I finished reading the book some time ago, but I feel the need to conclude this commentary. The final section of this writing was on teaching. After gaining understanding of positions of authority and truth, a woman can teach. She can use her knowledge of position to create a learning space for her students... especially other women.
It is interesting that these authors find it necessary to create a learning space, which was also recommended by Parker J. Palmer in The Courage to Teach and in that space, the students could find comfort and nurturing in order to find their own perspective and postion for learning.
The masculine viewpoint was discussed, as it was seen as the primary position of educational structure. All knowledge and truth is attacked and addressed as if it is an all out war. It is a position of "rights."
The feminine viewpoint was discussed as a more nurturing position. The female postion of "responsibility" leads down the path of details, nurture, degree of learning. It is the fine touch of learning, authority and truth.
I hate to lay down a blanket statement on any of the points of this book, as there are so many nuances to this study and the conclusions. But, I will say that I think that a great many women and men would benefit from this reading. I think there is a great deal of truth and beauty in these observations and conclusions.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Listening
These authors make the point that listening is a highly evolved human behavior. A true listener empowers the speaker by acknowledging their voice. It is a sign of respect. Listening transmits the message of equality from the listener to the speaker. It brings the speaker to the level of peer, which in a relationship, is a sign of connection. In a hierarchal situation, it brings the speaker up to the level of the person who holds some sort of power.
When we listen to our children, we are showing them that we respect their human dignity and their ability to grow, change, think and be an individual. We acknowledge their rightfulness in being human.
When we listen to our elders, we are also showing respect for their human dignity, life experience and the groundwork they endured to provide us a place and world in which to exist.
When we listen to our peers, we are showing respect for their own concepts and learning, pains and humaity. We acknowledge their very existence.
Listening to others and listening to our own inner voices is how we construct our knowledge, our being and our psyche. It is part of the reciprocity of connection that is so basic to being a human.
This observation about listening reminds me of Parker Palmer's Courage to Teach, where he wrote about the teacher providing a learning space for his students. He thought it was key to address his students, then give them a pause, a space, where they could reflect and form their own thoughts, and then feed those thoughts back to the class. He recommended that teachers have the courage to stay silent in the class, and allow the students to use their voices as they all listened.
I find that when my children wish to spend time with me, I have the opportunity to listen to them, question their thoughts and see them as individuals. Or.. I can become the authority, speak up, and stop their revelations in an instant. Listening is something that I must work on. I must use the voice that I have found for myself, and also be open to the voices of others.
When we listen to our children, we are showing them that we respect their human dignity and their ability to grow, change, think and be an individual. We acknowledge their rightfulness in being human.
When we listen to our elders, we are also showing respect for their human dignity, life experience and the groundwork they endured to provide us a place and world in which to exist.
When we listen to our peers, we are showing respect for their own concepts and learning, pains and humaity. We acknowledge their very existence.
Listening to others and listening to our own inner voices is how we construct our knowledge, our being and our psyche. It is part of the reciprocity of connection that is so basic to being a human.
This observation about listening reminds me of Parker Palmer's Courage to Teach, where he wrote about the teacher providing a learning space for his students. He thought it was key to address his students, then give them a pause, a space, where they could reflect and form their own thoughts, and then feed those thoughts back to the class. He recommended that teachers have the courage to stay silent in the class, and allow the students to use their voices as they all listened.
I find that when my children wish to spend time with me, I have the opportunity to listen to them, question their thoughts and see them as individuals. Or.. I can become the authority, speak up, and stop their revelations in an instant. Listening is something that I must work on. I must use the voice that I have found for myself, and also be open to the voices of others.
Identity
I was most captivated by the thoughts of identity in this writing. The authors of this book took years to formulate their study and collaborative work, and I think that it would take years to truly digest the nuances of each thought presented here. But the concenpt of our identities being formed in different manners and then viewed from positions of comprehending authority is, to my mind, a brilliant viewpoint which can be applied to nearly every individual and relationship that I see in my own world.
The authors speak of the inherent development of the female as a reflection of the mother/daughter connection, and thus females tend to structure identity via connecction.
Male children must separate from their mother in order to form identity, thus they operate under the influence of autonomy.
As a result of this basic tendency, women tend to form their identity with connection, relationships, and responsibility. Their perspective of reality, truth and authority is deeply enmeshed with connection to themselves, the more powerful and the lesser empowered. The bonding and nurturing mechanism is inherent and often tends to be primary in the formation of the female psyche.
The basic tendency of the male identity formation has that element of autonomy and separation that comes from gender identity. Therefore the natural evolution of the male concept tends to be more individual, automonous and based on the rights of the individual. Empowerment and identity comes not through connection, but in a more hierarchal manner. Connections are made in a more singular fashion and with authority levels.
The positions written about in this book are discussions of the ways that woman and men tend to learn the truths of existence, and how they come to know that truth. What is our identity, our role, our spirit, our purpose, our needs, our understandings and how we apply that knowledge as we incorporate that information into our psyches and relationships.
This study was an explanation of the process of the evolution of the female psyche and illustrated the dynamic nature of human development. Not only do we move through different psychological postions as individuals and in relationships, but we also find a "voice" to project and share this knowledge and speak our own truths.
The stories are emotionally touching, insightful and enlightening. If there is only one thing that I can take from this reading, I would have to say that the individual is in a flow of development with many channels and obstacles in the stream. As humans, we do not cease to progress, move, flow ever onward, but we can be tumbled in rapids or swirled in wild eddys or caught in stagnant pools. This is a tale of our flowing, evolving and ever forming identities and discoveries of truth, reality and authority and how we learn to live and speak that discovered truth.
The authors speak of the inherent development of the female as a reflection of the mother/daughter connection, and thus females tend to structure identity via connecction.
Male children must separate from their mother in order to form identity, thus they operate under the influence of autonomy.
As a result of this basic tendency, women tend to form their identity with connection, relationships, and responsibility. Their perspective of reality, truth and authority is deeply enmeshed with connection to themselves, the more powerful and the lesser empowered. The bonding and nurturing mechanism is inherent and often tends to be primary in the formation of the female psyche.
The basic tendency of the male identity formation has that element of autonomy and separation that comes from gender identity. Therefore the natural evolution of the male concept tends to be more individual, automonous and based on the rights of the individual. Empowerment and identity comes not through connection, but in a more hierarchal manner. Connections are made in a more singular fashion and with authority levels.
The positions written about in this book are discussions of the ways that woman and men tend to learn the truths of existence, and how they come to know that truth. What is our identity, our role, our spirit, our purpose, our needs, our understandings and how we apply that knowledge as we incorporate that information into our psyches and relationships.
This study was an explanation of the process of the evolution of the female psyche and illustrated the dynamic nature of human development. Not only do we move through different psychological postions as individuals and in relationships, but we also find a "voice" to project and share this knowledge and speak our own truths.
The stories are emotionally touching, insightful and enlightening. If there is only one thing that I can take from this reading, I would have to say that the individual is in a flow of development with many channels and obstacles in the stream. As humans, we do not cease to progress, move, flow ever onward, but we can be tumbled in rapids or swirled in wild eddys or caught in stagnant pools. This is a tale of our flowing, evolving and ever forming identities and discoveries of truth, reality and authority and how we learn to live and speak that discovered truth.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Positions within a Context
The authors describe the positions that women assume in their Knowing.
How do they view the world?
What is their perspective as they take into consideration the source of authority and understanding?
How do women know what they know?
Who tells them what is right and wrong, what is true or false?
After describing the five positions of perspective, the authors move into placing a context around these perspectives of knowledge. The concept of family, parents and spouse is brought into the narrative.
Each postion is analyzed as to how it came to be established, maintained or left behind.
I have been in these positions. I know others that have been in these positions.
There is a tremendous amount of pain and confusion brought about by some of these circumstances.
With authority comes the Voice.
When a woman has no voice of her own, she has given the power of authority to an external force and in the context of the world, this often means a contolling or abusive family member, and it is simply not part of her perspective to object, change, stand up and speak for her self about right or wrong.
But the context often evolves, just as the woman evolves. Knowledge and wisdom can come, be gained and absorbed and synthesized into a woman's being.
At the higher position of knowledge and awareness, there is an understanding of the synthesis of emotion and intellect in the women, their parents and in their children.
What a painful process it is for some, and for others an accomplishment of joy and of a life's work.
How do they view the world?
What is their perspective as they take into consideration the source of authority and understanding?
How do women know what they know?
Who tells them what is right and wrong, what is true or false?
After describing the five positions of perspective, the authors move into placing a context around these perspectives of knowledge. The concept of family, parents and spouse is brought into the narrative.
Each postion is analyzed as to how it came to be established, maintained or left behind.
I have been in these positions. I know others that have been in these positions.
There is a tremendous amount of pain and confusion brought about by some of these circumstances.
With authority comes the Voice.
When a woman has no voice of her own, she has given the power of authority to an external force and in the context of the world, this often means a contolling or abusive family member, and it is simply not part of her perspective to object, change, stand up and speak for her self about right or wrong.
But the context often evolves, just as the woman evolves. Knowledge and wisdom can come, be gained and absorbed and synthesized into a woman's being.
At the higher position of knowledge and awareness, there is an understanding of the synthesis of emotion and intellect in the women, their parents and in their children.
What a painful process it is for some, and for others an accomplishment of joy and of a life's work.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Constructed Knowing
A characteristic of being in the position of constructed knowledge involves the concept of layering of experience. I envision each moment of experience as a fine spray of finish being applied to high quality furniture. It takes patience and good working conditions for the finish coats to be applied evenly and flawlessly, but our life experiences do not provide those working conditions very often, so the construction of our psyches is rarely a flawless process, and thus we are all flawed in our knowledge and being. Awareness seem to be key to overcoming the flaws. Somehow, as we mature, we become aware of where we are in our development and how we are going to work, or think, or feel our way out of one situation and prepare for the next. We are creatures of our own experience and each of us is unique in our development.
The relationship section of the book, speaks to families, and how our positions of knowledge come from and set the stage for our relationships, which mirror our own knowledge. We are formed beings, created, by each event that touches us, and by each person that touches us. As I read and live each day, I gain more awareness of the shaping and layering that shapes me, each and every moment. I wish that I could find solace in that awareness, and turn my moments into adventures of growth. Some days are easier than others.
We had a storm here yesterday and trees were shattered and mighty boughs were brought down. It reminded me of how something growing and strong can be broken by the power of a stormy moment, and others end up as survivors. The cleanup was costly. Time and effort was spent. Effort was wasted and was the source of strife and distress. As the day was spent with chain saws and debris, I kept thinking of how we move through these positions of knowing. We evolve and progress or devolve and collapse with the malleability of a dynamic creature. We are always under construction. It makes me wonder if we can ever know ourselves. Do we change so fast that we can never fully understand ourselves?
The relationship section of the book, speaks to families, and how our positions of knowledge come from and set the stage for our relationships, which mirror our own knowledge. We are formed beings, created, by each event that touches us, and by each person that touches us. As I read and live each day, I gain more awareness of the shaping and layering that shapes me, each and every moment. I wish that I could find solace in that awareness, and turn my moments into adventures of growth. Some days are easier than others.
We had a storm here yesterday and trees were shattered and mighty boughs were brought down. It reminded me of how something growing and strong can be broken by the power of a stormy moment, and others end up as survivors. The cleanup was costly. Time and effort was spent. Effort was wasted and was the source of strife and distress. As the day was spent with chain saws and debris, I kept thinking of how we move through these positions of knowing. We evolve and progress or devolve and collapse with the malleability of a dynamic creature. We are always under construction. It makes me wonder if we can ever know ourselves. Do we change so fast that we can never fully understand ourselves?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Under Construction
I cry a lot when I read this book. I tend to do that... being an emotional "typical woman." (said with a hint of sarcasm and irony)
My copy of this text is becoming very messy with highlighting and sticky notes as I see truth after truth written in black and white. Despite having the assignment of blogging in a scholarly tone, I have a great deal of difficulty stepping back to be objective about this work. It is like reading an autobiography and a biography of my friends simultaneously. I can see the life positions of so many women that I know in this writing and I hurt with the growing pains that we have all endured.
The constructivist position is where I am in my life. Knowledge is accumulated and layered in fine sheets of experience, woven with filliments that can barely be perceived, yet it forms the fabric of my life. Examining the context of life is where the truth can be found, and each of us has our own perspective and context. There are general trends, but as we peer closely, each word, interaction, success or failure determines if we have learned and grown from the experience. Yet, if we still live and breathe, then of course, we have learned and evolved and added to our weaving and life.
I visited with a wonderful therapist for many months in order to gain a perspective on the connections in my own experience... what part my family played, and my friends, my past, my present, my own head and heart and mind. I was so lost in trying to pull it all together, that I felt myself coming apart.
My ex-husband was a man who talked and talked and never listened. As mentioned in this writing, I was a woman who had no voice. I even said that to my counselor. "He does not hear me, " I said to her once.
On page 137 there is a comment that I liked. "All knowledge is constructed, and the knower is an intimate part of the known" (emphasis in the original).
Later the authors write, "Somebody can be an expert, but if they do not articulate what they've learned, then that renders their knowledge usless if they can't share it with other people" (p. 145).
And, good readers, that is where I am stuck, for to me the awarenesses and experiences in my life are so intertwined with my innermost self, I can hardly bring myself to reveal this intimacy in a general fashion. That sums up my blogging mental block!
I hold this material so closely to my soul, and that makes it very difficult to step back in an objective manner and write about it. My mental awareness of this truth is so completely entwined with the emotional and physical experiences of my life, that my own voice is challenged to speak freely.
Ah, me... I am a constructed woman. This Master's degree program is part of my journey to share that construction with those of you that I journey along with. I will have to work on putting words to my knowledge.
My copy of this text is becoming very messy with highlighting and sticky notes as I see truth after truth written in black and white. Despite having the assignment of blogging in a scholarly tone, I have a great deal of difficulty stepping back to be objective about this work. It is like reading an autobiography and a biography of my friends simultaneously. I can see the life positions of so many women that I know in this writing and I hurt with the growing pains that we have all endured.
The constructivist position is where I am in my life. Knowledge is accumulated and layered in fine sheets of experience, woven with filliments that can barely be perceived, yet it forms the fabric of my life. Examining the context of life is where the truth can be found, and each of us has our own perspective and context. There are general trends, but as we peer closely, each word, interaction, success or failure determines if we have learned and grown from the experience. Yet, if we still live and breathe, then of course, we have learned and evolved and added to our weaving and life.
I visited with a wonderful therapist for many months in order to gain a perspective on the connections in my own experience... what part my family played, and my friends, my past, my present, my own head and heart and mind. I was so lost in trying to pull it all together, that I felt myself coming apart.
My ex-husband was a man who talked and talked and never listened. As mentioned in this writing, I was a woman who had no voice. I even said that to my counselor. "He does not hear me, " I said to her once.
On page 137 there is a comment that I liked. "All knowledge is constructed, and the knower is an intimate part of the known" (emphasis in the original).
Later the authors write, "Somebody can be an expert, but if they do not articulate what they've learned, then that renders their knowledge usless if they can't share it with other people" (p. 145).
And, good readers, that is where I am stuck, for to me the awarenesses and experiences in my life are so intertwined with my innermost self, I can hardly bring myself to reveal this intimacy in a general fashion. That sums up my blogging mental block!
I hold this material so closely to my soul, and that makes it very difficult to step back in an objective manner and write about it. My mental awareness of this truth is so completely entwined with the emotional and physical experiences of my life, that my own voice is challenged to speak freely.
Ah, me... I am a constructed woman. This Master's degree program is part of my journey to share that construction with those of you that I journey along with. I will have to work on putting words to my knowledge.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Progressing through the positions
In my further reading, I am captivated by the further outlines of the positions of knowledge.
From each postion, a woman formulates her vision of reality, her truths of what knowledge is and where it comes from, and her own role in forming her own reality. The positions represent a perspective of Truth and a perspective on what authority provides that definiton. Those are the concepts discussed for each position of knowing.
The different postions of knowledge continue to evolve into Procedural knowledge and Constructed knowledge. I need to think about these perspectives a bit before I discuss them (ah, reflection...) but I find the concepts to be a truthful playing of the experiences of my life, and I feel as if I ebb and flow back and forth through these roles and positions continually, though the progress is inexorably onward.. forward.
From each postion, a woman formulates her vision of reality, her truths of what knowledge is and where it comes from, and her own role in forming her own reality. The positions represent a perspective of Truth and a perspective on what authority provides that definiton. Those are the concepts discussed for each position of knowing.
The different postions of knowledge continue to evolve into Procedural knowledge and Constructed knowledge. I need to think about these perspectives a bit before I discuss them (ah, reflection...) but I find the concepts to be a truthful playing of the experiences of my life, and I feel as if I ebb and flow back and forth through these roles and positions continually, though the progress is inexorably onward.. forward.
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