MeerderWörter’s Comments (group member since Jan 08, 2016)

MeerderWörter’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

I was shocked that although so much was done in order to save the life of the mother - donating blood included, and then it was all in vain simply because the doctor didn't help her right away.

It only made me lose my confidence in doctors than I did already, and there was not much confidence before I read that book.
I am shocked that one can see here that women are considered less, and that many women would be saved if only they were men.

Gabriella wrote: "I loved the book! I already informed my family that they will receive a copy as christmas gift. The problem is: this book is hard to find in my language, but I'm up to the battle.

One of the thin..."
This book also made me think, but what is even more important is that it taught me a lot I would have learned hardly elsewhere. It especially changed my view on the U.S., which in Austria is always presumed to be this rich country where, apart from the politics, everything is kind of perfect, especially concerning health and education. I know that there are problems, but this book opened my eyes just how huge they were.
P.S.: Keep writing and reading here and your English will improve while doing so:) It did for me, too.


Cheylyn wrote: "I love the way the book emphasizes the power of education for young women. As the authors point out, there is only so much westerners can do, despite good intentions. But the power of an educated m..."
Education is the solution for more or less everything! That's why I hold education so dear to my heart. In educating all genders about their rights and helping them to reach their full potential, we can achieve so much more than we do now. I can only itinerate what a young activist wrote to Emma after her UN speech: A bird with a broken wing can't fly.
And right now we can't fly, because half humanity's broken and the other half isn't at their full potential either.

Ross wrote: "Taking the book in context with the others it seem the oppression of women is different only in degree the inequality is sanctioned in different places and cultures the causes however are the same...."
I think this is even more upsetting when we take into consideration that this wasn't always the case, as Gloria Steinem wrote it so visible in her book My Life on the Road, which we have read in January. (You've joined OSS back then already, didn't you?) MLOTR is the runner-up book or even winner in who is the most important book in our club in my opinion, it depends on the criteria you choose.


Jessica wrote: "This book is life changing. There are so many issues I was unaware of that I now pay close attention. It's required reading for my high school women's history class and I can truly say my students ..."
Probably every book (I argue for How to Be a Woman tho) is worth a read in high school or university. I wish my relatives would read more, but they don't read at all or so little that it's nothing, from my point of view. Only one aunt and my mum hold the stakes high.
Reading our books is important because in my opinion, if you read enough of them, they could change your brain's structure. (That would actually be interesting to investigate, wouldn't it? Does reading certain books change the brain structure? Very interesting question, I think yes, it does.)


Anita wrote: "I was very impressed with this choice. Now I'm curious about next month's selection! Maybe we will get to some fiction again."
As we know now it isn't fiction, but I hope so for January/February!
The last fiction book we read was Alice Walker's The Color Purple, and since I love fiction and I think is a perfect way to examine society, I hope we really get a fiction book next time.


Kressel wrote: "So glad to see everyone reacting! Is anyone inclined to visit a developing nation, just like the authors suggested?"
I don't know, maybe I take a gap year (took one already after graduating), and do something in a country in need. As long as it's not #voluntourism, I don't see a problem here. I could still remain within Europe, I'm sure there are some countries who need help.
As long as I can help people, I'm fine with it.
I'm probably too shy for it, but when I'm brave enough, I'll do it for sure.

Kim wrote: "Thanks for all the answers.
So I also think that the translator should have been the one to pay attention to this in the first place. And then of course reviewer and publisher.
It's not like this ..."
That is one of the aspects why I always try to read a book in the original language, ( English and German for now, but I plan to learn more languages that are spoken by many), so I get the most out of it and don't have problems like translation issues.
Since this is a feminist book, the people responsible really should have been aware of that.
German is a really difficult language, yes, but as you said it's normal nowadays to use the specific pronoun for the specific sex of the person. Oh, and what I really hate is that the pronoun "man" is hardly ever used, although it's a perfect gender-neutral word, that exists in the German language since Old High German, and is cognate with the English word man, stemming from the same word, or being the same word more likely. In both languages, it's first meaning was "human being".

Anja wrote: "I came across this source during work last week: GESCHICKT GENDERN - Das Genderwörterbuch. It's similar to a thesaurus and offers gender-neutral alternatives to nouns that describe people. The Binn..."
Anja, I must say I like the Gender-Sternchen a lot, because it includes all genders (yes, there are more than two), as you pointed out already.
It is commonly used in the intersex community, of which we have spoken about a few months ago, do you remember? I once adressed an intersex individual using the Gender-Sternchen* and they really appreciated that.


Laure wrote: "Harm wrote: "So I can offer you the following thought-provoking question: we already know that Hermione can be black, but are we also ready to accept that she can be a man."

Skin color doesn't rea..."
We share an opinion here, it's about a profession, not a gender , therefore, gender shouldn't be needed to be dealt with in the first place. I think it gets better with the Binnen-I (between-I one could say) but I still hate the usage of the Binnen-I. It's only recognisable in text, and when spoken it isn't or you have to pause, which is a bit awkward to listen to.


Harm wrote: "Kim wrote: "Hey guys, something apart from the content of the book, but I wanted to share my observation with you.

So I read the book in German and I noticed something which I found kind of distur..."
Harm, we also have this in job offerings: Sofwareentwickler (m/w), and I think it's a good way to point out that both males and females are adressed. To only say "she" is oppressing males so I don't think that's a good way either. That's just moving the oppression from one gender to the other.
Oh, btw, I think that a male Hermione wouldn't have changed too much about her, except for how she reacted around the boys probably, but not her core values, knowledge, and bravery and friendship. They would have stayed the same I think. And that comes from a die-hard Potterhead, so I know her like my sister, if I had one.

Harm wrote: "I'm sure this statement is backed up by statistics on the prison population."
Harm, I just wonder which statement are you refering to? I'm always open to discuss topics. But I think that it's backed up by statistics, I mean, she'd be not really clever if she said it without checking the statistics. We, as feminists, need statistics more than ever, I believe.

Imsoo wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "I simply love Emma as an interviewer, she's perfect in that profession. I also love how there is a discussion rather than a questioning - answering thing going on in this inte..."
She did so, yes. I still love to look at the two companion books, they look so beautiful in hardcover.

Deborah, I think that many libraries don't have the books we read - I've been lucky in the university's library sometimes, and the public library once, but I also want to own the books I read, and further them if one can't get them at all. I think in some countries in the world it may be difficult to actually get the books we read, and I have read so often.

But inter-librarian request is also a possibility, did so too the past days, tho not for OSS, although they are also feminist in their own aspect.

After reading your comments I must say I'm glad I was never really interested in Disney movies - I only watched Mulan, but I was at least 10 years old when I was allowed to watch the whole movie, and for the other Disney movies - I simply wasn't interested in them. Okay, I was very much a tomboy when I was a kid, maybe that's why, I also thought girls were way to difficult in behaviour to befriend with - but I think I have to tell you this:

I was reading a book called Der Trotzkopf (the stubborn person) and when I finished it I told my female friend about it and she simply said: "Oh, so it's heteropropaganda. Marry a man and everything will be fine."

That book was published in 1883, and is, as far as I know, the oldest script I have. I think for heteros it's a bit harsh to hear that it's "heteropropaganda", but for the LGBTI-community, it's the thing they have to face every day : heteronormativity.

Now, I do think that fairy tales do have an important impact in gender equality, because they are normally shown/read to little children who begin to form a gender identity and are at the start of socialisation. But we must also bear the fact that we have impersonalized gender inequality. Studies show that parents were treating their children different even when they thought they were treating them equally. I was a bit shocked when I read that, but that's one aspect why I think sociology is so important, because we can then unmask our non-intended behaviour in order to make the world even more equal than we could, if we didn't know that.

@Ross: No matter how difficult life is for me, I still know that at least here at OSS I have people I can discuss topics with - where it's about arguments and knowledge and about your achieved status and not so much about your ascribed status - wonderful!

Yes, we will make it a gender equal, accepting world, before this isn't achieved I won't rest. I want to live in a world that accepts me in the way I am, since this isn't the case, I have lots to fight for!

And when I read that Emma, our lovely book fairy, distributes books in the London Underground, a place I loved to be at, and distributing books, which I simply LOVE beyond reason, well, that cheers me up.

Ross wrote: "I am in London ☹ never mind great initiative. Wins woman of the year next day she has some fun with us. Very special woman our patron."

Emma is amazing, have you heard her speech at the One World Event? She normally never uses bad language, so that's when I knew that it really gave her trouble:)

I love all your ideas, and OSS proves once again to be a place where I like to be around. I better drop my future copies on the Campus (OSSler's first tho, that's obvious).

Ross wrote: "Like all good books it took more time to think about than read. I finished it in one sitting.

It brought up varied questions for me, have we failed the women in the west have things improved, the..."

Ross, your thoughts go into the field of sociology, which I like to study a lot. And in all this time since the early 1800's, many sociologists have come to many different solutions in order to explain how societies work and whether its the individual that shapes the society, or the society that shapes the individiual, and which traits or beliefs are important for a society...
This book is amazing, and I'll read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in the next few days.

I also have I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings on my tbr-pile, I better read it this weekend:)

I think the problem with asexuality is that so few people know about it. I mean, nearly everybody knows about homosexuals (their attitude towards it is secondary to knowing about it, I think, at least in the beginning), but who knows about asexuals. Isn't it still treated as an illness?
I'm not sure, but I think so, which makes me very angry.

Felix:
It really is nice isn't it?

Switching to German:
Wie lange bist du schon ein OSSler? Ich war noch unter den ersten 10.000, was echt was heißt, weil das Ganze hier, zum Glück, ja ziemlich explodiert ist:)

Delphine:
I bet you will read it in a few sittings. It's too good to put away.

Niki, I you're speaking out of the heart. Like, can't this be a thing of the past.

Savannah wrote: "I read something, and I would like to share it with you all. It pertains to bisexuality and bisexuals, and it is important, at least to me, that others read it, too. It is so simple but it can also..."

Speaking of colours, which I think is a really good way to explain the matter as a whole.

For intersexuals, it could go like this:

"There is pink and there is blue, but I am still violet, no matter what."

It's sad that nobody writes in here.

For the asexuals: They're a part of the LGBTQIA+acronym, and try to get as much attention as the other parts of the acronym.

I think it's highly problematic if one says that a lack or the absence of a sex drive is per se bad. Only the individual can and should have a say about this.

As you already said, Ana, it's really frustrating me if people make sex the most important thing in the life of humans. I think sex is a major part of life for most humans, but not for all and there's also a spectrum of importance.

I'm wondering tho what people are called who only partially fit their designated gender at birth. I thought they were called demisexuals? Or is this term used for either, in which I think we should use another term for one or the other.

I've come across this term before, but I don't know. I'm not really comfortable with it. Like metrosexual and lumbersexual, I think it's not really a sexual orientation, it's more like what you like others to have. I mean, from my perspective you can't compare them to hetero- or homosexuality, but I won't speak too loud because I'm not sapiosexual.

Jennifer wrote: "Adam, shouting with capitals and a use of profanity may make you feel better, but it hardly makes your point more accurate. If you want to be taken seriously, you might try using a more civilized t..."
Well said, Jennifer. I'm sad to repeat it, but the angry white cisgendered men have won again. And I'm sick of it.

Jessica wrote: "So last night I went to bed scared of the election results, and then this morning when I found out that he was elected, I legit started crying. My mom says that I'm taking it too personally. But sh..."

I'm so scared for everyone who is not in Trump's box of perfect people. I cried at Nov, 9th, and I must say that I hardly ever cry. I was so shocked, I coudn't believe what happened.
We're at the edge of a crisis and a president like this is elected? I'm just so sad for the world and it's people.

Lauren, the sooner you start the happier you will be. It really is an amazing book I think, especially if you haven't read any of her works before. I think it's a great starter, I will read other books from her as well. I can't wait to get started.

Lexi, I must say it never crossed my mind until reading your post how Vivian Baxter treated her children in that regard. I wish my mom would have done that when I was younger.

Yeah, and anticipation is the best happiness.