Beyond Feminism: Toward a Dialogue on Difference: Towards a Dialogue on Difference - Hardcover

Inhaltsangabe

The discussion in this study of the relations betwen men and women is launched from a crucial premise: that the struggle for equal rights for women has reached a point where collaboration rather than confrontation between the sexes is necessary for continued progress. In order to attain true equality, women and men must recognise their legitimate differences and act together under circumstances in which their distinctive contributions are freely and reciprocally acknowledged. Reflecting on these differences in a series of interwoven essays, the author seeks to open a constructive dialogue between the sexes. Reconciliation is his overarching concern. The author analyses views in the feminist and the men's movements, against the backdrop of philosophical reflections on gender and marriage. A growing interest among men in integrating personality and gender has been well publicised in books such as Robert Bly's ""Iron John"" and Sam Keen's ""Fire in the Belly"", which explore the influence of distinctive masculine qualities on men's attitudes towards the meaning and purpose of their lives. And many feminists, while struggling to overcome sexual discrimination, also have insisted upon the recognition of important differences between the sexes. Neither sex, it seems, is satisfied with an androgynous conception of what it means to be fully human. Murphy begins his study with an exploration of sexual oppression through the ages and its effects on both sexes. He discusses subtle and fundamental differences between masculine and feminine disposition, reasoning, and ways of knowing. He addresses the distinctions that traditionally have been drawn between public and private life and efforts of modern women to overcome them. It is suggested that uncomplimentary, though fact-based, assessments of the masculine record in history, together with prevailing stereotypes of men, leave an incomplete picture of male identity and contribute to mistrust between the sexes. In response, Murphy investigates various ways of imagining a more elevated manhood. He extends his analysis to the subject of equality within the home, the opportunities and demands of married love, and the tensions and joys of procreation. As an interdisciplinary study attempting a reasoned reconciliation of the aspirations of feminism with those of a renewed ideal of manhood, ""Beyond Feminism"" should appeal to scholars and students in philosophy, theology, women's and gender studies, ethics, political theory, law and literature.

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