Theory class left me hacked off.

Our class is at the stage where we are identifying specific fields of interest, forming a question, and identifying some pertinent quotations.  When it was my turn, I spoke about my latest reading where I had identified the critical difference between 'value' as a noun, and 'valuing' as a verb.  I had just discovered some writing that said 'valuing' was a field in social psychology where there was a gap in the literature.  And this is what I am interested - valuing women - by their representation in art.

There was a bit of a discussion where I was advised to look at similar phenomenon in other ares of life, and the inertia of tradition (to value women).  To look at the group psychological dimension, social systems and social psychology.

Then Joseph said there were cases where

"Everyone will 'agree' a subject is a 'good idea', but no-one takes action
... because actually it's not a good idea, .... because they don't agree with it."

I was hacked off with this, and gave him one of my withering looks.  And noted his comment in my book.  And went silent.  And resolved to think about how to analyse his comment.   And use it to illustrate a point.

Pamela Creedon (Women in Mass Communication, 1993, p3-23) says resistance to the female voice takes 3 forms :

1. Annihilation (ignoring, stereotyping, demeaning)
2. Accommodating (acknowledging, then not using the female voice to advance meaning or understanding)
3. Appropriation (upcoming theories claimed by male theorists when valid sources can be found in feminist literature).

So Joseph's comment to me, fits exactly with Accommodation.  From his patriarchal perspective he says 'everyone agrees' and 'no-one takes action' about my feminist subject, and then implies my idea about Valuing Women artworks is not good, precluding even the opportunity to advance meaning or understanding because of his pre-conceived concepts of traditional dominant values.  And he has done it by making a general comment about ideas and actions, but in the context of my subject, which I find to be quite snide and undermining.

I think I will use this example in my essay to illustrate how patriarchy operates.  He is one of the markers for the essay.  I don't care if he marks it harshly on these grounds.  It is my work, and I am learning hugely about my position and how I see the world.

I was also advised to:

Find your message in other people's work
Find where your message is absent in other people's work.

Use the phrase "This is interesting because ... " in relation to the above.

Regarding my essay, I have identified 43 quotes, and put them on index cards.  Over the next week, I will sort by subject, and put into an order, that makes sense to start writing an essay.

By 6 April, class needs to bring to class:   (email to Joseph by 3 April)

Title
Quote
Image
100 words

We have been set to work in pairs to prepare this.  Me and Vlad; Na'ama and Gareth; Simal and Margaret; Lieta and Nora.

On 4 May we get tutorials.