From poss@utdallas.edu Mon May 1 00:03:19 MDT 1995 From: poss@utdallas.edu Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 01:04:41 -0500 (CDT) To: Matfem Subject: PW Hotline #6 It has been awfully quiet on Matfem lately. Is it the end of the semester for most? I am in receipt of the latest Political Woman Hotline. Since I had less than ten personal requests to forward last time, I am happy to do the same again. The letter this time concerns the need for a name change (there already is a women's leadership network in existence), reaction to the OK City bombings, and things to do now that the senate is taking up some critical issues. The posting has also been sent to archiving. Melinda From ferguson@philos.umass.edu Tue May 2 07:16:37 MDT 1995 by titan.oit.umass.edu (8.6.4/8.6.9) id JAA04527; Tue, Date: Tue, 02 May 1995 09:16:52 -0400 (EDT) From: Ann Ferguson Subject: Re: welfare In-reply-to: <0098F3E0.9F38A196.8948@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu> from "JUDITH LORBER" at Apr 22, 95 00:27:10 am To: matfem@csf.colorado.edu May 2, 1995 Dear Judith Lorber: I am replying to your request that I join your committee of 100 against the current Congressional welfare reform. I am glad to do so. Please see my fill-in of the form below. Sincerely Ann Ferguson Prof. of Philosophy UMass, Amherst, MA 01003 > * * * * * *forwarded message* * * * * > COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED > NOW LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND > 99 HUDSON STREET 12TH FL. > NEW YORK, NEW YORK, 10013, 212-343-4346 > > April 19, 1995 > > Dear Friend: > > We are a group of women concerned about the impending legislation > on welfare. We think that it is urgent that women speak out as > women against punitive welfare legislation. We write to you > because you are a woman of prominence who can provide leadership. > We hope that you will take time out of your busy schedule to > consider what this piece of social legislation will mean for > millions of women and what you might do to raise your voice > against this looming disaster. > > We have reached the end of the first furious 100 days of the > current session of Congress. The Contract with America undoes > progressive social legislation in force since the New Deal. A > centerpiece of the Contract is the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT. > On March 24th, a shameful day, the legislation passed the House. > But this bill is not yet law, and we have the possibility of > blocking the passage of a similar bill in the Senate. > > The stated aim of the PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT is to move > people off the welfare rolls and to discourage unmarried women > from having children. ALL responsible researchers insist that, in > reality, the measures outlined in this bill will do little to > reduce poverty or change women's reproductive choices. Instead, > they will succeed in consigning these women to untold misery and > abject poverty. > > This legislation will primarily wreak its havoc on poor women and > their children. (See the enclosed sheet for details.) But the > provisions concerning reproductive and familial choices for those > needing welfare suggest a broader effort to pressure all women > into a repressive sexuality, limited reproductive choices, and > conventional family arrangements. > > Researchers have documented the crucial importance of subsidized > child care, job training, education and health benefits in helping > women move out of poverty. This legislation, however, ignores > those needs, shredding the already skimpy safety net poor women > have relied upon when they lose a job, when their marriage or > relationships fall apart, or when their children fall ill. Women > with children, regardless of social strata, have relied on this > safety net when their domestic lives are shattered by spousal > abuse, or when a relationship that once provided economic security > can no longer do so. > > No one likes the current welfare system. Its grants are meager > and stigmatizing; its provisions are restrictive; it does not > address crucial social problems of endemic unemployment, poor > education, and the absence of support systems. > > The House Bill, however, is even worse much worse. It cuts the > life line, already only a slender thread, that women must have if > we are ever to establish our economic autonomy, our safety in > personal relationships, and our freedom from sexual harassment in > the workplace. The genius of the current radical right is its > ability to intuit just this connection between a safety net and > women's autonomy, but to keep that connection invisible. Instead > it exploits the post-feminist economic reality that most women > have to work to make ends meet. > > This agenda is billed as a campaign to decrease women's dependency > on welfare, and to increase women's self-sufficiency. But by > withdrawing federal assistance for women who find themselves > without a male support (and by simultaneously attacking > affirmative action, Title IX, and college financing), by > pauperizing these women and questioning their fitness as mothers, > by invoking demeaning racial stereotypes with which to brand them, > this agenda manifests it real intent: to pressure all women to > depend economically on a man within a traditional marriage > whether or not she wants to, and whether or not the man is > dependable. The economic alternative is made increasingly harsh > so harsh that women may find themselves unable to provide for > their families and face the need to relinguish their children to > foster care or adoption. > > Not only are federal funds withdrawn from poor women and children, > but states are now newly entitled to financial bonuses (through > the "illegitimacy ratio") for policies that succeed in pushing > women back to conventional reproductive and familial choices. > > WE MUST SPEAK UP. The ideals and struggles that have shaped and > benefitted many of us, some of which are under attack especially > for poor women, must be ideals and struggles that benefit all > women. We must not tolerate this attack on the poorest among us. > We cannot stand by while those who are most vulnerable receive the > full force of the backlash and fury of men who fear the erosion of > their power. It is our moral duty to stand together at this > critical juncture. We must stand with the women on welfare and > say NO to the legislation just passed through the House. We must > say: > > A War Against Poor Women is a War Against All Women. > > In response to Gingrich's 100 days, we are asking you to join a > COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED (plus): women leaders, artists, > academics, activists and professionals powerful and committed > women who are willing to publically protest the war against poor > women. In doing so you will affirm the PLEDGE FOR REAL WELFARE > REFORM signed by over twenty-five national women's organizations. > > We will organize a number of visible events where women speak out > on the issue of welfare. As a member of the Committee, you will > be lending your support to events carried out under its banner. > Your support is expressed in your willingness to have your name > associated with the organization. We also welcome, of course, > your active participation in any of these events, or your > financial support which will enable poor women to participate. > > Here are some things we encourage you to do as a member of the > Committee of One Hundred: > > 1.One of the most pressing concerns is to influence the > Senators on their home visits during the upcoming recess and > throughout the month of May there will be another recess May > 27-June 4. We encourage you to arrange to meet with your > Senator and a number of concerned citizens. Or write a > letter or submit an op-ed piece to your local newspaper. Or > arrange for a local television station to interview and speak > with real welfare mothers who will help break the vicious > stereotypes. We will provide you with a packet for how to > lobby your Senators while they are at their home office. > > 2.We want to sponsor a Press Conference and Lobby Day on May > 11th as a Mother's Day gesture. We are not aiming at a mass > demonstration but at groups large enough to attract news > coverage. Your joining us will help achieve that. Consider > the cost of your transportation (and lodging) as a much > needed contribution. As plans materialize for this event, we > will contact you with further information. > > 3.We want to publicize the existence of this group. Please > say that you will allow us to use your name in an > advertisement or other form of publicity. > > 4.Fill out the enclosed form to indicate your interest in > this project, your willingness to lend your name to this > endeavor, and any comments, suggestions or responses that you > may have. > > 5.Last, but not least, please help with a financial > contribution to realize this project. > > Help make a reality of the feminist dream: A Women's Movement that > unites and touches the lives of all women. Right now we face a > glass ceiling for high achieving women and a bottomless abyss for > women denied all opportunity. Let's raise the floor at the same > time as we lift the ceiling. > > In Sisterhood, > PAT REUSS, Senior Policy Analyst, NOW Legal Defense Fund > HEIDI HARTMANN, Director, Institute for Women's Policy Research > HARRIET TRUDELL, Fund for a Feminist Majority > LINDA GORDON, Florence Kelly Professor of History, University of > Wisconsin > ALICE HARRIS-KESSLER, Director of Women Studies, Rutgers > University > NELL PAINTER, Edwards Professor of American History, Princeton > University > EILEEN BORIS, Professor of History, Howard University > CYNTHIA HARRISON, Professor of History and Women Studies, George > Washington University > SONYA MICHEL, Visiting Professor of History and Women's Studies, > FRANCES FOX PIVEN, Professor of Political Science, CUNY Graduate > School, Activist and Author > MIMI ABRAMOWITZ, Professor of Social Work, Hunter College > MARTHA DAVIS, Senior Staff Attorney, NOW Legal Defense and > Education Fund > GUIDA WEST, Welfare Reform Network & Former Director, Federation > of Protestant Welfare Agencies > LORRETTA ROSS, Director, Center for Democratic Renewal > RUTH BRANDWEIN, Professor & Former Dean, School of Social Work, > SUNY at Stony Brook; former Commissioner, Suffolk County (NY) > Department of Social Services, Vice President National Association > of Social Workers > GWENDOYN MINK, Professor of Political Science, University of > California, Santa Cruz > EVA KITTAY, Professor of Philosophy, SUNY at Stony Brook > > P.S. We have JUST begun this organizing effort, but I thought I > would inform you of the women who have already agreed to be part > of the Committee. > Bella Abzug; Barbara Ehrenreich, author; Blanche Wiesen Cook, > author Eleanor Roosevelt: A Biography; Susan Brownmiller, author; > Alice Illchman, President of Sarah Lawrence College > Rosalyn Baxandall, Historian. > > > > THE HOUSE WELFARE BILL WAR AGAINST POOR WOMEN > A Brief Overview > > The House Welfare Bill provisions: > > * End the entitlement of families primarily female-headed > households with dependent children to Aid to Families with > Dependent Children (AFDC) these are a subsistence cash grant > guaranteed if the family falls below the poverty line and > meets Federal eligibility standards. > > * Lump monies from AFDC and Emergency Aid To Families into > block grants paid to states with virtually no Federal > Government oversight and with no requirement that states > provide matching funds. This effectively and significantly > reduces available monies. > > * Exclude millions of women and children because of "drop dead" > time-limits time-limits which make women ineligible for the > remainder of their lives, irrespective of the woman's or her > family's circumstances. > > * Exclude many more women and their children through > prohibitions on states giving money to unmarried pregnant > women under eighteen or women who become pregnant while on > public assistance. > > * Demand work without providing childcare, job training or > education. Women who are trying to move out of poverty > through education and job training in skilled jobs will be > cut off and consigned to eking out a scant livelihood for > themselves and their families. Millions after them will be > denied any opportunity to get the education they require to > better their situation. > > * Reward states by granting them up to a 10% increase if they > reduce their "illegitimacy ratio," the ratio of live births > to out-of wedlock births and the sum of abortions. The rates > are calculated from the general population not just from > women on welfare. > > * Punishes women and children in cases where paternity has not > been established, even when the mother is fully cooperating > with the state. > > * Excludes most legal immigrants from over 60 public assistance > programs. > > > > URGENT! PLEASE FILL THIS REPLY FORM OUT NOW! AND MAIL IT TODAY!! > > _x_I accept the invitation to join the Committee of One Hundred. Add my > name to your list. > > Signature:________________________________________________________ > > Name and Title as you want it to appear: > __Ann Ferguson, Prof of Philosophy and Women's Studies________________________________________________________________ > Affiliation: UMass/Amherst > Address: Philosophy Department, Box 30525, Univ. of Mass, Amherst, MA 01003 Phone: 413-367-2310 (H), 413-545-2330, 545-5802 (W) Fax: 413-545-3880 > > Email: ferguson@philos.umass.edu > > > In addition, I will lend my support by > __Being a part of a National Press Conference > x__My willingness to have my name appear if you publicize the > Committee in an ad campaign > __Lobbying at the May event in Washington > x__Participating in an event in my home state in the next six weeks > __I cannot participate in these events, but would like to participate > in a future effort. > > __I cannot accept the invitation to join the Committee of One Hundred > > Comments:________________________________________________________________ > > _______________________________________________________________________ > > > I enclose a contribution to help form the Committee and support its > activities: > __$200 __$150 __$100 __$50 x__$25 ____$ > PS Will send separately! > Make check payable to: Committee of One Hundred / NOW LDEF > Return to: Committee of One Hundred NOW LDEF 99 Hudson St. New York, NY > 10013 > > Fax: 914-835-2753; 212-226-1066 Phone: 212-343-4346 > > Email responses to: > Ekittay@ccmail.sunysb.edu or US003667@interramp.com > > > > > > NATIONAL WOMEN'S PLEDGE ON WELFARE REFORM:PRINCIPLES FOR ELIMINATING POVERTY > > * We support welfare reform that will do more than maintain > families in poverty; it should help them make a permanent > escape from poverty. The vast majority of adults who > receive assistance from Aid to Families with Dependent > Children are women. > > * As leaders of women's groups in the United States, we state > unequivocally that women who receive welfare benefits have > the same rights as all women and have the same goals for > their families. > > * We cannot allow their rights to be curtailed because they are > poor nor their values impugned because they need help to > support their families. Welfare has served as an essential > safety net for poor women and their children. Many women > use welfare at various points throughout their lives, because > they have few other resources to tide them over during > one-time or recurring events such as illness, unemployment, > child birth, domestic violence, or divorce. > > * We cannot allow the guarantee of minimal survival assistance > to be removed or reduced by caps on spending, time limits, > child exclusion policies, or other means. We cannot allow > the federal government to abandon its commitment to a basic > safety net for poor mothers and their children. > > * We oppose punitive measures that assume that the behavior, > attitudes, and values of women on welfare are the problem. > Welfare mothers have not abandoned their children; they are > struggling to hold their families together with extremely > limited resources. Many are already working or looking for > work in order to raise their families' incomes. > > * We believe the problem lies, rather, in the labor market > conditions these women face, including gender- and race-based > discrimination that limits their opportunities, unstable jobs > that pay low wages and lack health and retirement benefits, > inaccessible jobs, and no jobs at all. In addition, lack of > educational opportunity, inadequate support services and > benefits, lack of child support from fathers, and punitive > welfare regulations have made it impossible for poor women to > get ahead. > > 1. THE HELP WE PROVIDE OR DO NOT PROVIDE TO MOTHERS DETERMINES > THE WELL-BEING OF THEIR CHILDREN. Penalizing certain groups of > women and children by withholding welfare benefits is not > acceptable. We unequivocally oppose punitive policies that deny > or reduce benefits to unmarried teenage mothers and their > children, to poor children for whom paternity has not been > established, and to additional children born to women on welfare. > Further impoverishing mothers does not help their children > > 2. WOMEN HAVE A RIGHT TO DECIDE WHETHER AND WHEN TO HAVE > CHILDREN. Women's reproductive choices should not be restricted > by government sanctions, mandates, or economic coercion. Women > on welfare do not need to be discouraged from having children, > since they already have fewer children than women in the general > population. Many women now have inadequate access to desired > reproductive health services. Access to and funding for > contraception, family planning counseling, and abortion services > should be improved. Early teen pregnancy and childbirth can be > harmful to the health, education, and training of young women. > Educational opportunities, family planning, contraceptive access, > and hope for the future are the best and most humane deterrents. > > 3. POOR FAMILIES NEED HELP TO MEET THE COSTS OF CHILD CARE AND > HEALTH CARE. In order to work or to participate in job training > or educational programs, poor parents need access to good quality > child and elder care that they can afford. Otherwise, they will > be either unable to work or forced to leave their children or > elderly relatives unattended, in substandard care, or with > underpaid caregivers. Poor families also must have access to > health care in order to stay healthy. They must be able to > receive medical treatment as needed, rather than be forced to go > without necessary treatment or to choose between health care and > other basic necessities. > > 4. MEN MUST BEAR THEIR SHARE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPPORTING > THE CHILDREN THEY HAVE FATHERED. Stronger child support > enforcement is essential to effective welfare reform. Families > receiving welfare should be allowed to keep a larger portion of > the child support payments made by absent fathers. At the same > time, we must recognize that child support alone will not lift > women and their children out of poverty. Nor should women be > forced to reveal the identity of fathers who they believe would > harm them or their children. > > 5. INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERVICES FOR WELFARE > RECIPIENTS IS ESSENTIAL. The majority of welfare recipients want > work and often have work experience, but lack the skills, > education, or English proficiency to obtain jobs that pay adequate > wages to support their families. Women who participate in high > quality education and training, including post-secondary education > and training for nontraditional occupations, have higher earnings > and are less likely to return to welfare. > > 6. IMPROVING WOMEN 'S WAGES AND BENEFITS WILL REDUCE FAMILY > POVERTY. Achieving pay equity, increasing the minimum wage, > creating incentives for employers to provide fringe benefits in > contingent and other low-wage jobs, and encouraging collective > bargaining should be integral parts of an effective and > comprehensive welfare reform strategy. > > 7. UNTIL WAGES ARE IMPROVED FOR WOMEN, THE COMBINATION OF WAGES > AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS SHOULD PROVIDE A LIVEABLE INCOME. For > many women, at current wage rates and benefit levels, neither work > nor welfare alone can bring their families up to and out of > poverty. In most states, when women on welfare work, they lose > at least 80 cents in welfare benefits for every dollar they earn. > These punitive regulations must be changed. Other forms of > income assistance, such as unemployment insurance, paid family > leaves, and temporary disability insurance, must be expanded to > cover all low income families, including families who receive or > have received welfare. In addition, housing and food assistance > programs must be adequate to the need. > > > ------------------------------------- > Name: Eva Feder Kittay > E-mail: us003667@pop3.interramp.com (Eva Feder Kittay) > Date: 03/24/95 > Time: 23:06:21 > > This message was sent by Chameleon > ------------------------------------- > > > > > _________________________________________________________________________ > Judith Lorber > Sociology, CUNY Graduate School > 33 West 42 Street, NY, NY 10036 > 212-642-2416 FAX:212-642-2420 > JLO@CUNYVMS1.GC.CUNY.EDU > From bahar@uni2a.unige.ch Fri May 5 07:33:46 MDT 1995 by uni2b.unige.ch (PMDF V4.3-8 #2502) id <01HQ5DH800B400AI7I@uni2b.unige.ch>; Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 15:33:32 WET-DST Date-warning: Date header was inserted by uni2b.unige.ch From: bahar@uni2a.unige.ch (S Bahar) Subject: Feminist / Women's Studies at the University of Geneva To: femisa@csf.colorado.edu, feminist@mitvma.mit.edu, medfem-l@indycms.iupui.edu, swip-l@cfrvm.cfr.usf.edu, h-women@msu.edu, matfem@csf.colorado.edu In Geneva, headquarters of many international and non-governmental organisations and their priceless documentation centres, the Faculty of Arts of the University of Geneva has created a one-year post-graduate degree programme in the humanities. This programme, directed by Michele Le Doeuff and Gregory T. Polletta,focuses on comparative litterature and political philosophy. Seminars foreseen for 1995-6 include the female bildungsroman, childhood scenes in the work of selected modern female writers, female and male life projects of the 1800s, Bessie Head on patriarchal power and interrogations on European political and philosophical traditions concerning women. As the programme is also associated with the European Studies Institute of the University of Geneva, an opportunity for further interdisciplinary contacts and a focus on contemporary European politics on women is also encouraged. Needless to say other seminars and courses on women are accessible to students in this programme, including seminars on the family romance, on the social contract and the public woman and on women and knowledges. Although a number of seminars are held in English and German, oral and written French is required. Applications will be accepted until 1 July 1995, although latter applications will be considered. For further information and the programme brochure, please contact: Departement d'Anglais Facult=E9 des Lettres Universit=E9 de Gen=E8ve CH-1211 Gen=E8ve 4 Switzerland fax: 41 22 320 04 97 e-mail: bahar@uni2a.unige.ch From bahar@uni2a.unige.ch Fri May 5 07:38:48 MDT 1995 by uni2b.unige.ch (PMDF V4.3-8 #2502) id <01HQ5DPFA5HS00D4H8@uni2b.unige.ch>; Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 15:39:58 WET-DST Date-warning: Date header was inserted by uni2b.unige.ch From: bahar@uni2a.unige.ch (S Bahar) Subject: Call for Papers To: victoria@IUBVM.ucs.INDIANA.edu, MATFEM@csf.colorado.edu, h-women@msf.edu, NASSR-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU Please forward and circulate the attached announcement MEMORY AND HISTORY: EUROPEAN IDENTITY AT THE MILLENNIUM FIFTH CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF EUROPEAN IDEAS (ISSEI) UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS, AUGUST 1996 Prof. Dr. Ezra Talmor Valeria Wagner Conference Chair Workshop Chair Department of Philosophy English Department Haifa University Universite de Geneve Mount Carmel, Haifa Faculte de lettres Israel 31999 CH-1211 Gee=CBve 4 TEl: 022 705 7027 FAX: 022 320 0497 CALL FOR PAPERS You are invited to participate in a workshop entitled EUROPEAN MEMORY AND THE DEAD OF HISTORY The workshop would like to address, in general, the relationship between "making history" - historical events and historical accounts- and what history "ma "makes". To what extent, or how, can historical accounts be said to determine the "actual" making of history? How do historical accounts "process" historical actions, and how do they affect in turn projected actions (political decisions)? The title of this workshop is meant to attract your attention to the following issues: -History is considered as a privileged institution for the constitution of a collective memory to ground the "identity" of the nation state. What would be the implications -and limitations- of the construction of a "European memory"? - The "actual" making of European histories has implied the violent killing (whether in wars, epidemies, exploitation, etc) of non-europeans, who have thus participated in its making, while being excluded from its historical accounts. Can we conceive of a history which would not follow this pattern, either in its practice or in its narrative? With respect to Europe, these issues can be formulated as the following questions: how has Europe "made" history? What is the "European" mode of constructing historical discourses, and how does it relate to and affect the "empirical" making of history? =46eel free, however, to propose your own reading of EUROPEAN MEMORY AND THE DEAD OF HISTORY. Please send abstracts to me, either by mail of e-mail, by October 31, 1995. Keep in mind that the prescribed length of time for the presentation of papers is about 20 minutes. Sincerely, Valeria Wagner wagner@uni2a.unige.ch From irene@drelich.ba.ar Sun May 7 15:46:45 MDT 1995 To: MATFEM@csf.colorado.edu Subject: I need information From: irene@drelich.ba.ar (Irene Drelichman) Date: Sun, 07 May 95 17:58:21 -0300 I need information about women in today's world (preferibly statistics) If there's somebody who can help me please send the information to irene@drelich.ba.ar Thank You Irene Drelichman From irene@drelich.ba.ar Sun May 7 20:25:24 MDT 1995 To: MATFEM@csf.colorado.edu Subject: I need information From: irene@drelich.ba.ar (Irene Drelichman) Date: Sun, 07 May 95 22:42:21 -0300 I need information about women in today's world, participacion in science, politics and education, economics, business and labour force (preferibly statistics). I'm trying to made an investigation about the actual role of women in the world for the highÐschool. If there's somebody who can help me please send the information to irene@drelich.ba.ar Thank You Irene Drelichman From poss@utdallas.edu Fri May 12 16:46:16 MDT 1995 From: poss@utdallas.edu Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 17:47:57 -0500 (CDT) To: Matfem Subject: playboy on the net (fwd) I thought list subscribers might be interested in seeing this. Also I have the most recent posting from the Women's Leadership/Political Network. Melinda Poss ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 11:49:21 -0700 From: agoodloe@best.com To: internet-women-info@best.com Subject: playboy on the net --- begin forwarded text Date: 11 May 1995 23:44:14 Reply-To: Conference "vs.onlinestrategies" From: elisabeth.binder@uni-klu.ac.at Subject: the nice people at playboy.com... To: Recipients of vs-online-strat X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org Precedence: bulk Lines: 58 From: "Elisabeth Binder" A friend told me about the latest activities of playboy.com. They are organizing a "Girls on the Net" competition .... So fire up the scanners and send them some really "nice" pictures :-) Here's the URL: http://www.playboy.com/announcements/netgirls.html and below is the announcement. Please let me know if there are any protests and creative flame ideas are shaping up. I would like to include them on my web-pages (http://www.oeh.uni-linz.ac.at:8001/~lisa) Elisabeth Binder elisabeth.binder@uni-klu.ac.at cut here----------------- GIRLS OF THE NET PLAYBOY IS TRAVELING THE INFO HIGHWAY LOOKING FOR WOMEN FOR A SPECIAL "GIRLS OF THE NET" PICTORIAL interested in being considered for this feature should e-mail (as an "attachment") a recent full-length body photo in a two-piece bathing suit or less and a clear face shot to: photo@playboy.com (Attn: Net Girls) No scanner? Snail mail the photos to: Playboy Magazine (Attn: Net Girls) 680 N. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL. 60611 Please include the following information: NAME E-MAIL ADDRESS SNAIL-MAIL ADDRESS PHONE HEIGHT WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS AGE FAVORITE INTERNET SITES ABOUT YOU All participants must be at least 18 years of age. So please provide us with two I. D.'s (one photo I.D.) that show your date of birth. Photography by Richard Fegley Copyright © 1995 Playboy Enterprises, Inc. --- end forwarded text From ferguson@philos.umass.edu Mon May 22 19:32:48 1995 by titan.oit.umass.edu (8.6.4/8.6.9) id VAA09665; Mon, Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 21:34:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Ann Ferguson Subject: SWIP-L Digest - 15 May 1995 to 16 May 1995 (fwd) To: matfem@csf.colorado.edu 22 May 1995 To the MatFem list I recently posted this message on the Society for Women in Philosophy list (SWIP) and it occurred to me that it would be good to have feedback from members of this list as well, since I am not sure all materialist feminists agree as to what constitutes our philosophical starting points. So let me know what you think!! Sincerely Ann Ferguson ferguson@philos.umass.edu * * * * * * * * * Forwarded message: > > > > > 15 May 95 > > I would like to reply to the questions raised recently about > materialism, which will show everyone how behind I am in reading my e- mail since that debate has simmered down recently. It is interesting to read how the SWIPers define the issue, since I am also on a Materialist Feminist list which assumes a different starting point than any raised pro or con materialism on this list, which shows that the contrasting positions to materialism are different. As I read the debate on this list, there are two contrasting ways of taking the dicotomy between Materialism and the Other position(s): > Either it is Materialism vs. Idealism or Dualism in the old metaphysical universalist senses of the terms, or it is Materialism vs. Psychoanalysis or some other non-reductive theory of personality formation and development. > > I would like to suggest that there is a third way to read the contrast: between Materialism, thought of as a historical approach to understanding social domination relations (including ideology, hence philosophical concepts and their paradigmatic contrasts), which emphasizes the importance of sexual, racial and class divisions of labor, hence economic social relations as they are historically constituted; and all other Ahistorical starting points in philosophy, which would include ahistorical relativisms such as Discourse theory and Postmodern theories which are not historically grounded, totalist noncontextual theories, etc, etc. The sort of Materialism I am thinking of here could include some sorts of poststructuralist and postmodernist approaches which did not reduce, e.g. gender to mere discourses or performances but did see such practices as a part of an explanation of male dominance, white supremacy, heterosexism and class domination that had to be supplemented with (other) material structures (divisions of labor, distributions of social/economic power and benefits, etc). Of course such a materialist starting point would have to acknowledge the importance of embodiment, because bodies as types are necessary for the perpetuation of racial and sexual (ie gendered) divisions of labor, though not so necessary for class divisions of labor. > Somehow I just cant get interested in debates about Materialism which rely on the first two types of conceptual dicotomy I mentioned. Can anyone show me that for the sorts of questions I am interested in the third posing of the issue that I must presuppose some position on the first two ways of posing the problem?? > > Best, > Ann Ferguson > ferguson@philos.umass.edu > > ------------------------------ > > End of SWIP-L Digest - 15 May 1995 to 16 May 1995 > ************************************************* > >