Over Shabbos I was talking with someone about how the Yeshiva University student newspapers get more attention from the Jewish blogs than one would expect for any typical college paper. Obviously there are a lot of YU students and grads posting and reading in the Jewish blogosphere.
As we were talking it occurred to me for the first time that the titles of the two YU papers (the YU Commentator for the mens Yeshiva College and the YU Observer for Stern College for Women) corroborate with the gender roles orthodox Jewish culture places on its men and women. Commenting has an active connotation where as observing is passive. In particular it made me think of the roles at shul. A man leads the prayers aloud, a man reads the Torah and the Rabbi (always a man) comments on the parsha (Torah reading). Meanwhile, behind the mechitzah you have the women observing the proceedings with no active role to fulfill. There is no way I am the first to think of this but the guy I was talking to never heard of it before.
I wonder if there are other subliminal culture cues YU transmits to its student body.
10 comments:
While there are clearly gender roles and expectation in OJ, as there are in all societies, I suspect you are over-interpreting a bit. The "observer" is such a common newspaper title that I wouldn't read too much into it. It may be that because of the process that you are going through, you have a heightened sensitivity and awareness of these things. Being a skeptic myself I understand your point, but I would try to be careful not to "over-villify"...
I think it was probably unintentional. But it does nevertheless express the viewpoint of the people who named the newspapers, albeit unconciously on their part. I don't think it's a question of active brainwashing as much as a passive reflection of a pre-existing thought pattern. Kind of a chiken/egg situation.
I clicked on the Observer and one of the first articles that popped up dealt with a particular girls' yeshiva in Israel possibly warning students who continue on to Stern against taking certain classes that could be considered heretical.
Thought that was ironic coming from this blog to there!
You are right about the passive and active roles of women and men although I don't think the title of the paper means too much.
Lubab No More I enjoy commenting on your site. But if I'm not mistaken you don't seem open afterall to reexamining your skeptic positions. Perhaps you are right. Being a Lubavitcher you saw things more black and white and so you still do.
Interestingly I am not the best in seeing black and white. I can't fairly bring you back to Lubavitch since I'm not but I can help you in any way I can.
interesting. i had never thought of that.
Fascinating!!
Miri,
I agree. I think it was an unconscious choice but, nevertheless an accurate reflection of the attitudes of the students (or administrators) who chose the titles.
Rabban Gamliel,
> if I'm not mistaken you don't seem open afterall to reexamining your skeptic positions.
I appreciate your posts, but you are mistaken. I am open to hearing new ideas. However, I don't find it necessary to debate each and every comment posted on my blog. As far as your posts, for the most part I find that you simply reject the basis of my questions instead of acknowledging the reasonable concerns I have. If you don't accept science as an accurate way to measure the universe that's fine but that doesn't change the fact that I do. Simply rejecting my beliefs is not going to make me see things your way.
"If you don't accept science as an accurate way to measure the universe that's fine but that doesn't change the fact that I do. Simply rejecting my beliefs is not going to make me see things your way."
On the contrary in debates with skeptics I've taken the role of defender of science. If you mean me accepting things beyond science too then you are right. We are afterall debating things that are beyond science. Science cannot tell you if there is a supernatural. It can hint about it but no more. It seems we both have been mistaken about eachother.
I think this was a really astute thing to pick up on. Language is so political.
Post a Comment