In the essay "One Small Step For Genkind" the feminist authors Casey Miller and Kate Swift explore the various ways sexist attitudes are revealed in the United States. Miller and Swift give many examples of the various ways language is used to exclude women. They conclude that society specifically, literature, history, religion, and the media is extremely male dominated.
Miller and Swift take an indepth look at the term "mankind" and what it stands for. The English language defines both men and women as male. Miller and Swift argue the hypothetical person is always assumed to be male unless otherwise noted.
Miller and Swift demonstrate the sexism that exists in dictionaries and encyclopedias. In much the same way, textbooks send a message of a male dominated society. The history textbooks recreate history to tell a story of men. However, women worked as hard as men did and faced the same struggles. Miller and Swift demonstrate how overrepresented men are in history and how under represented women are.
The authors discuss religion as being maledominated. The story of Adam and Eve is used to explain this in greater detail. Society has been patriarchal since Eve was created out of Adam's rib. Miller and Swift recognize the Christian Church as a predominantly male institution in which God is considered to be a male. Although there is no proof that God is male, it has never been proven otherwise.
The media is a very male dominated part of society. Miller and Swift explain the differences in the way the success of males and females are treated. When a male succeeds all attention goes to his success. However, when a female succeeds the attention is on her sex.
The authors conclude that a gender neutral term (e.g. genkind)
is necessary in order to make equality a reality. Miller and
Swift feel that "to speak of genkind would be to include
all of the people of the earth."
In 1972 when the article "One Small Step for Genkind" was written the United States was in need of social change. The article describes a period of time in which sexist attitudes prevailed. Some circumstances the authors mention history and religion still are prevalent today. However, a great deal of time has passed since Miller and Swift wrote the article, and with it a lot of social change has occurred. This becomes very clear as many of the examples used in the article seem very outdated.
Miller and Swift's article recalls history as a story primarily of men. The struggles of men to build a better life for their families is what most history books still consist of. It is rare to see a prominent female mentioned as part of social change. Betsy Ross, who was a prominent political figure, is one of the few females mentioned in the American History textbooks. However, when a female is mentioned as part of history her accomplishments are portrayed as less than that of a male.
Religion has always been a male dominated force in society. Miller and Swift speak of God as a male. The article illustrates this point by using the Bible story of Adam and Eve. In the story, Eve is created from Adam's rib, revealing that sexist attitudes were prevalent in biblical times. Children today are still learning religious practices of male domination.
Many positive changes have occurred since the 1970s. Ideas that were once common no longer exist. For instance, Miller and Swift begin the article with a riddle in which a father and son are in an automobile accident. The father is pronounced dead at the scene but the boy is taken to the hospital. While the boy was being wheeled into the emergency room a doctor looked at him and said, "My God, it's my son!" The reader is then asked to state the doctor's relationship to the boy. The correct answer seems obvious; the doctor is the boy's mother. In the 1990s a society exists where it is common for a woman to acquire professional status.
Miller and Swift use dictionary definitions as examples of sexism. For instance, the 1971 edition of the Britannica Junior Encyclopedia said, "Man is the highest form of life on earth . His superior intelligence combined with certain physical characteristics, have enabled man to achieve things that are impossible for other animals." In today's society sexist statements like these are no longer given in the dictionary. To illustrate, the 1981 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary defines a man as "an adult male person." There is no mention of man as being the stronger more dominant sex. Instead, the definitions of man and woman are very equal.
Miller and Swift are feminist authors with a strong hope for
social change. "One Small Step For Genkind" was written
in the 1970s as a wakeup call to society. The article pointed
out many of the sexist conditions that existed in society. The
authors hoped to grasp the attention of young women readers and
give them the ambition to create positive change. Miller and
Swift were active leaders in bringing about a better culture for
"genkind."
©Sarah Lewis, Winona (MN) State University, 30 January 1997. This document may be freely distributed for educational use as long as this notice of its authorship accompanies its distribution.
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