News from the Front: Intersex and Intergenerational Conflict over the Status of Women

Abstract

C ONSCIOUSNESS and conflict are essential prerequisites of change in the status of women. As Harriet Martineau wrote one hundred forty years ago, All women should inform themselves of the condition of their sex, and of their own position. It must necessarily follow that the noblest of them will, sooner or later, put forth a moral power which shall prostrate cant, and burst asunder the bonds (silken to some, but cold iron to others), of feudal prejudices and usages.' Martineau, like the feminists of today who join or organize consciousness-raising groups, viewed selfconsciousness and consciousness of the status of women as a group necessary to change. Her observation shows an early recognition of the difference between objective social reality and perception as well as the effect of both on behavior. Consciousness raising, as suggested by Martineau and asserted by more recent feminists, is a change in self-perception as well as a change in social relations involving women. Martineau assumed that feminist activity was impossible until women became capable of seeing their lives as they really were. Each time large numbers of women become conscious of their situation conflict follows. It has never been enough for women to point out the ills they observe. More often than not change has involved the development of and conflict between feminist movements and organizations on the one side and counter movements and organizations on the other; in other words, a public, social conflict. Change does not seem to occur without the development of both consciousness and social conflict. This paper is addressed to the problem of consciousness or perception of social conflict over the status of women.