Re: gender: Judith Butler's pseudo materialism and cultural feminism.(fw

On Tue, 21 Mar 2000 md7148@cnsvax.albany.edu wrote:

> 
> >Ortner "...concluded that the ubiquity of male domination had its roots
> >in
> >the facts of sexual reproduction."
> 
> Richard, what facts of sexual reproduction? can you give specific
> examples? 

I thought the quotes I provided made this clear.  You're missing the point
that "the facts of sexual reproduction," ie, women bearing children, has
different effects depending on the mode of production.  Once upon a time
it had profound effects on gender roles, when it limited women's
participation in socially important/necessary activities, such as hunting
or heavy agricultural labor.  It need not have those same effects today,
but to read today back into the past is idealism, not materialism.

(Stephen Sanderson's "Macrosociology" also has an excellent chapter on
this subject.)

Richard