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'On women and jaguars: why perspectivism got it so wrong'

Across Amazonia, myths hold that in early times it was the jaguars, parrots, tapirs and other animals who first invented bows and arrows, cooking fire, ceremonial buildings, religious ceremonies and other complex cultural accomplishments. Then humans stole these things from the animals, elevating themselves above all other creatures – but at the cost of losing their former ability to engage in easy conversation with the animal world. This mythic view of our origins is the reverse of the Darwinian narrative which our own culture holds up as science.

In this talk, will introduce a recent trend in social anthropology – known as ‘perspectivism’ – and discuss whether such radically different ways of …

A Piro girl emerges from her Kigimawlo seclusion, body painted and wearing beautifully crafted organic decorations on her head, breast and arms

"In mainstream discourse, it's become standard to blame the excesses of the right on liberals, the left, feminists, Black Lives Matter, affirmative action, environmental protection, and BIPOC and LGBTQ people. It's a way that the right is granted masculine prerogatives and the left feminine responsibilities for the right's behavior."

~ Rebecca Solnit


/1

https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/the-she-made-him-do-it-theory-of-everything-2/

Content warning Call to Action, Defend Trans People, US

Content warning uspol transgender state department passport

2025.19. Do you find creative work therapeutic? If so, do you do it for that reason, or is it more of a side benefit?

Therapeutic to me means restoring to health, so I can't state that it is. I do find cooking and photography fun, relaxing and diverting. There's also the improving of skills, which makes spending time on the activities worthwhile. As for writing, that's a zen experience. I become the character. I live their lives. That's special, when it happens.

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

and



69 — Is jealousy a gender role in your stories? Does it affect one gender or certain sexual preferences?

My characters express love in my stories in many ways, but jealousy (as most of the world seems to see it) is not one of those ways. In the most recent story where jealousy could have been a factor, the MC's two male lovers agreed that any bad behavior on their part might make her give them the boot. In reality, that part was too minor an issue to be addressed further in the story.

In that case, jealousy affected the males in the story, but it's a flaw built into the species. Any gender or preference can feel it when they see another as a personal resource, and fear losing that resource. It's simply a type of anger used to keep a bearer of a resource from straying …

59 — Could you write or have you written a positive story with toxic masculinity as an element? Why or why not?

Having encountered it in real life, it would be difficult for me to write a positive story with it as an element. It would be dark and difficult. I do have a story that has a man so afflicted, who in grasping for power realizes the MC (the main series antagonist in the reluctance series) has talent that were he to control it, he could conquer nations. He tries trapping her into marrying her, and when that fails, drums up charges that if convicted, would allow him to buy her as a slave. Any more would be spoilers, other than to say that in a possible sequel they must join forces and he doesn't like ending up being the one used. Not saying that a woman …

The Sex Discrimination Act turns 50 in 2025 & its been a mixed history; as Yvonne Roberts suggests, some really big strides forward but equally some real resistance & lack of progress.

Which both suggests, legislation can start to transform social norms but while being a necessary underpinning to social change is seldom sufficient to see social structures transformed.

There are still plenty of ways men manage to discriminate & exploit women in the workplace.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/29/sex-discrimination-act-50-equal-pay

58 — A certain gender seems more susceptible to gaslighting and manipulation than another thanks to training or lack there of because of their gender. Have you used this (or observed this used) in fiction? How about that gender manipulating the manipulator because of their gender training?

It not only a certain gender, those buying fully into female gender roles, but any dominated racial, religious, or ethnic class or group can be manipulated. I've watched some old b&w era movies; you see this often enough. Even my main antagonist isn't above gaslighting, but she wants those people to eventually see through the illusions and understand the reasons they accepted them.

I think it would be cool to write a story where the gaslighter, having picked a victim, doesn't realize he's being gaslighted himself by a more wily manipulator, his victim, who instead picked him. If it gives you …

At the heart of Labour's white paper 'Get Britain Working' lies a fundamental problem:

By seeing work as defined as paid employment, it (and by extension the Govt.) downplays a lot of women's unpaid work (not least of all around care responsibilities).

As the Women's Budget Group point out, much unpaid work actually makes other economically defined work possible.

We need a major rethink about economic contribution(s), if that's how we value work!


https://www.wbg.org.uk/article/wbg-responds-to-governments-get-britain-working-white-paper/