[in the shadowlands]

TRUE FEMINISM
i thought that i would love my Psychology of Religion class, but it turned out to be my least favourite of the semester. i tire of all the "we project religion because we are so afraid of the blank universe" and "we want strong father figures so we cling to God" day after day. However, the frustration i experienced was distant until i started reading Dorothy Dinnerstein's The Mermaid and the Minotaur: Sexual Arrangements and Human Malaise. Dinnerstein is a Freudian feminist, which is a psychological quandry to begin with. She presupposes the militant feminism of her readers, and asserts that though the slow maturing of young homo sapiens once confined women to roles as caretakers of the young and the home, we women need not do that anymore. We've evolved beyond it as a species, and are actually losing evolutionary ground by prolonging this gender division. Birth and lactation periods should last about six months, so a woman who elects to have two children need only to take a year off of their productivity for such primitive tasks. [Before i go further, an aside to women with children who work outside the home: this is not meant in any way to codemn you. i am merely sticking up for those who elect to stay at home in a more traditional role] Reading her book makes me feel ill. We're supposed to write a six page paper, due next week, where we "interact" with one of the authors and weave in others we have read thus far as well (James, Eliade, Freud). It's my last semester. i have nothing to lose. i'm writing what i really think. i am fully aware that our society has conditioned me to think certain ways about gender roles. i am also aware that the rise of "feminism" during the last century has pressured women to think that the traditional role of caring for children and managing the home is not enough. They must be successful careerwomen or splash the society pages to really count. i am going to assert that i feel my university education will be best used if i stay at home and care for my children. The women of yesteryear had it right: young humans are slow to develop. Instead of leaving their development to be shaped by day care centers, where a child is just one of many children of one age demanding one adult's attention, a parent ought to stay at home to nuture and care for the child, showing it affection, giving it encouragement, teaching it right from wrong and new skills each day. As other children are added to the mix, older ones are taught how to use their imagination to occupy themselves, how to share and how to be helpful around the house. A parent, especially one with some knowledge of child development and psychology, is the best option for being the primary caregiver of the child, for a whole host of reasons. I believe this is true, even for secular families. However, this is more crucial for Christian families. Cultural domination will not happen in a decade, or even in a generation. It will take the commitment of parents to raise their children to be brighter and more capable than their peers. In a world where most strive to do things the easiest, quickest way, these Christian children raised to be committed to pursue truth, goodness and beauty will stand out. They will be the leaders of their fields. i am willing to sacrifice what the world considers to be my personal potential for the opportunity to influence my children and their children and their children's children. Show me a day care with that kind of commitment to excellence over the long haul and i'll consider recommending it to my pagan friends.