The Feminist Movement and WorkingClass Women翻译 英语泛读教程3高等教育出版社Word文件下载.docx

The Feminist Movement and WorkingClass Women翻译 英语泛读教程3高等教育出版社Word文件下载.docx

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I'

mnotawomen'

slibber,but..."

istheopeninglineofmanyconversationsinwhichwomentalkaboutnotgettingfairpay,anequalchanceforajob,decentworkingconditions,ortherespectgiventomaleworkersinthesamejob.Evenin1989,25yearsafterBettyFriedan'

sTheFeminineMystiquesignaledthestartofthemodernWomen'

sMovement,manystillbelievethesearetheirownpersonalproblems,nottheresultofoureconomicandsocialsystems.Theydon'

twanttobecalled"

feminists"

or"

women'

slibbers."

Yet,theirangeratnotbeingtreatedfairlymeansthattheydoexpecttobegivenopportunitiesandresponsibilitiesequaltothosemenget.

Allwomenwhocalledthemselvesfeministscouldagreeonsomepoints."

Thepersonalispolitical"

meantthatwomen'

sinequalitycomparedtomenwasnotjustanindividualproblem,buthappenedbecausetheU.S.social,politicalandeconomicsystemswerestackedagainstthem.Legalrestrictions,suchaslawsforbiddingwomenfromliftingmorethan30pounds,keptthemoutoflucrativejobsconsidered"

men'

swork."

Womenfoundithardtogetcreditintheirownnamesortoobtainloanstostartabusinessorbuyahome.Incommunitypropertystarts,ahusbandcouldmanagethefamilyfinancesalone,whilehiswifecouldnot.Womenoftenwerenotadmittedtolawandmedicalschools;

iftheydidgetin,theyfacedstingingdiscriminationfromteachersandfellowstudents.Theculturalnorminsistingthatawomanshouldtakeaman'

snamewhenshemarriedoftenwasenforcedasthoughitwerealaw;

fewconsideredthetremendouspsychologicalshiftthatoccurswhenanameischanged.

Manywomenbegantorecognizethattheirstrugglesinrelationshipsandjobswerenotjusttheirownpersonalfailures,butwererelatedtoaculturalsystemdesignedtokeepthemintheirplace.Theirreactionwasangeratthepatriarchal3system."

Theclick"

wasafeministtermforthatmomentofsuddeninsightwhenawomanrealizedthatshewas,indeed,oppressed.Foronewoman,ithappenedwhenshewastoldbyasolicitousmalesupervisorthatinordertosucceedinherjobshewouldhavetobe"

atleasttwiceasgoodasanyofthemen."

Click!

Withthefervorofthenewlyconverted,feministsintheearly1970'

sbelievedthat,ifthefeministmessageofliberationfrompatriarchaloppressionwereheard,itwouldbeacceptedbyanywoman.However,exposuretotheideasoftheWomen'

sMovementwasn'

tenoughtomakeeverywomanafeminist.Someworking-classAmericanwomenwereantagonizedbytheattitudesfeministsexpressedtowardsthefamily,traditionalfemininestylesofdressandspeech,women'

spaidwork,andsexualfreedominrelationshipsandchildbearing.

Partofthisproblemwasamatterofclass.Inthoseearlyyears,theWomen'

sMovementwasamiddle-classmovement,asitoftenwasaccusedofbeing.Itwasbegunbywomenwitheducationwhounderstoodhowthesystemworkedandcouldtakethetimetotrytochangeit.

Thevaluesexpressedweremiddle-classandoftenclashedwiththerealitiesofworking-classwomen'

slives.

Besidesmisunderstandingtheimportanceoftrulyequaljobopportunities,someworking-classwomenhadgoodreasontobecynicalaboutthecriesof"

liberation"

and"

equality"

theyheardfromtheWomen'

sMovement.

Theissueofpaidworkforwomenversusvolunteerworkandunpaidworkinthehomewasahighlydivisiveoneintheearlydaysofthemovement.Thevocalfeministsquotedinthemassmediasoundedasthoughtheybelievedthatawomanwhodidn'

tworkforpaywasn'

trealizingherfullpotential.Manyofthemalsoarguedthatsomewayshouldbefoundtopaywomenforhousework,butthatideawasn'

tgivenwidecoverageinthemedia.Theconceptofwomenhavingachoiceaboutwhethertoworkforpayornotwasamiddle-classidea;

working-classwomenusuallyworked,fromnecessity.Tothem,nothavingtoworksoundedmorelikeliberation.

Thetonefeministsusedindeliveringthemessagethatwomenshouldworkforpaybotheredsomepeople.In1973,SocialResearch,Inc.,ofChicagosurveyed410womenineightcities;

oneoftheareastheyprobedwasthewomen'

sresponsetotheWomen'

sMovement.（Theyreferredtoitas"

Women'

sLib,"

atermusuallyusedbyopponentsofthemovement,showingeithertheirignoranceorbias.）SRIfoundtheworking-classwomenintheirsample（two-thirdsofthetotal）hadastrongersenseofbeingoppressedandvictimizedthanthemiddle-classwomen,butdidn'

tbelievetheWomen'

sMovementofferedthemanyhelp.Theysawitasacontributortotheproblembyputtingpressureonthemtohaveajob,whentheyhadverylittlechoiceinthatmatteranyway.Theydidhavejobs,whichtheywouldhavegivenupgladlyiftheycouldhaveaffordedtostayhomewithoutmakingmoney.Theworking-classwomeninthisstudyresentedwhattheyconsideredtobetheauthoritarianattitudeofleadersoftheWomen'

sMovement,"

anattemptbyLibleaderstotellotherwomenwhattheyoughttodo,feel,beproudof,orashamedof."

Similarattitudeswerefoundbythewriterswhointerviewedindividualwomen.

LouiseKappHoweinterviewedseveralbeauticiansforPinkCollarWorkers.OnebecameveryupsetwhenHoweaskedifherhusbandeverhelpedaroundthehouse."

No,andIwouldn'

twanthimto.I'

dratherdomyowncookingandmyownhousekeeping.Idon'

tbelieveinwomen'

slib.AndIdon'

tbelieveinallthatcrap-makingahusbanddohalfthework."

Shewastypicalofotherintervieweeswhobelievedthatawoman'

srolewastostayathome,ifpossible,andtakecareofthechildren,thoughtheoverwhelmingoddswerethatmostofthesewomenworkedoutsidetheirhomesatrepetitious,boring,andsometimesdangerousjobs.Theyusuallyregardedtheirhusbands'

jobsastheprimaryonesandtheirownassecondarytotheirvocationofhomemaking,nomatterhowimportanttheirincomewastotheirfamily'

seconomicwell-being.

Oppression"

didn'

tmeanthesametotheseworking-classwomenasitdidtoanacademicMarxistfeministoramemberofNOW.Toworking-classwomen,oppressionwaswhatthesystemdidtobothwomenandmen,notjustsomethingmeninapatriarchal,capitalistsystemdidtowomen.Theysawthemen'

sroleasharderthantheirs,evenwhentheyworkedoutsidethehome,too.Therefore,theyfoundithardtojointheWomen'

sMovementinangerdirectedatmeningeneral.

Feministvaluesandworking-classwomen

Itwasinthisareaoffamily,relationshipswithmen,andchildbearingthatthestrongestdiscrepancieswerefoundbetweenfeministvaluesandthoseexpressedbytheworking-classwomenwhowereinterviewedbythewriters.Theworking-classwomangaveherfamilymuchhigherprioritythanherjob―itwashermajorsourceofself-esteem.Manyearlyfeministsconsideredthefamilyatrapthatkeptwomeninbondage.Some,suchasShulamithFirestoneinTheDialecticofSex,suggestedalternativewaysofrearingchildrencollectively.Thesefeministsdidnotseemtovaluechildren,andtheworking-classwomenresentedit.

Thefeministpreoccupationwithnotbeingseenasasexobjectwasanotherpointthatledtomisunderstanding.Afeministintheearly1970'

smightrefusetowearskirtsorothertraditionallyfeminineclothing,wearahairstyleshecouldcareforherself,andneverwearmake-up.Working-classwomenlivedinaculturewheresuchunorthodoxdresscouldsendanunpleasantmessage.Asonewomanputit,"

A'

liberated'

working-classwomanmaybeconsideredaslut."

Beauticiansinterviewedbyseveralwriterspointedoutthattheyhadoneofthebestjobsforaworking-classwoman.Onesaid,"

Youdon'

tunderstandhowmanyofusgointobeautyworkbecausewewanttobeindependent.Wecanhaveashopathome─beourownboss,betherewhenthekidscomehomefromschool,andkeepourselvestogetheriftheoldmancutsout."

AnothertoldHowe,"

Youcan'

ttellmeit'

sbadforawomantocareaboutherappearance.Ido,andIthinkI'

masliberatedasanybody."

Forthesewomenwhorarelyhadachoiceaboutwhetherornottoworkforpay,"

equalpayforequalwork"

couldhavebeenanideatheysharedwithfeminists.Whydidn'

ttheyjoinwiththeWomen'

sMovementtodemandemploymentequalitywithmen?

Tworeasonsemergefromtheinterviews.

Equalemploymentopportunityfirstwasmentionedataunionrallyin1887;

theideahasbeenpartofworkingwomen'

slivesformorethan100years.Low-incomewomenhavegoneonstrikeandaskedforbetterwagesandworkingconditionsformanyyears.Theydidn'

tseethisasanissuetheWomen'

sMovementcouldclaimasitsown,butasaseparateonewithalonghistoryofrebuffsandsetbacks.

Second,whiletheycouldagreewith"

intheabstract,therewasastrongfeelingexpressedthat,givenanyproblemwiththenumberofjobsavailable,amanalwaysshouldbegivenajobsothathecouldsupporthisfamily.Theyrecognizedthehardshipthisworkedonasinglewoman,but,withtheiremphasisonfamilyrelationships,theybelievedthepolicyofgivingmenpreferenceforjobsandbetterpaywasthebestcourseforsocietyasawhole.Theysawlittlechancethesystemwouldchangesothatwomencouldgetandkeepjobspayingenoughforafamilytoliveon;

theyhadbeenfightingthatsystemforalongtime.