No act of sexism is 'too boring' to ignore

[ismnotwasm]

Rizvi wrote: ‘[W]here one in five women experience sexual violence in their lifetimes, why are we bothering to get outraged about the semantics of some barely-out-of-his-teens intern at a clothing manufacturing company, when we could be channelling that outrage where it really matters?

Aside from the fact that Rizvi answered her own question — the reason we should be outraged at implications that women are obliged to have sex with men is because 20 per cent of women are forced to have sex with men — this attitude paints a pretty dim view of women.

I agree with Razer, Shepherd and Rizvi that we need to keep focused on issues such as rape and pay inequality. But are our minds so feeble that if we distract ourselves with the ‘small stuff’ we’ll no longer have the processing power to comprehend bigger issues? I don’t think so. What one woman may dismiss as inoffensive or only a little bit sexist to her may not be to someone else.

These views also show a narrow understanding of history. Big social changes don’t just happen. There is no straight line from A=sexism to B=egalitarian society. Social and cultural change evolves out of a meandering path of small victories. Seeds need to be planted and ground needs to be fertilized.

Every time we callout sexism and reeducate individuals, communities and corporations about what is acceptable, we are chipping away at the patriarchy. A boss that taps his secretary on the arse is enabled by the same patriarchy that blames rape victims. Yes, the scale is different, but the beast is the same.

I’ve been a change management consultant for over decade and in that time I’ve learned that if you want to change a culture, focusing on all aspects of the culture — the big and the small — is the only effective way to achieve lasting change. There’s no victory in only half-draining the toxic swamp.

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/no-act-of-sexism-is-too-boring-to-ignore-20130116-2ctfm.html

[Warpy]

1. The "small stuff" is there to remind us that we're subhuman

and that we don't have full rights as American citizens and never will.

That's what it's for.

[whathehell]

2. +10 n/t

[MuseRider]

3. I commented on my FB page

after I left my righteous rant about the tennis player treated to being called "agricultural looking", that everyone who was liking it needed to share it or write it in their own words and post it and let their friends share it. It was a quick thing, over in an instant that I caught. Despicable behavior. It had to be called out. No response from the Australian Open yet, I doubt I hear. I am waiting to see this guy again, I think I know who he is but not certain, and then I will be writing more.

Thanks, we have to tackle every little thing because they grow and this environment is so ripe for growing it.