Peter - it's not about being called old - but more pre-pubescent - i for one
did not go through raging hormones and adolescent angst PLUS other
interesting physiological processes to be called a girl for the rest of my
life, just as I'm sure you didn't expect after all that voice-breaking,
raging hormones, angst and interesting physiological processes to be called
a boy.
There.
PS: This discussion might be better off-list as poor old Peter might end up
a bit hectored?
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter French <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 27 July 2000 22:19
Subject: Re: VR, 'girls' and PC (not computers!)
>Dear Phil
>
>Your comments are interesting.
>
>You have a point but maybe Alexandra's comments may have resulted from her
>state as *grown*.
>
>As I am a rail commuter, I will attempt to find and *ungrown* woman on the
>way to the Institute. However I will be missing all of those who *stay at
>home*. But then, as you so rightly point out, those who stay at home may be
>*staying* but not really *at home*. If I do my research or direct my staff
>from my study where is fact am I? This confusion may arise from the fact
>that I have been a Distance Education student since 1960 and *home* takes
on
>many hues, and *staying at* is the basis of success. On the other hand it
>may arise from my lack of a liberal education as my undergraduate degrees
>are in Accountancy, Industrial Engineering, and Banking & Finance. Retiring
>to teaching after 30 years and 2 Masters may also be the cause....
>
>However one thing does cause me to worry - Alexandra must be the first
>woman, who by her own admission and description, would rather be regarded
as
>older than younger ... the explanation for that escapes me, and my growing
>group of amused friends.
>
>Peter French
>Male, 56
>Australia
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Carverhill, Phil SDH <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000 6:00 AM
>Subject: RE: VR, 'girls' and PC (not computers!)
>
>
>> Alessandra . . .
>>
>> Similar to your critique of Peter's comments, could you not write things
>> like this:
>>
>> Alessandra Iantaffi wrote:
>>
>> >(yes, some grown women do work rather than staying at home)
>>
>> Could be interpreted with equal lack of sensitivity (and stereotyping) to
>> the fact that some women (and men btw) who 'stay at home' do so in order
>to
>> be primary caregivers to children (is this not work! and very important
>> work), or operate a home-based business (e.g., writing, consulting, etc.)
>or
>> other types of 'work' activities. They may not all be acknowledged by
pay
>> (depending on the country), but nonetheless (unpaid) work. Being a
>> discourse analyst I oriented to your particular choice of language which
>> constructed a dichotomy between "work" ("rather than") and "staying at
>> home". Some approaches to discourse analysis emphasize language as social
>> action, and what we 'do' with our words. Case in point!
>>
>> Respectfully,
>>
>> Phil Carverhill
>> Canada
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Alessandra Iantaffi [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 7:11 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: VR, 'girls' and PC (not computers!)
>>
>>
>>
>> At the risk of sounding like a politically correct pain in the neck
(which
>I
>> am,
>> by the way :-), could you not write things like this:
>>
>> Peter French wrote:
>>
>> > I like the 7 pound/hour girls someone mentioned the other day - send
>them,
>> > to Australia when you are finished :-))
>> >
>> > Peter French
>> > Melbourne, Australia
>>
>> Sorry, Peter, but it really gets me to see things like that. A) they
might
>> be
>> 'boys' or even grown men and women (yes, some grown women do work rather
>> than
>> staying at home) B) I find it offensive, as a grown woman, to be referred
>to
>> as
>> a 'girl' (and it does happen more often than I'd like, inspite of a very
>> respectable doctorate, a research fellowship and the appearance of some
>> white
>> hair :). I am sure other do too.
>> Again, please don't take it personally, but I just couldn't keep quiet.
>>
>> Alessandra
>>
>>
>>
>
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|