Bohdanova,
T. (2013, Nov. 5). ‘Women should be submissive’ and other Google autocomplete
suggestions. Retrieved from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/11/05/women-should-be-submissive-and-other-google-autocomplete-suggestions/
Global
Voices asked its contributors to Google “Women should” based on a UN
Campaign and it had interesting results. According to the results posted in
this article, the implications are suggestive of a pervasive misogynistic
opinion of the role of women. Is this the popular global view? Is it something
put forth by Google? The article does
not delve that deep but it is interesting and I cannot help but wonder how does
the Google algorithm work that the results seem to be so misogynistic? I decided to test this and do a couple of
Google searches of my own. Here are my
results for “Women should”
I also Googled Women should not and
received the following results:
What do you think?
I noticed that post and a few others, Stephanie. I think there's a lot of unacknowledged misogyny out there, as well as overt opinions. I was flabbergasted recently when the church I've attended since childhood decided to change from governance by deacons/deaconesses with a church moderator (male or female) to male elders and a 'head' elder (exclusively male). What do I think? I think it's sad that any younger women with a God-given gift for teaching or preaching will need to go elsewhere to use those gifts, and I think I'm being led to explore leaving my church family of 60+ years.
ReplyDeleteCarol, all I can say is WOW! I am truly sorry that you may be looking for a new church. What you describe was what existed in my church (and likely still is) when I decided to leave the church 11 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI work hard to teach my boys how words and phrases that demean women are unacceptable...When someone says "He throws like a girl, runs like a girl, anything like a girl" I respond with, he must be amazing and list female athletes. I then like to explain how those comments are insulting to me and all the other girls they know because girls can do anything that boys can do. I also explain that there are some things that boys or men may have an advantage over women but there are many things that women have the advantage. It is a slow process but I hope that I am doing my part for the next generation!
I my husband and I have taught our sons by example and words that women are capable in many arenas formerly thought of as male-only. I could almost swallow the change in church governance if women were included spiritually and allowed to be more than 'Marthas', except in teaching children. Being a stumbling block to a man's walk with God and his fellowship with believers isn't something I want to be, but there are other proposed changes in how someone joins the church, as well, that make me feel I should look at other churches. (It is very difficult to leave while there are still a few members of my parents' generation with whom I'm close.) I'm sorry you experienced this as well, Stephanie.
ReplyDelete