Hello there, it’s been a while since I blogged here, and longer since I’ve systematically been searching for exemplary 101-level posts out there. But I know that there are strong writers out there producing excellent material, I just don’t know who you all are. So I’m crowdsourcing.
I’ve decided to begin a new feature whereby interested readers can drop links they tend to share widely because they do a great job explaining/clarifying basic feminist concepts or debunking anti-feminist myths/factoids. If a relevant link happens to be one of your own writings, then by all means shamelessly self-promote it! And if a post of yours, or a friend’s post, gets linked by somebody else, by all means squee delightedly here in response.
In general, if somebody else posts a link that you were going to post, please respond with a note to that effect in comments. Treat it as an upvote, and by all means leave your other links in your response.
Comments will be open for 7 days. That is now the default setting for all posts, since the number of the clueless who insist on leaving comments on old posts without reading the previous comments and thus just repeat an earlier argument is disheartening to say the least, and I’ve decided that I just don’t want to see them any more. Depending on how this works out, I may adjust that setting either up or down in future.
Here is my current favorite insight into why there is so much misogyny. What to do about it?
According to many I respect, whenever we find hate speech or misogyny or misinformed or ignorant communication, we must speak out and set the record straight.
http://www.quora.com/fourthwave/The-Bright-Side
Here’s a really good post about cyberbullying, and how it’s not just trolling, it’s outright abuse.
http://fatheffalump.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/online-abuse-its-not-just-words-on-the-internet/
Just received a link.
Breaking Through the Development Silos: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Millennium Development Goals and Gender Equity, is a collection of case studies from Mexico, India and Nigeria. Learn how certain national poverty reduction strategies in the economic south have failed to challenge the root causes of gender inequality, have perpetuated gendered divisions of labor and have been very limited in integrating poverty and SRHR. Through this global research, DAWN demonstrate the phenomenon of “siloization” or the fragmentation and isolation of important social and human-rights issues from poverty agendas. This book provides useful evidence to support global advocacy on SRHR and gender equality in the context of the upcoming Cairo+20 and MDG+15 review processes in 2014 and 2015.
Visit http://WWW.DAWNNET.ORG to get a copy of the E-book!
If you want to read the copy online, CLICK HERE
Evette, there’s no link on that “CLICK HERE” above?
[Moderator note – Submitted comment content has been deleted:
The “gender gap” does not refer to (A) the differences between all men and all women, it refers to (B) the differences between men and women doing the same job, both in (i) how much they are paid and (ii) how many are there. That many “experts” conflate A and B, or only address an oversimplified strawman of (ii) while ignoring (i), makes their resultant analysis pointless, and thus your link is irrelevant.
FAQ: What is the Gender Gap?
nb: this note has been edited for clarity]
[Moderator note – Submitted comment content has been deleted:
Repost of the same link as above with extra commentary – still not posting that irrelevant link]
There’s some 101 re-adjustments and backlashes happening in some of the geek communities at the moment: The Great Geek Sexism Debate
When I got kind of frustrated after people kept asking me questions to do with some of the tougher parts of fem theory, I made this post on intersectionality:http://lipmag.com/opinion/broadening-feminisms-intersectionality-101/
and this one on global feminism: http://lipmag.com/opinion/global-feminism/
and this on how women being mean to women is part of the patriarchy: http://lipmag.com/opinion/women-being-mean-to-women-still-sexist/
Thanks, Erin. Kudos to Lip Magazine also for hosting the latest edition of the Down Under Feminists Carnival – lots of good reading there!
I honestly don’t know if this is of use as it’s audio – but
http://tokenskeptic.org/2011/11/22/episode-eighty-eight-on-codes-of-conduct-part-ii-sexism-skepticism-and-civility-online/
which includes links to:
http://morewomeninskepticism.wordpress.com/
and
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cocktail-party-physics/2011/07/20/is-it-cold-in-here/
Transcripts:
http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/on_codes_of_conduct_part_ii/
and
http://weareskeptixx.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/token-skeptixx-interview-tigtog-of-hoyden-about-town-and-finally-a-feminism-101-blog/
Finally – a favourite article from this year:
http://captainawkward.com/2012/08/07/322-323-my-friend-group-has-a-case-of-the-creepy-dude-how-do-we-clear-that-up/
Thanks Kylie – I’m happy with any media so long as it’s on-topic, especially when it’s complete with transcripts.
Here’s a really nice piece that isn’t nearly as flippant as it sounds about what would happen if you replaced the sexual objectification of beauty with canoes. http://www.mookychick.co.uk/feminism-politics/feminism/objectified-beauty.php
You might like to poach from the Pharynguwiki. There is an amazing collection here:
http://pharyngula.wikia.com/wiki/Social_justice_link_roundup
Thanks Cath – the Pharynguwiki Social Justice Round-Up is already linked to in the FF101 Resources section. The Horde has put together a fine collection of links there.
hopefully these will be useful to you:
1. my thoughts on a ‘feminist utopia’ – not as scary as some people might think!
http://canbebitter.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/looking-forward-looking-back/
2. why calling women ‘females’ can be considered offensive – I’ve seen people link to this in order to educate each other and it warms my heart!
http://canbebitter.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/i-am-woman-so-dont-call-me-a-female/
I did a post on calling women “females” too! I’ll bookmark yours for citing them together, because mine’s short and snarky while yours lays everything out in detail.
http://hoydenabouttown.com/20120806.12129/terminology-101-females-vs-women/
tekanji also did a detailed analytical post in 2006 on the asymmetrical usage of “females” in writing which simultaneously refers to “men” – what exactly is being emphasised when those are the two descriptors chosen to identify the human beings involved in an interaction?
Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced
Rape Culture 101
These are ones I most often link to people.
Thanks for the links, feministsailor. I had to fish you out of the spambucket because WordPress disdains BBcode formatting, so I edited your comment to switch everything to HTML markup.
oops, my bad! Thanks for fixing it :)
What “false accusations” are a derailing tactic in a discussion about rape.
Debunking a popular MRA myth
[Moderator Note 2012/09/24: I only just fished this out of the spaminator. Sorry for the delay, Elizabeth!]
I’m so, so sorry, but I’m going to promote the shit out of my own writing.
How Skepticism, Atheism Can Be Positive Forces — this is a post about how the aforementioned movements need to grow up and start addressing social issues. It’s shitty to mock all theists and not dismantle the power structures that some of them use to oppress others.
Why Don’t Feminists Ever Talk About Men? On the Idea of “Unbalanced” Activism — …I swear, the title is only supposed to draw teh menz in. This is supposed to be a primer about the kyriarchy and how any “oppressions” men face are really just negatives from their position as oppressors.
The Default Feminism is White Privilege — This is an article about how unexamined feminism will always tend to privilege the people that are most in power. Feminism without an intersectional focus (feminism + anti-racism + queer rights + ace awareness + disability awareness + …) can only benefit the marginalized people that are most in power. An Open Letter to Caitlin Moran” also deals with that same issue.
Dysphoria and an Attempt for More Inclusive Metaphors — a post to try to give cis people an idea of what dysphoria feels like to trans* people, while still trying to be inclusive of all trans* people.
…and goddesses, I’ve already made this post super big. I do have suggestions that aren’t shilling for myself, but I think that maybe this comment is done now.
No need for apologies, Nyux – thank you for the links.
I want to nominiate the Scottish Police forces new “We Can Stop It’ campaign to raise awareness that sex without consent is rape. Excellent 101, IMHO.
http://www.wecanstopit.co.uk/
Radical Feminism 101: http://radfemimages.wordpress.com/the-gears/
I don’t know if you have this one already but I stumbled upon it recently and immediately had to share all six parts. There is more – much, much more – available on the site but for a feminism primer this is quite nice.
Part 1: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/02/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes.html
Part 2: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/02/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes_15.html
Part 3: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/03/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes.html
Part 4: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/03/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes_10.html
Part 5: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/03/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes_17.html
Part 6: http://www.shakesville.com/2011/07/feminism-101-helpful-hints-for-dudes.html