I think you raise an interesting point-- if the issue is that these people are describing "independence" as "masculinity," then what you really have is two problems-- because I do think raising children not to be independent and able to survive on their own is not on a problem, but something I see a lot. But it should be gender-irrelevant, so the other problem is that concept that people see teaching a girl to be independent to be "raising her like a boy" as opposed to "raising her to be independent and capable of handling herself in an emergency." If what these people are lamenting when they say they miss masculinity is a lack of practical skills training, that's definitely something to lament, it's just the fact that that is tied to masculinity in their heads that's a problem. And that it's getting confused with lamenting that there are more female characters in TV shows.
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Date: 2010-01-12 02:42 pm (UTC)I think you raise an interesting point-- if the issue is that these people are describing "independence" as "masculinity," then what you really have is two problems-- because I do think raising children not to be independent and able to survive on their own is not on a problem, but something I see a lot. But it should be gender-irrelevant, so the other problem is that concept that people see teaching a girl to be independent to be "raising her like a boy" as opposed to "raising her to be independent and capable of handling herself in an emergency." If what these people are lamenting when they say they miss masculinity is a lack of practical skills training, that's definitely something to lament, it's just the fact that that is tied to masculinity in their heads that's a problem. And that it's getting confused with lamenting that there are more female characters in TV shows.