Doug: The connection between Cartesian detachment and masculinity is made by feminist object-relations psychoanalysts in an important body of literature whose touchstones are Nancy Chodorow's *The Reproduction of Mothering* and Dorothy Dinnerstein's *The Mermaid and the Minotaur*. The claim is that mother-only childrearing creates boys as separate and detached and girls whose self-identity is achieved not despite of but in conjunction with intimate relationships. Naomi Scheman, in her book *Engenderings* states the claim succintly: "..the view of a separate, autonomous, sharply individuated self embedded in liberal political and economic ideology...can be seen as a defensive reification of the process of ego development in males raised by women in a patriarchal society. Patriarchal family structure tends to produce men of whom these political and philosophical views seem factually descriptive and who are, moreover, deeply motivated to accept the truth of those views as truths about themselves. In turn, the acceptance by all of us of those views as views about *persons* sustains these child-rearing practices by leading us to devalue, to see as truncated, as less than fully, healthily adult, the very didderent psychical structures of *women* raised by women." On Fri, 1 Sep 1995, Doug Henwood wrote: > I've just gotten a sample copy of the first issue of Feminist Economics > (and congrats to Nancy Folbre for getting her article in that ish written > up in the Financial Times), and in Sandra Harding's article I read the > following: > > <quote> > For example, Julie Nelson argues that the dominant definition of economics > as dealing with 'choice in the face of scarcity' reflects gender bias: > > Defining the subject of economics as individual choice makes the detached > cogito, not the material world or real persons in the material world, > the center of study. Nature, childhood, bodily needs, and human > connectedness, cut off from 'masculine' concern in the Cartesian split, > remain safely out of the limelight. > <endquote> > > What is specifically feminist about this critique? What is specifically > "masculine" about Descartes and the detached individual? > > Doug > > -- > > Doug Henwood > [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Left Business Observer > 250 W 85 St > New York NY 10024-3217 > USA > +1-212-874-4020 voice > +1-212-874-3137 fax > > >
