NEWS: Choice and Class

CULTURE: Choice and Class

A pretty good--but not perfect--editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle about choice, class, and the so-called "Mommy Wars":

As the article points out, this kind of thing is a feminist problem--

--but it's a false feminist problem. That is to say, the media portrayal of "women's issues" as exclusively belonging to (mostly) white, upper middle class women is not something that comes from feminists (and no, not even "third-wave" feminists, who are well aware, thankyouverymuch, that class and race matter). It's something that comes from sexism. The only women who "count" are women who have the money and hence the collective power to affect advertisers. Poor women? If we pay attention to them, they're "the poor"--issues specific to women either get ignored or get presented as the results of "poor choices" (interesting use of the word, no?) like having "too many" kids "too young"--which presumably means before landing that six-figure-earning husband. Women of color? Oh, racism no longer exists, didn't you know? Immigrant women? They shouldn't have "chosen" to cross the border illegally.

It's not a coincidence that the overblown hype about the "Mommy Wars" only serves to convince people that feminism is trivial (after all, what's more trivial than being a mommy?), self-involved, and at best a hobby of privileged women. But if you go around and read what self-declared feminists actually write about, you'll find a whole 'nother picture.

The Chronicle's right that the problem is the assumption that "everyone" has enough money to "choose" to do the right thing. An assumption that contains an unstated premise that even those of us who are comfortably middle- to upper-middle class often have bad luck or make "bad choices"--but since we "matter," our choices are cushioned by the ability to refinance, to borrow in emergencies, to take out student loans, to ask mom or dad to help us find a job or loan us a little bit to tide us over, to coast on our husband's or wife's health insurance, to pay for a babysitter, to join a gym, to see a doctor. Even knowing that things like student loans are available is a privilege of the middle class: think about how much of the stuff you know about money and getting by is stuff someone else told you about, or someone you know did before you.

The Chronicle concludes by saying that "The Mommy Wars can be won when we redefine victory." It's not the mommy wars that are the problem though: the real problem is a media-manufactured class privilege that relies on hidden classism, racism, and sexism. The "war" will be won when people start realizing that most people, mommies and parents especially, do their damn best. And that therefore any problem you can generalize about is not simply a matter of "good" or "bad" "choices."

Bitch_PhD passes in public as a soccer mom, and can't decide if that's funny or terrifying.

Excellent article. Too often I feel we don't talk about class when it seems it is more often at the root of a issue than gender or race.

The presumptuousness of many who would imagine themselves either "Liberals" or "Feminists" (or any number of other labels) is deeply disturbing. Thanks for citing the SF Chronicle article.

Two points of my own to add...

1. The so called class war that we are witnessing is quite similar to others before it in the Capitalist age, in which the cult of money is dominant. The French Revolution, our own War of Independence, the labor movement that began in the late nineteenth century; these are all manifestations of the struggle that builds when one group has something that the other want and need. It is coming clearer at present because the consolidation of wealth is still in full swing, and will continue for the next half generation at least.

2. Its not a Feminist or Womens's issue any longer; it is a class war.

I'm a little puzzled by this. What makes it a class war? I'd be grateful for sources.

You're asking for sources of his opinion?

two sources about the state of the US in terms of class war and the effects of globalization (US imperialism) on Americans.

"The Global Class War"
How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future and What It Will Take to Win It Back
by Jeff Faux

and these articles:

http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/61355/

http://www.slate.com/id/2084002/

I do agree with mattacme that this country is facing a serious class war. however, since women and children are more vulnerable to poverty, i still consider it a feminist issue.

I also agree that not all third wave feminism is negative or classist. some of the most influential young feminist writers today (for me- Ariel Gore and Jessica Valenti) recognize classism and working class women's issues.

Especially in this instance. Class has to play a role if there is going to be a debate as to which is better.

The only viable debaters would be those who have that option in the first place.

In a 1998 article from the Washington Post, it's clearly acknowledged that:

Exactly. These issues are not exclusionary. They all can (and most often DO) exist together and therefore need to be solved together.

No, I'm asking for the sources that (in-)formed his opinion. Definitions of class (with specific reference to the USA), for instance. Edit: I'll be offline for 20 hours or so, so no great rush. Thanks.

^^^^^^^^^

i'm of a similar opinion so i cited some sources for you.

What will be interesting is how the class war is resolved in an era where capital is global and flows across borders. Attempting to clamp down could create a mass of capital flight.

I know that my family has experienced a "class war" in Venezuala (with Chavez's party coming to power), and they took all the assets they could out of the country (they already had converted a lot of assets to gold due to inflation in the past).

Technology is creating the situation for the inequalities already present to widen considerably, and presents the options to avoid any sort of downside to one's actions.

Man, there's that "war" thing again...it's like adding "gate" onto every presidential scandal...any struggle is automatically made into a "war"...why is it that everything has to be a battle with only a few ways to victory and at the end there is a winner and a loser? Because that's what WAR implies...that somebody loses.

Agreed. And just to be clear, the challenges that women's reproductive choice are presented with are of course of the most immediate concern to women, but have tremendous effect on everyone. Thanks.

Thanks. I am looking over your sources. Nice.

Hi. I'm tied up feeding kids but will reply when I have a moment. Is mid-week too late? Another respondent posted some interesting sources as well.

or, people could do the environmentally responsible thing and STOP FUCKING!!!!!!!!

You don't HAVE to have kids, ya know...

I'm perfectly happy without a squalling rugrat and I wish a lot more people either didn't have them, or actually spent time teaching their brats class and manners.

an interesting article; but not a new idea, or analysis of the situation.
i would discuss whether there is a class war occuring here, but that would be a serious distraction from improving the situation. my complaint with this article and how it was posted has little to do with the language used. my complaint is with the message.

identification of a problem can only ever be the first step. and getting caught up in the first step divides concerned people who care about the issue. what is much more important is working together and separately to create solutions.

there is no doubt that the more privilege a person has, the more possibilities that are available to them. i am no anthropologist, but i can think of no civilization that has not had this feature.

what i am is an american politician. i think in terms of policies, amendments of law, and campaigns. and honestly, the tools exist to create the opportunity for real choice on the US state level already. (and the beautiful thing about state governments is their close ties to a much smaller constituency) state run low to no cost insurance programs exist in almost every state through federal funds, padded with state funds. although the federal government is much to conservative to allow federal dollars to fund abortions and other, more economical forms of contraception, states can fund such expansions.

so if your concerned about giving poor women a choice, write your state legislators. run for state legislator. join your local planned parenthood committees. just don't fall into the same trap american leftists have succumb to for over two hundred years, and debate endlessly over symantics. its a big, massive waste of time that serves only to divide people with similar concerns.

You say, as you post on a site which makes its profits exploiting humanity's hardwired sexuality.

Worthwhile article.

But the overwhelming air of patented Dr Bitch smugness still sticks in my craw.

Here's the good doctor, up above, going "Nope. Not our fault. Not ever."

And here's the good doctor talking about privileged book-learnin' college-edjumacated feminism. (In the glory days of the Why Gender Matters thread, right at the end.)

Remember, folks, to be a real official Certified Practising Feminist, do your homework, eat your greens, and get that Women's Studies Degree. Then you too can pontificate about how inclusive you really are.

Seriously hilarious. It's like saying "Be environmentally responsible! Stop exhaling carbon dioxide!"

Have your read this, or is that comment just a coincidence?

Coincidence. Should I read it?