I must say that what is of issue here is the notion of tenure. The intent
that there will be those whose ideology or practices are out of touch with
current political winds must be protected. My understanding of tenure is
its intent is to protect those just like Daly whose practices may be seen
as offensive by contemporary standards. Daly being an "historical icon"
that should be preserved and defended no matter how much it goes against
contemporary sensibilities.
I took a botany course awhile back and the Professor was out of tune with
much political correctness and was taken to task because of his refusal to
change the title of his course *Plants and Man*. There was a level of
uncomfortableness in his class because he spent of could deal of time
attacking political correct (the conservative kind too) ideology that is
popular on college campuses. Even with all his attacks he spent more time
on feminist and class perspectives than other classes that were seen as
more inclusive.
Tenure must be protected for both Daly and Allen because we need those
uncomformists no matter how much they threaten the conforming tendencies
that are so common on college campuses today.
Nate
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Dillon <dillonph who-is-at northcoast.com>
To: <xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 1999 10:39 PM
Subject: Re: FW: "Daly De-Tenured"
> Jane,
>
> Whatever anyone's position may or may not be concerning "feminism and
> women's studies" I have two problems with the argument you presented to
> support your call for support of Daly.
>
> First, the question of academic freedom is very hazy here. What are
the
> grounds for allowing women, but not other groups, to have segregated
> classes. If you adopt a genetic definition of women, then many male
> phenotypes who consider themselves to have female genotypes, should be
> admitted. If the determination that individuals who share genetic
> similarites should be permitted to have their own segregated classes to
> discuss their specific problems, say Jews, Celts, individuals with blue
eyes
> and blond hair, etc. Is this the case? I haven't heard it to be. Where
> does one draw the genotypical line? If it isn't a question of genetic
> distinction at all then any group, on the basis of any socially
recognized
> distinction, should be allowed the prerogative to do this. As history
has
> shown, however, this allows those individuals with greater power to
> eventually corner privilege. Really it's the same in either direction.
One
> distinction of the "objective" from whatever direction one takes on it,
is
> that it is potentially accessible to all. Or is there an implied notion
> that there is in fact "male knowledge" and "female knowledge" or
knowledge
> that is otherwise accessible, in principle, to only specific groups,
> genetic or social or both?
>
> Whereas one can recognize the need for confidentiality for the discussion
of
> some issues, is this an element of post-secondary education (or even
> education in lower grades)? Isn't it rather an issue of therapy or
> religious confession? I'm not presuming to know where issues of therapy
> flow over into issues of education but I've recently seen several very
> powerful critiques of "liberation epistemology" (I'll post the web
addresses
> separtely) that might be of interest to those who aren't already
> dogmatically committed to the politically correct position here.
>
> Second, your grounds for justifying support of "reinstalling Daly" (which
I
> interpret to mean allowing her back in to teach her segregated classes)
are
> not convincing but appeal to the fact that the student in question had
the
> support of an organization that "led attacks on affirmative action".
This
> innuendo apparently purports to undermine the validity of the student's
> complaint that he was being discriminated against. This rhetorical
device
> doesn't prove anything in this case which must be judged on its own
merits.
>
> I hesitated to write this and am sure that it will incite automatic dog
> juices (I'm hoping there are some joyceans out there) but I also hope
that
> for those not already frozen into the politically correct position, the
> issue of "liberation epistemology" be put up for question, since the
> relation between "therapy" and education bears more closely to the topic
of
> the list; i.e., cultural historical activity and learning.
>
> Paul H. Dillon
>
>