Our Androcentric Culture, or The Man Made World

, being much used in religious imagery; the common stock of painters; a staple article of di

y omnipresent nibbling; on the great plains, sheep-keeping frequently results in insanity, ow

ess it be in hymns, where "all we like sheep" are repeatedly described

en developed by ages of wild crowded racing on narrow ledges, along precipices, chasms, around sudden spurs and corners, only the leader seeing when, where and how to jump.

. If we think of the sheep-dog (and dog-ess), the shepherd (and shepherd-ess), of the ferocious sheep-eating bird of New Zealand, the Kea (and Kea-ess), all these herd, guard, or kill the sheep, both rams and ewes alike. In regard to mutton, to wool, to general chara

arth and makes a noise. He has a tendency to butt. So has a goat-Mr. Goat. So has Mr. Buffalo, and Mr. Moose, and Mr. Antelope. This tendency to plunge head fore

e long path of evolution, and see how the mere act of butting-passionately and

nd tries to guard them. But so does a goat-Mrs. Goat. So does Mrs. Buffalo and the rest.

sh to please, the need to please, the overmastering necessity upon him that he secure the favor of the female, has made the male bird blossom like a butterfly. He blazes in gorgeous plumage, rears haughty crests and c

beauty-for her sake-this is the nature of the he-bird of any species; the characteristic, not of the turkey, but of the cock! With drumming of loud wings, with crow and quack and bursts of

pective of species. That is feminine which belongs to the female, to any or all females, irrespective of specie

are human, naturally, and are very proud of it; but we do not consider in what our humanness consists; nor how men and women may fall short of it, or overstep its bounds, in con

r woman is expected to behave as if they were also human creatures. Since the range of feeling and action proper to humanity, as su

ities in common with all forms of life; cellular construction, for instance, the reproduction of cells and the need of nutrition. These again are not human. We have others, many others, common to

added to our teeth the knife, sword, scissors, mowing machine; to our claws the spade, harrow, plough, drill, dredge. We are a protean creature, using the larger brain power through a wide variety

is a clear distinction of race. The savage who can count

t type of industry the ant, and even the well-worn bee, are social creatures. But insects of their kind are found living al

services which makes society organic. The nomad, living on cattle as ants live on theirs, is less human than the farmer, raising food by intelligently app

much in what we are individually, as in our relations to one another; and even that individuality is but the result of our relations to one another. It is in what we do and how we do it, rathe

ken socially and psychically, we are, in varying degree, human;

inning with the stone records of ancient Egypt. During this period we have had almost universally w

n-made world. So general, so unbroken, has been this condition, that to mention it arouses no more remark than the statement of a

et apart for special services peculiar to femininity. As one English scientist put it, in 1888, "Women ar

stlessness has caused her to abdicate those functions which alone excuse or explain her existence." This is a peculiarly happy and condensed expression of the relative position of women during our androcentric cul

we may find books upon books about women: physiological, sentimental, didactic, religious-all manner of books about women, as such. E

to allege man's masculine traits to be all that excuse, or explain his existence: but it will point out what are masculine

human affairs into female hands. Such an extraordinary and deplorable situa

applied to human affairs; "effeminate"-too female, connotes contempt, but has no masculine analogue; whereas "emasculate"-not enough male, is a ter

female," as in lion, lioness; leopard, leopardess; while all our human scheme of things rests on the same tacit assumption; m

d above him or below him, before him, behind him, beside him, a wholly relative existence

based on male characteristics, and when we wish to prai

good many jolts since it began to think, but after each upheaval it settles down as peace

rn into and grow up with, be it mental furniture

ave, it takes sincere and continued effort to remove it; and if it is one of the oldest we have in sto

idea was a palpable error, of large and evil effect, and if the

h in its place; that what we have called "masculine" and admired as such, was in large part human, and should be applied to both sexes: that what we have called "feminine" and con

that so wide and serious an error should have been made by practically all men. The reason

they?" Yes, they are, as men are males unquestionably; but there is possible the frame of mind of the old marquise who was asked by an English friend how

distinction preponderantly. Occasionally some unhappy lady marries her coachman-long contemplation of broad shoulders

home; because she was female. She had her prescribed sphere, strictly limited to her feminine occupations

ce, to her present valiant efforts toward full economic and political equality, each step has been termed "unfeminine" and resented as an intrusi

nt from his; there is also a "man's sphere," as sharply defined and even more limit

he ground that women would become "unsexed." Let us note in passing that they have become u

She alone, of all human creatures, has adopted the essentially masculine attribute of special sex-decoration; she does not fight for her mate as yet, but

ce of joy and well-being when rightly held: but human work covers all our life outside of these specialties. Every handicraft, every profession, every sci

es, called them "man's work," and managed them as such,