Are most women liberals because they identify with the oppressed?

Perhaps it isn't from social oppression... perhaps it just that women can see how the Conservative agenda adversely affects people... even people that are not in their own "social strata".
 

QuickSilver said:
Perhaps it isn't from social oppression... perhaps it just that women can see how the Conservative agenda adversely affects people... even people that are not in their own "social strata".
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Maybe we just have more compassion and bigger hearts. It's the same in the UK. The conservatives want to pay off the deficit by screwing the poor out of much needed help.

The current prime minister who is a conservative keeps answering the question as to why there are so many food banks since he became PM 5 years ago. His reply is that they are just better advertised now, not that there are more of them. What an idiot! He and most of his cabinet were born with silver spoons in their mouths, and a lack of compassion.
 
Ameriscot said:
Maybe we just have more compassion and bigger hearts. It's the same in the UK. The conservatives want to pay off the deficit by screwing the poor out of much needed help.

The current prime minister who is a conservative keeps answering the question as to why there are so many food banks since he became PM 5 years ago. His reply is that they are just better advertised now, not that there are more of them. What an idiot! He and most of his cabinet were born with silver spoons in their mouths, and a lack of compassion.
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HEre conservatives want to provide bigger and bigger tax breaks to the wealthy and Corporations by DEMONIZING and shaming the poor and taking away much needed help. NOW they don't even want poor kids to be able to go to a swimming pool or to a movie.
 

QuickSilver said:
HEre conservatives want to provide bigger and bigger tax breaks to the wealthy and Corporations by DEMONIZING and shaming the poor and taking away much needed help. NOW they don't even want poor kids to be able to go to a swimming pool or to a movie.
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Yep, sounds like republicans/conservatives. Here they want to tax disability benefits, lots of welfare cuts, lots of cuts to the working poor.
 
Glinda said:
If I were a man, I would still be liberal. I would still be a Democrat, as are all three of my brothers.
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All my family are Democrats. Brother, his wife, their kid, his kids, Me, my wife, our Grandkids, and their kids will be too. My daughter was before she passed.
 
I've sort of skimmed through this thread and maybe I missed where someone has already brought this up, but maybe a better question would have been, "are most women less likely to be punitive because they identify with the oppressed"? I think using the word liberal just shunts it into the political arena and I wonder if that was the original intention?

Personally, I think that women 'in general' are more likely to be nurturing and out of necessity have had to learn to cooperate, distract, to be nuanced in our choice of words either because our lives include living in a patriarchal world or in dealing with kids. And I think that out of that nurturing spirit comes a desire to 'find another way'. And my personal opinion is that it's often an uncomfortable fit when 'nurture' tries to live with 'an advocacy of a violent act'. Some ladies here may disagree with that because they've come from a different background and as a result have a different perspective on everything that I've suggested here. And that's cool, different folks, different opinions right.

And gentlemen, some of you are probably very nurturing! My son in law for example has been a very hands on daddy when it came to his baby's and their physical needs. I'll bet he changed as many diapers and wiped as much drool off little chins as his wife has. So can men be nurturing, yes. Many of you are absolute sweeties.....:love_heart:
 
Being a liberal Democrat and/or being a woman does not necessarily mean that one is sensitive, nurturing, open-minded, and empathetic or that a person can relate to being oppressed.
 
I agree with you Debby. It is a mistake to fall into generalisation. My son and nephew are two of the most nurturing individuals one could meet, whereas my mother would have put a barracuda to shame, lol. Here's to the men who are awesome! We love and appreciate you!:love_heart:
 
Debby, perhaps I did not read your post thoroughly. Will amend my comments. I agree with the cooperative approach. Many women have learned the value of negotiation rather than direct conflict. I think an empathetic approach discourages violent response. I know what it is to be a helpless victim, I can't imagine inflicting that on someone else. I have male colleagues who feel the same way, bless them.
 
Since I'm a Republican, Ralphie, I can't be nurturing or kind to the poor, and I when I go shopping, I always kick a poor person as I walk by in a store. :bigwink:
 
I have some things I'd like to say but I had better stay out of these kinds of conversations. I don't like the conflict.
 
Shalimar said:
I agree with you Debby. It is a mistake to fall into generalisation. My son and nephew are two of the most nurturing individuals one could meet, whereas my mother would have put a barracuda to shame, lol. Here's to the men who are awesome! We love and appreciate you!:love_heart:
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Then you are not a chip off the old block I'd say, you're too nice to be a barracuda!
 
Everyone seems to be down on generalizations. We understand the world around us by making generalizations, they're extremely important. If you can't categorize phenomena into groups, you have to view everything you encounter in life as a new independent event about which you can have no preconceived notions. Yes, you should to be judicious about demanding a sound basis for the generalizations you accept and you have to be prepared to admit that there will be exceptions to most generalizations, but it's a mistake to vilify them.
 
You are quite right, Josiah! Without generalizations we would dither about in a maze of data. However, I do have some reservations about applying them to people. As an example, I cite the difficulty among psychiatrists/psychologists/counselors/sociologists/anthropologists to agree amongst themselves, never mind each other. I have been to some very interesting conventions!
 
I haven't commented so far because I have trouble interpreting the word "liberal".

One dictionary meaning is 'willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas' but I'm not sure that this is the meaning being discussed. If it is, I don't think that there is a gender difference that stands up. Men are just as likely to be liberal as women and a lot depends on the family in which you grow up and the kind of education received. Liberalism as far as I can tell is not fostered by military training but is definitely encouraged in art college. Professions that require a lot of human interaction such as social work probably lead to a degree of liberalism but on the other hand, circumstances encountered could do exactly the opposite. Hearts are just as easily hardened as softened when dealing with neediness and social problems such as addiction and chronic unemployment.

I am a lover of personal freedom and raised my children to live autonomous, self reliant lives but I also taught them the value of group solidarity and co-operation. History has taught me the value of the concept of "united we stand, divided we fall" and I value unionism and collective bargaining. Christianity has shown me that everyman is my brother, father, son and everywoman is my sister, mother, daughter and their needs and welfare are my concern. I favour social safety nets to support those who are unable to make ends meet. I favour universal affordable health care, quality public education and rent assistance for people on very low incomes. Even more, I support a liveable minimum hourly wage rate that keeps pace with inflation.

None of the above ideas were generated by women, in fact, I would guess that they were all first voiced by men.
 
Kitties said:
I have some things I'd like to say but I had better stay out of these kinds of conversations. I don't like the conflict.
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Kitties, I understand and respect that. What I don't understand is why you posted here at all. :confused: To enter a discussion just to say you have something to say but don’t want to say it seems pointless.
 
Dame Warrigal said:
I haven't commented so far because I have trouble interpreting the word "liberal".

One dictionary meaning is 'willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas' but I'm not sure that this is the meaning being discussed. If it is, I don't think that there is a gender difference that stands up. Men are just as likely to be liberal as women and a lot depends on the family in which you grow up and the kind of education received. Liberalism as far as I can tell is not fostered by military training but is definitely encouraged in art college. Professions that require a lot of human interaction such as social work probably lead to a degree of liberalism but on the other hand, circumstances encountered could do exactly the opposite. Hearts are just as easily hardened as softened when dealing with neediness and social problems such as addiction and chronic unemployment.

I am a lover of personal freedom and raised my children to live autonomous, self reliant lives but I also taught them the value of group solidarity and co-operation. History has taught me the value of the concept of "united we stand, divided we fall" and I value unionism and collective bargaining. Christianity has shown me that everyman is my brother, father, son and everywoman is my sister, mother, daughter and their needs and welfare are my concern. I favour social safety nets to support those who are unable to make ends meet. I favour universal affordable health care, quality public education and rent assistance for people on very low incomes. Even more, I support a liveable minimum hourly wage rate that keeps pace with inflation.

None of the above ideas were generated by women, in fact, I would guess that they were all first voiced by men.
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You're right DW to be suspicious of the word "liberal" it has many differently nuanced meanings in different parts of the English speaking world. Actually the terms that have a little more international consistency are left and right in the political sense. With that in mind the American meaning of liberal suggests a somewhat leftist leaning world view.
 
Ralphy1 said:
Do they believe that the inequality felt by blacks and others is what they have felt and still do in regard to aspects of their lives? Methinks this explains the reflexive reaction on the part of the "sisterhood" to many issues that are brought up here...
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Why this, Ralphy? Couldn't we have brought up the NBA and NHL playoffs, or just about any other topic?
 
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