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Yes. If you're discriminating on the basis of gender, how is that not sexist?
by ufmace 13y ago
Yes. If you're discriminating on the basis of gender, how is that not sexist?
- Gygash 13y agoIf men were being prevented or dissuaded from entering the tech industry then sure, that would be sexist. Efforts to counter sexism against women are not sexist against men.
- belorn 13y agoUsing violence to counter violence is still violence. Using sexism to counter sexism is still sexism. Simply put, An eye for an eye will always leave two blind people no matter how justified one feels it is.
- scott_s 13y agoI do not consider it discriminatory to make an extra effort to recruit an under-represented group. Hence, I don't see this as "sexism to fight sexism."
- ufmace 13y agoThat depends on what you mean by countering sexism. Telling your co-workers that they should treat the women they work with with the same respect they show to their male co-workers isn't sexist. Saying that you need to recruit more women is.
- tshaddox 13y agoUsing a definition that simple, most people in the world are deeply sexist.
- obstacle1 13y agoYes, and...? When someone self-identifies as 'not a sexist' they also implicitly identify as a liar. To think we can ever get past discrimination -- sex, race, or whatever -- is extremely naive. It is as fundamental to us as making the distinction between 'me' and 'not me'.
- baddox 13y agoThe issue starts to become semantic. If by "discrimination" we just mean "recognizing differences and making decisions based on those differences," then it obviously shouldn't carry a stigma. But usually "discrimination" is being used to refer to unfair or undesirable decisions based on differences, and in this case we need to define what is and isn't fair or desirable.
- obstacle1 13y agoIf you take action based on a recognition of difference, a value judgement is implied. For example choosing action A over B implies a preference for action A, even if you don't consciously think of it that way. So it is hard to see how any human endeavour can ever be free of discrimination in the moral sense you're talking about. Every decision we make discriminates against someone or something in an 'unfair' manner, basically.
- baddox 13y agoBut why are all preferences "unfair"? What about preferences in partners, i.e. heterosexuality or homosexuality?
- SheepSlapper 13y agoYou're confusing -ist and -ism. Men are better drivers = Sexist Men are better drivers, so let's not hire women = Sexism