Ah never mind, maybe it has nothing to do with my basic train of thoughts here. There was a time when I would have said that the difference between girl and woman was the sex thing. Or the period thing. Or even, as told by a former in-law to me "you become a real woman when you finally have conceived" (yes, that was a perfect example of why I did not really fit into that circle. Also, note the "real" before woman... I guess you are faking it until then?).
Then again, I understand that the word maybe means something more that "just" having had sex (you know what I mean). It is a "mature" thing. And heaven knows I don't think you are mature as a teenager. I guess that is why I kind of like the Britney song "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman" (yes, I know someone else wrote it most likely so sue me). It kind of sums it up.
For the record, I am also quite intrigued that it took a while for me to think of myself as woman... rather than "tjej" ... and I guess this might be why I am conflicted about the whole female scientist and scientist. I'd rather be a scientist [full stop] but I am a female scientist and I do think it has shaped me somewhat different than if I would have been a [male] scientist. Then again, maybe it has shaped me more that I am and will continue to be a [foreign] scientist?
With that, I am off in this lovely day that will be spent in a closed room without windows and people wondering around. Hopefully some good results will come my way too....
5 comments:
I've heard the same thing about conceiving. It's just strange (perhaps, a better word would be outrageous or rage-inducing) to me that my identity as a woman should be wrapped up in my fertility.
As far as the scientist thing. Here I'm a fan of person first language (as my friends who work in Early Childhood Education tell me it's called). In person first language: I am a scientist that is also a woman.
While being a woman has shaped my experiences as a scientist, I think being a man would've also shaped my experiences. I think there are a plethora of things other than my gender that have also shaped my experiences and I dislike (at times) that just one thing is plucked out to be significant. (I won't get into the fact that sometimes that one factor is the most significant, but I'd wish that it wouldn't be all the time).
Anyhow, I hope all that makes sense and I'm going to stop rambling.
Not a native speaker, but I think "tjej" is the word we don't really have in English as the female equivalent of how we use the word "guys" vs "boys" and "men".
Amanda: i agree with your comments. Have not really seen the "first language thing" but it seems like a good way of saying things (if not in your head to yourself).
Anon: yes, that might be true. I use guys for both "men and women" as I would use -the gang/my friends- kind of... but true; boy, guy, men might be more alike the flicka, tjej,kvinna - although the other sex.
I think of myself as a geologist first, and then as a female geologist - or as Amanda said, a geologist who happens to also be a woman. I mean, being a woman is important and part of who I am, but the only reason there is even a phrase "female geologist" - or even worse "girl geologist" !! - is because it is still relatively uncommon and because there is still bias in general against women in science, imo.
These days I really trie to avoid using "tjej". I have never liked that word, especially when mature women use it. I trie to use "women" when I talk about women, "young women" when I talk about teenage girls from 15 and up and "girls" when - whell, you get the picture.
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