I have several reactions. First, theoretical: Why do you suppose it's so difficult to open the discourse to one set of voices and to affirm the distinctiveness of its experience (the messages women get about competence and beauty in our culture aren't exactly the same as the ones men get) without excluding another, or denying the common features their experience? (Maybe the convolution of that sentence is its own answer?) I cheated and read the article on impostor syndrome instead of the post you're talking about. One of its take-home points was the (obvious but important) observation that finding out that you're not alone in your feelings of inadequacy helps. That seemed relevant to your argument. Sure, it's helpful to learn that other people like you (for me: other women, other junior faculty) struggle with the same worries you do, but might it also help to learn that people you think have it all sewn up (men, senior faculty), and maybe resented for it, also have those feelings? A while ago elysdir inadvertently sparked a big argument about introverts v. extroverts; it wasn't fun, but it did at least teach me that extroverts have their own cross to bear, which I, an introvert, had never considered, and maybe I'm a little less resentful of extroverts now.
In other words, I agree with you (why limit the thread to only women?), partly for the same reasons (struggling with feelings of inadequacy isn't unique to women) and partly for a slightly different one (to the extent that women's and men's experience isn't precisely commensurate, it might be productive for each group to hear the other's perspective).
Second, when do we get to start talking about how awesome we are? I'll start with you: You're awesome because you're a wise, thoughtful, and generous friend. You're awesome because you know your way around a sentence; getting published or not won't change that basic truth. You're awesome because you have an acute, wide-ranging intelligence. You're awesome because you know how to talk to children on exactly the right level. I could go on, but I'll stop there, to leave room for others.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-05-04 05:28 pm (UTC)In other words, I agree with you (why limit the thread to only women?), partly for the same reasons (struggling with feelings of inadequacy isn't unique to women) and partly for a slightly different one (to the extent that women's and men's experience isn't precisely commensurate, it might be productive for each group to hear the other's perspective).
Second, when do we get to start talking about how awesome we are? I'll start with you: You're awesome because you're a wise, thoughtful, and generous friend. You're awesome because you know your way around a sentence; getting published or not won't change that basic truth. You're awesome because you have an acute, wide-ranging intelligence. You're awesome because you know how to talk to children on exactly the right level. I could go on, but I'll stop there, to leave room for others.