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all are assumed to share) appears to involve, the sexual subordination of women provides further confirmation of their secondary position in society. It is believed that. vomen don't (cannot) take the initiative in courtahip or in sexual advances, their sexuality is inevitably passive, essentially only a response, dependent on the assertiveness of the male. We can thank Victorian "morality" and the Freudian view of the female which developed out of it for the worst features of this crippling view of female (and mule) sexuality. This tradition enables the conmercial exploitation of the female body through advertising and its object-ification in parades like "beauty" contests. total effect is to reinforce the general condition of women as one of inferiority and dependence.
To act against this situation of subordination means that we have to work for fundamental change in the structure of society. The campaigns to which we give priority must reflect our understanding of our position; and our contribution to the women's liberation movement must be lo explain and extend our perspective. Dur main effort and solidarity must be with the struggles of working class women, especially working class working women who are both amongst the most exploited, and who, of all women, have the potential pover along with other workers to create the basis for our liberation.
Margaret Coulson MARRIAGE COUNSELOR Alma "You've got to give a little, take a linle, and les your poor hears break a linle." the Women's Liberation movement is aware of the uneven levels of understanding of, and consciousness about, the whole question of "women". Much of the problem lies in developing the consciousness of women themselves; in nurturing the avareness of their position in the capitalist society: and in developing their understanding that this society cannot present them with any solution.
Our fight against the ideology of the society mnst be at many levels, just as the inculcation machinery of the state operates on many levels. Women and men are subjugated throughout their lives into accepting as "natural" che predominant attitudes of the social system; women are in some definable or indefinable way inferior to men. "MEN ARE SUPERIOR TO WOMEN, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, BEC USE THEY WEHE PUT IN THE WORLD FIRST." The woman's place is in the home, and her main work after marriage is housework and childbearing, whether or not she indulges in working outside the home for wages"HOUSENORE IS L DUTY TO HER PANILY." "A WOMAN IS RENARDED BY GETTING A NEAT AND IDY HONE," Throughout her growing years the young woman will be given all the shit about how satisfying and total housework is. "INDOORS YOU GEI PAID BY MAKING THE FAMILY HAIPY... IN SEEING WHAT A NICE PLACE YOU HAVE". The horizons of all human potential are restricted in a bourgeois society, but for a woman they are even more stringently reduced.
One of the main indoctrination agencies of bourgeois society, if not the main one, is the nuclear family; the grouping which nestles close to the child and unwittingly ensures that the bourgeois values, absorbed already by the parents, will be the root of the child's consciousness of the world. The basic tenets of the capitalist society, competition, the isolation of units to work against each other (divide and rule), the acceptance of hierarchy, with the dominance of the father over the mother and the power of both parents over the children; the fundamental importance of the family and
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the placatory role of the mother; all are accepted as the natural order of things. And the key to the indoctrination procedure is the mother, who acte as the mainstay of the family. It is she who transmite the values of hard work and conformity, it is she who could act as a brake on the huabund (for example, urging caution rather than action): she is the one who has the responsibility for the co-ordination of all the various tasks of the family. The family is the unit of child rearing, the unit of consumption, the unit of production of use values in the form of housework and, fundumental for the exploiting class, the developer of attitudes. "GIRLS ARE MORE SELF CONSCIOUS OF THEIR APPEARANCE THAN BOYS BEU USE THEY AHE EXPECTED TO BE NICE AND DAINTY. AND IT IS THEIR NATURE TO WANT TO BE. "DOING HOUSEWORK JUST COMES NATURALLY TO WOMEN." "I NANT SECURITY IN MY OWN HOME" "I WANT THIRE KIDS IND A CONSIDBLNTE HUSBAND."
From the bosom of the family, the child is pushed into the educational net, where there are equal opportunities for a free, non-political, education, for ALL! Irrespective of the conditioning of the children prior to the entry into school and the parental pressures when they go home each night, all children have the sure opportunities as each other! "I'M STILL AT SCHOOL, BUT I'M LEARNING FAST. WHEN I'M IN SCHOOL UNIFORM AND THE BUS COMES ALONG ALL THE BLOKES IN THE QUEUE GO BARGING ON AHEAD OF ME LIKE A HERD OF ELEPHANTS. "BUT WHEN I'VE GOT ME GEAR AND MAKEUP ON, IT'S A DIFFERENT SCENE. THEY ALL START SMILING AND STANDING BACK AND OFFER ME A SEAT - IT'S GREAT! (AS YOU CAN GUESS I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO LEAVE SCHOOL)."
(Letter in ROMEO).
Equal - when one sex is demanding to get out of the educational establishments early because of the need to earn so that they can attract the other sex and settle into security? Equal so that there are courses for girla and others for boys? The girla being trained in school for work centred on the home, whereas the boys are offered no such training.... itle all or nothing world!... "I THINK MEN ARE MORE MASCULINE DOING DOCKING OR ROAD WORK, BUILDING, ETC...
MEN WHO WORK IN BANKS OR OFFICES ALWAYS GIVE ME THE IDRA OF PUFFS. MEN CAN'T DO LOOKING AFTER KIDS, WASHING, CLEANING AND COOKING."
Equal when girls think of education and wurk as a fill-in before the wedding? By the age of 18 - in 1962 - there were 7.3% boys at school whereas only 4.25 tirle were remaining at school.
And after school - work (at least for a short time).
"WOMEN'S JOBS ARE NURSING, TRACHING, SECRETARIES, AND WORKING IN BANKS." Much has been written about the availability of jobs and the opportunities women have in work, and these conditions continually reinforce the way that women view themselves. They are prepared to work at more mindless jobs than men; they are prepared to work for lower rates than a In 1969 manual women workers on average earned C12.2s per week, whereas men were earning £24.17g. These figures are very illuminating although in part the disparily is due to the large number of women who do part-time work. Imit thia type of employment itself i* part of the myth. Of course, part time work is often the only way that a woman can manage to earn money and do all the work for her family, but it in also the way that capitaliem can use women most effectively. The wife/mother/woman continues to supply the demands of the nuclear family and at the same Lime produces commodities for the system.
Á Socialist Teacher DID you know that beauty chores are like homework? Well, it's true. If you do them thoroughly you'll earn yourself lots of Good Looks Marks!
Have a look at the programme below and just pick out the subjects that interest you. Work your way through and you'll have A-Level Looks (A for Admirable, of coursel) ...
•..If you can gather thrae passes here then you're a perfect student and you're bound to be a success-with the boys. of course! - Romeo feature (All quotations in this article are from schoolgirls' essays, unless stated otherwise.)