At what point does normal Human interaction become sexism?

Question

I have seen sexism described as anything ranging from unwanted advances to killing women for showing thier wrists.

My question is, what defines sexism vs a normal social situation that might be uncomfortable or disadvantageous for a woman?

Answer 1

I do not think that normal social situations, absent sexism, are uncomfortable or disadvantageous for women.

Maybe that will help - maybe what you think of as normal human interaction is actually sexist, and that's why the confusion.

Are you thinking it's normal, non-sexist interaction for a man to stare at a woman's b*****s?  That's just an example, and I realize it's not necessarily what you had in mind.  But that kind of behavior is super immature, and the man who does it is failing to exercise self-control, and gets away with it because of sexism (men telling themselves it's okay to not control that urge because it's "natural" and they're men, and therefore inherently too sexual to control themselves).

Answer 2

I think it's important to distinguish between a sexist action and sexism itself, which occurs on a systemic level and relates to systems of power and priviledge.

Personally, if I received unwanted advances, I would consider them unwanted advances. It becomes sexism when it rests on the expectation that the man has power to define the situation and the woman is subordinate and that she ought not turn him down or that she deserved them in the first place.

There is a difference between a man approaching a woman to make advances in a respectful way and the woman exercising her right to decline, and a man expecting that this woman should be available to him and not respecting her right to decline.

I realize the distinctions are blurry, and there are many social situations and human interactions where the distinction isn't clear at all.

But essentially, sexism, just like racism, classism, ageism or any other oppression-based -ism is based on a system. It can be exemplified by individual situations, but it is not the other way around. Individual acts against people do not signify that there is sexism going on, they may be symptomatic of a culture of sexism however.

I'm not sure what you are refering to about women being killed for showing their wrists (and how you might qualify this as a normal social situation?!?!!) but here is an example. In Montreal, where I live, a decade ago there was a college school shooting/massacre here. A man walked into a classroom, killed all the women, and left all the men alive. Although not a normal social situation, this would be considered sexism. I don't have to explain this one.

I was friends with a man whom I was very close to and he fell in love with me. He repeatedly tried making advances on me, and I declined. When I said no, he respected my wishes and did not insist. There is nothing sexist going on here. If this same man had gotten angry and expected me to say yes to him or intimidated me into consent when I didn't want to be involved with him sexually, this could have been considered sexism. Why? Because it is based on the notion that as a man he has more power over the situation than I do, and that he has a right to my body, but I don't have a right to my own body.

The bottom line is, if a person acts in a way that suggests they have more power on the situation based on gender, it is sexism. If a person by default HAS more power in a situation based on the priviledge of their gender, that is sexism too. If two people disagree on something and happen to be of different gender, that is not sexism by default, and it's not a matter of who gets the final say either, but of how the negociation takes place.

I hope this clears things up for you a little.

Answer 3

In the US, when insecure women feel insecure, everyone around them are then guilty of sexism....

Answer 4

Sexism is defined as discrmination based on gender which stems from the belief that one s*x is inferior to the other.

What sort of normal social situation would be disadvantageous for a woman? A woman in a male dominated office? It's not sexist if her coworkers treat her as an equal, even if she is uncomfortable. It becomes sexism when her coworkers treat her as the new office conquest, assign her "woman's work", or exclude her from events because of her gender.

It transends into sexism when the root of the action is based on the belief that a woman is unequal to a man or that a man "has the right" simply because he is a man.

Answer 5

Sexism would be when a person is treated as an inferior simply because of their gender.

Human interaction is when a person is made to feel uncomfortable or inferior for who they are as an individual or for someone they've done.

In the examples you give, an unwanted advance wouldn't be sexist because it's against one individual because of their personal characteristics. A society which kills women for showing their wrists would be sexist if men are not held to the same standard.

Answer 6

When a law is passed that forces corporations to prefer a woman for a job, when an equally qualified man is also available, then you know that women's liberation has crossed its limits, and has become a sexist movement.

Answer 7

This is a very subjective question. For instance in my office we have a middle aged woman who is unmarried and might even be a virgin, she isn't very attractive and is generally hard to get along with. She cry's out sexual harassment every time she doesn't get her way. She is extreme to be sure but because she is a woman each and every time she makes an empty claim it is none the less investigated. Likewise i knew a black man who was nothing close to a top performer but he claimed racial prejudice each and every time he receives poor marks on annual reviews or was passed over for advancement. There are people who begin their adult life convinced they are being held back and because of a lack of character they never try to get beyond that mindset.

I don't think friendly jokes or minor flirts are sexist anymore than opening a big and tall store is insulting to dwarfs.

Its clear some people are looking for that opportunity to be a victim and they will seize on any action that can be twisted in a way to help them meet that victimized mentality. I think it is akin to the hypochondriac who thinks every sneeze is a sign of a life threatening disease.