Do Blacks study the presentation of Black culture? Really do they? Do they think that discussing the various Black fashions and Black slang is the same as discussing racism or identifying and deconstructing racist ideology? I’m sure fashion is quite a fascinating subject, but it’s not exactly the same as identifying racism — and in fact if discussing fashion is all anti-racism consisted of, then there’d be some Black folks going “WTF is wrong with you, my brother?”

What is the only differential between racism and sexism? Because if someone is genuinely looking for a reason that young women aren’t as interested in feminism or feminist history, the one difference might be a place to start looking — unless someone can’t bear the idea that men have never loved women as equals. The greeks had a name for love between equals (philia or brotherly love). They also had a name for the love shown to the family pet (storge).

Men have never loved you.

At first read, Dr. Crazy’s list of three bases for decision-making seemed to me very idealistic relative to the more consumer-oriented views discussed last week. The best connection is with the first question, “is this something I need to know?” but perhaps “is gaining this knowledge worth the effort?” enters into the decision as well. Maybe students see these courses as modern and thus challenging the status quo, and are simply not willing to put in the effort to do that.

As an aside, comments repeatedly singling out the same example “other” group make me uncomfortable, as does what in a few comments seems like blaming young women for their own lack of worldliness. I don’t know if it’s that young women don’t want to hear about it or simply have not yet heard about it. As Historiann notes, college campuses are relatively free of crude sex bias (and rape is hushed up). Heck, I know women my own age who blithely deny sex bias in the academy (and point out their own personal success as proof). Why should I expect students half their age to have a better handle on the state of affairs?

Academic historians, but especially women’s historians are always fighting the prevailing culture’s understanding of what it means to do history. Deep down, most non-historians like the kind of history books that were written by Ranke: great man history, or nation state history. If you take gender and women seriously, its going to upend these universal political, economic and social development narratives. That bugs people a lot, most of the popular culture still likes its history whiggish and safe.

Our students are profoundly imbued with this lingering historicism. A one semester class is not going to change that.

On the other hand, I don’t think it has yet been suggested that black students deny that racism exists. In many ways, race continues to be a much more political issue and many black young people appear to be politically engaged- as can be seen in the popular culture of some groups of black youth. That they would demand and have expectation of black history courses to reflect their politics is not surprising.

Many of these reasons which are being used to explain women’s lack of interest, simply do not appear so reasonable when we consider how other groups would respond. It becomes obvious they are excuses. Perhaps you’re avoiding something!