Thank you so much for the mention, I'm honored to be included among so many great female writers here! ❤️ Wonderful read! I always find it dissapointing when seemingly left-leaning people—though it's usually men—focus on class and class alone in their critique of our modern world, as if it exists, or has ever existed, in complete isolation from gender and other identities.
The unwillingness to see the interconnectedness of it all is particularly interesting--I'm not going to get the quote right as I don't have it in front of me, but in The Will to Change bell hooks talks about how the inability of men to identify patriarchy as a guiding force in their behaviors is proof enough of false-male supremacy or the illusion of being all-knowing. Thank you for your words, for spending your time here, and for uplifting! I am grateful for you and your voice!
My goodness! My whole heart! Thank you for this. Honestly honored. Time is such a precious resource and to want to sit with my words means the world to my inner-child who didn’t dare dream of writing seriously. Thank you. 💜
Thank you for spending your precious time with my words, Ruth! And for taking the time to say this--it means a lot! I learned really early on in my masters program that academia speak isn't for me, I didn't like the hidden biases I was encouraged to write through. This feels better for the soul, so I am so grateful to have it received in such gracious ways. Thank you.
Do all men really benefit from patriarchy? Yes and no. In the short run, yes, it's a zero-sum game. But in the long run, as per the law of karma (and also the concept of ubuntu as well), it's a NEGATIVE-sum game that ultimately hurts both primary genders to one degree or another.
Hi - I agree with what you’re saying, in parts. I’ve written extensively how harmful the patriarchy is for those performing masculinity, this particular piece was a focus on specifically the feminine performance under patriarchy.
All men benefit, even if it harms them. Both can be true at the same time. Not all women benefit, while all are harmed. This isn’t saying women can’t, won’t, and don’t benefit within nor perpetuate that same harm, but the hierarchical nature of WSCpatriarchy makes the experiences separate.
If we can’t ever decenter men, we’ll never move beyond patriarchy. It’s such a hard line to walk, for sure. Acknowledging both while making space for both.
Well-said overall. My point was, since patriarchy is a negative-sum game overall, thus ending that system would be a positive-sum result for both primary genders. (Too many men unfortunately see feminism as a zero-sum game.)
I'm glad you clarified, as truthfully I totally missed this! Thanks for expanding. But yes, yes, yes, wholeheartedly agree. We can't keep introducing new initiatives into a broken system and wondering why the fail. The whole system has got to go.
Also, so glad you wrote primary genders, as my comment too was only focused on the binary and absolutely overlooking the experience elsewhere. Appreciate you adding that!! 💜
"For in the opening sentence the historian boldly declared (in so many words) that class is far more punishing than gender."
This is honestly quite nauseating.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm the *least* conspiratorial person you'll ever meet. Whenever I encounter an unusual story, I'm always the person like, "Hang on, let's start with the most mundane version and work our way out to see if we can figure this out." But the longer I read and research, the harder it gets to not feel that academia active ignores so much data and historical record relating to women. I see it in the science literature all the time. The male story gets told, then women's story gets ignored.
Also, I love your approach to history. I'm so unspeakably tired of history being framed as military conquests and dates, rather than the people, the lives they lived, the languages they spoke, etc., just because the people in history so regularly talked about military victories and dates. But that just perpetuates the same blindness. Are most academics not at all curious about how people actually lived? I can't help but think they are.
Nauseating! The wild thing about the opening line in context with the thesis of the book was that they were (in my opinion, rightly) positing that women in different classes of medieval England experienced different types of oppressive realities due to resources. I couldn’t quite understand the need to minimize the role of gender and gender expectations on the front end — it felt so contrary to the rest of the argument. I ended up citing from the book because of it, their arguments were sound… if overall missing it’s own biases. (We all do it.)
I really, really appreciate you recognizing the intentionality behind the stories told and the framing of them. I put so much time into these essays, so much of my own inner workings, and when someone takes a moment to recognize that intentionality, it means everything. Thank you, Joe! I’m absolutely with you, I’m so tired of the stories of war and conquest with the framing of “well this is inevitable!” it is… tiresome.
Thank you for reupping this. I appreciate all the women's work as well as women's history you labor so deeply to communicate. Always needed, and now more than ever.
Phenomenally researched and written! And what an honor, truly, to be included among so many great writers, thinkers, and researchers. I'm reminded of reading something about Lee McCarthy recently, how she resisted capitalist scarcity structures in her own way by supporting other writers far and wide. (https://lithub.com/leaving-cormac-life-lessons-from-my-correspondence-with-lee-mccarthy/)
Oh, but I am growing from yours, too! This book it seems to be taking me a lifetime to write has always included a chapter on ownership of women ... I am saving ALL your essays in my inbox, and when I get to that part of it, you might get tired of me referencing your work! Pretty much everyone you write about I've either never heard of before, or only a little. It's important. ❤️🔥
Loveedddd this - it’s so satisfying to see the dots connecting all the way to modern day influencers (if, at the same time, also somewhat disheartening lmao)
Shana, thank you for taking a moment and saying this! I so appreciate you spending your time with my words, and then a kind comment on top of that? come on, my heart!! I think something similar often - especially when I stumble upon a woman fighting for the same exact thing 500, 400, 300 (etc…) years ago and it makes me want to scream. It is the both/and. Affirming to know this isn’t natural, debilitating to know how long we’ve been fighting against the same thing. Thanks again for taking time here ❤️
this was very informative and I enjoyed the voice over a lot! it’s hard to put in words currently but im glad I could scratch the itch of curiosity I’ve always had for women’s conditions in the past and how it relates to the present. Society is still affected by these things and people tend not to talk about these issues since it seems “progressive” now, yet there’s lot of work needed to be done! Thank you.
Oh my goodness thank you for taking the time to write this. I am so glad you were able to scratch that knowledge-itch you had and I’m honored it was here!
Absolutely! We tend to conflate the progress of time with the progress of the human experience and that just isn’t true—have some things been made better because time has allowed awareness? Absolutely! Does that apply across the board to all things? Absolutely not. Part two goes into it, but there is so much to be said about how we confuse the Market with Human Nature, and that hurts us so much. Thank you for spending your time here, I am grateful!
I really appreciate you spending the time with this and really sitting with it - I'm honored to be a place of time well spent, truly. Yes, yes, yes! There was so much profiting off of this "how to be a woman" motif, not dissimilar to our own beauty culture and standards. The unfortunate reality is that la tour Landry wasn't even the only one writing books of this nature, there were sooo many. If patriarchal gender roles were so natural, why do they endlessly need to be lectured into us? Just wild!
Thank you again for the kind words and spending your time here! 💜
Thank you so much for the mention, I'm honored to be included among so many great female writers here! ❤️ Wonderful read! I always find it dissapointing when seemingly left-leaning people—though it's usually men—focus on class and class alone in their critique of our modern world, as if it exists, or has ever existed, in complete isolation from gender and other identities.
The unwillingness to see the interconnectedness of it all is particularly interesting--I'm not going to get the quote right as I don't have it in front of me, but in The Will to Change bell hooks talks about how the inability of men to identify patriarchy as a guiding force in their behaviors is proof enough of false-male supremacy or the illusion of being all-knowing. Thank you for your words, for spending your time here, and for uplifting! I am grateful for you and your voice!
Early morning read. Intrigued and will watch for Part 2!
Initial comment: sigh…. It is a lot and goes back so very far, this stuff.
Thank you so much for spending your precious time with my words, I’m so grateful!
I feel that sigh completely.
Be prepared for more sighs from part two, I’m afraid.
Thank you, my brain is stretching more and more with everything you publish.
Thank you so much for spending your precious time here and for being open with my words. I’m so grateful! 💜
Blocking out a bunch of time this week to deep dive into your posts. Best Substack I’ve found so far. ❤️❤️
My goodness! My whole heart! Thank you for this. Honestly honored. Time is such a precious resource and to want to sit with my words means the world to my inner-child who didn’t dare dream of writing seriously. Thank you. 💜
❤️❤️ you’re welcome. You’ve also inspired me to make a snarky feminist comic of proverbs 31. I can’t wait to start drawing!
oh. my. goodness. I can’t wait to see what this yields!!!!
Happy creative time to you 💖💖
Thank you for your meticulous research on this topic. **Grateful** to read a newsletter that bridges academia well with newsletter-style writing.
Thank you for spending your precious time with my words, Ruth! And for taking the time to say this--it means a lot! I learned really early on in my masters program that academia speak isn't for me, I didn't like the hidden biases I was encouraged to write through. This feels better for the soul, so I am so grateful to have it received in such gracious ways. Thank you.
Sorry about the asterisk (please ignore) it was meant to be bold font
I do things like this all of the time! I so understand!
Do all men really benefit from patriarchy? Yes and no. In the short run, yes, it's a zero-sum game. But in the long run, as per the law of karma (and also the concept of ubuntu as well), it's a NEGATIVE-sum game that ultimately hurts both primary genders to one degree or another.
Hi - I agree with what you’re saying, in parts. I’ve written extensively how harmful the patriarchy is for those performing masculinity, this particular piece was a focus on specifically the feminine performance under patriarchy.
All men benefit, even if it harms them. Both can be true at the same time. Not all women benefit, while all are harmed. This isn’t saying women can’t, won’t, and don’t benefit within nor perpetuate that same harm, but the hierarchical nature of WSCpatriarchy makes the experiences separate.
If we can’t ever decenter men, we’ll never move beyond patriarchy. It’s such a hard line to walk, for sure. Acknowledging both while making space for both.
Well-said overall. My point was, since patriarchy is a negative-sum game overall, thus ending that system would be a positive-sum result for both primary genders. (Too many men unfortunately see feminism as a zero-sum game.)
I'm glad you clarified, as truthfully I totally missed this! Thanks for expanding. But yes, yes, yes, wholeheartedly agree. We can't keep introducing new initiatives into a broken system and wondering why the fail. The whole system has got to go.
Also, so glad you wrote primary genders, as my comment too was only focused on the binary and absolutely overlooking the experience elsewhere. Appreciate you adding that!! 💜
You're very welcome, and thank you as well 😊
Also, your writing is incredible every single time, without fail.
saving this one for when the heart needs a reminder! Thank you for saying this. Thank you for coming back to say this. I’m grateful!
"For in the opening sentence the historian boldly declared (in so many words) that class is far more punishing than gender."
This is honestly quite nauseating.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm the *least* conspiratorial person you'll ever meet. Whenever I encounter an unusual story, I'm always the person like, "Hang on, let's start with the most mundane version and work our way out to see if we can figure this out." But the longer I read and research, the harder it gets to not feel that academia active ignores so much data and historical record relating to women. I see it in the science literature all the time. The male story gets told, then women's story gets ignored.
Also, I love your approach to history. I'm so unspeakably tired of history being framed as military conquests and dates, rather than the people, the lives they lived, the languages they spoke, etc., just because the people in history so regularly talked about military victories and dates. But that just perpetuates the same blindness. Are most academics not at all curious about how people actually lived? I can't help but think they are.
Nauseating! The wild thing about the opening line in context with the thesis of the book was that they were (in my opinion, rightly) positing that women in different classes of medieval England experienced different types of oppressive realities due to resources. I couldn’t quite understand the need to minimize the role of gender and gender expectations on the front end — it felt so contrary to the rest of the argument. I ended up citing from the book because of it, their arguments were sound… if overall missing it’s own biases. (We all do it.)
I really, really appreciate you recognizing the intentionality behind the stories told and the framing of them. I put so much time into these essays, so much of my own inner workings, and when someone takes a moment to recognize that intentionality, it means everything. Thank you, Joe! I’m absolutely with you, I’m so tired of the stories of war and conquest with the framing of “well this is inevitable!” it is… tiresome.
Fascinating and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your work
Kate, thank you for the kinds words and for spending your time with these women. I am so grateful!
Thank you for reupping this. I appreciate all the women's work as well as women's history you labor so deeply to communicate. Always needed, and now more than ever.
To think we are witnessing the active erasure of so many folks still today is gut wrenching. Thank you for always witnessing these women, Hans.
Excellent read
Thank you!! 💜💜
Phenomenally researched and written! And what an honor, truly, to be included among so many great writers, thinkers, and researchers. I'm reminded of reading something about Lee McCarthy recently, how she resisted capitalist scarcity structures in her own way by supporting other writers far and wide. (https://lithub.com/leaving-cormac-life-lessons-from-my-correspondence-with-lee-mccarthy/)
I adore your recommendations, thank you for adding one here!!! Very grateful to grow from your paradigms. Thanks for spending time with some of mine 💜
Oh, but I am growing from yours, too! This book it seems to be taking me a lifetime to write has always included a chapter on ownership of women ... I am saving ALL your essays in my inbox, and when I get to that part of it, you might get tired of me referencing your work! Pretty much everyone you write about I've either never heard of before, or only a little. It's important. ❤️🔥
Thank you! Entertained and educated, this morning!
You’re so appreciated, Gabriel! Thank you for spending your time here! ❤️
Loveedddd this - it’s so satisfying to see the dots connecting all the way to modern day influencers (if, at the same time, also somewhat disheartening lmao)
Shana, thank you for taking a moment and saying this! I so appreciate you spending your time with my words, and then a kind comment on top of that? come on, my heart!! I think something similar often - especially when I stumble upon a woman fighting for the same exact thing 500, 400, 300 (etc…) years ago and it makes me want to scream. It is the both/and. Affirming to know this isn’t natural, debilitating to know how long we’ve been fighting against the same thing. Thanks again for taking time here ❤️
this was very informative and I enjoyed the voice over a lot! it’s hard to put in words currently but im glad I could scratch the itch of curiosity I’ve always had for women’s conditions in the past and how it relates to the present. Society is still affected by these things and people tend not to talk about these issues since it seems “progressive” now, yet there’s lot of work needed to be done! Thank you.
Oh my goodness thank you for taking the time to write this. I am so glad you were able to scratch that knowledge-itch you had and I’m honored it was here!
Absolutely! We tend to conflate the progress of time with the progress of the human experience and that just isn’t true—have some things been made better because time has allowed awareness? Absolutely! Does that apply across the board to all things? Absolutely not. Part two goes into it, but there is so much to be said about how we confuse the Market with Human Nature, and that hurts us so much. Thank you for spending your time here, I am grateful!
I really appreciate you spending the time with this and really sitting with it - I'm honored to be a place of time well spent, truly. Yes, yes, yes! There was so much profiting off of this "how to be a woman" motif, not dissimilar to our own beauty culture and standards. The unfortunate reality is that la tour Landry wasn't even the only one writing books of this nature, there were sooo many. If patriarchal gender roles were so natural, why do they endlessly need to be lectured into us? Just wild!
Thank you again for the kind words and spending your time here! 💜