our androcentric culture-第14部分

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to　the　others。　　No　advantages　remain；　save　those　physically　transmitted。
　The　narrow　limits　of　personal　gain　and　personal　inheritance　rigidly　hem
in　sub…human　progress。　　With　us；　what　one　learns　may　be　taught　to　the
others。　　Our　life　is　social；　collective。　　Our　gain　is　for　all；　and
profits　us　in　proportion　as　we　extend　it　to　all。　　As　the　human　soul
develops　in　us；　we　become　able　to　grasp　more　fully　our　common　needs　and
advantages；　and　with　this　growth　has　come　the　extension　of　education　to
the　people　as　a　whole。　　Social　functions　are　developed　under　natural
laws；　like　physical　ones；　and　may　be　studied　similarly。

In　the　evolution　of　this　basic　social　function；　what　has　been　the　effect
of　wholly　masculine　influence？

The　original　process；　instruction　of　individual　child　by　individual
mother；　has　been　largely　neglected　in　our　man…made　world。　　That　was
considered　as　a　subsidiary　sex…function　of　the　woman；　and　as　such；　left
to　her　〃instinct。〃　　This　is　the　main　reason　why　we　show　such　great
progress　in　education　for　older　children；　and　especially　for　youths；　and
so　little　comparatively　in　that　given　to　little　ones。

We　have　had　on　the　one　side　the　natural　current　of　maternal　education；
with　its　first　assistant；　the　nursemaid；　and　its　second；　the
〃dame…school〃；　and　on　the　other　the　influence　of　the　dominant　class；
organized　in　university；　college；　and　public　school；　slowly　filtering
downward。

Educational　forces　are　many。　　The　child　is　born　into　certain　conditions；
physical　and　psychic；　and　〃educated〃　thereby。　　He　grows　up　into　social；
political　and　economic　conditions；　and　is　further　modified　by　them。　　All
these　conditions；　so　far；　have　been　of　androcentric　character；　but　what
we　call　education　as　a　special　social　process　is　what　the　child　is
deliberately　taught　and　subjected　to；　and　it　is　here　we　may　see　the　same
dominant　influence　so　clearly。

This　conscious　education　was；　for　long；　given　to　boys　alone；　the　girls
being　left　to　maternal　influence；　each　to　learn　what　her　mother　knew；
and　no　more。　　This　very　clear　instance　of　the　masculine　theory　is
glaring　enough　by　itself　to　rest　a　case　on。　　It　shows　how　absolute　was
the　assumption　that　the　world　was　composed　of　men；　and　men　alone　were　to
be　fitted　for　it。　　Women　were　no　part　of　the　world；　and　needed　no
training　for　its　uses。　　As　females　they　were　born　and　not　made；　as　human
beings　they　were　only　servants；　trained　as　such　by　their　servant
mothers。

This　system　of　education　we　are　outgrowing　more　swiftly　with　each　year。　
The　growing　humanness　of　women；　and　its　recognition；　is　forcing　an　equal
education　for　boy　and　girl。　　When　this　demand　was　first　made；　by　women
of　unusual　calibre；　and　by　men　sufficiently　human　to　overlook
sex…prejudice；　how　was　it　met？　　What　was　the　attitude　of　woman's
〃natural　protector〃　when　she　began　to　ask　some　share　in　human　life？

Under　the　universal　assumption　that　men　alone　were　humanity；　that　the
world　was　masculine　and　for　men　only；　the　efforts　of　the　women　were　met
as　a　deliberate　attempt　to　〃unsex〃　themselves　and　become　men。　　To　be　a
woman　was　to　be　ignorant；　uneducated；　to　be　wise；　educated；　was　to　be　a
man。　　Women　were　not　men；　visibly；　therefore　they　could　not　be　educated；
and　ought　not　to　want　to　be。

Under　this　androcentric　prejudice；　the　equal　extension　of　education　to
women　was　opposed　at　every　step；　and　is　still　opposed　by　many。　　Seeing
in　women　only　sex；　and　not　humanness；　they　would　confine　her　exclusively
to　feminine　interests。　　This　is　the　masculine　view；　_par　excellence_。　
In　spite　of　it；　the　human　development　of　women；　which　so　splendidly
characterizes　our　age；　has　gone　on；　and　now　both　woman's　colleges　and
those　for　both　sexes　offer　〃the　higher　education〃　to　our　girls；　as　well
as　the　lower　grades　in　school　and　kindergarten。

In　the　special　professional　training；　the　same　opposition　was
experienced；　even　more　rancorous　and　cruel。　　One　would　think　that　on　the
entrance　of　a　few　straggling　and　necessarily　inferior　feminine　beginners
into　a　trade　or　profession；　those　in　possession　would　extend　to　them　the
right　hand　of　fellowship；　as　comrades；　extra　assistance　as　beginners；
and　special　courtesy　as　women。

The　contrary　occurred。　　Women　were　barred　out；　discriminated　against；
taken　advantage　of；　as　competitors；　and　as　women　they　have　had　to　meet
special　danger　and　offence　instead　of　special　courtesy。　　An
unforgettable　instance　of　this　lies　in　the　attitude　of　the　medical
colleges　toward　women　students。　　The　men；　strong　enough；　one　would
think；　in　numbers；　in　knowledge；　in　established　precedent；　to　be
generous；　opposed　the　newcomers　first　with　absolute　refusal；　then；　when
the　patient；　persistent　applicants　did　get　inside；　both　students　and
teachers　met　them　not　only　with　unkindness　and　unfairness；　but　with　a
weapon　ingeniously　well　chosen；　and　most　discreditablenamely；
obscenity。　　Grave　professors；　in　lecture　and　clinic；　as　well　as　grinning
students；　used　offensive　language；　and　played　offensive　tricks；　to　drive
the　women　outa　most　androcentric　performance。

Remember　that　the　essential　masculine　attitude　is　one　of　opposition；　of
combat；　his　desire　is　obtained　by　first　overcoming　a　competitor；　and
then　see　how　this　dominant　masculinity　stands　out　where　it　has　no
possible　use　or　benefitin　the　field　of　education。　　All　along　the　line；
man；　long　master　of　a　subject　sex；　fought　every　step　of　woman　toward
mental　equality。　　Nevertheless；　since　modern　man　has　become　human　enough
to　be　just；　he　has　at　last　let　her　have　a　share　in　the　advantages　of
education；　and　she　has　proven　her　full　power　to　appreciate　and　use　these
advantages。

Then　to…day　rises　a　new　cry　against　〃women　in　education。〃　　Here　is　Mr。
Barrett　Wendell；　of　Harvard；　solemnly　claiming　that　teaching　women
weakens　the　intellect　of　the　teacher；　and　every　now　and　then　bursts　out
a　frantic　sputter　of　alarm　over　the　〃feminization〃　of　our　schools。　　It
is　true　that　the　majority　of　teachers　are　now　women。　　It　is　true　that
they　do　have　an　influence　on　growing　children。　　It　would　even　seem　to　be
true　that　that　is　largely　what　women　are　for。

But　the　male　assumes　his　influence　to　be　normal；　human；　and　the　female
influence　as　wholly　a　matter　of　sex；　therefore；　where　women　teach　boys；
the　boys　become　〃effeminate〃a　grievous　fall。　　When　men　teach　girls；　do
the　girls　become　…？　　Here　again　we　lack　the　analogue。　　Never　has　it
occurred　to　the　androcentric　mind　to　conceive　of　such　a　thing　as　being
too　masculine。　　There　is　no　such　word！　　It　is　odd　to　notice　that　which
ever　way　the　woman　is　placed；　she　is　supposed　to　exert　this　degrading
influence；　if　the　teacher；　she　effeminizes　her　pupils；　if　the　pupil；　she
effeminizes　her　teachers。

Now　let　us　shake　ourselves　free；　if　only　for　a　moment；　from　the
androcentric　habit　of　mind。

As　a　matter　of　sex；　the　female　is　the　more　important。　　Her　share　of　the
processes　which　sex　distinction　serves　is　by　far　the　greater。　　To　be
feminineif　one　were　nothing　else；　is　a　far　more　extensive　and
dignified　office　than　to　be　masculineand　nothing　else。

But　as　a　matter　of　humanity　the　male　of　our　species　is　at　present　far
ahead　of　the　female。　　By　this　superior　humanness；　his　knowledge；　his
skill；　his　experience；　his　organization　and　specialization；　he　makes　and
manages　the　world。　　All　this　is　human；　not　male。　　All　this　is　as　open　to
the　woman　as　the　man　by　nature；　but　has　been　denied　her　during　our
androcentric　culture。

But　even　if；　in　a　purely　human　process；　such　as　education；　she　does
bring　her　special　feminine　characteristics　to　bear；　what　are　they；　and
what　are　the　results？

We　can　see　the　masculine　influence　everywhere　still　dominant　and
superior。　　There　is　the　first　spur；　Desire；　the　base　of　the　reward
system；　the　incentive　of　self…interest；　the　attitude　which　says；　〃Why
should　I　make　an　effort　unless　it　will　give　me　pleasure？〃　with　its
concomitant　laziness；　unwillingness　to　work　without　payment。　　There　is
the　second　spur；　Combat；　the　competitive　system；　which　sets　one　against
another；　and　finds　pleasure　not　in　learning；　not　exercising　the　mind；
but　in　getting　ahead　of　one's　fellows。　　Under　these　two　wholly　masculine
influences　we　have　made　the　educational　process　a　joy　to　the　few　who
successfully　attain；　and　a　weary　effort；　with　failure　and　contumely
attached；　to　all　the　others。　　This　may　be　a　good　method　in
sex…competition；　but　is　wholly　out　of　place　and　mischievous　in
education。　　Its　prevalence　shows　the　injurious　masculization　of　this
noble　social　process。

What　might　we　look　for　in　a　distinctly　feminine　influence？　　What　are
these　much…dreaded　feminine　characteristics？

The　maternal　ones；　of　course。　　The　sex　instincts　of　the　male　are　of　a
preliminary　nature；　leading　merely　to　the　union　preceding　parenthood。　
The　sex　instincts　of　the　female　cover　a　far　larger　field；　spending
themselves　most　fully　in　the　lasting　love；　the　ceaseless　service；　the
ingenuity　and　courage　of　efficient　motherhood。　　To　feminize　education
would　be　to　make　it　more　motherly。　　The　mother　does　not　rear　her
children　by　a　system　of　prizes　to　be　longed　for　and　pursued；　nor　does
she　set　them　to　compete　with　one　another；　giving　to　the　conquering　child
what　he　needs；　and　to　the　vanquished；　blame　and　deprivation。　　That　would
be　〃unfeminine。〃

Motherhood　does　all　it　knows　to　give　to　each　child　what　is　most　needed；
to　teach　all　to　their　fullest　capacity；　to　affectionately　and
efficiently　develop　the　whole　of　them。

But　this　is　not　what　is　meant　by　those　who　fear　so　much　the　influence　of
women。　　Accustomed　to　a　wholly　male　standard　of　living；　to　masculine
ideals；　virtues；　methods　and　conditions；　they　sayand　say　with　some
justicethat　feminine　methods　and　ideals　would　be　destructive　to　what
they　call　〃manliness。〃　　For　instance；　education　to…day　is　closely
interwoven　with　games　and　sports；　all　of　an　excessively　masculine
nature。　　〃The　education　of　a　boy　is　carried　on　largely　on　the
playground！〃　say　the　objectors　to　women　teachers。　　Women　cannot　join
them　there；　therefore；　they　cannot　educate　them。

What　games　are　these　in　which　women　cannot　join？　　There　are　forms　of
fighting；　of　course；　violent　and　fierce；　modern　modifications　of　the
instinct　of　sex…combat。　　It