About six months ago i was at an academic conference. One of the other
women on my panel was discussing a paper (part of her dissertation) that she
wrote on women in hip hop. Claiming to have been in the scene for some 20
yrs this women's work had a lot of insight. She discussed the various roles
that women currently occupy in the scene...whether it be that of sex object
to sell records or more of a fuck the mainstream attitude and persona.
After the presentation i had a discussion with her about women in electronic
music. She started talking about how earlier on women in hip hop were even
more so than today expected to maintain and fit a certain role if they
wanted to make it in the field/scene. Then we got onto a discussion of
how what is begin to happen in hip hop to overcome some of this - and
electronic music but to a lesser extent as of yet - is that more women are
beginning to take control. As Emma was saying, more women need to play the
music, make the music...occupy positions as djs, producers, writers, and
speakers, because the scene, especially the scene affiliated with this list,
is still predominantly and overwhelmingly represented and occupied by males.
And as someone else said, it does all come back to gender socialization, not
to women being any less capable. From a very early age we are taught the
characteristics that we are supposed to possess as males and females...all
of which is severely damaging to any of us become the complete people we
should be, yet it continues unrelentlessly. And while many of us know that
we need to be more vocal, as diane stated, i do think lots of women get
intimidated by this list, maybe because not as many of us are djs or
producers, or haven't been around since '91 and thus, find it more difficult
to prove ourselves. For as long as the music has been around women have
supported it, be it at events, buying music, etc. When i think about the
population that is mainly supporting parties these days it is clear that
there are at least an equal number of young women that support events as
young men. But lately i've been thinking about the reasons that some of
these young women are more concerned with what they're gonna wear out to an
event then who the talent is (as are some young men as well but to a lesser
extent i think). What i predict and hope for is that women's involvement
will the scene will grow on a number of levels as more women begin to occupy
spaces as - djs, producers, writers, speakers,- role models for the rest of
us.
If you read all this thanks a lot. I know i haven't laid any real
conclusions out but it's something i've been thinking about for a long time.
bekka.
