“I know where I stand ideologically!” the young man next to me burst out. “I am a marxist with a small m.” He was pounced upon by two or three of the women. “But Marxism has nothing to say about feminist issues!” one of them said. “That is why I am a marxist with a small m!” he replied. The professor smiled benignly; her pupils were apt. I cowered beneath the table (metaphorically), understanding immediately that, like a dissenter in a marxist (small m or large) regime, I would need to speak my true beliefs behind closed doors, and only to those I could trust.Marxism actually had a lot to say about feminist issues; they were at the forefront of Communist revolutionary thought, precisely as a way of bringing women out of the family and into the state. Marxist revolutionary groups frequently had female leadership, and prominently so as a recruiting mechanism for would-be radicals (both to recruit fiery young women who might agree with them, and also young men who wanted to meet fiery young women). Now, once a Communist government actually came to power, women always ended up being pushed out of the positions of real power: but as long as there was a revolution to win, young women with berets and Kalashnikovs were in high demand, and there was a lot of talk about the need for equality between the sexes.
Women of the IRA
New Peoples' Army Women
Viet Cong Woman
So, both, "I reject Marxism, in spite of its occasional good point which I'm happy to recognize and pursue in better ways," and also, "I also reject feminism, likewise in spite of occasional good points I'm happy to pursue in other ways," with a side order of, "Also, you don't know what you're talking about anyway."
Yes, I would do quite poorly at winning tenure.
My experience with tenure--quite limited and with high school tenure--is that tenure tends to convert (with occasional exceptions I'm happy to pursue in other ways) talented, highly successful teachers into lazy, I-got-mine instructors.
ReplyDeleteEric Hines
I'm fascinated by the environmental historians (my field) who wave Marx around without having read him. He doesn't say what they think he says. He'd consider environmental protection a complete waste of time and misuse of resources until full industrialization and the achievement of true Communism have been reached. Then Second Nature might come into play, depending on the needs of the People. Might.
ReplyDeleteI too have given up even looking at academic job postings, tenured or adjunct.
LittleRed1
The photos are great!
ReplyDeleteThe story I hear is that California Marxists of the 60s segregated the long-haired bearded men into the front room to practice speeches, and the long-haired bra-less women into the kitchen to paint the signs and banners (and make sandwiches).
Grim, so you have no intention of making tenure? When I was teaching first year architecture studio for a few years, and very much enjoying it, I thought about making a career of it, but I had no stomach for the BS meetings and schmoozing required to stick around, aside from the fact that I was the 'wrong fit' for academia. When my contract was up, and no new one offered, that was it. I could not imagine working for tenure, but I had figured that you would likely do so as you are (I assume, and perhaps that is my error) and that's the normal course of things if you are making a career of it.
ReplyDelete