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next for qualities of submissiveness and patient service bred by long
ages of servility。
This servile womanhood； or the idler and more excessively feminine type；
has never appreciated the real power and place of the mother； and has
never been able to grasp or to carry out any worthy system of education
for little children。 Any experienced teacher； man or woman； will own
how rare it is to find a mother capable of a dispassionate appreciation
of educative values。 Books in infant education and child culture
generally are read by teachers more than mothers； so our public
libraries prove。 The mother…instinct； quite suitable and sufficient in
animals； is by no means equal to the requirements of civilized life。
Animal motherhood furnishes a fresh wave of devotion for each new birth；
primitive human motherhood extends that passionate tenderness over the
growing family for a longer period； but neither can carry education
beyond its rudiments。
So accustomed are we to our world…old method of entrusting the first
years of the child to the action of untaught； unbridled mother…instinct；
that suggestions as to a better education for babies are received with
the frank derision of massed ignorance。
That powerful and brilliant writer； Mrs。 Josephine Daskam Bacon； among
others has lent her able pen to ridicule and obstruct the gradual
awakening of human intelligence in mothers； the recognition that babies
are no exception to the rest of us in being better off for competent
care and service。 It seems delightfully absurd to these reactionaries
that ages of human progress should be of any benefit to babies； save；
indeed； as their more human fathers； specialized and organized； are able
to provide them with better homes and a better world to grow up in。 The
idea that mothers； more human； should specialize and organize as well；
and extend to their babies these supreme advantages； is made a laughing
stock。
It is easy and profitable to laugh with the majority； but in the
judgment of history； those who do so； hold unenviable positions。 The
time is coming when the human mother will recognize the educative
possibilities of early childhood； learn that the ability to rightly
teach little children is rare and precious； and be proud and glad to
avail themselves of it。
We shall then see a development of the most valuable human qualities in
our children's minds such as would now seem wildly Utopian。 We shall
learn from wide and long experience to anticipate and provide for the
steps of the unfolding mind； and train it； through carefully prearranged
experiences； to a power of judgment； of self…control； of social
perception； now utterly unthought of。
Such an education would begin at birth； yes； far before it； in the
standards of a conscious human motherhood。 It would require a quite
different status of wifehood； womanhood； girlhood。 It would be wholly
impossible if we were never to outgrow our androcentric culture。
OUR ANDROCENTRIC CULTURE； or； THE MAN…MADE WORLD
IX。
〃SOCIETY〃 AND 〃FASHION〃
Among our many naive misbeliefs is the current fallacy that 〃society〃 is
made by women； and that women are responsible for that peculiar social
manifestation called 〃fashion。〃
Men and women alike accept this notion； the serious essayist and
philosopher； as well as the novelist and paragrapher； reflect it in
their pages。 The force of inertia acts in the domain of psychics as
well as physics； any idea pushed into the popular mind with considerable
force will keep on going until some opposing forceor the slow
resistance of frictionstops it at last。
〃Society〃 consists mostly of women。 Women carry on most of its
processes； therefore women are its makers and masters； they are
responsible for it； that is the general belief。
We might as well hold women responsible for haremsor prisoners for
jails。 To be helplessly confined to a given place or condition does not
prove that one has chosen it； much less made it。
No； in an androcentric culture 〃society；〃 like every other social
relation； is dominated by the male and arranged for his convenience。
There are； of course； modifications due to the presence of the other
sex； where there are more women than men there are inevitable results of
their influence； but the character and conditions of the whole
performance are dictated by men。
Social intercourse is the prime condition of human life。 To meet； to
mingle； to know one another； to exchange； not only definite ideas；
facts； and feelings； but to experience that vague general stimulus and
enlarged power that comes of contactall this is essential to our
happiness as well as to our progress。
This grand desideratum has always been monopolized by men as far as
possible。 What intercourse was allowed to women has been rigidly hemmed
its by man…made conventions。 Women accept these conventions； repeat
them； enforce them upon their daughters； but they originate with men。
The feet of the little Chinese girl are bound by her mother and her
nursebut it is not for woman's pleasure that this crippling torture
was invented。 The Oriental veil is worn by women； but it is not for any
need of theirs that veils were decreed them。
When we look at society in its earlier form we find that the public
house has always been with us。 It is as old almost as the private
house； the need for association is as human as the need for privacy。
But the public house wasand isfor men only。 The woman was kept as
far as possible at home。 Her female nature was supposed to delimit her
life satisfactorily； and her human stature was completely ignored。
Under the pressure of that human nature she has always rebelled at the
social restrictions which surrounded her； and from the women of older
lands gathered at the well； or in the market place； to our own women on
the church steps or in the sewing circle； they have ceaselessly
struggled for the social intercourse which was as much a law of their
being as of man's。
When we come to the modern special field that we call 〃society；〃 we find
it to consist of a carefully arranged set of processes and places
wherein women may meet one another and meet men。 These vary； of course；
with race； country； class； and period； from the clean licence of our
western customs to the strict chaperonage of older lands； but free as it
is in America； even here there are bounds。
Men associate without any limit but that of inclination and financial
capacity。 Even class distinction only works one waythe low…class man
may not mingle with high…class women； but the high…class man mayand
doesmingle with low…class women。 It is his societymay not a man do
what he will with his own？
Caste distinctions； as have been ably shown by Prof。 Lester F。 Ward； are
relics of race distinction； the subordinate caste was once a subordinate
race； and while mating； upward； was always forbidden to the subject
race； mating； downward； was always practiced by the master race。
The elaborate shading of 〃the color line〃 in slavery days； from pure
black up through mulatto； quadroon； octoroon； quinteroon； griffada；
mustafee； mustee； and sang d'orto white again； was not