Reading: Marianne Ferguson
Jul. 16th, 2006 11:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jhameiaMarianne Ferguson: Language as a Representation of Reality
#1 I find it interesting how so much of many philosophical thoughts refer to a dual system: black white, male female, up down, left right - but nothing ever seems to refer to anything in between. Maybe because I grew up caught between two cultures (and I imagine anybody who had to grow up identifying with two opposite groups would have been the same).
#2 Labels seem to help with the identification process when growing up, particularly in high school when adolescents are trying to figure out who they are. They're helpful when trying to decide where one's principles and passions lie. Labels then become taken for granted, or used for derogatory purposes by people who want to validate their existance by belittling others.
#3 "Feminine theologians point out that women internalize the values of the patriarchal society when they repeatedly mouth the words that exclude them." Or demean them. This is why I HATE the Dome. The last time I was there, the lyrics being played were disgustingly misogynistic. I'm aware that this is what's selling at the moment, but whether or not we like it, hearing lyrics like "shake that thing for me girl" WILL be internalized, and girls WILL end up thinking that they do have to do these things for guys. They may not be aware of it, but that just makes it worse. Because I'm aware of the lyrics, I got extremely uncomfortable.
People have said to me, it's just music, the lyrics don't matter.
Here, what are they going to say? "We're just praying to God, the words don't matter."
As a person who uses words to shape her reality, I disagree: the words do matter, and perhaps the most important part of the prayer if present.
#4 I find the Quranic quote to be a little faulty, since it IS a translation. Maybe I've been influenced by Sufi poetry too much, but I understand the Muslim Allah to be transcendent even of gender - in Sufism, Allah is referred to as both Lover and Beloved - active and passive.
#5 The Up-down concept applying itself to pagan concepts and the Chinese yin-yang concept is a bit of a stretch, because in most Western thought, there seems to be an implication that the inferior should be ignored, whereas the Tao acknowledges the validity of both sides of the dual system.
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#1 I find it interesting how so much of many philosophical thoughts refer to a dual system: black white, male female, up down, left right - but nothing ever seems to refer to anything in between. Maybe because I grew up caught between two cultures (and I imagine anybody who had to grow up identifying with two opposite groups would have been the same).
#2 Labels seem to help with the identification process when growing up, particularly in high school when adolescents are trying to figure out who they are. They're helpful when trying to decide where one's principles and passions lie. Labels then become taken for granted, or used for derogatory purposes by people who want to validate their existance by belittling others.
#3 "Feminine theologians point out that women internalize the values of the patriarchal society when they repeatedly mouth the words that exclude them." Or demean them. This is why I HATE the Dome. The last time I was there, the lyrics being played were disgustingly misogynistic. I'm aware that this is what's selling at the moment, but whether or not we like it, hearing lyrics like "shake that thing for me girl" WILL be internalized, and girls WILL end up thinking that they do have to do these things for guys. They may not be aware of it, but that just makes it worse. Because I'm aware of the lyrics, I got extremely uncomfortable.
People have said to me, it's just music, the lyrics don't matter.
Here, what are they going to say? "We're just praying to God, the words don't matter."
As a person who uses words to shape her reality, I disagree: the words do matter, and perhaps the most important part of the prayer if present.
#4 I find the Quranic quote to be a little faulty, since it IS a translation. Maybe I've been influenced by Sufi poetry too much, but I understand the Muslim Allah to be transcendent even of gender - in Sufism, Allah is referred to as both Lover and Beloved - active and passive.
#5 The Up-down concept applying itself to pagan concepts and the Chinese yin-yang concept is a bit of a stretch, because in most Western thought, there seems to be an implication that the inferior should be ignored, whereas the Tao acknowledges the validity of both sides of the dual system.
[one more section to go. to be edited]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-17 02:18 pm (UTC)I understand that Sufism has a lot of interpretations which most mainstream Muslims consider "wrong", but then, who would you rather believe, a preacher who believes in love and doing good, or a preacher who believes in violence?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-17 10:02 pm (UTC)We are evolving, and so is society and our ability to survive, where simple divisions into black and white are not sufficient, or conducive to further growth and survival. It's been that way for a while, but increasingly, it is becoming a hindrance to continued growth. Our minds have to push beyond the simple wiring of quick categorization for subsistence survival, and have to reflect the subtleties and interconnectedness that gets steamrollered over by "snap" judgement.
You "grok" this better than most, and it's one of the biggest reasons I enjoy reading you and talking with you. You're clearly on the vanguard of pushing us to the next level of evolution, and that gets me excited in some very non-physical ways. ;)
I understand your take on lyrics, and agree that the words you use shape your thinking. However, I do see where women being "sexy" gives them a measure of control over others that is otherwise generally absent, and that such a mindset in the general population can be used to the advantage of individual females. Not a value judgement, by any means, but I wanted to point out that it is possible to use a variety of "environmental" conditions to one's advantage, even if there are many situations in which those differences can and are used against a group, consciously and unconsciously. The other side of the coin.
I look forward to your continued thoughts on the subject. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-17 10:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-17 10:37 pm (UTC)