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

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

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TheFeministMovementandWorkingClassWomen翻译英语泛读教程3高等教育出版社

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Text1

TheFeministMovementandWorking-ClassWomen

byDinaWills

   ThemodernWomen'sMovementfirststartedinAmericain1964haschangedthethinkingofwomenandtheattitudesofmentowardswomen.Buteventodaytherestillexistsaconflictofvaluesbetweenthefeministsandtheworking-classwomen.Thefollowingpassagediscussestheissue.

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