A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism - Literature review Example

Name: University: Instructor: Date: Implication of Futuristic Ideas between the Cyborg Manifesto and the SCUM Manifesto and Expressions of Anger Introduction Women's anger is perceived as a powerful force; coded as a threatening and dangerous since it brings problems on calm communities as well as peaceful homes. In its powerful and pure expression, women’s anger is a rebellious act. Expression of anger can foster learning and growth provided that it is perceived as productive. Basically, anger should not be considered as ‘guilt trip’, but as a journey for examining feminist organizing dynamics as well as manage pervasive racial discrimination. Oppression as defined by Frye (2) is a way that involves women persecution because of their gender. Besides, technologies like virtual avatars as well as sex-change operations wiping away the traditional markers are these days utilized in determining gender, whereby the binary begins to breakdown leading to emergence of new sexuality hybrid forms. For centuries, women have been depicted as naturally submissive, weak, melodramatic, and unable of think intellectually like their male counterparts. The paper seeks to discuss the implication of futuristic ideas between the cyborg manifesto and the SCUM manifesto as well as expressions of anger. Even though women expression of anger is disparaged and considered irrational by critics, anger is a legitimate and emotional response to oppression, racism, and sexism. Discussion According to Haraway (174), if both women as well as men are constructed (cyborg) rather than being natural, then with appropriate tools humanity can be reconstructed. Still, fundamental suppositions emerge, like if it is natural for society to be plagued with violence and for one group to dominate other groups. Perhaps human beings are naturally predestined to destroy the environment and fight wars, or perhaps were not. This possibility has been seized by feminists across the globe. In this case, cyberfeminism hold the view that, along with technology people can build their gender, sexuality and identity. Contrary to the feminism based on prohibition that focus on monitoring sexuality as well as legislating against behavior considered inappropriate, the cyber-feminists delight in polymorphous obstinacy. According to Haraway (181), cyborg imagery provides a means beyond the confusing dualisms wherein people have explained their tools and their bodies to themselves. “What is lost, perhaps especially from women's points of view, is often virulent forms of oppression, nostalgically naturalized in the face of current violation (Haraway 172).” Haraway (150) posits that the world consists of tangled networks, one part is machine and the other is human; multifaceted crossbreeds of metal and meat regulating the traditional concepts such as artificial as well as natural to the annals. Such hybrid networks according to Haraway are cyborgs that incorporate and surround us. People have networks inside them considering that people feed their bodies with agribusiness products that have been sustained with pharmaceuticals and changed through medical procedures, which are not in any way natural. The truth is that people are constructing themselves, similarly to how they construct political systems or chip sets. Haraway is certain that in order for people to survive, they must get informed about the multifaceted realisms of technoculture. In this case, the cyborg concept provides a political strategy for the ostensibly unrelated interests of feminism as well as socialism, whereby women can overcome oppression if the engage in politics beyond essentialism and naturalism. However, this does not justify why expression of anger has been approached by black feminists as a politically motivating force for growth (Tozer, Gallegos and Henry 265). Solanas SCUM manifesto focuses on the principle that a man is merely an incomplete woman, the unintended outcome of amputated set of chromosomes, and that every action of a man globally is intended to conceal and improve their shortcomings as non-women. “The male is a biological accident: the Y (male) gene is an incomplete X (female) gene, that is, it has an incomplete set of chromosomes (Solanas).” Solanas further state that without money men cannot be able to retain women’s company and do not know how to control their feelings; therefore, lack privacy. Particular women are brainwashed by lies given by men, and such ‘male-females’, as referred by Solanas cannot be able to admit the hideous truth of what makes a man. Solanas confidently reverses conventional perceptions and wants people to rise against society’s unfair attitudes to women. Solanas emphasize that men are useless and having ‘pussy envy’, and although her assertion appears disrespectful and brash, she utilizes her self-knowledge to create credibility. This is evidenced by her ability to divide SCUM manifesto into sections in attempt to show how society is controlled by men as well as how they disempower women (“Philosophy, Religion, and Morality Based on Sex”). All men desire for sex, but they always condemn women for having sex, and since men do not have sexual freedom, they as well ensure women do not have the freedom too. Solanas considers this as injustice, and blames it on society’s sexism. “Mother loves her kids, although she sometimes gets angry, but anger blows over quickly and even while it exists, doesn't preclude love and basic acceptance (Solanas).” Solanas adopts far-reaching factual assertions to dispute the ongoing societal injustice toward women. She successfully utilizes aggressive factual assertions as evidenced in her SCUM Manifesto; even though the manifesto is irrefutably obscene as well as radical, she tactically takes advantage of such qualities to show the injustice and disempowerment that women face in their day-to-day lives. Therefore unlike Haraway who thinks humanity can be reconstructed, Solanas supports an all-female society as well as male gendercide. In view of Solanas assertion, it can be argued that women can express anger because of the injustice that men do to them. SCUM supports anger and rebelliousness but fails to show how women can in the future rise beyond self-satisfaction and to reexamine restrictive gender roles in the society. Basically, anger as a tool for promoting change and progress an overcoming oppression similar to how it was used to overcome racial discrimination. According to reference, anger was part of feminist movement and racism was responded by anger, especially because the white women failed to address racial issues that were facing the black women (McGill 125). Women respond to social oppresion through outrage and anger. Frye (2) while defining oppression details a certain character image of the barriers everyone have to face in order to be oppressed. Five important conditions have been identified by Frye (2), which comprises of oppression. The first condition is that the oppressed person must face restriction; to be precise, limitations or barriers must exist on the person’s freedom. Restriction for women include being paid less at the working place and not going at out. The second condition is that the individual have to experience harm from such restrictions; moreover, the harm should offset any benefit gained because of these restrictions. Scores of women are harmed because of their restrictions; they have lost their personal freedom and their economic freedom is limited. Women have lost their personal freedoms because most decisions, especially in the family are made by the men. The economic freedom is limited because they treated unequally (poor pay and discrimination) in their place of work. For instance, occupations dominated by men have higher median earnings as compared to those dominated by female (Kelsey 3). The third condition is that restrictions should be brought about by social institution or structure considering that women face pervasive harms in the society. The fourth condition as pointed out by Frye (11) is that individual’s restrictions should be experienced because they belong to a certain ‘social group. In this case, women experience harms because they are women. The last condition is that there should be a different social group gaining from restrictions that face a particular social group, as well as impose social structures coercively with the intention of restricting the freedom of the oppressed social group. Different from emotional restraint faced by men, Frye argues that “women’s physical restraint is not rewarded (Frye 15).” Frye successfully analyses cultural as well as social roots of oppression for both women and men. According to Frye, men are oppression because of factors related to their gender, like social class, race and age while oppression of women is mainly due to their gender. According to Frye “false helpfulness of male gallantry” depended by women, and this makes women insignificant and easy to be oppressed (Frye 6). Anger can be considered as ‘feminist anger’ when an injustice directed to one woman is perceived as an injustice pattern against every woman. Akin to Frye, Young talks about oppression in terms of cultural imperialism, marginalization, exploitation, violence as well as powerlessness. According to Young (46), a person can change their cultural groups, but even though the groups will represent them, there are norms or stereotypes related to those groups. Without a doubt, some groups in the society are treated unfairly as compared to others and this treatment according to Young (55) stem from the social structure, and not the individuals. In consequence, this results in oppression. “Feminists have had little difficulty” what women oppression entails (Young 50).” Young (61) posits that a person is to a large extent shaped by the group they are associated, and in the group a person is shaped by violence since they are naturally mindful and at risk of experiencing violence. According to Freeman, social structures are threatened by ‘bitch’ since it enslaves women together with their social values. A bitch is a living testimony that oppression to women is not needed, but since she is not taken seriously because of the threat she poses. Bitch as mentioned by Freeman is a special category created by men, but in this category women are perceived as less human. People relate to them as human being, and not as sexual being. Both women and women as argued by Freeman cannot face the realism of a Bitch, because they fear to see the corrupt certainty of themselves. Derogatory self-concept internalization normally lead to a “good deal of bitterness and resentment (Freeman).” Perceiving women as a Bitch is an oppression and discrimination considering that Bitches are oppressed for failure to behave like a woman and are also oppressed as a woman. Freeman posits that bitches provide evidence of how strong women are, and further argues that women can survive even society’s punitive socialization. When the word ‘bitch’ is used, it is meant to condemn a person who is behaving unusual. Anger is a suitable response not just to oppression, but also racism and sexism. Basically, the intrinsic prospects of woman’s anger is normally swallowed, expected, and/or squandered. Anger must be shut within since it is an imprudent alleviated vehemence utilized as a tool for transformation. Even though some argue that anger can be expressed righteously, it is not challenging to listen to woman who is angry. However, the challenge may arise when listening to an angry woman born out of oppressions that is hard to comprehend. Many women find it challenging to control their anger especially when they recall the oppressions they face daily from their men counterparts. Men are forced to live with this discomfort so as to be able to move further than expression as well as towards action. Any forms of discussion concerning oppressions such as racial discrimination always include use of anger. When people turn away from anger they consequently turn from insight. Anger can be a basis of strength; therefore, it cannot make the feminist movement weak or suffocate their voice. Quite the reverse, if people continue listening to anger and learning from it, a force will be built from it akin to feminist movement. Considering that racial discrimination and anger are indistinguishably associated, anger may be considered a reaction to racism and devoid of that reaction then anger can become destructive if repressed. The society must identify the impact of classism and racism on women do as to be able to handle the expressed anger. Conclusion In conclusion, it is without doubt that anger is a legitimate and emotional response to oppression, racism, and sexism. The structural examination of oppression, which has focused on intersections of class, gender and race has facilitated in unmasking how such economic and social divisions reinforce and reflect the current societal power relations. The paper has emphasized the need for institutional as well as organizational allies to combat oppression in all its manifestations. Since anger is perceived by women and men differently, they express, handle, and experience feelings of rage as well as frustration differently. As argued in the essay, those people with power in the society can easily shape their purpose and expect the powerless to follow the orders and be satisfied in what they have. In this case, men are powerful and women are powerless living in a society that only profits men. For this reason, Solanas advocates for an all-female society where women are not oppressed, but treated fairly and equally. As mentioned in the paper, anger may be utilized as a tool by women to improve social consciousness among themselves and develop a comprehensive feminist approach that will liberate women from different forms of oppressions such as sexism, classism and racism. Works Cited Freeman, Joreen. The BITCH Manifesto. 1968. 30 November 2015. . Frye, Marilyn. "Oppression." The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory. Watsonville, California: Crossing Press, 1983. 1-16. Haraway, Donna Jeanne. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century1." Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1991. 149-181. Kelsey, Cheryl Lynn. "Gender inequality: Empowering women." Journal of Legal Issues and Cases in Business (2014): 1-7. McGill, Lisa Diane. Constructing Black Selves: Caribbean American Narratives and the Second Generation. New York: NYU Press, 2005. Solanas, Valerie. The Scum Manifesto. 1983. 30 November 2015. . Tozer, Steven, et al. Handbook of Research in the Social Foundations of Education. New York: Handbook of Research in the Social Foundations of Education, 2011. Young, Iris Marion. "Five Faces of Oppression." Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, 1990. 39-65. Read More