by CeeDee » October 6th, 2007, 11:05 pm
Just a thought or two here.. in my humble observation women probably have a conciderably different relationship with their body than men have with men's bodies because a woman's body just does more stuff.
Seriously concider for a minute the logistical considerations of a period for example. Several days each month you have to be prepared to attend to the hygene requirements, have supplies on hand, work to the bodies schedual, risk bleed thru's, deal with any bloating, emotional issues... ect.
That alone could prompt a different relationship with the body, a greater awareness of the body and it's functions... but wait, as they say in infomercials, there is more.... pregnency , serious changes, serious commitment, serious logistical issues , and what about lactation... concider if you will the time and commitment of feeding or expressing every several hours night and day for a year or two.
IMHO it is not that you have to have periods, or a pregnecy, or lactate to be a woman. But you would have to have the expectation that such things could possibly happen, indeed even somewhat likely and normal , that your body has it's own rythym and operates in very significant ways all on it's own at times , outside any concious control.
Male puberty while clearly as significant in it's own way does not mark itself ( aside from the ocasional random erection) with a distinct from concious control type mainfestation of the duration of a period, a constant reminder of the "seperatness" of mind and body, or maybe said better a "body with a mind of it's own" that you have to make friends with, accomidate with, cope with.
No doubt there are many similarities and differences between men and women, societal expectations and roles ect that come with each gender, but that is all between the self and society.
When it comes to a realtionship with the body and the self, the relationship between the self mind and the body, this awareness of body that some say women have different from men, well this I think is based on the nature of the woman's body's multitude of actions that occur outside concious control that must be adapted to.
I'm not minimzing behaviors, voice, walk, mannerisms but natal women learn those as they grow up, well not voice pitch so much as vocal patterns, walk to some extent is determined by pelvic structure, but high heels are not inate, nor is walking in them. Adjusting the level of forwardness or retcience and style of interaction is to some degree based on size or strenght or ego or self assuredness as well as societal expectation and interaction. However much we all are " liberated" now, however much hunting and gathering both put food on the table , they are different styles and approaches that come with gender spcefic baggage. Even in the modern liberated corporate world kids are seen as more significant impact on a woman's job/time/responsibility than a man's despite them both being parents. Daycare for example, despite a significant number of single male parents, is more generally seen as a company perk for women. well anyway.
I'm not at all convinced I am saying any of this right. But maybe right enough for some discusion.
Men and woman , I think, see breasts differently for example... for men they are pretty much a sexual or sexy feature, women of course additionally are aware of their role in feeding children, women know they are erotic for both but the feeding kids part is very significant. I just think there is a difference when your concern is not only cup size but also if they will produce enough milk to feed and keep a child healthy.. sort of a cup and ounce kinda thing .. not just cup.
well anyway, poorly expressed but I hope you get my drift.