|
|
Post by Tiberius on Sept 5, 2002 0:19:21 GMT 10
If a student is getting harassed then she should approach the appropriate university authority, i.e. the dean, a professor, the student union etc. I don't know how having a room that the male minority are barred from entering is going to solve any problems.  |
|
Kristy
captain
So i ran faster.. but it caught me...
Posts: 992
|
Post by Kristy on Sept 5, 2002 0:26:12 GMT 10
well i guess it encompasses other womans issues such as pregancy, abortion etc. i dont know maybe you should ask allviolet, im sure she will fill you in.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tiberius on Sept 5, 2002 0:53:31 GMT 10
Again though, even in such cases I'm not sure I see the purpose of the room. Women who are pregnant need to hide from men? Sorry, I just don't follow what you're saying. i dont know maybe you should ask allviolet, im sure she will fill you in. Mmm, no doubt. *gulp* |
|
Kristy
captain
So i ran faster.. but it caught me...
Posts: 992
|
Post by Kristy on Sept 5, 2002 13:52:11 GMT 10
Women who are pregnant need to hide from men? Sorry, I just don't follow what you're saying. that would be because thats not what i said, from my understanding these types of rooms were designed for womens issues to be dealt with by women in male dominated institutions, which unis were not too long ago, i dont know if there is still a need for them, i have not experienced any direct sexism myself so i dont know to what extent it does still exist, to my knowledge there are more male students at my uni, although my classes are majority female. |
|
|
|
Post by Tiberius on Sept 5, 2002 14:04:59 GMT 10
*nod* However, I think you'll find that overall, these days, it's females that make up a majority of students going on to tertiary education. The feminist movement of the 60s and 70s to increase girls' participation in academia has been largely successful. Unfortunately, boys have been left behind in the process. So I guess that's why I shake my head at the ridiculously named "wymyn's room".
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this topic besides me and Kristy? Heh.
|
|
Kristy
captain
So i ran faster.. but it caught me...
Posts: 992
|
Post by Kristy on Sept 5, 2002 15:32:35 GMT 10
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this topic besides me and Kristy? Heh. I know, i'm amazed no one has had anything to say, i thought this would create a lot of conflict. |
|
|
|
Post by TheAstronaut on Sept 5, 2002 15:49:22 GMT 10
hehehe i should be saying that considering i started the topic!
|
|
|
|
Post by Orange_Sherbert on Sept 5, 2002 17:01:59 GMT 10
Ok, I'll say something.  I've been lucky enough never to have faced any direct discrimination on the basis of sex, so this hasn't really ever been a problem for me...but sex-discrimination does still exist. I know there are all these legislations now to protect people, and thats all fine and dandy, but at the end of the day, they can only do so much... So I applaud those who are standing up for womans rights-because their is still a definate need-but I agree that some people can go too far. For instance, I was reading an interview awhile back, and the interviewer described the (female) interviewee as a "chairman", and the person made a point of stating that she was a chair woman, or a chair person-not a chair man. Does it really matter?! I personally couldn't give two shits if smeone calls me a chairman-just so long as I have an equal opportunity to get to that position as anyone else. As for the article, (although I suspect some STRONG bias...) yeah, that was pretty out of line, but it has a ring of truth to what she is saying....but I don't happen to agree with that view. Reserving places in courses for females is only glossing over any real problem. And besides-does it really matter? As long as everyone has the same opportuninity to make it into a certain course, then it's up to the individual whether they want to go down that path or not. If they find that a certain group are less likely to apply for a certain course, then there should be encouragement for them, like in IT when they found there were very few females going for it, since computers weren't seen as part the typical female role. (the number of female-encouraging IT docos we watched in year 10 was a kind of insanity!) But at the end of the day, I think it should be everyone for themselves, in most cases... However, I think in parliament, they should reserve places for women. It's no fucking secret that there are less women in parliament than men, which could be for many valid reasons, but you can't really deny it. I think the government should be representing the opinions of Australia as a whole, as having more males than females is a misrepresentation, and I think in this case, it would some level of a difference. Like, I'm guessing more females would be for compulsary leave during pregnancy than males would, for instance. I'm not saying there has to be an accurate, 50/50 split, but a couple more woman wouldn't go astray. I agree that this is sort of backwards since it's "forcing" equality, instead of it just being accepted...but I still stand by my view. |
|
|
|
Post by Tiberius on Sept 5, 2002 19:30:45 GMT 10
And then do you reserve seats in parliament for black people too? For Asians? For gay people? For short people? For green eyed people? For Buddists? Affirminative action (that is, reserving places for a group) is like you say, glossing over the real problem. I think you might be right in saying that encourgement is the angle from which to tackle the problem. Although with parliament, maybe the system needs to be reworked. Like junk bond said before with the "old boys network". Parliament does need to me more representative I agree. However, I heard some Muslim Mullar a while back proclaiming that Bob Carr should reserve a Muslim seat in the NSW parliament. Bob Carr responded by saying that if a Muslim wants to participate in parliament, he should do it the same way as everyone else has to. Can we have one rule for one "group" and another rule for everyone else? Hmm, I'm just thinking now of that Simpsons episode. I don't remember the quote exactly, but it's where the congressman tells Lisa that there's plenty of women in congress to which she dryly responds "actually there's three". |
|
|
|
Post by Orange_Sherbert on Sept 5, 2002 20:13:43 GMT 10
And then do you reserve seats in parliament for black people too? For Asians? For gay people? For short people? For green eyed people? For Buddists? In a ideal government, yes, maybe you should. Not for green eyed and short people, ( :  , but for minority groups who practice a difference set of beliefs or lifestyle, whose ideals get overlooked. But-obviously, it can't cater for everyone, and we have to draw a line somewhere... I agree that it would be covering up a bigger problem in a way, but I think it would possibly help smooth a few things out. Case and point: John Howard insisted that tampons have a GST on them, claiming that they were a luxury item. Now, as any post pubescent female can tell you, that is FAR from the truth!  |
|
|
|
Post by loux2 on Sept 5, 2002 21:36:50 GMT 10
Case and point: John Howard insisted that tampons have a GST on them, claiming that they were a luxury item. Now, as any post pubescent female can tell you, that is FAR from the truth! here here! |
|
Kristy
captain
So i ran faster.. but it caught me...
Posts: 992
|
Post by Kristy on Sept 5, 2002 23:01:18 GMT 10
did he actually say that? he is UNBELIVABLE  |
|
|
|
Post by Sonic Death Monkey on Sept 5, 2002 23:30:06 GMT 10
I don't think there should ever be seats reserved for minority groups in parliament. However reserving seats for women in parliament is different as they are not a minority group, they are half the population.
Actually as a side note, to me it seems that some of the more prominent female politicians in parliament aren't all that feminine. I don't think it is a totally sexist thing to say that women like Kernot, Lees, and Bishop are quite...how do i say this, butch maybe? Its just an observation that maybe to try and get in they had to be more masculine than feminine, or thats why they got in? I have no idea, but i think perhaps on womens issues they are more prepared to tow the party line than say Stott-Despoja would be. Maybe i am on crack?
|
|
Kristy
captain
So i ran faster.. but it caught me...
Posts: 992
|
Post by Kristy on Sept 5, 2002 23:43:55 GMT 10
i think you might be right, can you imagine an attractive, feminine woman being taken seriously in parliament? and even though there are women are they really representive? now theres an idea, representive parliament.... mmmmm one can dream.
btw because Bob Carr says something does that make it right?
|
|
|
|
Post by Tiberius on Sept 6, 2002 0:02:22 GMT 10
I don't think there should ever be seats reserved for minority groups in parliament. However reserving seats for women in parliament is different as they are not a minority group, they are half the population. That's true, but even so, comparatively, women are still a minority in parliament btw because Bob Carr says something does that make it right? Not at all. But in this case, I think he was. btw, re: John Howard and tampons: Howard's a dope. I'm amazed he keeps getting voted in each election. |
|
, but for minority groups who practice a difference set of beliefs or lifestyle, whose ideals get overlooked. But-obviously, it can't cater for everyone, and we have to draw a line somewhere...
