Are a lot of English teachers closet radical feminists?

[cuppajoe_9]

Or have I just been having a run of good luck? A breakdown of my past few English teachers:


Grade 12: Mr. Anderson

The Evidence: Assigned his class no fewer than four works by Margaret Atwood, all poems or short essays. A lengthy discussion of gender roles in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. Was greatly impressed with my friend and I for having read Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper.

The Verdict: An extremely progressive sort of fellow.

-------

College: Dr. Harvey

The Evidence: Makes frequent comparisons to the above-mentioned Ms. Atwood's novels, even though she is not covered in the classes he teaches (English and American Lit). The reading list for the classes that I am taking from him includes Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Sarah Orne Jewett, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly and Sylvia Plath, and that's just in the first week. Was, however, slightly bemused that his daughter chose not to take the traditional anglican vow to 'obey' her husband.

The Verdict: Almost certainly sympathetic to feminism.

-------

College: Dr. Johnson

The Evidence: The theme of his general lit class this semester? Women in Patriarchal Societies.

The Verdict: Guilty, guilty, guilty.

[Virgil]

In my experience, YES

[cuppajoe_9]

I thought you'd like that, Virg.

[kathycf]

Hmm, so simply assigning or discussing works by female authors is radical feminism? While Atwood is not my cup of tea, it would seem to make sense that most of the other writers you mention would be part of or included in discussions about literature.

[bluevictim]

Wait ... I might be a closet radical feminist! Check this out! I better go see an exorcist.

[Scheherazade]

Wait ... I might be a closet radical feminist! Check this out! I better go see an exorcist.

*rubs on some motor oil to keep BV away from herself*

In the name of all things masculine and unhygenic, I ask you to give up your (feminist) evil ways, BV!!!

[kathycf]

I am going to get some raspberry jam with bits myself, my supply of motoroil ran out...

*edit* including works by mostly mainstream writers doesn't seem very radical to me. There is a difference (at least in my mind) between advocating that women be recognized as worthy human beings with all the flaws, frailties, strengths and weaknesses that go along with the human condition...and being "radical". That is what feminism means to me, that women are no better or worse than men and that we must look at people as individuals first. That isn't radical to me. Radical feminists or "feminazis" as some clever pundit calls them may or may not agree with me.

[cuppajoe_9]

Some clarification: radical feminists, by definition, are those which see patriarchy as a harmful institution, not those which hate men.

*edit* Some more clarification: I am a radical feminist, and in fact am very loud and obnoxious about it.

[bluevictim]

In the name of all things masculine and unhygenic, I ask you to give up your (feminist) evil ways, BV!!!

I'll read some Hemingway.

cuppajoe_9: The conventional wisdom is that academia leans to the left of the political spectrum, so I guess there are probably more radical feminist English teachers than radical feminist NASCAR drivers.

[dramasnot6]

I usually call myself a "hardcore feminist" but may switch to radical after seeing how much nicer it looks in this thread....
I love when my english teachers are feminist and sometimes cross my fingers that it may win me a little bias marking for my consistently feminist take on everything. I hope someday to get more involved in the feminist community though, I certainly have not experienced much oppurtunity so far,only personal writing and discussion.
bluevictim! But i agree, although there are the exceptions. My english/drama teacher in 8th grade once said "There are too many wussy(he used a word besides "wussy" though ) left wing female teachers in the world. We need more right wing liberatarians like me." I found it infuriating at the time but look back at it and laugh now.

[B-Mental]

well, right wing feminist is kind of an oxymoron. How do you say you don't want things to change and then try to promote change. There is a reason why these professors may lean this way, but really who cares what way they are leaning. Women have been misrepresented in the affairs by men for millenia. Whats wrong with a couple of english professors opening some minds to the writings of an underepresented half of the population...(actually population is approx 52% female 48% male).

[dramasnot6]

I am going to get some raspberry jam with bits myself, my supply of motoroil ran out...

*edit* including works by mostly mainstream writers doesn't seem very radical to me. There is a difference (at least in my mind) between advocating that women be recognized as worthy human beings with all the flaws, frailties, strengths and weaknesses that go along with the human condition...and being "radical". That is what feminism means to me, that women are no better or worse than men and that we must look at people as individuals first. That isn't radical to me. Radical feminists or "feminazis" as some clever pundit calls them may or may not agree with me.

That's a really interesting take on "radical feminism" Kathy. I always assumed Feminism meant promoting women to be seen and treated as equals to men in all aspects of society. I too believe that gender makes no difference to how flawed a human is, although sometimes a society's treatment and expectations of a gender can lead to them exhibiting those flaws unintentionally. That is really what feminism is about,isn't it? Making society aware that both men and women are equally capable to shape themselves as individuals.That we should not conform to stereotyping or prejudice in order to allow people to become their own person, not just a product of external influence. A boy in my 11th grade Lit class once asked why there was feminism but no equivalent for males. It makes sense as a question, but when seeing feminism as a strive for equality between both gender, it also serves as the equivalent for males. If males were the ones prejudiced in most aspects of society the name would probably be different, but still essentially mean the same thing.

[B-Mental]

I personally think its funny that two women I respect in the forums have decided to smother their bodies with motor oil &/or raspberry jam in a post about feminist.

[cuppajoe_9]

The conventional wisdom is that academia leans to the left of the political spectrum, so I guess there are probably more radical feminist English teachers than radical feminist NASCAR drivers.

Well, the convention wisdom on matters such as this is, quite often, wrong. I haven't seen any actual studies recently, but my professors are generally represenatative of the political beliefs of the rest of my area (meaning that they're flaming reactionaries), but it doesn't seem to be the case for the English profs, which is why I ask.

I doubt if many NASCAR drivers could spell 'feminist".

well, right wing feminist is kind of an oxymoron.

Not at all. One could easily support laissez-faire capitalism as an economic system, and thus be right-wing, and stilll be a feminist.

I personally think its funny that two women I respect in the forums have decided to smother their bodies with motor oil&/or raspberry jam in a post about feminist

Feminists don't like smearing themselves with raspberry jam now?

[Scheherazade]

Feminists don't like smearing themselves with raspberry jam now?

But they still have an aversion to motor oil, right?