperity, the ability to survive is not terribly in demand. Instead, societies have an opportunity to share their wealth and resources and make everyone equal. Furthermore, experimentation and openness ensure the birth of new technologies, ideas, theories, and so forth that can benefit all. Thus, in prosperity Matriarchworks best. However, if crisis suddenly befalls a Matriarchal society, it will not survive due to its de-emphasis of survival needs and unwillingness to put groupsurvival over individual justice.

In crisis, the mentality of survival becomes paramount. Only a person focused on doing what it takes to survive, no matter the cost, will overcome a true crisis. Only Patriarchy does this function well. A Patriarchal society can easily adopt and adapt to crisis with extreme ease. Unfortunately, such societies typically areriddled with injustice, unfairness, cruelty, and a lack of emphasis on happiness and contentment. Furthermore, creativity and innovation are stifled by the lack of openness. Thus, in prosperity a Patriarchal society will be misery without purpose, although it will be ready to handle a crisis if it comes.


From: Niel   H9802593@newi.ac.uk
Subject: Alpha male
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001

Read with interest "dragon's" letter in December 2000. I entirely agree with his analysis (that women prefer someone who is assertive and dominant) but I am incapable of changing to becoming an alpha man as was suggested to Al Gore. I have always felt ill at ease talking of women as objects of conquest. When I have, people have been genuinely surprised and disappointed in me. A contrived personality change would therefore be spotted a mile off and be seen as phoney. I am not in a relationship. The women I find desirable are always unavailable in transition, and I perceive they would want someone in a more settled and stable situation than myself (37 year old student) and would prefer a so called "alpha male". The women who find me desirable are unappealing to me, sorry thats the way it goes. I'm not going to marry and support someone I am only half hearted about just to conform to a social norm. Is it problematic to be single at my age in this situation? Some people have a problem with my lifestyle as they think i am either socially inept or very selfish.


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