Re-vision – the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction – is for woman more than a chapter in cultural history: it is an act of survival. Until we understand the assumptions in which we are drenched we cannot know ourselves. And this drive to self-knowledge, for women, is more than a search for identity: it is part of our refusal of the self-destructiveness of male-dominated society.
― Adrienne Rich, On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966-1978
Adrienne Rich, according to the Anthology of Modern American Poetry, was “one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century.” In her body of work, she merged her radically progressive ideas with her personal experiences as “a white woman, a Jew, a lesbian, and a United States citizen” to serve as an agent of political and social change. You can find out more about her here.
Although her quote is directed towards women, I believe its general premise adequately describes the goals of the sociologist and anthropologist – to have others “re-vise” their assumptions of the world we live in. Do you agree?
Do you think a necessary precursor to gender equality is for women to understand and acknowledge assumptions about social life?