“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a book about girls who ask great questions?” This question from a 9-year-old inspired authors McArthur Krishna and Anne Pimentel to create their book Changemakers: Women Who Boldly Built Zion. By highlighting women’s stories, the book affirms our roles in building, growing, and sustaining the Church—influencing organization, policy, and culture. In Episode 214, Cynthia and Susan are joined by the authors for a conversation about specific ways women’s voices have mattered historically, and how we might continue to influence and effect change today and in the future.
I really appreciate what these authors are trying to do, but you lost me with the boy-mom vs girl-mom comment - it sort of contradicted the whole message. It was just a small thing but girl-mom, boy-mom narrative is problematic in that it reinforces the very things the whole discussion is trying to improve or eliminate. At the very core of this comment is the idea and strong social narrative of what it means to be a boy or a girl, a parent of one gender or another. That for some reason you might think you are better suited to be a parent of boys over girls, or vice-versa, but what does that even mean? What is really being communicated in that comment? I'm athletic and love lifting weights and watching football... does that mean I am better suited to have sons? Hogwash. I'm not trying to be a nuisance here, but I just needed to say that comments like this only build on the problematic narrative we are working to improve. Let's all be more aware of our blind spots that show through when we make comments that capture our own social and gender biases.
You have given me something to think about! A totally different thing jarred me a bit so I came here to see what others are saying. The boy-mom/girl-mom comment came across to me as a lighthearted personal detail and not pertinent to the actual discussion but I'm pondering how it meant something else to you. I'm not sure I understand and I'd love to hear more! Not knowing the reasons the writers (jokingly?) considered themselves more suited to raise a particular gender I don't feel qualified to speculate. If you have the time, what issue did you feel the discussion is trying to improve or eliminate that was reinforced by that remark? Are you referring to the patriarchy and/or male supremacy as the problematic narrative? I've been working on understanding blind spots myself (love the book with that title, actually - the hidden biases one) but I don't see a problem with acknowledging the difference between parenting boys and parenting girls, just as it's important to NOT say we're "color blind" about people's skin color as that dismisses the experience of those who are brown/black. Here to learn!
I really appreciate what these authors are trying to do, but you lost me with the boy-mom vs girl-mom comment - it sort of contradicted the whole message. It was just a small thing but girl-mom, boy-mom narrative is problematic in that it reinforces the very things the whole discussion is trying to improve or eliminate. At the very core of this comment is the idea and strong social narrative of what it means to be a boy or a girl, a parent of one gender or another. That for some reason you might think you are better suited to be a parent of boys over girls, or vice-versa, but what does that even mean? What is really being communicated in that comment? I'm athletic and love lifting weights and watching football... does that mean I am better suited to have sons? Hogwash. I'm not trying to be a nuisance here, but I just needed to say that comments like this only build on the problematic narrative we are working to improve. Let's all be more aware of our blind spots that show through when we make comments that capture our own social and gender biases.
You have given me something to think about! A totally different thing jarred me a bit so I came here to see what others are saying. The boy-mom/girl-mom comment came across to me as a lighthearted personal detail and not pertinent to the actual discussion but I'm pondering how it meant something else to you. I'm not sure I understand and I'd love to hear more! Not knowing the reasons the writers (jokingly?) considered themselves more suited to raise a particular gender I don't feel qualified to speculate. If you have the time, what issue did you feel the discussion is trying to improve or eliminate that was reinforced by that remark? Are you referring to the patriarchy and/or male supremacy as the problematic narrative? I've been working on understanding blind spots myself (love the book with that title, actually - the hidden biases one) but I don't see a problem with acknowledging the difference between parenting boys and parenting girls, just as it's important to NOT say we're "color blind" about people's skin color as that dismisses the experience of those who are brown/black. Here to learn!