#26 March 2nd, 2005 07:08 AM

voyeur2

Member

Re: mysogyny

i heard on NPR yesterday that there's a large rally in my city for women of a certain culture. the rally protests the practice of "stoning women to death". now, i consider myself up on things, but i gotta tell you, fuukk!!! i was deeply deeply disturbed to hear that in these certain cultures, stoning of women was the law of the land!!!
so my point is: lets say hypothetically that iinstead of going to the rally (which i am doing saturday midday), i joined the Peace Corps instead. What comes next? Seriously, what can a person from one culture do to solve a specific problem in another culture?

Here's a rant that may provoke angry or thoughtful response.  Pretty far from eroticism on the net though.

Very good question, although I do not have an answer right now, I suspect the culture you refer to is also one that practises female circumcision.
I think that the culutural theory behind that one is if the pleasure is removed, women will not stray to other men sexually.
And stoning is the horrible example designed to deter.

As if the death penalty deters murder.

I think most people are ethnocentric.  That means they believe the ethos in which they were raised - the combination of morals, religion, culture, law, and ideals - is the only correct and natural one.

I think inter cultural and international relations have to examine differences and find ways to harmonize.

I do not condone the stoning or the circumcision of females (nor circumcising males for either religious or 'health' reasons for that matter).

When you can find a way to stop jews or 'progressive people' from mutilitating boy children in the name of religion or cleanliness or prevention of cervical cancer, you can use the same argument to change a heritage in a culture that keeps biblical style stoning and female circumcision.

I think it is barbaric to remove the most sensitive, nerve rich piece of skin a boy has nearly at birth (do they even use anesthetic?).

I cannot accept as god a being who wants me to be mutilated before I can decide if I want to join.

If I were God I would only value knowledge based, reasoned, informed worship, not heritage, branding, circumcision or any other thing done before the age of reason.  And I would prefer the worsipers to be intelligent and aware of the alternatives to chosing to worship me.

Keeping people faithful by intimidation, superstition, coersion, shielding them from knowledge of or choice to do evil, is doing the devil's work.  Only chosing God from among other choices is a virtue.  If it is the only choice you know of, have been told, has been made for you from birth - what the hell is it worth to a rational god?

And if God is not rational - why pray?

---

Have I ever lied to you before?

antiocus

Member

Re: mysogyny

The construction of the word is identical to that of misogyny, and literally and correctly it means 'hatred of men'. You are quite right that it is often used to mean hatred of people in general in the way that the masculine is often used to apply to the whole (as in 'mankind'). Of course, that makes a point about gender and language, but I don't think it is QUITE the point you were making originally! Nice talking to you (and everyone else!)

Misanthrope is generally used to mean hatred of people and not specifically men, at least that is what I thought.

antiocus

Member

Re: mysogyny

Just on a practical level (I have no particular cultural or religious affinity for circumcision, which is perhaps appropriate given my screen name) I had it done for medical reasons when I was an adult, and I don't think it made much difference......

Quote:
I think it is barbaric to remove the most sensitive, nerve rich piece of skin a boy has nearly at birth (do they even use anesthetic?).

hallux

Member

Re: mysogyny

Misanthrope is generally used to mean hatred of people and not specifically men, at least that is what I thought.

That's correct. People who hate men are called misandrists. I know a few, none of whom is a lesbian, and all are attractive!!!!!

A dumb fool like me just couldn't understand.

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: mysogyny

The construction of the word is identical to that of misogyny, and literally and correctly it means 'hatred of men'. You are quite right that it is often used to mean hatred of people in general in the way that the masculine is often used to apply to the whole (as in 'mankind'). Of course, that makes a point about gender and language, but I don't think it is QUITE the point you were making originally! Nice talking to you (and everyone else!)

It's not the exact point but as my original point has been proven to be specious it is a more than satisfactory replacement, if it's good enough for Simone de Beauvoir (The second sex) it's good enough for me. Ta very much.

Thanks for trying to explain it to me but I am familiar with the construction of the word, I have studied the ancient Greek language, my eroneous quibble was with the contemporary meaning but I guess I'll just shut up now.

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: mysogyny

That's correct. People who hate men are called misandrists. I know a few, none of whom is a lesbian, and all are attractive!!!!!

A dumb fool like me just couldn't understand.

Hey! Thanks Hallux, the addition has been made to my vocabulary. Oh and I hope your attractive hetrosexual MISANDRISTS ;-) resolve their issues.

antiocus

Member

Re: mysogyny

oooooooooh, sorry, didn't mean to question your educational standing or anything, I guess i'll just slink away and hide......

It's not the exact point but as my original point has been proven to be specious it is a more than satisfactory replacement, if it's good enough for Simone de Beauvoir (The second sex) it's good enough for me. Ta very much.

Thanks for trying to explain it to me but I am familiar with the construction of the word, I have studied the ancient Greek language, my eroneous quibble was with the contemporary meaning but I guess I'll just shut up now.

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: mysogyny

oooooooooh, sorry, didn't mean to question your educational standing or anything, I guess i'll just slink away and hide......

No need to slink away and hide, you were right (along with everyone else who corrected me) and I was wrong, I'm just a sore looser ;-) Something to do with inflated pride or ego I should imagine, but I am of course glad to have been advised of my error before I continued to spout it out in accademic circles. It's a blessing in disguise, so I should really thank you all, but I won't, coz I'm petty like that... he he.... no, thanks, it's good to know these things.

philos

Member

Re: mysogyny

thanks, it's good to know these things.

I too found that I'd been misapplying these terms all along, so thank you everybody.  But I can't resist this: those who wish to cut a dash in academic circles should first learn to spell 'academic' (only joking!)

liandra_dahl

Member

Re: mysogyny

I too found that I'd been misapplying these terms all along, so thank you everybody.  But I can't resist this: those who wish to cut a dash in academic circles should first learn to spell 'academic' (only joking!)

Ah ha... a pedant amongst our ranks! No you're absolutely right my spelling is atrocious. Mild dyslexia and typos aside, I blame it all on microsoft word's gramma and spell check facility as I never really take the time to learn the correct spelling as I click on the [change] button... no gold star for Ms. Dahl