or a more recent experience: this is, after all , a college ... followed
by voicing dynamics that exclude most of the students at said college
Realizing that I am being opaque, let me add to Lisa's observations a
little anecdote:
In Fall 87, having just passed muster as a doctoral student, I got into a
class that experienced many problems. Among the dozen or so students, I
and another woman came into the class as the "assertive" ones, the ones who
could usually be trusted to pipe up. Well, I looked around me one fine
day, saw students sitting in unhappy silence, and I just couldn't do it!
My thoughts went something like, "No! I am just not in the mood to be the
bitch this semester!" The other woman had the same reaction. The class
went on unhappily ever after. Eventually, both I and the other woman
dropped out.
Breaking the silence isn't all there is to it. For me, breaking the
silence often has meant wrestling with the ready-made role of the bitch.
It gets old.
Genevieve