Passivity's Place

While doing some gender studies work, a thought occurred to me. Somehow, over the course of all the good work feminists have done, the word "passive" has become negative. I can only think that this is due to the embracing of binary oppositions.

For those not familiar with the term, I will elaborate: Binary oppositions are pairs of opposites, dichotomies, one of which is (usually) considered dominant or "better". Examples include male/female, strong/weak, positive/negative, civilization/nature, and, active/passive. Many, myself included, place the beginning of such a mindset around the Enlightenment, due especially to the writings of such philosophers as Descartes with his split of the mind and body.

Allow me to be a bit unconventional here and say that the idea of thinking in pure opposites - in black and white - is, in a word, foolish.

Passivity has its place, as does being active. There are times that being passive actually requires more strength than immediately jumping into action. Passivity brings contemplation and meditation upon the situation at hand.

This is not to say that we should become stepping stones for those around us. Rather, it is important to take into account that situations and people are multi-faceted and the culmination of a great many factors - and that there are multiple solutions for any such problem. Remember Gandhi's methods, or the bus boycotts in Montgomery during the Civil Rights movement. Both were cases of taking action through passivity.

There is a danger in binary oppositions that is too easy to fall into. They are seductive, giving people an assurance that they are right and that the "other" is wrong. They promote narrow-mindedness and limit one's viewpoint. While this may sound like common sense, it is so simple to get caught up in binary thinking that it is often not seen for what it is. Remember, every "villain" has been doing what they thought was right. Opening one's self up to the idea that the "other" may be just as valuable is scary and lacks the security that putting one's self and identity in a niche brings.

So how does this relate to gender studies? Well, in the course of feminism, many rights have been gained but I feel something has been lost as well. Too many women in our culture now feel that if they do not want to work, if they would rather perform more traditional duties, that they would somehow be betraying their gender by enjoying what is seen as a passive role. This is a result of binary thinking. So many women are stretching themselves so thin attempting to be everything that is expected of them that their enjoyment of who and what they are is lost. Being active, that is, working and shunning a passive identity, has gained such positive connotations that it overshadows the main thing that feminists were really fighting for - choice. By shedding binary thinking, one gains choice and the ability to see all the shades of gray available. Moreover, one is not limited by culture's whisperings that, in a supposed a/b situation, that 'a' is good and 'b' is bad.

So. Choice of many facets or security in a limited mindset - it all depends on whether you open your eyes.